Chapter Eighteen: Teaching Boxing (Bowing and Asking for Collection)

  Zhang Xiaowu, a distant relative of Zhang Yuan's, has been living with the Zhang family since childhood due to poverty. Having practiced martial arts for several days and being strong and powerful, he became Zhang Yuan's personal bodyguard. Now, Zhang Yuan hopes to promote him, or rather, consolidate his own power in the security team.

  He is a disciple of Huang Li, a good young man. Although Huang Li thinks he seems to be missing a bit of cleverness, that is, a bit stupid, but he can endure hardship and can also withstand being beaten up.

  The boxing skills of Huang Li have no fixed routine, and are entirely practical combat methods. His profession dictates that the ideal fight is one that can be won in an instant, and winning without a full-on battle is even more desirable. Although he has not yet fully recovered to his best state due to psychological reasons, this does not affect the philosophy he embodies when teaching.

  "Move quickly, speed is power. And the angle of the punch and knee strike should be as small as possible, making it difficult for others to defend against. Don't use fancy moves, not only are they useless, but they will also give your enemy an opportunity to counterattack." Huang Li immediately performed a series of movements: front kick, side kick, front hook kick, charging knee strike, knife-hand slash, and empty-handed chop, all swift and efficient.

  Zhang Xiaowu watched intently, imitating the movements with his hands and feet. Although Huang Li wrapped some cloth around his hands during practice, reducing the force of the blows to minimize harm, he still suffered a great deal, as evidenced by the purple bruises around his eyes and his slightly swollen lips.

  "The focus of martial arts is not on how many techniques you master, but on how many techniques you can apply fluently in actual combat. Practice the moves that suit your body best and are most powerful, practice them thousands and thousands of times, until they become a reflex. Only then can you make quick, powerful, and accurate moves at the right time, distance, position, and angle." Huang Li corrected Zhang Xiaowu's movements, instructing: "Physical training must be done every day, with great strength but not exhaustion, this is the simplest and most effective method. When others hit you ten times, just consider it a scratch; when you hit others once, it's like breaking their bones."

  After finishing speaking, Huang Li walked towards the sandbag hanging on the side, let out a muffled roar, and his leg swept towards the sandbag like lightning, suddenly bursting into a loud noise. One leg finished sweeping and another started, with consecutive kicks on the sandbag, like a machine gun, the sound was solid, sharp and piercing, shaking people's souls. Immediately after, he either punched or elbowed or kneed, each move heavily striking the sandbag, the sounds kept going, fierce and powerful.

  While teaching others, he also improved and recovered. Huang Li felt that his physical quality had reached a new height in the past half month. Moreover, he learned a lot of information about this era, and the dreamy feeling that entwined him was fading away. He thought it was just a strange dream he had made up.

  Although it was a dream, he seemed unwilling to let the dream fade away in his subconscious. However sweet the dream may be, one will eventually wake up, just like the bright moon, which you admire for its beauty but have to bid farewell to every morning. Yes, when he was awake, everything became clean and spotless, without a trace, as if the memories lingering in his mind were just a dream after all.

  There is no such thing as true good fortune or true misfortune in the world. The distance between good fortune and misfortune is very subtle. So, if you encounter an unfortunate event, don't blame others, nor be discouraged. Even if you are knocked down, it doesn't matter, because as long as you're still alive, there will definitely be a time when you can get back up again.

  This principle is very suitable for Huang Li. The sense of fate that seeks truth in his heart slowly becomes weaker, and instead, he unconsciously slowly merges into the current environment.

  As time passed, the originally bright and ruthless killing machine had become somewhat sentimental. However, the strong physique that was gradually restored through persistent training would allow him to quickly operate like a well-oiled machine when needed.

  Perhaps this is the highest state of a special agent, with no difference from ordinary people busy with life, only in the moment of action will it be known that this is a sharp blade that has been hidden for a long time, a fierce beast that has been lurking for a long time.

  But at this moment, something unexpected will happen soon. This is the arrangement of heaven, and the life of Huang Li is destined not to be calm and peaceful, with gentle breeze and fine rain. Even if there is, it's temporary.

  ………

  On the mountain road leading to Shili Puzhen, Zhang Laosuo walked slowly, Zhen Niang carried Yaya on her back, chatting and laughing as they went.

  Although they have some money, people who have experienced poverty and hunger will not be extravagant. The taste of that experience will make a person remember it forever, never forgetting the joy of eating a meal of plain noodles or rice, adding more salt to the dish, and having enough fabric to make new clothes.

  "Mom, why doesn't Uncle Huang teach me how to read anymore? I want to." Niu Niu twisted her body and pointed at the wildflowers by the side of the road.

  Zhen Niang put down the child and cooed with a smile: "Huang Dajie has gone home, wait until you grow up, you can go to his house to play."

  Oh, Niu Niu picked wildflowers, after all, it's a child's nature, and soon she was happy again.

  "Mom, mom, these flowers are so beautiful." Niu Niu skipped back, holding up small flowers of various colors, excitedly calling out and running to give them to her mother.

  "It's really beautiful."

  "Mother, Niu Niu will put it on you... No, you must wear it... Don't take it off!"

  Zhen Niang was pulled by Niu Niu's small hand, half squatting down, two dewy red flowers were inserted into her hair bun, matching the color of her face.

  "Mama is so beautiful, Mama is so beautiful." Niu Niu clapped her hands and couldn't stop laughing.

  Zhen Niang felt a bit embarrassed, but didn't force the flower down, pulling Niu Niu to walk quickly for two steps, following behind Zhang Lao Suo towards the front.

  Shili Pu was not calm today. Bai Huashui brought four guards to ask every household, but they didn't see a single tiger skin or even a single tiger hair.

  "Alas, it seems I've made a futile trip to the village again. The tiger skin is apparently out of hope." Bai Huashui looked worried and unhappy as he led the guards to the village entrance.

  "Hey, White Master, look." A guard suddenly pointed at Zhang Laosu and Zhen Niang who were walking towards this direction.

  Bai Huashui winked with her triangular eyes, saw clearly, and sneered as she hurried up with the four guards to block Zhang Laosuo and Zhen Niang's way.

  "What a charming little daughter-in-law, and she's even wearing flowers? She'd still be enchanting without them." Bai Huashui said with a sly grin: "Zhang Laosuo, it's been ages since we last met. Is this your daughter-in-law? Your son is really lucky!"

  Zhang Laosuo shielded Zhen Niang and his granddaughter behind him, angrily scolding: "Shameless thing! Blind in broad daylight. Let's go."

  Zhen Niang had never been treated so rudely, feeling both ashamed and resentful, she spat on the ground and quickly picked up Niu Niu, hurrying away.

  "Hey, pretty cool." Bai Huashui winked at the guards and made way for them, a few of whom followed with hearty laughter.