When Mr. Qi heard this, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. "Teacher Yu agreed? Six months? Good! Six months it is! We can afford to wait."
He then looked at Chen Chuan and added, trying to win him over, "And this young man here, perhaps he can join us at that time as well."
Yu Gang said in a deep voice, "I will fulfill our agreement after the New Year."
Mr. Qi said "Excellent, excellent," again and again. He cupped his fist to Yu Gang and said, "I was truly presumptuous today, but I simply couldn't bear to let a great talent like Teacher Yu slip by. When we have the chance, please allow me to prepare a humble reception by way of apology. I hope Teacher Yu will grant me the honor of his presence. For now, we will take our leave." After speaking, he gave a signal, turned, and left with his men.
The members of the Iron Chain Gang followed him, one by one, in silence, their movements disciplined and orderly.
Ding Shuo wiped the blood from his nose and, still refusing to accept defeat, said to Chen Chuan, "We'll fight again next time!" With that, he hurried to catch up with Mr. Qi's group. Still feeling resentful, he ran up to Mr. Qi's side and grumbled, "Mr. Qi, I could have kept fighting back there..."
Mr. Qi was in a good mood and showed great patience. "Ah, Ding Shuo," he said, "I know you can fight. But why did we come here? Was it just to beat one of Yu Gang's students?"
Ding Shuo replied without thinking, "Of course not. Mr. Qi, didn't you say he was a great talent and that you wanted him to join our Iron Chain Gang?"
Mr. Qi said, "Well then, there you have it. Haven't we achieved our goal for coming here? What is there for you to be unhappy about?"
Ding Shuo thought, 'But I'm the one who fucking got beaten up. Am I supposed to be happy about that?'
His good mood undiminished, Mr. Qi continued, "As for Yu Gang, I looked into him beforehand. He's the type of person who, if you show him an ounce of respect, will show you a pound in return. We could have argued the point back there, but I chose to make a concession. Yu Gang saw our sincerity, and so he was willing to be accommodating. You see? The outcome was just as we predicted, wasn't it?"
At this, he seemed to recall something. He looked toward the burly middle-aged man and asked, "You mentioned before that the young man is talented as well?"
The burly middle-aged man said, "I can tell he hasn't trained in any special Power, but his Resistance to Impact is already comparable to Ding Shuo's. His explosive power is also very strong. He is without a doubt talented."
Mr. Qi's eyes lit up. "Is that so? It would be wonderful if we could recruit him along with the other. The Iron Chain Gang needs talent like that. But there's no rush. Yu Gang is the main prize. Six months... Heh, that'll pass quickly."
After Mr. Qi and his entourage had completely departed, Chen Chuan approached Yu Gang. "Mr. Yu," he said, "I apologize. I took matters into my own hands just now."
But Yu Gang didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, he approved of Chen Chuan's actions.
He said, "You did the right thing. For people like us who train for combat, when we have a conviction, we must act on it. You said before that your goal was to be unrestrained and to constantly surpass yourself. If you didn't even dare to step forward at a moment like this, then I would have suspected you were all talk. And that's not even mentioning the fact that you won. You must remember this: among Fighters, the victor is often beyond reproach."
Chen Chuan said frankly, "I only won through a bit of cunning. The truth is, I know that if the Iron Chain Gang hadn't been willing to show you deference, Mr. Yu, my performance wouldn't have mattered. But if my strength and technique had been just a little bit greater—enough to overwhelm him head-on—then I wouldn't have needed to resort to such ploys."
Yu Gang said, "Don't sell yourself short. Your strength is already excellent for your current level. Not only has Ding Shuo been training longer than you, but he has also likely specialized his Breathing Technique to enhance his Resistance to Impact. He must have used special medicine to supplement his training as well. It's no surprise you couldn't knock him down."
Chen Chuan asked curiously, "The Breathing Technique has different specializations?"
Yu Gang said, "I believe I've told you before that the Breathing Technique you've learned is only the most fundamental one. Once your physical conditioning reaches a certain level, you can use medicine to aid in training more advanced Breathing Techniques, which are used to complement different fighting styles.
"For example, some, like Ding Shuo's, focus on Resistance to Impact. Others are designed to specifically increase striking power in the limbs, while others enhance one's agility. These all require different tricks of the trade, different martial forms, and even different breathing methods to coordinate properly. But fundamentally, all techniques are built upon your physical foundation. Therefore, to truly achieve profound mastery, you sometimes also need a little 'talent'."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "Take you, for instance. You might not know it, but you possess this 'talent'. Ding Shuo is likely one of these people too. Some are just born different, able to achieve things in certain domains that ordinary people can't."
A thought flashed through Chen Chuan's mind. 'Mr. Yu has probably misunderstood. He's interpreting my performance as some kind of "talent." In reality, my Second Self and this so-called "talent" aren't the same thing at all. But it's better if he wants to see it that way; it saves me the trouble of explaining. Besides, from his tone, it seems like people who possess this talent are quite rare.'
He thought for a moment, then asked, "I have one more question, Mr. Yu. During our fight, Ding Shuo easily broke my hold. That force he used... it felt very unusual..."
Yu Gang explained, "That's Power. Ding Shuo was using 'Clothes-Throwing Force', also known as 'Great Sacrificial Robe'. The movement resembles someone stretching their arms upward, causing a robe on their back to fall to the ground. It embodies the concept of breaking free from bonds and is a move specifically designed to break grapples. It's also a method for practicing how to explosively release Power."
Chen Chuan seized on the key word. "Power?"
Yu Gang said, "Correct, Power! The Breathing Technique is the necessary foundation and prerequisite for practicing Power. 'Power' is a higher-level application of one's strength, utilized by Fighters. You're still quite far from that level, but it's good for you to start understanding it..."
As he spoke, he spread his feet and stood firm, holding his hands as if embracing a large ball. "There are also many types of Power," he said. "Most can be practiced through coordination with Pile Skill. Take this one, for example. It starts with the Hugging Qi Technique, followed by the Sea-Splitting Technique..." As he said this, he turned his palms outward, spreading his hands to the sides, before drawing them back in and thrusting them upward. "Next is the Heaven-Holding Technique... and finally, the Back Mountain Technique..."
As he reached this part, he suddenly flipped his palms upward as if to hold up the sky. His knees bent, and his entire frame sank. Chen Chuan felt a sudden vibration through the soles of his feet, as if an immense weight were pressing down from above, supported by Yu Gang alone.
Yu Gang slowly straightened. "This is the complete Mixed Element Strength Posture. Many Fighters choose to use it to practice Power, and it's the most widely circulated method. However, that doesn't mean it's easy to master. It contains countless subtle variations. The 'Clothes-Throwing Force' is a simplified technique distilled from it, a Small Force that is easier for the average fighter to grasp. Its advantages are that it's easy to pick up, requires little stamina, and allows for quick and simple power generation.
"Those who master this skill specialize in countering grapples. For instance, when you went for that close-range neck clinch earlier—it's a good thing you didn't secure your hold. If you had, he could have dislocated your arm when he unleashed his Power."
Chen Chuan nodded in understanding, then asked, "Mr. Yu, that kind of Power can't be used indiscriminately, right?"
Yu Gang replied, "Correct. Every use of Power puts a strain on the body. At Ding Shuo's level, using it twice in a single bout is about his limit. Any more than that, and his body would give out first." He paused, then added, "However, if you had also mastered Power, that Pan Tuo Palm you used earlier would have been enough to shatter his jaw."
Chen Chuan was lost in thought. "So that's how it is..."
Yu Gang said, "Don't overthink it for now. Once you're at Wuda, they will teach you all of this. What I want to say is that you did very well today.
"Combat is not just a physical competition; it's a psychological game, a battle of wits. During the fight, you didn't just barrel ahead with brute force. Instead, you accurately seized upon the decisive point of the battle. That shows a kind of combat instinct very few people have. I believe you will go far on the path of a Fighter—perhaps even farther than I imagine."
As he spoke, he gazed into the distance, his eyes seemingly lost in a memory.
Chen Chuan remained silent.
After a long moment, Yu Gang looked back at him, a rare smile on his face. "Alright, didn't you say you have a graduation party tonight? I'll give you the day off. Head home early."
Chen Chuan said, "Okay, Mr. Yu." He glanced toward the building and asked, "Is Brother Lu okay?"
Yu Gang said calmly, "He trains for combat. He can take care of himself."
Chen Chuan said, "Then I'll be going, Mr. Yu. I'll be here on time tomorrow."
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