Feeling that Tang Zichen's words were very useful, Wang Chao practiced standing in a horse stance every morning and evening, his toes digging into the ground, rising and falling, while his gaze looked out as if climbing to a high vantage point. Indeed, he could only stand for a little over ten minutes before, but after squatting for a day or two, he was able to hold it for thirty minutes without effort.
Moreover, Wang Chao felt that his toes, calves, and waist were becoming increasingly agile. After standing in the stance each evening, he slept very soundly, almost through until dawn.
By the fifth or sixth day, Wang Chao continued to squat regularly every morning and evening, and during classes, he often lifted his hips, sitting slightly off his chair, moving his body in waves as he wrote. Fortunately, Wang Chao's grades were average, and he sat towards the back of the classroom. His movements were subtle enough that the teacher didn't notice him.
Especially since Wang Chao was taciturn and introverted, having spent more than a year in high school, he could hardly recall most of his classmates' names and didn't have any close friends. However, this gave him peace, allowing him to live in his own world.
After ten days of practicing this wave-like movement, Wang Chao found that he could maintain a quasi-squat for a full class of forty-five minutes. During the ten-minute break between classes, he would rest, and as soon as class resumed, he would start the wave-like squat again. By the end of the day, including morning and evening self-study, the time he spent squatting reached ten hours.
In the last few days, Wang Chao seemed to be addicted, even walking with the habit of lifting his toes, digging with his fingers, and moving his body in a wave-like manner step by step. This posture was quite strange, often drawing attention from other students, but Wang Chao remained unfazed.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Wang Chao felt that his legs and waist were full of energy. At the school, he approached a flagpole that was level with his neck without needing to run, effortlessly leaping up to it.
On the day he was to meet Tang Zichen, Wang Chao woke up early, hurried to the park before dawn, and found Tang Zichen already waiting there, dressed in her white sportswear and looking amiable.
Seeing Wang Chao running over, Tang Zichen's eyes seemed to brighten.
"I didn't expect you to achieve such results in just half a month. Your walking posture has become quite mesmerizing," she said.
Wang Chao could only grin foolishly and ask, "What will you teach me today, Sister Zichen?"
"Well, you're a pragmatic person. No matter what you learn, you must immerse yourself in it to see results. It seems you qualify to learn my national martial arts," Tang Zichen remarked, gazing at Wang Chao as if she had discovered a precious piece of uncut jade.
"Come, let's talk first." Tang Zichen sat down on a stone bench. "Do you know what national martial arts are?"
Wang Chao shook his head.
"In the late Qing Dynasty, revolutionary figures led by Sun Yat-sen frequently attempted to assassinate high-ranking officials of the Qing dynasty, even princes, often relying on the support of martial artists. Later, after the establishment of the Republic of China and during the Japanese invasion, Sun Yat-sen and Feng Yuxiang vigorously promoted martial arts. The government established the Central National Martial Arts Institute, unifying various martial arts such as Xing Yi, Tai Chi, Bagua, Tongbei, Mantis, Bajiquan, Chuo Jiao, Hongquan, Tie Xian, Pi Gua, and wrestling, collectively referred to as national martial arts."
"Strong country, strong people." Wang Chao savored these four words, feeling a stir of historical reflection in his heart.
"During that era, many talents emerged. Now, over a hundred years later, they have become scarce." As Tang Zichen spoke, her enthusiasm seemed to fade.
"Come on, today I'll teach you a practical move."
Tang Zichen instructed Wang Chao to grab her shoulder from behind.
Wang Chao saw Tang Zichen facing away from him and immediately reached for her shoulder. Tang Zichen swiftly turned, her elbow jabbing forward like a spear, aimed at Wang Chao's chest.
This was a demonstration, and Tang Zichen moved slowly enough for Wang Chao to react. Instinctively, he pushed his hands forward to block her elbow. Little did he know that as soon as he made contact, Tang Zichen's forearm snapped down like a whip, her palm flicking toward his groin.
This was quick and sudden, and Wang Chao had not yet processed it when her hand had already reached his sensitive area.
Wang Chao was taken aback, feeling a chill rise from his tailbone to the back of his head, goosebumps covering his body.
"Turn, elbow strike, and flick to the groin." Tang Zichen controlled her strength well, her palm touching and then retracting without making contact with his pants.
Wang Chao's face turned strange, and he mumbled, "Sister Zichen, what is this move called?"
Tang Zichen smiled brightly. "This move is called 'Flicking the Groin' in Bagua, 'Turning and Collapsing Punch' in Xing Yi, and 'Side-Body Punch' in Tai Chi."
As she spoke, Tang Zichen explained the key points of the move.
"Martial arts evolved from long-range spear techniques. This move may seem simple—just a turn and a flick of the arm—but it actually requires two layers of force: the elbow strike should thrust like a spear, and when the opponent blocks, the arm should naturally drop and strike the groin."
"Ancient generals used spears on the battlefield, thrusting forward. When the enemy blocked, the spearhead would rebound, knocking the opponent's weapon aside. Because of the spear's elasticity, when you execute this move, you need to embody the essence of wielding a spear."
"Watch me demonstrate how to apply force!"
Tang Zichen demonstrated again, her elbow striking and her forearm snapping down, creating a crisp sound like a whip cracking in the air.
"The final flick to the groin must have that sharp sound to consider it perfected; this is also the explosive force of the Tongbei style."
"Okay, practice this move well. In three days, I'll teach you something else," Tang Zichen said before walking away.
For the next three days, Wang Chao diligently practiced the "Flicking the Groin" move. However, no matter how he tried, he couldn't replicate the whip-like sound that Tang Zichen produced.
On the third day, Wang Chao voiced his confusion to Tang Zichen.
Upon hearing this, Tang Zichen burst into laughter. "You silly boy, just starting out and already wanting to achieve that sound? That's quite unrealistic. Martial arts have three levels of force: Mingjin (Visible Force), Anjin (Hidden Force), and Huajin (Transforming Force). The pinnacle of Mingjin is that crackling sound; achieving that means you're already a martial arts master. With your current physical condition, you're far from ready. You've merely taken the first step on a long journey."
"Silly boy, let's not dwell on that. Today I'll teach you another move."
Tang Zichen demonstrated a sudden squat, grabbing the groin with her left hand while her right hand reached back behind her hips, pressing her palm against the ground.
"This groin grab while squatting is a lethal move in Tai Chi, a variation of the Flicking the Groin from Bagua, and is also known as 'Monkey Steals the Peach' in the Twelve Shapes of Xing Yi."
Wang Chao thought to himself, "The last two moves I've learned both involve grabbing the groin. What kind of sister is this?"
"Silly boy, pay attention. If you grab and the opponent retreats to protect their groin, you can immediately grab sand with your hand on the ground and throw it in their face. The great Tai Chi master Yang Luchan once defeated countless masters with his 'left hand squatting to grab a sparrow, right hand grabbing sand to throw in the face.'"
Wang Chao knew about Yang Luchan; he had watched a popular TV series a few years back starring Wu Jing, where the main character, Yang Yuqing, was based on the legendary figure from the late Qing Dynasty, Yang Luchan, the first master of Tai Chi.
"Grabbing a sparrow, throwing sand... what if there's no sand on the cement floor?" Wang Chao suddenly asked.
"Silly boy, when the monkey squats, its tail stands up to support it. If a person doesn't have a tail, this hand serves as the tail. The animal's tail helps maintain balance. When using this move, your hand must also support your body's balance. If you squat and miss the grab, and the opponent tries to kick you, your hand can push off the ground to escape."
"A monkey squats, using its tail for balance, and if it can't grab, it can still protect itself from kicks. This move is really underhanded," Wang Chao thought, feeling that his image of Tai Chi was shattered.
"Foolish boy, combat techniques are not for show, nor are they merely practice. Combat techniques emphasize the one-hit kill, targeting the vulnerable parts of the human body! In a fight for survival, who cares about being underhanded or not?"
Tang Zichen stood up. "Alright, today I will tell you that martial arts have three forms: one is combat technique, one is practice method, and the other is performance. Don't be fooled by those practicing Tai Chi slowly and gracefully; that's merely a performance, not even a true practice method. The real combat techniques of Tai Chi are rarely seen nowadays."
"Combat techniques, practice methods, and performances... there are so many distinctions?" Wang Chao felt that every time his sister spoke, she introduced him to a completely new realm.
"Tai Chi looks gentle, emphasizing using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, but that's just the surface. The combat technique of Tai Chi is actually the most vigorous; you can find that vigorous energy in the character 'chui' (拳, meaning 'punch'). Look, in Tai Chi forms, there's 'Ban Lan Chui' and 'Pie Shen Chui.'"
Tang Zichen demonstrated two movements, swinging her entire arm with a sharp crack, as if the air was being exploded.
Wang Chao watched, his heart racing, thinking: What if that punch landed on someone?
"In ancient times, the generals wielding hammers were all fierce warriors. Take Li Yuanba, the greatest hero from The Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, who wielded two giant hammers to conquer the world. When the pioneers of Tai Chi created their forms, they naturally borrowed the might from novels, naming the most vigorous technique 'chui.'"
"Back in the day, the master of Bagua, Cheng Tinghua, said practicing Bagua is like pushing a mountain, and striking is like swinging a whip. The master of Xingyi, Shang Yunxiang, said practicing requires using energy without force, while striking requires force with less energy. This distinction highlights the difference between combat techniques and practice methods. The 'Liao Yin Palm' and 'Monkey Steals Peach' I taught you these past few days are combat techniques, skills for fighting, not for building stamina or increasing strength."
"What's the difference between force and energy?" Wang Chao asked.
"Force is inertia, a sudden explosion." Tang Zichen demonstrated again, swinging her arm with a sharp crack, "When using force, it must be fast, fierce, and sudden."
"Energy is the tensing of muscles, moving slowly." She demonstrated again, as if grinding or squeezing water from a sponge, "When using energy, it should be slow, heavy, and stable."
"Fast, fierce, sudden... slow, heavy, stable..." Wang Chao pondered these six words, grasping the difference between force and energy.
After Tang Zichen finished demonstrating, she sat down. "Now, practice 'Monkey Steals Peach' for three days. Once you've mastered it, I'll officially teach you something new."
Wang Chao nodded and secretly practiced for three days, finding a secluded spot at night to repeatedly practice the "Liao Yin Palm" and "Monkey Steals Peach."
Especially with "Monkey Steals Peach," the difficulty of the crouch was significant, and his leg muscles ached greatly. However, after standing in horse stance for half a month, Wang Chao's leg and waist muscles, as well as the strength and flexibility of his feet and toes, had greatly increased. After squatting thousands of times while practicing "Monkey Steals Peach," he finally reached an advanced level of proficiency.
Three days later, Wang Chao met Tang Zichen again in the park.