The Way of Restraint

“I found out that this person is Su Jie from the Dian Dao Martial Arts Club. Two years ago, he studied martial arts at the Minglun Martial Arts Academy and participated in the Haoyu Cup fighting competition, achieving commendable results, even defeating Song Gua from the Zhong Long Club in seconds. He excels in wrestling, resolving opponents through grappling in every match. However, since he did not win the Haoyu Cup championship and has not participated in any new competitions, he has remained relatively unknown. Nevertheless, his collaboration between Dian Dao Martial Arts Club and the Dragon Club has earned him recognition as a skilled fighter in some small circles of the fighting world. He once defeated Zhou Chun in a private duel, and there are rumors that under his training, Liu Long managed to defeat the Muay Thai king.”

In less than ten minutes, Liu Shi’s assistant gathered a wealth of information about Su Jie and summarized it succinctly for Liu Shi. This efficiency was almost akin to that of an agent.

Although Su Jie lacked fame and was far less known than Liu Long, he had accomplished quite a bit. With a little effort, anyone interested could uncover much about him.

*This young man is rather interesting,* Liu Shi thought to himself, appreciating the idea of befriending skilled individuals. “Inform him that I would like to meet and chat.”

“I would also like to talk to this young man,” Takeshi Omoto remarked.

“Then I will excuse myself,” Yang Shu said with a displeased expression.

“Master, the grievances between you and Old Chen are not that significant. Having one more friend is better than having one more enemy,” Liu Shi urged.

“Different paths do not conspire together,” Yang Shu replied coldly. “However, Liu Shi, meeting this talented young man might be beneficial for you; perhaps he can offer you something new.”

“By the way, boss, I just found a few more pieces of information,” the assistant added. “This Su Jie is the personal bodyguard of Larry and met with Xia Shang a month ago. Now his Dian Dao Martial Arts Club is negotiating investment shares with the Mingxia Group.”

“Larry’s bodyguard?” Liu Shi was taken aback. “Look into this further; why did he become Larry’s bodyguard? Send a message to inquire about it.”

Liu Shi is an internet mogul who has attended multiple World Internet Conferences with Larry, maintaining business relations and friendships. As long as it does not involve any confidential matters, they often have opportunities to share tea and meals together.

Sending a message to ask about the bodyguard should allow Liu Shi to verify whether the information is true.

After giving his assistant a brief instruction, Liu Shi continued watching the push hands competition in the venue. He also enjoyed practicing Tai Chi push hands; as a prominent entrepreneur, intense combat sports were certainly unsuitable for him. Even judo posed significant risks, let alone boxing or mixed martial arts.

Push hands was just right for him. The intricate techniques captivated him deeply. He was also conducting scientific research on push hands and discovered that training in this discipline greatly benefited one’s motor nerve coordination and sensitivity, even enhancing brain function, which is extremely beneficial for physical and mental health.

In the midst of this push-and-pull activity, he felt the changes in strength while instantly seizing on his opponent’s weaknesses to push them out of the circle; this was true martial arts.

Moreover, through daily push hands practice combined with Tai Chi training, his body had indeed improved significantly—growing stronger and more energetic—which further solidified his determination to promote push hands culture.

He kept his eyes on Su Jie.

At that moment, Su Jie faced his second opponent.

“I just watched your push hands; it’s very impressive,” 

Su Jie’s second opponent was a Chinese man whose clothing indicated he came from a martial arts school called “Rou Yi Tai Chi” in D City. 

D City is known as a martial arts hub, boasting dozens of large martial arts schools and various clubs flourishing everywhere; everyone practices at least a few forms, making it a popular destination for foreigners. 

This opponent was named Gan Shulai. His name had a certain flavor to it. He was relatively young, only about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, but his entire body was soft and relaxed, as if he were a mere skin bag. 

If someone struck him, the impact would surely be cushioned by his body, dissipating all force. This was the result of mastering the soft and yielding techniques of Tai Chi, with Qi flowing throughout his body, allowing him to effortlessly redirect energy at any moment. 

This Qi was not a supernatural ability that could shatter stones or break trees from a distance with a single strike; rather, it was a sensitivity cultivated through long-term training, controlling the tension and relaxation of the entire body. 

When a person could cultivate their Qi to the point where it filled their body completely, their resistance to strikes and speed would experience a qualitative leap. 

This Gan Shulai before him almost possessed the power akin to what he had achieved after mastering the crystal ball technique during his own training.

“You’re overpraising me,” Su Jie said, extending his hand. 

The two clasped hands together. 

Suddenly, Gan Shulai withdrew his strength, pulling Su Jie’s body forward. However, he did not manage to pull Su Jie along; instead, he encountered strong resistance. This seemed to be within his expectations. 

As Su Jie resisted, Gan Shulai’s intention shifted, and the strength in his arm vanished, leaving it empty. The action of pulling and releasing happened in an instant. If it had been an ordinary expert caught in this force, they would have immediately lost their balance.

Unfortunately for Gan Shulai, he was facing Su Jie. Regardless of how the opponent’s strength changed, Su Jie remained unaffected.

Yet Gan Shulai’s expression did not change. He suddenly pushed forward, his entire body resembling a shield, pressing forward with overwhelming force. 

This power was great and uniform, making it impossible for anyone to unload or find a weak point within it. 

Su Jie’s arm moved fluidly as he pushed forward to counter this “pressing” force. Just now, Gan Shulai had employed the “press” technique from Tai Chi. 

The thirteen postures of Tai Chi include peng, lu, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, kao, jin, tui, guan, pan, and ding. Each technique’s application is incredibly clever and encompasses everything, clearly analyzing all striking actions. If one could truly comprehend this and apply it in real combat, they would indeed be invincible.

Swish! 

After Su Jie countered the pressing force, Gan Shulai immediately retreated slightly and then advanced again with a fierce strike using the “lean” technique. 

At the moment of contact with Su Jie’s body, he exerted force from both sides and surprisingly unleashed all thirteen techniques. 

Su Jie casually deflected them; to onlookers, it appeared as if they were merely pushing each other back and forth without understanding the depth of their exchange, mistaking it for playful sparring or a street quarrel.

Just as Gan Shulai finished demonstrating all thirteen techniques of Tai Chi, Su Jie suddenly moved. He extended his arm and gave a gentle push that felt as if the heavens were enveloping him; no matter how Gan Shulai tried to evade or change direction, it was of no use and he was directly sent outside the circle. 

Su Jie did not push him down; he merely made Gan Shulai realize the futility of his efforts after observing his application of Tai Chi’s thirteen techniques.

“Impressive! I feel like a child in your presence,” Gan Shulai said after being pushed out but showed no dissatisfaction. Unlike the previous foreign opponent who did not understand how he lost, he knew full well that despite using all his Tai Chi skills, they had no effect against Su Jie. The Su Jie before him was far superior.

Su Jie also appreciated Gan Shulai’s mastery of Tai Chi. It was his first time participating in this type of competition; engaging in combat through punches and kicks was indeed different and quite enriching. It could enhance one’s martial arts cultivation and refine the ebb and flow of strength. A training plan began to form in his mind. In his view, there were many areas for improvement in Tai Chi push hands.

The Tai Chi push hands exchange competition progressed quickly; within a short time, Su Jie defeated seven opponents, all of whom were outstanding practitioners of Tai Chi. However, compared to Su Jie, they were simply too far behind. Nevertheless, during this process, Su Jie gained profound insights and realized that martial arts indeed had another way of playing.

He had reached a level where he no longer viewed issues from a technical perspective, but rather from the height of martial arts’ role in kinesiology. 

At the moment, Su Jie faced another opponent. 

This was a man in his thirties, with eagle-like eyes and slender fingers; his entire physique resembled that of a leopard or an antelope, appearing capable of climbing mountains and crossing waters with ease. 

“You practice Hunyuan Tai Chi, don’t you?” the man said. “My master is Yang Shu, and I don’t believe your skills are that high; I must test you.” 

“Please,” Su Jie replied, extending his hand toward the man. 

The man showed no courtesy and, upon contact with Su Jie, immediately coiled around him like a snake, seizing Su Jie’s joint pressure points and twisting downwards. 

At that moment, his body was as flexible as if it had no bones, transforming into a large python. This was the strangling technique found in Tai Chi, a skill that ordinary people could not execute; it represented the highest level of push hands and grappling. 

Su Jie praised, “Good.” 

Such exquisite grappling techniques could not be seen in fighting competitions; in their contact, they entangled muscles and bones. 

Su Jie purely appreciated it; however, this did not cause him any harm. When his arm was seized, he merely shook it, and the man felt as if struck by lightning, his entire body going numb. 

Instead, Su Jie seized the man’s arm and pushed outward. 

Crack! 

The man was sent out of the circle and crashed into the stands, breaking a table before finally coming to a stop. 

Yang Shu witnessed this scene and rushed out to help the man up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Su Jie. 

Su Jie had clearly demonstrated superiority over his opponent during the push hands exchange, but he had held back; only against his own disciple had he not shown restraint. To push him so far away in front of others was clearly intended to embarrass his disciple. 

After helping his disciple up, Yang Shu slowly approached Su Jie: “Young man, would you be interested in discussing a few things over dinner later?” 

Yang Shu had initially not wanted to engage with Su Jie, but now he unexpectedly made such a statement, clearly issuing a challenge. 

“I would be very happy to,” Su Jie replied, knowing he had been a bit too forceful earlier and had embarrassed Yang Shu’s disciple, which indeed prompted the master to appear. 

This was intentional on his part; otherwise, Yang Shu would not have come out at all. However, if he did not come out at this moment, he would be subject to gossip. 

Yang Shu said nothing further and returned to his seat. 

To outsiders, it seemed as though there had been no conflict between them; they merely exchanged a few words, and many believed Yang Shu was merely mentoring a junior.

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