Why do I have so many masters?

Inside the Shaolin Temple, as the setting sun turned to molten gold, the cries of the birds seemed stretched thin by the twilight, then shattered by the tolling of bells, scattering into the distant skies, becoming even more peaceful.

Atop the lone peak, Wang Anfeng rarely skipped his cultivation and instead sat cross-legged in front of a stone table. His black hair was not tied up but was merely secured with a grass rope, hanging over his left shoulder and gently swaying in the wind.

The youth had just turned fourteen, and his features were gradually maturing, his face full of youthful vigor. With a writing brush in one hand and his cheek resting on the other, he furrowed his brows in deep thought.

Occasionally, something seemed to come to him, his eyes would brighten, and he would write rapidly as if to capture fleeting thoughts like shooting stars, the movement on the paper slightly urgent.

The setting sun bathed him in a reddish glow, elongating his shadow, which mingled with distant mountains, pagodas, and the faint chanting in harmony.

Wu Changqing, leaning on his wooden staff, slowly approached and saw this picturesque scene. He stood to the side and watched for a moment, curious. He then approached slowly, raised his hand to brush a fallen leaf off the youth's shoulder, and said with a chuckle:

"Anfeng?"

Wang Anfeng looked up to see the elder and smiled. He put down the writing brush and stood up to greet him, "Second Master."

The elder nodded kindly but also not without a hint of reproach:

"I saw you lying here just now, do you know what time it is? You haven't lit the lamp; aren't you afraid of hurting your eyes?" Continue your story on empire

"So engrossed, what are you doing?"

Wang Anfeng scratched his head and explained:

"Um… is it… reviewing?"

Confusion appeared on the youth's face, as if he himself wasn't sure if his own words were accurate. Excited in his heart, he didn't dwell on this but pointed to the text on the paper:

"Disciple has realized that in recent days, I am unable to defeat opponents in Copper Man Lane any longer."

"So I thought, could I organize the most effective moves and techniques, to achieve the greatest victory in the least amount of time?"

"But while organizing, the more I thought, the more ideas I had."

His voice paused, and Wang Anfeng's lips curled slightly. Though trying to sound calm, he intentionally stressed, "Hmm, Master Ying also agreed."

There was no oddity in his voice, but one could hear a hint of pride, as if he thought that getting the approval for his idea from the usually strict teacher was something worth bragging about to his masters.

Wu Changqing was momentarily taken aback and then chuckled. He patted the youth's head and said with a smile:

"Very good, very good, Anfeng is truly remarkable. Here, let Second Master have a look."

Wang Anfeng moved aside to help the elder sit down, taking the rather heavy staff from Wu Changqing. The old man stroked his beard, looked at what the youth had written—neat with a few scratches—and as his eyes swept over the words, the smile on his face gradually faded. His lips parted slightly, his expression stirred, and surprise gleamed in his eyes.

He had assumed it was the youth's flight of fancy, but it seemed to be much more than that.

Wu Changqing's gaze moved over the words written by the boy.

"The seventh and fifteenth moves of Spirit Snake's search for gaps, if I change the flicking force to a pulling force, it seems they can be combined with the momentum of the Nine Palaces Stepping Technique… I tried it a bit, the stepping technique is faster, but it's not easy to control, nearly exposing flaws.

But the opponent is also bound by the chains, delivering punches that are skewed and much lighter."

"If I can get used to that sudden increase in speed, it should certainly startle the opponent."

"The Gang Thunder Force that Mr. Li taught me could be applied to myself, stimulating potential, but I'm not the only one with pressure points, the opponent has them too, everyone in the world has them. Pressure points gather qi and blood, so do wild beasts have pressure points, and if so, where? For instance, the dumb acupoint on Big Yellow, which can be used to give a good scare…"

(Scribbles)

"No, no random thoughts. Mr. Li always said my martial arts aren't sufficient, and Thunder Vigor doesn't explode when I strike. But I don't need to use it so crudely, do I?"

"Using Thunder Vigor as a needle, to stimulate the opponent's pressure points. If during a fight, suddenly laughing or crying would definitely affect them, even if holding back laughter, their strength will surely diminish. When I feel like laughing, I can't train in fist techniques."

At this point, the youth seemed to hesitate, feeling that making the opponent laugh or cry during a fight was somewhat excessive. He scribbled out many parts and then wrote:

"Might as well target the numb acupuncture points…"

"Thirty-six primary points. The Danzhong point can cause numbness in the chest and torso, the Jianjing point can cause upper limb numbness, and the Huantiao point can cause lower limb numbness, unless the opponent is much, much stronger than me, they're bound to be affected, right?

Thunder Vigor also has a numbing effect… It seems like when Golden Bell Shield Inner Strength is fully deployed, the bell's ringing can also clarify the mind of those with lower Inner Strength."

"When one's mind is clear, they certainly don't want to fight, and when they don't want to fight, their punches will definitely weaken."

There was much more, but it was these thoughts alone that made Wu Changqing marvel, as he stroked his long beard and laid down the paper filled with ink characters, saying:

"Anfeng, how did you think of these…"

Wang Anfeng replied:

"Hmm… When I first learned the long fist technique, Master Yuan Ci told me that I should thoroughly understand the Vigorous Qi of every move and every form, with beginnings, transitions, continuations, and closures, complete and wishful, capable of indefinite cycling, a hundred continuous strikes to truly master this Martial Arts."

"I just thought that I have to master all the Martial Arts."

The young man scratched his head and said, "Then I thought, all techniques are just about beginnings, transitions, continuations, and closures, and most of the Vigorous Qi is also within the Twenty-Eight Forms of Energy Circulation taught to me by Scholar Ying."

"Since they are all my techniques, why should I only use a fist technique if I am using a fist technique?

Clearly, a fist technique and Whip Technique can be used together, a Whip Technique can follow a fist technique, and after a fist technique, I can also draw my sword and slash in continuation; beginnings, transitions, continuations, and closures connected, the Vigorous Qi the same, and I can make it fluent."

"There's no rule that they can't be mixed and used together."

"Martial Arts isn't just about having the strongest attack, it's about making the opponent unable to defend, being able to defeat the opponent is what's good. Without the buildup of the previous moves, but with a sword going against expectations, able to strike while the opponent is caught off guard and breaking their defense, isn't that enough?"

The young man stretched out both hands to demonstrate, his left hand open, his right hand raising a single finger, saying:

"A fraction of strength can defeat the opponent."

"Accumulating up to five times the strength can also defeat the opponent, aren't both overcoming the opponent?"

His voice paused slightly, and Wang Anfeng's expression stalled for a moment, saying:

"No… If I can accumulate up to five times the strength and momentum, and strike where the opponent is unguarded, couldn't I defeat opponents with a higher Cultivation than mine?"

"But, how to do that…"

Wang Anfeng felt his thoughts were somewhat unclear, yet Wu Changqing's eyes sparkled even more brightly, looking at the troubled youth before him, with vitality stirring in his chest, he couldn't help but break into jubilant laughter.

"Good, good, good, my Qilin child! My Qilin child!"

"Hahaha, excellent!"

The youth looked at the laughing elder, somewhat puzzled.

"Second Master?"

Atop the great hall, the Scholar in green robes stood with his hands behind his back.

His long and narrow eyes gazed down at Wang Anfeng, whose face bore no trace of oddity.

The youth had the same clean and harmless demeanor as any ordinary young Scholar, seemingly spending his days reciting the doctrines of sages, moral and ethical principles.

A treasure conceals its brilliance, a gentleman sheathes his sharpness.

Had he really subdued it?

Scholar Ying curved the corners of his mouth, his expression amused.

Under the setting sun, the youth looked clean and tranquil, but his eyes lit up, sparkling with radiance whenever Martial Arts were discussed.