Since that day, Chen Zheng had become completely immersed in practicing the Horse Stance. It was as if he had rekindled the same fervor he once had when studying ancient history—he couldn't stop himself from learning, from reading, from memorizing. Now, whenever he had free time, he would stand in the Horse Stance.
The Huo family was a prestigious family in the area, and it might be more accurate to refer to it as *Huo Family Manor*, with its vast farmlands and shops. There was an old saying: "Poor in literature, rich in martial arts," and it wasn't without reason. Practicing martial arts required a lot of energy, and the food intake of martial artists was typically enormous. After Chen Zheng started training, his appetite doubled. Internal martial arts required less supplementation than external styles, but it still needed nourishment to help repair the internal injuries that could arise from training.
The Huo family was a small clan in Tianjin, and its current head was Huo Yuanjia. Aside from the servants, there were also external disciples, who practiced external martial arts like hard qigong. These external disciples did not have access to the tonics and herbs used to heal injuries, and they relied on their youth to carry them through.
At this stage, Chen Zheng was still considered a "nominal" disciple of Huo Yuanjia, not yet an official inner disciple. An inner disciple was akin to a doctoral student in Chen Zheng's world, where the mentor was not only a teacher but also a guide, protector, and sometimes even a matchmaker of sorts. Only after thorough evaluation would a student be officially accepted as an inner disciple, with the mentor offering everything to assist in the disciple's growth, including academic help and social connections.
Chen Zheng was still considered more like a "master's degree" student, awaiting Huo Yuanjia's decision on whether he would be formally accepted. Regardless, Chen Zheng held a high status at the manor as the only nominal disciple, with his own private room.
Since learning the Horse Stance, Chen Zheng became obsessed. He was so hooked that every time he had free time, he would practice. Even during meals, he would intentionally hover over his chair, performing the stance by letting his body move up and down, mimicking the Horse Stance while sitting.
Ever since he began practicing, Chen Zheng felt an incredible difference in himself. He had more energy, his appetite had increased dramatically, and his sleep had improved significantly. Now, he woke up at around four in the morning every day because he felt so full of energy. But even at this early hour, when he arrived, Huo Yuanjia was already practicing his martial arts.
For the past several days, Huo Yuanjia had not taught Chen Zheng anything new. Instead, every morning, Chen Zheng would practice the Horse Stance alone.
A week had passed since Chen Zheng became Huo Yuanjia's disciple. Now, he could hold the Horse Stance for 90 minutes in one go, and in total, he spent over ten hours a day practicing it. Despite this, he didn't feel any discomfort; in fact, he was becoming addicted to it. His walking had even changed—his feet would tighten and loosen, and his body would sway up and down, making it seem as though he was perpetually in motion. But Chen Zheng didn't mind; he enjoyed the sensation.
On the tenth morning, Chen Zheng arrived at the training grounds at four a.m. as usual. As he walked up, Huo Yuanjia was already there, practicing.
"Not bad!" Huo Yuanjia smiled as he watched Chen Zheng approach. He had been paying close attention to Chen Zheng's progress and was very pleased with what he saw.
"Master!" Chen Zheng greeted him respectfully.
"Good. You're up early. You're not upset that I haven't taught you anything else these past few days, right?" Huo Yuanjia asked.
"No, Master. As the saying goes, 'A high tower rises from the ground up.' You're doing this for my own good!" Chen Zheng said earnestly.
"Good. I'm glad you understand. Remember, no matter how high your skill level becomes, the Horse Stance is the foundation. You can never neglect it. You must practice it every day!" Huo Yuanjia emphasized.
"Yes, Master!" Chen Zheng replied sincerely.
"Today, I'll teach you something new, though." Huo Yuanjia said with a smile.
"Really?!" Chen Zheng felt a burst of excitement. It wasn't that he was tired of the Horse Stance, but rather, he was thrilled to learn something new. He quickly assumed the stance, ready to learn.
"Good. You've been standing the Horse Stance well. It strengthens the kidneys and waist, builds muscles, and improves your balance. It stabilizes your lower body and helps your body react quickly. It's essential for the foundation of martial arts," Huo Yuanjia explained as he walked around Chen Zheng. "If you practice boxing without practicing the foundation, all your efforts will be in vain. The Horse Stance is your foundation—it must never be abandoned!"
"Today, I'll teach you the Horse Stance Punch. The Horse Stance works your lower body, but the Punch works your upper body and helps improve circulation and reaction time."
Huo Yuanjia demonstrated the Horse Stance Punch, throwing a few punches while maintaining his stance. Then, he slowed down to explain the movements.
"Each punch must be powerful. Start slowly and build up your strength gradually. For now, practice in the air. In the future, I will teach you to strike the wooden posts."
"Yes, Master!" Chen Zheng replied eagerly.
For the rest of that morning, under Huo Yuanjia's guidance, Chen Zheng practiced the Horse Stance Punch. At first, it felt strange. He had to balance the slow, deliberate punches with the rising and falling of his Horse Stance, and the coordination was difficult. But Huo Yuanjia did not allow him to adjust the pace or speed up the punches. Chen Zheng had no choice but to slowly adapt to the seemingly disjointed movements. By the end of the session, he was barely getting used to the rhythm.
From that day onward, Chen Zheng had a new task—practice both the Horse Stance and the Horse Stance Punch. Over the next month, Huo Yuanjia did not teach him anything else. This was not because Huo Yuanjia was unwilling to teach or because Chen Zheng was performing poorly, but because Huo Yuanjia knew that laying a solid foundation was essential. There was an old saying: "Stand the post for three years before progressing," meaning that no matter how advanced one's skills became, they must first master the foundational stance and movements.
Huo Yuanjia was a great teacher. No wonder he later went on to establish the Jingwu Association—he understood the importance of a strong foundation and made sure to monitor Chen Zheng's daily practice.
Chen Zheng was also committed to his training. He didn't know how long he would stay in this world, nor was he sure if he could complete his mission, but he was fully aware of the dangers posed by foreign martial artists.
He remembered a historical account he had read in Singapore during the Republic of China period. The Chinese community in Southeast Asia often faced bullying, so they hired famous Chinese martial artists to challenge the local fighters. However, all of the hired martial artists lost, which proved that the martial arts of foreign fighters were not to be underestimated.
Chen Zheng knew that he could not be complacent. While he trained hard, he also helped out around the Huo family manor, chopping wood and fetching water. Part of it was to repay the family for their hospitality—he ate and lived there, and his modest payments didn't cover the cost. But Huo Yuanjia had not mentioned anything about it, so Chen Zheng didn't bring it up either. Helping with these chores was also a form of physical training, further strengthening his body.