Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

Zhou Zhenhua's "start" command was like a pebble thrown into a frozen lake.

Sun Peng responded immediately, his steps as swift as a leopard hunting its prey. With his first step, he brought an oppressive force straight at Tianci! His lead hand delivered a feinting jab aimed directly at Tianci's face. Although the wind from the punch did not reach his body, the deliberately created fierce momentum and the ready stance of his follow-up heavy punch far exceeded the scope of "light contact." He clearly wanted to use momentum and speed to take the initiative and disrupt Tianci's rhythm.

Tianci's eyes were calm, the Hidden Dragon Technique circulating rapidly within his body, elevating his mind to a state of "internal and external clarity." He clearly "reflected" in Sun Peng's mind the slight, excessive shrugging of his shoulder blades, the abrupt pause in his breath as he threw the punch, and the slight erratic shift in his center of gravity as he lunged forward. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his waist and hips twisting subtly to the left, his upper body shifting lightly to the right, the sharp jab grazing the edge of his head guard. Simultaneously, he slid his right foot back half a step, his left hand rising naturally, not to block, but to gently guide and deflect Sun Peng's right fist, which was about to unleash its full power, like a willow branch. The movement was minimal, yet precisely used the opponent's force against them, making Sun Peng's prepared punch seem to strike empty air, its force deflected, and his body swaying.

"Good!" someone on the sidelines exclaimed softly. This was not a head-on collision, but a delicate control of distance and guidance of force.

A flash of surprise and anger crossed Sun Peng's eyes. He steadied himself and intensified his attack. A barrage of straight punches, delivered with rapid footwork, rained down from both sides, attempting to force Tianci into a corner with a dense barrage of blows. His breathing grew heavy, each strike accompanied by a low groan. The promise of using "five parts of his strength" was long forgotten. The wind from his punches grew louder, and his target began to shift intentionally or unintentionally toward Tianci's vital points.

Tianci, however, was like a small boat in a storm, seemingly in peril, yet always maintaining his balance and rhythm. His dodges, slides, and sidesteps were all concise and effective, often reacting only at the last second before the fist reached his body, demonstrating astonishing distance judgment and body control. What impressed Zhou Zhenhua even more was that Tianci always kept in mind the principle of "light contact." His blocks and deflections used only the necessary force, relying mostly on footwork and body movement to neutralize attacks, and his right hand consciously protected the right side of his torso and injured leg. This was not fear, but a conscious and strategic self-defense.

However, Sun Peng's anxiety was building. His prolonged attacks failed to break through, and his opponent's unexpected composure and precision acted like a cold mirror, reflecting the impatience and ineffectiveness of his attacks. The breathless gazes of his fellow students and Coach Zhou's increasingly serious expression pierced his pride like needles. Especially the thought that this stuttering boy might further solidify his position in the coach's eyes through this performance fueled a surge of resentment and panic, instantly burning away his last shred of restraint.

He launched another fierce attack, feinting a powerful right hook at Tianci's head, intending to force Tianci to raise his arm to block, exposing an opening under his ribs. As expected, Tianci raised his left arm to protect his head. In that instant, a fierce glint flashed in Sun Peng's eyes! Using the momentum of the hook, he suddenly lowered his hips, his supporting left leg twisting outwards in an unconventional way, his entire center of gravity shifting to the left front at an unorthodox angle! Simultaneously, his long-prepared right leg, like a venomous snake hidden in the grass, moved with astonishing speed and a tricky angle, viciously slashing upwards and inwards at the outside of Tianci's supporting left ankle! This area was not protected by protective gear, and the ligaments there were fragile; a solid kick could cause a severe sprain or even a ligament tear! This was no longer an illegal exertion of force, but a vicious tactic intended to cripple someone!

"Sun Peng! How dare you!" Zhou Zhenhua's roar and that vicious leg strike rang out almost simultaneously!

However, just as Sun Peng's waist and hips sank strangely, his center of gravity shifted, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, Tianci's highly focused spiritual senses issued a sharp alarm! With the Hidden Dragon Technique operating frantically, he not only "saw" the abnormal trajectory of his opponent's muscle exertion, but also clearly "sense" a sharp, icy, and malevolent "killing aura" rising from below, heading straight for his left ankle! The chilling and viciousness of that aura far surpassed any previous attack!

In a flash, Tianci reacted. He didn't panic and jump back, which would disrupt his balance and might cause him to collide with the sharp edge of the incoming leg. Instead, the five toes of his left supporting foot gripped the ground tightly, as if trying to root himself into it. At the same time, his knee bent slightly, lifting and slightly pulling inward the most vulnerable outer side of his ankle. Using the momentum from his previous arm-blocking motion, his entire body's center of gravity slid smoothly and swiftly to the right and rear! This series of movements was completed in an instant, with small amplitude, yet exquisitely altering the point of force and body structure, causing the deadly swooping kick to narrowly miss the edge of the protective gear on the outside of his left calf, emitting a piercing screeching sound.

The immense impact still caused Tianci to stagger. But at the same time, the cold rage of being betrayed by his fellow disciple erupted in his chest like volcanic lava! However, this rage did not overwhelm his reason; instead, under the rapid circulation of the Hidden Dragon Technique, it was compressed and refined into a chillingly decisive force. Taking advantage of the momentum from the impact, his core strength instantly tightened like a bow, and his right leg, with unprecedented speed and precision, delivered a short, lightning-fast side kick, striking directly below Sun Peng's right rib, exposed by his full-force kick and not fully covered by his chest guard! That was near the "Zhangmen" acupoint, not a fatal spot, but a strike there was enough to cause one's blood to surge and unbearable pain.

This kick was fast! Accurate! And it carried a penetrating force fueled by the energy of a dormant dragon!

"Bang!" A muffled thud, the kick landed solidly on the protective gear.

"Ugh—!" Sun Peng let out a scream that sounded like no human voice. He was hit as if by a giant hammer and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the floor two meters away. He curled up like a shrimp, clutching his right side. His face turned ashen, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. He couldn't even cry out in pain, and could only squeeze out a "hoarse" gasp from his throat.

A deathly silence fell over the training hall. Everyone was stunned by the sudden and dramatic turn of events.

Zhou Zhenhua's figure swept into the center of the field like a whirlwind. He first helped Tianci, who was slightly out of breath from the counterattack but quickly regained his balance, and quickly glanced at his left leg: "How are you?"

"I...I didn't kick it properly, I wiped...I wiped it with my protective gear." Tianci took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood and lingering anger. His voice was a little hoarse, but his eyes were clear.

Zhou Zhenhua nodded, then turned around and strode over to Sun Peng, who was curled up on the ground. His face was ashen, veins throbbing on his forehead, and his eyes were blazing with fury. He crouched down and, with two fingers, forcefully pinched Sun Peng's wrist, which was clutching his ribs, so hard that Sun Peng let out another groan of pain.

"Sun Peng," Zhou Zhenhua's voice wasn't loud, but it was as cold as if it had been pulled from an ice cellar, each word carrying a heavy weight, "What were you doing with that leg just now?"

Sun Peng was trembling with pain, and he said sheepishly, "Coach...I...I couldn't stop...I skied..."

"Bullshit!" Zhou Zhenhua roared, his voice shaking the roof tiles. "Slipped? How could you slip at that angle? How could you use that kind of force? How could you slip straight for someone's ankle? Do you think I'm blind? You're doing this on purpose! You want to cripple him, aren't you?"

Sun Peng trembled all over from the shout, unable to utter any more words of defense, only able to groan in pain and tremble with fear.

Zhou Zhenhua released his hand, shaking it off with disgust as if it had been stained with something dirty. He stood up, looking down at Sun Peng, and said sternly, "Sun Peng, you maliciously violated training rules, intentionally harmed your fellow students, are malicious in your intentions, and have poor conduct! Effective immediately, you are suspended from training for three months! You are disqualified from all competitions this year! You must write a 10,000-word in-depth self-criticism and read it aloud in public! If you repeat this offense, you will be expelled and never rehired!" He surveyed the entire room, his gaze sweeping over the shocked faces of every team member. "Look carefully! Remember! My team, Zhou Zhenhua's team, will not tolerate such despicable backstabbing! Martial arts is a skill for self-cultivation and physical fitness, not a tool for you to be violent and bully your fellow students! Anyone who cannot learn to be upright and honorable should get out of here as soon as possible!"

After saying that, he shouted at Chen Gang, "Chen Gang, take him to the infirmary! Everyone else, continue training! No one is allowed to tell anyone about what happened today, but you must all take this as a warning!"

The atmosphere in the training hall was heavy and solemn. The team members silently dispersed and resumed training, but their movements were now more cautious and thoughtful. Sun Peng was helped up by Chen Gang and another team member, and limped out of the training hall. In the instant he turned around at the door, a deeper resentment, which he himself was unaware of, flashed in his lowered eyes.

Zhou Zhenhua walked over to Tianci, patted him on the shoulder, his tone softening but still serious: "You were frightened and angry. But today, you did the right thing. Restrained, but not cowardly; you fought back, but with restraint. The last kick, the placement and force, showed you held back. That's good." He paused, his voice lower, "Remember this feeling. Anger is a beast; it can hurt others, and it can hurt yourself. Today you controlled it and used it to protect yourself. That's the true meaning of martial arts. Go rest, adjust yourself, you don't need to practice anymore today."

Tianci nodded, removed his protective gear, and walked to the sidelines. He sat on a bench, picked up his water bottle, and slowly drank. Sweat had soaked his inner shirt. The thrill, anger, decisiveness, and counterattack that had occurred in the blink of an eye had receded like the tide, leaving only slightly trembling fingertips and a still somewhat rapid heartbeat in his chest. But the Hidden Dragon Technique was slowly calming everything down; the warm breath flowing through him soothed the tension in his muscles and the turmoil in his emotions.

He closed his eyes, the scenes from just moments ago replaying in his mind. Sun Peng's sinister gaze, his own instantaneous warning and counterattack… This wasn't merely a physical confrontation, but a clash of minds. His master had said, "Excessive rigidity leads to breakage, excessive desire leads to injury." Wasn't Sun Peng today driven mad by the flames of jealousy? And in that counterattack kick, had he even entertained a fleeting thought of "teaching him a lesson"? Where, then, was the line between that cold decisiveness and Sun Peng's malice?

He recalled his elder brother's words: "Ask your heart, not your fist; when your heart is clear, your fist will be true." The path to enlightenment was indeed not on the silent mountain cliff, but in this mortal world full of collisions and choices.

The sunlight outside the window had already begun to slant westward, its glare softening. The training hall remained as noisy as ever, sweat still poured out, and young bodies continued to grow through the trials of training.

Cang Tianci opened his eyes, put the empty water bottle back in its place, and stood up. He walked towards the changing room, and paused as he passed the tall window. He saw the setting sun being covered by a layer of dark clouds, its dark golden light being swallowed up little by little, until only a thin, blood-red streak remained on the horizon.

He remembered the look Sun Peng gave him as he left. That wasn't the end.

He looked away and continued walking. Outside the window, the dark clouds pressed lower and lower.