Chapter 79: Strike To Kill
The concept of bioelectricity is explained in detail in Cold Steel, because this is an important part of New Technique.
“Correct, just now your hand was numb and couldn’t move because I cut off your nerve conduction.” Zhou Qing nodded.
This disciple truly has good comprehension; he understood the essence of Qi Refining just by feeling it once.
“Master, if you can cut off someone else’s nerve conduction with just a touch, isn’t there a world of difference between Qi Refining martial artists and Body Tempering martial artists?” Chen Wujun asked, somewhat puzzled.
Senior Brother Li had said before that if a Body Tempering martial artist has exceptional talent, it’s not uncommon for them to beat a Qi Refining martial artist to death.
“Who said Qi Refining can cut off someone else’s nerves?” Zhou Qing asked in return.
Chen Wujun understood this time.
Just now, Zhou Qing had only made him feel the difference, which didn’t mean Qi Refining could achieve this level.
“Everyone’s body has bioelectricity. Each of your cells is like a miniature battery that can absorb and release bioelectricity. Your heart is your bioelectric generator…”
“Your brain is an unceasing bioelectric storm composed of hundreds of billions of neurons. All your thoughts, memories, and emotions are products of these complex current activities… This is the foundation of biological existence.”
“So-called Qi Refining means you fully control yourself and, through various methods, control and enhance the bioelectricity in your body, then continuously stimulate and temper your body and internal organs.”
“In combat, this current is transformed into more ferocious force and released—that is qi.”
“Although Qi Refining and Hidden Force are different, the principles are interconnected.”
“Don’t look at those ancient texts talking about profound mysteries, like Hidden Force requiring all six yin to be complete, unity of heaven and man—it’s just that science hadn’t developed to this point before. The ancients knew the ‘why’ but not the ‘must,’ they knew the phenomenon but not the essence.”
“The ancients could practice it and feel it, but didn’t know how to explain it, so they summarized a set of rhetoric based on practice and imagination. Later generations reading these explanations only found them obscure and hard to understand.”
Every time Zhou Qing gave a lecture, he set aside those profound mysteries and explained them using modern science.
This made it much more straightforward and easy to understand, allowing Chen Wujun to grasp it immediately.
There was another reason: given Chen Wujun’s educational foundation as a middle school graduate, if Zhou Qing talked about those profound ‘Dao arises from nothingness producing one qi, then from one qi producing yin and yang,’ he might not understand.
After listening, Chen Wujun pondered for a long time and figured out some more things:
“Master, New Technique is like a battery, continuously charging the body, causing the body to gradually undergo mutation…”
“While Old Technique is about controlling and strengthening the bioelectricity in the body, like a generator producing its own electricity.”
“That’s roughly correct.” Zhou Qing nodded slightly.
“Then, during Standing Meditation before, Magnetic Field Crystals were needed to activate and strengthen the bioelectricity in each part… Isn’t this similar to New Technique?”
Chen Wujun had been thinking about this while reading Cold Steel.
Cold Steel provides an extremely comprehensive analysis of New Technique in combat.
“The two were never opposed to begin with; they just have different foundations, but in the end, they converge. New Technique, after years of development, has absorbed some Old Technique elements, and Old Technique has similarly absorbed much from New Technique.” Zhou Qing explained with a smile.
“I understand.” Chen Wujun let out a long breath. Zhou Qing’s explanation dissected the principles clearly, making him understand a lot.
“Master, so how exactly do you refine qi?”
“Qi Refining requires adhering to your true heart, subduing the Heart Monkey… Heart and will must unite, will and qi must unite. Whatever your heart is like, connect that will, then use your willpower to subdue your other chaotic thoughts.” Zhou Qing said slowly.
“Think carefully about what your inner self is—that will be your path from now on, then firm up your will. Whether it’s justice or greed, benevolence or tyranny, when practicing punches, you twist strength into one force; now, you must twist your heart into one force!”
That’s why he saw Chen Wujun performing a set of Swimming Dragon Palm full of malice earlier but didn’t correct him verbally, because that was Chen Wujun’s own thing.
To refine qi, one must adhere to their true heart, subdue the Heart Monkey, twist the mind into one force. No matter what the true heart is, as long as it can be carried through to the end, that is his own dao.
Listening, Chen Wujun felt this was very similar to New Technique.
New Technique masters become more profound the deeper they practice, requiring them to firm up one willpower. So the greater the master, the more they believe in their convictions, the more fanatical they are.
However, Master had just explained that New Technique and Old Technique learn from each other, taking the strengths to offset weaknesses.
Before New Technique existed, Old Technique already had the concepts of uniting heart and will, will and qi.
So this was probably something New Technique absorbed from Old Technique from the start.
“No one else can help you refine qi; you must subdue your own heart and twist it into one force.” Zhou Qing said finally.
Actually, there are shortcuts to Qi Refining, but he didn’t plan to teach them.
Practicing kung fu has no shortcuts; all shortcuts ultimately come at a cost.
“So what is my true heart? What is my path?” This thought emerged in Chen Wujun’s mind.
“I want money, I want to buy luxury houses and luxury cars… I want everyone to respect me, fear me, I want to become a big shot… I want my thoughts to flow freely, if someone offends me, I hit back on the spot and take revenge…”
Chen Wujun only felt his mind was a chaotic mess.
He didn’t know when Zhou Qing left.
He had originally wanted to ask Master about Tong Bei Quan, so that in a few days when trying Li Wei’s kung fu, he could casually comment, but now he completely forgot about it.
His mind was full of all sorts of chaotic thoughts; he wanted everything, wanted everything to go his way, as he wished.
……
On a road near the Walled City, a gray sedan was parked by the roadside. A tall white man in the back seat spoke.
“According to the news we got, he walks this road every Tuesday.”
“Why not go to his master? He and Sha Jiu use the same boxing method, from the same school.” A Huayan man asked.
“His master is called Zhou Qing… but we can’t find records on this person; he’s trouble.” The white man said flatly.
In fact, they had investigated Zhou Qing long ago, even sent people to watch him for a long time, but couldn’t even get a single clear photo of his face.
The people sent couldn’t even see Zhou Qing; they got disoriented and returned after entering the neighborhood.
This made them realize Zhou Qing was not to be trifled with. Plus, Zhou Qing caused no trouble, with no evidence linking him to any cases, so they now set him aside entirely.
“In a bit, you approach and talk to him first.”
“A kid who just graduated middle school… Scare him a bit, maybe we can bluff him…”
……
Chen Wujun walked back with thoughts swirling in his mind, his basic vigilance greatly reduced.
It wasn’t until he was almost at the Walled City, with someone blocking him six or seven meters ahead, that he snapped awake.
“Chen Wujun, right? Come to the car and chat?” A tall Huayan man looked down at him condescendingly.
At this moment, Chen Wujun’s mind was full of chaotic thoughts; he had no mood to chat with others, especially since the other’s gaze displeased him.
Come to the car and chat? First let me see if you’re worthy!
Without a word, his foot stamped, body arched and pounced like a tiger descending the mountain. A Chop Palm was like gripping a large axe, ferociously chopping toward the man’s chest.
The other was startled by Chen Wujun’s sudden attack, then flew into rage.
What a malicious person!
Just blocking his path, without even knowing who he was, he attacked to kill!
The man immediately erupted with force, arm blocking outward. Their arms collided; the man felt a huge force, like facing a road roller, and immediately retreated a step.
Chen Wujun stepped forward, advancing with double Pierce Palms, Force Through Four Extremities. His sleeves snapped against his body, making sounds like wind whipping through.
At the same time, he silently lifted his foot toward the man’s instep.
Swimming Dragon Palm, renowned for agile steps and combining hard and soft, in his hands became like a ferocious tiger seeking to devour; every move and form carried a bloody aura.
The man only felt a bloody wind assaulting his face, breaking out in cold sweat from Chen Wujun’s malice, body leaping back while shouting:
“Federal Police, you trying to kill an officer?”
“Federal Police?” Chen Wujun was about to pursue but stopped upon hearing this, eyeing the other suspiciously.
What do Federal Police want with me?
The man stared at Chen Wujun with some anger, his heart still unsettled.
Such ferocious fighting style.
Even after seeing the videotape and knowing Chen Wujun struck ruthlessly, facing him personally showed it was completely different from watching the recording.
With such a ferocious style, if he hadn’t spoken up in time to stop it, within a few moves, one of them would fall.
This guy had only graduated middle school less than a year ago?
“What do Federal Police want with me? Officer, I haven’t done anything wrong, right?” Chen Wujun stood in place, body straightening, gaze quickly scanning and landing on a gray sedan.
The car door was open, someone inside watching, ready to get out and support.
“Killing someone in broad daylight with everyone watching, and you say you haven’t done anything wrong? But I’m not here to cause you trouble; get in the car and talk.”
“Why not have your people come out and talk!” Chen Wujun said.
How could he get in the car; he’d be at their mercy then.
“Here, it’s not convenient to talk.” The man glanced around.
Chen Wujun’s gaze swept to a nearby alley entrance; there were paths front and back, with dense crowds, easy to escape.
“Over there!”
The Huayan man glanced toward the car; this kid didn’t seem easy to bluff.
Then he followed Chen Wujun over.
The white man in the car frowned; this kid was so vicious, attacking to kill without a word.
Moreover, it was their Special Task Department approaching him, but in just a few words, it became him following; the dynamics flipped instantly.
Thoughts turning, he simply got out and walked toward the two.
