Chapter 42
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Chapter 42: Black Tiger Fist Gym
Wang Yu shook his hands, and not a single finger was harmed.
On Blue Star, it is not uncommon for someone to break stones with one hand.
In Hua Country, there are tales of powerful hard qigong, but those who can achieve this are all dedicated practitioners who have spent years training their hands. They have greatly thickened their finger bones and their skin has become extremely rough, as if it has been sanded down and hardened.
Yet he could achieve this level simply by practicing a few moves from the Tiger Pounce Picture, and he could even go beyond that.
Just thinking about Blue Star made Wang Yu feel a bit down.
After such a long time, his consciousness had not been called back to Blue Star. Was there a problem? Would he really not be able to return?
His mind was troubled, knowing he couldn’t continue practicing, so he went back to his room to rest.
Early the next morning, he left the mansion and went to a nearby restaurant, ordered four dishes and a soup, and after enjoying a hearty meal, he slowly walked to the grand entrance of a building in the northwestern corner of Tongzhou City.
"Black Tiger Fist Gym"
Wang Yu looked at the silver plaque on the door and walked in by himself.
"Junior Brother Wang, you’re back again."
A young man in a short-sleeved outfit, crossing his arms, greeted Wang Yu warmly when he saw him.
"Martial Brother Li, it’s your turn to be on duty today," Wang Yu replied with a smile.
"Yes, I can’t compare to Junior Brother Wang. I can’t afford to give too much tribute, so I have to do more work for the gym to stay a bit longer," the young man said helplessly.
"The gym requires thirty taels of silver as tribute every month, even I find it a bit hard to manage," Wang Yu said, showing a pained expression.
"Haha, who doesn’t know that Junior Brother Wang is wealthy? He’s been here for four or five months and always drinks as much herbal soup as he wants," Martial Brother Li waved his hand dismissively.
"Martial Brother Li, was joking."
Wang Yu yawned, said nothing more, cupped his hands, and walked inside.
Black Tiger Fist Gym is one of the few martial arts schools in Tongzhou City where you can learn real combat skills for a price.
The Black Tiger Boxing Technique taught at this martial arts school is a true fighting skill, and the gym itself is said to have a significant background, as it has been open for hundreds of years in Tongzhou City.
Another thing that puzzled Wang Yu about Tongzhou City was the many martial arts schools, with as many as thirty or forty in total; among them were ordinary schools teaching flashy moves, as well as experienced gyms like Black Tiger School that taught genuine combat skills.
The real reason Wang Yu chose this gym was that he always wanted to truly integrate the Four Beast Diagram cultivation method into real combat, and the Black Tiger Boxing Technique, which mimics the movements of a fierce tiger, perfectly complemented his Tiger Pounce Four Styles.
With his extraordinary understanding, after months of research, he managed to blend the first three forms of the Tiger Pounce Picture into the Black Tiger Boxing Technique, and he was close to combining the last form as well.
Today is the day when the owner of the Black Tiger Fist personally explains the essence of the boxing techniques, and it should be his last visit here, as he does not plan to waste any more of his hard-earned money.
After all, over the past six months, whether it was for renting a place, buying books, or learning from a master, he needed financial support. He had spent all his gold and even exchanged two spirit stones for gold at a knowledgeable pawn shop.
At that moment, as soon as Wang Yu stepped through the door of the training hall, he could hear the sound of fists and feet striking each other.
Behind the door was a yard about an acre in size, filled with sandy soil. Nearly a hundred young people surrounded simple wooden posts, wrapping their fists in thick white cloth and striking them with all their might. Each one was sweating heavily, and among them were even a few slender young women.
Wang Yu did not stop; he walked straight down a rocky path through the crowd.
On either side, people occasionally paused to shout, "Senior Brother Wang!"
Most of these disciples were from the outer courtyard and had paid only a small amount of silver. They could only practice basic stances and had to pass a certain test in two months to learn the real Black Tiger Boxing Technique.
But he was different; he had paid a large sum of silver from the start. Since the day he entered, he could be considered a formal disciple and go directly to the inner courtyard to sit in on the teachings of the boxing instructors.
Wang Yu bowed to each of them, but his footsteps did not stop as he walked past the back door and through a small garden, arriving at a slightly smaller courtyard.
This inner courtyard was not only filled with rows of stone locks and weapon racks, but in the center stood seven or eight wooden dummies that were thicker than the wooden posts outside. Their surfaces were marked with white lines outlining a dense array of acupoint names, and there were also more than twenty men and women dressed similarly to Martial Brother Li.
These people were either dancing with swords and spears, standing in deep stances without moving, or were practicing hand-to-hand combat.
But most people were gathered around a strong man in his thirties, watching as he fiercely displayed a powerful boxing technique.
The man was big and strong, with his upper body bare. He moved with grace, exuding an intimidating presence. His hands and fingers curled like steel claws, as if each one could pierce through flesh, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.
Suddenly, the strong man pulled his hands back and kicked out with his leg.
With a loud "crack," a wooden dummy behind him snapped in half.
"Impressive! As expected from Teacher Zhu, this Black Tiger Boxing Technique has reached an extraordinary level. Even the master wouldn’t perform better."
"This final move, the Fierce Tiger’s Tail, would surely make an opponent bleed to death if it hit them. Teacher Zhu is truly the best fighter in the school after the master."
…
The people watching around him erupted into applause and cheers.
Teacher Zhu looked at the broken wooden post, moved his kicking leg a bit, and showed a satisfied expression. Then he began to explain the key points and important details of the Black Tiger Boxing Technique to his nearby students, step by step.
Wang Yu stood in the crowd, silently listening to Teacher Zhu’s gestures and stories. There was nothing unusual on his face, but deep in his eyes, there were occasional glimmers of light, as if he had activated a special mode.
Only after the big man finished his long explanation and left the courtyard did a thoughtful expression appear on Wang Yu’s face.
He exited the special mode and, like the other disciples, walked to a wooden dummy in the corner of the yard. He took off his shirt and began to slowly punch around the dummy.
Using the same Black Tiger Boxing Technique, each move seemed almost the same as what Teacher Zhu had shown earlier. However, with Wang Yu’s tall frame moving up and down, every action looked oddly loose and awkward, creating a strange feeling.
The other official disciples nearby watched; some looked sympathetic, while others showed disdain, but no one came to interrupt.
Wang Yu was completely absorbed in his understanding of the boxing technique, ignoring the glances from others. He continued to practice the Black Tiger Fist at his own pace, occasionally stopping to slightly adjust his angle and posture, but this only made his movements more awkward.
He practiced the Black Tiger Fist again and again.
Time passed without him noticing. When Wang Yu finally stopped his punches in a horse stance, his face was full of joy. Just then, a loud voice came from beside him.
"Not bad, not bad. This Black Tiger Fist has some interesting points. Your name is Wang Yu, right?"
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