Chapter 24: Stance Method And Martial Skills
“Whether it’s stance methods or martial skills, if discussing the degree of mastery, it’s nothing more than beginner, minor accomplishment, great accomplishment, and transformation realm.”
Song Qi said to Su Yan: “Try standing the Golden Ape Stance.”
Su Yan nodded and complied. His figure moved, immediately assuming the Golden Ape Stance Training. His form rose and fell like an old ape, with long and natural breathing.
“Beginner is the threshold. Only by crossing this threshold can it be considered learned. This is true for both stance methods and martial skills. Without reaching beginner, you can’t even use it.”
Song Qi’s eyes flickered, secretly surprised in his heart. Su Yan’s Golden Ape Stance Training was not only minor accomplishment, but already beyond minor accomplishment, having taken a few steps forward. The ape form was as desired, seeming like instinct.
He continued: “Minor accomplishment is proficient mastery, able to exert its due effects, and also the highest realm ordinary people can reach.”
Su Yan adjusted his breathing, his expression shifting: “What about great accomplishment?”
Song Qi sneered disdainfully: “What do you think great accomplishment is? Mastering a skill?”
Song Qi casually walked two steps. Su Yan’s pupils contracted, looking at him in utmost shock.
Song Qi did not assume stance training, but in Su Yan’s eyes, it was as if he transformed, like a Green Sheep inhaling and exhaling the surrounding qi. His form rose and fell, as if leaping between mountains, rivers, and forest.
“Got it?”
Su Yan seemed to half-understand: “Walking like stance, moving like stance, every moment is cultivation, becoming instinct?”
“Not just instinct, but fused into the body, form and intent united.”
Song Qi turned around. Though not as obvious as before, Su Yan now realized that Song Qi’s every move in daily life was stance training, with muscles and breathing all in motion.
“Minor accomplishment operates as desired, which is actually sufficient, but great accomplishment’s stance training and techniques naturally have greater power and effects.”
Su Yan was somewhat impatient: “How can one achieve it?”
“Comprehension, compatibility, and grinding effort.”
Song Qi instructed Su Yan: “With one of the three, great accomplishment is possible. But in fact, grinding effort is a false concept.”
“There’s falsehood in this?”
“Ordinary people can reach minor accomplishment through familiarity breeding proficiency, but not great accomplishment. So-called grinding effort is piling up countless time and experience, waiting for a flash of inspiration. Understand?”
Song Qi sighed: “Some take three years, some thirty years, some a lifetime without getting that flash of inspiration.”
“Spirit herbs for forceful breakthrough, guidance from experts, compatibility with cultivation manuals. Without that comprehension, only such methods remain.”
Song Qi patted Su Yan’s shoulder, making him withdraw the stance training: “Your stance training has advanced a bit more than the other day. It’s probably due to your high compatibility. Great accomplishment is not impossible. Your thinking is correct. Try operating the stance method into your steps, into Monkey Fist, and into everyday movements. Naturally, the day of great accomplishment will come.”
With this guidance, Song Qi truly treated Su Yan as a junior nephew or younger generation.
“With Golden Ape Stance Training at great accomplishment, your qi and blood surging will be even more powerful, and skin refining will be much faster.”
Su Yan’s eyes brightened slightly: “Then isn’t transformation realm even more powerful?”
“Transformation realm?”
Song Qi was amused by Su Yan’s question: “What do you think transformation realm requires? Only one thing: talent, that is, exceptional comprehension. Among ten thousand people, there might not be one who can practice a technique to transformation realm. Even with extreme compatibility, the required comprehension is beyond ordinary people.”
He paused, perhaps afraid of discouraging Su Yan, and explained: “Transformation realm is already a transcendent state, transcending the technique itself, fusing with nature, exerting power beyond the original technique.”
After finishing on the realms of techniques, Song Qi pondered for a moment and said: “I didn’t expect you to progress so quickly. If Na Hu’s money isn’t urgently needed, go buy some feral beast meat to eat more. Red Skin Powder from Hundred Herbs Hall can also assist tempering; buy some.”
Su Yan asked Song Qi some questions about Monkey Fist, and Song Qi did not refuse, pointing them out one by one.
In the afternoon, Su Yan left Hundred Herbs Hall and returned to Yun Qian Village.
——
“You’re saying Niu Han’s loan receipts are only left with these?”
In the Mountain Market marketplace, in a courtyard, Niu Dang and Niu Daqi were kicked to the ground, their faces already bruised black and purple, looking utterly wretched.
They knelt and kowtowed repeatedly before a sinister man in python-embroidered martial robes, their foreheads knocked bloody.
“Boss, this is really all that’s left. We rushed into the fire to grab them out.”
On the table, in a small wooden box, wads of loan receipt paper were crumpled together, in utter chaos. Some were half-burned, some already scorched yellow.
The box, which should have been full, now held less than a quarter.
“Useless trash!”
Gu Hong kicked again, sending Niu Dang flying.
Niu Dang endured the pain, got up to kowtow: “Boss, those scoundrels heard Big Brother had gone and dared to set fire to the house, burning the loan receipts like this. I still remember who borrowed money; I’ll go one by one—”
“Get lost!”
Gu Hong slapped the table, smashing the table and chairs: “Do you think Yun Cang Town is yours to control, or the Little Mountain Association’s?”
Without loan receipts, forcing collection of money—mountain villagers couldn’t resist, but for this silver, it would leave a huge handle, easily targeted by the yamen folks, and that Lin Family and Hundred Herbs Hall sorts.
Gu Hong’s eyes flickered, pondering in his heart: ‘This Niu Han is useless at accomplishing things but excels at ruining them. Just entered the association, and such bad luck. If no one lends now, not only is my source cut off, enslaving for procurement will be hard too, and it’ll draw blame from above.’
His gaze swept over Niu Dang and Niu Daqi, anger rising uncontrollably.
If Niu Han was a waste, then these two fellow villagers, his cousins, were utter fools.
Forget replacing Niu Han; even in the village, they probably couldn’t match one or two strong men. How could they rally people for lending?
‘Trouble.’
Gu Hong needed a source of silver to raise a glove. These things weren’t good to order gang members to do, as they were private matters.
For now, he could only scout others, and they had to be from these ten miles and eight townships. Otherwise, how to lend to the countryside?
“I heard Yun Qian Village produced a character?”
His gaze shifted, suddenly asking: “Do you know the one who beat the tiger today?”
Niu Dang and Niu Daqi exchanged a glance, stammering: “We know him. It’s Yun Qian Village’s Su Yan. His father owed us ten taels of silver.”
“What’s the family situation?”
Niu Dang and Niu Daqi looked odd but didn’t dare lie: “Father fell to death. Only him left. Heard he joined Golden Ape Martial Arts School, learned some skills, has some ability.”
“Learned some skills? That’s a bit of trouble.”
His eyes narrowed, cunning flashing, pondered a moment, and said: “Carefully track his whereabouts. If he comes to the marketplace again, come tell me.”
“Boss, what do you want with him? If there’s something, we—”
“You?”
Gu Hong’s gaze swept over: “You two behave obediently. If Su Yan is willing to do things for me for a year or two, I’ll introduce him to the association. As for you, if obedient, possible to join with him.”
Niu Dang and Niu Daqi looked at each other. This Gu Hong actually wanted Su Yan as his glove for lending.
The two inwardly wailed. Truly a city young master, so arrogant.
Didn’t Gu Hong know they still didn’t understand?
The Black Rock Ginseng offered to Gu Hong back then wasn’t personally gathered by Niu Han, but exchanged with Su Dahe’s life.
In this situation, if Su Yan found out.
The two shuddered, but Gu Hong didn’t think it would fail.
A young man with no backing, at most an outer disciple of Golden Ape Martial Arts School.
Handled properly, he would naturally obey.
