Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 37 Hidden Strength
Guang'anfang.

In the courtyard of the Righteous Gang headquarters, weapons were scattered on the blue brick ground, and several men were practicing boxing shirtless, their shouts shaking the paper windows.

When the man with the triangular eyes who was keeping watch lifted the curtain and entered the room, he saw the gang leader Zhao Meng and the deputy gang leader Qian Bao sitting in the hall, with wine and meat laid out in front of them.

Zhao Meng was burly and had a menacing scar on his left arm; he was a master of the peak of Ming Jin (a martial arts style). Qian Bao, on the other hand, was as lean as a monkey, with sinister eyes. He had also been stuck at the peak of Ming Jin for many years, and his external martial arts skills were quite solid.

"Chief, Deputy Chief!" The man with triangular eyes bowed and recounted his encounter with Yang Jing at the tea stall. "That kid stood at the entrance of Guang'anfang Street for quite a while, his eyes were strange, like he was sizing up our people."

"Yang Jing?" Zhao Meng put down his wine bowl, his scarred face darkening. "Is that the Ming Jin martial artist who had a grudge against the Dayun Gang back then?"

Qian Bao sneered, "It seems we were right. Xu Tai was most likely killed by him. Otherwise, why would he go through Guang'anfang via the Sun family martial arts school? He must be feeling guilty and trying to find out what we're up to."

A few days ago, the gang investigated Yang Jing and found out that he not only had a grudge against the Dayun Gang, but was also a master of Ming Jin, and was fully capable of killing the seriously injured Xu Tai.

The men sent to Tongyifang to investigate last night returned and said they hadn't found out anything. Now, hearing that Yang Jing had taken the initiative to appear in Guang'anfang, the two men found it even more suspicious.

Zhao Meng slammed his hand on the table, making the wine bowl bounce: "Find it! Send men to sneak into his courtyard and search it thoroughly! Make sure you find the Dayun Gang's valuables!"

As far as Zhao Meng knew, Xu Tai had once made a fortune, so the Dayun Gang's accumulated wealth was not small, at least several hundred taels of silver.

"If we can't find him," Qian Bao licked his lips, a ruthless glint in his eyes, "then don't blame us for being impolite. Even if he's a mere brat at the Ming Jin level, what can he possibly do to us?"

Zhao Meng grinned, revealing his yellow teeth: "Aren't we both at the peak of Ming Jin? Even if he has some tricks up his sleeve, I can capture him in a one-on-one fight. If we join forces, he won't even have a chance to struggle!"

The two looked at each other and saw certainty in each other's eyes.

In their view, a young Ming Jin martial artist was no match for the two of them, both veterans at the peak of Ming Jin.

"Go, send two quick-witted men to scout Tongyi Ward this afternoon." Zhao Meng waved his hand. "If they don't find anything, then prepare to take action!"

The man with the triangular eyes accepted the order and left. The wine and meat in the room still smelled delicious. Zhao Meng and Qian Bao raised their wine bowls and clinked them together, as if they felt they had completely controlled Yang Jing and victory was in their grasp.

When Yang Jing arrived at the martial arts school, there were a few early-arriving disciples warming up in the front yard.

Knowing that Sun Yong was usually resting in the inner courtyard at this time, he did not disturb him. He walked to the stone lock and warmed up his qi and blood.

After warming up, I walked to the wooden stake and began practicing the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

But now, when I practice this boxing style again, my mindset is completely different.

The hidden strength circulates in the meridians. Every punch is accompanied by a restrained, deep force. When the wind from the punches sweeps over the wooden stake, there are no obvious marks on the surface, but a subtle tremor can be felt inside.

He became more and more engrossed in his practice, incorporating his insights from the breakthrough into his boxing style, and the familiar moves gradually underwent new changes.

When the sun was two zhang high in the sky, a commotion came from the inner courtyard.

Sun Yong came out, followed by Xu Hong, Lin Yue and others, all dressed in tight-fitting clothes, clearly about to go out.

Yang Jing stopped punching and was about to step forward to speak.

Sun Yong led his group out of the martial arts school quickly, presumably to spar with other martial arts schools.

Watching their departing figures, Yang Jing had no choice but to swallow back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He smiled, turned around and continued practicing his boxing. He figured he'd be back eventually, so there was no rush.

Afternoon, in the front yard of the martial arts school.

Yang Jing's Bengshan Fist has been practiced to the point of being fluid and effortless.

The internal force is contained, and the fist's wind appears gentle, yet when it lands on a wooden stake, it can silently break the wood fibers inside. This is the wonderful application of the "penetrating" principle of internal force.

Although Yang Jing did not have the subsequent training methods of the Bengshanquan (Crushing Mountain Fist), he often sparred with Liu Maolin and had some understanding of the hidden strength.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the gate. Yang Jing glanced over and saw that it was his master, Sun Yong, returning with his disciples who had gone out for sparring.

Sun Yong had a calm expression and a slight smile on his lips, clearly in a good mood. Behind him were Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Lin Yue, and others. The group went straight into the inner courtyard, obviously to hold a small meeting and summarize the situation.

Yang Jing withdrew his fist and did not immediately follow.

There were many people in the inner courtyard at the moment, and he didn't want to join in the fun, so he stayed where he was, adjusted his breathing, and waited for the right opportunity.

Not long after, Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, Lin Yue and others came out from the inner courtyard.

The disciples in the front courtyard immediately surrounded them, asking all sorts of questions about the battle.

"Senior Brother, how was the sparring session today?"

"Did Senior Brother Lin win again?"

Qi Yun smiled and announced loudly, "Our martial arts school has won a great victory today! Especially Junior Brother Lin Yue, who defeated three masters of internal strength from the opposing team, and impressed everyone from Weiyuan Martial Arts School and Iron Fist School!"

"Hiss! He took down three masters of internal energy in a row! Goodness, those are internal energy masters! Senior Brother Lin is amazing!"

"As expected of our martial arts school's number one genius!"

Exclamations of praise rose and fell. Lin Yue stood in the crowd, a faint air of arrogance on his face, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene with a hint of self-satisfaction.

Yang Jing ignored this and, seeing that almost everyone in the inner courtyard had come out, dusted himself off and strode toward the moon gate of the inner courtyard.

It wasn't until he was almost at the inner courtyard that a disciple noticed him.

"What is Senior Brother Yang doing in the inner courtyard?"

"Did Master call him?"

The discussion was filled with surprise, and even Xu Hong was taken aback.

Lin Yue and Qi Yun frowned slightly.

Ordinary registered disciples are not qualified to enter the inner courtyard. Although Ming Jin disciples are qualified to enter the inner courtyard, they rarely go in and will not enter the inner courtyard unless summoned by their master.

Only core disciples with hidden strength who are valued by their masters will frequently enter the inner courtyard.

However, Zhao Wenzheng, Lin Yue and the others did not think that Yang Jing had broken through to the internal strength realm; they only felt that Yang Jing had something to ask his master.

Ignoring the stares around him, Yang Jing walked steadily through the moon gate, his figure disappearing into the shade of the trees in the courtyard. The hustle and bustle of the front yard seemed to be shut out by an invisible barrier.

The inner courtyard is quiet and secluded, with several old osmanthus trees providing ample shade and casting dappled light and shadow.

Yang Jing had only taken a few steps when he saw Sun Ningxiang carrying a medicine bowl walking through the corridor, her plain dress swaying gently in the shadows of the trees.

"Junior Brother Yang?" Sun Ningxiang stopped in her tracks, somewhat surprised. "Why did you come in? Is something the matter?"

"Senior Sister, I wish to see Master. I have important matters to report," Yang Jing said, bowing. Sun Ningxiang hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Please wait a moment, I'll go and ask."

After saying that, he turned and went into the main room.

A moment later, she lifted the curtain and came out, saying to Yang Jing, "Junior Brother Yang, Father wants you to come in."

Yang Jing thanked him and stepped into the house.

Sun Yong was sitting in a grand chair, stroking a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand. When he saw him come in, he raised his eyelids and asked, "What do you want with me?"

Yang Jing bowed respectfully, his tone steady yet clear: "Master, I attempted to break through to the Dark Force realm last night."

"Huh? What did you say?" Sun Yong's hand suddenly stopped moving, and the prayer beads collided together with a "snap".

He looked up at Yang Jing, his eyes filled with doubt and astonishment, wondering if he had misheard. "Say it again?"

"I was fortunate enough to break through to the Dark Force realm last night," Yang Jing said again, his voice neither humble nor arrogant.

Sun Yong heard clearly this time, and stood up abruptly, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

He walked up to Yang Jing in a few steps, his eyes sharp, and looked him up and down. Then he pointed to the sandbag on one side of the room and said in a deep voice, "Show me a Mountain-Crushing Fist, using hidden force."

Yang Jing stood still as instructed, focused his mind and energy, and slowly unleashed the "Stone Splitting" technique.

The punch wasn't particularly powerful at first, but as it traveled halfway through its trajectory, a restrained force quietly emerged from the body, accompanied by a muffled whooshing sound, and landed on the sandbag not far away.

There was no earth-shattering impact sound, and the surface of the sandbag barely shook, but the cotton inside was shaken inward with a "poof," leaving a fist-shaped mark about an inch deep.

This is precisely the sign of hidden strength penetrating the body and striking directly at the inside, far surpassing the brute force of manifest strength.

"It really is hidden strength!" Sun Yong's pupils shrank slightly, he gasped, and stared straight at Yang Jing, scrutinizing him for the first time.

A storm raged within him.

He knew Yang Jing's innate talent; it was only of inferior quality, even mediocre among those of inferior talent.

Sun Yong's impression of Yang Jing was that he was calm and hardworking, and that it was already quite difficult for him to break through to the Ming Jin level, but he never thought that Yang Jing could break through to the An Jin level.

Once you reach the peak of Ming Jin (a martial arts skill), the bottleneck is no longer something that can be overcome through diligent practice.

If one's innate constitution is weak, it is as difficult as climbing to heaven to overcome that bottleneck. Forcing one to break through will only injure oneself again and again. If this happens repeatedly, one's vital energy will be severely depleted, one's very foundation will be destroyed, and one may even lose one's life.

How many disciples with average talent have emerged from the martial arts school? As far as Sun Yong knew, those disciples were basically stuck at the peak of Ming Jin for several years or even more than ten years, and they could hardly even begin to grasp the secrets of An Jin. Yet this Yang Jing... actually became one without anyone noticing?

"You... how many times have you successfully broken through the bottleneck?" Sun Yong took a deep breath and looked at Yang Jing. He had seen too many disciples stuck at the bottleneck and knew how difficult it was to break through.

"Reporting to Master, this is my first attempt."

"The first time?!" Sun Yong's face twitched slightly, his heart filled with shock and complex emotions.

In the entire martial arts school, only Lin Yue succeeded on his first try. The other disciples with internal strength all stumbled and struggled, some even trying two or three times before they could even touch the threshold of internal strength. How could Yang Jing, with his inferior aptitude, succeed on his first try?

After the initial shock, an overwhelming sense of joy welled up inside me.

He slapped Yang Jing hard on the shoulder, so hard that Yang Jing staggered slightly: "Good! Good lad! I misjudged you!"

The addition of a disciple with hidden strength to the sect is already a joyous occasion. Moreover, Sun Yong now suspects that although Yang Jing has poor aptitude, he may be able to make up for it in other aspects, such as comprehension.

While innate talent is the most important factor, other factors, such as comprehension, can also influence martial arts talent.

Even if someone has poor natural talent, a person with high comprehension still has potential.

Sun Yong guessed that Yang Jing might have poor aptitude, but his comprehension and other factors might be better.

When Yang Jing broke through to the Ming Jin level, he thought it was just good luck and a lucky breakthrough.

Now that Yang Jing has broken through to the Dark Force realm, Sun Yong can no longer attribute it to luck.

It's not that there aren't people with such incredible luck, but it can't happen to the same person twice in a row.

"This kid may seem ordinary, but he actually has hidden potential."

Sun Yong's wrinkles smoothed out, and his admiration was undisguised. This was no fluke; it was clearly a rough gem that he had almost overlooked!

Although his potential is not yet comparable to Lin Yue's, Sun Yong was unusually pleased that the martial arts school had produced such a promising disciple with hidden strength.

He paced back and forth a few times, then laughed and said, "Now that you have broken through to the Dark Force level, I will pass on the follow-up techniques of the Mountain Crushing Fist to you!"

Sun Yong walked to the bookshelf, took down a thread-bound ancient book from the top shelf, and wrote three simple characters on the cover: "Crushing Mountain Fist".

He placed the boxing manual on the table, his fingertips lightly tracing the yellowed pages. His tone, no longer calm, carried a hint of solemnity: "Ming Jin emphasizes 'hardness,' while An Jin emphasizes 'contraction' and 'penetration.' The subsequent training methods of this Bengshan Fist emphasize that internal strength is hidden in the bones and released from the tip of the tongue. It may seem like a single punch, but in reality, the force is divided into three paths: one strikes the surface, one penetrates the interior, and the third..."

He suddenly raised his hand and made a feint punch at the paperweight on the corner of the table.

Without any strong wind, a fine crack appeared on the inside of the blue stone paperweight.

"This is 'entanglement,' which allows internal energy to circulate within the enemy's body, resulting in a continuous and uninterrupted flow of energy."

Yang Jing held his breath and focused intently on the diagrams and annotations in the boxing manual, afraid of missing a single word.

Sun Yong explained in great detail, from the methods of circulating qi to the subtle changes in the moves, and even personally demonstrated several times how the spine twists like a dragon when exerting force.

"Take a look at this move, 'Severing the River.' When it's in the open form, it's a horizontal punch that sweeps out like a giant axe splitting water. When it becomes in the hidden form, the wrist needs to be turned inward by half an inch, allowing the energy to flow along the forearm. When it touches the enemy, the wrist is suddenly flipped, and the energy is like a venomous snake emerging from its hole..."

As Sun Yong spoke, he pulled Yang Jing's arm to correct the angle of his force. The force from his fingertips was just right, allowing him to feel the flow of energy without causing him pain.

This kind of intimate guidance was something Yang Jing had never experienced before.

In the past, when Sun Yong instructed him, he would usually stand aside and say a few key points, and there were very few instances of him teaching him hand in hand like this.

At this moment, Sun Yong's tone was gentle and encouraging: "Although your aptitude is inferior, your comprehension is excellent, and you practice martial arts diligently, so your foundation is solid and strong. In particular, your control over internal energy is much more stable than that of ordinary disciples who have just entered the realm of internal energy. In that punch just now, the 'penetration' technique had already reached three-tenths of its potential. Given time, you will surely achieve great success."

He gently patted Yang Jing's shoulder and said with a smile, "Disciple, if you have any questions in the future, come to the inner courtyard to find me anytime. Don't be bound by the rules."

"Thank you, Master!"

Yang Jing felt a warmth in his heart, and could clearly sense the change in Sun Yong's attitude, which was a teacher's genuine care and expectations for a junior.

He became increasingly focused, engraving every word of Sun Yong in his mind. The characters on the boxing manual seemed to come alive, gradually resonating with the hidden energy flowing within his body.

(End of this chapter)