Wang Chao was deeply engrossed in the "Three-Body Stance" taught by Tang Zichen, spending days and nights focusing all his energy on each vertebra in his spine, moving from top to bottom, and then back up again. Initially, although Tang Zichen had guided him through every vertebra, instructing him on how to move, stretch, and connect the body, Wang Chao found it extremely challenging when he tried practicing alone daily.
After standing in the stance for three or four days, Wang Chao noticed that he couldn't shift his weight onto his coccyx, making it difficult to hold a stance that caused his body hairs to stand up. The spine, unlike limbs, couldn't be controlled at will.
Despite not grasping the essentials after several days, Wang Chao wasn't discouraged. He diligently recalled every action Tang Zichen had shown him. Wang Chao became so immersed that during class, he would unconsciously hunch his back, causing the chair to creak.
"Wang Chao! What are you doing, always making strange movements in class?" One day, an angry voice rang out from behind him. Wang Chao turned around to see a girl with big eyes, a delicate face, and a hint of annoyance.
"What's her name?" Wang Chao tried hard to recall the name of the girl sitting behind him. He remembered her last name, Cao, and that she was a class officer, but he couldn't recall her full name.
"Oh, sorry, sorry," Wang Chao apologized immediately, not wanting any trouble.
Seeing his apology, the girl's annoyance faded. "With exams coming up, you're constantly distracted. This is our city's Ten-School Joint Exam. I'm the class monitor and the academic representative, so I have to remind you not to drag our class ranking down."
"Okay, okay…" Wang Chao sensed her superiority, which slightly annoyed him, but he had grown used to it. He nodded repeatedly, stopping his body movements but pondering Tang Zichen's teachings on "aligning intention and energy" and "aligning energy and strength."
"Studying can't change my fate, but the martial arts Tang Zichen taught me just might."
Wang Chao was a quiet, unassuming person with modest family conditions, which had shaped his reserved and introverted nature. Yet, it didn't mean he had resigned himself to mediocrity. Deep down, he had a strong desire to stand out. The reality had suppressed this desire, but when he met Tang Zichen, he knew he had grabbed onto a lifeline out of obscurity. The world of martial arts she opened for him was far more fascinating than anything in school.
Half a month passed as the semester approached its end, with only about ten days left until the winter holiday. It had been almost a month and a half since Wang Chao started learning martial arts from Tang Zichen. Over this time, he had become proficient in the "Horse Stance," experiencing a sensation as if he were riding a galloping horse. His skills with the "Low Blow Palm" and "Monkey Steals the Peach" techniques had reached a point where a single thought would lead his hands and eyes to move in unison.
However, he still couldn't master the Three-Body Stance, unable to make his body hairs stand up at will.
One Saturday, as the sun rose warmly, Wang Chao sat at home, heating water over a coal stove. Suddenly, he saw a stray cat outside his door, padding softly into the sunlight and curling up comfortably, squinting as it dozed off. An idea struck him, and he quietly moved closer before stomping on the cat's tail.
With a piercing cry, the cat's body curled up into a ball, its tail arched, and Wang Chao clearly saw its spine form an arch like a snake. The cat's fur bristled as if it were a hedgehog, and it leaped up, clawing at Wang Chao's arm, leaving several scratches.
Rather than anger, Wang Chao felt a surge of joy; he had just witnessed how the cat had arched its spine, raised its tail, and bristled in that instant. His understanding deepened with all his days of practice. After flinging the cat off, they stood staring at each other.
Wang Chao felt a bit guilty. "Hey, cat, sorry about that, but you scratched me a bunch, so we're even. Tell you what, I'll get you a piece of fish." He went to the kitchen, cut a piece of preserved fish meant for New Year's, and tossed it to the cat.
The cat, sensing his lack of hostility, cautiously sniffed the fish on the ground, then gave in to temptation, grabbed it, and began eating.
Wang Chao let out a sigh of relief just as a loud, whistling noise came from inside—the water was boiling over, and steam was rushing out.
"I get it!" Wang Chao was startled. He quickly adopted the Three-Body Stance, and from his head to his neck, his spine curved like a snake. He gently pushed down, his whole body heating up with a light sheen of sweat forming.
With a snap, he placed his weight on his tailbone, feeling as though he had grown an invisible tail like that cat's. The sensation spread up his spine, chilling him as it reached the back of his head, raising the hairs on his head, and forcing his pores to close.
Having finally grasped the essentials, he repeatedly practiced the Three-Body Stance dozens of times, feeling the sweat and heat building up in his body, only to be forced back in each time, like an inflated ball.
After nearly bursting with energy, he mimicked Tang Zichen by raising his hands to his brow and then pressing down as if to store the energy in his abdomen. When his hands reached his stomach, it felt like a tightly inflated tire, refusing to compress further. His stomach churned, surged up, and with a loud exhale, he let out a long howl.
The sound was sharp, echoing the whistling kettle. Meanwhile, he felt a rush of heat up his face, stopping at his temples, which seemed to swell.
"It wasn't easy…" Wang Chao was elated, a sense of joy and accomplishment washing over him. Ignoring the boiling water, he rushed to a mirror.
"Hmm? There's no obvious swelling, but my spirit is excellent." While there wasn't the visible bulge he had anticipated, he wasn't disappointed. "One step at a time," he thought, knowing the feeling had been real and his practice was correct.
Satisfied with his progress, he spent the final ten days leading to the holidays practicing with growing enthusiasm. But his obsession came at a cost—he barely remembered anything from the final exams. By the time the exams were over, he had little recollection of them.
On the first day of the holiday, he looked into the mirror and noticed that his temples seemed slightly fuller. His entire body brimmed with energy, feeling alert and vigorous. This transformation lifted his spirits; his confidence soared, dispelling the gloominess, introversion, and self-doubt that had previously plagued him.
With his temples slightly swollen and confidence brimming, he thought, "In a couple of days, I'll go to the provincial capital to see Tang Zichen and ask her to teach me something new. In the meantime… I need to test myself, now that I'm practically a martial arts expert. Can't let my new abilities go to waste."