SWDnovel Chapter 50 You Gossip Too?
Chapter 50 You Gossip Too?
A morning breeze swept through the doorway, causing the oil lamp's flame to flicker and dance.
Liu Yishou's eyelids twitched, but he didn't reply.
He took a half step back with his right foot, his toes grazing the ground, and silently turned half a circle, his body facing sideways to Zhou Xing, his left hand raised as if to move, and his right hand hidden behind his waist.
The Baguazhang opening move, "Azure Dragon Probing Claw," is both offensive and defensive, and excels in mobile combat.
Zhou moved, his shoulder slumped, and he was already right in front of him.
It was the Wing Chun "arrow step." In one step, he thrust to Liu Yishou's left side, his right hand with fingers like a knife, aiming a thrust at his throat!
Liu twisted his waist with one hand, his left hand flashed like lightning, grabbing Zhou Xing's wrist, while his right palm shot out from under his ribs, stabbing Zhou Xing's throat.
The Eight Trigrams depict "the white snake spitting its tongue," signifying venomous and hidden cunning.
But Zhou Xing seemed to have been waiting for this move.
His wrist slipped, as if coated with oil, and he missed.
At the same time, the five fingers of his outstretched right hand suddenly clenched into a fist, and his forearm twitched like a spring. With a muffled "bang," the fist struck Liu Yishou's left forearm, which was blocking.
Wing Chun's "inch-force" is characterized by its short, crisp, and explosive nature.
Liu Yi's arm went numb, and he involuntarily took half a step back.
Zhou Xing ducked and moved to the side, his left elbow already aimed at Zhou Xing's ribs. Wing Chun's "Questioning Hand Turning Shoulder Hand" is a close-quarters, short-range attack.
Liu Yishou took another half step back, avoiding the elbow tip.
Zhou Xing followed closely, taking very small and quick steps, always maintaining a distance of within an arm's length.
With Wing Chun footwork, the horse stance moves with each step pressing forward, while the hands move like butterflies flitting among flowers, fingers, palms, fists, and elbows shifting in rapid succession within a small space.
Gouge out eyes, lock throats, rip out ribs, pound the heart.
They all used short, ruthless moves, and were so close that they could smell each other's breath.
"Bang bang bang bang!"
Their fists collided, creating a loud bang in the air.
What is "inch power"? It is the ability to generate force twice within a small space.
Liu Yishou's breathing became increasingly disordered, and before he could even muster his strength, he was intercepted halfway by the opponent's fists and palms.
Baguazhang excels in movement, with steps in circular motions, relying on twisting and turning of the body to generate power.
However, this side room is cramped. With an eight-immortal table, a grand master's chair, a screen, a dressing table, etc., the space to move around is only about a square foot.
Despite his mastery of Bagua Zhang (a martial arts technique), he was completely unable to maneuver or move under Zhou Xing's impenetrable, close-quarters attacks.
If you try to take a step, Zhou Xing's knee will push up; if you try to twist your waist, Zhou Xing's elbow will block your way.
"Bang!"
Another palm strike was transformed into a fist, the inch-force hitting the blocking forearm.
Liu Yishou's entire arm felt sore and numb, the pain radiating down to his shoulder blade.
"We can't fight here."
Liu Yishou's mind raced. If he continued this entanglement, he would either be worn down or cornered.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He stopped trying to move away and instead lunged forward, his arms coiling like a python around a tree, aiming to lock Zhou Xing's neck.
This is a desperate tactic, trading injury for space.
Zhou Xing, however, seemed to have anticipated this. He neither parried nor blocked, but instead twisted his waist in a strange way, slipping under Zhou Xing's armpit and striking Zhou Xing's lower back with a backhand.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Liu Yishou pushed off the ground with his toes and shot backward.
"Splash!"
He burst through the lattice door of the side room and fell into the courtyard.
A morning breeze swept over me, and the space suddenly opened up.
He staggered a couple of steps to regain his balance, took a deep breath, and felt a burning pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw that his forearm was covered in bruises.
In less than ten breaths of fighting inside the room, he was completely outmaneuvered.
Zhou Xing stepped out from inside the door and stood under the eaves, the morning light shining on half of his face.
His gaze swept across the courtyard, the ground covered in blue bricks, and a row of weapon racks on the east side, the swords, spears, and halberds gleaming coldly.
On the west side were stone locks and sandbags, and in the corner was a large vat with a few withered lotus leaves clinging to its rim.
The central open space is spacious enough to move around and maneuver.
"What's wrong? Can't you open the door inside? Want to come out for some fresh air?"
Zhou Xing asked.
Liu didn't answer, but slowly moved his wrist, his eyes gloomy.
He began to walk in circles, three steps to the left, three steps to the right, his steps small but firm, leaving shallow circular marks on the ground.
The starting stance of Baguazhang is Single Palm Change.
"Young man, you were tough enough to fight inside, that's all. But here, I'll show you what 'Swimming Body Eight Trigrams' really means, what '…' really means."
Before Liu Yishou could finish speaking, Zhou Xing suddenly moved as well.
He took a step, slid along the ground, as if wading through mud, steady yet sticky.
Then the second step, the third step... the body slowly twists with each step, the arms swing naturally, and the palms change with the body.
It's the most basic Bagua walking circle!
But his footwork was as smooth as a wheel, his body movements as twisting and turning as a dragon, and the energy he exhaled seemed even purer than what he had practiced for many years.
Liu Yishou's pupils contracted sharply, his circling steps faltered, and the veins on his neck bulged violently.
"You...how do you know Baguazhang?!"
Before he could think it through, Zhou had already made three laps and reached the target.
With a step that moved in an arc, his palms shifted with his body, instantly cutting into the inner circle of Liu Yishou's movements. His right palm pierced through like a dragon's claw, aiming straight for Liu's shoulder.
The Eight Trigrams form, "Azure Dragon Probing Claws," generates power from the fingertips.
Liu Yishou parried with "White Ape Offering Fruit," raising both palms upwards.
With arms crossed, Zhou Xing's palm strike suddenly shifted from a penetrating motion to a cutting motion, the edge of his palm carrying a cold, crisp force as it slashed towards his ribs.
Liu Yishou quickly retreated, his steps a series of rapid movements.
The two men moved around the courtyard, their footwork and palm techniques both based on the Bagua Mud-Treading Step.
But as the fight went on, Liu Yishou grew increasingly alarmed.
Zhou Xing's palm technique seems to originate from the same source as his, but it is always one step ahead of his.
Just as he came up with the idea of "Azure Dragon Returns to Its Head," Zhou Xing's "White Ape Dragging Its Blade" blocked his path.
He was about to change to a "hooking step" when Zhou Xing took a "diagonal step" to block his position.
It was as if his opponent could see through all the changes in his punches.
Liu Yishou was both surprised and furious. He suddenly launched a "Tiger Climbing the Mountain" attack, lunging forward with his palms filled with hidden power, trying to break through Zhou Xing's palm technique.
Zhou Xing did not take the blow head-on. By listening to the opponent's strength, he had already sensed that the root of the opponent's power was in his waist and hips.
He took a step diagonally to the side and moved behind him, his left hand gently resting on his lower back like a nimble snake.
Gossip is so cool!
Liu's lunge was immediately thrown off balance, his center of gravity became unstable, and his "Tiger Climbing the Mountain" attack, which contained hidden force, missed its mark. His blood and qi surged back, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
The two separated again.
"The fighting styles are all the same."
Zhou Xing spoke up then, his voice calm, "You're going to switch to the 'Lazy Dragon Pillow' next? That won't break the move."
Liu Yishou was panting heavily, his face a mixture of shame and indignation.
He roared and launched another "Azure Dragon Probing Claw" attack, lunging forward. But his emotions were running high, his steps faltered, and an opening flashed across his chest.
flaw!
Zhou Xing's eyes narrowed, and he strode forward, his right palm pointing forward, swiftly thrusting at Liu Yishou's Tanzhong acupoint. If this strike landed, the hidden force would penetrate and shatter his heart meridians.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the hem of her clothes, Zhou Xing "heard" a strange sound.
It was the faint "buzzing" sound, like a bowstring, from the other person's chest muscles being extremely tense and their pores about to burst open!
It's not a flaw, it's a trap!
The old dog had been gathering his inner strength in his chest, waiting for me to crash into it!
This is the advantage of the old-school hidden strength: it can absorb and release hidden strength in several vital points throughout the body.
In a flash, Zhou Xing abruptly stopped his thrusting right hand, twisted his foot, and sprang backward. But the sudden turn caused him to lose his balance, and his shoe left a half-foot white mark on the wet bricks.
Liu Yishou's inner strength, which had been building up, was about to erupt, but his target was gone. He groaned, his blood boiling, and his face instantly turned red.
But the opportunity must not be missed! The opponent is just losing his balance and his steps are disordered.
He suppressed his qi and blood, turned his left leg, and silently kicked out with his right foot, sweeping straight at Zhou Xing's shinbone.
It is precisely "the poison of gossip, the secret leg emerges".
Like a scorpion swishing its tail, the force is swift and powerful; if one is unprepared and takes the hit head-on, bones and tendons will surely break.
In the critical moment, Zhou Xing, who seemed to have exhausted his strength, suddenly felt a jolt in his joints and fascia, and the [River Demon Appearance] was activated, with new strength being generated before the old strength was exhausted.
He lightly touched the wet, slippery brick with his right toe, then spun around like a top to dodge the sweeping leg.
At the same time, his right arm, which had been hanging by his side, suddenly swung up from under his ribs like a nimble ape.
The hand, like a white ape's claw, traced a short, eerie arc. It gently dragged and pulled at Liu Yishou's right shoulder blade, which had slightly lifted as he swept his leg.
White ape drags its blade!
"Sizzle—"
The cloth was torn.
Liu Yishou's clothes were torn on his shoulder, revealing a bloodstain about an inch long on his skin. It wasn't deep, but the skin was rolled up.
A tricky "dragging" force penetrated his arm, causing it to suddenly ache and almost making it impossible for him to lift it. It was the force of the dragging blade that had injured his tendons and ligaments.
Liu Yishou grunted, hastily retracting his sweeping leg and staggering back three steps before regaining his footing. His left hand clutched his right shoulder tightly, blood already pooling between his fingers.
He looked up, staring intently at Zhou Xing, and finally his eyes revealed horror.
Zhou Xing slowly straightened up and stood in the center of the blue brick ground. The morning breeze swept across the courtyard wall, ruffling the hair on his forehead.