Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The first to get drunk was Shen Han, and this time it was from happiness. In his words, he had been living a suppressed life for many years, but now he could finally hold his head high. He was very pleased because he knew that his turning point had arrived. I didn't know how much he drank with everyone else, but at least he had six beers with me. Ever since he met me, he felt that a change in his life was coming; I was his lucky star. He figured that he probably wouldn't win the competition tomorrow, but he was already satisfied. The outcome didn't matter to him anymore. As for the competition, I remained noncommittal and told him that his lucky star should actually be Jing. After thinking for a moment, he agreed and went to find Jing to drink with her.
Jing had also drunk too much. She regretted not having met such a group of soldiers earlier in her life—friends who were genuine and unpretentious, full of camaraderie and true soldierly spirit. Under our encouragement, she shared a toast with Shen Han. Shen Han was intoxicated not just by the alcohol but also by the atmosphere; after that toast, he entered a state of mental confusion. Of course, Jing treated Shen Han purely as a friend. Although she left him her number, she clearly stated that she didn't want to date during college. But that was enough for Shen Han; sometimes hope is more important than reality, isn't it?
Luoluo was also drunk. Her personality was very bold, and she had at least two drinks with everyone. During these past few days, she felt that we were real men—soldiers with spirit who knew when to advance and when to retreat, understanding tolerance. Such soldiers were rare nowadays. She reminisced about her early years living at the Martial Arts School with Qizi, wishing she had had the chance to attend university; she admired knowledgeable people very much. Dressed in hot pants and a shirt, Luoluo exuded a sexy charm that contrasted sharply with her previous aloof demeanor. It turned out that short-haired girls could be sexy too! Old Bi's eyes were glued to her, but unfortunately for him, Luoluo was too busy pouring drinks for Shen Han and me.
Qizi was also drunk, but hers was due to her limited alcohol tolerance; she could only manage one drink with each person before reaching her limit. However, I noticed a detail: Qizi kept glancing at Shen Han and even hesitated to clink glasses with him. With her flushed cheeks, Qizi looked quite lovely; yes, even though she was darker-skinned than usual, I could tell she was blushing—could it be? You all know what I mean.
Old Bi was naturally drunk as well; this was because he felt lonely. After seeing Jing share a toast with Shen Han, he wanted to have one with Luoluo as a keepsake. Unfortunately for him, despite my attempts to egg him on, Luoluo wouldn't take the bait—she said she'd drink with him only if he came over to her side along with her boyfriend. So Old Bi had no choice but to drown his sorrows in drinks with Shen Han until he himself got drunk.
As for me? Of course I was drunk too! After so many rounds back and forth, how could I not be? Luckily, I went to the restroom a few times and managed to clear my head somewhat.
Only one person remained sober: Old Ma! This was partly due to his many years of experience at the Provincial Military District; his alcohol tolerance was naturally high. Another reason was that Old Ma initially worried about the cost of drinks—he feared exceeding the budget would complicate reimbursement—so he drank conservatively. However, under our coaxing, Old Ma eventually set aside his concerns about the bill and joined us in drinking.
During this time, an unexpected event occurred: Zhu Wu actually showed up! At this moment, Zhu Wu seemed to have retracted his earlier arrogance; he poured us drinks and apologized—for Jing and for Qin Sihu as well. It was clear that Zhu Wu felt quite dejected; this competition hadn't gone as he imagined it would, which hit him hard. But it was surprising that Zhu Wu's transformation could be so significant; I remembered how after the Striking Group's defeat, he had been furious and wanted an unrestricted duel with Soaring Dragon.
Since we were all soldiers, we naturally didn’t hold grudges against each other; we shared a drink to bury any animosities.
I noticed that Zhu Wu had bruises at the corners of his eyes. After one drink, Zhu Wu pulled me aside and said he needed to talk about something important. Seizing the opportunity, I quietly asked him what happened to his face, but Zhu Wu avoided answering that question and simply asked me to follow him downstairs—someone was looking for me.
I was quite surprised; who would be looking for me?
Once downstairs, I discovered that it was Soaring Dragon!
Yes, it was Soaring Dragon! Dressed casually and standing by the roadside in an unassuming manner, no one would suspect he was an extraordinary master. Zhu Wu brought me over and left right away while Soaring Dragon continued watching the traffic pass by. I didn’t rush to speak; if he called me over, there must have been a reason behind it—I stood quietly waiting for him to say something.
“How many levels are there in martial arts?” Soaring Dragon suddenly asked casually.
I scratched my head and replied, “I haven’t really thought about it; probably three levels?”
"Oh," Soaring Dragon said without turning back.
"Defeating people, bringing them down, beating them," I replied simply.
"Hmm?" Soaring Dragon was slightly taken aback, turning to look at me. "Heh, do you know why I called you down?"
"I don't know."
"Haha, I like your personality; you don't pretend. Also, your comprehension is really high." Soaring Dragon continued to turn his head toward the road, watching the cars come and go as he said, "You have a bit of understanding; what you've figured out on your own is quite good, but you're still far from it."
Soaring Dragon paused for a moment before continuing, "The realm of martial arts is actually divided into four major levels: the primary stage of strengthening the body and preventing illness; the intermediate stage of self-defense and competition; the advanced stage of prolonging life and enhancing virtue; and the super stage of cultivating the way and self-cultivation."
I opened my mouth but couldn't say anything; it was too profound for me to understand.
Soaring Dragon explained further, "The primary stage is self-evident; most people can reach the intermediate stage. At this point, they all tend to think of martial arts as a means of killing. This perspective isn't entirely unfounded because practical combat is indeed one of the core characteristics of Chinese Martial Arts. For thousands of years in the Chinese martial world, talented individuals have emerged one after another, and Chinese martial arts have increasingly influenced the world. However, martial arts are both a means of killing and a means of preserving life. The so-called 'preserving life' refers to the value of martial arts beyond just strengthening the body and preventing illness. In fact, there are also benefits for longevity and virtue. As far as I know, one of the secrets from some old masters is to practice breathing techniques during training—using both abdominal breathing and skin breathing. This greatly alleviates energy loss during combat, leading to extraordinary results. Many old masters maintain their mental acuity, physical strength, and martial skills well into old age, far surpassing ordinary young people. Some who have glimpsed the way can even live to be over a hundred years old while still being self-sufficient and helping others with their ailments. Moreover, those who are not weak themselves possess high virtue and skill. When Kung Fu reaches a superior level, the cultivation of the heart is something that ordinary people find hard to achieve. 'Virtue' has two aspects: one is social morality, which mainly addresses relationships with others; the other is natural morality, which primarily deals with the relationship between humans and the universe. Generally speaking, people often limit 'virtue' to social morality while neglecting the higher level of natural morality."
At this point in Soaring Dragon's explanation, I couldn't help but interject, "Oh, so Zhu Wu's injury was...?"
Soaring Dragon interrupted me, "Without cultivating virtue alongside martial arts practice, you will achieve nothing in your lifetime."
He continued, "For the earlier stages, once you reach a certain level, you can comprehend things on your own. What I want to tell you is about the fourth realm; if you can achieve that understanding, then your competition this afternoon will be as easy for you as it is for me."
I was taken aback. "No wonder it’s really you this afternoon! Thank you so much, senior." I said sincerely.
Soaring Dragon smiled lightly. "Instead of thanking me, thank yourself; without that comprehension, it would be pointless even if I pointed it out."
"Thank you for your guidance, senior," I said earnestly.
Soaring Dragon waved his hand and looked at me for a moment. "You are very much like my junior brother—smart, perceptive, quick to react, yet humble and eager to learn. Ah, among our peers, he will likely achieve the highest accomplishments in the future. What a pity." The background of Soaring Dragon had always intrigued me, so I perked up my ears to listen, but he suddenly stopped speaking.
"What a pity about what?" I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"Hehe." A teasing smile appeared at the corner of Soaring Dragon's mouth. "You see, you are just as curious. Curiosity is a good thing, but..."
Once again, Soaring Dragon fell silent, leaving me feeling restless inside.
"Let's get back on track. The cultivation of the super stage is essentially about martial arts and its connections with Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism emphasizes rectifying the heart, sincerity, self-cultivation, family harmony, governance, and peace; it also stresses that human hearts are precarious and that the Dao heart is precarious as well; one must be precise and adhere to the middle path. Daoism emphasizes emptiness giving birth to nature, nature giving birth to the One Qi, which divides into Yin and Yang; Yin and Yang create the earth, which gives rise to all things. It also emphasizes practices like biting the teeth and swallowing saliva, transforming essence into Qi, refining Qi into spirit, refining spirit back to emptiness, and merging with the Dao. Buddhism emphasizes achieving Buddhahood through realization and helping others achieve enlightenment."
I listened with some confusion and couldn't resist asking, "What does that mean?"
Soaring Dragon suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha! It seems you are not one of those exceptionally wise individuals! These teachings are also from my master. Let me see if you truly have innate wisdom. Alright then, I don't have much time left. Initially, I was quite puzzled too; however, I later realized that the principles are quite simple! True martial arts cultivation must properly handle the relationships between form and spirit, fate and society, morality and personal nature. The rich practical experiences of many predecessors from Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism provide profound insights on this matter. When it comes to the issue of Qi cultivation, martial arts and Confucianism are completely interconnected. Confucianism particularly emphasizes cultivating Qi; as it is said, 'I am good at nurturing my righteous Qi.' Mr. Ma Litou had profound internal strength; his Qi cultivation was a legitimate transmission from Confucian teachings. In his lifetime, Master Ma was highly skilled in martial arts and often defeated younger opponents; he was respected in the martial arts community as 'The Tank.' According to Master Ma's experiences, the depth of internal cultivation directly determines the level of martial prowess—high monks do not shun Daoists; high Daoists do not shun monks. The connection between martial arts and Daoism or Buddhism is also very close. From a martial arts perspective, the realms of Daoism and Buddhism mainly pertain to internal cultivation practices that can perfectly complement general martial arts shortcomings."
The words of Soaring Dragon seemed to open a door to another world for me. I listened intently, entranced; although there were still parts I didn't fully understand, I knew that a certain concept had taken root in my heart and was beginning to grow.
(The entire story of Struggle for Supremacy has concluded; please look forward to the next tale: Military Exercise, titled Thunder, along with Love Like the Wind and The Work of Chasing the Wind. Tomorrow will be even more exciting!)
Comment 0 Comment Count