Chapter 80
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 80: Morning Practice
The next morning, the sky was overcast, but Zhang Xiaohua’s mood was bright.
Early in the morning, Zhang Xiaohua arrived at the spot where he had practiced his horse stance the previous night, happily thinking to himself, today I will finally learn fist techniques, right?
After a short wait, He Tianshu arrived. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua already standing there made him quite pleased. Nodding, he said: “Zhang Xiaohua, you’re really diligent, getting up so early. Alright, let’s get started.”
Zhang Xiaohua asked: “What kind of fist techniques will you teach me today?”
He Tianshu was taken aback, “Fist techniques? Haha, don’t be in such a hurry. First, you need to perfect your horse stance. The horse stance is the foundation of martial arts. If your stance isn’t solid, your base will be unstable. As the saying goes, ‘To practice martial arts, you must start with the horse stance’ and ‘Before learning, hold the horse stance for three years’. Once your foundation is stable, everything else will come easier.”
Zhang Xiaohua’s mouth dropped open: “What? Three years of just the horse stance? What else can I learn then? By the way, what do you mean by ‘foundation’?”
He Tianshu smiled and explained: “Three years is just a figure of speech, but it’s possible you’ll practice the horse stance while learning other techniques. Still, if your stance isn’t good, mastering martial arts won’t be easy. The foundation refers to everything below your waist. Only when your legs are stable can you hold your ground in a fight. Remember how you punched me yesterday? Although the force was very strong, you didn’t pay attention to your legs. I instinctively used my horse stance skills at that time. Didn’t you feel how steadily I was standing yesterday? If my foundation was weak, you could pushed me back with your punch, you gain the upper hand. Continuing to attack would keep me on the defensive, and it would be much harder for me to regain the upper hand and defeat you. Do you understand?”
Zhang Xiaohua nodded, somewhat understanding, then weakly asked: “Captain He, what do you mean by ‘upper hand’?”
He Tianshu immediately assumed a horse stance, standing firmly, and said: “That’s a good question, but we won’t address it today. You’ll understand it gradually as you continue learning. Now, let’s begin today’s lesson. Zhang Xiaohua, resume your horse stance as I taught you yesterday. At the start, it will be challenging, and you must persist without thinking of slacking off. Initially, if you can hold the stance for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, that’s sufficient. Rest and then continue. After a month or two, when you can hold the stance for the duration of a meal, or even longer, I’ll teach you the fist techniques.”
Zhang Xiaohua asked excitedly: “Captain He, do you mean I only need to hold the horse stance for the time it takes to eat a meal?”
He Tianshu nodded, puzzled: “Yes, why?”
Zhang Xiaohua then asked: “Is it for breakfast or dinner?”
He Tianshu laughed, understanding now, and said: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s breakfast or dinner. What matters is that you hold the stance to my satisfaction.”
Zhang Xiaohua, a bit disappointed, said: “Alright, I understand. I’ll start the horse stance now.”
With that, he faced east, lifted his head, puffed out his chest, placed his fists at his waist, and assumed a solid horse stance. He Tianshu watched with a smile, pointed out a few minor errors, and repeatedly nodded in approval, saying: “Zhang Xiaohua, very good. You remembered what I taught you yesterday quite well. Let’s see how long you can hold it. If you get tired, just let me know, and you can rest.”
Zhang Xiaohua responded and without another word, he gazed at the overcast sky in the distance as if searching for the sun from there.
He Tianshu moved to a different spot and began his own daily training routine. Soon, the other three members of the team also emerged, each finding their own space to start their martial arts practice.
Today, He Tianshu was practicing the Thousand Leaf Palm technique. At first, he kept an eye on Zhang Xiaohua, waiting for him to call out from fatigue so he could allow him to rest. However, as He Tianshu got deeper into his practice, he became completely engrossed in his palm technique, forgetting about everything else. The Thousand Leaf Palm was very intricate, and practicing it from start to finish was quite demanding. He Tianshu didn’t practice it often, so sometimes his moves were not entirely smooth. But today, for some unknown reason, he performed each move seamlessly, from the first to the last, with exceptional fluidity. When He Tianshu exhaled and concluded his practice, he heard a burst of applause nearby. Feeling a bit proud, he thought: “These little brats really know their stuff. They actually noticed my improvement in the Thousand Leaf Palm. That’s rare.”
Thinking this, he turned around and began to say: “You guys…” but stopped mid-sentence.
Why?
Because there was no one around him. The three others were making a fuss where Zhang Xiaohua was holding the horse stance.
He Tianshu had just finished his set of Thousand Leaf Palm and was making his way back to where Zhang Xiaohua was holding his horse stance when he heard a commotion. From a distance, he could hear one person saying: “Do you dare to bet with me? I bet Zhang Xiaohua can stand like that for two more meal times. If I win, you wash my socks for three days.”
Another responded: “You’re so shameless. Fine, I’ll take your bet, but I won’t take advantage of you. I bet Zhang Xiaohua can stand for three more meal times. If I win, you wash my socks for two days.”
The third person, with a tone of disdain, said: “You both drop it. Look at him. Zhang Xiaohua can stand there all morning without a problem. What’s the point of betting?”
Then, all three together chanted: “Go Zhang Xiaohua! Go Zhang Xiaohua!”
He Tianshu, now close enough, sternly scolded: “What are you all doing? Why aren’t you practicing properly?”
The three of them quickly gathered around He Tianshu, each trying to explain what had happened in a flurry of words.
When the three of them came to practice martial arts, they had already seen Zhang Xiaohua standing there in a horse stance, but they didn’t pay much attention, as they all started from practicing the horse stance themselves. Unlike He Tianshu who was deeply engrossed, the three of them stole glances at Zhang Xiaohua while practicing their forms, curious to see if he could endure and eventually sit down like they did when they first started. However, as they watched, they realized something was amiss, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t lower his stance like they did initially, gradually sinking until they sat down. Instead, he maintained a posture that didn’t budge, appearing as if he had been practicing for three years.
Watching this, the three men stopped their own training and gathered around Zhang Xiaohua, asking about his situation. Zhang Xiaohua continued to hold the horse stance while chatting with them, his face not flushed, his breathing steady, and his demeanor calm as if sitting in a chair. When the three men heard that this was only Zhang Xiaohua’s second time practicing the horse stance, they truly didn’t know what to say. Since words failed them, they resorted to cheers of admiration together.
He Tianshu looked at Zhang Xiaohua suspiciously, then glanced at the three men, and asked: “Are you all sure Zhang Xiaohua didn’t slack off?”
The three nodded together in a rather uniform manner.
Turning to Zhang Xiaohua, He Tianshu asked: “Xiaohua, you were practicing the horse stance continuously last night too, without slacking off, right?”
Zhang Xiaohua nodded and said: “Yes, Captain He, I really didn’t deceive you. I didn’t slack off.”
He Tianshu said solemnly: “Hmm, I believe you, Xiaohua. By the way, are your legs sore now? Any other discomfort in your body?”
After a moment of thought, Zhang Xiaohua replied: “It’s fine, Captain He. My legs are a bit sore, but nothing else feels uncomfortable in my body.”
He Tianshu paused for a moment before asking: “Zhang Xiaohua if I asked you to continue holding this horse stance, how long do you think you could endure?”
Zhang Xiaohua pondered for a moment and said: “I think I could hold it until around noon. I feel quite relaxed.”
He Tianshu’s expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Xiaohua noticed the change in his demeanor and quickly said: “Captain He, um, if I try a bit harder, I think I could endure longer. Holding out until evening might not be impossible. That way, you could teach me martial arts, right?”
He Tianshu’s face darkened further, and he asked sternly: “Zhang Xiaohua, tell me the truth. Have you really never practiced martial arts before and never done the horse stance?”
Zhang Xiaohua remained in the horse stance, not daring to move, and replied anxiously: “Really, Captain He, before I met you, I had never practiced martial arts. This horse stance, my first time hearing about it was from you.”
He Tianshu pondered for a moment. It made sense, yesterday when he was teaching, Zhang Xiaohua’s movements were quite stiff, indicating he didn’t know how to do the horse stance. Moreover, if Zhang Xiaohua had martial arts experience, there would be no need for him to lie. It’s always better to have some foundation than none.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through He Tianshu’s mind like lightning: “Could this Zhang Xiaohua be a martial arts genius?!” But looking at Zhang Xiaohua’s ordinary face, innocent expression, and slightly thin figure, he couldn’t connect the dots to the word “genius” at all.
The first time, He Tianshu began to doubt his own viewpoint: “Aren’t all geniuses as handsome as me?”
As He Tianshu was contemplating, someone nearby said: “Captain He, it’s time to eat, or it will affect our morning work.”
He Tianshu nodded and said: “Alright, let’s hurry to the dining hall. Work is important, if there’s any shortcomings in those medicinal herbs, everyone will be implicated.”
After saying that, he led the group, briskly entering the courtyard and heading towards the dining hall, leaving Zhang Xiaohua, who was still doing his horse stance, crying out: “Captain He, I’m hungry too, what should I do?”
Already in the courtyard, He Tianshu slapped his forehead and said: “I forgot about Zhang Xiaohua.”
He quickly turned back and shouted: “Xiaohua~ You passed, hurry up and eat, we can talk about it later.”
Zhang Xiaohua responded promptly, bounding up like a rabbit, showing no signs of soreness or fatigue in his legs, and followed the other four towards the dining hall.
In the dining hall, the servants in blue robes had nearly finished their meal when Zhang Xiaohua rushed in. Everyone looked amused as Zhang Xiaohua sat down. Before he could even pick up his chopsticks, Tian Chongxi walked over and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, I know you’re young and still growing so it’s inevitable that you will be lazy, but you should know your limits and don’t oversleep. I won’t pursue it this time, but if you’re late again, I’ll deduct your wages. Understand?”
Zhang Xiaohua wanted to explain: “But I…”
Tian Chongxi immediately spoke with seriousness, “Don’t give me excuses. Oversleeping is oversleeping, and being late is being late. I heard it all from Ma Jing. Don’t try to justify it. I hope you’ll correct yourself in the future. Once you improve, you’ll still be a good servant at Huanxi Villa.”
With that, he patted Zhang Xiaohua’s shoulder and walked away.
Zhang Xiaohua looked up at Ma Jing, who grinned at him, then dropped his chopsticks and slipped out of the dining hall.
Zhang Xiaohua felt wronged. He thought to himself: “What did I do to deserve this? I’m new here and just want to practice martial arts. Why is Ma Jing picking on me like this?”
