Chapter 24: What Kind of Sorcery Are You Using?

Chen Changsheng finally had some free time.

All those previous times when he awoke, he had cherished every moment, rushing constantly to see the people he needed to see, never resting.

But now that he had found a solution to the Curse, he felt much more at ease, allowing himself to do things he previously considered ‘luxuries’.

Things like playing chess, or sitting idly reading, or sitting by the entrance of the temple, feeling the June breeze and listening to the cicadas chirping in the mountains.

For him, this was luxury.

Apart from carrying water and meditating, the four Master-disciple brothers and sister spent most of their days practicing martial arts.

They practiced internal martial arts focused on cultivating both body and mind.

That’s right, in this world, not only were there Immortals and ghosts, but also martial arts.

Chang Shan, who was practicing his boxing, saw the master (Mr. Chen) sitting by the table reading a book.

“No words?”

Chang Shan was confused. He wondered what someone would look at in a book with no words.

It was the same yesterday, and again today.

He couldn’t understand why the master could look at a blank book with such intense interest.

Xuan Huang frowned slightly and said, “Chang Shan!”

“Yes, Master!”

Chang Shan snapped out of his thoughts and didn’t dare look at Mr. Chen anymore.

Chen Changsheng closed the book and watched the four of them practice their boxing.

Xuan Huang told them to continue practicing on their own. Seeing that Mr. Chen was free now, he approached him. “What do you think, sir (Mr. Chen)?”

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“They’ve got about seventy to eighty percent of the form.”

Chen Changsheng said, “Far worse than when you and your brother learned it back in the day.”

“They’re still young,” Xuan Huang replied.

Seventy to eighty percent?

Xuan Shen, who was doing the boxing, overheard this and felt displeased. He muttered softly, “It doesn’t look bad at all.”Read full story at novｅlfire.net

Hearing this, Xuan Huang said, “Xuan Shen, don’t act like a know-it-all.”

This made Xuan Shen even more unwilling to back down. He simply stopped practicing and stood up. “Master, I’m not acting like a know-it-all. I’ve practiced the Taiji Fist for over three years. Even if it’s not perfect, I should have mastered ninety percent of it.”

In simpler terms, he wasn’t convinced.

Xuan Huang looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “Sir (Mr. Chen), Xuan Shen is a bit stubborn.”

Chen Changsheng waved his hand to interrupt him. “I’m not a petty person. Besides, they’re at that hot-headed, youthful age. This kind of reaction is normal.”

Xuan Huang looked at his third disciple. He opened his mouth, visibly annoyed, and pointed at him. “Do you have any idea who taught you the twenty-four postures of Taiji Fist you’re learning?”

Xuan Shen said, “Wasn’t the Taiji Fist passed down by Grandmaster?”

Xuan Huang shook his head with a sigh. “Then do you know that your Grandmaster and even I learned the Taiji Fist from Mr. Chen?”

“Senior Brother…”

Zi Su (female) stepped forward and tugged at Xuan Shen’s sleeve, trying to make him stop causing trouble.

But Xuan Shen had always had a fiery temper. He didn’t shy away when faced with conflict and wouldn’t listen to persuasion.

Xuan Shen glanced at the scholar (Mr. Chen). Seeing the man in his Blue Robe, looking thin and frail, he said, “I don’t believe it.”

“You!”

Just as an enraged Xuan Huang was about to speak, Chen Changsheng stopped him.

Chen Changsheng stepped forward. “A young man has a young man’s vigor. Whatever you say about me, I, Chen, don’t mind at all. But contradicting your master is wrong. You deserve a beating.”

Xuan Shen took a step forward. “So be it, then. You don’t look much older than me, and you look weak. How could you have taught our Grandmaster? I just don’t believe it.”

“Well, you don’t have to believe it,” Chen Changsheng found it rather unimportant and said with a smile. “But that beating is definitely yours.”

Xuan Shen grew annoyed at these words. “How can you be like this? I’m challenging you like this, shouldn’t you be angry?”

“Then what do you think I should do?”

“Compete with me!”

“Compete at what?”

“A martial arts duel!”

Chen Changsheng shook his head upon hearing this. “I don’t practice martial arts. I can’t compete with you.”

“Then how could you teach Grandmaster and Master?” Xuan Shen demanded.

Chen Changsheng placed his hands behind his back. “When did I ever say I knew it?”

“Huh?”

Xuan Shen paused. “If you don’t even know it, how could you have taught Grandmaster and Master?”

Chen Changsheng said, “That’s true. I am not a practitioner of the Taiji Fist.”

Although he had taught the Taiji Fist to both Hong Sancai and San Xuan, Chen Changsheng himself didn’t truly practice it. He had merely picked up a few moves from an old man in the park in his previous life.

Xuan Shen retorted, “I don’t care if you know it or not. Just answer me: do you dare compete or not?”

Seeing his persistence, Chen Changsheng couldn’t help but ask, “Must you compete with me?”

Xuan Shen nodded firmly. “If you defeat me, I will never say another word about this.”

“Now you sound like a person of the martial world.”

“Master has said that too.”

Chen Changsheng sighed, realizing there was no avoiding this.

He turned to Xuan Huang beside him. “Then, shall I compete with your disciple?”

Xuan Huang sighed inwardly. “Please hold back, sir (Mr. Chen).”

“I don’t practice martial arts; I won’t hurt your disciple,” Chen Changsheng said.

Chen Changsheng stepped forward. With one hand holding a scroll of books behind his back, he extended the other towards Xuan Shen.

“I don’t practice martial arts, so this can hardly be called bullying.”

Chen Changsheng said, “Attack as you wish.”

Seeing this, Xuan Shen didn’t hesitate. He threw a punch, a burst of qi swirling around his fist as he attacked Chen Changsheng directly.

Chen Changsheng’s outstretched hand met Xuan Shen’s wrist. Gently, he pushed outward. Using the force of Xuan Shen’s own momentum, he then pulled him backwards.

Xuan Shen brushed past the scholar (Mr. Chen), his fist finding only empty air.

He paused. That one touch… it felt like he had almost lost control of his strength. It was as if…

he had been controlled by the man in front of him.

Chen Changsheng beckoned with his hand. “Again?”

Seeing this scene, Shang Lu turned to his Senior Brother. “Senior Brother, should we really not intervene on our Junior Brother’s behalf?”

Chang Shan replied calmly, “Why bother? He made the trouble himself. There’s no stopping him.”

Shang Lu sighed, thinking it was true. Among the brothers and sister, the third Junior Brother was indeed the most troublesome.

Xuan Shen advanced again, striking out at Chen Changsheng once more.

This time, Chen Changsheng still used only one hand, employing the methods of Taiji Fist.

Fundamentally, it was just the skill of redirecting force. . By applying this well, even without martial training, he could overcome Xuan Shen.

Chen Changsheng intercepted his punch again. Using the force, he pulled, then pushed forward.

The entire force of the punch was sent back to Xuan Shen.

“Thud, thud, thud…”

Xuan Shen staggered back several steps before regaining his footing.

He stared at his hand in disbelief. “What kind of sorcery are you using?”

“Sorcery?”

Chen Changsheng shook his head. “It’s not sorcery. It’s Taiji.”

Xuan Shen caught his breath. “That’s nonsense! Taiji Fist is nothing like this!”

“Taiji Fist and Taiji (Great Ultimate) are not the same thing.”

Chen Changsheng explained, “What I used just now was Taiji – merely a method of redirecting force. It can be applied as a fist, or as a sword.”