Volume 1 Chushan Bandits Chapter 8: The Secret of the Willows
The military discipline in the Inspection Office is usually rather lax, and now that Deng Gui is not in the military camp today, it is even more lawless.
It was a rare opportunity, so many soldiers took leave and went home. Xu Wujiang was also invited to drink at the Hedong market. In such social occasions, Xu Wujiang preferred to bring the quick-witted Xu Xin'an with him, and Xu Huai would only occasionally have the chance to go along for a bite.
Other captains and officers also went out to drink at this time, or went directly to several brothels in the street; those soldiers who had not taken leave also played coin in the barracks after nightfall, as if each of them was on a long holiday - but there were not many people walking around in the military camp, it was very quiet.
Cheng Yi was addicted to alcohol. He drank from a teapot during the day and it was even harder for him to stay awake at night. When Xu Huai arrived at the post station, he saw only an old postman named Lao Kui, who was a former soldier, sitting in the front yard and looking drowsy.
When Lao Kui saw Xu Huai coming in, he just cursed, "Why are you running around here at this time? If you dare to look at the girl, I'll poke your eyes out," but he didn't stop Xu Huai from going to the back to find Wang Bing.
Lu Xiong was waiting in front of the courtyard. Seeing Xu Huai coming over, he said, "My husband has worked hard all the way. Today, we finally go to bed early. Let's go talk somewhere else."
"There is a willow forest beside the pond on the east side. It is quite quiet." Xu Huai said.
Walking into the willow forest behind the pond, Xu Huai hung the lantern on a willow branch, illuminating a small area.
Lu Xiong had many questions in his mind, but he thought Xu Huai would not tell too much truth at this time, so he did not say too much nonsense and said directly: "What I can see from your body shape and walking posture is limited - you should have learned Fu Mang Quan, show me the changes of the whip and hammer first..."
Xu Huai had naturally learned the Fu Mang Fist. The Whip and Hammer stance had three variations. The starting position was similar to the Flipping Arm Fist. The right arm swept out to the side and back like a giant python swinging its tail by flipping the elbow, like a spear or a steel whip, with great force and power, which was also derived from the changes in the spear path.
This is also the more difficult part of the whole set of Fu Mang Fist, and it is rarely used when facing the enemy.
Xu Huai was extremely strong. In a relatively open space, he used all his strength to swing his fists and strike sideways, able to break trees as thick as a bowl.
This is far beyond the reach of Xu Xin'an and others.
However, the whip and hammer stance has three changes. In addition to the starting stance, the second change is sinking the elbow and striking horizontally, which is derived from the horizontal strike of the Fumang Spear and the horizontal slash of the knife. The third change is raising the fist and rushing to kill, which corresponds to the raising and stabbing of the Fumang Knife and Fumang Spear.
Xu Huai had learned the basic techniques, but these three changes had to be completed continuously in a very small space and in an instant. This required extremely precise and strict control of the muscles throughout the body.
Xu Huai's biggest shortcoming is that he doesn't know how to reserve some strength, which is the so-called not knowing how to restrain.
When he started, his elbows and arms were like whips and guns, and his attacks were extremely ferocious, but his strength was exhausted. He needed an obvious buffer before he could make the second and third changes, but he no longer had much momentum.
This obviously incoherent interruption will give the opponent an opportunity to counterattack.
In the past, when they fought head-on, Xu Xin'an was agile and could easily defeat him by avoiding his powerful elbow and arm sweeps. Then, in a split second, he would change his punches with faster and more accurate moves, making him flustered and unable to cope.
Xu Xin'an used to look down on him, but it was not out of pure arrogance. The truth was that Xu Huai had not yet grasped the mysteries of martial arts.
Lu Xiong deliberately gave him a suggestion, and Xu Huai certainly was not shy, so he practiced this move right away.
"I know what's wrong with you. Your basic stance training has gone astray," Lu Xiong said. "Look, I'll show you the first two stages of this stance!"
The changes from the flip elbow to the side attack and then the sinking elbow strike were not complicated, but seeing that Lu Xiong's first force was already strong, he burst out with even stronger force. His body leaned forward and his elbow hit out like a sledgehammer with such force and power that it actually made a sound that broke through the air.
Apart from the fact that there was no delay between the two changes, after the second elbow strike, Lu Xiong's body gave people a stronger sense of swelling, indicating that he had hidden his true killing power in the third change and did not use it. What was even more rare was that Lu Xiong did not use the third change, but directly retracted his body, with indescribable ease.
So strong!
He is much stronger than his Seventeenth Uncle Xu Wujiang. Although his Seventeenth Uncle Xu Wujiang can use the third change of force, it is definitely not so lethal, not to mention that he can retract his force when he wants to.
It is hard to imagine how much control Lu Xiong has over his muscles to be able to earn money so easily.
Xu Huai was hiding at the top of the cliff today, and he was confident that the three assassins could not attack him by force. Now it seems that as long as these three have the confidence and strength to fight Lu Xiong together, he was really too arrogant today.
The assassin probably couldn't see through his strength, so he didn't attack?
“…”
Lu Xiong was even more surprised to see that Xu Huai actually understood the subtle changes in the whip and hammer's momentum without his detailed explanation. How could such a smart person go astray?
He thought to himself, even if Xu Wujiang deliberately didn't teach him, Xu Huai should have figured it out over the years. Besides, what about the person behind Xu Huai who didn't give him any guidance?
"I was indeed clumsy before, but everyone will eventually get it." Xu Huai didn't want to mislead Lu Xiong too much, so he explained vaguely.
“Ha, some people are precocious when they are young and become very smart when they grow up,” said Lu Xiong, who had heard many stories of late success. “My muscles and bones are a little old, and I can only use the Subduing Python Fist to this extent. But in the hands of the real strong men in the army, the Subduing Python Fist is even stronger. Of course, I don’t want you to see the changes between my fist and elbow in this posture, but I want you to look at my back, especially the center line of the spine, to see how it is different from when you practice this posture…”
Lu Xiong stood still, maintaining the preparatory posture before turning his elbow in the whip-hammer stance, letting Xu Huai take a closer look:
"The Subduing Python Fist is based on the spine, just like the spine of a giant python when it raises its head. If you want to know how to hide, think carefully about what a snake or python in the mountains looks like when it is about to stand in the grass. Doesn't it feel like it is neither curved nor straight? Therefore, whether it is the Subduing Python Fist, the Subduing Python Knife, or the Subduing Python Spear, the basic skills are based on this posture that is neither curved nor straight, with the spine as the root. Other boxing styles also say that the Dazhui is the dragon of the body, and the principles are actually the same. The body is like a dragon and the spear is like a python. In fact, the body should also be like a python. It's just that saying python doesn't sound good, so the body is compared to a dragon or a dragon. What's the difference between a dragon or a dragon? As long as you master this feeling, you will have entered the door to hiding. The next step is to integrate this fundamental into all the changes in fists, swords, and spears, and you will have mastered it!"
"…For young people who practice martial arts, it is very difficult to get a glimpse of the mysteries of this stance. From the simplest to the most complex, we should first think that there is a force above our heads that is pulling our heads up so that our spines can naturally stand up straight, rather than forcibly straightening them up with the strength of our waists and hips. Then we should think that there is a huge python tail supporting our tail vertebrae, so that we can naturally straighten our bodies from the bottom. By 'lifting' and 'supporting' at both ends, the spine can be straightened up, so that the effect of being neither curved nor straight can be achieved. Although many skills are required, such as the practice of rising and falling strength, if we practice the Fumang Stance to a certain level from this fundamental point, we can more accurately control whether the whole body's energy needs to explode and the degree of the explosion. This is called restraint. The changes of many boxing techniques such as the whip and hammer posture can also be mastered naturally!"
Lu Xiong has been immersed in the Fumang Fist for many years, and even has a deeper understanding of it than the founder of this style.
Xu Huai understood his basic stance very clearly without having to repeat it a second time. It was as if a door had opened in front of his eyes and he could glimpse the flickering light inside.
He also knew in his heart that his Seventeenth Uncle Xu Wujiang had not intentionally avoided telling him these things in the past; he had not yet recovered his sanity, so who would have the time to tell him these things?
Of course, Xu Huai thought that his seventeenth uncle Xu Wujiang and others’ explanation of the Mang Fu Quan could not reach the depth of Lu Xiong’s.
Fortunately, although he was clumsy in the past, his character was extremely tough, or even extremely stubborn.
When I was young, I couldn’t grasp the key points of the Crouching Python Stance. I only knew to learn its form and use the muscles of my waist and hips to straighten my back.
It is difficult for ordinary people to persist in such training for a long time, and the body will be damaged.
Although Xu Huai went astray, he was born with strong bones and muscles, and he could persist even longer every day than Xu Xin'an and others. After ten years of persistence, he developed muscles like iron and bones that were extremely solid.
However, if he continues like this, not only will he remain at the stage of strengthening his muscles and bones forever, but his body will most likely collapse rapidly due to excessive wear and tear when he is in his thirties or forties.
Now that he has the famous teacher Lu Xiong, Xu Huai will definitely not miss the opportunity easily.
Maybe it was the significance of the memory of that text that had suddenly flashed through his mind some time ago, or maybe it was the reward he deserved?
Xu Huai didn't know what he would do next. He didn't want to continue being treated as a fool by others, and he didn't know if he could make a name for himself by leaving Huaiyuan Town. But no matter what, being able to be a powerful person in this world would undoubtedly give him more bargaining chips and choices.
Xu Huai was very familiar with the basic movements of the crouching python stance, but how could he imagine that there was a force above his head lifting his head?
Xu Huai stood with his legs slightly apart, looking into the distance.
There were still lights on the streets of Hedong. Although dim, the horizon was still vaguely discernible. Xu Huai did not imagine any giant python in the mountains. He recalled the lofty posture of Lu Xiong when he wielded the gun, and looked as far as possible towards the dim horizon in the distance.
Naturally, there is a feeling of being superior.
"You are really quick-witted. I just told you and you already got the hang of it!" Seeing this, Lu Xiong couldn't help but admire him and said, "Do the muscles on both sides of your back feel more relaxed than usual?"
"That's true, but it seems not enough. What does it feel like to have the python's tail supporting the ground?" Xu Huai was also quite pleased and asked again.
After all, the most basic Fu Mang Stance has two key points, which is far from good enough at this moment.
"Wang Xiaocheng summarized many military formations, swords and spears fighting methods when he was in the army. He first created the Fu Mang Sword and Fu Mang Spear. After integrating the strengths of various training methods, he created this set of boxing from the sword and spear routines. I was fortunate to hear him talk about the essence of this boxing. When practicing standing meditation, it is important to 'keep the back vertebrae like a python'. You did the first step right, and the intersection should be here!" Lu Xiong reached out and fumbled at Xu Huai's lumbar vertebrae for a few times.
Xu Huai felt a mysterious force coming, and his spine involuntarily made very subtle adjustments following the changes of Lu Xiong's palm.
The final location of Lu Xiong's palm actually completely coincided with the center of gravity of his body.
Center of gravity?
What a strange word, but in Fu Mang Quan, this place is called "Shen Jiao Tai".
Perhaps he was in a state of "body exchange" at this moment. At this moment, Xu Huai imagined that there was a python tail extending from the coccyx to support the ground, which was not difficult at all.
It's very subtle. After Lu Xiong withdrew his palm, his back subconsciously arched forward slightly. He seemed to feel that each vertebra was connected to the other, neither curved nor straight. It was no longer stretched straight like an iron spear as before, and he could not feel any change in the curvature.
This is what is meant by “the spine is the root”!
Whether you are imagining that there is a force on top of your head lifting your head, or that a huge tail is extending from your coccyx to support the ground, or imagining that a python is raising its head ferociously from the grass, the reality is to ensure that the center of gravity of the body falls on the back that is neither curved nor straight. However, integrating this fundamental point into all the changes of the crouching python fist and swords and spears is the basis of this entire set of military formation and fighting techniques.
It turns out that this layer of window paper is the only thing missing.
However, Lu Xiong was even more shocked: Apart from his strong and muscular foundation which was far superior to that of ordinary people, and the fact that he could understand such a complicated principle after just one explanation, in the eyes of Xu Wujiang and others, Xu Huai was actually a fool?
