247: The Power from Memories (1/2)
Chapter 247: The Power from Memories
Translator: TransNEditor: TransN
Lou Cheng stood there, he began to ask himself the same question he repeated after Master Shi.
What are you fighting for? This is neither a casual question nor an impulse at the moment. It is also not a choice made under pressure, a choice made without a recognition of your mind.
According to what my master just said,
”Are you willing to sacrifice your blood or contribute time from your life? Are you willing to die for this? Are you willing to suffer decades for this?”
”Of course, I'm not asking you to master this right now. We are not Buddhist schools or Zen sects who emphasize epiphany and then you can master it. Just like the iron army, at the beginning, they are clear about why they fight, but they're only 'clear' about it. It's impossible for them to decide that they're ready to sacrifice their own lives for it. Only through experience, practice time and time again, would they move from 'clear' to principle to determination. Allowing to achieve more and more unbelievable, extraordinary things. ”
”This is why a lot of fighters of Dan stage never progress. They feel that they had found the martial arts will and found the source of power, so they had got the martial arts down once and forever. But in the end, they're tempted by all kinds of things which would make them forget the original spirit. They forget their original spirit, and of course not to mention to achieve the level that I talked about previously. ”
The long march at that time is indeed a fleeing and a retreat, but as the saying goes, the generals who can win the victory are hard to find while the generals who can keep the defeated troops in order is also hard to find.
”The defeated army would be easier to collapse” is a truth proven by history of thousands and hundreds of years. If the army wins, the morale can be maintained by hope, wealth, honor, military discipline and religious beliefs. However, when failure comes, all these things will seem to be useless because to escape is natural instinct, to hide and to keep away from danger are natural instincts.
The generals who could keep the defeated troops retreat for a few hundred miles while they are being chased are extremely rare. However, that legendary army kept in order and never scattered for more than seven thousand miles even when they were besieged from all directions and were in the terrible natural environment!
Not only that, they also united with will as tough as iron. This was not something that could be attained from the thoughts of a better life at a certain place. The only explanation would be both the leaders and the soldiers were clear why they fought, and they all had the same goal, how far were they willing to go for that goal.
There must be a spirit shining, shining across the world!
Then what am I fighting for? For what do I confront this martial arts road which is full of troubles and difficulties? Lou Cheng was stuck in his deep thoughts.
For the desire for victory?
No, I'll be happy because of my victory and be sad for my failure. But it's impossible for me to bear too heavy a price for them. Even if I don't mention to sacrificing my life, I don't even want to get hurt or become disabled just for a match. The Challenge Tournaments are held again and again. So even if I failed once, I could try again. While the battle about life and death is a passive choice because no one wants to die.
The pure love for martial arts? Or the yearning for achieving the peak of martial arts?
No, that's not true. I like martial arts, but I didn't think the martial arts would matter too much before picking up the Jindan. And after I picked up the Jindan, I only had a little more hope and ideals for the future, like becoming a Mighty One of physical invulnerability and to get a title. What I only have are some expectations and hopes.
To earn a lot of wealth and improve my social status?
No, these things are good, but they can only be enjoyed if people have a healthy body. So it's similar to the last point, not to mention to sacrifice my life for these, I'm not even willing to be hurt or disable because of these!
”Then why did I begin martial arts for?” Lou Cheng recalled the past and asked himself a sentence in bewilderment.
The answer was very simple which made him want to laugh.
I began to learn martial arts simply because I wanted to be close to Yan Zheke and to catch this girl to whom I had unrequited love for a long time...
I'm such a vulgar person... Lou Cheng shook his head and laughed. He naturally remembered the expected, nervous and unconfident mood at that time and then he thought of more scenes about her.
When he left the villa area, the desire and desperation to walk into her home above the board; The sweetness he and Yan Zheke had when one of them fried the rice, the other weighing the ingredients and then enjoy the food side by side;
Even though the rain poured heavily, the power in his mind which drove him to go to Zhengque County despite the challenges on the way;
The firm belief that they had when they were dreaming of the future and planning the life;
The chemistry in the thoughts of sending each other a ring and the solemnity and joy they shared when they promised they would love each other for lifetime;
How they woke up in the hotel and Ke hooked his neck and gently asked for breakfast, seeking the warmth and peace which longtime couples had;
The surprise kisses he got after he fell asleep during the massage after the torture he had suffered and the exhaustion from the tremor force;
The strong heartbeat and the excitement he felt when they first kissed under the street lights, beside the Weishui Lake;
The memory of how he forgot the directions because he was too surprised when Ke offered to hold his hand;
The tender feelings and the touch he had when he was listening to Ke who looked so weak talking about her fear and apprehension frankly; The tension and worry he had after he had confessed his love, and the ecstasy he felt after he saw the reply ”at first let me be happy for five minutes...”;
The joy that he even wanted to scream twice when he received the phone benediction from Ke on his birthday;
The warmth he felt on the New Year 's Eve when they welcomed the new year while listening to each other's breathing;
The satisfaction he gained when he heard the first cheering sound from his beloved girl in small Sage Challenge Tournament, and the power which burst out because of this sound.
Because now they were still in the honeymoon period of their relationship, every day they would look forward to new things, and have endless topics to talk about, endless joy to feel. Although Lou Cheng liked to collect and to write down the traces of the past, he had no time and did not think of the idea to recall the past. Until right now, the memories flashed, he found that he had gone through so many things with Yan Zheke. So the feelings within his heart had also significantly changed.
This is what my master has said, the temper and sublimation of the martial arts will. In the beginning, I liked the young ladies only because of I knew the beauty of them. And I had unrequited love for Ke because of her appearance, her good character that I heard of, also because she was a perfect girl in my fantasy. Therefore, the first time I confessed to her, I didn't dare to say love. It seemed that I didn't have the right to say, so I only said ”like”, ”like you very much”.
However, now because his love had blended into the past, into his memories, into the flesh and blood, into the life bit by bit, Lou Cheng suddenly realized that he had really fallen in love with Yan Zheke, fallen in love with the girl who was willing to communicate, who sometimes would be more rational, who looked very gentle but with a tough heart. The ”Coach Yan” who was always shy but never weak.
At this moment, his chest was exploding with emotions because of the scenes he had recalled. His mind was also filled with all kinds of feelings he had today. This was how the power to challenge the whole world so that he could defend this beautiful love was being brewed!
Since then, he started to recount all the touching memories hiding in his mind:
It's the white hair of my father who gave up his dignity to make a living;
It's his silent and great love;
It's my mother's rambling, full of concern;
It's the hardship she had to go through to set up a stall and run it;
It's how they lied about not liking meat;