Chapter 6

"Striking techniques are methods to defeat others. The key lies in hitting vital points, being quick, using sufficient force, and being precise."

In the courtyard, Old Zheng walked around with his hands behind his back, occasionally muttering the essentials of Huishan Fist to the pairs of men practicing.

It was just past noon, and the cicadas were chirping all over the trees.

Yet, their sounds could not drown out the shouts of the people in the Huishan Fist courtyard.

Wei He was facing off against his third senior brother, Cheng Shaojiu.

Old Zheng's words echoed in his ears.

"Huishan Fist has basic defensive, offensive, and lethal techniques. You should start with the defensive techniques, which involve blocking and dodging."

"Blocking is not as good as dodging, and dodging is not as good as attacking first. Remember this. When you act, think about how to defeat your enemy. Once the enemy is defeated, you won't need to defend or dodge."

"Defensive techniques are the simplest, but they have many variations. Raise your hands and clench your fists, lower your head, tuck in your chin, and slightly differentiate the height of your fists to protect your face. Your elbows should form a support..."

The more Wei He listened, the more familiar it sounded.

When he followed the description and looked at his third senior brother, he was momentarily speechless.

Wasn't this the same posture he had seen in freestyle combat in his previous life, where the fighters protected their heads, faces, and chests? The only difference was that Huishan Fist's movements didn't have the bouncing stance.

Cheng Shaojiu, his third senior brother, took his stance and provocatively looked at Wei He.

"Try a punch?"

He grinned.

Wei He ignored him and continued to carefully adjust his posture according to Old Zheng's instructions, trying to understand the meaning.

This defensive technique had five variations, each for a different type of attack.

Soon, the next set of evasion techniques was introduced, mainly for dealing with armed opponents.

Where to dodge, how to dodge best, what to pay attention to after dodging, how to counterattack, and how to find the opponent's weak points.

All these techniques were taught to the new students by Old Zheng.

Indeed, they were all techniques.

Wei He's task was to practice these Huishan Fist techniques until they became second nature, so that when needed, they would be used reflexively and swiftly.

Then, he would achieve success.

"Master, I heard that Huishan Fist has internal training methods. Do you teach them?" a new, small-statured student suddenly asked.

Old Zheng, who was walking around, stopped and kicked the small-statured student hard in the buttocks.

"Internal training methods? You have to train your body to the extreme before you're qualified to practice them. Don't spread rumors. That's for building strength!"

He shook his head, walked back to his high-backed chair, and sat down without another word.

Wei Ying quickly brought tea and snacks.

Since discovering that Wei Ying was more meticulous in her work, Old Zheng had assigned her to serve in the courtyard.

This also improved his attitude towards Wei He.

Wei He was worried about his second sister being bullied, but after careful observation, he found that Old Zheng didn't seem to care much about women, but was particularly interested in money.

He was thus relieved.

Throughout the day, Wei He and the others practiced various techniques.

The defensive techniques included blocking and evasion techniques.

The next day, they moved on to offensive techniques.

There was no sign of the lethal techniques, and Old Zheng had no intention of teaching them.

Just the offensive and defensive systems were enough to keep these men, who had low educational backgrounds, practicing for a long time.

Among them, Wei He was of medium to lower speed. Many of his peers who had entered at the same time had left early after paying their fees, unable to keep up.

Some had better aptitudes and had already completed the offensive and defensive techniques, now focusing on strengthening their fists and qi, far ahead of him.

He thought his life would continue like this, peaceful and quiet, without any trouble.

However, soon, Old Zheng and another martial arts master planned a simple internal competition.

This internal competition was commonly known as a "boxing match."

It was a common activity among martial arts masters in Feiye City.

The rules were simple: the masters themselves did not participate; instead, the competition was between their disciples. Many wealthy merchants and households would be invited to watch.

The purpose was to showcase the masters' teaching abilities.

"The boxing match is against the Bat Fist practitioners," Cheng Shaojiu, the third senior brother, who had already completed the offensive and defensive systems and was now focusing on strengthening his fists to the leather stage, said.

"Bat Fist?" Wei He, who was practicing with him, asked softly. "Have you practiced it before?"

"Old rivals. We have a boxing match every six months, with alternating victories. It's a competition for reputation in the surrounding towns," Cheng Shaojiu said casually.

"Since you're not participating, what are you afraid of? Only a few of us will be in the match."

He nodded towards their senior brother, Zhao Hong, who was not far away.

"Senior Brother Zhao is now at the stone skin stage. His punches are like being hit by a large rock, capable of breaking bones.

Then there's Second Senior Sister Zheng Hongxiu, the master's granddaughter. She's also at the stone skin stage, but her innate physique makes her slightly weaker, though still much stronger than me."

"Second Senior Sister rarely comes here?" Wei He asked.

"Rarely. She lives in another courtyard, where all the disciples are female," Cheng Shaojiu nodded.

He blocked Wei He's right hand and suddenly remembered something, making a stop gesture.

"By the way, I have news about the matter you asked me to investigate. Last year, a group of carvers went missing outside the city. No one knows if they're dead or alive, and no bodies have been found."

"Missing... Is this common?" Wei He's face remained unchanged, but his eyes darkened slightly.

"Occasionally. It's chaotic outside. Bandits, mountain robbers, fierce beasts, venomous insects, and gangs. One moment of carelessness, and you're gone." Cheng Shaojiu sighed.

Outside the city was a taboo topic. The tall walls of Feiye City separated the chaos and dangers of the outside world.

While it was chaotic inside the city, at least there was a way to survive. Outside, the danger was much greater.

"Also, the Chen Biao you asked me to keep an eye on recently joined the Horned Snake Gang. My cousin, who is a small leader in the Green Bamboo Gang, told me that the Horned Snake Gang and the Green Bamboo Gang had a territory dispute in Nanshan Town yesterday, and many of the Horned Snake Gang members were defeated. Chen Biao was among them. You might want to pay attention."

Cheng Shaojiu's cousin was in the Green Bamboo Gang and was a small leader. Although he liked to boast, his information was reliable.

"Nanshan Town? Thank you!" Wei He nodded earnestly.

Cheng Shaojiu had genuinely helped him a lot recently. While Wei He had also helped with his homework, the help he received was far more significant.

"No need to thank me." Cheng Shaojiu waved his hand. "To be honest, I know my own situation. I like a bit of this and a bit of that, but I can't excel in anything. But I have one strength: I like making friends. When friends are in trouble, I'll help without hesitation!"

He patted his chest.

"Of course, I choose who to help. I ignore those who are boring." He smiled and glanced at a corner.

There was a thin, dark-skinned youth, whom Old Zheng had personally brought back last month.

His name was Xiao Ran.

This name was different from the others, with a scholarly air.

More importantly, Xiao Ran's aptitude and insight far exceeded theirs.

He learned things quickly and practiced diligently.

Old Zheng treated him like a treasure, often giving him special attention and treating him as a closed-door disciple.

His treatment was completely different from that of the ordinary disciples.

"Xiao Ran is different from us," Wei He shook his head.

When he first entered, he had also fantasized about being a genius, but reality had given him a harsh blow.

His aptitude was no different from Cheng Shaojiu's, making him just another ordinary person.

"Xiao Ran, when I invited him to drink, he publicly scolded me for not practicing diligently and wasting money and energy.

I almost slapped him in front of everyone!" Cheng Shaojiu was still angry when he recalled it.

"He's only fifteen, maybe he's too young," Wei He tried to console him.

"Fifteen isn't young. I was already engaged at fifteen!" Cheng Shaojiu said angrily. "Forget it. Want to go for a drink after practice?"

"No, I have something to do," Wei He shook his head.

"Something to do? I know you. It's not homework day, and you have nothing to do. What could it be? To be honest, I can't stand those hypocrites who say they're busy and practicing, but secretly go out to drink and carouse.

We have quite a few of those in this courtyard."

Cheng Shaojiu started complaining again.

"I really have something to do," Wei He shook his head.

"Tell me, what is it? If it's a big deal, I can't help, but if it's a small matter, I'll take care of it!" Cheng Shaojiu promised with a wave of his hand.

"It's not a big deal," Wei He smiled. "I just plan to visit Nanshan Town."

"Uh..." Cheng Shaoji was stunned.

He had just given him the information about Nanshan Town, and now this guy was going there. His purpose was obvious.

Especially since he had asked him to keep an eye on Chen Biao, and now that Chen Biao was injured, he was going to Nanshan Town...

For the first time, Cheng Shaoji carefully examined his junior brother, Wei He.

He had always treated Wei He as a little follower because Wei He was quiet, kept his mouth shut, and never gossiped or discussed others behind their backs.

So, whenever he had something to complain about, he would chat with Wei He.

He had always seen Wei He as quiet, resilient, and law-abiding.

But just now, his view of Wei He changed.

For a moment, they stopped talking and continued practicing in silence.

Cheng Shaojiu was clearly wary of Wei He.

The harmless junior brother had suddenly shown a hint of ruthlessness, which made him uncomfortable.

Wei He, on the other hand, remained silent.

He practiced quietly, broke down techniques, and carefully felt how to apply force and respond.

After finishing the offensive and defensive techniques, it was time to strengthen their fists, progressing through the leather, stone, and iron stages, the three levels of Huishan Fist, which were the foundation of its reputation.

As the sky grew dark, it was time to finish the practice.

Cheng Shaojiu wiped the sweat from his neck with a towel and looked at Wei He, who was changing clothes.

He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated and stopped.

Although he had practiced Huishan Fist for a long time, he had never met someone like Wei He.

The silent determination was like a venomous snake in the dark, quietly waiting for the right moment to strike.

Others were mostly superficial, acting on impulse.

Cheng Shaojiu quickly snapped back to reality, but in that brief moment of distraction, Wei He was already gone.