B1C9: The essentials

‘Before training, I have to tell you what the essentials of my training method are. A year later, when I return to the army, you’ll have to continue to train according to them.’ Zhao Yunxing stares at Qin Yu with an ice-cold face and says.

Hearing the words ‘essentials,’ Qin Yu’s eyes shine immediately. He concentrates his mind on listening.

‘There are countless external techniques in the world. However, most of their training methods went away from the correct path,’ says Zhao Yunxing indifferently. At this moment, he looks as if he is an emperor giving directions on national matters and criticizes the other external technique training methods for being worthless.

‘Qin Yu, bear in mind that in practicing external techniques, you must study the art of medicine thoroughly!’ Zhao Yunxing stares at Qin Yu and says solemnly.

‘The art of medicine?’ Even though Qin Yu is very curious, he still memorizes it.

Zhao Yunxing continues: ‘Why practice? First, it is to live long healthily. Second, it is to enhance the offensive force. If people who practice external techniques want to make their own fists and feet become hard like diamond, they accomplished that indeed. But… even though their fists are hard, can that hardness really compare with that of a battle knife that is made of black iron?’

Qin Yu listens with so much attention that he frowns deeply.

Black iron is relatively valuable. Weapons made of it are also much harder and sharper than weapons made of normal iron. The hardness of a black iron battle knife is definitely superior to that of external experts’ fists and feet.

‘For example, that Man Dong has reached the peak of strength training. His strength is great and his muscles are strong. But … his movements are too slow for an external expert. With only a dagger, I can slit his throat in an instant!’ says Zhao Yunxing coldly. His body automatically gives off a murderous air.

At this moment Qin Yu basically does not doubt Zhao Yunxing’s words. Instead, his eyes brighten and glare at Zhao Yunxing and he listens to every sentence.

‘Studying the art of medicine can help you understand over 100 muscles in the human body and their respective functions. If you only train a part, this will bring about bad consequences. You may have great strength while your agility is low; or you may have strong hands and feet while your body is not agile; or you may be nimble, but the toughness of your body is inadequate…’ says Zhao Yunxing boldly.

At this moment, Qin Yu fully understands what Zhao Yunxing means. He immediately says with excitement: ‘Master, I already understand. It’s vital to train all the muscles, isn’t it?’

‘No.’ Zhao Yunxing shakes his head and says: ‘Even if you want to train all muscles, do you know how to do that?’

Qin Yu is astounded.

There are so many muscles in the whole body. To train every single one of them is not something that can be done by only practicing. It will require the research of no one knows how many human generations to be accomplished.

‘Moreover, even if you knew that method, it’d still be impractical. Hardness and softness must be used in combination. It is also like that in the path of external techniques. You can’t train only one part but at the same time you can’t gobble up everything. If you train everything, in the end you will accomplish nothing due to the inadequate allocations of your energy.’ Zhao Yunxing shakes his head and says.

Qin Yu is puzzled.

Training only one part is not right. Training every single part is not right either. Then how to train?

‘In a perfect body, strength, flexibility, toughness, explosiveness and agility must all be at a high level; reactions must be quick and resistance to attacks must be strong.’ Zhao Yunxing talks about so many requirements in succession. For a moment Qin Yu is dumbfounded. With so many requirements, how should he train?

Seeing Qin Yu’s stunned expression, Zhao Yunxing gives a rare laugh and says: ‘Don’t worry. I have my own method for you to train.’

Qin Yu suddenly remembers that Eagle Claw King and that Iron Leg expert. Since that claw could easily pinch a blue stone into pieces, how terrifying must the strength of the fingers be? But why does Zhao Yunxing still says that he will not train any particular parts of the body?

‘Why shouldn’t I train my hands and feet like that Eagle Claw King, Master?’ asks Qin Yu in reply.

Hearing Qin Yu’s question, Zhao Yunxing is very happy instead. He says: ‘Qin Yu, what you asked is justifiable. If you want to practice such techniques as the Eagle Claw Art and the Iron Sand Palm, you will have to train the strength of the fingers. And besides, you will even have to smear your hands with medicinal wine regularly to let them absorb the wine’s medicines. In addition, you will have to train nonstop to make your hands hard like steel.’

Qin Yu nods as he is listening.

He has read the practice methods of those external techniques. It is true that the practitioner has to train his strength nonstop; at the same time, he has to apply medicinal wine to make his hands become extremely hard, and so on.

‘Those who practice in this way simply are … idiots!’ Zhao Yunxing suddenly scolds. He disdains this training method very much.

‘Master, the Eagle Claw Art is very formidable. Why are they idiots?’ Even though Qin Yu is more mature than other children of the same age, he is still only a kid. He saw the capabilities of the Eagle Claw Art and the Iron Sand Palm so he cannot understand Zhao Yunxing’s meaning.

Zhao Yunxing says proudly: ‘Eagle Claw Art? Iron Sand Palm? They applied those medicinal wines that are even toxic to harden their skin completely in the end. Their hands can’t even feel pain now. They are simply nothing but a pair of gloves. Qin Yu, look at this.’

Zhao Yunxing extends his right hand. His hand is smooth and even feels… soft.

A white light flashes. A near transparent pair of gloves appears on Zhao Yunxing’s hands. He says indifferently: ‘Gloves made from heavenly silk. Even though they are considered fairly rare, they are also classified as worldly objects — on the same level as black iron. You only need to spend a lot of money to get them.’

Qin Yu was born into a Prince’s mansion so he naturally knows.

There are many goods. The relatively mundane ones among them such as steel are seen very often. Even though such things as heavenly silk and black iron are rare, they are not considered treasures either.

Treasures … are generally obtained from the Immense Wilderness.

For example, there are some extremely formidable magical beasts in the Immense Wilderness which are more fearsome than Xiantian experts, and even than Shangxian. Only those beasts’ skins, claws, horns, etc. are first-class treasures.

‘Although heavenly silk’s toughness is average, it is still tougher than the hands of the people like the Eagle Claw King.’ Zhao Yunxing gets a chunk of blue rock. He exerts the strength in his right hand and the chunk is easily crushed into powder. He crushes it even more thoroughly than the Eagle Claw King did.

Zhao Yunxing looks at Qin Yu and says: ‘Qin Yu, my fingers are stronger than the Eagle Claw King’s. You must train the strength of your fingers. But you mustn’t let your skin become hard. Do you understand what I mean?’

Qin Yu nods. But he asks doubtfully in reply: ‘Master, you mean I must protect my hands well and prevent them from becoming similar to the hands of the people who practice the Iron Sand Palm, the Eagle Claw Art and the likes? But … what’s the point of this? Moreover, how about the body? Could it be I’ll have to wear armor to fight the enemy?’

Zhao Yunxing’s eyes glitter. He nods in approval. Having a bright disciple makes teaching much easier as he can understand many things when a hint is dropped.

‘Protecting the hands well and keeping them from hardening completely are for the sake of offence. The hands can hold knives and swords. Using various kinds of weapons helps protect the hands well. Keeping the sense of touch of the hands in a perfect state is what an expert must do. Many experts even soak their hands in milk every day,’ responds Zhao Yunxing.

Qin Yu suddenly sees the truth.

In offence, it is important to use weapons. Knives, swords and the likes are all used with the hands. A hand with the sense of touch kept to perfection naturally handles a knife or a sword much more accurately than a hand which has hardened so much that it has lost the senses of touch and pain.

It takes perhaps only a moment to kill a person and therefore no carelessness is allowed.

‘As for the legs, their explosiveness and agility must be high, and they must be sensitive. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fighting an expert or in the middle of a large enemy army, if your legs are extremely agile and terrifyingly sensitive, you won’t get a scratch even when surrounded by an army,’ says Zhao Yunxing.

The legs determine a person’s body-maneuvering skill therefore their agility, explosiveness and sensitivity are important.

At this moment, Qin Yu is even more excited. He seems to see himself flashing around like an illusion in the middle of a large army, killing as fast as a wave of the hand, while the enemies cannot touch him. To have such a body-maneuvering skill and such agility, the legs are of unparalleled importance.

‘The hands must be agile. They are inferior to the legs in strength but you can hold weapons and attack at will with them. The legs have much more muscle strength than the hands and arms so their offensive force is extremely strong. Moreover, they determine your body-maneuvering skill and movements. These body parts are crucial. But the torso is the core subject…’

In the first day of training, Zhao Yunxing teaches Qin Yu the essentials of his own training method.

Qin Yu listens to him carefully and learns every sentence he says by heart…

End of b1c9.