Di Ming

Chapter 48 Illness
As soon as Qi Jin made his move, Qi Jiguang shouted again, "Go easy on me!"

He was, of course, afraid that his nephew would harm his adopted son.

Zhu Yin is a master of grappling and fighting, with a foundation in martial arts, capable of handling a combined attack from four or five ordinary strong men.

Although he has now become a child, his muscle memory is still there, and his reactions are very quick.

Moreover, Qi Jin was also a child, not much older than him by more than two years.

His hand moved as if by instinct, and he instinctively launched a blocking and grappling move, his movements as fast as lightning and very decisive.

Countless people who threw punches at him were parried and subdued by him before their fists could even land.

However, at that moment, Qi Jin's fierce straight punch suddenly changed direction and became a hook punch.

Even if an average person could execute this kind of change of tactics, they would be stiff and slow down, making it ineffective.

However, Qi Jin's change of move was very natural. The straight punch turned into a swing punch, and the movement was seamless. There was no trace of awkward connection.

It is highly deceptive.

Just when Zhu Yin thought it was a straight punch, it turned into a side hook, without any prior warning.

and!

The speed is still incredibly fast!

This rendered Zhu Yin's parry and grappling technique ineffective.

Zhu Yin reacted swiftly. In a moment of desperation, he switched from offense to defense, raising his left elbow to strike the opponent's fist.

The boxing manual says that fists fear elbow strikes, and elbows fear knee strikes. If Qi Jin's hook punch collides with his elbow strike, Qi Jin will definitely be the one who suffers.

Qi Jin's punch wasn't simply a straight punch turned into a hook. He not only coordinated a footwork movement, but also made a backswing motion with his left hand.

This move looks a bit flashy, but it seems to serve no purpose other than to look good.

However, at the same time, Qi Jin's body suddenly swung to the right during this backswing motion, and with the power of his right hook, his right foot spun and flew up!

What? The hook punch was just a feint? The real killing move is this whirlwind kick!

Zhu Yin was a bit stunned. He wanted to change his strategy, but how could he possibly react in time when caught off guard?

Snapped!
Zhu Yin was kicked in the raised left arm, which immediately went numb, and his whole body tilted to the right.

Qi Jin landed a spinning kick, spun around, and his left leg flew up quickly.

It was a double kick!

"Smack!" Zhu Yin was hit on the left cheek and fell to the right.

The kick wasn't powerful, but it was enough to knock him down.

With a "thud," Zhu Yin's small body fell onto the sand, his head buzzing and his mouth full of sand.

I lost?
Defeated in a single move?

I'm an agent who has carried out assassination and counter-espionage missions, and I've undergone three years of professional tactical training. I can take on several people at once.
Even though Qi Jin was nearly two years older than him and had been learning martial arts for five years, Zhu Yin still found it hard to believe.

Qi Jin decisively defeated Zhu Yin and then refrained from further attacks. Instead, he took a few steps back and stood beside Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang looked down at Zhu Yin, who was lying on the ground spitting out sand, and said calmly:

"You do have some skill; it's clear you have a foundation. But your foundation is still too superficial."

"Your moves are too simple and too direct. They look powerful, but they can only be used against novices who have never practiced martial arts."

"Chihko, do you know where you went wrong?"

"Pah! Pah!" Zhu Yin spat out the sand in his mouth, scrambled to his feet, and replied:
“In reply to my godfather, I lost because I did not know the strength of my opponent, and I myself did not know the strength of my opponent.”

Qi Jiguang nodded, "You are very smart. That's right, you lost because you didn't have any feints, while your opponent did."

"Hands and feet, swords and blades, are like fighting a war. They must combine feints and real attacks, yin and yang in harmony. How can one be all real attacks and no feints, straightforward and direct?"

"What is a feint? It is a shield, an obstacle, a deception. In martial arts, besides training strength and speed, one must also integrate the real and the illusory, and be able to transform between them at will."

"In this way, the enemy will be unable to defend against it, how can they possibly be a match for it?"

"But the real and the feint must be balanced. Too many feints are too rigid and just empty gestures. They not only cannot serve as a shield or confuse the enemy, but they are also vulnerable to attack."

"But without any feints, your directness is like that of an unarmored soldier, leaving you vulnerable to being exploited by a stronger opponent."

"Unless you are extremely strong and can overcome all techniques with sheer force, you can return to simplicity without using skills, which is another matter."

"If you are not far stronger than your opponent, then you must learn feints."

Qi Jiguang's words were like a wake-up call, enlightening Zhu Yin.

It turns out that the so-called simplicity and directness, the shortest attack distance in a straight line, and the ineffectiveness of fancy tricks... are all wrong.

It's a prejudice held by people who don't understand martial arts.

Chinese martial arts are not just about fancy moves.

Tricks are a shield, but also a tactical deception to mislead the opponent's judgment.

Tricks are just empty moves. The so-called uselessness of tricks is actually because people haven't fully understood them or know how to use them effectively.

The person is still outside the door; it's not that the skill is useless.

Qi Jiguang continued, "The Japanese samurai were well-versed in the art of deception. Their swordsmanship was a mix of deception and reality, and their movements were equally unpredictable, leaving opponents bewildered and unable to attack or defend."

"Only when one has mastered the art of deception and reality, and can integrate tricks and killing moves into one, transforming into one another, and possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities, can one be a match for ten men, just as one who is armored can kill the unarmored."

"You and Qi Jin will fight again. This time, you go first!" "Yes!" Zhu Yin stood up, took a deep breath, assumed an attacking stance, and suddenly threw a beautiful hook punch.

The movements were swift and simple.

But Qi Jin raised his left hand and blocked his fist.

Zhu Yin had been waiting for this moment. His fist was blocked, so he immediately changed his fist into a hook and pulled it towards his chest, while at the same time raising his left knee to push it down.

This move was extremely swift and ruthless.

If it were someone else, they wouldn't even have time to react before being hit by a knee and immediately losing their fighting ability.

Qi Jin's response was to strike downwards with his left elbow, effectively blocking the knee with his elbow.

Zhu Yin felt a slight surge of joy. Since the knee was stronger than the elbow, even though Qi Jin had a countermeasure, he would inevitably suffer a loss.

Zhu Yin subconsciously exerted more force, hoping to win with a single knee strike.

However, Qi Jin's elbow strike turned out to be a feint!
Just as his elbow and knee were about to collide, his arm suddenly sprang out like an arrow, piercing straight into his groin!
This feint, a combination of real and deceptive moves, completely fooled him.

At that moment, he was raising his knee, leaving his groin area wide open for defense.

With a flick of his arm, Qi Jin could strike a vital spot.

Therefore, his hand would definitely strike his own genitals before his knee could hit him.

As a result, not only did his knee strike fail to work, but he was also subdued by his opponent in one move.

Even if they don't become eunuchs, they will still lose their fighting ability.

Terrified, Zhu Yin could no longer thrust his knee forward and could only turn to try and block the opponent's groin-grabbing claws.

Qi Jin casually pulled him, and Zhu Yin, with only one leg, fell to the ground with a thud, landing in a daze again, sand getting into his mouth once more.

"Ptooey! Ptooey!" Zhu Yin's face turned red as he angrily spat out sand, and he couldn't help but touch his private parts.

Fortunately, Qi Jin showed mercy.

Qi Jiguang frowned and said, "Who taught you your fists and feet? Do you even understand martial arts? Incompetent teachers are truly misleading students."

Do you know where you went wrong?

Zhu Yin's heart sank. He scrambled to his feet, looking disheveled, and said with his arms crossed:

"I still lost because I didn't understand how to adapt to the situation and was misled by my opponent's feints."

Qi Jiguang nodded: "But you are quick to attack and quick to respond, even if your method is wrong. You still have the basics."

"You'll spar with Qi Jin for the next two days and learn from him. If you have talent, you can achieve nine losses and one win in one day, and eight losses and two wins in two days."

"If you can achieve a 3-win-7-loss record, then you won't need to fight him anymore, and I'll personally guide you."

"Yes." Zhu Yin was no longer discouraged, but instead looked forward to it.

This is the true essence of Chinese martial arts. What are all those later creations anyway?

Only then did Qi Jin speak:
“Brother Zhihu, my skills are insignificant. Uncle is the true warrior, clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, capable of defeating a hundred soldiers and invincible.”

Just then, Ning Caiwei arrived carrying Ning Qingchen.

The two sisters were stunned when they saw Zhu Yin in such a disheveled state.

Did he get beaten up?

"Hehehe..." Dr. Ning, who has a low threshold for laughter, couldn't help but laugh.

"Godfather!" Ning Caiwei also addressed Zhu Yin as godfather.

Qi Jiguang nodded. He liked the young girl very much; she seemed to be a woman with a pure and insightful heart.

What pleased him even more was that she didn't have bound feet. Women who didn't bind their feet were a rare sight indeed.

Qi Jiguang suddenly noticed that the baby girl was staring at him with a curious expression, not blinking.

The baby girl's eyes also looked a little strange.

Upon seeing that Doctor Ning had arrived, Zhu Yin asked, "How is my godfather's illness?"

Qi Jin replied, "My uncle has a cough, a dry cough. It's especially bad at night; the doctor said his lungs are damaged... He also has pain in both leg joints, which they say is a type of arthralgia..."

As Dr. Ning listened to Qi Jin's description of the patient's condition, he carefully observed Qi Jiguang's complexion.

To make it easier for her to observe, Ning Caiwei hugged her and moved closer to Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang shook his head and said, "Even if I had money, it would be difficult for ordinary doctors to cure my illness, unless they are famous doctors like Li Shizhen or Chen Jiamo."

Zhu Yin said, "I met a Taoist priest before who gave me some medicine and taught me some secluded medical techniques. I don't know if he can cure my godfather."

Qi Jiguang wouldn't take it seriously. He just thought it was a child's words of comfort and replied with a perfunctory smile:

“I know you are filial. Hmm, keep sparring, make sure you spar ten times this morning. This afternoon, study military strategy.”

Ning Caiwei also wanted to learn martial arts, after all, she had studied Taekwondo before and didn't consider herself a weak woman.

However, she had to send her sister back first.

Ning Caiwei greeted everyone and then carried her younger sister back home.

After returning to her room, Ning Caiwei asked, "Dr. Ning, you've listened and seen everything, so tell me what you think."

"Is it curable, or is it not curable?"

(End of this chapter)