Madman!

Chapter 19: Apprenticeship — Old Arts and New Arts

"The Master?" Chen Wujun was somewhat surprised.

After all this time at the martial hall, he was finally going to meet its master.

Moments later, Chen Wujun changed his clothes and followed Senior Brother Li out of the hall.

"Senior Brother, what kind of person is the Master?" Chen Wujun asked as he walked alongside him.

"You'll see for yourself!" Senior Brother Li replied.

"Senior Brother, there's something that's been puzzling me — the martial hall doesn't seem like it's run to make money," Chen Wujun voiced the doubt that had been nagging at him.

"You're right about that!" Senior Brother Li nodded but offered no explanation. Instead, he stopped to buy half a roast goose, half a kilogram of roast meats, and a kilogram of braised beef, then led Chen Wujun out of the Walled City.

The Master didn't live in the Walled City, though he wasn't far from it — just south in Ma Tau Wai, nestled between the Garbage Mountain slums and the newer district. The area was dotted with factories and aging apartment buildings, its population a mixed bag, though the conditions were a step up from the Walled City.

The entire way there, Chen Wujun kept imagining what the Master would be like.

He never expected an unremarkable old man watering flowers.At the base of a weathered building, an old man in shorts and a tank top stood with his back to them, tending to his plants.

Senior Brother Li walked up beside him. "Master!"

The old man was none other than the Master, Zhou Qing. He turned his head to glance at Chen Wujun, looked him up and down a few times, then turned back to his flowers.

Chen Wujun immediately noticed that the man's hair was entirely jet-black, his face carried a healthy ruddy glow, and his spirit was vigorous. His skin was smooth and fine — at first glance he looked to be in his sixties, but a second look suggested he could pass for his forties or fifties.

He appeared younger than Chen Wujun's own father, yet there was an ancient quality about him, something that instinctively made you feel he was far older than he looked.

After a moment, Zhou Qing finished watering his flowers and casually tossed the spray bottle to Chen Wujun before sauntering into the house with his hands behind his back.

Once both of them were inside, Chen Wujun surveyed the place. The apartment was roughly fifty or sixty square meters, equally unremarkable — old furniture, a wall calendar, and a television. No different from any ordinary household.

"I'll go slice the goose!" Senior Brother Li carried the roast goose into the kitchen.

Zhou Qing settled onto the sofa, picked up a mug brimming with tea, and took a sip. Then he addressed Chen Wujun: "Two months, and your kung fu has already taken root. Not bad at all."

"Show me a set of fist forms!"

"Yes!"

Chen Wujun pushed the nearby table aside, clearing an open space. He first assumed the charging stance, and every fine hair on his body stood on end — but it lasted only an instant before he withdrew from the 'as if facing a great enemy' state.

Then he performed a complete set of Wolf Fist. The display was quite impressive, and by the time he finished, a light sheen of sweat had gathered on his forehead.

Zhou Qing gave a slight nod. To have honed his fist techniques to this level in just two months was genuinely remarkable.

Then he asked: "Why do you practice martial arts?"

"To rise above everyone else!"

"Good, good!" Zhou Qing chuckled and nodded, then posed another question:

"If someone bullied you, what would you do?"

Chen Wujun considered the question seriously. "Beat him to death!"

"Even better!" Zhou Qing laughed again.

Then he asked: "If you wanted something but couldn't afford it, what would you do?"

Chen Wujun hesitated for a moment — it wasn't exactly an easy question to answer.

But recalling Shark Jiu's attitude, he decided to speak plainly:

"Take it by force."

"That's the spirit! A man can't be too honest. Play it too straight and you won't get far. Only those with ambition can walk far and stand tall." The smile on Zhou Qing's face grew more pronounced.

At that moment, Chen Wujun noticed something peculiar about Zhou Qing's mouth — it was filled with rows of extraordinarily fine, densely-packed teeth. Though perfectly aligned, there were far more than any normal person should have. A chill of astonishment ran through him.

Shark Jiu had sharp teeth, sure, but each tooth was the same size as a normal person's.

Zhou Qing's teeth, however, were smaller than average and packed much more tightly together. It made his mouth look distinctly inhuman.

Any true expert who saw Zhou Qing's teeth would immediately recognize that his kung fu had reached its absolute pinnacle — an achievement so lofty that few in the world could compare.

This was the hallmark of Old Arts cultivation taken to its highest level: complete mastery over even the most minute aspects of one's body, granting extraordinary control and regenerative ability. He had grown forty teeth.

And yet a man like this had hidden himself away in East District 9, in a row of old buildings near the Walled City, spending his days watering flowers like some retired old pensioner.

Of course, at this point Chen Wujun simply felt that Zhou Qing didn't quite look like an ordinary person.

After studying Chen Wujun for a moment, Zhou Qing finally spoke: "The knight-errant defies the law through martial force. The purpose of learning to fight is to kill. Whatever resources you lack — just go take them."

"If you want to learn my fist arts, I can teach you. But there's one condition: once you leave here, you are never to reveal who your master is!"

Chen Wujun's eyebrows rose. Never reveal who his master was?

What kind of condition was that?

It was absurdly simple — far beyond anything he'd imagined.

But whether it was the questions Zhou Qing had asked or this final condition, something about all of it struck Chen Wujun as deeply strange.

"Agreed." Chen Wujun nodded.

"From now on, you'll be Little Sixteen!"

"Master!" Chen Wujun dropped to his knees immediately and kowtowed three times.

Even by the time dinner was served, Chen Wujun still found the simplicity of his apprenticeship ceremony beyond belief.

Dinner consisted of roast goose, roast meats, braised beef, and boiled noodles.

He watched as Zhou Qing stuffed an entire goose wing into his mouth and, with two or three bites, crunched through the bones and swallowed everything whole.

Chen Wujun had heard the old saying about devouring someone without spitting out the bones, but today he'd actually witnessed it firsthand — someone who literally chewed the bones to powder and swallowed them.

After the meal, Zhou Qing turned to Chen Wujun. "Come with me."

The two stepped out and walked for about ten minutes before arriving at a sizable warehouse.

Zhou Qing produced a key and unlocked the warehouse doors. Inside, the floor was bare concrete and the walls were exposed red brick.

Along one side stood a row of wooden stakes raised above the ground, each one as thick as a rice bowl. Nearby, two racks of weapons were arranged in neat rows — blades, spears, swords, and halberds bristling from their mounts.

Further in lay a collection of dumbbells, barbells, and weight plates.

Against the wall stood a line of training wooden stakes and practice dummies.

Zhou Qing walked to the center of the space with his hands clasped behind his back. He began with a question: "Before we start your training — do you know the difference between Old Arts and New Arts?"

"I don't," Chen Wujun answered directly.

"From the very first day humanity gained consciousness, it has been killing without end," Zhou Qing said, turning to face Chen Wujun.

"Over time, certain people compiled more efficient ways to kill their targets. Just as others figured out how to farm more effectively, or how to build taller structures."

"That is the origin of Old Arts."

"As humanity grew stronger, those who practiced Old Arts sought more than just slaughter — they strove to break through the limits of the human body, developing system after system of cultivation methods."

"Old Arts were born from killing, but they are not merely about killing. Old Arts are about continuously strengthening oneself and shattering one's own limitations."

"For thousands of years, generation after generation of breathtaking prodigies relentlessly pushed against the boundaries of both themselves and humanity itself, seeking to open the doors to a new world!"

Chen Wujun listened to Zhou Qing's words, his spirit trembling with each simple phrase.

Thousands of years. Generation after generation of breathtaking prodigies, relentlessly pushing against the limits of themselves and all humanity, seeking to open the doors to a new world.

How magnificent that was.

"Master, did they find it?" Chen Wujun couldn't help asking, his soul still reverberating.

'Could it be that New Arts are the new world they opened?'

"They didn't find it — and yet they did." Zhou Qing's expression grew complex.

"After the war, humanity discovered Magnetic Field Crystals. They also discovered that by absorbing these crystals, humans could continuously reconstruct their own biological magnetic fields."

"From that point forward, humanity gained access to a new kind of power — the ability to sense and manipulate the electromagnetic fields around them, granting all manner of incredible abilities!"

"That is New Arts."

Chen Wujun hadn't expected New Arts to have originated like this.

Then a question occurred to him.

"Can Old Arts masters also practice New Arts?"

"Why couldn't they?"

"Old Arts masters can practice New Arts, and New Arts masters can practice Old Arts!" Zhou Qing smiled faintly.

Hearing this, Chen Wujun let out a breath of relief.

"However, their foundations are different, and their methods of cultivation differ as well."

"Old Arts continuously temper the physical body, mastering every minute and subtle aspect of oneself, cultivating the body to perfection — and then using absorbed Magnetic Field Crystals to take control of the magnetic field."

"New Arts, on the other hand, work through meditation and absorbing Magnetic Field Crystals. Practitioners constantly sense and strengthen their own magnetic field, reconstructing their biological magnetic field and enhancing their bioelectric currents. Ultimately, this feeds back into the body, elevating all physical functions."

"Now tell me — what's the difference between Old Arts and New Arts?" Zhou Qing tested him directly.

Chen Wujun pondered for a moment before answering: "Old Arts focus primarily on the physical body, with the magnetic field as a supplement."

"New Arts focus primarily on the magnetic field, with the physical body as a supplement."

"Well said!" Zhou Qing nodded with satisfaction.

Whether it was getting his kung fu to take root in just two months or grasping the distinction between Old Arts and New Arts so quickly, both spoke to Chen Wujun's considerable talent and perceptiveness.

"Let me also explain the subdivisions within Old Arts."

"Old Arts are divided into external styles and internal styles."

"External styles train the sinews, bones, and skin. They are fierce and dominating, with wide-open, sweeping techniques!"

As he spoke, Zhou Qing strode over to one of the wooden stakes and suddenly struck it with his palm. The entire stake split apart with a crack.

Chen Wujun drew a sharp breath. That stake was roughly as thick as a man's thigh, and a single slap had shattered it — what kind of monstrous strength was that?

"Internal styles, meanwhile, train a single breath of internal energy. Their force is ever-shifting, their methods vary widely — most utilize penetrating force or spiraling force."

Zhou Qing walked over to another wooden stake as he spoke and delivered an identical palm strike. Where his hand landed, there was no visible change at all — but the far side of the stake suddenly exploded outward.

"There is no hierarchy between external and internal styles. The only shortcoming of external styles is that they lack internal cultivation methods — but that's a minor issue. Who says internal cultivation methods can only be practiced by internal stylists?"

"Kung fu may be divided into external and internal styles, but people are not!"

"Master, Senior Brother said Wolf Fist is a crude art. Since external styles can also incorporate internal cultivation methods, what exactly makes Wolf Fist crude?"

"Its crudeness lies in this — it's a fist art from before the age of Magnetic Field Crystals!" Zhou Qing declared.

"While every fist art is the creation and culmination of generations of martial artists, it's been four hundred years since Magnetic Field Crystals first appeared."

"In those four hundred years, there has been no shortage of breathtaking prodigies among the generations, nor any lack of those who understood the strengths and weaknesses of both Old Arts and New Arts. Building upon the foundations laid by their predecessors, they forged entirely new fist arts."

"The Old Arts of today have likewise adapted, borrowing New Arts' methods of utilizing Magnetic Field Crystals. It's just that the core remains Old Arts at its foundation."

"You must understand — those who come after stand upon the shoulders of those who came before, seeing higher and farther... and they have the added advantage of Magnetic Field Crystals."

As Zhou Qing spoke these words, his bearing carried a quiet, unshakable confidence.

Who says the present cannot surpass the past?

Clearly, he himself was one of those who stood upon the shoulders of giants.