activa-t Chapter 42 Struggle for the Strings
Chapter 42 Struggle for the Strings
Zhou Xing glanced at the sky. He had been fishing for the moon under the moonlight for at least an hour and a half without realizing it.
His gaze swept over the weapons rack by the courtyard wall, and an idea formed in his mind. He then spoke:
"Since Master Chen insists on 'verifying' it, taking action would damage the relationship and easily disturb the neighbors. Let's find another way."
He walked to the shelf, took down a plate of dark, murky things,
"A common item in martial arts schools is the ox tendon twisted string. It is made by selecting the back tendons of strong oxen that are over three years old, drying them, pounding them, and soaking them in oil nine times, then combining them with fine hemp and silk, twisting them into a three-strand twist on the left and three-strand twist on the right. It looks inconspicuous, but it is difficult for ordinary swords and knives to break."
He unfolded the reel of string, which was about three feet long and as thick as a thumb. Its surface had a smooth, oily sheen from long use, but there wasn't a single rough spot.
Holding one end in each hand, a gentle tug produces a muffled hum, and the string taut like an iron wire.
It is an object specifically designed for disciples to practice their finger and wrist strength.
"Let's take turns pulling the middle section of this string."
Zhou Xing folded the string in half, pinched the middle, and said, "The time it takes for an incense stick to burn, pull it for ten breaths each time. Whoever breaks it wins. If the string is still intact when the incense burns out, it's a tie. Master Chen, is this method fair?"
Chen Heming stared at the ox sinew string, his eyes flickering.
He naturally knew its value; this thing truly tested finger strength, wrist strength, waist and stance, and instantaneous burst of power.
More importantly, the opponent has a back injury, so exerting force will inevitably aggravate the pain, putting him at a disadvantage from the start.
"Senior Brother Zhou certainly knows how to choose. Alright, we'll go with Senior Brother Zhou's suggestion."
Chen Heming smiled, his mind racing with calculations.
If I pull hard with all my might on the first try, and the string doesn't break but is damaged, Zhou Xing will benefit from it. I can't be reckless.
Ah Liang had already silently brought over an incense burner, inserted a thin incense stick, and lit it.
Wisps of smoke rose into the air.
Chen Heming goes first.
He assumed the starting stance of the White Ape Tongbei, gripping the folded part of the string with both hands until his knuckles turned white.
He didn't exert force immediately, but instead held his breath and focused his mind, his waist and hips sinking slightly, as if he were weighing the weight of the string.
Three breaths later, he let out a muffled groan and suddenly spread his arms outwards!
"Boom!"
The ox-tendon string trembled violently, stretched by about an inch, and made a muffled sound like a bowstring, but it did not break.
Chen Heming's arm muscles bulged, and veins on his forehead gleamed slightly. He maintained this for another six or seven breaths before slowly relaxing. The string bounced back slightly but remained intact.
He released his grip, his breathing slightly rapid, but a look of certainty appeared on his face.
With seven-tenths of the force applied, the string is already showing signs of deformation; the internal damage is certainly not minor, but it's not severe either. Adding two-tenths more force in the next stroke will undoubtedly break it.
Zhao Debiao clapped his hands in agreement:
"Great skill! Brother Chen, you're sure to win the next round!"
Zhou Xing didn't say anything, but stepped forward and took the string.
He held the part that had just been pulled in both hands, gently stroking it with his fingertips.
The sound is like mercury seeping into the ground, quietly penetrating.
Inside the string, two of the three strands of ox tendon have several twisted and slightly cracked fibers, and some hemp fibers have also broken. However, the overall structure has not fallen apart.
He first ran his fingers across the strings very quickly, as if kneading and twisting them, his ten fingers moving like a zither or a nimble snake, so fast it was dazzling.
Ah Liang thought he was adjusting his grip, while Zhao Debiao pursed his lips impatiently.
Only Zhou Xing himself knew that in this lightning-fast "adjustment,"
With a flick of his fingertips, he twisted and rubbed the string, using the skillful rotational force of Wing Chun's "circling hand" technique, forcefully "twisting" the two tendons that were about to separate back into their original positions.
【River Demon Appearance】 causes the fascia in the body to vibrate at extremely high frequencies, like water ripples, which 'sweep' the stress away from the fracture edge and direct it to the surrounding relatively intact fascia.
All of this was accomplished in just two breaths.
Zhou Xing looked up, his face paling slightly, as if aggravating his back injury, and his brows furrowed slightly. He slowly exerted force outward with both hands.
The force was not as strong as Chen Heming's, and the string was pulled open more slowly.
But surprisingly, the trembling of the string actually decreased.
Zhou Xing's arms were as steady as a rock, his forearm muscles undulating gently under his sleeves, and his ten fingers trembled slightly at a high frequency, like the tinkling of a zither.
Amidst this tremor, the tendons and strings are repaired once again.
His movements were quick and discreet; to outsiders, he appeared to be simply straining and pulling.
After ten breaths, Zhou Xing relaxed his hands, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead; his breathing also became heavier.
The string snapped back, and its length seemed to be even shorter than when Chen Heming pulled it back.
Chen Heming frowned almost imperceptibly.
The other person's pull was clearly weaker than mine, so why did the string "go back" a bit?
illusion?
Zhao Debiao curled his lip:
"Officer Zhou, haven't you eaten yet? Give it your all!"
Ah Liang pursed his lips, stared at the string, then looked at Zhou Xing's "pale" profile, and remained silent.
Round two.
Chen Heming held nothing back, channeling nine-tenths of his strength into his arms, and exhaled loudly:
"open!"
"Bang...creak!"
The string was suddenly stretched nearly two inches, producing a teeth-grinding friction sound. The string vibrated, and even a few extremely fine strands of fiber popped out from its edges.
Chen Heming's face was flushed red, his arm muscles were bulging, and the blue bricks under his feet made a slight creaking sound.
With ten breaths nearly gone, the string had been stretched to its limit, and it looked as if it would snap at the slightest bit of force...
But it never truly ended.
Chen Heming released his strength, took a breath, and the previous ease was gone from his eyes.
Even with nine-tenths of the force, it still couldn't be torn apart?
This string is strangely resilient!
He couldn't help but take a closer look at the string; it was oily, dark, and showed no abnormalities.
Zhou Xing took it again.
This time, his face was even paler, his lips were pursed, and his left hand even unconsciously pressed against his lower back.
He repeated the seemingly "adjusting" motion, his ten fingers flying across the strings, quickly tapping, kneading, stroking, and twisting.
This time, his movements were more precise and more mentally taxing.
The fibers that were about to break completely were gathered together and compacted again.
When he plucked the string, his arm trembled slightly, as if every extra bit of force he used caused his old waist injury to ache even more.
Ten breaths later, when he released his grip, his steps swayed slightly, and sweat trickled down his forehead.
The string bounced back, and its length was almost the same as after the first round.
Chen Heming's pupils contracted slightly.
Something's wrong with this string! What material is it made of? It's getting shorter the more you pull it.
Zhao Debiao also noticed something amiss and exclaimed, "Brother Chen, is there something fishy about this string? Why is it getting tighter the more you pull it?"
Zhou Xing wiped his sweat, his face pale and silent.
The incense has burned more than halfway.
Round three.
Chen Heming's eyes darkened, a hint of ruthlessness flashing across them.
Forget all the weirdness, I'll use brute force to overcome skill! I'll unleash my full power, without holding back!
He didn't believe the string was made of iron!
He took off his outer shirt, revealing his strong arms, and slowly moved his neck, his joints making a soft cracking sound.
Bai Yuantongbei raised his fist intent, his whole body like a fully drawn bow.
He gripped the strings with both hands, remained silent for three breaths, and then suddenly burst forth!
"Hey!!!"
This shout, delivered with great force, caused the leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard to fall in a rustling sound.
He moves with perfect balance, his power originating from the ground, flowing through his spine and shoulders, and into his arms.
It's no longer just a simple pull; it incorporates the "cold, elastic, crisp, and fast" power generation essence of the White Ape Tongbei technique, exploding upon contact!
"Bang!!! Crack... Sizzle!!"
The ox tendon string produced a series of eerie, unsettling sounds, which were instantly stretched to a terrifying degree, almost touching Chen Heming's chest.
The string trembled and twisted wildly, its surface splattering with oil, and countless tiny fibers flew off! The crisp sounds of internal fibers breaking were as dense as rain!
The sound seemed as if it would break completely at any moment!
Chen Heming's face turned purplish-red, and the veins on his forehead and neck bulged. The blue brick under his feet made a "crack" sound, and spider web-like cracks appeared under his feet!
Ten breaths felt like an eternity.
Zhao Debiao's eyes widened, and A Liang held his breath.
Just at the very last moment before the string was about to snap...
The improved stress-bearing structure, which Zhou Xing had quietly repaired and adjusted earlier, has come into play.
The force is distributed more evenly throughout the entire string, allowing the most vulnerable nodes to breathe.
The string let out a mournful cry of resentment and snapped back!
The sudden rebound force caused Chen Heming to stumble forward.
After finally managing to stand up, he stared at the ox tendon string in his hand, which was still connected but had been deformed and stretched beyond recognition, his face full of disbelief and even a hint of bewilderment.
How could it be...continuous?
The incense stick went out quietly at that moment, leaving a wisp of smoke drifting away.
The courtyard was deathly silent.
Only Chen Heming's heavy breathing and Zhou Xing's suppressed, painful gasps could be heard.
Zhao Debiao was the first to come to his senses, and jumped up and down, saying:
"That doesn't count! Brother Chen was just a little short! There's definitely something wrong with the string! Zhou Xing, you tampered with it!"
Zhou Xing squinted, chuckling inwardly, 'You'll tire yourself out, you bastard.'
He inexplicably recalled the age-old problem on his math exam from his past life: water flowing in and out simultaneously.
Zhou Xing, supporting his back, slowly straightened up. His face was genuinely covered in sweat and weakness. Looking at Zhao Debiao, his voice was hoarse:
"Master Zhao, the string is the string of the martial arts school, and the rules are set in public. Not everything is as soft as yours."
Zhao Debiao glared angrily.
Chen Heming's face flushed red and then paled. He carefully recalled every detail. Zhou Xing's exertion seemed genuine, and the reaction to his back injury was even more real.
But this string...
There must be a problem, but what exactly is it?
He was furious and looked at Zhou Xing.
"Damn it, whatever's weird, if it can't break this tough tendon, it can't break your own tendon!"