The Way of Restraint

Chapter 33: Encountering a Trap, Calm and Prepared

The next morning, Su Jie began his usual training routine.

As he went through his exercises, he felt an increasing sense of comfort and flexibility. His body was much more agile than before. He started with some basic joint stretches in the open field, his body heating up as dopamine gathered in his system from the physical activity. It was that pleasant, slightly tipsy feeling—like the aftereffects of a drink.

This was the perfect state to be in.

This was the best warm-up before martial arts practice.

According to Odell’s theory, warming up before exercise with aerobic activities produces dopamine and endorphins in the body. Dopamine is stimulating, while endorphins serve as painkillers. It gives a feeling akin to being mildly drunk: the sense of being invincible, yet still clear-headed. This is the optimal state for martial arts training.

Swish!

Su Jie shifted his weight, and his body surprisingly performed a backflip, landing smoothly on the ground.

“What? I can do a backflip now?” he exclaimed in surprise.

He had always practiced practical movements, from digging and turning the earth to the later horizontal punches and strikes. He had never practiced flashy moves like backflips. These acrobatic stunts—like high kicks and flying kicks—had no use in real combat. If you used a backflip in a real fight, your opponent would exploit the opening and strike you down in an instant.

Even in traditional martial arts, high kicks were forbidden. Martial arts sayings even advised not to kick higher than your knee.

Of course, in competitions, high whips and sweeps can score points or knock out opponents, but Su Jie analyzed carefully and realized that the arena is a far cry from true combat.

He had never practiced backflips before, but now, without effort, he could perform one. This was a result of his improved physical fitness and balance. It had all come naturally.

Backflips are useful in performances and often earn applause. Some actors even rely on them to make a living.

He continued testing his flexibility and balance, performing many acrobatic-like movements with ease.

‘Could this be the result of the electrical stimulation? I’ve only been at it for two days, and my muscles are so relaxed? It’s a shame this method can’t be used by others—seems like no one at the academy is doing it. Forget about electrical stimulation; even Uncle Mang’s massages are too intense for most. Is it my willpower that’s naturally so strong? Or is it because of Odell’s training?’ 

Su Jie thought for a moment but concluded that his progress was most likely due to the foundation laid by Odell’s training.

After his martial arts practice, he started practicing the “Hoe Strike” technique and integrated it with representative martial arts techniques from the ancient Yang school’s eighteen moves.

Soon, he was able to perform the movements smoothly. With just a thought, his limbs moved in sync, and he could precisely activate various techniques, though the core remained the “Hoe Strike.”

‘The Hoe Strike is the highest form of martial arts, a secret technique passed down in ancient martial arts circles, known as the ‘Heart and Will’ technique. By mastering just this one form, comprehending its essence, you can seamlessly integrate all techniques into it, and they become second nature. Now, I truly understand the benefit of this technique. But something still feels missing, like I haven’t reached perfection. Am I lacking in the mastery of the mind and will? My understanding of the mind is that it’s like a jar of clear water, and will is the impurities that gradually appear in the water…’ 

Su Jie sat cross-legged, deeply contemplating.

He imagined himself as a jar of clear water, and as various thoughts flooded his mind, the water became murky and foul-smelling.

He shook his head to clear his mind, focusing on his breath until his mind returned to a state of clarity.

In this clear water, one thought appeared—the core training of the Hoe Strike technique.

The thought grew stronger, and eventually, the entire jar was filled with the technique’s practice and application, leaving no room for anything else. After practicing, it suddenly returned to clarity.

“That’s it.” Su Jie suddenly jumped up, holding a heavy iron hoe, and with a powerful swing, it dropped.

He now wielded the hoe effortlessly, as if it had no weight.

“This is it. This is the harmony of mind and will,” Su Jie realized. ‘When not in use, the mind must remain pure, free of distractions. But once you activate it, all your focus converges into one strong thought—only the technique exists, and everything else, including your opponent, ceases to exist. After stopping, the powerful thought returns to clarity. This transition allows you to unleash your greatest power, making your technique pure. But what is the scientific principle behind the harmony of mind and will? I should consult an expert. I know that too much thinking can lead to mental fatigue and shorten life. Many centenarians in rural areas have lived simple lives with few distractions, which is why they live so long…’

Su Jie finally grasped the true core of the technique—the harmony of mind and will. He began to practice it earnestly.

Sure enough, as he practiced, it felt completely different from before. It seemed as though all his strength could be released, and his speed, accuracy, control, and impact were greatly enhanced.

It was like a company that had once been poorly managed with no central figure. Everyone was unsure who to follow, resulting in low efficiency. But when a strong leader arrived, everything was reorganized, and the company’s efficiency increased by a thousandfold.

‘Chinese martial arts seek a unified force, which is the efficiency of muscles working together. Even a weak body can unleash great power if the movements are coordinated. But this unity is physical. The true unity, however, lies in the harmony of mind and will,’ Su Jie finally understood the core of Chinese martial arts. He no longer had any doubts. Now, he understood why Odell had trained him in the “Great Corpse State”—it was a way to cultivate a pure, undistracted mind.

“There is no more doubt. What’s left is to train my inner self, making it purer, and then train my body, making it stronger.”

Su Jie knew that understanding the true essence of martial arts was one thing, but truly becoming strong was another. It still required constant forging and refining, where both mind and will had to be practiced until they could be triggered in an instant.

At this moment, Su Jie was truly enjoying the “flavor” of Chinese martial arts.

He was like a foodie who had worked hard to pursue fine cuisine, finally tasting the dishes made by a master chef.

After his morning training, he went to academy to have breakfast, feeling completely satisfied.

The road was already bright, and he was running back to academy.

“Hmm? What’s that ahead?”

Halfway there, he suddenly noticed someone lying by the roadside. There seemed to be blood around them, and they were groaning in pain. It was still early, so there weren’t many people around.

Su Jie glanced at his newly bought watch, quickly ran over, and asked, “What happened?”

The person was a middle-aged man, around his forties, and seemed seriously injured. “I’ve been beaten. Please, help me get to the hospital.”

“I’ll help you,” Su Jie said, quickly helping the injured man to his feet and taking him to the nearest hospital.

They had only walked for a minute when Su Jie found himself covered in blood. Suddenly, a group of people appeared from a distance, riding motorcycles and making a loud roaring noise. They blocked Su Jie’s path.

“Brother Qiang, what happened?” 

The group immediately approached and asked the injured man, “How did you get hurt? Who did this to you? Was it this kid?”

“I was just helping him. When I found him, he was already lying on the road,” Su Jie calmly explained.

“Bullsh!t!” At this moment, a strong man wearing sanda shorts jumped off one of the motorcycles and was about to slap Su Jie. “How could someone beat Brother Qiang? It was you! You beat him and were trying to take him somewhere else. Were you trying to kill him and silence him?”

Su Jie quickly dodged.

By this time, people nearby had already started recording on their phones.

“It’s him! I was out running this morning and bumped into him. He attacked me without warning, beat me up badly, and tried to drag me to a remote place to bury me. He’s a murderer!” The middle-aged man, Brother Qiang, suddenly screamed, completely different from his earlier gasping and weak demeanor.

“Grab this kid and take him to the police station! What a murderer!” At this moment, the man in sanda shorts with his shirt off lunged toward Su Jie and threw a powerful punch at his chest. It was a hook punch, very forceful, indicating that the man had trained for a long time.

Without thinking, Su Jie swiftly moved to the left side of the man. He didn’t strike; instead, he lightly swept his leg in a technique from the ancient Yang family’s 18 forms—the “Mandarin Duck Chain Kick.”

This move primarily involved hooks and sweeps, designed to quickly trip an opponent by hooking their foot, causing them to lose balance and fall. Compared to other moves, it wasn’t as damaging, but it was clean, swift, and stealthy. The enemy wouldn’t even realize what hit them, making it a useful technique to subdue an opponent and make them reconsider.

Thud!

The man fell flat on his face, covered in dirt, but wasn’t injured. He was, however, dazed and couldn’t get up for a while.

At this moment, fists started raining down from the others nearby.

Su Jie received several punches to his head and body, but fortunately, his internal martial arts training was strong, and he didn’t suffer any injuries. With a few more blows, he created an opening and pushed through.

Of course, at this point, he could have struck harder, knocking out a few of them. But Su Jie knew that if he went too far, the others would surely get hurt, maybe even seriously, and that would lead to legal trouble.

“Kid, if you try to run, I’ve already recorded everything. As soon as you move, we’ll call the police. You won’t get away.”

One of them hopped on a motorcycle, ready to chase after Su Jie.

“What are you doing?”

Just then, a loud shout came from a distance, and someone ran over quickly.

‘Is it him?’ Su Jie realized that the person running toward him was none other than Coach Zhou Chun. It was because of him that Su Jie had caused him to lose a jar of precious internal strengthening wine.

Thank you!