FMT 61

Extra 1 Learning Martial Arts

After the Mid-Autumn Festival ended, Chen Shuangning and his group returned to Miaoyun Town.

Liandan was getting more and more skilled at managing the business. Time was no longer as tight as when it first opened.

He saw that when Chen Shuangning and the others had free time, they always got up early to practice martial arts, so he also wanted to learn a few moves.

Every morning, when the sun had just risen, Liandan had already put on clothes suitable for movement, and he went out with Chen Shuangning to the courtyard to practice.

Liandan was quite talented, but it was a pity that he had started too late, so he would not achieve any great accomplishments. But for daily self-defense, or even to become a mid-level expert in the martial world, it was not a problem.

Chen Shuangning taught him with full dedication and great patience. But teaching someone close also had drawbacks.

Sometimes when one move was learned over and over, corrected again and again, and they groped through the motions, their eyes would meet, and their faces would heat up and their hearts would pound for no reason.

One time, the two of them had just locked eyes and almost kissed when Shuangruo came back from practicing sword outside and happened to see it.

Shuangruo covered her mouth, laughed, and ran into the house. Liandan’s face turned completely red. He hit Chen Shuangning’s shoulder once and said, “It’s all your fault.”

Chen Shuangning caught that hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. He looked nothing like someone three years younger than Liandan, and he smiled with tolerance, saying, “It’s all my fault.”

When he said that, Liandan felt even more embarrassed. He looked around to make sure no one was there, stood on tiptoe, and kissed the young man’s soft warm lips.

Chen Shuangning smiled, his eyes still fixed on his lips. Liandan coughed lightly and said, “We can’t kiss anymore. In a while Senior Brother Liu will be back.”

Chen Shuangning spoke in a low voice, “Alright, we’ll kiss again tonight.”

Liandan’s face went red again. After that, when he tried to practice moves, everything was clumsy and awkward. Only when it was about time for breakfast did he give up.

Even so, Chen Shuangning had real knowledge in martial arts. His methods in teaching disciples were effective. After some time, Liandan’s skills had clearly improved.

One day, a few thugs saw that the business was good, so they wanted to extort some money.

They carried a man who kept groaning “ai ai” into the apothecary. They shouted that after taking medicine from the doctor here, his stomach hurt all night, and that the apothecary was selling fake poisonous medicine. They demanded one hundred taels of silver as compensation.

At that time everyone was present. Shuangruo was in the inner hall seeing patients. Liu Shuqi was in the backyard drying the harvested herbs. Chen Shuangning was weighing medicine for a customer. Liandan was behind the counter keeping accounts.

As soon as those men entered, they made a loud fuss. Everyone looked over. A crowd quickly gathered at the door to watch.

“Where’s the shopkeeper? Where’s the shopkeeper? Someone’s about to be poisoned to death by you. Why don’t you come out and say something?” Someone in the crowd joined in shouting.

At that moment, they saw a very young, thin, small ge’er walk out from behind the counter. He was fair-skinned and good-looking.

He walked up to those thugs, with a smile on his lips and a calm expression, and said, “I am the shopkeeper. Whatever the matter is, tell me.”

Those thugs all looked at each other. None of them had expected that such a gentle weak-looking ge’er was actually the one in charge of such a big shop.

Even the one pretending to be sick forgot to cry about stomach pain and just stared.

The first thug who came back to his senses spoke in a voice lower than before, stammering, “Your medicine poisoned people, you must pay, pay one hundred taels!”

Liandan looked at the thug pretending to be sick, squatted down, and stared at him. The thug’s old face turned red under the gaze. He asked, “You… what are you doing?”

Liandan said, “I remember you. Yesterday you said your stomach hurt and you wanted medicine. Our doctor took your pulse and said except for the damage from drinking, you had no other problem. But you insisted on getting medicine, so he gave you a tonic prescription. When you left, you kept looking back. At the door of the apothecary you even fell down once.”

“So… so what?” The thug was uncomfortable under his stare.

Liandan beckoned behind him. A young man in a plum-green robe with handsome looks walked over silently. He also squatted down and placed his fingers on the thug’s wrist.

The thug grew nervous. His eyes kept darting around.

After a moment, the young man stood up and said, “It seems you really did take the medicine. Today your pulse is stronger than yesterday.”

The thug said, “Nonsense. You’re the doctor here, of course you speak in your own favor. I’m about to be poisoned to death. How could my pulse be better!”

Liandan pointed at the crowd outside and said, “Doctor Pang, could you please come in and take his pulse?”

This was a doctor who ran another apothecary on the same street. He had been hiding in the back to watch the scene, never expecting to be called out by the owner’s sharp eyes. His face turned red and he came in.

He pondered as he took the thug’s pulse, then said, “I really cannot find any illness. His body is healthy, only a little weak.”

Although the two were competitors, Doctor Pang did not dare speak falsely. In case one day he encountered the same situation, he had to leave a way out for himself.

Doctor Pang’s words were decisive. The crowd around began whispering and pointing. The thug’s face flushed red. He said, “You must have conspired. My stomach does hurt. If you don’t give me money today, we won’t let it go!”

Liandan stared at him directly, curled his lips into a smile, and with a crack broke off part of the handle of the stretcher.

The thug trembled all over in fright.

“What if I don’t give it?” Liandan asked.

The thug looked toward the other two carrying the stretcher.

The other two looked at each other. They knew they would not get any money today. They were furious. Gritting their teeth, they swung fists at Liandan.

The man in the plum-green robe moved his clothes slightly, but in the end did not act. He only kept his eyes on their movements.

The frail-looking ge’er rose to face them. It was not clear how he moved. Only a few loud bangs were heard, and those two thugs were already crying “aiyo aiyo” on the ground.

One of them howled, “My leg is broken. The shopkeeper broke my leg!”

Liandan’s smile grew wider. He walked step by step toward the thug lying on the stretcher and said, “A broken leg is not a problem. This is an apothecary. If it breaks, I will treat it for you.”

The thug was so scared his courage nearly shattered. Before Liandan even raised his hand, he cried “ao” and jumped off the stretcher, then turned and ran.

Liandan followed behind and asked, “Does your stomach still hurt?”

The thug shouted as he ran, “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt, I won’t dare again, please spare me.”

The other two thugs also scrambled up and ran after him in a sorry state.

The crowd watching laughed. Liandan also laughed, raised his hand and clasped his fists toward them, and said, “Sorry for the disturbance. Our apothecary runs honestly and never sells fakes. If any counterfeit is found, we will pay tenfold compensation.”

Liandan added, “Since everyone is here, let me have you try our new medicine. Each person will receive one Strong Body Pill. It can improve qi and blood, lift the spirit. If it works well, come back and buy more.”

At this, everyone clapped their hands and cheered. Anyone would be pleased after watching the scene and getting a benefit.

When most of the people had left, Liandan was still in the backyard, practicing those few moves he had just used, and he felt it was not enough.

Chen Shuangning saw him and said with a smile, “In a while there will be a martial arts conference. Do you want to go see it?”

Liandan’s eyes lit up, he of course wanted to go.

From that day on, every morning Liandan practiced martial arts more diligently, and his progress was very fast.

The martial arts conference was held once a year. This year it was in a county town about twenty or thirty kilometers away from Miaoyun Town.

Shuangruo and Liu Shuqi had long grown tired of matters of the martial world. They had no interest in the conference, so they did not plan to go.

Shuangruo spent some effort making two new masks for her brother and for Liandan.

For Liandan, it was a mask of an ordinary man’s face. Once he put it on and changed clothes, he looked like a short young man.

For her brother, it was a mask of a middle-aged man with a beard.

The two prepared, and when the day came they set out.

The distance was twenty or thirty kilometers. They walked and rested, taking it easy, and arrived in less than a day.

On the first day, they ate and drank and wandered in the county town.

On the second day, people from all walks of the martial world had almost all arrived. Outside the town, they held a two-day contest on the stage, saying it was to compete for the title of leader of the martial world.

Chen Shuangning and Liandan watched under the stage for half a day. Liandan ate fried cakes filled with red bean paste bought from the roadside as he watched with great interest.

After he finished eating and drinking tea, Chen Shuangning kept his eyes on the stage, pointed to the burly man who had already defended the stage for five rounds without stepping down, and said quietly to Liandan, “Do you want to try going up?”

Liandan was startled. His expression showed he wanted to, but he was worried. He asked, “Can I do it?”

Chen Shuangning said, “Normally you are not his match, but he has already fought five rounds in a row and is weakening. If you fight him now, you have a sixty percent chance of winning.”

Liandan gritted his teeth, took the cloth Chen Shuangning handed him to wipe the oil from his hands, and said, “Alright, I will try.”

At that time, the strong man was walking back and forth on the stage, cupping his fists toward the crowd inviting challengers. Because his past opponents had all been beaten badly, no one dared go up.

Then Liandan came up the steps from the entrance and walked onto the stage.

The strong man looked him over and laughed with disdain, “Where did this little brat come from? Don’t let me smash you into pieces with one punch!”

Liandan said nothing. He cupped his fists, bowed to him, and then attacked.

The strong man raised his eyebrows and took his stance.

The two exchanged several moves quickly. The strong man looked like he was careless, but when he hit back he was actually very cautious. His earlier behavior had only been an act to mislead his opponent.

At first Liandan’s moves were conservative and careful. But very soon he shifted from defense to offense. His movements were nimble and quick. He easily dodged the man’s attacks, and when he hit, seven or eight out of ten landed, making the strong man’s stamina decline visibly.

Liandan remembered clearly what Chen Shuangning told him before going on stage, never get too close, attack once and retreat.

In this way he dragged it out for a while. The crowd under the stage started to jeer because the fight was dragging and looked unpleasant.

But Liandan ignored it and kept his pace.

Finally, when the strong man was panting heavily and almost out of stamina, Liandan rushed forward with several punches aimed straight at his face. The strong man was already dizzy, and now with a loud noise he fell onto the stage.

The crowd instantly cheered.

The strong man struggled on the ground, then slowly got up again. Liandan carefully stepped back two steps.

The strong man cupped his fists toward him and said, “I lost. Just now I was rude. May I ask what is this hero’s surname and given name, and what title do you go by?”

Liandan of course would not report his real name. He thought for a moment, then cupped his fists back and lowered his voice, “My surname is Chen, my name is Lian, my title is Lingyun Sanren.”

The strong man had never heard of the name, but still flattered him, “Hero Chen’s skills are superior, I admire you.”

After the formalities, it was time for the next round. The strong man cupped his fists toward the crowd again, sighed, and jumped down the stage.

Liandan did not plan to fight again. Fortunately the rule of the stage allowed winners to withdraw. He imitated the strong man, cupped his fists to the crowd.

But when he wanted to get off the stage, he was troubled.

All this time watching, he had never seen anyone walk down from the stage. Even those who lost jumped down with qinggong, keeping the bearing of a hero.

But Liandan did not know qinggong.

He stood with his hands behind his back, pretending to pose, while secretly glancing at the ground.

Below the stage, the middle-aged man disguised as Chen Shuangning looked up at him with a smile. The hand at his side moved slightly, making a subtle hand gesture.

On stage, Liandan felt reassured. He deliberately raised his head and coughed, lifted his robe, and jumped down.

He looked heavy, nothing like qinggong. Everyone thought he would fall badly. But when he landed, it was light and easy. His feet touched the ground almost without sound.

After that, he cupped his fists to the people again, then walked away with proper bearing. The middle-aged man followed respectfully behind him, holding up a hand to block the crowd and escort him.

No one saw that when he landed, a leaf had suddenly blown by the wind, lightly supporting his foot.

In the crowd, someone sighed, “I have never heard of this Lingyun Sanren before. But his moves and his qinggong show real skill. New people keep appearing in the martial world. We old ones will soon be unable to keep up.”

Liandan heard it clearly, but his face stayed expressionless.

After they left the area of the stage and reached an empty alley,

The “Lingyun Sanren” who had been so impressive on stage finally could not hold back. He cheered, jumped up, and jumped straight into the middle-aged man’s arms, laughing loudly.

The “middle-aged man” also laughed out loud.

“Hero Chen is really amazing!” the “middle-aged man” praised.

“Lingyun Sanren” happily kissed the other’s cheek and said with great spirit, “Come on, I will treat you to a big feast at the restaurant!”

The “middle-aged man” smiled and said, “Then I will accept gladly.”