Xiuxiu walked at the front with a megaphone, naturally not explaining things in too much detail. Soon we arrived at the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Arena. Each arena also has an indoor training hall for the annual competition. At this time, the children, led by their respective teachers, sat in groups of three or five on the playground, listening attentively. Every now and then, a teacher would call on a child to demonstrate on the spot.
Once the foreigners arrived at their destination, they started taking photos like crazy. John asked curiously, "Is this how you usually have classes?"
I said, "What do you think?"
John said, "I thought there would be a huge scene with thousands of people, all dressed in uniform white outfits, and their voices would be deafening."
I said, "Our martial arts school is a real martial arts school, not a vocational high school in name only. Martial arts can't be taught in a haphazard way. Besides—are you going to wash my white clothes?"
My rambling seemed to inspire John, who quickly pulled out a voice recorder and shoved it into my mouth, then busied himself writing something on a piece of paper. Jim from the post office scoffed at our teaching methods, only interested in completing his task, and kept taking pictures around.
Chapter Forty-Seven: Even in Death, the Spirit of a Hero Remains Fragrant
Chao San Mu Shi Lang stood before the crowd, intently observing a few individuals on the field. In the Vermilion Bird Arena, besides Cheng Fengshou's disciples, Fang Zhenjiang and Bao Jin were present. The two were now personally sparring to give the children practical experience. Both were known for their fierce and aggressive styles, yet both possessed a touch of ruthlessness. Their punches and kicks were incredibly powerful. Bao Jin struck Fang Zhenjiang's chest with a palm strike, but Fang Zhenjiang stepped back slightly to deflect the force, then seized Bao Jin's pulse point at the chest. With a swift movement, his other hand aimed straight for Bao Jin's throat…
Upon seeing this, Asazo Mushiro's face darkened, and he said, "These two are truly formidable in actual combat!"
A local reporter asked me in a low voice, "Is this the right way to teach children?"
I glanced at him and said, "If you want to compete, other teachers will naturally tell them the rules and taboos. But when you're just starting out, you should focus on real combat. It's not too late to improve your skills once you've become a master." These words were actually spoken to me by Fang Zhenjiang himself, because I had also asked him that reporter's question.
After leaving Zhuque Field, we passed by Lu Yu's Tea House and went in for a good drink. Lu Yu hadn't been idle after developing medicinal tea, as many new varieties had emerged since then. He was now busy verifying whether the brewing methods described in later tea classics fully brought out the advantages of a particular tea. Therefore, his house was filled with all kinds of fine tea, in large and small cups, and the same tea was brewed in various vessels and waters of different temperatures.
The fickle-minded Asajiro then criticized this as being contrary to the tea ceremony, claiming that his friend, Masakado Taro, was a true master of the tea ceremony. Whether he was a master or not, I don't know, but his friend was probably even more ruthless than him. He didn't even prepare a child, just used a hemp rope—how easy is that to catch?
As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Wang Yin driving the school bus, and I quickly called out, "Old Wang, come here, come here."
Wang Yin poked his head out and asked me, "What's up?"
I said, "I'm giving you a task—there's someone here who's really annoying."
I said to Asahi Shiro, "Didn't you want to test your skills with our people? I've found one for you."
At this moment, Wang Yin walked up to us and asked, "What mission?"
I pointed at Asajiro and said to him, "Why don't you have a contest with this gentleman?"
Wang Yin threw his coat into the car and said to Chao San Shi Lang, "Then hurry up, I still need to get back to the unit."
Chao San Mu Shi Lang finally realized what was happening and angrily said, "You actually found a driver to fight me?"
I pointed to Duan Tianlang's eldest apprentice and said to him, "Why don't you fight that guy? He's the one sweeping the floor."
Chao Sanfu shouted, "This is outrageous!" Without warning, he threw a punch at my face. Wang Yin reacted quickly, reaching out to grab Chao Sanfu's wrist and pulling him away.
I felt the hairs on my face stand on end. Although my expression was still smiling, I was drenched in cold sweat.
The fickle man was truly something else; he seized the initiative the moment he engaged Wang Yin, kicking and shoving him. Wang Yin shoved him a few times, then shoved him to the ground…
A three-time karate champion is truly skilled; he could probably kick a piece of wood without any props, just the real thing. But it depends on who you're comparing him to. Wang Yin's skills are top-notch among the group. The reason he doesn't take on any apprentices is because he's not naturally good at teaching. However, Cao Xiaoxiang and Fang Zhenjiang, or those who have their own favorite apprentices, often send them to him to learn more techniques.
The two fought for a while, with Wang Yin resolving each fight with just a few punches and kicks. He didn't use any real force, simply pulling or dragging his opponent down, his expression somewhat helpless, like an older brother playing with a rogue younger brother. Among the Eight Heavenly Kings, Wang Yin's bravery was second to none, and although he drove a car in this life, he was a ruthless killer in his past life. Dealing with someone as fickle as Chao Sanfu wouldn't be a problem, he could even catch a wolf with a rope.
After playing for a while longer, Asazo said dejectedly, "I lost—but I don't believe he's really a driver."
Wang Yin waved to him, said nothing more, got in the car, and drove off. I said to Chao San Mu Shi Lang, "Just accept the good deal. This is only a driver; I know a motorcycle mechanic who's even more ruthless!"
After our reporters returned defeated by the fickle Tang San, they became extra cautious and attentive. Now they truly understood the Chinese proverb "hidden dragons and crouching tigers." They witnessed a karate champion being beaten to a pulp by a guy from our school who drove a truck, and the legends of the mysterious East immediately came to mind.
Next, I took them to visit the Qinglong and Xuanwu martial arts training grounds, where they saw Lin Chong's spear and Zhang Qing's flying stones. At the shooting range, Xiuxiu wrote a note to Hua Rong and Pang Wanchun, who then fired a series of rapid-fire arrows at a target 50 paces away. The note read, "WELCOME TO YUCAI." This feat amazed not only foreigners but also Chinese journalists, who treasured the footage they captured.
Even Jim, who had initially been dismissive, was now flushed with excitement, snapping photos repeatedly. Suddenly, he clutched his stomach and groaned in pain. I could tell from the spot he was clutching that, like Mulan, he had a stomachache. These reporters were on an irregular schedule, practically fighting a war. I grabbed a passing student and said, "Go to the school clinic and tell the doctors to brew a dose of the stomach medicine they prescribed for Sister Hua and wait for us."
The boy clasped his hands in a fist salute to us and said, "Yes, sir!" Then he strode away as fast as he could. He was probably one of the 300 students that Dai Zong had brought along.
Jim clutched his stomach and frowned, "You want me to take your Chinese medicine?"
John said, “Traditional Chinese medicine is very good. Our neighbor, Mrs. Thomason, couldn’t have children, and it was traditional Chinese medicine that helped her.”
I quickly said, "Traditional Chinese medicine... Traditional Chinese medicine. It's easy to cause misunderstandings by mixing medicine and medicine here."
When we arrived at the Hundred Herbs Garden, Bian Que had already strained out a bowl of medicine that had cooled down quite a bit and placed it there. I picked it up and said to Jim, "In our Chinese tradition, we offer guests drinks when they come over. This is the first time we've offered them medicine, so please don't mind."
Jim, keeping his distance, said, "I've heard that your Chinese medicine is made from herbs."
I said, "Try it, it tastes almost the same as your Coca-Cola."
Jim took the glass with some skepticism and downed it in one gulp, gritting his teeth as he said, "It's much more stimulating than Coca-Cola." He suddenly placed his hand on his stomach and exclaimed incredulously, "My God, I feel like they're repairing my stomach after I drink them, warm and comforting."
Bian Que took his pulse and examined his complexion, saying, "You do indeed have a stomach ailment. This prescription, taken for three months, can cure it completely." He then quickly wrote a prescription on a piece of paper. Jim solemnly took it, exclaiming, "My God, how much is this prescription worth?"
Bian Que asked me in a low voice, "Who is God?"
I also whispered to him, "It's like their Pangu."
Bian Que said "Oh" and told me, "Tell him that his limbs and spleen are no different from ours, and he should also have been created by Nuwa."
I quickly said, "...Let's discuss this issue later; it could cause a religious dispute."
After a short rest in the Herb Garden, we visited the final stop, the White Tiger Hall. This hall houses the largest indoor swimming pool in the entire Yucai School. Since it was empty, the reporter simply snapped a few photos. Just as we were about to leave, a child suddenly emerged from the water, splashing water all over his face and laughing as he waded ashore. We were all stunned for a moment before one of the female reporters finally reacted. She checked her watch and exclaimed in surprise, "This child was still in the water when we came in, meaning he was in the water for almost three minutes..."
The others exchanged bewildered glances, and a few foreigners whispered in disbelief, "Three minutes? That's more impressive than the frogmen from the Special Forces?"
Just then, another child suddenly emerged from the water. This child didn't see us either, and while swimming towards the shore, he pointed at the first child who had run out and shouted, "Hey, you lost the breath-holding contest, remember to buy me chocolate!"
Just as everyone was looking on in astonishment, a third child appeared. Seeing so many of us, he said shyly, "Wow, this is so lively. I'll continue diving!" Then he disappeared again.
The female reporter almost screamed, "Can anyone tell me how many children are still in the water?"