Chapter 72 Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Fist
Du Ruo stood up and looked down from the balcony. Wang Lang was standing at the gate of the yard with something in his hand, looking into the yard.
Because Du Ruo didn't turn off the kitchen light when she went out, and the door was also open, it was impossible to tell whether there was anyone inside.
"Okay, a guest is here, you guys drink, I'll go talk to him."
Du Ruo spoke to the three of them.
The three of them didn't know what happened this morning, let alone who Wang Lang was, but since Du Ruo said he was a guest, they didn't say anything.
"Boss Du."
Wang Lang also heard the sound from the balcony. He turned around and saw Du Ruo and quickly greeted her.
Du Ruo didn't go up the stairs. He supported himself on the balcony with his hands and jumped down.
"Excuse me, Brother Wang. I was having dinner with some friends just now. Please come in."
Du Ruo's body was like a civet cat, she landed on the ground on tiptoe with her legs slightly bent, without making much noise. She walked in front of Wang Lang, opened the courtyard door while speaking, and made a gesture of invitation.
"When did he become so powerful? Doesn't he need to use the stairs to go up and down the stairs now?"
Yang Chenguang was no longer concerned about what the mouse had done. Seeing Du Ruo quickly went downstairs, he couldn't help but ask Xiang Yuanyuan a question.
"... "
Xiang Yuanyuan looked at him without saying anything, as if to say: You guys have such a good relationship and you don’t even know about it, and you ask me?
"Boss Du, I'm sorry for disturbing you."
Wang Lang was no longer so polite now, perhaps he himself was not used to it. He put the two bottles of wine on the table and just stood there, clasping his fists towards Du Ruo.
"You're welcome, please sit down."
The other party was so polite, what else could Du Ruo say? He asked everyone to sit down, and then started to boil water to make tea.
"Thank you, Boss Du, for helping me out this morning. If it weren't for Boss Du, maybe..."
Wang Lang came up and started to thank him. He only regretted it after the beating. If Du Ruo hadn't been there this morning, his arm would have been broken at least. But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Du Ruo.
"No, no, no~~ I'm not here to help you. If we weren't at the B&B today and you were all registered guests, I wouldn't necessarily help you."
Du Ruo spoke very bluntly and didn't even want to ask how the conflict between the two began. In his eyes, none of this mattered.
Wang Lang was speechless for a moment and didn't know what to say.
Originally, he was thinking of expressing his gratitude first, and then explaining the reason for the conflict with the blond man.
He could talk about how hateful the blond man's words were to arouse people's solidarity, and then he could take the opportunity to ask for advice. Even if he didn't learn any secrets, it would be good to just build a good relationship with him.
As a result, Du Ruo did not play by the rules and shut him up as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Come, have some tea. How long have you been learning Mantis Fist? Is it inherited from my family?"
Du Ruo poured the tea and took the initiative to speak up. The reason why he spoke so bluntly just now was not because he didn't know the ways of the world or had low emotional intelligence, but after practicing martial arts, he began to be straightforward. Du Ruo's understanding of other martial arts was the knowledge he gained in his mind. Every time he gained a skill, the basic martial arts knowledge in his mind would deepen. Basic martial arts knowledge is called basic, but it actually covers a wide range.
For example, there is a move in Xingyiquan called "Cat Climbing a Tree". When Du Ruo acquires this skill, when he recalls it, he will give some other related knowledge, such as similar moves in Beifang Chuojiao. Anyway, the more skills Du Ruo learns, the richer his martial arts knowledge will be. Even though Du Ruo only understands a fragment of it, it is completely enough.
However, all Du Ruo knew was relevant martial arts knowledge, which had nothing to do with the real world. Du Ruo knew the Northern Plum Blossom Mantis Fist, but he had no idea whether this inheritance still existed in reality, whether this inheritance was still in the north, and what level it was at.
When Du Ruo met Wang Lang now, he also wanted to find out indirectly about what the traditional martial arts in the real world are like.
"Yes, it's a family tradition, but not many members of the Wang family have learned it, so it's a bit of a gap. It's okay for young people nowadays, because they were influenced by TV when they were young and their lives are more affluent, so they are still willing to learn it, and some of them are still persisting.
Our father's generation had completely given up on learning martial arts, as they felt it was too hard and there was no future after learning it. I heard from my grandfather that among my dozen uncles, only one eldest uncle had received the true teachings, but he went out to make a living forty years ago and has not been heard from since. "
Wang Lang was quite talkative and had no guard against Du Ruo. As soon as Du Ruo started talking, he started to tell him everything.
"Well, I can understand that. Their generation has contributed a lot to the country. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have the conditions to practice martial arts."
Du Ruo nodded in agreement. He didn't know what martial arts inheritance was, but the previous generation that Wang Lang mentioned should be from the 1970s to the 1990s. At that time, they were all engaged in economic development and construction, especially in the northern region, where there were various forest farms, mines, steel mills, and various heavy industries, which made huge contributions to national construction.
At that time, people could not even get enough food to eat, and the special environment made it impossible to practice martial arts.
"I'm a little curious about how you practiced the basic skills of Praying Mantis Boxing."
After Du Ruo sighed for a moment, he immediately changed the topic and began to ask whether these modern martial arts were considered to be from aristocratic families and whether they followed traditional methods or used modern scientific training. This was what he was interested in.
"I don't know about other schools, but we Plum Blossom Praying Mantis basically start practicing martial arts at the age of thirteen or fourteen. The basic skills are standing still first, and then practicing finger strength. Practicing finger strength is nothing more than speed, accuracy and ruthlessness. The basic skills are picking green beans, pressing ants, and taking chestnuts from the fire."
Wang Lang also said frankly that everyone can practice these basic skills, but the key is persistence and some techniques. There is nothing hidden.
"Well, let's stick with tradition then."
Du Ruo nodded to show her understanding. Wang Lang said it easily, but only those who have practiced it know the pain involved.
Picking mung beans means putting half red beans and half mung beans into a basin, and then using the mantis-like method to pick out the mung beans with your fingers within a specified time. If you succeed, you can shorten the time.
It is easy to understand how to kill ants. Just sit on the ground and put some honey around you to attract ants to eat. Then the practitioner uses the mantis hand to kill the ants one by one.
Then it's time to take chestnuts out of the fire. Throw chestnuts into the charcoal, and the mantis will take them out with its bare hands.
These basic exercises are simple and crude, and the purpose of practicing is also simple: fast and accurate. Moreover, with years of practice, the arms will become extremely strong through thousands of exercises every day, and the mantis hand technique will form muscle memory.
After practicing for a few years, let alone Plum Blossom Mantis Boxing, even an ordinary person can easily grab someone's eyes with the Mantis Hand when fighting with someone.
"I've seen your Praying Mantis Fist. Although it's restricted, it's still very powerful. And the sword on your back should be a two-handed long sword. The Praying Mantis two-handed sword has been famous for a long time. Do you know how to use it?"
Du Ruo turned his gaze and after learning about the Mantis Fist, he looked at the sword on the other party's back and suddenly became interested. He couldn't help but ask.
"My swordsmanship is not as good as my great grandfather's, but I have been practicing for more than ten years. Boss Du is a master of Xingyi, so I believe he is also very proficient in Xingyi spearmanship. How about a sparring match?"
Wang Lang's eyes lit up.
(End of this chapter)
