18: Yan Zhekes Martial Arts Dream (1/2)

Chapter 18: Yan Zheke's Martial Arts Dream

Translator: TransNEditor: TransN

As autumn deepened, the weather became clear and refreshing. On the Zhaoshan Lake, wavelets spread. A chill could be felt in the air.

Lou Cheng intended to give Yan Zheke a hand to help her get on the boat, but she hopped in swiftly like a deer without causing much of a wobble.

”Her martial arts skills are higher than mine... I can't save the beauty. I don't even have a chance to help the beauty...” Lou Cheng laughed at himself in his mind and stepped on the boat carefully. Sitting facing each other, they each held an oar.

”I wanted to give you a hand,” Yan Zheke grinned. The lake breeze lightly blew her long black hair.

”A beauty saves a hero?” Lou Cheng pretended to be in shock as Casanova asked him to be funny if unsure what to say.

As he expected, Yan Zheke chuckled. ”Cheng, do you know how to boat?”

”Not really...” Lou Cheng answered honestly. He had no such chance when he was little. He had no free time in high school. Last summer holiday he went wild with all the martial arts competitions and news, get-togethers with friends, and surfing the internet. How could he have time for boating?

Yan Zheke pursed her lips and put on a serious look with her flashing eyes.

”Hah... Neither do I...”

Lou Cheng laughed loud. ”Aren't you a southern girl?”

Cai Zongming and You Fangfang, and Zhao Qiang and Zhuang Xiaojun had started rowing while Qiu Zhigao and Guo Qing's boat was spinning with Zhang Jingye and Pan Xue's.

”I grew up in Xiushan. Anyway, not every southern girl can swim and boat. Neither of my two elder cousins can.” Yan Zheke found him brusque but amusing.

Lou Cheng wiped his mouth to not dig into Yan Zheke's family situation and beamed. ”Looks like we can't generalize about anything. Well, as we are both new to this, it can be fun to learn boating together.”

Yan Zheke slightly nodded and pointed at Zhao Qiang and Zhuang Xiaojun with her chin as her hands held tightly on the oar. ”They are doing pretty well. Let's learn.”

”Sure.” Lou Cheng looked at them and tried to row like Zhao Qiang.

His oar stirred up ripples on the surface but the boat didn't move forward and moved around in a circle.

Yan Zheke joined the action, rowing the boat like a young lady on her way to pick water caltrops. However beautiful the scene was, their boat was still spinning. The pair looked into each other's eyes, helpless and amused.

Lou Cheng intended to earn some credit. He had thought about boating. In an unhurried manner, he sent all his thoughts to his Dantian while pondering on Jindan (the Golden Elixir) to achieve peace. When the surroundings quieted down, the nebula started to rotate. Every inch of his body displayed in his mind. Every movement of the boat and every wave could be sensed clearly.

Slowly, his oar rose and fell, stirring up waves. Forces came and went, presenting in Lou Cheng's mind. He accordingly adjusted direction and posture to correspond to the boat's movement.

At the same time, he noticed Yan Zheke also suddenly became very good at it. Her strokes, Lou Cheng's rowing and the waves reinforced each other perfectly.

Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke's four eyes met.

”Your Yin-Yang Stance is getting there?”

”You've mastered Yin-Yang Stance?”

They said in unison with surprise and then smiled at each other as some mutual understanding developed.

As the man here, Lou Cheng took the initiative to answer, ”Honestly I'm pretty gifted in meditation. During the first Yin-Yang Stance practice, I achieved Remain in One Stage. Otherwise, how could I survive the past three weeks?”

Yan Zheke looked impressed with her beautiful dark eyes filled with astonishment. ”It took you only one to reach peace?”

”Yeah,” Lou Cheng nodded sincerely.

Subconsciously, Yan Zheke pouted and blew a sigh. ”I thought I was doing pretty well to achieve peace in ten days.”

”It's an exception. I have nothing else to show off in front of you. Achieving peace in ten days is very good. It took many well-known martial artists half a month to get there,” Lou Cheng attempted to comfort her.

They had been talking about everything concerning the martial arts training but their personal progress.

”No need to comfort me with these kind words. I'm not that narrow-minded,” chuckled Yan Zheke as her tiny despondence faded away. She heavily nodded. ”From now on, you are my idol! Reaching peace in one day is rare in the entire martial arts history.”

”Please don't. I don't deserve it,” said Lou Cheng with modesty and pride. He quickly changed the topic. ”What is your level? I kinda remember you were of no rank when we signed up for the training.”

Kinda remember? He was damn sure.

The couple played good teamwork and the boat slowly set off. Yan Zheke said after some thought. ”I grew up studying martial arts with my uncle-in-law. By Grade Nine I had reached the level of Amateur Ninth Pin but I didn't attend any Ranking Event. I had no time to practice during high school so my progress over the past three years was minor. According to Qing, I was between the level of Amateur Seventh and Eighth Pin at our first pair exercise. Since I was introduced to Yin-Yang Stance, I have made rapid progress. Yesterday Qing told me I'm pretty much at the Amateur Sixth Pin level now.” Her voice rose a bit, adorably showing how proud of herself she was.

”How brilliant! You've leveled up in merely three weeks. You are my idol!” Lou Cheng gave Yan Zheke a taste of her own words.

According to Yan Zheke's training experience, she could have been at the level of amateur fourth or fifth pin upon entering the university if she put more effort on martial arts during high school. Her progress of one level within three weeks was the result of her previous accumulation and great potential, very different from Lou Cheng's fast catching up from scratch.

Upon hearing Lou Cheng's sincere compliment, Yan Zheke flushed and burst into a brighter smile which was soon replaced by a sigh and gloom when some thoughts flashed across her mind.

”What's wrong?” Lou Cheng sounded concerned.

Yan Zheke continued rowing and waited for a dozen seconds before answering, ”By the old sayings, I was congenitally deficient. I would be struggling in a sickbed had I not been practicing martial arts. However, the defect of my body can never be made up for so I can never put everything together perfectly and become responsive enough to enter the Danqi stage, the entry level of real martial arts.

”Because of this, whenever I see a martial arts talent, I envy him and have high expectation of him.”

Yan Zheke's sorrow and helplessness softened Lou Cheng's heart and filled it with pity and tenderness. He longed to tell her that he would achieve her martial arts dream.

Actions meant more than words. Bragging would make him look frivolous.

Until this moment, he started to understand why Yan Zheke had Lin Que in such high regards, just like other girls, and what she really meant when she said that everyone had their future and it didn't have to be martial arts. She was comforting Lou Cheng as well as herself.

”Senior brother Li Mao told me I'm pretty much at the Amateur Ninth Pin level from my performance during our pair exercise,” he said in a calm but firm tone, gazing into Yan Zheke's eyes.

Yan Zheke seemed stunned. ”You have already reached the level of Amateur Ninth Pin?”

She knew clearly how ordinary Lou Cheng was three weeks ago. With no previous martial arts training, he became proficient in martial arts basics in three weeks?

Besides his talent in meditation... What level would he achieve in three months and in one year?

”Senior brother Li Mao said so,” Lou Cheng kept it short.