activa-t Chapter 41 Harmony of Heaven and Man, Part 1: The Old Toad Under the Moon
Chapter 41 Harmony of Heaven and Man, Part 1: The Old Toad Under the Moon
Zhou Xing and Ip Man discussed it for a while longer.
Finally, Ip Man's lips moved as if he had something to say, but he didn't say it. He just nodded, turned around, pushed open the door, and slipped into the inky night outside like a shadow.
Zhou Xing watched him disappear, thinking that this usually calm and upright Southern Fist master would have to huddle under someone's eaves and press against the cold wall to listen for any sounds. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
Instead of returning to his own room, he sat cross-legged in Ip Man's quieter little room.
Outside the window, the moonlight was perfect, a clear radiance poured in, cool and penetrating, flowing onto the ground as a patch of silvery frost.
Zhou Xing calmed himself down and slowly began to practice the "Toad Fishing Technique".
Inhale, your abdomen bulges slightly, and a muffled "gurgle" sound comes from deep in your throat, just like an old toad swallowing water in a deep pool;
Exhale, the breath long, fine, and even, almost imperceptible.
Practicing this skill on such a quiet night, bathed in moonlight, feels exceptionally different.
He gradually forgot that he was a body and that he was himself, and only felt that he had become an old toad lying on a rock.
The pores all over my body were no longer just places to breathe; they seemed to come alive, turning into tiny bumps that could suck in the moonlight, opening and closing, tickling me.
Beneath the skin, the rushing sound of blood flowing like a river, the thumping of the heart beating like a drum, and the slight creaking of tendons stretching all become clearly audible.
An unprecedented sense of "communication between man and nature" quietly gathered around.
He felt that his home was subtly connected to the cool moonlight and the heavy night air.
Those pores that are usually stubborn and always open all at once, actually began to open and close slightly on their own, in batches, following this rhythm...
Just as that thin, paper-thin barrier was about to be breached by the combined forces of timing, location, and mindset...
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The courtyard gate was pounded on loudly, the wood groaned, and rough shouts mingled with the noise:
"Hey Zhou! Open the door! We know you're lying there like a corpse!"
"Master Ye! I, Chen Heming, along with my friend Zhao Debiao, have come to pay our respects to Senior Brother Zhou Xingzhou!"
Another voice followed, higher-pitched and with a slick edge.
That mysterious and profound realm shattered like glass falling to the ground with a crash.
The blood and energy that had just been drawn to the edge of the cliff in his body stagnated for a moment, and then slowly returned.
Zhou Xing suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and an unnamed fire shot straight to the top of his head!
This kind of opportunity is rare and hard to come by. The next time? That'll be ages before we know it!
He took a deep breath, spun the "Fishing Toad Strength" technique several times, and forcefully suppressed his anger.
With a slight twitch of his earlobes, he silently expanded his hearing, taking in every sound from outside the courtyard.
It's Zhao Debiao. The other one, a stranger, is named Chen Heming.
"I already said, my master and Senior Brother Zhou... have important matters to discuss and are not receiving guests!"
That was Ah Liang's voice, barely suppressing his impatience, his tone a bit strained.
"Important matters? It's late and the dew is heavy; what important matters can't be discussed tomorrow?"
Chen Heming sneered, "Brother Zhao, it seems your influence isn't working well with Master Ye and his esteemed disciple."
"fart!"
Zhao Debiao seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and his voice rose, "Zhou Xing! If you're a man, don't back down! I've missed you terribly since we parted ways at the Gong family!"
Today, I've specially invited my close friend, Master Chen Heming of the "White Ape Tongbei Fist," to come and "get closer" to you!
Master Chen greatly admires your feat of "seven days of clear strength" and can't sleep at night, insisting on coming to learn a thing or two from you!
White Ape with a Long Back? Chen Heming?
Zhou Xing's mind raced.
Zhao Debiao, that good-for-nothing, just showed his true colors at the Gong family's house during the day, and now he dares to come knocking on my door to challenge me? He even knows I live here at Ip Man's place?
Guo Zhen!
Zhou Xing instantly understood.
Having been secretly attacked by Liu Yishou at the Guo family's residence, the fake Guo Zhen was still not at ease and wanted to conduct a final check.
Since it was inconvenient for him to come again, wouldn't Zhao Debiao, a stupid, pretentious, and easily angered fellow, be a ready-made stepping stone?
The fake Guo Zhen only needed to sigh seemingly unintentionally in front of him.
Saying something like, "Brother Zhou, you've probably injured your internal organs today," would be enough to make that idiot Zhao Debiao "realize" what to do.
It can both test one's own strength and weakness, and also check whether the two people are in the hall and whether they are making any unusual moves.
one stone two bird.
That old fox is indeed extremely cautious.
He had just finished untangling the loose thread when a sharp "snap" was heard outside the courtyard, followed by a muffled groan from Ah Liang as his body slammed against the door!
Zhou Xing's eyes turned cold, and he slid to the door like a cat, gently pulling it open.
The cold moonlight bathed the courtyard.
Ah Liang was leaning against the courtyard gate, his left hand tightly covering his right arm, beads of sweat on his forehead, his face flushed red, and his lips trembling with humiliation.
Two steps in front of him stood a young man in a royal blue silk robe.
He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with fair skin and a slight, ambiguous smile on his lips, slowly and methodically moving his wrists.
This man had slightly protruding temples, bright eyes, and long, even breaths; he was a master at the peak of the Ming Jin realm, and must be Chen Heming.
Zhao Debiao stood behind, his belly protruding, looking smug.
When Ah Liang saw Zhou Xing come out, especially when he met Zhou Xing's calm and unwavering eyes, he was filled with shame and indignation, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
He could have turned around and gone to his room to report to his master, but his master was having a "secret conversation" with Zhou Xing, and he dared not disturb them.
Unable to bear the insults directed at his sect, he acted rashly and attacked, only to have his arm dislocated by the opponent's "cold and crisp force" of the Tongbei Fist in a single move.
Zhou Xing nodded slightly in his heart.
Ah Liang, that kid, usually doesn't like me, but when it comes to protecting the reputation of our sect, he's surprisingly tough.
Seeing Zhou Xing emerge, Chen Heming cupped his hands in greeting, beaming with a friendly smile:
"Senior Brother Zhou has finally shown himself. I, Chen Heming, just had a brief 'sparring' with your junior brother."
My junior brother was so anxious to protect his master that he lost his temper and his fighting skills went awry. I had no choice but to try and persuade him, but to my surprise, he couldn't even withstand a single move. I hope Senior Brother Zhou won't be angry.
That's a nice way of saying it, completely shirking responsibility for taking action.
Zhou Xing stepped out the door, blocking A Liang's path, his gaze sweeping over the two of them indifferently:
"Master Zhao, Master Chen, in the dead of night, banging on doors and injuring people, all for the sake of 'asking for advice'?"
With something to rely on, Zhao Debiao straightened his neck even more:
"Zhou Xing! Don't act all high and mighty here! During the day at the Gong family home, you were incredibly arrogant because Old Master Gong was in charge!"
Brother Chen is my close friend. I've heard you have a great reputation, and I'm itching to test my skills against you!
What's wrong, chickening out? Can't jump up and down anymore?
Zhou Xing sneered inwardly, but a hint of anger and weakness flashed across his face. He unconsciously pressed his lower back with his left hand, his voice cold:
"Seven days of Ming Jin" is nothing but luck. Master Chen, if you are truly interested in sparring, I will attend the discussion meeting, and then we will see the real skills.
Chen Heming's eyes darted around, and he laughed, "Brother Zhou, why beat around the bush? If you're too scared, just admit it and we'll leave immediately without making things difficult for you."
"But from now on, when people in the martial arts world talk about Wing Chun and about you, Zhou Xing, don't blame them for being rude..."
Zhao Debiao fanned the flames from the sidelines:
"Did you hear that? Zhou Xing, either you fight Brother Chen right now, or you admit defeat!"
We'll just say, "I'm not good enough, I've disgraced my school, Wing Chun is nothing special!" and then we'll pack up and leave!
Ah Liang was so angry that he trembled all over. He struggled to stand up straight, but his shoulder injury aggravated his pain, and he groaned in pain.
Zhou Xing remained silent.
The night wind swept through the courtyard, swirling up a few fallen leaves.
Admitting defeat would bring shame upon his school and make it even harder for Southern Fist to spread to the North. Ip Man had given him everything, and he couldn't let Wing Chun bear that reputation.
If he takes the hit head-on, defeating this person won't be difficult, but all the pretense he put on at the Guo Family Martial Arts School will be for naught.