The Way of Restraint

Chapter 16: Confidence Boosted – A Mysterious Blind Master of Massage

Su Jie’s current physique appeared agile rather than bulky. Agility represented precision and essence, while strength signified ferocity.

His muscles weren’t overly developed; in fact, he seemed a bit thin when clothed. However, touching his body was like feeling tough cowhide and sinew, the result of training guided by Odell’s world-class body-shaping techniques.

Sister Nie, with her discerning eyes, immediately noticed this.

Even Su Jie himself was surprised when he watched the videos from a month ago. He hadn’t realized he had undergone such a significant transformation.

The words “reborn” surfaced in his mind.

All the hardship, blood, and tears over the past month were now worth it—more than worth it.

This bolstered his determination to continue training with unwavering faith, even turning it into a lifelong pursuit.

“This is indeed your achievement after a month of training.” Sister Nie studied Su Jie repeatedly, seemingly trying to uncover some hidden secret behind this miracle. “Song Li is a fitness coach. Although he doesn’t practice martial arts, his physical fitness is excellent. He came to the academy to learn mixed martial arts and has improved rapidly, yet you defeated him so easily. Can you tell me how you trained?”

“Everyone has their little secrets.” Su Jie smiled, knowing that crediting his progress to Gu Yang’s training would clearly be a lie.

“Training is a personal matter; I shouldn’t pry,” Sister Nie said with a wave of her hand. “Have you ever considered competing in professional martial arts matches?”

“Professional martial arts matches?” Su Jie shook his head. “Right now, my focus is on academy and preparing for college entrance exams. Practicing martial arts is just a hobby for me.”

“A hobby?” Sister Nie frowned, seemingly regretful. “Studying, going to college, finding a job… I can tell from your movements that you’ve already grasped some true martial arts essence. Don’t you think it’s worth pursuing? If you enter professional matches, now is the time. A few years later, it’ll be too late to start on a professional path. Have you thought about your future plans?”

“I’ll think about it after getting into a good university.” Su Jie had many ideas, but martial arts had opened up a whole new world to him. Yet, committing to a professional martial arts career wasn’t something he was ready to decide on impulsively.

“If you agree, Minglun Martial Arts Academy will provide you with the best resources, hire the best coaches, and even supply top-notch nutritionists. You can still pursue your academics. I’d hate to see such potential go to waste.” Sister Nie’s sharp eye for talent was evident.

“I’ll think it over,” Su Jie replied, his mind suddenly filled with thoughts he needed to organize later.

“We’ve exchanged contact details. Reach out if you’re interested.” Sister Nie stood up to leave. “By the way, the academy’s small arena competition starts tomorrow. Both academy members and outside enthusiasts can participate, and there’s a decent prize. If you want to gain practical experience, consider joining to get a few matches under your belt.”

Ah!

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed from somewhere nearby, resembling the cry of a pig being slaughtered.

The sound was so chilling that it brought to mind the torturous punishment of death by a thousand cuts.

The shock made Su Jie spring to his feet like a startled tiger.

Snap!

The chair beneath him broke, its legs splitting under the sudden force.

“Hm?” Sister Nie noticed Su Jie’s reaction. When he sprang up, his body bent slightly, his hands moved with the strength to tear cotton, and his feet exuded the energy to crush stone.

In that instant, Su Jie’s alertness and explosive strength left Sister Nie with a renewed understanding of this young student.

‘His physical fitness needs improvement, but his reflexes and explosive power have already reached an advanced level of martial arts mastery. And to think he’s only been practicing martial arts for a month! What would he become after three or five years of training?’

Suppressing her inner shock, Sister Nie patted Su Jie’s shoulder. “That’s the massage center. The scream must’ve come from Uncle Mang’s heavy-handed massage. The person couldn’t handle it. You should give it a try.”

“Heavy-handed massage?” Su Jie exhaled deeply.

The adrenaline rush had left him tense, but as he relaxed, it felt like all his energy had been drained.

Yet, a sudden flash of insight struck him, as if he had grasped some profound truth about martial arts.

“Uncle Mang is the master of our academy’s massage center. Although he’s blind, he’s exceptionally skilled. He’s proficient in massage, acupuncture, and overall physical conditioning. He’s even adept at bone-setting and detoxification. If you can endure his heavy-handed techniques, he offers free massages.” Sister Nie explained.

Su Jie understood well that during training, muscle strains, joint dislocations, and lactic acid buildup in soft tissues were inevitable. Massage was essential to address these issues.

For instance, after a day of training, one might feel sore all over. Without massage, it would be impossible to train again the next day, no matter how strong one’s willpower was. Forced training under such conditions could lead to injuries, which would be counterproductive.

However, with the aid of medicinal massage to enhance circulation and disperse lactic acid buildup, one could not only recover from fatigue quickly but also improve muscle vitality.

Of course, having a skilled massage therapist is also very important. If the massage is not done properly, the accumulated lactic acid will be difficult to disperse.

A proper massage can thoroughly relax the body, making the process much more effective. Coach Odell’s massage techniques were top-notch, and combined with the use of massage oil, it was precisely why Su Jie was able to handle such high-intensity training. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted even a day.

He had learned the basics of it, but unfortunately, the time was too short. Plus, he was focused on improving his physical fitness, so he didn’t master much. Coach Odell possessed a wealth of knowledge; even following him for three to five years wouldn’t be enough to learn everything.

At Minglun Martial Arts Academy, there was a dedicated massage center with several therapists specifically catering to the students. These massages helped relieve fatigue and promote blood circulation. Of course, it came at a cost: a session could range from several hundred to several thousand yuan, depending on the skill of the therapist.

Josh often came here. Although Su Jie had heard of it, he had never been due to his training with Coach Odell. Besides, even if he came, he couldn’t afford the expense.

“I’ll go take a look.” Su Jie grew interested.

Sister Nie, intrigued herself, led him into the massage center next door.

‘Coach Odell mentioned that there are quite a few remarkable individuals at Minglun Martial Arts Academy. He thought he might find a way to further his horizontal training techniques here. Maybe this Uncle Mang is one of them,’ Su Jie thought to himself.

“This is it,” Sister Nie said, leading him to a spacious massage room. The room was decorated in an antique style, with a lit incense burner emitting a subtle, pleasant fragrance. The air was filled with the scent of orchids.

Next to the massage bed sat a blind man.

The blind man appeared to be in his early forties. He wore loose white clothing, and his eye sockets were hollow, with no eyeballs, which was quite startling.

On a nearby massage bed lay a shirtless man, breathing heavily. It was clear that the earlier screams had come from him.

This man had a streamlined, muscular physique, like a feline predator conditioned for years of hunting. He looked lean but had muscles that clung tightly to his bones, giving him an impressive appearance.

His build was somewhat similar to Su Jie’s, indicating he had undergone professional training.

Hearing someone enter, the man got up from the massage bed and put on a sanda vest. “Nie Shuang, what are you doing here?”

While others called the female coach “Sister Nie,” this man addressed her directly by name, which suggested his status at the academy was quite high.

“Zhou Chun, are you hoping for a free massage from Uncle Mang? Unfortunately, you still can’t handle his intense techniques, can you?” Sister Nie’s expression lost its usual warmth, suggesting she didn’t get along with Zhou Chun. She turned to Su Jie and said, “This is Coach Zhou Chun from our academy. He teaches mixed martial arts and is a professional athlete who placed fifth in the National Sanda King Championship.”

“Is this your student?” Zhou Chun asked, looking at Su Jie.

“A professional athlete!” Su Jie was taken aback.

In the world of combat sports, the gap between professionals and amateurs was immense.

Although he had defeated Song Li today, that man was just an enthusiast, incomparable to a professional. Even county- or city-level professionals were incredibly skilled due to their years of training, daily dedication, and scientifically backed methods. Their accumulated experience made them exceptionally formidable.

Josh, despite his seven or eight years of training, could only rival city-level professionals at best. Against provincial-level competitors, he would likely be beaten.

And Zhou Chun was on the national level.

National-level athletes represented the best fighters in the country, with superior physical conditioning, psychological resilience, and technical mastery.

“He’s a short-term trainee in Gu Yang’s program. He wants to try Uncle Mang’s intense massage techniques,” Sister Nie said with a playful smile, as though enjoying the show.

“Kid, go play somewhere else,” Zhou Chun said impatiently, waving his hand. “What a joke. I’m discussing something with Uncle Mang; don’t cause trouble here.”

Su Jie frowned but chose not to retort. He didn’t want to offend an academy coach, especially a national-level professional.

“Uncle Mang, this student wants to try your intense massage techniques,” Sister Nie ignored Zhou Chun and addressed Uncle Mang directly. “Zhou Chun, I know you want Uncle Mang to condition your body for free, but he has his rules. If you can endure his techniques, he’ll waive the fee. You couldn’t handle it, but maybe this student can.”

“This kid can handle it?” Zhou Chun seemed to have a grudge against Nie Shuang, and seeing Su Jie irritated him even more. His gaze darkened, but then a sly smile appeared on his face. “Nie Shuang, how about we make a bet? If this kid can endure it, I’ll give you that jar of internal-strength wine brewed by the principal. If he can’t, you give me your jar.”

“That’s quite a gamble,” Nie Shuang said, visibly surprised. “It seems you’re still bitter about last time and want to take advantage of me.”

“Do you dare to bet?” Zhou Chun waved dismissively. “Don’t bother with excuses. If you’re scared, just take the kid and leave.”

“I have nothing to be afraid of,” Nie Shuang replied. “Uncle Mang will bear witness to this.”

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