Chapter 5: Mind And Body, Unrestrained
Mr. Wen sighed and said, “Honestly, Captain Nian, your nephew is a little too old.”
Nian Fuli could not understand. “He’s too old? He’s just sixteen, going on seventeen. He’s barely reached the minimum age requirement to become a soldier, and he’s old?”
Mr. Wen said, “Captain Nian, I can tell that your nephew has never received professional martial arts training, while most of the students Martial Valor University takes have been training since young. This gives them a solid foundation and makes them ready for high-intensity training and learning other skills. Their potential is much greater when compared to those who aren’t trained. With just a few pointers, they could even somewhat handle themselves in a fight. Martial Valor University set up the follow-up entrance examination to pick up such students so that they can train them further.”
His tone turned regretful. “Your nephew has never gone through this stage of development. Even if he manages to pass the follow-up entrance examination, while his progress in the beginning when compared to that of the other students won’t be that much different, as time passes, the gap between them will increase. This gap will continue growing, and he will have no way of catching up to them.
“The intensity and ferocity of the training there is not something an untrained student will be able to follow either. If he tries to keep up with it, he might end up getting hurt or disabled. Instead of that happening, I would suggest that he does not force himself. It would be better for your nephew.”
Mr. Wen spoke earnestly as he tried to talk Chen Chuan out of going to Martial Valor University, and Nian Fuli’s heart sank further with each sentence.
With all of that being the case, it would be better for Chen Chuan to not push it. He should just ask his nephew to finish his studies at Martial Valor University. Besides, even if he graduated without passing the follow-up entrance examination, it was not as if he would have no future. No matter what, he would still have graduated from Martial Valor University.
But Nian Fuli did not want to make the choice for Chen Chuan, so he said nothing.
Right then, someone called out loudly from the front of the warehouse. “Captain Nian, is that your nephew? Did you say he passed Martial Valor University’s entrance examination?”
Nian Fuli’s mouth twitched, and Chen Chuan turned to look. A burly man wearing his hat askew was walking over toward them. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be a captain as well. He sized Chen Chuan up. “Heh. It’s obvious the kid is untrained. How can he even think about trying to get ahead in Martial Valor University? Is he living in a fairy tale?”
Nian Fuli pulled a long face and said, “Wei Laohu, stop thinking that you’re amazing just because your son got into Martial Valor University! If your son can make something of himself, then my nephew can also achieve success!”
“Bah. I don’t believe it.” Wei Laohu got fired up when Nian Fuli snapped back and pointed at the mop by the side. “If your nephew achieves success in Martial Valor University, I’ll eat that mop.”
Nian Fuli sneered at him. “Just you wait. Xiaochuan, let’s go.” He left, and Chen Chuan went after him.
Wei Laohu continued yelling behind them, “Leaving so soon? Why won’t you take the mop with you? I’m waiting for you to make me eat it!”
After Nian Fuli left the building, the cool night breeze blew against him and helped him calm down, but frustration continued gnawing at him. “Xiaochuan, Mr. Wen is the martial arts instructor hired by the headquarters. You heard what he said. What do you think?”
Chen Chuan smiled and said, “We left too quickly just now, Uncle. We should have taken the mop with us. What are we supposed to do if that guy shamelessly goes back on his promise?”
Chen Chuan knew that the problems Mr. Wen pointed out were real and serious, but he had his second self, so many things that should have been impossible for him actually weren’t.
Nian Fuli was stunned, but then he laughed and smacked Chen Chuan’s shoulder. “I never realized you had this side to you, kid.”
He understood what Chen Chuan meant, so he took out a cigarette box from his pocket, took a cigarette out, and lit it. The sparks flickered in the night as Nian Fuli thought about it.
Chen Chuan said nothing. After some time, Nian Fuli threw the remaining half of the cigarette on the ground and put it out with his foot. He whispered, “I’ll give you an address when we get home. Go to that man. He has a criminal record, but he’s strong. Learn from him and don’t ask any questions. Don’t get too close to him either, but when you need to kiss his ass, do it. Don’t put on airs.”
“Got it.”
Nian Fuli looked at the sky and said, “It’s late. The streets aren’t exactly safe after dark. Let’s go back.”
They went to retrieve their bicycles. This time, they did not leave through the main gate. Instead, they left through the back door into an alley. After taking a turn, they got onto the main road and went straight home.
They rode into the courtyard and rang their bells to signal their return.
Yu Wan had been waiting for them. She came out when she heard the bicycle bells and asked how things went. After Chen Chuan went into the bathroom, Nian Fuli went into the house and told her what had happened.
Yu Wan felt worried and grumbled, “And you just agreed with it? What will happen if he damages his body permanently? Why didn’t you stop him? His health is more important than anything else.”
Nian Fuli shook his head. “The kid’s got a mind of his own, and I can’t stop him. If I refuse to help him when I can, he might just hate me for life.”
Yu Wan sighed. “Chan’er is just like my sister.”
After Chen Chuan washed up, he went back to his room. He then sat down on the edge of the bed and shut his eyes to try and observe his surroundings through his second self.
He did not sense anything in the beginning. As he focused, he began to feel something vaguely, but it was tough. If his focus faltered for even a bit, that sensation was gone.
Despite that, it seemed that his idea was plausible.
Martial artists did not always fight one-on-one. Sometimes, they had to fight multiple enemies at once, while at others they got ambushed. If he could observe his surroundings from multiple angles, he could avoid many dangers.
He may not be able to do it right now, but once he got even closer to his second self, his idea might come into fruition.
Knowing that he was not quite there yet, Chen Chuan did not continue trying. He got up and flipped through a book. He only turned off the lights and went to bed when it was his usual bedtime.
The night passed, and he got up on time the next day. After washing up, he went to the dining room and saw a note under an ashtray. He opened it and found an address and a name written down in Nian Fuli’s handwriting.
Chen Chuan went back to his room and got his map out to figure out the general location of the place.
Once he finished breakfast, he grabbed his bag, changed into an old oakmoss jacket and went out.
The address was located in the west of the city, half an hour away from their place. Based on the map, if Chen Chuan rode a few more kilometers forward, he would get close to the suburbs. That area was full of abandoned factories. All the locals of Yangzhi City knew that the place belonged to Chain Links Group, though its members would usually not show their faces during the day.
The buildings were old and haphazardly constructed. They also had their own modified sheds that extended to the road. Clothes hung off the tilted electricity poles and blocked the view, while the roads were filled with potholes and were uneven. Some people also threw dirty water out without any regard for potential passersby. Sometimes, the water came from above, so Chen Chuan had to be careful while cycling through the place.
The buildings did not have numbers on them, which made it difficult to tell them apart, and Chen Chuan had to keep asking for directions. After searching for a long time, he found a simple wooden sign with the words “Domain of Fists” on it. The sign was attached to a wooden electricity pole in front of an alley and had an arrow pointing toward the alley. After comparing it to the address Nian Fuli gave him, Chen Chuan was almost certain that this was the place.
Since it was a winding, narrow alley, he had to get down from his bicycle and push it through. Once out of the alley, he saw a three-story reinforced concrete building ahead of him and an old water tower in the distance. By the looks of it, the building before him was a small, abandoned school.
Right then, he heard the sound of fists hitting punching bags. They were powerful and rhythmic.
“Is Mr. Yu in?” Chen Chuan called out.
The sound came to a stop. Then, a half-naked teenager of about eighteen years old ran out. He had boxing wraps on and visible muscles, though he was very lean. When he saw Chen Chuan, he asked, “Are you here to learn boxing?”
Chen Chuan said, “I’m here for Mr. Yu Gang. Is he in? Nian Fuli, my uncle, told me to look for him.”
“Oh, you’re Mr. Chen!” the teenager said fawningly. “Master, Captain Nian’s nephew is here!” he shouted out.
A sonorous voice came from above. “Tell him to come up.”
The teenager turned back and said, “This way, Mr. Chen. Just park your bike over there. You don’t need to lock it. No one will dare to steal it.”
“Just call me Chen Chuan. You don’t have to talk to me so politely. What’s your name?”
“I’m Lu Ke, Master Yu’s disciple.” He stressed again, “Not his student, but his disciple.”
Chen Chuan understood what he was saying. Disciples not only learned techniques from their masters, but also took care of their master’s funeral. They were far closer to their masters than ordinary students.
Once Chen Chuan parked his bicycle, he followed Lu Ke up to the second floor. They spoke to each other for a bit, and Chen Chuan learned that Lu Ke had been learning how to fight from Yu Gang for five years.
They walked to the end of the long balcony on the second floor and opened asymmetrical double wooden doors. There was a huge room behind them with a large man seemingly in his forties sitting cross-legged on a cushion. He was dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, which revealed his bulging, boulder-like muscles, and had a square face with a tall nose and thick eyebrows.
“Are you Mr. Yu Gang? I’m Chen Chuan. Nian Fuli, my uncle, told me to come to you.”
“I’m Yu Gang, alright,” the man boomed. “What does Captain Nian want me to do?”
Chen Chuan said, “I just passed Martial Valor University’s entrance examination...”
“Martial Valor University, huh?” Lu Ke looked envious.
Yu Gang immediately figured out Chen Chuan’s purpose for coming to him and asked, “You want to pass the follow-up exam?”
“Yes.”
“Sure, I’ll teach you,” Yu Gang said readily. “But pay up first.”
“Are you talking about training fees?” Chen Chuan asked tentatively.
“I owe Captain Nian one, so I won’t be asking for training fees. But if you want to get good results from your training, you need to eat proper food for nourishment and use equipment, which will wear and tear. You also need a sparring partner as well as a place to train. All of this costs money, and I won’t pay for it.”
“How much will it cost?” Chen Chuan asked.
“Pay fifty first. If you like your results, you can continue paying. If you don’t think you’re getting anywhere, you can leave whenever you want. I’ll give you back whatever balance there is.”
Chen Chuan nodded. “That’s fair.”
While fifty dev was not cheap, martial arts training was the most expensive thing out there. Why else would Yangzhi City be littered with martial arts schools and sparring centers?
Based on Chen Chuan’s knowledge, joining a martial arts school alone costs anywhere from 150 to 200 dev. Yet the students weren’t even guaranteed to learn anything. The more expensive ones had personal trainers for each student. One lesson cost hundreds of dev, so an ordinary person could just forget about it.
Yu Gang extended his hand and said, “Give me the money, then.”
In case of emergencies, Chen Chuan always had money on his person. He took out fifty dev from his bag and handed it to Yu Gang, who put it into his trouser pocket.
“When can I start training, Mr. Yu?”
“If you’re okay with it, you can start now, but before we do, I need to ask you one question: what’s your goal for entering Martial Valor University?” Yu Gang said.
Chen Chuan was puzzled. “What’s that got to do with my training?”
“Everything,” Yu Gang replied. “If I know what your goal is, I can set up your training schedule.”
After some thinking, Chen Chuan answered matter-of-factly, “The goal for practicing martial arts is to be free of limits and continue surpassing oneself, no?”
Aside from his longing and aspirations toward martial arts, he had also entered Martial Valor University because of the original Chen Chuan’s mysterious death. He did not know whether it was a targeted attack or pure coincidence, but he wanted to become stronger so that he could take care of whatever threats he might face. Since he had his second self, he was sure that he could do it.
Perhaps it was because of this that there was confidence and determination in his voice. Even Lu Ke seemed to be impacted by his words.
“To be free of physical and mental limits...” Yu Gang fell silent for a while. “That’s a tough goal you’ve got there.”
He stood up slowly.