Chapter 94

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Chapter 94: Inner Energy

“Zhang Xiaohua, Zhang Xiaohu? Haha~ How interesting.” Yu Deyi laughed.

Zhang Xiaohua also laughed. His laughter was neither arrogant like Yu Deyi’s, nor haughty like Shangguan Yun’s, nor flattering like Yu Lun’s, nor modest like Li Jinfeng’s. It was simply a laugh, a laugh from the heart, perhaps a laugh of pride for his second brother, or perhaps a laugh of joy for seeing his own promising future.

Yu Deyi stopped laughing and asked: “So, tell me, what’s the reason?”

Zhang Xiaohua calmly began: “The meaning of that phrase is simple, there’s nothing too special about it, it’s just about proficiency. I’ve practiced some martial arts techniques myself, but I have yet to make any progress. Hearing about my second brother’s experiences today, I suddenly realized that if you master one technique, you can master all methods As long as you truly master one fist technique, it will be as effective as practicing many martial techniques. There’s another saying, ‘Mastering one skill is better than knowing a hundred.’ Isn’t that the same principle?”

Before anyone else could respond, Li Jinfeng, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but slap his folding fan and exclaim: “Little Brother Xiaohua, well said! Our teachers at the academy always tell us not to bite off more than we can chew. A person’s energy is limited. Reading a thousand books without understanding them deeply is not as good as focusing on and fully comprehending one book. I didn’t pay much attention to this sentence before, but now, hearing about Brother Xiaohu’s deeds, I realize I should pay more attention when I study in the future.”

Yu Deyi curled his lips and said dismissively: “You don’t practice martial arts, so you don’t understand. Martial arts and studying are two different things. Someone who has only practiced martial arts for a month cannot possibly defeat someone who has been practicing for many years. This, maybe that bodyguard just slipped up.”

Shangguan Yun then added: “Yes, that’s what Sixth Master Li thought too. Although he agreed to Zhang Xiaohu’s decision, he still wanted to test Zhang Xiaohu’s abilities. The next day, he brought in two more bodyguards to spar with Zhang Xiaohu and the result was astonishing. While Zhang Xiaohu didn’t win, neither did the bodyguards. Both matches ended in a draw.”

Yu Deyi couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up from his chair and exclaimed: “Impossible! I know the bodyguards at the Lotus Escort Agency. Many of them are highly skilled, not much inferior to the people at the Martial Arts Hall. How could they not defeat this Zhang Xiaohu? Impossible, impossible!”

Shangguan Yun, waited for Yu Deyi to finish speaking, and then after watching Yu Deyi’s frantic pacing, he calmly responded: “Young Master Yu, you’re stuck in a dead end. You didn’t listen carefully, they were comparing martial techniques, martial techniques.”

“Oh~ comparing martial techniques. Haha, I get it now.” Yu Deyi said, slapping his forehead and sitting back down, self-deprecatingly. “I still can’t keep my cool. Master has told me many times, how could I forget they were just comparing martial techniques? In that case, if inner energy wasn’t used, it’s possible that the bodyguards were forced into a draw by Zhang Xiaohu. Hmph, but even without using inner energy, I believe I can still defeat Zhang Xiaohu. Isn’t he just greenhorn?” Despite Yu Deyi speaking well at the beginning, his arrogance soon resurfaced.

At the mention of “inner energy,” Zhang Xiaohua and Li Jinfeng looked puzzled, while Yu Lun’s face showed envy, his chubby fingers rubbing against each other unconsciously.

Li Jinfeng remained silent, watching them, but Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t miss the opportunity to learn about martial arts. He eagerly asked: “What is this ‘inner energy’?”

“What is inner energy? Hahahaha.”  Hearing this Yu Deyi laughed loudly, shaking his head and looking out the door, refusing to say more.

Shangguan Yun seemed to have heard something very interesting and smiled broadly. “Zhang Xiaohua, I can’t explain inner energy to you right now. When you get the chance to practice martial arts, ask your master.”

Seeing that they didn’t answer, Zhang Xiaohua looked at Yu Lun, hoping for an answer, but Yu Lun only smiled obsequiously at Yu Deyi, his gaze filled with greed as he followed Yu Deyi’s laughter. To him, Zhang Xiaohua was invisible, and he had no intention of answering his question.

“Sigh~” Zhang Xiaohua sighed inwardly but quickly regained his determination. If they wouldn’t tell him, he could ask Captain He. As a proper disciple of the Piaomiao Sect, he would surely know about such matters.

As Zhang Xiaohua was lost in thought, Yu Deyi suddenly shifted his gaze back to him and asked: “Zhang Xiaohua, right? Do you want to know about internal strength? I can tell you, but there’s a condition.”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback. “A condition? What condition?”

Yu Deyi smiled. “It’s simple. Have your brother Zhang Xiaohu compete with me in martial arts, and I’ll agree to tell you.”

Zhang Xiaohua laughed and shook his head. “No, I can’t agree to your request for a martial arts competition on behalf of my second brother. I haven’t even seen my second brother in a long time.”

Yu Deyi mocked: “I knew you wouldn’t dare to agree. Just a coward from the countryside, humph.”

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head again and said: “This isn’t about courage. Maybe I’m a coward and lack bravery, but ‘Even if there are thousands of people, I will still go forward.’ This is about the belief in my heart. (Alas, illiteracy is terrible, I have to let Zhang Xiaohua study quickly. When Xiaohua said such a thing, I got goosebumps) I won’t ask my second brother to do something pointless just because of a whim. As for what inner energy is, I may not know now, but there are surely many who do. Since it’s not your secret, I will naturally find out one day. What do you think, Young Master Yu?” [TL_Note: The note in parenthesis is a comment from the author]

Yu Deyi was originally looking at Zhang Xiaohua with a smile, but as he finished speaking, the scornful look on his face froze. He snapped his folding fan shut with a loud “pa” and said: “Zhang Xiaohua? You’re quite the character. Such thoughts at such a young age, are you really from the countryside?”

Zhang Xiaohua continued to smile: “Whether I’m from the countryside or not doesn’t matter. I just know I only do what I believe is right.”

Yu Deyi nodded seriously and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, I take back what I said just now. Since you say you’ll find out about inner energy sooner or later, then this Yu won’t keep it from you. I’ll tell you now, so you can see there’s a difference between people from the countryside and those from the city.”

He then stared at Zhang Xiaohua, waiting for his reaction. But Zhang Xiaohua’s clear eyes showed no fear. He met his gaze calmly as if to say, “Say what you will. I’m not forcing you. If you don’t tell me, I won’t care either.”

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua remain silent, Yu Deyi could only slowly explain: “Actually, inner energy is quite complex to discuss. Since you haven’t practiced martial arts before, it’s not easy for me to explain it to you. To put it simply, when you practice martial arts and cultivate an internal technique, a kind of force will be generated within your body, which we call inner energy. Inner energy is different from your physical strength, it can be increased through training, and when you’re not using it, it circulates within your body. When you use it, it can play a role. Different martial arts have different pathways for internal energy flow, and the results can be very powerful. To use another analogy, inner energy is like a weapon similar to a sword or a saber. If your second brother competes with someone using just his fists, it’s like he’s throwing away this weapon and only testing the subtlety of fist techniques, relying solely on his physical strength. But if internal energy is added, it’s as if your second brother is empty-handed while the other person has a sword, then your second brother would definitely lose. Do you understand now?”

Yu Deyi’s words left Zhang Xiaohua dumbfounded, it was like a general education lesson on martial arts. How could he have imagined that martial arts could be so complex? He had thought it was just about practicing punches and kicks, but now he realized he needed to learn inner energy too.

After Yu Deyi finished speaking, Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Does the Arhat Fist have a corresponding internal energy technique? Where can I find the method for cultivating this inner energy?”

“Bang!” Yu Deyi fell off his chair, and Yu Lun hurriedly helped him up from the ground, carefully brushing off the dust on his body and smiling: “Young Master Yu, be careful. There’s no need to be so startled when talking to this fellow.”

Yu Deyi carefully sat back on the chair, gripping it tightly with his hand and tossing his folding fan onto the table. He solemnly said: “This Xiaohua is quite a character, asking such shocking questions with such a vast leap in thinking. I have to be cautious in dealing with him.”

Then, turning to Zhang Xiaohua, he said seriously: “Little brother, just by asking that question, it’s clear you… are a complete novice in martial arts!! Everyone knows that the Arhat Fist came from the Dali Temple and is widely practiced in the Jianghu. Its status in the martial world is as common as the name Zhang in the general populace, it’s how ‘renowned’ it is. How can this kind of basic martial art, which is as common as cabbage, have a profound internal energy cultivation method to accompany it? And inner energy, what is inner energy? It’s the prized jewel in the crown of martial arts, rarely seen in the Jianghu. Various internal energy cultivation methods are treasured by each martial sect and are only taught to their core disciples. Wanting to find an internal energy cultivation method to practice is simply dreaming. And even if you got your hands on one, you might not be able to cultivate it successfully.”

Zhang Xiaohua was again stunned and asked: “Why not?”

Yu Deyi, feeling pleased with himself, explained: “There are millions of people in this world, each with different aptitudes. Although anyone can read an internal energy cultivation manual, few can successfully practice it and develop their inner energy. Think about it, if inner energy was easy to cultivate, internal energy cultivation manuals wouldn’t be so precious.”

Li Jinfeng, listening from the side, was also dumbfounded and interjected, “If Young Master Yu hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have known that martial arts are so profound. Everyone has different aptitudes and different opportunities. ‘The waters of the Ruo River are three thousand miles wide, but I only take a single ladle’. It’s still better to study literature. With a book in hand, I have everything in the world.”[TL_Note: In Chinese mythology, the Ruo River is a mythical river whose waters are so weak that they cannot support even the smallest boat.]

Zhang Xiaohua was feeling a bit discouraged by Yu Deyi’s words, but this phrase, ‘The waters of the Ruo River are three thousand miles wide, but I only take a single ladle’, enlightened him. He realized he hadn’t even mastered the basics of his martial art yet. He should fully understand his martial techniques before considering internal energy cultivation.

Yu Lun, who was nearby, also said: “What Young Master Yu said is very true. I have never had the chance to glimpse this prized jewel, internal energy. That’s why I joined the Lotus Escort Agency, hoping to see if there’s any opportunity here. If you have time in the future, please lend me a hand.”

Yu Deyi looked at Yu Lun without responding. What a joke. The internal energy cultivation methods were family and sect secrets, how could others see them casually? However, it was said that the Lotus Escort Agency’s Martial Arts Hall had several basic techniques available for outstanding students. Seeing Yu Lun’s earnest, flattering smile, Yu Deyi slowly nodded.

Yu Lun was overjoyed at Yu Deyi’s gesture. He quickly picked up the folding fan from the table, carefully opened it, and began fanning Yu Deyi diligently, which made Shangguan Yun secretly despise him.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua spoke again: “Young Master Yu, since you’ve already brought up the matter of inner energy, on behalf of my second brother, I accept your challenge to a martial arts contest. How about that?”

Yu Deyi was taken aback and asked in surprise: “Zhang Xiaohua, what do you mean? I discussed it with you earlier, and you didn’t agree. Now that I’m not mentioning it, you suddenly agree. Why?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled mysteriously and said: “Since my second brother has been practicing one martial technique until now, he must have his own insights into it. Moreover, if he can face other bodyguards without being defeated, he must be quite skilled. Having a good sparring partner like you to help him improve would be something he’d be eager for. Why would I stop him?”

“Hahaha.” Yu Deyi laughed and said: “Well said. I’m sure Zhang Xiaohu will be eager to accept my challenge when he hears about it. Let’s go find him now, you lead the way.”

After a moment, seeing Zhang Xiaohua not moving, Yu Deyi frowned and said: “What’s the matter? Are you afraid again?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied sheepishly: “This is only my second time at the Lotus Escort Agency. How would I know where my second brother is?” His face looked innocent.

Yu Lun quickly volunteered: “I know. I’ll lead the way for everyone.”

After that, he handed the folding fan back to Yu Deyi and gestured for him to lead the way. Yu Deyi accepted the fan without hesitation, opening it with a flourish and strolling out grandly. Observing his graceful demeanor, Zhang Xiaohua thought to himself: “If it were a contest of elegance, my second brother would probably not be your match.”

The quarters for the porters were not in this courtyard, so Zhang Xiaohua followed them out, passing through two more courtyards before reaching the residence designated for the porters. The houses here were noticeably simpler, lacking the refinement of the Martial Arts Hall’s lodgings. It was clear that paying and staying for free made a significant difference.

Zhang Xiaohu had become a well-known figure by now. When the group asked for him, the people in the courtyard immediately knew where he was and led them to a small house. The door was closed, and Zhang Xiaohua gently knocked. A familiar voice from inside asked: “Who is it?”

Impatiently, Zhang Xiaohua pushed the door open and called out: “Second Brother!” Rushing inside. The room was quite spacious, and Zhang Xiaohu was practicing a horse stance, with his hands in an embracing stance, seemingly contemplating a move. Hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s voice and seeing him rush in, he immediately ceased his practice and happily shouted: “Xiaohua! Haha, it’s you! Come here, Second Brother missed you so much.”

With that, he hugged the charging Zhang Xiaohua. The two brothers had not seen each other since parting a month ago, and Zhang Xiaohua’s unexpected visit was a delightful surprise for Zhang Xiaohu. After holding his younger brother for a while, he finally let go. Noticing Zhang Xiaohua’s slightly chubbier face, Zhang Xiaohu felt relieved. If Xiaohua had looked thin, Zhang Xiaohu would have felt guilty.

After the brothers had a brief reunion, Li Jinfeng stepped forward and greeted; “Zhang Xiaohu, hello. Do you still remember this Li?”

Only then did Zhang Xiaohu notice the group entering from outside. He smiled and said: “Of course, I remember. We traveled to Pingyang City together in the carriage. How could I forget? But, who is this?”

Yu Deyi stepped forward and said: “I am Yu Deyi from the Martial Arts Hall. I’ve heard much about you, Brother Zhang.”

“Martial Arts Hall?” Zhang Xiaohu was puzzled. Why was this person with Xiaohua?

Yu Lun quickly explained, “Zhang Xiaohu, this is Young Master Yu. Young Master Shangguan and I are now practicing martial arts at the Martial Arts Hall. We’ve been at the escort agency for some time but only recently found out you were here. We apologize for the late visit.”

Zhang Xiaohu laughed: “So, we are all brothers from the escort agency. No need to be polite. Had I known you were at the martial arts hall, I would have visited you long ago. Come, please sit, please sit.”

He then faced an awkward realization, although the room was spacious, it had only one chair in the corner. Where could everyone sit? They couldn’t all sit on the bed, could they?

Zhang Xiaohu scratched his head.

Yu Deyi said: “No need to sit. Today is not for catching up. I came to spar with Brother Zhang. I’ll wait outside.”

With that, he turned and left. Shangguan Yun and Yu Lun cupped their hands in farewell and followed him out.

This left only Li Jinfeng, Zhang Xiaohua, and the bewildered Zhang Xiaohu in the room.

Zhang Xiaohu explained the situation to Zhang Xiaohu with an apologetic look on his face, and then said: “Second Brother, did I do the right thing? Have I put you in a difficult position? I’m sorry for making things difficult for you.”

Zhang Xiaohu patted Zhang Xiaohua’s shoulder and said: “Xiaohua has grown up, you handled this well. If I were in your place, I would have done the same. Practicing martial arts, it’s all about ‘spirit’. Even if I lose, I can’t lose my spirit. I will definitely accept such a challenge. Besides, I’ve been studying this fist technique for the past few days and have gained some new insights. I just need someone to experiment with. It’s a good opportunity to test them out with Yu Deyi. Let’s go and see what the martial techniques of the Martial Arts Hall are like.”

With that, he took Zhang Xiaohua’s hand and walked out of the small room together.

Outside, there was no sign of Yu Deyi and the others, indicating they had likely headed to the training ground.

When the three of them arrived at the training ground, they found a large crowd already gathered. It seemed that news of Zhang Xiaohu and Yu Deyi’s sparring match had spread, and more people were still coming.

Zhang Xiaohu and his companions pushed their way through the crowd, calling out: “Make way, make way. If I don’t get in, you’ll all just be standing here baking in the sun.”

By the time Zhang Xiaohu made it to the center of the crowd, he was sweating profusely. Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but reflect that martial arts are just a minor skill; no matter how much you practice, you could at most take on a hundred men. Gaining people’s loyalty is true mastery. With sheer numbers, even if you are a match for a hundred or a thousand, you will still be forced to surrender. Seeing his second brother’s struggle to get through the crowd made this clear.