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In Gao Yuan's understanding, the training for a special forces soldier should be very strict, even harsh. Xiang Weiguo had already started his training, but why was it different from what he had imagined?
There was no endurance training, no strength enhancement training to speak of, let alone training of a hellish level; it was not even high-intensity.
There wasn't any training content that had to do with special forces at all.
Now, Xiang Weiguo had only taught Gao Yuan one thing, and that was how to use a stick.
Gao Yuan dared not ask, but for five days, Xiang Weiguo had made him repeatedly practice three techniques with the stick and nothing else.
By today, Gao Yuan could no longer hold back.
Why couldn't Gao Yuan hold back? Because Luo Xingyu's cold had gotten better, her food intake was gradually increasing, and her body was recovering day by day. Today, she could finally come to the door and sit to watch how Gao Yuan trained.
Stab, parry, strike; it was just these three moves back and forth, without any variation. Even Luo Xingyu, who had only watched for a while, became bored—let alone Gao Yuan, who had repeated these three movements for five days.
"Uncle Xiang, may I ask some questions?"
Finally, after practicing for a sufficiently long time, when Gao Yuan had a moment to rest, he immediately asked his questions.
"Ask."
"Uncle Xiang, I've been repeating these actions for the past few days. Why are you only teaching me these?"
Xiang Weiguo seriously said, "Practice makes perfect."
Gao Yuan looked all ears but Xiang Weiguo stopped speaking. After a long time, Gao Yuan couldn't help but ask, "And then?"
"Then? What then? There is no 'then,' that's it."
Gao Yuan couldn't help but say in frustration, "Uncle Xiang, special forces aren't trained like this, right? You said you could teach me, but what we're practicing now is way too simple!"
Xiang Weiguo looked at Gao Yuan and said very seriously, "Who said I was going to train you into a special forces soldier?"
Gao Yuan was stunned, and Xiang Weiguo continued seriously, "I am going to teach you wilderness survival, how to fight, and even how to kill. Although these skills are all necessary for special forces, having just these skills does not make you a special forces soldier, so I never intended to train you to be one."
"Why!"
Xiang Weiguo smiled and said, "There's no environment for it, no conditions, no necessity."
Gao Yuan, unwilling and dissatisfied, said, "What does that mean?"
Xiang Weiguo said calmly, "First, let's talk about the environment. Special forces are trained in military camps, with good medical conditions, full logistical support, and so on. What you see on TV, instructors pushing the soldiers to their physical limits, training their bodies and psychological endurance to the extreme, but it's definitely not that simple. Behind every special forces soldier, at least three people provide support. Training special forces is backed by a system. If you just train people to death without considering anything else, that's not training; it's manslaughter."
After thinking it over, Gao Yuan felt that it indeed made sense.
Xiang Weiguo continued, "Having discussed the environment, you'll easily understand the conditions. We don't have the training environment, so naturally, we can't give you the conditions to train. Firstly, if I were to push your physical limits, we would need a sufficient supply of food, which we don't have. Then let's talk about something as simple as clothes. How many sets of clothes do you have? If I made you roll in the dirt every day, how many days before your clothes tear? And when your clothes are torn, what then? Freeze in the middle of winter? I won't even mention what happens if you get injured or sick."
Gao Yuan had no more energy to keep asking, but Xiang Weiguo still continued, "If I exhaust you every day, what will you do if danger comes? What if you don't even have the energy to run for your life?"
Sighing, Gao Yuan said resignedly, "Alright, you're right. I've been thinking too simply."
Xiang Weiguo chuckled and said, "Let's finish this. Why is there no necessity for you to become a special forces soldier? Because the combat target of a special forces soldier is the enemy's military personnel, not zombies or wild animals. Therefore, there's no necessity to train you into a special forces soldier because your opponents are not soldiers."
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Gao Yuan nodded and said, "Then what's the point of practicing these few moves every day?"
Xiang Weiguo spoke seriously, "The foundation of the Thirteen Techniques, I was wondering why you never asked me about it. Aren't you curious?"
Gao Yuan replied with a wry smile, "It's not that I'm not curious, I'm just afraid to ask. Now please explain, even if it's just the basics. But having only three moves seems too simple..."
Xiang Weiguo spoke seriously again, "It's not simple because what I'm teaching you is how to fight, not just specific moves. Any fighting method in the Thirteen Techniques is derived from these three basic moves. I'm teaching you the methods first. Once you have a solid foundation, I'll teach you the footwork that goes with these methods."
Gao Yuan listened intently as Xiang Weiguo picked up his stick and said, "Come at me, however you want."
Without hesitation, Gao Yuan swung his stick down overhead. Xiang Weiguo did not dodge or raise his stick to block; he simply held his stick up and thrust it forward swiftly.
Gao Yuan's arm was struck by the stick, and then the one he swung down fell limply.
"Ow!"
With a cry of pain, Gao Yuan clutched his right shoulder with his left hand. Xiang Weiguo said indifferently, "This is how you use a thrust, delivering a later strike sooner. It's all about being fast and accurate. Now, try again, the same move as before."
Gao Yuan hesitated but steeled his heart and swung his stick down again.
The same move, a different counter. Xiang Weiguo deflected it with his stick, then surged forward, landing his stick on top of Gao Yuan's head.
Xiang Weiguo's stick didn't actually strike down, but Gao Yuan broke out in a cold sweat nonetheless.
Stepping back, Xiang Weiguo said, "This is the foundation. But it's enough. Fancy moves are just for show; it's these few moves that really hurt or even kill someone. They just need to be faster, more accurate, and more ruthless. I'll say it again, I'm teaching you methods, not moves. If you master one, you master a hundred. Get the basics right, and you'll be able to stab a wild boar with a spear without missing."
"Now that you've explained it, I understand. But when will I be able to master it?"
Xiang Weiguo smiled, "A lifetime. You must practice for a lifetime and never stop. There's no such thing as reaching the pinnacle of divine skill—that's for novels. Real skill needs constant practice, and this applies to every skill."
Gao Yuan thought for a moment, then asked, "What about Fist Technique? And will you teach me Dagger Fighting?"
Xiang Weiguo laughed, "I don't know Fist Technique. I do know grappling, but you don't need to bother with Dagger Fighting. Put your limited energy into this stick, that's your foundation. If you get that right, you'll find you can handle anything."
After speaking, Xiang Weiguo turned to Luo Xingyu, "What I said to your brother is also for you. Once you're fully recovered, start practicing with him."
Luo Xingyu nodded and said with a sweet smile, "Okay, Uncle Xiang, I'll definitely practice."
Gao Yuan couldn't accept it, he really wanted to know when he'd truly master the Thirteen Techniques. He pleaded earnestly, "Uncle Xiang, how long did it take you before you could fight others with the stick without getting hit?"
"I started practicing with the stick at eight, sparred with my father at ten, and by eighteen when I joined the army, I still couldn't touch my father. He hit me however he wanted because I had ten years of practice, and he had half a lifetime. And as for weapons, they can best make up for physical differences. But once I joined the troops, I found no one could match me in thrusting. No one in the new recruits, no one in the battalion, and eventually, no one in the whole corps. If my ten years of practice had been all for show, it would be useless. But I practiced real skill for ten years, and that's why I was formidable, the standard-bearer for thrusting."
Gao Yuan was excited, and Xiang Weiguo was proud.
Patting Gao Yuan on the shoulder, Xiang Weiguo said kindly, "Stop thinking about becoming a special forces soldier. You don't even have a gun, and you want to be in the special forces? Even if you become really good with that stick, if your opponent has a submachine gun, aren't they going to just pull the trigger and take you down?"
Gao Yuan felt helpless again.
Xiang Weiguo, trying to offer some comfort, smiled and said, "Take it slow. This isn't something you can master in a few days. Now I'm going to cook. You continue throwing your rocks. If there's anything that brings you close to being a special forces soldier, it's that stone throwing. So you need to practice well."
Gao Yuan knew Xiang Weiguo was trying to console him, but his dream of becoming a special forces soldier was shattered, and now he felt utterly desolate, truly desolate.