Chapter Fourteen: Transmission

  Su Wen left the Public Security Bureau and went straight home.

  Li Huan might not come to find him again, he didn't care much. In his opinion, Li Huan was just a hot-headed kid, and one day when his interest in martial arts faded, this idea would also disappear.

  The sky was dark and he began to continue his fourth movement practice on Mount Cijawara.

  Yang Xiao didn't know when he arrived, he didn't punch, but carefully observed Su Wen. When he saw that Su Wen had only stood for less than ten minutes and was already sweating profusely, he became even more puzzled. Normally, to get into the state Su Wen was in, one would have to go through a series of intense exercises, but Su Wen just maintained a strange posture, and started sweating uncontrollably.

  Is there some secret in this strange posture?

  Yang Xiao didn't understand, but Su Wen was in pain and happiness at the same time.

  An hour and a half of practice came to an end, Su Wen wiped the sweat off his head. Every time he practiced, it was like he had fought a big battle, today's practice wasn't bad, the fourth move could already be completed with ease.

  "Xiao Wen, it's time to go home for dinner." His father's voice came over.

  Su Wen looked over and didn't know when his father had also climbed to the top of Pao Jiao Zi Mountain. He knew that his father's legs were always bad, so Su Wen suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

  "Dad, you don't have to come looking for me, I'll be back on time." Su Wen fell silent for a moment, "Your legs aren't good, from now on don't climb high or low, it's too dangerous."

  "Stinky brat, even if I were to climb that big mountain over there, nothing would happen. What are you blindly worrying about?" Xia Donghe scolded, he hated it the most when others made a fuss about his leg, and not even his own son was an exception.

  Dapan Mountain is the big mountain behind Shixiu Village, with a height of nearly two thousand meters. Compared to Zhawuzi Mountain and Dapan Mountain, it's completely insignificant, not even worth mentioning.

  "Dong He, don't be so stubborn either. Su Wen is doing it for your own good. You won't have to come looking for him again later. When the time comes, I'll let him go down." Yang Xiao spoke up.

  "Old Yang!" Su Donghe immediately became respectful, "From now on, it's not necessary, the day after tomorrow he will go to work in Jiangning City, at that time I won't need to call him for meals either."

  Yang Xiao heard this and was taken aback: "Going to work in Jiangning the day after tomorrow?"

  "Yes, Old Yang." Su Donghe responded, "He's already graduated from college, and it's not a good thing to be idle at home. I've asked my comrades in Jiangning to arrange a job for him, and he'll start work the day after tomorrow."

  "Like this!" A hint of hesitation flashed in Yang Xiao's eyes.

  "Grandfather Yang, what's wrong?" Su Wen was somewhat puzzled, he could tell that Yang Xiao seemed to have something on his mind.

  "Xiao Wen, do you want to learn martial arts?" Yang Xiao looked at Su Wen seriously, and that was absolutely not a joke.

  "Practicing martial arts?" Su Wen was stunned. Isn't that what he's been doing every day? "Grandfather Yang, what do you mean by this? Are you going to teach me martial arts?"

  Yang Xiao nodded: "Not bad, I've been observing you for the past few days and found that your foundation is pretty good, even better than your father's. With such a good physique, not practicing martial arts would be a waste. Although I'm no martial arts expert, I do know some basic skills, if you want to learn, I can teach you."

  "Really?" Su Wen became excited.

  Although he has the Great Heavenly Dao Retrieval System, he will inevitably encounter some problems in his future cultivation. Yang Xiao may not be able to solve his problems, but giving him some guidance is still possible. It was said that Yang Xiao was a master's son from the village, and now Yang Xiao wants to teach him martial arts. As the saying goes, "having many skills won't burden one's body", learning will always have its benefits.

  "Of course it's true, come to Zhaowu Mountain tomorrow morning and I'll teach you a set of fist techniques." Yang Xiao smiled, then turned to Su Donghe and said, "I'll teach your son some fist techniques, do you have any objections?"

  "No, no!" Su Donghe hastily said.

  Back home, Su Wen's appetite was huge.

  "Xiao Wen, when following Yang Lao to learn martial arts, you must be diligent." Father glanced at Su Wen.

  "Dad, I know." Su Wen was somewhat puzzled, wondering why his father was even more anxious than he was.

  As soon as it dawned, Su Wen arrived at Zhaowu Mountain.

  Yang Xiao had been waiting for him there all along.

  "Grandpa Yang, I'm here."

  "Come here, let's practice our breath first."

  "Qigong?"

  "Air, breathing is." Yang Xiao said to himself, "Now you start breathing according to my method. Inhale... inhale... inhale... exhale!"

  Su Wen was stunned: "Three breaths in, one breath out."

  "Uh, this is the three-inhale-one-exhale method, also called the three-section breathing method. When combined with footwork, it's one step inhaling and three steps exhaling. When practiced to a high level, the first inhalation is like mist rising from the ground, the second inhalation is like a thousand horses galloping, and the third inhalation is like a clear sky soaring upwards. When exchanging breaths, exhalation is like a dragon, and the air exits like an arrow."

  Su Wen was shocked: "Really can be like this?"

  "In theory, yes, but that's not what you should be worried about right now. First, remember the breathing method I taught you, and then think about how to apply it to your fist technique. To put it bluntly, practicing fists without practicing internal energy is a waste of effort and harmful to the body." Yang Xiao told Su Wen with a serious tone, his words were absolutely not a joke.

  "Alright." Su Wen said.

  He started breathing according to Yang Xiao's method.

  Gradually.

  His body began to undulate up and down, and on closer inspection, it was like a snake slithering back and forth.

  Yang Xiao was shocked, staring at Su Wen, completely dumbfounded: "This... how is this possible? Actually entering the gate so quickly, I spent three years practicing to reach the level of 'qi flowing like a snake'."

  Su Wen also didn't know what was going on, he felt like a completely different person.

  His body seemed lighter, his speed more agile, and even his mind clearer.

  "Alright." Yang Xiao's voice came over.

  "Grandpa Yang." Su Wen rubbed his eyes, feeling like he had just woken up from a good nap, and was now full of energy.

  "Not bad, now I'll start teaching you boxing." Yang Xiao didn't say anything to praise Su Wen, "Because tomorrow you're leaving, today I'll just teach you all the moves of Tai Chi, as for how to coordinate with breathing and how to exert force, that's something you need to slowly comprehend on your own. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can come back and ask me."

  "Tai Chi Fist?" Su Wen was taken aback.

  In China, who doesn't know Tai Chi?

  That boxing is soft and slow, not worth learning at all? Su Wen immediately lost interest, in his heart, Tai Chi was just a morning exercise for those old men in the park.

  "What, you look down on Tai Chi?" Yang Xiao didn't get angry, but instead smiled, "However, this isn't your fault. Nowadays, there are too many Tai Chi schools of thought, most of which are all show and no substance, and when it comes to actual combat, they're mostly useless. But the Tai Chi I'm teaching you today is different, this is our... family's traditional martial art, combining defense and offense as one, with immense power."

  "Really?"

  "It's natural, I'll try it out first and show you."

  Su Wen went to one side, secretly anticipating.

  Yang Xiao stood still, like a big tree.

  When the wind moves, people move.

  One fist shot out swiftly, with a whirring wind sound all around.

  Su Wen could even see a white tiger leaping over the stream, its momentum was vast and unparalleled.

  Fast, fierce!

  Yang Xiao's fists flew out in rapid succession, each one seemingly identical to the ordinary Tai Chi fist, but with a power that was worlds apart. This was no longer the soft and weak-looking Tai Chi fist, but a deadly killing machine, and Su Wen even felt the momentum of thousands of horses galloping towards him.

  "Boom!"

  As Yang Xiao's last foot landed, he only saw a stone the size of a millstone under his feet shattered into several pieces.

  "Alright, that's basically it. Now follow me and practice." Yang Xiao had already made the starting move, he was going to teach Su Wen Tai Chi one move at a time.

  "No... no need." Su Wen licked his lips, he couldn't wait any longer. "Grandfather Yang, let me practice the next part, see if I'm doing it right."

  "Are you practicing?" Yang Xiao was stunned, "Can't you just watch me play once and learn from it?"

  Su Wen didn't say a word, his mind flashed with Yang Xiao's just-performed Tai Chi moves.

  He moved.

  One punch out, just like Yang Xiao.

  Then one circle was similar to another, three minutes passed, and he really practiced the Tai Chi fist that Yang Xiao had just demonstrated.

  Yang Xiao was stunned.

  "Genius, genius, apart from these two words, I really don't know how else to describe it."

  "Heh heh, what's up?" Su Wen smiled awkwardly.

  Yang Xiao was certain: "This boxing technique seems simple, but you only see me practice it once and you can learn it, what is genius if not this? I didn't expect a piece of unpolished jade to be by my side for so many years, and I only discovered it now, it's really laughable!"

  Su Wen was somewhat surprised and delighted.

  "Su Wen, practice a few more times and I'll spar with you in a bit." Yang Xiao was full of energy.

  "Alright, Grandpa Yang." Su Wen replied.

  Half an hour has passed.

  "Su Wen, your moves are good, but the intention is not yet there. When we spar soon, carefully feel the atmosphere in my fist technique, understand?" Yang Xiao reminded Su Wen.

  "Understood!" Su Wen replied loudly.

  Yang Xiao and Xiang stood facing each other, both assuming identical postures.

  Su Wen knew that Yang Xiao couldn't make the first move, so he took the initiative and rushed forward like a deer, his hand forming a sharp Taiji push. Yang Xiao saw this and also came with a Taiji push, the two of them going back and forth. In the second round, Su Wen's chest was hit by one of Yang Xiao's fists.

  "Su Wen, don't be impatient, keep your lower body stable." Yang Xiao reminded.

  "I understand," Su Wen replied.

  He rushed up again, this time he made a move of White Crane Spreads Its Wings, but Yang Xiao made a move like Sealing and Closing, then followed by a move of Embracing the Bird's Tail, and directly threw him out.

  Su Wen rubbed his butt and cried out in pain.

  He rose quickly, but fell even faster.