Jiang Liu chuckled inwardly, then said to Bai Xianyong, "Since Master Yi has extended such a warm invitation, let's go. Yi-style Bagua is a true disciple of Dong Haichuan; I'm going to have a real feast for my eyes today!"
Chapter Eighteen: A Good Place for Cultivation within the Six Doors
Dong Haichuan had two outstanding disciples: Yi Fu, a Manchu, and Cheng Tinghua. This led to the formation of two major Bagua schools. However, Cheng Tinghua was a hero who sacrificed his life against the Eight-Nation Alliance, a feat that shook the mountains and rivers. Although Yi Fu was highly skilled, he was completely overshadowed by his senior brother. Therefore, later generations mostly only knew about the Cheng school of Bagua and were unaware of the Yi school.
Imangawa is a descendant of Ifuku and a genuine successor of the I-style Bagua.
Bagua versus Tai Chi, looks like I can learn something new from them! Jiang Liu followed behind the two and thought to himself.
There is a martial arts training ground in this military compound. It is a three-story building with solid wood flooring, and it has a bit of a dojo feel to it. At this moment, a middle-aged man and a boy are practicing their martial arts moves inside.
Jiang Liu learned more than just a set of Tai Chi from Yu Jingzi. In his spare time, he also read many classic Chinese martial arts texts and gained a clear understanding of them.
The two men were standing in the stance of the "Two-Character Clamping Goat Stance" in Wing Chun. Their hands were interlacing and breaking apart, which is a practice called Chi Sau (sticky hands) to train the tactile reflexes of the hands. When the central nervous system establishes complex conditioned reflexes, the hands can become more responsive and adaptable, allowing them to cope with the rapid and ever-changing real combat situation with ease.
"Old Ye, give your son some pointers!" Yi Manchuan and Bai Xianyong greeted each other and then got into position for a fight.
“Learning boxing is like rowing against the current; if you don’t practice for a day, your skills will become rusty. Practice on the wooden dummy for an hour by yourself, and I’ll go check on you!” The middle-aged man instructed the boy before walking to Jiang Liu’s side and watching the two in the arena.
An old martial arts proverb says, "Bagua is cunning, Tai Chi is soft, but nothing is more poisonous than Xin Yi Ba." Bagua is not only cunning but also treacherous, and Yi Manchuan demonstrated this treacherousness perfectly with his first move. With a bent body and knees, he circled around Pai Hsien-yung, and as soon as he gained a slight advantage, he prepared to seize the opportunity to stab Pai's vulnerable ribs with his hand, as if stabbing him with a knife. His movements were as agile as a leopard pouncing on an antelope, employing authentic Bagua steps and genuine Bagua hand techniques.
However, the two were merely exchanging blows; their skills were evenly matched, and they stopped short of killing each other.
"What a shrewd gossip!"
Jiang Liu heard the middle-aged man practicing Wing Chun sigh, and then continued to use his divine sense to sense Iman Chuan's elusive steps.
The two exchanged blows, and although there was no palpable murderous intent, their battle was still fierce and intense.
Pai Hsien-yung's listening skills are already quite advanced, and his powerful cannon-crack technique is also very strong, combining both softness and strength; Iman Chuan's Baguazhang is also remarkable, his palms are like a large knife between thrusting, pulling and chopping.
Jiang Liu was completely absorbed in Yi Manchuan's kung fu, thinking to himself, "No wonder they say Baguazhang evolved from swordsmanship. This use of the hand as a blade, the force applied in thrusting, pulling, and slashing, is indeed different from the force used in Tai Chi's firecracker punch. Pulling is done with a springy, forceful strike, targeting the groin, the lower abdomen, the face—the more insidious the better. Thrusting involves bringing the five fingers together to form a hand blade, viciously stabbing the person's waist, eyes, throat, temples, ribs—targeting wherever they are vulnerable. Slashing is also done with a hand blade, cutting the person's waist and neck."
"I'm still not satisfied! And neither of them used their trump cards... Perhaps only in a life-or-death struggle can they unleash their ultimate moves! Even so, I have already glimpsed the authentic Bagua martial arts. When I have learned all the martial arts in the world, I will take the essence of each school and develop my own martial arts moves." Seeing the two of them stop fighting at the same time, Jiang Liu withdrew his divine sense.
Jiang Liu stood with his arms crossed, lost in thought, appearing somewhat aloof to others. By the time Bai Xianyong finished talking with the others, Jiang Liu had also figured out most of the gossip he had just acquired.
Then the two left the martial arts school and disappeared into the night.
"Master Yi, is that young Taoist priest also practicing Bagua?" the middle-aged man who practiced Wing Chun asked casually.
"Practicing Bagua? He and Pai Hsien-yung are from the same school, practicing Pure Yang Tai Chi!" Yi Manchuan said.
The middle-aged man glanced at the two figures who had already disappeared into the night, frowned, and said, "Could I have been mistaken? No way! That swift footwork and the technique of applying force... it's Bagua! Oh well, I'll check again next time!"
Since ancient times, the Six Doors (a government agency) has been a good place for spiritual practice. Whether you're in business or practicing martial arts, maintaining good relations with the government is always beneficial. The lesser hermit lives in the wilderness, the middle hermit lives in the city, and the greater hermit lives in the court.
Jiang Liu was essentially a figurehead in the court. In just seven days, he had become famous in the Central First Guard Company. It could be said that everyone had been beaten by him. No matter how unwilling they were, after being taught a lesson three times and being slammed and bruised, they could only lower their heads and dare not look directly at Jiang Liu when he came.
"Grandmaster Uncle, it's fine if you don't want to be an instructor anymore, and it's fine if you don't serve the government. I only beg you to be merciful and stop harming them. You know, they're a guard company, the Central First Guard Company. You've tormented them for seven days, that's enough. If you still have energy to vent, I'll find you a place..."
Pai Hsien-yung seized an opportunity to pull Chiang Liu into an empty office and spoke in a humble tone. He had been convinced of Chiang Liu's abilities from the very first day, and after three days, Chiang Liu had mastered the art of listening, leaving Pai Hsien-yung completely in awe.
"I should leave now. Is there anywhere good to go? Something where I can fight, preferably a master of internal energy!"
Bai Xianyong rubbed his temples, then personally brewed Jiang Liu a cup of tea and said, "Grandmaster Uncle, what do you think a Transformation Realm expert is? You think you can just pick one out of a crowd? I only know that there are a few Transformation Realm bodyguards in Zhongnanhai, but I can't afford to hire them. The Transformation Realm masters outside are all big shots, founders of their own sects, and I can't afford to hire them either. I don't have Transformation Realm experts, but I do have a few peak Dark Force experts. You've heard about it before, Duan Guochao, the top expert in the National Security Bureau, is at the peak of Dark Force, but he's not in Beijing right now! I have a few friends, one of whom is named Chen Tianlei, a descendant of the Chen family from Chenjiagou. He'll be coming over soon, why don't you go and lend a hand?"
"That's great! Let's start with him..." Jiang Liu nodded. He vaguely remembered that this person was one of the fighters who battled Wang Chao at the Yiquan Gym, and also the strongest one. However, he became Wang Chao's stepping stone, the stepping stone that sent Wang Chao to the throne of "Invincible Wang"!
"What are you trying to do, old man? You don't want to become Yang Luchan, do you?" Bai Xianyong's heart pounded, and his throat became dry and hoarse!
Jiang Liu grinned and said, "Yang Wudi a hundred years ago, Jiang Wudi a hundred years later! My boxing skills have reached a bottleneck. I've practiced Tai Chi, Bagua, Xingyi, Wing Chun, Bajiquan, Tongbei... even wrestling, Taekwondo, and Karate, but I haven't made any progress. I can only integrate them through actual combat..."
"You really want to be Yang Wudi! You want to be the enemy of the whole world!" Pai Hsien-yung's mouth was wide open, still unable to believe it!
Chapter Nineteen: Showing Off One's Edge (Part 1)
Yang Luchan's title of "Invincible Yang" was not earned simply by using Tai Chi push hands to throw people or listening to their force. It was a bloody title earned by the countless people he had killed with his bare hands, and by the countless people whose tendons and bones had been broken and whose internal organs had been ruptured.
A century ago, Tai Chi master Yang Luchan defeated all martial artists and was known as the invincible Yang.
A century later, Jiang Liu seizes the secrets of heaven and gains a destiny, descending upon this world of martial arts to seek the Dao through martial arts and reclaim his invincible name!
Sitting in Pai Hsien-yung's jeep, Jiang Liu pondered silently: "Wang Chao, I'm sorry, I'm ahead of you. After you arrive, you can only pick up where I left off! This ancient city, the city of emperors, is bound to be full of hidden talents. A hundred years ago, the grandmasters came to Beijing and, after countless life-and-death battles, achieved their invincible reputations. With such outstanding predecessors, we naturally cannot fall behind! The Journey to the West world is fraught with danger. I must forge ahead and improve my strength as quickly as possible. The curse is still unknown when it will be lifted, so I must focus on cultivating traditional Chinese martial arts... The battle at the Yiquan Gym, Zhou Binglin... I, Jiang Liu, am coming!"
The car twisted and turned into an alley. When I got out and looked up, I saw a sign hanging at the entrance with five big characters in iron hooks and silver strokes: "Yiquan Research Association".
"This will be where my martial arts journey begins!"
Jiang Liu stepped inside and saw that the Yiquan Research Association's grounds were not large, seemingly an expansion of several ordinary courtyards. Stone locks, water vats, and a few scattered sandbags were placed on the ancient blue brick floor. In addition, there was a row of half-person-high plum blossom wooden stakes and a row of weapon racks, with several large poles and unsharpened iron knives stuck in them.
Casual yet grand, simple yet profound, this is a martial arts school with real skills!
Jiang Liu followed Bai Xianyong inside. On the steps of the courtyard pavilion, two or three middle-aged men and five or six elderly men, along with several young men, stood rooted to the ground, arms wrapped around themselves as if embracing a large winter melon. They ignored Jiang Liu and Bai Xianyong as they entered.
Jiang Liu nodded to himself, thinking, "This is the Hunyuan stance, like a bear embracing a tree. It's a stance that improves skill, physical strength, and mental fortitude. These people have all grasped the essence of the bear's posture and the bird's stretching!"
Although bears are stout, large-headed, and broad-browed animals with a clumsy appearance, they possess the strength to push mountains and uproot trees, and the courage to fight leopards and tigers. When climbing trees, they appear both steady and agile. Birds are flying animals, soaring through the air with ease. Cranes, in particular, extend their necks and legs when flying, appearing very graceful, and their longevity of over a thousand years is truly captivating.
Hunyuan Zhuang (Primordial Stance) is a practice that draws inspiration from the postures of bears and birds. "Bear Stance and Bird Extension" represents reaching a certain level of mastery in this stance!
Passing through the front yard, a middle-aged man in his forties sat under the eaves. He had sunken eyes, sparse eyebrows, and wore a black cloth jacket. When he saw Pai Hsien-yung approaching, he said sternly, "Pai Hsien-yung, we've known each other for so many years, and you actually brought people here to challenge us!"
“Brother, I have no choice. I apologize to you first, but I really can’t stop him. Win or lose, you have to fight him! Have a private match!” Pai Hsien-yung said with a wry smile.
"Is that you? Young man, don't think you're invincible just because you've practiced martial arts for a few years. You're too arrogant, or you'll get your comeuppance..."
"You're Wang Lianyun? The head of the Yiquan school, and Wang Lianyun, the instructor of Unit 1034?"
Jiang Liu's words immediately turned the middle-aged man's face ashen: "If Bai Xianyong hadn't stopped me, I would have broken in from the outside... Show me your true skills, and I'll move on to the next place!"
"You...heh...you're not that old, but you've got quite the nerve!" Wang Lianyun took a deep breath. His composure was remarkable; he managed to suppress his anger and stared at Jiang Liu, saying, "Are you trying to provoke me? Heh...we boxers fight for our pride. If we lose that pride, we lose most of our skills. Bai Xianyong, you won't blame me for crippling this guy, will you?"
Pai Hsien-yung shook his head and said, "Brother Wang, please go ahead and do it..."
"If you were decades ago, this provocation would have been a fight to the death. Young man, today I will teach you a lesson on behalf of your master!"
Bai Xianyong coughed, whispered a few words to Wang Lianyun, and then said, "Brother Wang, let's go to the inner courtyard, let's go to the inner courtyard..."
Wang Lianyun narrowed his eyes, but still walked towards the inner courtyard.
"Please!" Jiang Liu said, stopping in the 100-square-meter courtyard.
Wang Lianyun snorted coldly. Although he was furious, he did not underestimate his opponent. Moreover, he had already learned some information from Bai Xianyong and knew that Jiang Liu was not easy to deal with. He strode forward, his body undulating, and his whole body became clumsy and unsteady, like a fat, chubby, and heavy grizzly bear.
Yiquan originated from Xingyiquan, but removed the "xing" (form) and focused on preserving the essence through intention. Wang Lianyun's Yiquan skills were superb. He stepped forward, transforming his entire body into a bear, thus embodying the spirit of a bear. Then, he delivered a punch, but his arm moved with the agility and speed of a bird, again embodying the spirit of a bird.
"Bear-like posture and bird-like expression! He has already integrated the essence into his boxing technique."
Jiang Liu's eyes lit up. This was the realm of "sound following the hand" described in the boxing manual, several levels higher than the state of mind achieved through stance training. The stillness and movement were worlds apart. With this pounce and grab, like a bear pouncing and an eagle swooping, the form was imbued with spirit. This Wang Lianyun could already be called a master of boxing.
As for Jiang Liu, his boxing skills were still at the level of a mere craftsman with only form and no spirit. However, he had already completed the marrow cleansing, and his physical qualities were far superior to Wang Lianyun's, so he was naturally not afraid.
Jiang Liu's feet were treading on the Bagua, his body moving like a swimming fish, a technique he had learned from Yi Manchuan. The two fought up and down, Jiang Liu's body flashing, sometimes sticking, sometimes moving, sometimes opening, sometimes closing, sometimes separating, sometimes closing, sometimes pushing, sometimes throwing. He would slide three or four meters away in one go, and then pull himself back in another, his feet firmly and steadily planted on the ground.
Although it wasn't exactly multitasking, Jiang Liu still attached a portion of his divine sense to Wang Lianyun, experiencing the profound meaning of "Bear Stance and Bird Extension" while dodging attacks.
"Hehe, it's really slippery..." Wang Lianyun sneered, raising his hand to slap it away.
In Jiang Liu's view, Wang Lianyun's body was like a bear's and his hands were like an eagle's. He used a series of grappling and seizing techniques, and once he gained the upper hand, he would not let up and would always use his ultimate move.
When Xingyi Quan is practiced to a high level, there are unique combined attack techniques, known as the three major killing moves of Xingyi: "Dragon and Snake Combined Attack", "Flying Horse Treading Swallow" and "Bear and Eagle Combined Form". These are all supreme killing moves for battlefield combat and represent the pinnacle of fighting techniques.
Although Wang Lianyun learned Yiquan, the techniques of boxing have been similar since ancient times. The meaning of this strike, "Bear Stance and Bird Extension," is exactly the same as the "Bear and Eagle Combined Form" of Xingyiquan. Both are the most fierce and secret techniques.
Since it's a trump card, it certainly won't be used lightly. It won't be used easily, but once it is, it can determine success or failure.
The situation was extremely critical, and Wang Lianyun was filled with murderous intent, so Jiang Liu had no choice but to show his true skills. With a swing of his arm, he unleashed a "slanting punch," using the power of his waist to strike out, creating a loud bang in the air.
Chapter Twenty: Showing Off One's Brilliance (Part Two)
"Excellent striking technique! No wonder he's so arrogant at such a young age; he truly has hidden skills!" Wang Lianyun knew Jiang Liu's strengths and weaknesses as soon as he took the blow. He was more than ten years older than Bai Xianyong and was superior to him in both the artistic conception and practical application of his fist techniques. After Jiang Liu had used all his strength, he couldn't afford to continue focusing on comprehending his fist techniques if he wanted to win.
Jiang Liu's punch was intercepted, and their arms collided. He only felt that Wang Lianyun's body remained unmoved and extremely steady. At the same time, the opponent slashed and grabbed, about to tear him apart.
"Impressive skills! Bear Stance and Bird Strike... Come, come... let me savor it some more." Jiang Liu laughed heartily, his blood boiling, his fighting spirit surging. He stepped on the Seven Stars formation and instantly dodged Wang Lianyun's grab.
"What kind of footwork is this?" Wang Lianyun frowned. He had studied all kinds of boxing techniques in the world and often sparred with various boxing masters in the capital. He had seen all kinds of footwork, including horse stance, bow stance, plain stance, empty stance, and even the most profound Qilin step in Bagua. But he had never seen the footwork that Jiang Liu was using before.
At this moment, Pai Hsien-yung pondered to himself. Jiang Liu had taught him this footwork, but he had never been able to grasp its essence. He thought to himself, "This ancient Yu Step is indeed quite remarkable, but unfortunately it is not suitable for me. Perhaps only those Taoist priests can comprehend its true meaning!"
The Yu Step is one of the oldest and most mysterious footwork techniques. Legend has it that it was used by skilled Taoist priests in ancient times to perform rituals, summon wind and rain, and communicate with the gods.
This footwork, referencing the forms of the Hetu and Luoshu diagrams, the Yin-Yang and Eight Trigrams, the Big Dipper, and other profound and mysterious concepts, involves breathing exercises, chanting mantras through the stomach and intestines, circulating qi and blood, cleansing the bone marrow, and opening the path to the elixir of immortality—it is profound and mysterious.
Because the steps of Yu Bu (禹步) involve continuous steps that follow the movement of the Big Dipper, it is also called "Stepping on the Dipper and Arranging the Dipper".
Moreover, among all the martial arts schools in China today, almost none have been able to pass down the essence of the ancient footwork, the Yu Step. It is a lost art. The footwork performed by some Taoist priests today, like some performative martial arts, is all just for show.
Jiang Liu was able to comprehend the Yu Step entirely from his memories of the Journey to the West world. He had witnessed his master, Daoist Xuanming, countless times performing the Dipper and the Array of Heaven to summon wind and thunder, so the memory was extremely vivid. After combining it with traditional Chinese martial arts, it unexpectedly formed a profound and unfathomable footwork, which Jiang Liu named the Yu Step according to the records in ancient books.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Liu's feet moved in a seven-star pattern, his fist strikes powerful and unparalleled, creating explosive "bangs" in the air. His movements were like the surging of the Yellow and Luo rivers, the rising of the Big Dipper, the leaping of stars, and the swift descent of meteors. His entire body could stir and swirl the air with explosive force; this level of footwork far surpassed that of mere boxing. Even a master of internal energy might not be able to achieve this.
Step on the Dipper, and walk the steps of the Big Dipper!
In that instant, the situation reversed. Just moments ago, Wang Lianyun was dominating Jiang Liu, like a grizzly bear capturing a little rabbit. But now, the little rabbit had torn off its disguise, revealing itself to be a small cannon. With a series of rapid attacks from both hands, the cannonball strikes exploded with double force, and the final blow even possessed a hint of the "bear's stretch and bird's extension" spirit, greatly increasing its power. Wang Lianyun's blood surged.
Jiang Liu's powerful internal force could shatter not only a bear, but even a mountain.
Wang Lianyun's face was flushed crimson, his eyes filled with disbelief. He clutched his vital organs, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were swallowing something. Jiang Liu caught a faint, metallic whiff of blood as Wang Lianyun exhaled.
"Your internal organs have been damaged by my shockwave, so stop now!"
Jiang Liu lightly leaped back to Bai Xianyong's side, having grasped the essence of "bear's posture and bird's extension." Today's battle was enough.
Although fighting to the death is the only way to make progress faster, Wang Lianyun is not capable of that; he doesn't have the strength to make Jiang Liu feel threatened.
"Brother Wang, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a bit of blood rushing through my veins. I'll be fine after a couple of hours of rest. Who exactly are you? Chen Aiyang from Nanyang? No, he's twenty-seven or twenty-eight, you look like you're not even twenty! Could you be Wang Chao, who's recently become famous in the South? No, I heard he practices Xingyi and Bagua, not Tai Chi!" Wang Lianyun took a few breaths and looked at Jiang Liu, asking with disbelief in his eyes.
"My name is Jiang Liu, thank you! I learned a lot from this battle!" Since he had injured someone and learned a move from them, and he wasn't one to be sarcastic after defeating someone, why make an enemy when he could turn hostility into friendship?
"Very well, the younger generation surpasses the older, young man, you certainly have the right to be domineering, and I hope you can continue to be domineering. In this battle, we didn't use any hidden force. If it were a fight to the death, hidden force would be used, and life and death would be decided in an instant. You'd better watch yourself! I won't see you out!" Wang Lianyun began to dismiss the guest.
"Brother, I apologize in advance. Sigh! Next up is Imangawa. He asks me for a fight whenever he has a spare moment. Now I'm finding him a worthy opponent to satisfy him..."