Mr. Wen sighed softly. "Captain Nian, to be frank, your nephew is a bit old for this."
Nian Fuli was confused. "Old? He's only sixteen—seventeen by traditional counting. He barely qualifies for military service. How is that old?"
Mr. Wen said, "Captain Nian, it's clear your nephew has no prior specialized combat training. Many of the students Wuyi Academy accepts have been training since they were children.
Their bodies have been developed from a young age, giving them a solid foundation. They are already prepared for the high-intensity training and skill absorption to come. Their potential is much higher than someone unprepared. With just a little guidance, they can quickly achieve a certain level of combat prowess. The purpose of Wuyi Academy's re-examination is to select these types of students for further cultivation."
His tone was tinged with regret. "Your nephew, however, missed this stage. Even if he did manage to pass the re-examination, he'd be with these other students. His progress might seem similar at first, but over time, a gap would gradually form. This gap will only grow wider and wider, making it nearly impossible to catch up.
"And the intensity and rigor here are nothing like what an ordinary student without lifelong training can handle. If he forces himself to keep up, he could end up crippled or seriously injured. Rather than risk that, I suggest not forcing it. It would probably be better for your nephew."
Mr. Wen's tone was sincere, tinged with a persuasive warning. After hearing him out, Nian Fuli's heart sank.
If that was the case, he felt it was better not to bother. He should just let Chen Chuan finish his studies at Wuda peacefully. After all, even just graduating normally wasn't a dead end. He would still be a student of Wuda. But he couldn't make this choice for Chen Chuan, so he remained silent for the moment.
Just then, a loud voice boomed from within the warehouse. "Big Head Nian, is this your nephew? Heard he got into Wuda?"
A muscle in Nian Fuli's cheek twitched. Chen Chuan turned to see a burly Patrol Officer, who also looked like a captain, walking over with his hat askew. He sized Chen Chuan up for a few seconds. "Heh, one look at this kid's frame and you can tell he's never trained. And he thinks he can make a name for himself at Wuda with that? Must be dreaming."
Nian Fuli's face darkened. "Wei Oldhu! Don't think you're so great just because your son's at Wuda. If your son can make something of himself, so can my nephew!"
"Oh yeah? Well, I'd like to see you try." Seeing the retort, Wei Oldhu got fired up. He pointed at a nearby mop. "If your nephew can actually make a name for himself at Wuda, I'll eat this mop."
Nian Fuli sneered. "Then you just wait. Xiaochuan, let's go." With that, he strode toward the exit, and Chen Chuan immediately followed.
Wei Oldhu shouted after him, "Leaving already? Not gonna take the mop with you? I'll be waiting for you to come feed me..."
Once outside, the cool night breeze helped Nian Fuli calm down a little, but he still felt a knot of anger he couldn't swallow. He turned back and said, "Xiaochuan, Mr. Wen is the fighting instructor hired by our Headquarter. You heard what he said. What do you think?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "Uncle, we left in too much of a hurry. We should have brought the mop. What if someone tries to back out of their promise later?" He knew the problems Mr. Wen had mentioned were real, but he had his "Second Self." Many things that were once impossible could now be made possible.
Nian Fuli was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. He clapped Chen Chuan heavily on the shoulder. "Good kid. I never saw this side of you before."
He understood what Chen Chuan was thinking. He fumbled in his pocket, took out a cigarette case, tapped it, and pulled out a cigarette to light. The ember flared and faded in the darkness as he seemed to contemplate something.
Chen Chuan didn't say a word. After a short while, Nian Fuli threw the remaining half of his cigarette on the ground, stamped it out with his foot, and said in a low voice, "When we get back, I'll give you an address. Go find someone. This person has a criminal record, but he's very skilled. Learn from him, but don't ask too many questions, and don't get too close. Still, when you need to say something nice, say it. Don't be standoffish."
Chen Chuan said, "Okay, Uncle. I'll remember that."
Nian Fuli glanced outside. "It's getting late. The roads aren't safe this late. Let's head back."
He took Chen Chuan back to get their bikes. This time, they didn't leave through the main gate, but exited through a narrow alley behind a high wall, turned onto the main street, and rode all the way home.
With the ringing of two bicycle bells, they entered the front yard, one after the other.
Yu Wan had been waiting for them. Hearing the bells, she came out and asked how things had gone. Nian Fuli waited for Chen Chuan to walk away before going into the inner room and explaining the situation.
Yu Wan grew worried after hearing the story. She complained, "You just agreed to let Xiaochan do it? What if he injures himself? You should have stopped him! The boy's safety is more important than anything."
Nian Fuli shook his head. "The kid is stubborn; there's no stopping him. If I could help him with this and didn't, he'd probably hate me for the rest of his life."
Yu Wan sighed. "Chan'Er's temper is just like Second Sister's."
After washing up, Chen Chuan returned to his room. He thought for a moment, then sat on the edge of his bed, closed his eyes, and tried to observe the outside world with his "Second Self."
At first, he felt nothing. But as he focused his mind, he vaguely sensed something. It was very difficult, though; the feeling vanished the moment his concentration wavered.
But he felt he was onto something.
'Martial artists don't just fight one-on-one. It could be one against many, and sometimes you might face all sorts of sneak attacks. If I could observe my surroundings from multiple perspectives, I could avoid a lot of danger.'
'Maybe I can't do it now, but once my connection with the Second Self becomes stronger, I might just be able to achieve it.'
Knowing the time wasn't right, he didn't press the matter. He got up, grabbed a book to read, and turned off the light to sleep at his usual time.
「The night passed.」 The next day, he woke up on time. After washing up and walking into the living room, he saw a slip of paper on the dining table, held down by an ashtray. He moved the ashtray, picked up the note, and saw it was an address Nian Fuli had left for him, with a name written below it.
He returned to his room and checked a map, getting a general idea of the location.
After finishing breakfast, he grabbed his usual satchel, changed into a worn, blue-gray jacket, and left on his bike.
The address Nian Fuli gave him was in the western part of the city, about a half-hour bike ride away. According to the map, it was just a few more miles from the city outskirts. That area was full of abandoned factory districts. The locals of Yangzhi City all knew it was the Iron Chain Gang's territory, but members of the Iron Chain Gang usually didn't come out during the day.
The buildings here were old and jumbled, filled with all sorts of unauthorized sheds and extensions that stretched right out to the road. Clothes hung out to dry on crooked telephone poles everywhere, obstructing his view. The road was also riddled with potholes, uneven and rough. People would randomly toss out wastewater, sometimes from the floors above, forcing him to ride with extreme caution.
The building numbers in this area were either missing or hard to read. He had no choice but to ask for directions as he went. After searching for a long time, he finally found a simple wooden sign for "Quan's House" on a wooden utility pole at the entrance to an alley. It had an arrow pointing inward. Checking it against the address, he figured this must be the place.
The alley was narrow and winding, so he had no choice but to get off and walk his bike slowly. When he emerged from the alley, he found himself in a large open space that looked like a playground. To the right were two dilapidated sheet-metal gates, and across from him was a three-story reinforced concrete building. In the distance, he could faintly make out an old water tower. The whole place looked like an abandoned elementary school.
Just then, he heard the THUMP-THUMP of a punching bag being struck, the sound powerful and rhythmic. He called out in a loud voice, "Excuse me, is Mr. Yu here?"
The sound of the punching bag stopped. A young man of about eighteen or nineteen ran out of the building, bare-chested and wearing Boxing Gloves. His muscles were well-defined, but he looked very lean. Seeing Chen Chuan, he asked, "Are you here to learn boxing?"
Chen Chuan said, "I'm looking for Mr. Yu Gang. Is he here? My uncle, Nian Fuli, sent me."
Hearing this, the young man's tone became eager to please. "Oh, so it's Young Master Chen." He turned and shouted back toward the building, "Master, it's Captain Nian's nephew!" A deep, powerful voice drifted down from upstairs: "Let him come up."
The young man stepped aside. "Young Master Chen, this way." He added, "Young Master Chen, just leave your bike here. No need to lock it. No one would dare steal from this place."
Chen Chuan said, "I'm no Young Master. Just call me Chen Chuan. And how should I address you?"
The young man said, "My name is Lu Ke. I'm Master Yu's disciple." He then emphasized, "Not a student, a disciple."
Chen Chuan understood. A disciple didn't just inherit skills; they were also responsible for taking care of their master in his old age and after his death. The bond was far closer than that of a typical student.
He parked his bike and followed Lu Ke to the second floor, making small talk along the way. He learned that Lu Ke had been studying combat with Yu Gang for five years already.
Chen Chuan followed him to the second floor and walked along a long balcony to the end. Lu Ke pushed open a set of double wooden doors and they went inside. In the spacious room, a tall, powerfully built middle-aged man was sitting cross-legged on a soft mat. He looked to be in his forties, wearing a short-sleeved shirt. He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and a straight nose, and the bulging muscles on his body looked like blocks of stone.
Chen Chuan said, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Yu Gang? My name is Chen Chuan. My uncle, Nian Fuli, sent me to find you."
The stout man's voice was deep. "I'm Yu Gang. What does Captain Nian want from me?"
Chen Chuan said, "I was just accepted into Wuyi Academy this year..."
"Wuda," Lu Ke murmured from the side, his eyes filled with deep envy.
Yu Gang understood. "You want to pass the re-examination, so Captain Nian sent you to me?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes."
Yu Gang said readily, "Alright, I'll teach you. Pay up first."
Chen Chuan asked tentatively, "Mr. Yu, are you talking about tuition?"
Yu Gang said, "I owe Captain Nian a favor, so I won't charge you tuition for my teaching. However, if you want to train well, you first have to eat well to get proper nutrition. Then there's equipment wear and tear, hiring sparring partners, and renting the facility. All that costs money, and I won't be paying for it."
Chen Chuan asked, "How much will I need?"
Yu Gang said, "Fifty to start. If you think you're training well, you can pay more to continue. If you think it's not working out, you can leave anytime. If there's any left over, I'll refund you."
Chen Chuan nodded. "That's very fair."
Fifty yuan was not a small amount, but combat training had always been one of the most expensive pursuits. Otherwise, Yangzhi City wouldn't be filled with Boxing Clubs and arenas.
As far as he knew, a basic membership at a typical Boxing Club cost around one hundred fifty to two hundred yuan, and even then, you weren't guaranteed to learn anything. He'd heard there were even more expensive private Trainers, with single sessions that could easily cost several hundred yuan—something an ordinary person couldn't even dream of.
Yu Gang held out a large hand. "Well then, the money."
Just in case, Chen Chuan had brought money with him. He counted out fifty yuan from his satchel and handed it to Yu Gang, who took it and stuffed it directly into his pocket.
Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Yu, when would be a good time to start training?"
Yu Gang said, "If it's convenient for you, we can start right now. But before we do, I have to ask you one thing: what is your goal for entering Wuyi Academy?"
Chen Chuan was a little confused. "Does that have to do with the training?"
Yu Gang gave him an affirmative reply. "It does. Knowing your goal will help me plan your training."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then said in a matter-of-fact tone, "The goal of Martial Arts is to be unrestrained, to constantly surpass oneself, isn't it?"
Getting into Wuyi University Hall was driven not only by his deep yearning for and pursuit of the Martial Arts, but also by the unknown cause of his predecessor's death. He didn't know if it had been a deliberate attack against him or just an accident. Because of this, he felt an urgent need to become strong enough to handle any external threats. And now, with his "Second Self," he firmly believed he could do it.
Perhaps because of this, his voice naturally carried an unshakeable confidence and determination that even seemed to affect Lu Ke, who was standing beside him.
"A body without restraint, a will without fetters..." Yu Gang was silent for a moment. "That's not an easy goal." As he spoke, he slowly rose to his feet.
...
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