Chapter 5: Unfettered Body, Unfettered Mind
Mr. Wen sighed slightly and said, "Captain Nian, to be honest, your nephew is a bit old."
Nian Fuli was puzzled. "Old? He's only sixteen, seventeen in lunar age. He's barely qualified to join the army. How can that be considered old?"
Mr. Wen said: "Captain Nian, I can see that your nephew has not received any special martial arts training before. However, many students accepted by Wuyi Academy have started training since childhood.
Their bodies have been developed since childhood, and their foundation is solid. They are already prepared for the intense training and skill acquisition in the future. Their upper limit will be much higher than those who are unprepared. With just a little guidance, they will have a certain level of combat ability. The purpose of Wuyi Academy's establishment of a re-examination is to select such students for further training."
He said with some regret, "Your nephew hasn't experienced this stage. Even if he does make it through the retest, he might not be much behind these students at first, but over time, he'll be left behind. The gap will only widen, and there's almost no chance of him catching up."
The intensity and severity here are definitely not comparable to those of ordinary students who haven't undergone childhood training. Forcing yourself to follow could result in injury or disability. Instead of doing so, I suggest not forcing yourself. This may be better for your nephew."
Mr. Wen's tone was sincere and contained a hint of advice. Nian Fuli felt his heart sank immediately after hearing it.
If that was the case, he thought it would be better not to bother with it and just let Chen Chuan finish his studies at Wuhan University. After all, even if he graduated like this, he would still have a future. After all, he would still be a student of Wuhan University. However, it was not easy for him to make the decision on behalf of Chen Chuan, so he did not say anything for the time being.
At this moment, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the warehouse: "Nian Datou, is this your nephew? I heard he was admitted to Wuhan University?"
Nian Fuli's face twitched. Chen Chuan turned around and saw a sturdy patrolman with a hat tilted to one side, who looked like a captain, approaching. He looked Chen Chuan up and down. "Haha, it's obvious this kid has never practiced before. He thinks he can make it in Wuhan University with this? He's dreaming, right?"
Nian Fuli's face darkened and he said, "Wei Lao Hu! Don't think your son is amazing just because he's at Wuhan University. If your son can make it big, my nephew can do the same!"
"Hey, I just don't believe that." Seeing his rebuttal, Wei Lao Hu got angry and pointed at the mop next to him and said, "If your nephew can make a name for himself in Wuhan University, I will eat this mop."
Nian Fuli sneered, "Then you wait, Xiao Chuan, let's go." As he said that, he walked out, and Chen Chuan followed immediately.
Wei Lao Hu was yelling at him from behind: "You're leaving now? You're not taking the mop with you? I'm waiting for you to feed me..."
After Nian Fuli came out, the cool night breeze helped him calm down a bit, but he still felt a bit choked up. He turned around and said, "Xiao Chuan, Mr. Wen is the combat instructor hired by our headquarters. You heard what he said. What do you think?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Uncle, we left in too much of a hurry just now. We should have taken the mop with us, otherwise what if someone cheats us in the future?" He knew that the problem Mr. Wen mentioned did exist, but he had a "second self", and many things that were originally impossible could become possible.
Nian Fuli was stunned for a moment, then he laughed, patted Chen Chuan's shoulder heavily, and said, "Good boy, why didn't I see it before."
He understood Chen Chuan's thoughts. He fumbled in his pocket, took out a cigarette box, flicked it, took out a cigarette and lit it. The sparks flickered in the night, as if he was thinking about something.
Chen Chuan didn't say anything. After waiting for a while, Nian Fuli threw the remaining half of his cigarette on the ground, stomped it out, and whispered, "I'll give you an address when we get back. You go find this guy. He's got a case, but he's quite capable. You can learn from him. Don't ask too many questions, and don't get too close. But when it's time to say nice things, say them nicely, and don't act pretentiously."
Chen Chuan said: "Okay, uncle, I'll remember it."
Nian Fuli glanced outside and said, "It's getting late. The roads will be unsafe if we go too late. Let's go back."
He took Chen Chuan back to get the car. This time he did not leave through the main gate, but went out from the high-walled alley at the back door, turned onto the main street, and then went all the way back home.
With the ringing of two car bells, two people entered the front yard one after the other.
Yu Wan had been waiting for the two of them. When she heard the noise, she came out and asked what happened. After Nian Fuli and Chen Chuan left, he returned to the inner room and told them what had happened.
Yu Wan was worried after hearing this and complained, "You just promised Xiao Chan? What if he gets hurt during practice? Why don't you stop him? The child is safe and sound, which is better than anything else."
Nian Fuli shook his head and said, "This kid has a righteous mind, and there's no way to stop him. If I can help him but don't, he might hate me for the rest of his life."
Yu Wan sighed, "Chan'er's temper is just like my second sister's."
After washing up, Chen Chuan returned to his room, thought for a while, sat on the edge of the bed, closed his eyes, and tried to observe the outside world with his "second self".
I didn't feel anything at first, but as my mind focused, I could vaguely feel something. However, it was not easy, and I couldn't feel it as soon as my attention was distracted.
But he felt there was a way.
You have to know that people who practice martial arts are not just fighting one-on-one, they may be fighting against many people, and sometimes they may encounter various ambushes. If they can observe the outside world from multiple perspectives, they can avoid many dangers.
Maybe he can't do it now, but when he has a closer connection with his second self in the future, maybe he will be able to achieve it.
Knowing that the temperature was not high enough, he did not continue. He stood up and took a book to read. He did not turn off the light and go to bed until the old time.
A night passed, and he got up on time the next day. After washing up and walking into the living room, he saw a note pressed by an ashtray on the dining table. He moved it away and picked it up. He saw that it was an address left for him by Nian Fuli, with a name noted below.
He went back to his room and looked at the map to roughly confirm the location.
After finishing his breakfast, he took his usual shoulder bag, changed into an old blue-gray jacket, and rode out on his bike.
The address Nian Fuli gave him was in the west of the city, only half an hour's bike ride away. Looking at the map, a few miles further would be close to the outskirts of the city, where there were some abandoned factory areas. The locals in Yangzhi City knew that it was the territory of the Iron Chain Gang, but the members of the Iron Chain Gang generally did not come out during the day.
The houses here are old and messy, filled with various privately modified sheds that extend all the way to the road. Clothes are hung everywhere on the crooked electric poles, which greatly affects the sight. The road is also bumpy and uneven, and some people splash dirty water out at will, sometimes from above. He can only ride carefully.
The house numbers in this area were either non-existent or difficult to identify, so he had no choice but to ask along the way. After searching for a long time, he finally found a simple wooden sign with the words "Quan Zhi Jia" on it on a wooden telephone pole at the corner of an alley. There was also an inward-pointing arrow on it. After comparing it with the address, he realized that this should be the place.
As the aisle was narrow and crooked, he had no choice but to get out of the car and push it slowly inside. After leaving the alley, he saw a large open space in front of him, which looked like a playground. On the right were two dilapidated iron doors, and opposite was a three-story reinforced concrete building. In the distance, he could vaguely see an old water tower, which looked like an abandoned primary school.
At this moment, he heard the sound of sandbags being hit, which seemed very powerful and rhythmic. He asked loudly, "Excuse me, is Mr. Yu here?"
The sound of hitting the sandbag stopped, and a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a boxing belt and shirtless, ran out of the building. He had clear muscle lines, but looked very thin. When he saw him, he asked, "Are you here to learn boxing?"
Chen Chuan said, "I'm here to look for Mr. Yu Gangyu. Is he here? My uncle Nian Fuli asked me to come look for him."
Upon hearing this, the young man said flatteringly, "Oh, it's Young Master Chen." He turned around and shouted, "Master, it's Captain Nian's nephew." A deep and powerful voice came from upstairs: "Let him come up."
The young man turned sideways and said, "Master Chen, this way." He then said, "Master Chen, just park your car here. You don't need to lock it. No one would dare to steal it here."
Chen Chuan said, "I'm not a young master. Just call me Chen Chuan. How about calling me little brother?"
The young man said, "My name is Lu Ke, and I'm Master Yu's apprentice." He then emphasized, "Not a student, but a disciple."
Chen Chuan understood that an apprentice not only inherits skills, but also takes care of the master's affairs after his death. The level of intimacy is not comparable to that of ordinary students.
After parking the car, he followed Lu Ke up to the second floor. During the conversation, he learned that Lu Ke had been learning martial arts from Yu Gang for five years.
Chen Chuan followed him to the second floor, walked to the end of the long balcony, pushed open a wooden door, and walked in. He saw a tall, middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on a cushion in the spacious room. The man was about forty years old, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, with a square face, thick eyebrows and a straight nose. The bulging muscles on his body looked like stones.
Chen Chuan said, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Yu Gangyu? My name is Chen Chuan, and my uncle Nian Fuli asked me to come and see you."
The sturdy man said in a deep voice: "I am Yu Gang. What does Captain Nian want me to do?"
Chen Chuanshuo said: "I just got admitted to Wuyi Academy this year..."
"Wuhan University." Lu Ke beside him showed deep envy in his eyes.
Yu Gang understood and asked, "You wanted to take the retest, so Captain Nian asked you to come to me?"
Chen Chuan said: "Yes."
Yu Gang said readily: "Okay, I'll teach you, pay first."
Chen Chuan tried to ask, "Mr. Yu, are you talking about tuition?"
Yu Gang said, "I owe Captain Nian a favor. I'm teaching you for free. But if you want to train well, you need to eat first, get enough nutrition, and then you need equipment. You also need to hire people to train with you, and rent a venue. All of these things cost money, and I won't pay for them for you."
Chen Chuan asked, "How much do you need?"
Yu Gang said, "Pay fifty first. If you think the practice is good, you can renew it. If you think the practice is not good, you can leave at any time. If there is any money left, I will refund it to you."
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Very fair."
Although fifty yuan is a lot, fighting training has always been the most expensive, otherwise Yangzhi City would not be filled with boxing clubs and arenas.
As far as he knows, the entry fee to a regular boxing club is around 150 to 200 yuan, and there's no guarantee you'll learn anything. He heard that private trainers are even more expensive, with a single class costing hundreds of yuan. For most people, it's out of their reach.
Yu Gang stretched out his big hand and said, "Give me the money then."
Just in case, Chen Chuan brought some money with him. He counted out fifty from his bag and handed it to Yu Gang, who took it and put it directly into his trouser pocket.
Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Yu, when would it be convenient for you to start training?"
Yu Gang said, "If you don't mind, we can start now. Before we begin, I want to ask you, what is your goal in getting into Wuyi Academy?"
Chen Chuan was a little puzzled: "Does this have anything to do with training?"
Yu Gang replied in the affirmative: "It does matter. Knowing your goal will help me arrange your next training."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said matter-of-factly, "Isn't the goal of martial arts to be free from restraint and to constantly surpass oneself?"
The reason he was admitted to Wuyi University was not only because of his deep yearning and pursuit for martial arts, but also because of the unknown cause of death of his predecessor. He didn't know whether it was a deliberate attack on him or just a coincidence, so he urgently hoped to make himself stronger and be able to deal with various external dangers. Now that he has a "second self", he firmly believes that he can do it.
Perhaps because of this, there was an unshakable confidence and determination in his voice, and even Lu Ke next to him seemed to be infected.
"The body is not bound, the mind is not fettered..." Yu Gang was silent for a while and said, "Your goal is not easy to achieve." While speaking, he slowly stood up from the ground.
…
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(End of this chapter)
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