Physical enlightenment begins with Xingyi Quan

In the backyard of the Xingyi Martial Arts School, the shadow of the old locust tree is cast obliquely on the mottled brick ground.

Li Chengyue lay on a bamboo chair, a wine gourd resting on his stomach, humming a tune idly.

"Master." Su Derong's voice rang out at the courtyard gate, unusually free of his usual lazy tone.

Li Chengyue didn't even lift his eyelids: "Speak."

"That kid Chen Jianghe has successfully 'changed his energy'." Su Derong came in and stood by the recliner. "I just checked him out. This kid has actually succeeded in just two months."

Li Chengyue paused, the gourd of wine he had raised to his lips.

After a while, he slowly sat up, placed the gourd on the low stool next to him, and a glimmer of clarity flashed in his eyes, which were always hazy with drunkenness.

"Go, call him here."

"Yes," Su Derong replied, turning to walk out.

"Wait a minute," Li Chengyue called out to him, "I'm going to change my clothes."

Su Derong paused, turned around, and saw that the old man had gotten up from the recliner, put his hands behind his back, and slowly strolled towards his room.

Before long, Chen Jianghe followed Su Derong through the front yard and into the back yard.

He was taken aback as soon as he entered the room.

Li Chengyue changed into a dark blue cotton and linen long gown, and even his usually disheveled gray hair was neatly tied back with a wooden hairpin.

He stood under the locust tree with his hands behind his back, his back straight, and most of the decadent air that he had been soaking in alcohol all day had dissipated.

Looking at him now, his expression is calm and composed, and he truly has the solemn air of a martial arts school master.

"Master." Chen Jianghe stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Li Chengyue hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on him: "Derong said you've successfully 'changed your energy'."

Chen Jianghe bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "I have been fortunate enough to enter the sect, but I dare not claim to have succeeded."

"Just luck?" Li Chengyue smirked. "Two months isn't enough to get past this hurdle by luck alone. Show me your Three-Body Stance."

Chen Jianghe lowered his waist and hips, assuming a stance. His hands were clearly positioned front and back, his gaze focused on the fingertips of his forearm, his whole body seemingly relaxed yet not quite, his strength contained but not revealed.

Li Chengyue's hands pressed or patted several key points on his waist, shoulder blades, and elbows, with varying degrees of force.

Chen Jianghe's stance was as stable as a rock. Only when Li Chengyue's fingertips touched a certain point where tendons and bones intersected would that point naturally "open up" a line, quietly dissipating the external force.

Li Chengyue withdrew his hand, his face expressionless, and said calmly, "Your stance is fairly stable, and your strength is well-conducted. Although your qi and blood are weak, you have at least established a solid foundation."

He stepped back two paces, sat down on the stone bench, and pointed to the open space in front of him: "Let's take it."

Chen Jianghe slowly withdrew his stance and stood quietly to the side.

Su Derong grinned and came closer: "Master, your outfit... I haven't seen you dressed so neatly in so many years."

Li Chengyue glanced at him: "Passing on skills and knowledge is a proper business. Unlike some people who idle away their days, practicing their skills in brothels and theaters."

Su Derong wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he laughed even harder: "Master is right. But aren't my skills enough? If something really happens, I won't disgrace Xingyi Quan."

"Hmph, get lost." Li Chengyue ignored him, waved his hand, and said, "Go do what you're supposed to do, don't get in my way."

Su Derong shrugged, winked at Chen Jianghe, and swaggered out, fanning himself.

......

Only two people remained in the courtyard.

Li Chengyue's gaze returned to Chen Jianghe's face, and he slowly said, "Now that the 'energy change' is complete, from today onwards, you are an introductory disciple of my Xingyi Martial Arts School. Now that you have entered the school, I should teach you the fist techniques."

Chen Jianghe respectfully said, "Master, please speak."

Li Chengyue spoke calmly, yet each word was weighty: "Many people believe that external martial arts are fierce and domineering, breaking bones and tendons when they strike. But my Xingyi Quan is an internal martial art, which trains the integration of tendons and bones, seeking to ensure that the force does not reach the tip of the fist and the form does not break the body."

He paused briefly, then looked at Chen Jianghe: "What does 'force not being revealed' mean? It means that when exerting force, one does not show any sharpness or signs. What does 'form not breaking the body' mean? It means that the body structure does not fall apart, and the strength is contained and not revealed. When it strikes a person, the force no longer stays in the skin and flesh, but goes straight to the internal organs."

Chen Jianghe listened with a chilling aura.

Li Chengyue continued, "Now that you have mastered the Three-Body Stance, stance training is the foundation, and you must not neglect it for even a day. Today, I will teach you the Xingyi Quan boxing technique 'Five Elements Fist'—Splitting, Collapsing, Drilling, Cannoning, and Horizontal, corresponding to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth."

Li Chengyue walked to an open space in the courtyard, his body slightly lowered, and he began with the Three-Body Stance.

"Watch closely." Li Chengyue's voice deepened. "The Five Elements Fist, though varied, always follows the same principle. Its core starting point lies in the Three-Body Stance. This is stance training, and also the source of power."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward with his left foot, and his right hand spiraled out from his waist, his five fingers joined together like an axe blade, and chopped down from the upper left.

The movements were slow, even somewhat hesitant, but Chen Jianghe's heart skipped a beat.

With that slash, a slight hissing sound was heard in the air, as if cloth was being torn by an invisible blade.

Li Chengyue's arm muscles were stretched out, his skin was taut like a drum, and his strength was contained but not yet released, yet it already gave people a heavy sense of pressure.

"This is the 'Splitting Fist,' which belongs to the metal element, and is named for its sharpness and ability to break through hardness." Li Chengyue finished his stance and slowly said, "It begins with the San Ti stance, and the power originates from the soles of the feet, passes through the waist and back, flows through the shoulders and elbows, and culminates in the fingertips. When you split down, it is not the arms that exert force, but rather the entire body's muscles and bones that act like a large bow, 'shooting' the power outward."

As he spoke, he demonstrated each of the four punches: Beng, Zuan, Pao, and Heng.

The Bengquan (崩拳) is like an arrow, striking straight ahead; the Zuanquan (钻拳) is like a cone, spinning and penetrating; the Paoquan (炮拳) is like thunder, exploding with a roar; the Hengquan (横拳) is like a beam, sweeping across a thousand armies.

Each punch, though simple and without any fancy moves, perfectly embodies the concept of "whole-body power".

As the fist rises and falls, it seems as if wind and thunder are hidden behind the elbow, and mountains and rivers lie dormant in the spine.

After performing the five moves, Li Chengyue stood still, his breath even and long.

Chen Jianghe was deeply moved.

This Five Elements Fist may seem simple, but the internal energy flow is complex and subtle.

In particular, when Li Chengyue practiced, the feeling of "internal strength contained and not released" allowed him to vaguely touch the true essence of Xingyi Quan.

"Have you written it all down?" Li Chengyue asked.

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath: "This disciple is dull-witted and has only remembered the general outline. I still need to practice diligently and carefully comprehend it in the future."

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Li Chengyue's eyes, but he still kept a straight face: "Just remember the general idea. Boxing techniques are static, but people are dynamic. Practicing a move a thousand times is not as good as understanding the principle. Go back and think about it yourself. If you don't understand something, you can ask your third senior brother. Although he is lazy, he still has a solid foundation in martial arts."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Chen Jianghe and walked straight back to the back room.

When he came out again a short while later, he had changed out of his dark blue long gown and put on the gray cloth jacket with oil stains and twisted patterns. His hair was also disheveled, and the wooden hairpin was nowhere to be found.

He swayed to the bamboo recliner, picked up the wine gourd, took a swig, slumped back into the chair, and started cracking sunflower seeds with his eyes half-closed.

It was as if the solemn Xingyi master who had just been transmitting his skills, his fists brimming with the power of wind and thunder, was just an illusion.

Chen Jianghe dared not be negligent and stepped forward to bow again: "Thank you for your instruction, Master."

Li Chengyue responded with a soft "hmm" through his nose.

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Jianghe finally spoke up: "Master, your disciple... has another request."

Li Chengyue didn't even lift his eyelids: "Speak."

Chen Jianghe took a deep breath and said earnestly, "The world outside is too chaotic, with gangs fighting and bandits running rampant. My mother lives alone in a fishing boat in Mudskipper Bay, living in fear day and night. I am willing to work even harder at the martial arts school and dare not slack off in the slightest. I only beg Master to have mercy and allow my mother to do some work at the school. She can boil water, cook, do laundry, and clean. She doesn't need any wages, she just needs a place to stay and a meal."

After he finished speaking, he collapsed to the ground and did not get up.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment, with only the rustling of locust leaves in the wind.

Li Chengyue paused in his act of cracking sunflower seeds.

He slowly spat out two sunflower seed shells and remained silent for a long time.

Chen Jianghe's heart pounded with anxiety. Just when he was about to give up, Li Chengyue mumbled, "The woodshed in the backyard is empty. Clean it up yourself."

Chen Jianghe was taken aback at first, then overjoyed, and lifted his clothes to kneel down to express his gratitude.

"Alright, alright." Li Chengyue waved his hand impatiently. "Stop being so fussy and get lost. Don't keep me from drinking."

Chen Jianghe bowed deeply: "This disciple will bring my mother here tomorrow and will certainly not cause Master any worry."

He turned and left the backyard with light steps.

Under the locust tree, Li Chengyue took another swig of wine and squinted at Chen Jianghe's departing figure.

He then lay back down, pulled his tattered straw hat over his face, and soon began to snore softly.