Cultivating through increasing my stats in America-Chapter 76 - Guiding Exercises

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Guiding Exercises

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Guiding Exercises

Opening the navigation app, Li Ang found that the address of this Master Zhao was nearly seventy kilometers away from his home.

If he had a professional road bike, it would be better, but riding this bicycle, it would probably take about two hours to get there.

If he were to take public transport, including the time for waiting and transferring, it would take at least two to three hours.

In America, public transport can’t compare to China’s, due to the vast land and sparse population, most public transportation services are quite infrequent, with many running only once an hour, or even at longer intervals.

This is also why, as of 2020, America’s per capita car ownership was as high as 8.32, meaning for every thousand people, there were more than eight hundred cars.

Looking at this number alone might not convey much, but compared to China, where the number of vehicles is increasing, the per capita ownership doesn’t even reach a quarter of America’s.

But speaking of buying a car, let’s not even talk about whether Li Ang has the money now, or if he can afford to maintain it, the main issue is he hasn’t even taken his driving test yet, so he wouldn’t be able to drive even if he had a car.

Luckily, in most states in America, you only need to be sixteen years old to qualify for a driver’s license, so taking the driving test is something that can be scheduled soon.

Taking a taxi would be too extravagant for him right now, with the price of over a hundred dollars, it’s better to spend that money on meat, which is more worthwhile.

Over two hours later, Li Ang finally arrived at his destination, exhausted.

On the way, the bicycle’s chain fell off three times, the tire burst once, and even the brakes were on the verge of failing.

Fortunately, Li Ang had anticipated the condition of the bike and prepared in advance, otherwise, he might have been stranded halfway.

During the journey, a middle-aged man with a pickup truck and a goatee offered to give him a ride.

Unfortunately, the man’s gaze kept drifting towards his lower body, so Li Ang ultimately didn’t dare to get in the vehicle.

The destination on the navigation was a small villa standing beside a river.

Before Li Ang even entered, he saw the giant parasol by the river and a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fifties sitting under it.

Looking around, there were no other buildings, so if nothing else, this person was likely to be “Master Zhao.”

Li Ang parked his bicycle under a tree and didn’t bother locking it. He walked straight towards the man.

The fishing float on the water was motionless, and Li Ang didn’t speak either. Instead, he quietly waited on the side and observed the master.

Just by looking at the exposed palms and arms, which had no obvious calluses, they didn’t seem any different from a regular person’s.

But upon closer inspection, you could see his complexion was rosy, and the skin on his hands was quite delicate, nothing like the skin of someone in their fifties.

Seeing Li Ang approaching, the man just glanced at him faintly and turned his head back to watch the water surface again.

Suddenly, the fishing float began to move, slowly starting to sink, but the middle-aged man simply closed his eyes.

The moment the float completely submerged, his palm and arm forcefully coordinated together, and in one strike, he pulled up a carp about forty centimeters long.

Li Ang, however, noticed more details. He saw that the moment the middle-aged man closed his eyes, the muscles in his palm started to contract rhythmically with the vibrations of the fishing rod.

This technique was somewhat like the “Da Shou” in martial arts. Although he was holding a fishing rod, the principle was the same—one uses the opponent’s muscle changes to gauge their force, while the other uses the rod’s vibrations to sense the fish biting.

Li Ang couldn’t help but nod in appreciation. Someone who can apply a skill to such extent and even make analogies is definitely someone who has mastered their craft.

“Do you need something?”

The middle-aged man spoke in fluent Hebei dialect.

Perhaps it was Li Ang’s nodding motion that finally caught the middle-aged man’s interested gaze.

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“Master Zhao, hello, my name is Li Ang. The owner of the Hunyuan Martial Arts School introduced me to you. I’ve come to seek your advice on some issues,” Li Ang said, getting straight to the point without beating around the bush.

“Let’s not call me a master. My name is Zhao Zhengxi, just call me Old Zhao,” the man replied.

It was apparent from the slight twitch of his mouth upon hearing about the owner that he wasn’t too fond of the person, but he didn’t show any other emotions.

“Go ahead and ask your questions. It’s not easy to meet a fellow countryman abroad, let alone one who practices martial arts,” Zhao Zhengxi said, his aloofness fading.

Clearly having reeled in his fish, Zhao Zhengxi wasn’t as cold as before.

Li Ang also figured out right away from Li Ang’s breathing and stance that he was a practitioner.

“Master Zhao, I’ve come to seek your advice on whether there are any martial arts that can increase strength and vitality?” Li Ang inquired earnestly.

“Increase strength and vitality?” Zhao Zhengxi repeated Li Ang’s question and scrutinized him closely.

“There are many martial arts that focus on this aspect, such as Baduanjin, Bubu Jingang Gong, Liuzi Jue, Wuqinxi, Yijin Jing; all of these can achieve similar effects.”

“However, most martial arts primarily cultivate vitality. The increase in strength is just a byproduct. The pure growth of strength isn’t the direction pursued by traditional martial arts. You might get better results training with strength athletes,” Zhao Zhengxi explained.

Li Ang had heard of the martial arts Zhao Zhengxi mentioned. They could all be categorized as health cultivation practices or, to be precise, Guiding Exercises.

Guiding Exercises might sound esoteric, but they are essentially a combination of breathing exercises, physical activities, and focused thoughts—a sort of ancient calisthenics.

Li Ang nodded, as this matched what he had anticipated. He then asked, “What are the differences between these Guiding Exercises? Which one should I choose to study?”

“There’s a saying; ‘Practicing only Baduanjin won’t harmonize your inner energy. Learning only Liuzi Jue won’t build strength. Focusing solely on Wuqinxi won’t bring perfection.'”

“But I assume you already have a primary martial arts practice. If you’re looking for a secondary practice, choose something simple that won’t take too much of your time and energy. Plus, since you want to enhance your strength, I personally recommend Baduanjin as more suitable,” Zhao Zhengxi thought for a moment before providing an answer.

However, Li Ang didn’t immediately respond. He had noticed that each Guiding Exercise, as Zhao Shifu mentioned, had a specific flaw in direction. A bit embarrassed, he continued to ask, “What about the remaining Bubu Jingang Gong and Yijin Jing? What particular aspects do they primarily address?”

Zhao Zhengxi’s smile faded somewhat, indicating that he was somewhat displeased with Li Ang’s line of questioning.

Zhao Zhengxi felt as though he had already given a medical diagnosis and prescription, yet the patient insisted on questioning whether there were other medications available.

“Bubu Jingang Gong mainly excels in health cultivation, while Yijin Jing, let’s say, encapsulates all these Guiding Exercises and has no weaknesses. However, precisely because of this, it’s far more difficult than the others. Ordinary people can hardly achieve greatness in their lifetimes through it, let alone use it as a supplementary practice…” Zhao Zhengxi said.

Zhao Zhengxi’s words were almost exactly the same as those of Old Master Hua, but the issue was that these words had no effect on Li Ang.

Seeing Li Ang still eager to try, Zhao Zhengxi also reined in his smile and looked at Li Ang, saying:

“How about you show me your primary martial arts? Let me take a look first.”