Chapter 11: Interlude
Chapter 11: Interlude
After Yu Gang pointed out his mistakes and shortcomings, Chen Chuan reflected on his own inadequacies, despite having won. He realized his victory was more by luck than skill.
Initially, he had a well-thought-out plan—how to attack, how to strike, and how to defend—but when it came to execution, things didn't go as smoothly. Additionally, there were issues like deformed movements and missed opportunities, which he didn't need to be told about.
Although he had landed a palm strike on Lu Ke later, it was a lucky chance that arose, and he had to adapt on the spot. If Lu Ke had grabbed his head while jumping, that smooth strike might not have landed, and he might have lost instead.
This real combat experience taught him a valuable lesson: no matter how well-practiced his techniques were, they might not be effective in a real fight, as actual combat situations were far more complex than training scenarios.
Lu Ke complained, "Master, you didn't let me use my wrestling and choking techniques. I feel restricted, and I often realize I can't use certain moves after starting them. I'm just not used to it..."
Yu Gang spoke sternly, "Every place has its rules, and now I'm setting them for you. But when you go elsewhere, others will set the rules, and if you don't follow them, do you think you'll have a chance to argue? You'll only be marginalized and eliminated. If you can't adapt, find a way to."
Lu Ke felt resentful, but this was mainly directed at Chen Chuan. He usually obeyed Yu Gang, so he lowered his head and said, "Yes, Master, I was wrong."
Yu Gang said, "You two, take some time to rest and relax using the methods I taught you. We'll continue later."
Chen Chuan moved to the side, not sitting down. He took a few sips from his water cup, and under the guidance of the breathing technique, his depleted energy quickly recovered. He contemplated his strategy for the next round and how Lu Ke might respond.
This wasn't just about physical confrontation; if both sides were evenly matched, it was more about a battle of wits.
Five minutes passed quickly, and the two began the second round.
Chen Chuan didn't become conservative after winning the first round; he maintained his proactive attitude. Lu Ke, having learned from the previous round, used more feints and combinations with his punches and kicks, but he still hesitated to attack Chen Chuan, so he remained generally conservative.
Neither could gain an advantage over the other, so Yu Gang declared a draw for this round.
After the second round, Chen Chuan believed that Lu Ke was saving his best for the third round, making it the real test. However, he didn't feel discouraged; instead, he was excited.
Yu Gang stood calmly to the side, silently observing both fighters' performances and reactions.
Five minutes later, the two returned to the center of the arena for the final round.
Lu Ke immediately rushed forward, having adapted to the rules by this point. Since it was the last round, he didn't need to conserve energy and could afford to take risks. If he didn't knock Chen Chuan down, he would lose, so he attacked without hesitation.
With his superior skills, Lu Ke unleashed a barrage of attacks, pinning Chen Chuan down.
Chen Chuan, facing Lu Ke's fierce punches, quick footwork, and relentless offense, could only defend passively without using his second self. It was challenging to launch effective counterattacks.
However, the breathing technique kept his stamina and resilience high enough to withstand the fast-paced assault. Throughout, he didn't give up searching for opportunities and occasionally landed threatening strikes, forcing Lu Ke to pause his continuous attacks.
In the end, Lu Ke didn't score a point against Chen Chuan.
After the third round, Yu Gang, seeing Lu Ke's clear advantage, awarded him one point. With Chen Chuan winning two out of three rounds, the task of cleaning up fell to Lu Ke.
Chen Chuan suddenly felt hungry after the match and walked to the side to sit down. He consumed three nutrient pastes in a row, finally regaining some energy and spirit.
Lu Ke, lacking Chen Chuan's recovery ability, was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. He drank water and massaged his body to relieve the tension and stiffness from the intense confrontation.
Yu Gang addressed them, "Today is just the first day. From now on, you'll engage in combat daily, and I'll gradually increase the frequency. You need to adapt quickly."
Lu Ke took a gulp of water and said, "Master, Chen Young Master might not be able to handle the tiring tasks. From now on, I'll do them, and there won't be any need to worry about winning or losing."
Chen Chuan said, "Lu Ke, you're too kind. A win is a win, and a loss is a loss. With the breathing technique, you won't feel too tired."
Lu Ke immediately fell silent and quietly sipped his water.
In the following days, under Yu Gang's arrangement, the two of them mainly engaged in practical combat training. After each session, Yu Gang would analyze the reasons, pointing out their mistakes and how to correct them, ensuring they were doing things right.
During this time, Yu Gang began teaching Chen Chuan more complex techniques of Great Free Fighting, including elbow strikes, knee strikes, grabs, throws, and choking techniques. As they progressed, the restrictions during sparring were gradually lifted, which benefited Lu Ke as he was more familiar with these techniques, increasing his chances of winning.
Chen Chuan didn't back down due to the challenges; instead, he welcomed such confrontations. This allowed him to quickly familiarize himself with various techniques in actual combat, accumulating more experience.
Lu Ke was an ideal sparring partner, not too strong but with the potential to catch up. Almost every day, he could feel his strength growing. To be honest, this feeling was excellent. Especially during this period, the time of the "Second Self" slowly increased.
The only regret he had was that Yu Gang only allowed them to spar three times a day, once in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Lu Ke felt that with their stamina, they could handle more sessions, so he suggested this to Yu Gang, but Yu Gang didn't respond.
One day, after a sparring session, Lu Ke noticed that Lu Ke's breathing suddenly became rapid, and he ran to a corner as if swallowing something. Lu Ke had a vague idea of what was happening, and he didn't mention increasing the number of sparring sessions again.
Due to the high intensity of combat training, proper nutrition was essential. Lu Ke's daily meals were provided by Yu Gang, including the nutrient paste and a fixed meal of black meat pumpkin rice.
In Yu Gang's experience, the injuries caused by the breathing technique were often deeply hidden and could potentially accompany a fighter for life. It was crucial to take advantage of youth to repair these injuries, and it took at least two months of continuous consumption to achieve a certain level of recovery. However, some injuries were simply irreparable.
This was an unfortunate aspect, the price of taking shortcuts. After all, fighters from humble backgrounds had limited financial resources and could only afford to exhaust their bodies.
Chen Chuan couldn't explain the matter of the "Second Self," but he didn't object to the food. After daily training, he often had muscle injuries, and the medicinal food helped with recovery. The "Second Self" could entirely take on the physical burden caused by the breathing technique.
It was just that eating the same food every day for several months could easily become monotonous. Still, Lu Ke always enjoyed his meals, and Lu Ke genuinely admired his dedication.
Time flew by as they trained without interruption, and before they knew it, the end of June had arrived. After the morning sparring session, Yu Gang called Chen Chuan aside and said, "There's something I need to remind you about. It's time to pay again."
Chen Chuan nodded. He initially paid fifty yuan, then added another fifty yuan in the middle of the month, and now it was time to pay again.
However, this was money well spent, mostly on himself. In reality, Yu Gang didn't take much. The continuous nutrient paste, daily meals, equipment, venue, and sparring partners were all expenses that far exceeded what Chen Chuan paid.
Chen Chuan said, "I'll deliver the money to the teacher tomorrow."
Just as Yu Gang was about to say something, a commotion of footsteps could be heard from outside, interrupting their conversation.
Chen Chuan looked outside. The entrance to this place was a long alley at the front and back, and it had been over a month since they arrived, with almost no one else around. It seemed like the visitors had broken the tranquility.
Lu Ke glanced at Yu Gang, and with his signal, he immediately put down his things and rushed out. After a while, voices could be heard from outside; Lu Ke was talking to the visitors. Although the visitors' tone was polite, Lu Ke soon returned.
"Master, it's the Iron..." Lu Ke began, but Yu Gang interrupted him, saying, "I know." He stood up and told Chen Chuan, "Continue your training. I'll go out and handle this." With that, he strode out, and Lu Ke quickly followed.
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(End of Chapter)
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