Yang Huting was over sixty years old. Although his eyebrows and beard were all gray, he looked vigorous and his eyes were bright. His manners and words were dignified and generous. He smiled at Zheng Yubai and said, "Young man, your kung fu is very good."
Zheng Yubai scratched his head, took two steps forward, and bowed deeply to Yang Huting: "I am Zheng Yubai, the young man, and I pay my respects to Mr. Yang."
In the old martial arts world, the rules were very strict, and the younger generation had to kowtow when they saw their elders. In modern society, the rules are not so strict, but bowing to elders is also a basic etiquette. Although Zheng Yubai learned Xingyiquan, the relationship between the three major internal martial arts is complicated. Many martial artists pass on their skills to each other, and many disciples have made friends and often call each other brothers. Therefore, Zheng Yubai's salute to Yang Huting, the top master of contemporary Tai Chi, is also a courtesy.
Yang Huting chuckled: "Which lineage are you from? Your footwork has some influence from Sun Lutang and Xue Dian, and the moves you used against Feiyun just now also had some strength from Shang Yunxiang's lineage. You've trained really well."
Zheng Yubai scratched his head. "I am neither Sun nor Shang. I learned Kung Fu from my father. He is just a nobody from a rural area in the north."
"Oh?" Yang Huting looked at Zheng Yubai with interest. "The north loves martial arts. In the past, the three major internal martial arts were taught in various places. It's not surprising that there are some masters scattered in the countryside. What's your father's name?"
Zheng Yubai hesitated and didn't want to answer. He could tell who Yang Huting was at a glance, smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Why is an old man like me so curious like a child? Haha. Forget it, I won't ask anymore."
Zheng Yubai finally breathed a sigh of relief. He remembered what his father said when he left home.
"You must keep a low profile and don't mention my name to anyone."
Thinking of his father swinging his fist, Zheng Yubai was a little scared. He grew up in actual combat with his father, and had been hit by countless punches, which made him have a strong body. However, thinking of the feeling of his father's tricky punch hitting him, he still felt a little scared.
After countless fights with his father, Zheng Yubai was not afraid of any opponent. The old man in front of him, Yang Huting, was a leader in the martial arts world and a top master of Tai Chi. He stood there with his feet straight and his awe-inspiring demeanor was something that could not be learned. It was a demeanor that was cultivated from years of practicing boxing. If an ordinary person saw him, he would be shocked immediately and would naturally answer any question. In his mind, there would be no other thoughts except fear and admiration. However, Zheng Yubai had seen his father being as violent as a tiger since he was a child. He was like a soldier who had survived the battlefield and would not be timid in any environment.
It was precisely because Zheng Yubai was not afraid or panicked that Yang Huting had no answer to the question he had asked for the first time in 20 years. This also made the old man look at the young man in front of him differently.
"Feiyun, arrange a table and let Xiao Zheng stay here for lunch. We can talk later while eating." Yang Huting said to Yang Feiyun, then smiled at Zheng Yubai and turned and left.
Yang Feiyun walked up to Zheng Yubai and said, "Come with me."
As a junior, Zheng Yubai had no right to refuse Yang Huting's invitation, so he could only follow Yang Feiyun up to the second floor and go to the restaurant. Behind him, the disciples of the Yang family were whispering about Zheng Yubai's footwork just now, and they had completely different views on this young man who looked a little dull. Some even began to imitate the previous fight, but they could not perform the ghostly footwork like Zheng Yubai.
The restaurant of the martial arts hall was very grand, showing the owner's wealth. Zheng Yubai sat in a luxuriously decorated single room, facing Yang Feiyun, and felt that the atmosphere was very awkward, but he didn't know what to say.
Yang Feiyun closed his eyes slightly, tapping his fingers on the table, looking very leisurely, but in fact he was secretly staring at Zheng Yubai. He became famous at a young age, and was already well-known and powerful in the martial arts world when he was still a teenager. He had never lost in a martial arts competition, so he was very conceited. Who knew that when he tried his skills with Zheng Yubai just now, he ended up in a draw, which made Yang Feiyun very unhappy.
"How many years have you been practicing martial arts, Brother Bian?" Yang Feiyun peeked for a while. Zheng Yubai had a blank expression all the time, and no one knew what he was thinking. Yang Feiyun finally couldn't help but speak.
Zheng Yubai actually didn't think about anything. He felt it was boring to wait here, so he simply blocked all the thoughts in his mind and exercised his brain to refresh his spirit.
This is what his father taught Zheng Yubai in the past, in order to cultivate his "entering the image". The so-called "entering the image" is to enter a state of sudden enlightenment, which is also the most important hurdle in Xingyiquan practice.
Being suddenly enlightened is like being possessed by a demon, which is a dangerous state. Boxing can only achieve a real breakthrough in this dangerous state where one is at risk of death. When practicing boxing to the state of sudden enlightenment, the martial artist needs to use his personal talent to break through. If he can break through the state of sudden enlightenment, he can achieve true boxing. If not, at best he will be mediocre for his whole life, at worst he will be possessed by a demon and paralyzed.
After breaking through the state of sudden enlightenment, the body's sensitivity is trained and all boxing techniques can be performed by relying on muscles and subconsciousness, achieving the perfection of form and spirit and the unity of man and nature. The boxing techniques will naturally "respond to any touch and act according to the feeling", which is the highest state of Xingyiquan.
Whenever he felt bored, Zheng Yubai would always enter a state of empty mind, hoping that one day he would be able to have an epiphany. It was very useful to kill time and recuperate.
Hearing Yang Feiyun's question, Zheng Yubai quickly gathered his spirits and said, "It's been eighteen years since I was five years old."
"It's about the same as mine." Yang Feiyun nodded and said, "Brother Bian is very capable. I admire him very much. If you have time someday, why not have a competition with him?"
Zheng Yubai hurriedly said, "My kung fu is not worth mentioning." He said this, but secretly complained in his heart. If my aunt knew that I went to the Yang Tai Chi martial arts hall to compete, I'm afraid I would be punished by the family law. Keep a low profile, you must keep a low profile, don't make mistakes in the future.
Yang Feiyun glanced at Zheng Yubai and saw that there was no expression on his face. He thought that this guy was really a fool. It seemed that he had practiced hard to get to this point.
The two of them chatted casually, and when they saw that they had run out of things to say, Yang Huting came in.
The chef quickly prepared eight dishes, four cold and four hot, and served a bottle of Moutai. Yang Huting smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen a junior like you. I'm glad that there are successors to our martial arts world. I'll make an exception and drink a glass today."
Yang Huting said as he filled a glass for Zheng Yubai and Yang Feiyun. Zheng Yubai thanked him repeatedly, and he became more and more worried. He didn't want to get too close to these famous people in the martial arts world, he just wanted to live a normal life.
After drinking a cup with Yang Huting, Zheng Yubai started eating. Yang Huting was very talkative and kept asking Zheng Yubai about his boxing. Zheng Yubai answered every question, and although he was not perfunctory, he also kept a lot of key points. Yang Huting asked for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Which one do you think is better, Tai Chi or Xingyi?"
This question is not easy to answer. If I say Tai Chi is powerful, it would be too much of a disrespect for Xingyi. If I say Xingyi is powerful, it would be impolite. Zheng Yubai scratched his head and said in embarrassment: "Old man, this question is not easy to answer."
Yang Huting sighed and said, "There is no answer to this question. In fact, the three major internal martial arts have similar principles, but each has its own merits. If a genius emerges from any of them, it will naturally be famous for a while. It's a pity that young people nowadays can't endure hardships, so most martial arts are going to be lost."
Zheng Yubai remained silent. The rise and fall of things is closely related to the changes in society. In the years of war and chaos, many people naturally learned martial arts for self-defense. Now that society is peaceful and well-fed, who would seek hardship? Yang Huting certainly understood these principles, but he felt very uncomfortable watching martial arts decline and die day by day.
Yang Feiyun said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I've been discussing the boxing competition with the people from the Sports Commission recently. If it can be held, it will be a great thing for the promotion of martial arts."
Yang Huting spat, "A boxing competition? It's better to call it monkey show. Those people who performed under the overpass also called themselves martial artists?"
Yang Feiyun hurriedly said: "Grandpa, if we want to promote martial arts, we have to simplify it. Without the promotion of the country, we can't do it ourselves. I am also thinking about the future of Tai Chi."
"Tai Chi? Tai Chi exercises are more like that." Yang Huting said angrily, "If you want to do it, go ahead and do it. But don't ask me to embarrass myself when the time comes."
Yang Feiyun looked helpless, and the atmosphere of the meal became cold from then on. After a quick meal, Yang Huting asked Zheng Yubai to visit the martial arts hall often, and then left with a gloomy face.
Yang Feiyun waited for Yang Huting to leave, and said to Zheng Yubai: "Grandpa is old and can't see the times clearly."
Zheng Yubai had no intention of getting involved in their family affairs. Just as he was about to say goodbye, he heard Yang Feiyun say, "Brother Zheng, you are an excellent boxer. Why don't you come and participate in the boxing competition in a few days?"
"Uh... If I have time, I will definitely come and show my support." Zheng Yubai said perfunctorily.
"That's great." Yang Feiyun looked very confident. "This time I will invite martial arts masters from all walks of life to hold a high-level conference to let the world know what real Chinese martial arts are."
Zheng Yubai was not interested in his lofty ideals, and after a quick chat, he said goodbye and left. As soon as he walked out of the Yang Tai Chi Martial Arts Hall, Zheng Yubai breathed a sigh of relief and decided not to come here again.
It was already past noon. Zheng Yubai looked at the time and planned to go back to the rental house to continue packing his things. But when he turned a corner, he suddenly groaned in his heart.
On the roadside not far away, Yang Feiyan was looking over coldly, with a look of revenge.
Although Zheng Yubai thought this little girl was difficult to deal with, he knew that she was just a little willful and her personality was quite cute. The punch he threw in response to the pressure almost hit her. Now that he thought about it, he overreacted. Although Zheng Yubai was not to blame at all, he still walked over and said in a gentlemanly manner, "Isn't that scary?"
Yang Feiyan said fiercely: "You want to scare me? You're dreaming." She was obviously a little girl, but she always pretended to be an adult. Zheng Yubai saw it and just found it funny. (To be continued)