Romance of Dragons and Snakes

This type of posture was the standard position for riding a horse!

But the spear in Tang Zichen’s hands faced outwards as if like an arrow which was similar to the Crushing Fist.

But just as her body compressed downwards, her upwards momentum was almost as if she was using the Jin of the Pounding Fist.

The spearhead seemed to tremble and shake as if it was the head of a snake searching for a moment to strike out at a person with the Jin of the Drilling Fist.

This single move seemed to have combined the “Three Integrals”, the “Horse Stance”, the Crushing Fist” of an arrow, the “Pounding Fist” while high in the sky, and the “Drilling Fist” like the “Overturning Wave Jin”.

“This is the true standard of the fists, the fists that an expert would use” Wang Chao turned to look at the spear in Tang Zichen’s hands with some awe in his mind as if he had thought the things he was previously learning was all crap.

Suddenly, Tang Zichen’s body flew forward as if she was urging her horse forward and borrowed that forward momentum to stab forward as well.

As the spearhead broke through the air, the light flashed luminously like a silver light.

Pa! Tang Zichen had stabbed her spear into the mercury balls from the stone trough.

The instant the point of the spear had made contact with the ball, Wang Chao noticed Tang Zichen’s body drop slightly as her arm shook, causing the spear to lower as well. As if drawing a circle, the ball began to spin before flying up from the ground.

Whoosh! The ball left the trough and spun around on the spear almost as if it was stuck to it.

Ding ding ding… with each hop of Tang Zichen’s spear, the mercury filled ball leapt up into the air and back onto the spear.

Pa! With a shake of her spear, the mercury filled ball fell back down onto the trough and continued to spin.

This process of spear stabbing, ball jumping, spear sticking and ball juggling had only taken a few moments, but it had already explained the refined motions of martial arts.

“The revolution of Jin, listening to the mercury inside the lead ball, changing the center of gravity, and borrowing the power of rotation, these are some of the major principles of Taichi with no special styles within.” Tang Zichen spoke as she demonstrated her “Assault of the Dragon and Snake”. When she leapt into the air, it seemed as if she had reached the highest points of heaven.

“Do you understand this move that combines the dragon and snake styles?”

“About 70%, but I’ve got a good gist of it! I just need to try my hand at it!” Wang Chao answered.

Wang Chao had been captivated by Tang Zichen and watched her movements without distraction. The things he had learned in this half year he was slowly linking together and so his comprehension was slowly raising. The black and white details were still not there yet.

This feeling of nearly understanding didn’t suit well with Wang Chao. But he could only contemplate this to himself and continue to polish his own skills in the meantime.

“Ai, I was originally planning on stopping here, but seeing how interested you, I’ll demonstrate another spear move. Follow me!” Tang Zichen spoke as she walked out of the room.

Wang Chao followed her out to what seemed to be the garage.

The garage was quite expansive and had a silver racing bike on the terrazzo.

After turning on the lights, Wang Chao realized that there was a single handprint on the wall along with the remnants of some blood.

“Take a good look!” Tang Zichen broke off Wang Chao’s train of thought and brought him back to focus just in time to see Tang Zichen’s spear to strike like a viper at the chassis of the silver racing bike.

The staff of the spear pressed against the ground at an angle as Tang Zichen leapt into the air! The silver racing bicycle was sent flying into the air before making two revolutions and then falling back on the ground like a leaf without any sign of damage.

“There is something in Beijing Opera called the iron pulley block. When they put on a play for Yue Fei’s assault on Gao Chong of the Jin army, the Jin army constructed an iron carriage that could travel downhill. Yue Feng was forced up into the air using his spear by this. My assault of dragon and snake is similar in concept to that.”

Wang Chao silently nodded his head.

“The essence of my martial arts has all culminated within these two spear techniques to the utmost limit. You should learn your own.” Tang Zichen threw the spear at Wang Chao and walked out of the room.

Wang Chao silently grabbed onto the spear and followed behind.

For the next ten days, Wang Chao practiced to himself quietly. However, he could only think about Tang Zichen’s style of the “Assault of Dragon and Snake”. He had even often times brought the spear nearby, but Tang Zichen had never once been interested.

Tang Zichen had barely taught him any new things and had only watched Wang Chao practice the Assault of Dragon and Snake while occasionally correcting him.

With the end of summer break, Wang Chao prepared to leave for back home. When he thought about how sis Chen was going to leave after the summer ended, he began to feel depressed.

“Today you won’t be practicing. Come walk with me.” In the evening as the sun was setting, Tang Zichen suddenly spoke to Wang Chao.

Wang Chao stopped his movements and immediately walked out of the villa with Tang Zichen.

The two walked to the broad shoreline of Lake Tianxing where countless of white geese could be seen with the sun just about to disappear behind the mountains and dye the area a golden hue.

Tang Zichen took a boat and waved for Wang Chao. “Get on, I’ll tell you what I want to say when we get to the heart of the lake.”

Nodding his head, Wang Chao climbed aboard and Tang Zichen began to paddle gently. Soon, the boat began to travel through the waves towards the heart of the lake.

The water was extraordinarily peaceful and it seemed as if there was a song playing nearby as a gentle tune could be heard;

“Together we paddle this boat,

Through the waves it shall float,

A beautiful white tower rising above the waters

This scenery surrounded by trees and the red wall moat,

The boat is gentle, and upon the waters it feels fair,

Blowing ahead with this cool and refreshing air.”

Tang Zichen swayed her head gently as she smiled with bright eyes as if she was feeling something emotional.

Just as the day was turning to night, the tune slowly dissipated away, but Tang Zichen had not yet shaken out of her stupor. Unable to help himself, Wang Chao spoke up, “Sis, Sis!”

“Oh!” Tang Zichen spoke up quickly.

Hurriedly, Wang Chao spoke, “Sis, you said that Taichi has no special style, but in the beginning, you’ve taught me the Lifting Yin Palm as well as the Body Blocking Blow and spoke of how fierce Taichi was. What’s up with that?”

Tang Zichen replied, “When Yang Luchan was learning under Chen Jiaguo, the style there was not not Taichi, but ‘Cannon Punch of the Three Emperors’, or ‘Pao Chui’. The Pao in Pao Chui is the same as the Pounding Fist in Xingyi Quan. To pound is an excessively fierce way of attacking. Afterwards, Yang Luchan and his master Chen Jiaguo came across Wang Zongyue who was a Daoist martial artist. At this time, Taichi was the most prominent topic of research at the time, and so Wang Zongyue had became the master of Yang Luchan. After Yang Luchan studied for some time, he had mixed the martial arts from Wang Zongyue and Chen Jiaguo and promoted it in Beijing where it slowly became the modern day Taichi style.”

Wang Chao nodded his head, “Ah, I see.”

Tang Zichen suddenly took off her shoes to reveal her jade white feet. Rolling up her pant legs, she dipped her legs into the water.

“For those with an affinity for water, they can tread in water with ease. They can even make the area with their dantian level with the water surface, but that is their limit. For those who are proficient martial artists, they can continue to rise inch by inch higher. For each inch raised is another huge improvement. Take a look at me.”

Wang Chao watched Tang Zichen’s leg disturb the water and then as it moved about the water surface as if drawing a picture. With each movement, a ripple could be seen on the surface.

“Using the leg to issue Hidden Jin and stand on water, it is possible to be lifted up. When every toe can issue an equal amount of Hidden Jin, that is the level of Transforming Jin. Wang Zongyue’s martial prowess had led him to the Transforming Jin stage. So when Yang Luchan met Wang Zhongyue, Wang Zhongyue was capable of wading across water without it getting past his knees. This water walking could be considered one of the highest levels of achievement in the martial art world.”

Then, Tang Zichen suddenly stood up and away from the beat so her body was on top of the water, the water didn’t even reach past her knees!

“For the water to reach the knees, that is the limit of Chinese boxing. If one wants to achieve a higher state and go further, it is impossible and is nothing more than a myth.” Tang Zichen spoke, “The toes must issue out an equal amount of Hidden Jin.”

Tang Zichen’s knees refused to sink under the water when a whirlpool suddenly formed by Tang Zichen’s side, but the water had never once reached past her knees.

Tang Zichen took her shoe and began to tread through the water farther and farther away. “Your sis has to go now, take care of yourself and remember: improve your martial arts, but do not earn your meals with it. In today’s age, if you come across firearms, do not try to show off. Keep an open mind and be forgiving, but do not stand to be insulted. These are the doctrines of those who practice martial arts. Your sis will leave this house with you, but there is no money. Money must be earned by yourself. The house will be for you to live in, but the servant have already been terminated. Learn to clean the house by yourself. In my drawers, I have left behind a book for you; the essence of the martial arts I’ve learned in my life. The foundation is there for you to learn, but it is still up to you to understand it.”

Tang Zichen continued to walk further and further away, her voice grower fainter and fainter as well before ultimately disappearing.

“Sis!” Wang Chao fell into the water, water sweeping into his mouth as he tried to cry out.

In the abyssal night and the disappearance of Tang Zichen, Wang Chao suddenly felt himself as being alone in the world.