Cultivating From Obtaining Experience

Chapter 33: Open Force And Hidden Force

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Wang An thought for a moment, and his body sank slightly as he gathered power in his feet. He then sent it all the way up to his palm in an instant.

Tai Chi Force.

With a light “smack,” his palm landed on the pad with less than a third of his strength.

Zhao Zhiyuan was pushed back. He stumbled five or six steps back before coming to a stop.

He raised his head and looked at Wang An in astonishment.

“The force of your palm strike is no weaker than Li Xinzhu’s Cannon Fist. You didn’t even use your full strength, did you? Can Tai Chi be this powerful?”

“Tai Chi can be slow or fast, or soft or forceful. It integrates yin and yang, and the harmony of soft and hard is the essence of Tai Chi.”

“So, would you call this the Hidden Force?”

“Hidden Force?”

“Open Force, Hidden Force, Transformative Force… Don’t martial artists use these terms?”

“Those terminologies are mainly from the Intention Fist Technique. Many martial arts don’t necessarily adopt it because the origins differ, and there’s no universal standard. Do you practice martial arts too?”

“I don’t practice them, but I do have some interest in them.” Zhao Zhiyuan smiled and then put away the protective gear.

“You should go and prepare. We’ll start the lessons tomorrow.”

“Alright. What about the tuition fees?”

“I won’t charge you for the lessons. Can you teach me Tai Chi instead?”

“Sure.”

Wang An did not have much time to learn or teach. Zhao Zhiyuan was still pursuing his PhD and had to return to school once winter break was over.

The clinic would be closed for at least a week during that time, so the timeframe was quite tight.

In the end, Wang An did not pay a single cent and left with the two books and the list in hand.

After leaving the clinic, he went to a bookstore in Hu An City and found the two books: “Diagram of the Meridians and Acupoints of the Human Body” and “The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Cultivation Technique.”

Besides these two books, he also bought a few more: “The Book of Changes,” “The Book of Tao and its Virtue,””The Great Cave Sutra,” “Yellow Court Classic,” and “The Zen Sutra.”

Buying a few more books for reading would not hurt.

Back at his residence, with some time left, he resumed his daily practice. In addition to his usual training, he added a new exercise: practicing the Vajra Dhyana Palm.

Every day, he performed the exercise described in the ancient book. He swung his palm three hundred times.

He only practiced that one move.

[After swinging your palm hundreds of times, have you gained any insights?]

‘Insights? I haven’t gained anything at all!’ Wang An thought to himself. ‘Do I have to visit a Buddhist temple or the Zhongyue Temple to learn this palm technique? Is that what the prompt is implying?’

After having dinner, he continued to walk on the bricks in the courtyard and then did his daily push-ups and squats.

Before going to bed at night, he picked up the book “The Zen Sutra” and read it for a while. It explained some Buddhist anecdotes, commonly used terms, and classic Buddhist scriptures.

[You’ve gained a tiny bit of understanding about Buddhism from reading “The Zen Sutra.”]

“The adjective is spot on.”

The next morning, Wang An arrived as scheduled to begin learning massage techniques from Zhao Zhiyuan.

Zhao Zhiyuan started by explaining the main meridians in the human body using a model as an example, along with the corresponding organs and their functions. He then introduced the most basic massage techniques, including pushing, grasping, lifting, pinching, and kneading.

Different illnesses and locations required different techniques.

After Zhao Zhiyuan’s explanation, a patient with neck discomfort came in for a massage, and Wang An had the opportunity to observe and learn while Zhao Zhiyuan provided the treatment.

That man appeared to be in his forties, with a slender body and a good amount of white hair on his head.

After getting the patient’s consent, Zhao Zhiyuan asked Wang An to try massaging the person’s shoulder and the muscles behind the neck.

Wang An reached out and felt it. He applied a slight press as a test.

The muscle was very stiff. Even though the patient was not exerting any force, the muscles of the shoulder were tensed up.

“This is due to fatigue, frequent muscle contractions, and increased secretion of lactic acid. When lactic acid accumulates in the muscle tissue, it can lead to swelling, sudden stiffness, and pain. At this point, Chinese massage techniques can be used while focusing on kneading and pressing on the area,” explained Zhao Zhiyuan.

While Zhao Zhiyuan was explaining, Wang An started kneading and pressing the patient’s shoulder. Initially, the pressure was light, which increased gradually.

The patient gasped in pain.

“How does it feel?”

“It hurts.”

“Please bear it for a little while.”

“Pay extra attention to this area.” Zhao Zhiyuan pointed to the area under the patient’s brain stem and neck vertebrae. “The neck and brain stem are very important and sensitive areas. Massage and press gently and stop when appropriate.”

After about ten minutes, Wang An noticed sweat on the patient’s forehead and also on the person doing the treatment.

“Traditional Chinese massage is physically demanding,” said Zhao Zhiyuan from the side.

After the person left, Zhao Zhiyuan pretended to be a patient and taught Wang An the techniques of Chinese massage.

[You’ve learned Chinese massage. Chinese Massage: Beginner.]

A new skill had appeared.

Towards noon, an unexpected visitor arrived at the clinic. It was Li Xinzhu.

“What happened to your neck?” Wang An pointed to the scratches on Li Xinzhu’s left neck.

“These were from the cat at the Red Romance,” he said. “Not a woman but a cat.”

“A cat? You mean a catwoman cosplay? You still fancy that?”

“Nonsense! It was a cat, not a woman. A literal cat! Yesterday, you said we can improve our reflexes by fighting animals. Last night, I found some stray cats. I went up to them to try and practice, but the cats scratched me!” Li Xinzhu said unhappily.

“That’s a good idea. Take it easy and don’t rush.” Wang An was stunned after hearing that. He did not expect Li Xinzhu to go along with his idea.

“Enough talking. I came here to find you for something important,” Li Xinzhu said.

“Important? What is it?”

“Look, it’s almost noon! Time for lunch. Isn’t that important?”

“King crab?”

“Yes.” Li Xinzhu nodded.

“Alright, Dr. Zhao, do you want to join us? My treat.”

“I have something to do at noon, so I can’t go.” Zhao Zhiyuan smiled.

“Alright, another time then. Let’s go,” Li Xinzhu said.

Li Xinzhu drove with Wang An in the car.

“I know a good place to eat king crabs.”

“This time, trust me.” Wang An was sitting in the front passenger seat. He looked at his phone. “Take a left at the next intersection.”

Following Wang An’s instructions, Li Xinzhu made several turns.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s right up ahead. You’ll see when we get there. We’re almost there. Find a place to park somewhere here,” Wang An said.

Li Xinzhu parked the car and followed behind Wang An.

“There’s a restaurant here that serves king crabs? Why haven’t I heard of it before?”

“Those who’ve tried it say it’s excellent.It’s ranked in the top few places on the Delicious Cuisine Rankings.”