Martial Arts Master

Amidst his shock, the old and slightly wrinkled face appeared in front of Lou Cheng again.

“Master, why, why are you back again?”

Geezer Shi answered in a light tone, “I forgot to add that since you are now my disciple, from tomorrow on, you shall get up at 5:30 a.m. and be ready here at 5:50 a.m. Our training starts two hours before the special training session.”

“5:30 in the morning?” Lou Cheng repeated his master’s words in disbelief, thinking, “At that time the sun would not even be out yet, right? Not even the third year in high school was that demanding! If I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. every day, how many hours of sleep would I get? If I practice like that, even with Jindan (the Golden Elixir), I would probably still be so tired that I would pee blood out!”

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to get up early?” Geezer Shi stroked his short white beard and said, “You have already missed the optimum age to train your physique, yet you want to achieve Professional Ninth Pin in two years. If you don’t suffer, but instead take it easy, how are you going to make up for all the time wasted? Only sheer hard work can save you, kid. You will only lose out if you don’t listen to advice from your elders!”

Lou Cheng fell silent and thought about all the expectations of martial arts that had slowly deflated within him. Finally, he nodded. “Getting up is not the problem, but the main doors of the dormitories will only open at 6:30 a.m.”

“Not an issue at all. I can get someone to pass you the key to the main door of your dormitory.” Geezer Shi brushed away Lou Cheng’s concerns, “5:30 a.m. is the best time to start, based on ancient practice routines. At the same time, you must get sufficient sleep too. So, it is lights off for you at 10:30 p.m. As your master, I will call you to make sure you do so.”

“To be in bed by 10:30 p.m.? But the lights are only turned off at midnight…” Lou Cheng took a deep breath of the cold morning air. This meant almost zero fun time.

Based on the current schedule, except for Thursdays and Saturdays, Lou Cheng had classes from 7 p.m. to 9:35 p.m. every night. By the time he returned to the dormitory and washed up, it would already be 10 p.m. Half an hour is hardly enough for QQ and forums, not to mention playing games. That would be impossible.

Does this mean that the only time to relax is between classes and during lunch break?

Skipping classes is out of the question. Lou Cheng would not be able to do it, at least not now. He could not afford to bring mediocre grades back home to his parents.

“Forget it, it’s all about the survival of the fittest, isn’t it? No pain no gain. I’ll just try for a term and see how much I progress. Just another third year in high school!” he thought.

Lou Cheng obeyed grudgingly, “I, I mean, this disciple will go to sleep on time.”

Geezer Shi tilted his head. “Also, do you smoke?”

“Yes,” Lou Cheng dare not hide the truth.

“Quit it!” Geezer Shi demanded. “Your body has not completed the training, so alcohol and tobacco are still harmful to it. Just look at Wu Dong of the Martial Arts Club. His body is semi-invalid because he overdosed on them. You must also stop drinking!”

“Yes.” These demands were almost nothing to Lou Cheng since he was never a heavy smoker or drinker.

“How about girls? Do you have a girlfriend?” Geezer Shi continued to interrogate him.

“No…” Lou Cheng paused for a while and then he stammered softly. “What if I do have one?”

“End it too,” Geezer Shi said sternly.

“What? I cannot have a girlfriend?” Lou Cheng broke out in cold sweat.

Then, Geezer Shi smiled, and mischievously he said, “Alright, alright. What I meant was that, if you have a girlfriend, you will have to properly plan your schedule for martial arts, studies and dating time. Don’t neglect your relationship and come to me weeping when you get dumped. That is bad for your body too. And, you need to control your ‘inner fire’. I know you are a strong young man, but control sexual activity – whether you do it with your girlfriend or by yourself. OK, that is all for today. 5:50 tomorrow morning, be here on time. I will impart some stances from Shangqing Sect and ‘Ice Sect’. We will do some combinations too.”

Since the beginnings of martial arts, there had been countless sects and styles. The most famous one was the “Five Sects Unique Skill”. Though some skills did not belong to Kung Fu of the Taoist School, they were named after the form of the Five Sects Unique Skill, like the “Ice Sect” and “Water Sect”, etc.

Upon hearing his master’s plans, any gripe that Lou Cheng had about the early mornings disappeared.

Since his master ordered that their relationship was kept from others for now, he waited till Geezer Shi had walked away before making a detour back to the Martial Arts Club arena. By the time he reached it, he was the last to report attendance.

Compared to yesterday’s martial arts class, only a handful turned up: the year four seniors, Chen Changhua and Wu Dong; year three seniors, Sun Jian, Lin Hua and Wu Meng; and year two seniors, Jiang Fusheng, Li Mao and Li Xiaowen. Half of the group was made up by the year ones, like Lin Que, Guo Qing, Yan Zheke, Xu Qiubai and Lou Cheng. One reason why there were fewer seniors was that the students on year two and three had more classes this semester, and the one on year four were already out and about, looking for jobs. Another reason was that Yan Zheke, the extinguished beauty of the Martial Arts Club, had attracted several year-one boys to sign up.

In a quick glance, Lou Cheng could see that the team was had a predominance of men. Besides Yan Zheke, there were only three other ladies, Lin Hua, Li Xiaowen, and Guo Qing. Moreover, Guo Qing could not be considered much a lady with her bushy brows, strong arms and thick thighs. Within the recruits, Guo Qing was only inferior to Lin Que and could be comparable to Cai Zongming – the other Amateur Fifth Pin.

As for the graduate students, expectedly, they would be busy serving their “bosses'” needs, and would have no time to take part in the Martial Arts Club’s activities.

“You are almost late. Go, one round.” Since Yan Zheke was the only one he knew, Lou Cheng took a deep breath of courage, elbowed past the rest to reach her and said hi.

Yan Zheke squeezed a tiny smile. “I thought you had given up after I was harsh to you yesterday.”

“Why would I? I truly love martial arts,” Lou Cheng joked with an exaggerated tone. “Since I didn’t rest the whole day yesterday, last night, after washing up, I blacked out the moment I hit the bed.”

Thus, that’s why he didn’t get to chat with Yan Zheke.

Yan Zheke smiled, her dimples dancing. “Me too. Martial Arts in the morning, Advanced Mathematics and Introduction to Philosophy in the afternoon, and English at night. By the time I was back in my bedroom, I was so tempted not to take a bath and just sleep in my filthy clothes.”

“Which faculty are you in?” Lou Cheng just remembered that he had never asked what she studied.

“School of Business and Economics…” before Yan Zheke finished her sentence, Geezer Shi entered the room.

The first half of the special training session was the same as martial arts class: stance training, strength training, footwork practice. Lou Cheng was completely engrossed and was progressing extraordinarily smooth with stance training and footwork. He could feel his every step and movement improving as he practiced. Nothing feels better and motivates one more than hard work being rewarded with progress. As for strength training, Lou Cheng depended on the Jindan to replenish his energy and to continue weightlifting. Even then he could feel himself improving.

After three hours of intensive training, at 11 a.m., Geezer Shi called everyone to gather and gleefully announced.

“Next up we will be practicing how to release energy and the thick-thin moves. The last half hour is for pair practice. Pair up based on your high or low martial arts level. We are odd numbered today, so, Lin Que, since your level is much higher than the rest and we will not have someone who you can pair up with and learn from, you, Sun Jian and Xu Qiubai will be one group. Work with each of them and give them pointers after practicing with them. Take this as an opportunity. You can see yourself as a coach, and from there you will also learn a thing or two.”

Lin Que nodded silently without any signs of disapproval.

Geezer Shi continued to split the group into pairs. “…Guo Qing, you guide Yan Zheke. Lin Hua, you and Li Xiaowen will work together. Li Mao, you and Lou Cheng are a team…”

Li Mao was a year two senior with a square face, thick brows, broad shoulders and a bright smile. His memory of Lou Cheng was still fresh from that time where the recruits had crab. He walked straight to Lou Cheng and said with a smile. “Junior Lou, looking forward to learning from you.”

“That should be my line,” Lou Cheng courteously returned the greetings and then attempted to divert the topic. “Senior brother Li, which Pin do you hold?”

“The Third Pin,” Li Mao answered with some pride.

“Isn’t that just second to Club President Chen, senior brother Wu Dong, and almost the same as senior brother Sun Jian? Oh, uh, and before Lin Que joined.” Lou Cheng was only aware of Chen Changhua and Wu Dong’s ranks because they were the ones who were recruiting the junior. The former was an Amateur First Pin, with hopes to achieve Professional Ninth Pin, but due to yesterday’s injury, he might not be able to recover and be ready for this term’s ranking event. The latter was an Amateur Second Pin, a pretty respectable rank for college students.

Just as Lou Cheng finished speaking, someone loudly sneered at his statement. Lou Cheng turned and saw senior brother Wu Dong, who was not that much tall, and the recruit that he was supposed to guide, walking off to a wider area at the side of the arena.

Noticing the cold and unhappy expression of senior brother Wu Dong, Lou Cheng remained silent. After they had walked a reasonable distance away, Li Mao scoffed. “Senior brother Wu Dong, still so sickening.”

“Pardon me, what did you just say?” Lou Cheng sought to comprehend what he just heard.

Li Mao checked his surroundings, then said to Lou Cheng softly. “A good half of the responsibility why the Martial Arts Club is how it is today lies with Chen Changhua and Wu Dong. They are narrow-minded and competitive. They cannot accept people who are better than them. So, regardless seniors or juniors, as long as they have a better performance or show more potential, they will join hands to ostracize the person and make it so difficult that the person no longer wants to be part of the Martial Arts Club. We had great members in years two, three and four, but since they wasted a year not getting sufficient practice and with the tighter class schedule, they will not be able to move up the ranks.”

He laughed at himself and continued sharing. “If it were not because I had a good relationship with senior brother Sun Jian, I would probably already be out of here, pouring my heart into vocational studies.”

“Senior brother Sun Jian has a holdover Chen Changhua and Wu Dong?” Lou Cheng was disturbed and surprised to hear that there were such dynamics and politics within the Martial Arts Club.

“Although Senior brother Sun Jian and I are Amateur Three Pin, his father is a professor in the school. Hence, naturally, Chen Changhua and Wu Dong would not dare to do anything to him. The only thing is that senior brother Sun Jian does not like to meddle too much in other people’s business, so he just helps Lin Hua and I. And, yes, Lin Hua is his girlfriend.” Li Mao continued to explain.

Which meant that the rest of those who remained, Wu Meng, Jiang Fusheng and Li Xiaowen, were allowed to remain because they were mediocre. Anyone could see that they were only at Amateur Fifth Pin and that obviously did not pose any threat to the positions of Chen Changhua and Wu Dong.

“I see, no wonder Cai Zongming, an Amateur Fifth Pin, would be called up by the Martial Arts Club,” Lou Cheng exclaimed in sudden realization. “Fortunately, we have Lin Que in our batch, directly bringing Chen Changhua to the ground.”

Li Mao laughed. “That’s why you all can focus on training and not have to care about Chen Changhua and Wu Dong. Alright, enough, let me teach you some moves and ways to release energy.”

Even though they called them moves, but they were the basic straight punch, elbowing, and kneeing, matched with ways to release energy and strength. The most critical part of this training was how to match them. If the footwork and posture did not match, even with the simplest moves, energy could not be channeled out.

Lou Cheng paid great attention. Due to his Yin-Yang Stance, his ability to coordinate his moves, footwork, and posture was well above a usual beginner. He learned quickly and was getting more and more familiar with the moves and combinations as he practiced repeatedly.

Soon, they only had half an hour left for the special training session. Li Mao asked Lou Cheng to halt his practice. He requested for Geezer Shi to come over to their team and chirped.

“Junior Lou, here, let’s pitch our moves against each other. Don’t worry, I will be reasonable with my moves.”

Lou Cheng’s muscles tensed up. He was a little panicky, but at the same time, he was excited, because this would be his first sparring practice!