Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 19 Traditional Martial Arts
"Why does Mr. Lu have a grudge with people from Shandong? Did they have a sparring match with them when they were young?" Fang Yan asked curiously.

Lu Donghua nodded:

"I started going out with my master to spar with people when I was sixteen. I have traveled to most parts of China, and I have made friends with many martial artists from all over the country. I have sparred with almost all of them, and naturally I have made enemies with many of them."

After hearing this, Fangyan finally understood that the old man was so vigorous when he was young.

Lu Donghua paused and then continued:

"That Shandong Mantis Fist inheritor and I had several sparring matches in the early years. We won and lost, but I lost more often. Then, in the last sparring match, I was ruthless and used the new moves I learned to sneak attack and injure him. Although I saved him, I left him disabled, so he retired from the world. I didn't expect that he secretly taught an apprentice over the years, and he came to Beijing this time to avenge his master."

Fangyan asked again:
"So he has avenged himself now, right?"

Lu Donghua shook his head:

"It's not that easy. Decades of resentment can't be eliminated just by hurting my finger. After I recover, he will come to visit again."

"He has already figured out my tricks last time. He will definitely be ruthless next time. Although he won't kill me nowadays, he will probably try to cripple me."

Wow, he still holds a grudge. But thinking about the person who was beaten into a disabled state by Lu Donghua, Fang Yan suddenly felt relieved. If it were him, he probably wouldn’t be able to let it go either.

Being able to endure for so many years and train a disciple to take revenge without taking revenge secretly is considered to be very abiding by the rules of the underworld.

"If it really doesn't work, I think you should call the police directly. Things are different now than before. If someone comes to your house and insists on beating you up, you will definitely catch him if you call the police." Fang Yan gave Lu Donghua an idea.

After hearing this idea, Lu Donghua burst into laughter:
"Hahaha, you are only looking at it from an ordinary person's perspective. I have been fighting in the martial arts world for my entire life. How could I, at my old age, do something that goes against the rules of the martial arts world just because I am afraid?"

"Wouldn't that make people laugh at you? It would be better to be beaten to a pulp."

Fangyan also understood the old man's attitude. He would rather be beaten to a disability than call the police to protect himself.

It was a debt he owed when he was young, so it was understandable that Lu Donghua didn't want other people to get involved.

One person does the work and one person takes the responsibility, which is quite a responsibility for people who practice martial arts.

However, just as Fangyan was expressing his feelings, Jia Dapeng, who was listening nearby, spoke up:

"He is a young man who comes to an old man's house to cause trouble. Isn't this bullying?"

"Don't you have an apprentice? At a time like this, let your apprentice take action and let the young fight against the young."

Hearing Jia Dapeng's words, Mr. Lu did not show any other emotions, but just shook his head and said:
"I do have a few disciples, but they are all married and have families now. They have lost their skills over the years. If I really want them to fight, it would be harmful to them."

"That is because an old man like me has been practicing martial arts all these years, and people often come to me to spar with me, so I have not lost my skills."

Jia Dapeng originally wanted to flatter and give Lu Donghua some advice, but now it turns out that the old man just wants to be crippled.

I was planning to learn something from him, but if the old man gets beaten into a cripple in a few days, what's the point of learning anything?
So Jia Dapeng hurriedly said:
"Mr. Lu, you can't be in trouble. You have to be well so that you can treat more people."

"If something happens to you, we at Tongrentang won't agree, and neither will our patients here!"

Fang Yan glanced at Jia Dapeng and thought that this boy spoke very nicely. It was obvious that he was afraid that Mr. Lu would get hurt and that he would not be able to learn anything, yet he could make the matter sound so righteous.

"Hahaha, you make it seem like I'm doomed to fail." Lu Donghua said with a smile. Jia Dapeng said:

"That's not what I meant. I just think it's not good for you to fight with young people at your age. It's too disadvantageous, isn't it?"

He paused, then continued:

"If you ask me... next time this guy comes looking for trouble, we should go together. A bunch of young people gathered together, and he will know to retreat when he sees the difficulty."

Hearing this, Lu Donghua shook his head and said:
"The opponent's kung fu is more than enough to beat ten ordinary people by himself. If you go together, you really won't be able to scare him."

Jia Dapeng was a little unconvinced:

"One against ten, so powerful?"

Lu Donghua nodded and said seriously:
"Of course, I'm not kidding. That man has mastered the essence of the Mantis Fist. He's also in his prime, so if we really fight, he won't take ten ordinary people seriously. Take me for example, when I was young, I often walked outside. It was chaotic outside, and I often encountered gangs of people blocking my way. As long as I had a stick and the other party didn't have a gun, I could beat a dozen of them alone."

Fang Yan's heart was moved when he heard this. He had always wanted to find an opportunity to learn martial arts before, and now that Lu Donghua talked about it so powerfully, he was even more excited.

Thinking that he and his grandfather were old acquaintances, Fang Yan thought for a moment and then asked:
"Mr. Lu, after hearing what you said, I also want to learn a little bit. I wonder if you are willing to teach me?"

"You want to learn?" Lu Donghua turned around and looked at Fang Yan in surprise.

Fang Yan nodded and said with a smile:

"Yes, to be honest, I wanted to learn martial arts when I was a kid, but I had no one to teach me. Now that I finally meet a top-notch master like you, I can't help but want to learn."

Lu Donghua hesitated for a moment, then said:

"If you want to learn, I can teach you, but you are a little old and your muscles and bones have already taken shape. It is not easy to learn. In the end, it will be twice as effective for half the result. Moreover, martial arts training is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It is not much less difficult than studying medicine. If you want to learn something, it will take at least several years."

"It's better to practice health-preserving exercises, Ba Duan Jin, Tai Chi, and Wu Qin Xi, which can also strengthen the body."

Fangyan took over the conversation and said:

"I do know the Eight Section Brocade and Five Animals Exercises, and I practice them often, but I also want to learn real traditional Kung Fu. As a Chinese, I can't accept giving up just because I'm old and it's a bit hard."

"I think people should accomplish something in their lifetime. I really want to learn. I hope Mr. Lu can help me."

After saying this, Lu Donghua couldn't help but nodded. He thought about it for a moment and then said:

"Well, well, then, since you practice health-preserving exercises often, you should have some basics. I will first teach you a standing exercise. You stand for an hour every morning and evening. If you can persist for a month, I will teach you other exercises."

Fangyan agreed immediately.

Soon afterwards, Lu Donghua taught Fangyan Zhuang Gong and informed him of all the precautions.

He didn't even avoid other people. If someone wanted to learn, he would support them wholeheartedly, but he didn't think that the young people here could persist.

Lu Donghua originally wanted to see how long Fangyan could last, but right after he finished teaching, he discovered that there was something wrong with the way Fangyan stood. He didn't look like a newcomer at all. His movements, breathing, and spirit were so vivid that if Lu Donghua's eyes were not blurry, he would have looked like a veteran who had practiced hard for more than ten years.

He looked at it several times to make sure he was not mistaken, and thought:
This guy is playing me?!
(End of this chapter)