The Way of Restraint

Chapter 135: Unity of Heaven and Man Has Its Mysteries

“High school, my youth, goodbye.”

Su Jie felt a surge of emotions within.

Even though he had experienced things that many ordinary high school students hadn’t, he still wanted to savor the important experience of life.

At the moment the National College Entrance Examination ended, he had essentially become an adult.

Not just him, every graduating high school student had to go through this test.

Looking at the faces coming out of the exam hall, some were beaming with joy, feeling they had done well. Others looked anxious and dejected, probably because they didn’t manage to answer the questions, yet still hoped for a miracle.

Some were completely relaxed, ready to enjoy their upcoming life. While others had confusion about the future written all over their faces, seemingly unsure of what to do after graduating high school.

Each student had their own emotions.

Su Jie observed their expressions, as if he had delved deep into their hearts, understanding their thoughts.

A massive crowd surged forth, and those parents picking up their kids waited anxiously outside.

Suddenly, Su Jie understood why his dad had suggested he not drop out and continue studying.

This was something ninety-nine percent of people in society had to go through. Even if Su Jie felt special, experiencing it deeply made him realize his own ordinariness; in the face of such overwhelming circumstances, he remained a small figure.

But within the ordinary, there was also greatness.

Everyone who had gone through this battle was a hero.

Suddenly, Su Jie really enjoyed the atmosphere of this moment.

He stood at the school gate, watching the flow of people finishing their exams, reluctant to leave.

The sunset, people coming and going, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of flowers; life could never return to the past, but a more exciting youth awaited him.

Could some people still gather together?

Could some things be repeated?

A vivid flavor rippled in Su Jie’s heart.

“Su Jie, why are you just standing here?” Someone patted his shoulder.

Su Jie turned around and found it was Ning Zixi.

She had also finished her exam.

“How did you do? Which university are you planning to apply to?” Before Su Jie could respond, Ning Zixi began asking the questions everyone asks after the exams.

Su Jie thought for a moment: “It should be 745. If I’m not mistaken, you’re also planning to apply to the top university in B City, right?”

“You know your score?” Ning Zixi seemed a bit surprised: “Your estimate can’t be wrong, right? This time it’s not AI grading.”

“It won’t be wrong,” Su Jie nodded.

After each exam, the school also conducted score estimates.

Su Jie’s estimates surprised Ning Zixi because they were always spot on, not one point more or less than the actual score.

If this time his estimate matched the actual score, Su Jie would be a genius.

“There’s a class gathering tonight; you’re not going to take a leave again, right?” Ning Zixi asked.

“No leave,” Su Jie smiled.

For the next three days, Su Jie seemed to be like an ordinary person, celebrating with classmates at school, estimating scores, filling out applications, and then dispersing, all very plain, without any excitement.

But Su Jie’s mindset was maturing; he knew he was not only mentally an adult but also physically had become one.

After finishing everything, when he returned home, his parents didn’t ask about his exam results because they knew there wouldn’t be any surprises.

He just informed his parents and sister.

Su Jie then packed his things and boarded a flight to D City again.

After arriving in D City, he went to the countryside and stayed in the small courtyard that Odell had bought.

This small courtyard was purchased by Odell, who designed and decorated it himself; it was small and every year Odell would come here to stay for about a month. Usually, he wouldn’t be around and had someone clean it weekly.

At that time, Odell said that if Su Jie wanted to stay, he could move in anytime.

Not far from this small courtyard was the town, and about ten kilometers behind it lay a vast mountain range, sparsely populated, with many valleys, and numerous myths and legends have existed since ancient times. In recent years, more and more rural people have moved to the city, resulting in fewer and fewer people in the villages outside the mountains.

This was the kind of environment Su Jie wanted.

He lived in Odell’s small courtyard, walking over ten kilometers into the mountains every day to practice the “Thirteen Protectors’ Golden Bell Iron Shirt Dragon-Tiger Vajra Qi Gong.”

Far away from the hustle and bustle of the world, calming his mind, wholeheartedly practicing, treating it as a gift for his coming of age.

During his last practice at Minglun Martial Arts Academy, Su Jie was still preoccupied with high school, the National College Entrance Examination, and matters at home, along with the school’s attitude.

But now that the National College Entrance Examination was over, he felt light and unburdened.

Some classmates were just preparing to play for the summer and happily head to university to embrace a new life. Some were going to work to experience life, while others planned to study university courses again to enrich themselves. Ning Zixi said she was planning to enroll in a combat training class to get fit.

Su Jie, on the other hand, wanted to completely return to nature, experiencing the elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties, living as a recluse.

It is said that the founder of Kyokushin Karate, Masutatsu Oyama, secluded himself in the deep mountains for three years, diligently practicing martial arts and breaking through his limits.

In Su Jie’s view, merely hiding in the mountains was not reliable; martial arts require many people to research together.

But people do need to calm down and reflect; sometimes, being alone in the deep mountains can lead to moments of inspiration, discovering many things.

One should never take extremes.

On June 13th, early at three in the morning, Su Jie got up from Odell’s small courtyard, had some canned food, drank water, moved around, warmed up, packed his backpack, and then directly ran over ten kilometers into the depths of the mountains.

By the time he climbed to the top of a mountain, the sky was already showing a fish belly white, and the sunrise seemed about to rise.

All around was truly silent and deserted; that feeling of being the only one in the world returned to Su Jie’s heart, making him feel extremely peaceful, as if everything mundane had nothing to do with him.

He took off his clothes and began applying oil to himself, continuously kneading and pressing to completely eliminate the lactic acid from running and climbing, his whole body heating up until the sunrise suddenly broke over the horizon.

At the moment the sun appeared, Su Jie seemed to sense it and let out his first long howl.

This howl echoed far away, piercing the sky, and the mountains responded.

Su Jie felt incredibly comfortable; in the city, he wouldn’t dare to howl like this, having suppressed himself for too long, but now he was freely expressing his passion.

This howl seemed to shout out countless worldly impurities accumulated within him, instantly making him feel pure and flawless.

Then came the beating.

A storm-like impact struck all over his body.

This time, compared to the war-torn lands, his state was even better in the wilderness.

Because Su Jie’s heart was completely relaxed.

In the war-torn areas, he had to complete his tasks, and the National College Entrance Examination had not yet ended; now that it was all over, he wholeheartedly came to practice, truly reaching a state of single-mindedness.

At this moment, he felt the National College Entrance Examination was truly necessary; twelve years of hard study, once released, made him feel particularly light.

“This mindset, Feng Hengyi probably can’t feel it,” Su Jie thought to himself.

Dragon roars and tiger howls, crane cries and monkey calls, all kinds of sounds rose and fell, echoing among the mountains, and the mountain peak seemed to tremble under Su Jie’s practice.

Su Jie’s movements were entirely instinctual; he didn’t even need to urge them, and his mind was completely empty, void of any thoughts.

Muscle memory had reached a point where it didn’t require brain response.

At this moment, his spirit seemed to merge with the rising sun, illuminating the earth and nurturing the mountains and rivers, while his movements continued, like a robot operating on an automated program, with no one managing it.

Spirit and flesh had separated.

This is what is meant by “Entering the Realm of the Divine” in martial arts. The speed was significantly higher than the brain’s reaction.

From a scientific perspective, this is when proficiency reaches a certain level, resulting in “automation.”

At this moment, Su Jie had truly solidified the realm of “The Ultimate Being Moves Like a Machine.”

In the war-torn areas, he contemplated the mindset of “Moving Like a Machine,” but that was merely contemplation, not truly applied in practice. Now, with a completely relaxed mindset, on the uninhabited mountain peak, facing the sunrise, he had truly connected the realm of “Moving Like a Machine” with his martial arts, with no flaws whatsoever, perfect and flawless.

After a full two hours, his practice finally concluded, and after the tiger howls and dragon roars ended, the mountains fell into an eerie silence.

The sunrise had risen halfway, and the weather began to heat up.

Su Jie applied another layer of oil to his body, lying flat on the mountaintop to bask in the sun; he resembled a sunbathing turtle, occasionally flipping over with his four limbs up, taking the opportunity to let the oil seep into his skin.

Basking in the sun promotes bone growth, calcium absorption, and also makes the skin healthier.

His heart had never been this relaxed; in the forest, he could do whatever he wanted.

This turtle-on-its-back position, facing the sun, would be impossible to do anywhere else but in the mountains, as it would be quite embarrassing.

Moreover, Su Jie had taken off all his clothes, even his underwear, completely naked. He was just enjoying the scenery, practicing, drinking water when thirsty, eating the canned food he brought, then pondering, sitting quietly, and howling.

There was no one around.

A whole day passed like this, and as night fell, the stars filled the sky, making it even more silent. Occasionally, night birds made sounds that would terrify ordinary people, but Su Jie found them quite charming.

He didn’t return to that small courtyard but took out a tent, wiped his body with a wet towel to stay clean and fresh, and directly lay down to sleep in the tent.

When he opened his eyes, it was already five in the morning, and the eastern sky was once again showing a fish belly white.

This was a biological clock he intentionally set for himself, just to practice at sunrise.

For several consecutive days, Su Jie was in the mountains alone, feeling nature, watching the sunrise and sunset, not speaking to anyone, and not going online for information, completely in a closed state.

Restlessness gradually disappeared.