Chapter 56: Restless And Uneasy
On the second day of the New Year, Chen Wujun’s family went to Aunt’s house for New Year Visit.
After all, the eldest sister is the biggest, every year on the second day Chen Wujun’s family and his uncles’ families would go to Aunt’s house for New Year Visit gathering.
Chen Wujun’s current figure and temperament changes startled Aunt’s family.
Chen Wujun also unexpectedly learned some news, his cousin Ma Andi is now interning at a designated psychological support institution in East District 9 Federal Police Bureau.
This made Chen Wujun very interested.
After all, he does not plan to develop in the Walled City forever.
The Walled City always reeks, once he stands firm on his feet, he will definitely develop outward.
He beat around the bush for a while, and cousin immediately noticed.
“You seem very interested in the police station, huh?”
“Of course, I’ve wanted to be a police officer since I was little!” Chen Wujun said without changing his expression.
After all, he watches Police News every day.
However, cousin has only been interning for three months and doesn’t know much.
……
After returning from Aunt’s house, Chen Wujun told his parents, and Senior Brother Li agreed to let Shufen clean at the Martial Arts School.
Chen Wujun actually just mentioned it casually, but for Shufen, this is great news.
The Martial Arts School is large, with several rooms in the back, even a kitchen, and Chen Wujun has thought about moving to live at the Martial Arts School.
Shufen cleans at the Martial Arts School, lives at the Martial Arts School, cooks for herself, and gets 1500 bucks a month.
Now the Martial Arts School has only two students, not much to do usually, just clean the visible areas every day, two or three hours at most.
After Huang Meizhen found out, she personally took Shufen to the Martial Arts School with Chen Wujun.
“From now on you’ll stay here, there are rooms in the back, find an empty room to live in. There’s a kitchen, you know how to cook, right?”
Shufen nodded repeatedly.
Her dad is a gambler, her mom is a prostitute, she learned to cook for herself at a few years old.
Huang Meizhen thanked Senior Brother Li again.
After mom Huang Meizhen left, Chen Wujun said to Shufen: “Don’t tell anyone about Martial Arts School matters.”
Shufen nodded repeatedly again.
After settling Shufen, Chen Wujun dove back into the warehouse, practicing Swimming Dragon Palm in the warehouse every day.
That day at Sha Jiu’s home, seeing the circles of footprints on the cement ground made him realize the huge gap in strength between the two.
If the cement ground has cracks, Chen Wujun using full power can step out a pit, cement flying.
But individual footprints clearly visible, all five toes separated.
Obviously this was not deliberately stepped, but left during Practice Kung Fu.
What kung fu is this?
Moreover, Chen Wujun has a Gambling Duel signed with life and death document.
Now it’s already January 30th, more than two months until the Gambling Duel.
After practicing another two days in the warehouse, New Year not over yet, Chen Wujun had mastered Swimming Dragon Palm, then walked to the wooden stakes nearby to size them up.
Normally practicing Swimming Dragon Palm, first walk on flat ground, then on bricks, only then on wooden stakes.
However, Zhou Qing didn’t mention walking on bricks, and Chen Wujun hadn’t thought of it.
If not for the rooftop guard wall being unsuitable, he even wanted to walk on the rooftop.
These wooden stakes are one meter high, each bowl-mouth size, 0.96 meters between every two stakes, total 64, with hooks on top to hang sandbags.
Chen Wujun only needs nine.
After sizing up for a moment, he took off his clothes and shoes, moved his body a bit, then leaped up, directly jumping over one meter high, landing on one stake with single leg, body hardly swaying.
Then he stepped out, landing on the middle one of the nine wooden stakes he picked earlier.
Then he began moving constantly on the wooden stakes, each step flat and level, still Mud Treading Step.
His lower body kung fu was already extremely proficient.
One step landing on wooden stake, like rooted, body not swaying at all.
After walking two laps on the wooden stakes, familiar with the distances and directions, he began slowly Punching Practice.
Punching Practice is like pushing a millstone, Punching Practice must be slow, feel the power from every part of the body.
Otherwise if not practiced well, one injures oneself first.
Hitting people must be fast, fierce!
After practicing on wooden stakes for a few days, Chen Wujun hung a sandbag above the wooden stakes.
This immediately made the difficulty much higher.
Wooden stake just bowl-mouth size, exactly fitting the sole of the foot.
Chen Wujun stepped out while palming the sandbag, bang, thicker than water bucket, one-meter-high sandbag swung high up, but Chen Wujun also felt the opposing force, body swaying, almost falling off the wooden stake.
‘Learned in middle school, force is mutual. I hit sandbag, also receive reactive thrust! Need more energy to stabilize body.’
‘Also need to watch sandbag swing direction, one careless and get squeezed off by sandbag, just like someone attacking.’
‘Practicing like this, kung fu improves faster.’
‘But sandbag trajectory is fixed, still not as good as real person, especially Swimming Dragon Palm’s Lift Palm, Press Palm, Pierce Palm need Listening to Strength, follow person’s force to hit. After mastering wooden stake sandbag, still need real person to practice.’
Chen Wujun practiced with one sandbag for two days, one palm hitting out, body on wooden stake only slightly swaying.
Clear on which direction sandbag will swing, so added another sandbag.
Two sandbags constantly swinging on wooden stakes, he immediately felt difficulty much higher.
Half a month passed, after the fifteenth, Chen Wujun had hung three sandbags above wooden stakes, weaving between while palms constantly hitting sandbags, three sandbags swinging in air.
At this time Chen Wujun also began to feel the “drill” Master mentioned!
Three sandbags constantly struck and swinging in air, opportunity to pass through on wooden stakes often just an instant, must drill through in that instant.
Zhou Qing entered the warehouse and saw Chen Wujun constantly weaving on wooden stakes while drilling back and forth between the three swinging sandbags.
Seeing Master arrive, Chen Wujun jumped down from wooden stakes.
“Master!”
“Your kung fu progress is good, previously taught Swimming Dragon Palm practice method, today teach Swimming Dragon Palm fighting method.” Zhou Qing said.
“Swimming Dragon Palm comes from old Eight Trigram Palm, Eight Trigram Palm hands are vicious, many think Eight Trigram Palm flexible and changeable, looks like hitting your upper body, actually hitting your lower body.”
“Actually because Eight Trigram Palm hitting not on hands, but on elbows, feet also bring Hook.”
“Many kung fu bring elbows, other kung fu elbows you can see. Eight Trigram Palm elbows invisible.”
“You’ve seen saber, right? Saber kills not by stabbing, but by slashing. One stab out, opponent dodges, then follow with a slash.” Zhou Qing said, picking up a long-handled saber from side, thrust forward, slash back.
This slash is the killing one.
Of course, if opponent doesn’t dodge the stab, that stab can also kill, but if dodged, immediate slash, opponent hard to dodge.
“Swimming Dragon Palm same, this Progressive Pierce Palm, hit opponent’s face, definitely dodge or block!”
“If opponent leans back to dodge, hand pulls down, gouge opponent’s eyeballs. If not or blocked, hand pulls back like this, elbow smashes opponent’s chest.”
“Or Progressive Pierce Palm, hand retracting grabs his clothes pull back, foot hooks below, opponent loses balance, then turn Chop Palm.”
Zhou Qing put knife back on rack, demonstrated with Swimming Dragon Palm, simple Progressive Pierce Palm, hand forward grab, retract, several layers of changes.
Chen Wujun listened with keen interest.
Previously saw Sha Jiu act once, he had noticed.
Master said before, Swimming Dragon Palm whole body hits person.
These days practicing, he also realized some.
Now hearing Master explain, suddenly saw the light, things he hadn’t understood before all made sense.
Many Swimming Dragon Palm movements like this, looks like palm, actually palm with elbow, feet with trip.
……
Huang Meizhen went to dentistry to help, Chen Wuhong bored at home watching television.
Door knocked, Chen Wuhong shouted from room: “Who?”
“A Hong!” Familiar voice from outside.
Chen Wuhong hopped over to open room door, saw two friends who went to casino together outside.
“How come you guys?”
“Lan Du Hong, thought you died, no sign for so long!” One of them with joy on face.
Chen Wuhong cooped up home so long, finally saw familiar faces, opened door to let them in.
“So happy, won money huh?”
“Yeah, won tens of thousands these New Year days! I treat tonight, going?”
Chen Wuhong showed envious look upon hearing, hopped back to sofa, pointed at his legs: “Look where I can go?”
“That leg broke some days ago, this one too? How so miserable?”
“Don’t talk! Didn’t expect you to have turnaround day!” Chen Wuhong said.
“Who always loses? Before I just left money with them first!” The winner called A Chao, now beaming.
Chen Wuhong deeply agreed, even itchier hands.
“You guys fine, I’m home bored to grow lice.”
“Don’t say we not brothers, see you long no touch cards, want play few hands?” Other youth eyes flickering, pulled out slim deck from pocket, this paper Pai Gow.
Just Pai Gow is tiles, this cards, easy carry.
Chen Wuhong saw paper cards in opponent’s hand, heart immediately fired up.
But seeing surroundings, immediately deflated.
Few days ago Chen Wujun threatened him, now thinking of younger brother made him fearful.
He didn’t think Chen Wujun joking, but couldn’t admit cowardice verbally.
“This kind what fun? No feel at all.”
“Having better than none… so long no play cards, not scared to play right? Tell you, miss this village no next shop, A Chao now big rich.”
At this time A Chao looking around room, saw family photo on TV cabinet, picked up to look.
Seeing one person on it, gaze immediately fixed.
One person on it, he had seen.
Though figure, temperament completely different from photo, but face not much changed.
New Year day, at gambling den on Long Jin Street, over a dozen He Tu people called him Brother Jun.
Opponent looked young, he curiously inquired.
Then knew opponent is Sha Jiu’s favored.
And Sha Jiu is one of Four Heavenly Kings of He Tu, ordinary people can’t even see.
“A Hong, you surname Chen?”
“You just know?” Chen Wuhong still struggling inside.
“Your younger brother? What’s he called?” A Chao holding photo asked.
“Chen Wujun… what?”
“Nothing, just you rarely mentioned him, looks quite like you.” A Chao put down family photo, immediately uneasy.
