ryethenovel Chapter 44 Counterfeit Goods, Ito Ken
Chapter 44 Counterfeit Goods, Ito Ken
When Ma Cong walked out of the dormitory and onto the training ground, his twenty disciples were already standing in their Hunyuan stances. Seeing Ma Cong approach, they all stopped and respectfully greeted him, "Good morning, Master!"
"Hmm." Ma Cong nodded, his gaze sweeping over each of them. After just one night apart, his perception of these disciples was completely different—in his "new vision," he could clearly "see" the flow of qi and blood within each disciple's body, the strength of their power, and even the most subtle inconsistencies in their stances.
"Shi Lei, your right shoulder is still too tight. The air is stuck there, unable to go up or down. Try to pull your shoulder blades apart to form a 'round' shape in your back."
"Tank, your hips are still stiff. Standing meditation is not a horse stance. Your center of gravity should be on the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of your feet, not on your knees and buttocks. Relax your waist, drop your hips, and let your breath sink down."
"And you, monkey, your breathing is disordered. When practicing standing meditation, your breathing should be deep, long, and even, and should be in sync with your heartbeat—this is called 'mind and breath in harmony'."
As Ma Cong walked, he casually offered pointers. Each point he made was incisive and to the core of the issue, causing the disciples whose names were mentioned to shudder, their faces immediately showing a look of sudden understanding. Following Ma Cong's instructions, they slightly adjusted their postures and instantly felt an indescribable sense of comfort spreading throughout their bodies, their previously stagnant energy flowing much more smoothly.
"Amazing! Master is simply a god!" "I feel like my old shoulder problem is almost completely cured!" "Yes, Master can tell where our problem is just by looking at it; he's more accurate than a hospital X-ray machine!"
The disciples' admiration for Ma Cong reached a new level. Little did they know that their master had undergone a complete transformation in just one night, reaching a new realm that they could not even imagine.
The morning's stance training and the afternoon's spear practice continued. With Ma Cong's more precise guidance, the disciples made rapid progress, and could clearly feel their understanding and application of "strength" changing dramatically every day.
While instructing them, Ma Cong continuously consolidated his newly acquired power. He attempted to initially integrate the "spiral force" of Baguazhang, the "whole force" of Xingyiquan, and the "cross force" of Bajiquan. He discovered that these three top-level martial arts, all belonging to internal martial arts, are connected in their fundamental source of power, only differing in their forms of expression—Bajiquan emphasizes "support," stressing cross-shaped force and supporting the sky and the earth; Xingyiquan emphasizes "straightness," stressing hard strikes and direct attacks; Baguaquan emphasizes "roundness," stressing smooth and flexible movements and endless variations.
If these three forces could be completely integrated into one... Ma Cong had a bold idea in his mind.
……
Meanwhile, a higher-level discussion on the "practical application of traditional Chinese martial arts" project is being held in a secret conference room in the Western Hills of Beijing.
The meeting was chaired by General Zhou. In addition to Qin Zhenshan and Chen Beixuan, several high-ranking generals from the Army, Navy, Air Force and even the Armed Police Force also participated in the meeting. They were all invited by General Zhou to "observe the results".
The large screen in the conference room was playing the full video of the exchange meeting a few days ago: from Ma Cong knocking out Jiu-Jitsu champion George with a single kick, to knocking out Muay Thai expert Tom with a single punch, and finally easily defeating "The Butcher" with a smooth combination of punches, every scene was clearly recorded.
The conference room was silent, save for heavy breathing and occasional gasps of surprise. These battle-hardened generals, accustomed to grand occasions, stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief and shock.
"This...this is real?" an army major general asked with difficulty, his voice hoarse. "Was the video edited or manipulated?"
"Reporting, sir!" General Zhou stood up and answered loudly, "I guarantee with my integrity and rank that this video is absolutely authentic! Every single scene was witnessed by me and the dozens of officers and soldiers present!"
"Hiss..." Another gasp rippled through the conference room.
"That young man... is his name Ma Cong?" a naval vice admiral asked, pointing to the nonchalant figure on the screen.
"Yes, sir," General Zhou replied, "He is the martial arts master from the common people that Elder Chen recommended to us."
All eyes turned to Chen Beixuan, who sat in the corner with his eyes closed, seemingly unconcerned. Chen Beixuan slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "I was just a matchmaker. The one who truly brought martial arts back to its former glory is this young man himself."
"Old Chen, don't be modest," an air force lieutenant general said with a smile. "You've unearthed a tremendous treasure for us this time!"
"This Ma Cong... is what he's mastered the legendary, true martial arts?"
"Yes." Chen Beixuan nodded. "Moreover, it's internal martial arts, the most quintessential, core, and most difficult part of Chinese martial arts. What you've seen is just the tip of the iceberg."
Chen Beixuan's words sent another shock through the hearts of the generals present—this was just the tip of the iceberg? How powerful would the complete national martial arts be?
"Old Zhou," the army major general looked at General Zhou, his eyes filled with undisguised fervor, "I, on behalf of our army group, will be the first to apply to join your 'National Martial Arts Combat Application' project! We'll provide manpower, equipment, and training grounds! As long as our soldiers can learn this skill!"
"No way!" the vice admiral immediately retorted. "Our Marine Corps is constantly on overseas missions, and the requirements for individual combat capabilities are the highest! This project should be piloted here first!"
"Stop arguing, all of you!" The Air Force Lieutenant General couldn't sit still any longer. "Our airborne troops, operating behind enemy lines, need this kind of one-hit-kill technique even more! If we're going to do it, let's start with our 'Thor' Commando!"
Looking at his colleagues who had just been skeptical but were now arguing heatedly over a training spot, General Zhou smiled smugly. He knew he had achieved his goal.
He cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, please be patient. Teacher Ma's energy is currently limited, and his twenty disciples have only just begun to learn. It's too early to talk about promoting it throughout the entire army."
"My idea is to first concentrate all resources to protect and nurture this small 'seed' of talent. Once these twenty disciples have mastered their skills, they can then serve as instructors and spread these seeds throughout the entire army. By then, every soldier in our Chinese army will be a master of martial arts with exceptional skills!"
General Zhou's words resonated deeply, and all the generals in the conference room fell into deep thought. A magnificent image flashed through their minds—a vast army, each soldier like a dragon! What a terrifying, invincible force that would be!
"I agree with Lao Zhou's plan!" "I second that!" "Let's do it this way!"
Soon, everyone reached a consensus. A grand plan, ignited by Ma Cong, a small "spark," aimed at reviving traditional martial arts and strengthening the military to serve the country, officially began on this day!