C10 Woman's Fist
"Butler Yan, could you teach Labino and me your Spring Chant Fist?" Liu Xiaobao and Labino, although now Black Iron Knights, lacked a set of martial arts skills. Fortunately, Butler Yan had arrived, and her style of fighting, known for its prowess among women, was formidable. Liu Xiaobao vividly recalled a phrase from his past life that exuded sheer dominance: "I want to fight ten."
Yan Yongchun smiled slightly, "Certainly, but are you sure you want to learn my technique?"
"What's the issue? Isn't the Spring Chant Fist unisex?"
"The technique itself doesn't discriminate, but for a grown man to use it, even I find it awkward. I hope you won't become the butt of jokes or give me grief over it," Yan Yongchun inwardly pictured Liu Xiaobao's comical attempts at the Spring Chant Fist.
Labino, walking ahead, asked with curiosity, "Yongchun, are you going to teach me a fighting technique? Is it really that powerful?"
"Absolutely," Liu Xiaobao assured her, "It's a technique capable of taking on ten opponents."
"I want to take down ten as well," Labino declared, "especially those who dare to bully the young master."
Upon their return to Liu Manor, they noticed four individuals busily working at the entrance, with two high-quality wooden planks laid out in front of the gate.
Liu Xiaobao approached and inquired, "What brings you here?"
"Young Master, Miss Zhong has commissioned us to fix the gate," one of them replied.
"I see, carry on then," Liu Xiaobao said as he, along with Labino and Yan Yongchun, entered the manor, paying little mind to the workers. He hadn't expected Zhong Tingyue to remember to have our door repaired.
Labino was overjoyed at the sight of the repairs, "Young Master, this is wonderful. We've saved a good sum of silver. It seems the sister from yesterday is quite kind after all."
In the courtyard of Liu Manor, Liu Xiaobao turned to Butler Yan, "Should we get some wooden stakes ready?"
"Wooden stakes? What for?"
"Aren't you supposed to practice Spring Chant Fist with wooden stakes?" Liu Xiaobao had seen many movies and TV shows where practitioners of Spring Chant Fist would train against wooden stakes daily.
Butler Yan replied, "I can practice with you both every day. People in this world are different from those in the world of our past lives. Labino, I believe your martial talent surpasses even mine, and I'm confident you'll master Spring Chant Fist quickly."
Labino felt puzzled. What past life?
"Both of you, follow my lead," Butler Yan instructed, already in stance. "The footwork of Spring Chant Fist includes the four-level horse, character-three horse, pursuing horse, kneeling horse, and independent step. Observe my technique; your legs must be strong, and your stance should be unified with your core."
Labino inquired, "Yongchun, what are the four-level horse, character-three horse, pursuing horse, kneeling horse, and independent step?"
"Just mimic my movements, Labino. You're younger and not as physically mature as Xiaobao. Remember, when facing an opponent, you must adeptly use these steps to avoid their strikes or to counterattack more effectively." Yan Yongchun patiently broke down each step for Labino and Liu Xiaobao.
After a basic introduction to the footwork, Yan Yongchun demonstrated the boxing techniques. "Turning hand, lifting hand, breaking hand, sinking bridge, sticky strike, the punch's elasticity, short bridge narrow stance, agile inch power, connecting, intercepting, sinking, marking, shouldering, wrist flicking, sticking, touching, smoothing, stealing, leaking. Have you got all that?"
Liu Xiaobao and Labino shook their heads, utterly bewildered. Liu Xiaobao pleaded, "Butler Yan, could you go slower? It's too fast for us to follow."
"Yeah, Yongchun, your technique is incredibly fast. It's all a blur to Labino," added Labino, whose newfound interest in Spring Chant Fist was evident despite never having been exposed to martial arts before. Yongchun's skill was mesmerizing, and mastering it would enable Labino to better protect Xiaobao.
Yan Yongchun paused, "Okay, let's take it slow. Starting today, we'll practice every morning from six until noon. Does that work for you, Xiaobao?"
"Ah? Does it really take that much time?" Liu Xiaobao wasn't keen on getting up early every day to practice. Having endured three years of high school, he was all too familiar with the agony of waking up at the crack of dawn and working until dusk.
Yan Yongchun said, "Practicing martial arts definitely requires hard work. Otherwise, how can you expect to excel? Surely, Young Master, you don't want to give up on training?"
"Indeed, I've decided to stop training. I plan to devote more time to my noble endeavor of helping others," Liu Xiaobao said as he stroked Labino's head. "Labino, would you like to practice this martial art with Butler Yan every morning?"
"Yes, yes, I'm willing. I'll get up at six o'clock every morning to practice Spring Chant Fist," Labino responded eagerly.
In truth, Liu Xiaobao didn't want Labino to toil away daily. A young girl deserves a beautiful childhood. He hadn't taken good care of her in the past, but now, as a paragon of the twenty-first century, he was determined to guide her. "Labino, you realize this will be exhausting, right? You might need to keep it up for several years."
Labino answered with conviction, "I'm not afraid of hard work. I must learn martial arts well to protect Young Master."
"There's no need for you to protect me, Labino. You should know that the Young Master is quite formidable now," Liu Xiaobao assured her.
"Butler Yan interjected, "Young Master, given Labino's natural ability, I'm confident she can master Spring Chant Fist in no more than a month. Labino's strength is already comparable to mine; she just lacks a solid set of combat skills. Such martial talent is rare."
"Very well, Labino, I agree to let you learn martial skills with Butler Yan. But if you're going to learn, do it earnestly. Don't slack off and make things difficult for Butler Yan, understood?" Liu Xiaobao reflected on the Spring Chant Fist masters he knew from his past life. Even with a lifetime of practice, they couldn't match the prowess of ten heroes. But with exceptional martial talent, like Brother Long, one could surpass others in just a few years. Labino became a Black Iron Knight at ten, her talent surely unmatched. In his previous life, he knew of no martial arts master who could defeat a grandmaster like Yan Yongchun at that age.
As the afternoon sun warmed the courtyard of Liu Manor, Labino was diligently practicing the basic moves of Spring Chant Fist under the guidance of Yan Yongchun.
Suddenly, the recently repaired gate of the manor resounded with a series of loud knocks. "Who could that be, disturbing the peace of my Liu Manor?" grumbled Liu Xiaobao, who had been enjoying a leisurely nap until the noise startled him awake.
Labino made a move to answer the door, but Liu Xiaobao stopped her, "Focus on your martial arts, Labino. Don't let these interruptions sidetrack you."
"But Young Master, what if we have visitors every day?" she asked.
"We at Liu Manor have neither relatives nor wealth, nor influence. Who would bother visiting us?" Liu Xiaobao's words were steeped in reality. In the previous year, aside from the annual delivery of silver from the Imperial Court, they had not received a single visitor.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Stop knocking, I heard you!" Liu Xiaobao grumbled as he made his way to the gate.
To his surprise, upon opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of Zhong Tingyue. What could she possibly want? The sight of her triggered a flood of memories in Liu Xiaobao's mind – the cherished moments with his lover, the baffling blaze, and the heart-wrenching loss of Yueting.
Zhong Tingyue, noticing Liu Xiaobao's unblinking gaze, scowled. "I warn you, do not harass me as you did yesterday. Understand? I've regained my powers today, and should you behave improperly, be warned that I might just beat you half to death."
"Huh? How do you have Level 2 strength? Weren't you just an ordinary person yesterday?" Despite her reluctance to engage with Liu Xiaobao, Zhong Tingyue couldn't help but notice the change in his abilities.
Liu Xiaobao, flustered, inquired, "Yueting—no, Tingyue, what brings you to Liu Manor?"
"Take me to see your little maid," demanded Zhong Tingyue, intent on taking Labino away from Liu Xiaobao that very day. "And don't address me so familiarly; we are not close."
"Very well, Tingyue," Liu Xiaobao acquiesced.
"What's the matter? Are you afraid I'll strike you?" she teased.
"Tingyue, follow me. I'll take you to Labino," Liu Xiaobao said as he led Zhong Tingyue to the backyard of Liu Manor.
Upon arriving, Tingyue immediately noticed Labino and Yan Yongchun practicing an awkward-looking fist technique. Curious, she inquired, "What martial arts are they practicing? It looks rather uncomfortable. How effective can such a brief technique be?"
"Don't underestimate this technique, Tingyue," Liu Xiaobao replied. "It's Butler Yan's secret skill and can take down ten opponents!"
"Ten? Maybe ten who are weaker than oneself. If I encountered someone at Level 2 or Level 3, I could use my full strength and defeat over a hundred," boasted Zhong Tingyue, a Level 5 Archmage. Her prowess with the Spring Chant Fist was indeed formidable enough to lay waste to a swath of adversaries.
Tingyue, her curiosity piqued, observed Yan Yongchun. "Who is this sister? I didn't see her yesterday. She possesses Level 2 strength?"
"This is the butler I hired this morning, Yan Yongchun," Liu Xiaobao explained.
"You're hiring a butler? Do you even have the spare funds for that?" Tingyue asked skeptically.
"Why not? I've decided to turn over a new leaf and pursue a noble goal. I'm dedicated to ensuring a brighter future for Liu Manor," Liu Xiaobao declared, his aspirations grand—nothing less than saving the world.
Tingyue looked at Xiaobao with a hint of disbelief. "You're really turning over a new leaf?"
"Does it seem unlikely?" Xiaobao challenged, producing a Black Iron Knight Medal from his pocket. "See this Knight Medal? It's the fruit of my determination. Tingyue, you may not be my Yueting, but in my heart, you are the Tingyue of this world. Once I grow stronger, no one will be able to bully you. Your life will be under my protection."
"Who needs protection from a reprobate like you? Disgusting," Tingyue retorted. "I'm here to take Labino with me. Her martial talent is exceptional, perhaps even surpassing mine. It's a disservice to her potential to stay here. I'm taking her to the Imperial Capital Academy."
"You're taking Labino?" Liu Xiaobao was taken aback, not expecting Tingyue's visit to be a mission to whisk someone away.
Zhong Tingyue asked, "Is that not possible?"
Liu Xiaobao gazed at Labino, who was diligently practicing in the distance, and felt a fondness for the girl who was both headstrong and compliant. Despite having been in this world for merely two days, Labino had already given so much of herself to him. "Labino's martial talent is truly remarkable. Taking her to the Imperial Capital Academy is a great idea. However, I can't simply compel her to go with you. Perhaps you're unaware, but Labino and I have been together since her birth. If she doesn't wish to leave, then no one can make her leave this place."