Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

The conference room at Jixian Sports School was stuffy and heavy, filled with the smell of sweat and the tense breathing of the teenagers. Coach Zhou Zhenhua stood in front of the small blackboard, his gaze like a searchlight, sweeping over the group of teenagers who were about to compete in the city's youth Wushu Sanda Championship. He said loudly:

"Listen up, everyone. The ring is a battlefield. No one will go easy on you just because you're young. For the team events, aim for the top four, and for the individual events, go all out for medals."

He first looked at Chen Gang and Sun Peng: "You two, 56kg class. Chen Gang, use your steadiness, low roundhouse kicks to control the distance, and take them down when you get close. Sun Peng, control your temper, use combination punches to suppress them, don't burn yourself out in two breaths."

"Understood, Coach!" Chen Gang replied calmly. Sun Peng, however, stiffened his neck and, as his gaze swept over Tianci, habitually pursed his lips.

"Wu Bin, Li Qiang, 52kg class. Wu Bin, your legs are like knives, play mobile, don't engage in direct combat. Li Qiang, strength is your asset, but if you can't protect your head, then your asset belongs to someone else!"

Zhou Zhenhua quickly reviewed the tactical points of the remaining few people.

Finally, his gaze fell on Tianci. "Cang Tianci, you're in the 48kg class. The youngest and lightest, this isn't an excuse for you to back down, it's precisely your hidden blade. Your advantage lies in your agility, but even more so in the ruthless tenacity that refuses to falter. Remember, 'using skill to overcome strength' isn't about dodging, it's about waiting. Waiting for an opportunity to smash your entire weight into your opponent's weakness. Use dodges and counterattacks more often, and when the opportunity comes, get close and give him a good wrestling."

"I...I understand, Coach." Tianci nodded vigorously.

During the preparation period, the training ground became a precise crucible. Zhou Zhenhua tempered the unique strengths of each child based on their individual characteristics. He paid special attention to Tianci, personally guiding him in sparring with protective gear.

"Protect your head, dodge to the side! This isn't about running away, it's about getting inside!" Zhou Zhenhua's roar was like a forging hammer. "You're lightweight, don't try to be a bull with its horns. Your strength should be like a needle, one prick and it'll hurt him for half a day."

Tianci's body was covered in bruises, and his sweat and occasional tears mixed together, salty and bitter like blood.

At night, he lay on the hard bed, the aches and pains all over his body like countless tiny chisels carving his will. He repeatedly pondered his coach's words, and also his older brother's instructions—"See through the weight of the world"... In the ring, what is that "weight"? Is it strength? Is it weight? Or something else? He vaguely sensed that what he needed to "see through" was his opponent's rhythm, that moment of hesitation and pride.

The venue for the city's youth martial arts and Sanda championship was bustling with activity, filled with young yet tense faces. Young athletes from various cities and counties, wearing red and black protective gear, resembled a group of small beasts thrown into a gladiatorial arena.

When the Jixian Sports School team entered the field, they could clearly feel the gazes from all around them—they were too young, too "inexperienced," especially Cang Tianci, who was walking at the back. His oversized team uniform hung loosely on his thin frame, like a wild grass blown into a foreign wilderness by the wind.

Looking at the bright lights, the smooth ring, and the dense crowd of spectators all around, Tianci felt a wave of dizziness. Here, the rules were clear, the boundaries distinct, a stark contrast to the muddy Xiqiao Village and the chaotic alleyways of Ji County that he knew so well. Yet, why did his heart still feel like it was being gripped by an invisible hand? And what kind of "weight" was this ring?

The match officially began. Shouts, the muffled thuds of fists and kicks colliding, and the referee's whistle intertwined to create a primal rhythm.

Wu Bin and Li Qiang competed one after the other, but both were unfortunately defeated due to their respective weaknesses, casting a shadow over the team. Chen Gang made a calm entrance, remembered the tactics, and his low roundhouse kick was like an iron broom, effectively curbing the opponent's attack. In the end, he made it to the final with a clean and neat "neck slam", winning a silver medal for Jixian Sports School.

Sun Peng followed closely behind, letting out a low growl as he unleashed a barrage of punches to overwhelm his opponent, ultimately securing fourth place. Leaving the ring drenched in sweat, he walked up to his teammates, glanced at Tianci, and forced out a stiff "Don't...don't embarrass the team!"

The team's hopes and remaining points now rest on Cang Tianci, whom they will face in the semifinals.

Facing an opponent who was significantly taller than him and whose eyes held the inherent arrogance of an older man, Tianci felt the pressure as soon as he stepped into the ring. His opponent's punches and kicks were long and heavy, and he maintained control of the distance. Several times he tried to close the gap, but was evaded by the opponent's agile footwork, taking several blows to his face and ribs, which stung painfully.

The final whistle of the first set was like a pardon. They were trailing. On the sidelines, Zhou Zhenhua stood with his arms crossed, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. Chen Gang and the others clenched their fists in tension.

Tianci sat in the corner, a towel over his head, breathing heavily. Sweat stung his eyes. His ears were ringing, seemingly mixed with the contemptuous panting of his opponent, the clamor of the audience, Wang Yaowu's sinister laugh as he pushed him into the water, and Hei Pi's curses in the dark alley…

"Bean sprouts..."

"Stutterer..."

"The skeletal structure isn't good enough..."

Those sounds were like venomous snakes, coiling around me.

Do not!

His older brother's eyes flashed through his mind—those eyes seemed to say: see through.

The second round began. When his opponent swung his fist again in the same manner, he didn't dodge. He saw the arrogance in that punch.

He lowered his body, grabbed the opponent's leg, and exerted force. The opponent collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"boom--"

His opponent's massive body was slammed onto the ring with a brutal, effortless thud, using his entire body as a lever. The entire arena seemed to tremble.

"Blue team, 2 points!" The referee's voice rang out loudly.

After a moment of deathly silence, the entire arena erupted in a tsunami of gasps.

reverse!

The arrogance in his opponent's eyes was replaced by disbelief and panic. The rhythm had quietly shifted. In the following matches, Tianci seemed to shed an invisible shell. His eyes were calm as still water, yet his movements carried the precision and ruthlessness born from penetrating weaknesses. In the end, he miraculously advanced to the finals by a narrow point advantage.

His opponent in the final was Wang Meng, the city team's seeded athlete in the 48kg category. Wang Meng was as agile as a cheetah, and his gaze towards Tianci held the calm and sharpness honed through years of training. However, after the trials of the preliminaries, Tianci's aura had changed. He no longer thought about the gold medal, but simply "looked" at his opponent, like observing the flow of water on the banks of a river in Xiqiao Village. He continued to employ "skill over strength," but this "skill" was infused with an almost Taoist insight. Ultimately, with undeniable tenacity and clear tactical execution, he won the gleaming gold medal.

During the awards ceremony, the "Athletes' March" played majestically. When Cang Tianci stood on the highest podium, with the gold medal around his neck, a torrent of bittersweet emotions rushed to his nose. He clenched his teeth tightly, tilted his head back, and refused to let the tears well up in his eyes.

He was the shortest of all the award winners, and the gold medal looked particularly large on his thin chest.

He saw the barely suppressed joy and pride on Coach Zhou Zhenhua's face in the audience; he saw his fellow students clapping enthusiastically, their faces full of genuine joy; similarly, he also saw Sun Peng with his head down, looking strange.

That night, Zhou Zhenhua treated the group of boys to a decent meal. The room was filled with noise as the boys released their pent-up stress and elation through wolfing down their food and unrestrained laughter and shouting.

Tianci was also infected by the atmosphere, a smile playing on his lips. But when everyone's attention was no longer on him, a strange sense of exhaustion and bewilderment, like silt after the tide receded, slowly crept into his heart.

He quietly left his room and climbed to the roof of the dormitory building. The cool night breeze dispersed the sweat from his forehead and the heat from his body, but it couldn't dispel the fog in his heart. He took out the gold medal and examined it by the light of the distant city lights and the cold moonlight.

The gold medal was heavy, with sharp edges and a cold touch.

The jubilation of victory receded like the tide, leaving behind a deathly silence after the fierce battle, and a deeper sense of bewilderment.

With the gold medal in hand, it proves that "bean sprouts" can become champions, and that "weak bones" can be tempered into steel.

But can this glittering sign break through the control of Xiqiao Village by Wang Zhenkun? Can it quell the resentment in the eyes of the elder brother?

Its honor seems so insignificant in the face of those true "weights" soaked in blood, tears, and power.

He won the ring, but seemed to have lost to an even greater bewilderment. Brother, is this the "Way"? Winning a battle within the rules, he discovered that this unruly struggle of the world had only just begun. The ecstasy of victory was so fleeting and illusory.

He gripped the gold medal tightly, its sharp edges almost digging into the lines of his palm.

He looked up at the southern night sky, ablaze with the city lights, where no stars could be seen. He thought of his older brother in the south. What was his brother doing right now? How overjoyed would his brother be when he learned he had won the gold medal? He imagined it all, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

Unbeknownst to him, his older brother was deeply worried about his coworker who had broken his leg.