Sichuan Journey - Deepening (6)
Sichuan Journey - Deepening (6)
"If the foundation of Taijiquan is the method of overcoming and handling force, then the deepening stage is the art of handling qi."
The next morning, we faced each other in the empty training ground. Hong Ye took her stance, as if nothing had happened the previous night, and explained the next stage of Taijiquan. If everything I had learned so far was about turning the opponent's force against them, the deepening of Taijiquan involved also turning the opponent's qi back on them and seizing its flow.
"What happens when you learn to handle qi?"
"In theory, if the opponent uses a technique like the Penetration Sutra, you could counter it. You could also aim for a counterstrike by moving your body along the flow that the opponent's special technique has disrupted."
'It's theoretically invincible.'
Hong Ye nodded at my comment.
"That is correct. But even if you know how to handle qi, when the opponent uses a special technique, they will likely create a situation where countering is difficult. Since you have only a brief moment to observe the opponent's special technique, grasp the qi flow, and counter, it's better to dodge whenever you can."
"So you're saying it's good to use when the opponent attacks with qi, but dodge when you can."
Hong Ye nodded. In bed, Hong Ye had shown only a cute and shy demeanor, but when she was about to teach Taijiquan, she assumed a more serious attitude than anyone else. She extended her arm and spoke.
"I have not yet fully mastered the deepening of Taijiquan either, so I can only teach you its theoretical foundation. Would you come over here?"
Following Hong Ye's gesture, I turned around. As I stood straight, my back exposed, Hong Ye's hand touched my back. Just as I felt her palm press heavily, a stinging pain sprang up from my spine along with a sense of dissonance.
"Hup...!"
Hong Ye continued speaking calmly even though I was startled.
"Are you surprised? You must not flinch or thrash around. If you concentrate your mind, you will sense a foreign energy inside your body."
I closed my eyes and began to focus my mind as she instructed. Near my waist, I felt a dissonant sensation, like a small stone rolling around inside my body.
"Found it."
"From now on, you will practice expelling that energy through your palm. It is the act of moving another's qi as if it were your own and drawing it out."
I decided to move the qi as she instructed. With my eyes closed, I focused the internal strength flowing through my entire body toward the qi that had been frolicking near my waist moments ago. For a moment, the energy seemed to quiver, then it was buried under my own qi and vanished without a trace.
"It's gone."
Hong Ye answered flatly.
"Since you are not yet accustomed to manipulating inner energy, it can't be helped. Right now, because I am sending out only a very small amount of qi, it simply gets crushed and disappears under your qi. But if a large amount of qi were infused like the Penetration Sutra, it would explode internally and cause severe internal injuries."
It was a chilling statement. Seeing Hong Ye keep her palm on my back while saying such things naturally made me mentally review whether I had done anything to wrong her. Whether she sensed my unease or not, Hong Ye sent qi into me again and said,
"Then, let's try again. First, practice enveloping the penetrating energy with your own qi. As if you were using your hands inside your body to grasp the clump of qi...."
I closed my eyes and imagined it exactly as Hong Ye described. It was like carefully wrapping the qi with my grip, as if holding a water balloon. However, the moment my qi made contact, the qi Hong Ye had infused trembled violently and convulsed, then gave way at a gap, got buried under my qi, and scattered.
"It's alright. It is not an easy process by nature."
The learning process was difficult, but it was a useful skill. If an opponent fired their internal strength and ambushed me secretly, I currently had no way to defend myself. It was a type of strike where if I forcibly raised my qi internally, the two energies would repel each other and explode, causing potentially fatal internal injuries. So it was wise to learn from now on how to handle qi and defend safely.
After all, there was a great difference in how unfair it felt to be struck because you didn't know how to defend, compared to being struck because your defense was clumsy.
"Then we will try again."
"The feeling of carrying my wife's qi in my belly is quite strange."
"...P-please don't say strange things."
Hong Ye jabbed my side with her hand in the middle of the training.
******
Late at night, the junior martial sister stepped outside during her training. Her heated body steamed in the evening breeze. The more she moved according to what Hong Ye had taught her, the more she seemed to understand what she was moving her body for.
What had she learned Taijiquan for, and what was the principle behind moving her body? She had never considered such things before. She had just vaguely wanted to become a direct disciple, to be acknowledged by the elders, and to hold her nose high in pride.
With that mindset, there was no way she could truly grasp the principle.
But now it was different.
The greed that had once ruled the junior martial sister's body was gone, and she could simply focus on the essence of Taijiquan. Because she had always been talented in martial arts, once she grasped the thread and began to move, her progress was rapid. The junior martial sister found herself smiling involuntarily, feeling that she might soon be able to show a good performance before Hong Ye.
"Well, then. Good work."
But before she could laugh aloud, she saw someone leaving the elder's quarters. The man wore a bamboo hat, and even beneath it, a strikingly white face, as if powdered, stood out. The elder was bowing to this young man, laughing, and the man spoke with an expressionless face.
"By the way, will you truly be alright with this kind of item? If you paid just a little more, I could prepare drugs with a definite effect rather than such trivial things."
The elder shook his head firmly at the man's question.
"How could I, an elder of the sect, take the life of a sect disciple?"
"...I don't quite know what you mean. I'll be off, then."
The man tilted his head, shrugged, and vanished. Only after the man disappeared did the elder grin broadly, look around, and meet eyes with the junior martial sister. The junior martial sister hurriedly tried to hide, but she had never learned stealth or night walking, so her presence was more definite than a wild animal's.
"Who's there?"
"...W-Who was that person just now?"
The junior martial sister peeked her head out from beyond the fence and asked. The elder, who had been glaring with stern eyes, frowned at the sight of her junior martial sister, sighed, and clutched his head. Then he spoke as if venting his frustration.
"Why are you not sleeping at this hour? I told you not to train until your body gives out."
"I made progress in my enlightenment, so I lost myself moving and it got to this time. But who on earth was that person...."
"Ahem. Lower your voice."
At the elder's words, the junior martial sister shut her mouth. The elder looked around and let out another sigh. His face full of fatigue and irritation, he grabbed the junior martial sister's shoulder. The junior martial sister could not help but hold her breath from the pressure that felt like her shoulder was being squeezed. The elder spoke in a gloomy voice.
"A-All of this is for your own good. Besides you, who else in the world could rise to the position of direct disciple?"
The junior martial sister did not question further. From the suspicious man and the talk of 'items,' she felt she knew what scheme the elder was plotting. The elder intended to remove Hong Ye. She didn't know how, but he planned to dispose of her and vacate the position of direct disciple.
"Th-That is...."
"Did you not say you wanted to become the direct disciple?"
The elder cut her off. The junior martial sister sealed her lips and stared directly at the elder. The elder's eyes sparkled, reflecting the starlight.
"A-All of this is work I'm doing for you, so how can you try to say such hurtful things? If this matter got out, do you think you could claim you knew nothing? Huh? Think about it. It's the position of direct disciple you so desperately wanted."
The image of Hong Ye standing on the dais, greeting people as the representative, came to mind. Once, the junior martial sister could not understand why Hong Ye held that position. But not anymore. The junior martial sister now believed that Hong Ye was the very person suited to be the direct disciple of this Taiji Sect.
"Who was it who believed in you and taught you all this time? I ask you, who on earth recognized your talent and doted on you?"
'[Why, why did you ask for my help?]'
And she also knew that Hong Ye trusted her.
"Since ancient times it is said, 'Do not even tread on your master's shadow,' so how can you throw a tantrum like this? You may not understand because you are young, but all of this is for the good of the Taiji Sect. Do you understand?"
['...Wasn't I the despicable the junior martial sister who tried to oppose and insult you, Senior Sister? Didn't you think I would deliberately give strange advice to harm you?']
That was why the junior martial sister did not want to betray Hong Ye. She recalled what Hong Ye had said that day when she demonstrated the stances of Taijiquan before her.
"Make a wise choice. It is a good thing for you as well."
[Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds]
Somehow, the junior martial sister felt she could dimly understand what those words meant.
And so the junior martial sister looked at the elder and said,
"...I understand."
Now, while the elders were scheming, she was the only one who could save Hong Ye. Watching the elder sigh and turn away, the junior martial sister recalled the image of Hong Ye.
If that day, she had poured out curses and insults at her, would she have acted this way?
If she had not forgiven her, would she have acted this way?
The moment when Hong Ye, in her foolish nature, impassively let the matter go and embraced a single person was changing the flow.
Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds
As if entranced, the junior martial sister mimicked the stances Hong Ye had shown her and held her breath.