Seventy-eight

The full set of exercises is a form of qigong in motion, created by imitating the movements of the tiger, bear, deer, ape, and bird-crane, and intended to promote health and strengthen the body. You should know that the birth of martial arts itself came from imitating animals. That is why I also call this set of exercises the Five Animal Fist.

Wang Bo was somewhat bewildered as he listened. He seemed to have only heard of the Five Animal Frolics; what was this Five Animal Fist? The Five Animal Frolics had clearly been invented by Hua Tuo—what did that have to do with Tong Yuan?

Wang Bo’s lapse in attention did not escape Tong Yuan’s eyes.

“Xiao Bo, are you actually listening?”

Seeing that Wang Bo had drifted off, Tong Yuan could not help but grow irritated. He even let out a burst of his inner power. But Tong Yuan was no ordinary man; he was a master among masters, and his force was extraordinary. Wang Bo only felt a peal of thunder exploding beside his ear, leaving both ears ringing so badly that he could hear nothing for a long time.

“Master Tong, please calm your anger. I know I was wrong. I should not have let my mind wander.”

Seeing Tong Yuan angered, Wang Bo hurriedly bowed in apology.

Seeing that Wang Bo’s attitude was sincere, Tong Yuan did not pursue the matter further.

“Listen carefully. If there is a next time, I will not be so lenient.”

“Rest assured, Master Tong. It will not happen again.” Wang Bo steadied himself and focused his mind.

“Very well, let us continue.” Tong Yuan did not linger on the issue and resumed his explanation. “This full fist set is divided into five styles: bear, crane, tiger, deer, and ape. Each style is further divided into five phases. I will teach them to you one by one later.”

“The Five Animal Fist is a style that is outwardly moving yet inwardly still, seeking stillness within motion. In practice, you must keep the entire body relaxed, hold the mind at the lower field of elixir, breathe evenly, and make both your form and your spirit resemble the five animals, achieving outward movement with inward stillness, stillness within motion, hardness and softness in balance, training both inner and outer, with both inner and outer aspects complete.” As he spoke, Tong Yuan began to demonstrate.

“For the bear fist, you must be as solid and steady as a bear, showing the bearing of driving, resisting, leaning, and walking. The bear appears clumsy and heavy, lumbering softly along, yet in truth it is stable and contains agility. The bear fist mainly trains your spleen and stomach and strengthens your physical power.”

Tong Yuan’s movements were slow, but they carried great weight. In Wang Bo’s eyes, Tong Yuan was no longer Tong Yuan. He truly looked like a bear—honest and simple.

“The bear fist mainly includes the bear stance, the driving stance, the sway stance, the resisting-and-leaning stance, and the pushing stance.” Tong Yuan explained while moving. Each motion was deliberately slow, meant to let Wang Bo see clearly. Wang Bo stood nearby and imitated as best he could. Though he could not match Tong Yuan’s vividness, he still managed to capture some of the shape.

“After the bear fist comes the crane fist. The crane fist imitates its proud, upright, carefree bearing, showing the demeanor of spreading wings, soaring lightly, descending on wild geese, and standing alone. The crane fist mainly strengthens the heart and lungs, regulates qi and blood, and opens the meridians.”

The sun climbed higher and higher, and sweat gathered more and more on Wang Bo’s face. It was hard to imagine that a few movements which seemed so slow and simple could be so exhausting in practice. They drew on every part of the body, pulling every muscle from head to toe. Before long, Wang Bo had already spent more stamina than he would have in a full day of training.

Seeing Wang Bo already panting like an ox, Tong Yuan could only shake his head helplessly. Looking up at the time, he found it was already late, so he said to Wang Bo, “That will do for now. Go rest a while. I will teach you the rest of the fist forms this afternoon.”

Hearing this, Wang Bo felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He simply dropped his rear end onto the ground. Tong Yuan did not look at him again, and walked straight toward Xiahou Lan and Zhao Yun.

After sitting for a while, Wang Bo grew even more bored and finally stood up to head toward Zhao Yun’s side.

Xiahou Lan and Zhao Yun were both practicing the same techniques. Their movements were orderly and serious. But a closer look revealed the difference: Zhao Yun’s spearwork was livelier and more natural, while Xiahou Lan’s was somewhat stiff. The two had trained for a while, but they had only been practicing the forms.

“Master, are we really just going to keep practicing forms like this?” Wang Bo had watched for a long time and felt thoroughly bored, so he looked up and asked Tong Yuan.

“What else do you think training is?” Tong Yuan asked in surprise, looking at Wang Bo with some anticipation. He wondered what other surprises this youth might still bring him.

Wang Bo thought for a moment, then said in a childish tone, “I once read in a book that no matter what weapon it is, it is simply an extension of fists and feet. Put plainly, it is part of the body.”

Hearing this, Tong Yuan felt a trace of disappointment.

“The realm of man and spear as one sounds easy enough, but it is hard to achieve. I have practiced spearsmanship my entire life, yet I have never fully comprehended it. How could it be trained so easily?”

“This is not without a solution.” Seeing Tong Yuan’s disappointment, Wang Bo suddenly blurted out a sentence before he could stop himself. The moment he said it, he regretted it. Seeing Xiahou Lan and Zhao Yun’s astonished expressions, and Tong Yuan’s murderous gaze, Wang Bo broke out in a cold sweat.

Tong Yuan seized Wang Bo at once. “Really? What method do you have?”

“Master, please take it slowly.” Seeing Wang Bo’s cheeks turning slightly red, Tong Yuan realized he had lost his composure and quickly let him go. “How does one train the unity of man and spear?”

Though he had released Wang Bo, Tong Yuan was still very eager.

“I read in a book that if you hold the very end of the spear shaft and level the spear horizontally, feeling the strength running through the shaft, then even if a mosquito lands on it, you can detect it clearly. If you can reach that point, it is more or less enough.”

Wang Bo spoke unhurriedly, occasionally lifting the spear to demonstrate. Tong Yuan and Zhao Yun both listened with deep thought.

“Feel the strength in the spear shaft... feel the strength in the spear shaft...” Tong Yuan muttered under his breath. The more he murmured, the brighter his expression became. Then suddenly he burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha, how could I not have thought of that? But Xiao Bo, what book did you see this method in? Why have I never come across it?”

“This, uh...” Wang Bo hesitated. He could not possibly tell him it was something he had seen in the internet of a later age, so this question was difficult to answer.

Seeing Wang Bo’s hesitation, Tong Yuan did not press him.

“If Xiao Bo does not want to say, then forget it. Everyone has secrets.”

Wang Bo bowed deeply to Tong Yuan and said respectfully, “Thank you for your understanding, Master.”

“Very well, it is getting late. Let us stop here for now. After lunch, we will continue.” Tong Yuan waved his hand and turned away. Xiahou Lan and Zhao Yun also tidied up and accompanied Wang Bo back to the room.

After lunch, Wang Bo followed Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan back to the training ground. Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan began another round of martial practice, while Wang Bo sat idly to the side.

Minute by minute, time passed, yet there was still no sign of Tong Yuan. Bored out of his mind, Wang Bo could not help asking, “Brother Yun, where has Master Tong gone? Why hasn’t he come out yet?”

“I don’t know either. The teacher did not tell me.” Zhao Yun was equally puzzled by the question. During practice, Tong Yuan had never been absent for so long before. He was a very responsible teacher, always watching nearby and patiently correcting their mistakes and shortcomings.

“Then I’ll go look for Master Tong.” Wang Bo stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and headed toward the thatched hut.

When he reached Tong Yuan’s quarters, he found the door tightly shut. Wang Bo knocked and called, “Master, are you inside?”

After waiting for a while and hearing no response, he knocked harder and raised his voice. “Master, are you there?”

Still nothing came from within.

“Could Master not be in the room?” Wang Bo murmured to himself. He did not dare be certain whether Tong Yuan was inside, because he had not seen him leave, and Tong Yuan had said he would continue teaching him the Five Animal Fist in the afternoon.

He waited at the door a little longer, but there was still no sound. At last Wang Bo could only shake his head helplessly.

“It seems Master really has gone out. Forget it, I’ll go back and practice the bear fist first.”

Just as he turned to leave after only a few steps, he heard the door open behind him.

“Oh? Xiao Bo, what are you doing here?”

Seeing Wang Bo preparing to leave, Tong Yuan asked in surprise.

Wang Bo turned around and found Tong Yuan coming out of the room, then hurriedly bowed. “So Master was inside all along. I have been waiting here for a long time.”

“Oh? And what were you waiting for me for?” Tong Yuan asked in confusion.

“You said you would teach me the other fist forms in the afternoon, but I waited a long time and did not see you arrive. So I came looking for you. I called out to you several times just now—didn’t you hear me?”

Wang Bo was also puzzled. His knocking had been quite loud, and as a martial arts master, how could Tong Yuan possibly not have heard it?

Seeing Wang Bo’s perplexed expression, and glancing at the time, Tong Yuan chuckled.

“Heh, it seems I was too absorbed in pondering the matter you mentioned, so much so that I forgot the time. I never heard you knocking.”

Only then did Wang Bo understand. He had entered a state of concentration, which explained why he had not heard the door. “From Master’s expression, I take it the matter has already been resolved.”

Tong Yuan laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, indeed. There has already been some progress. Come, let us go see Xiao Yun and the others.”

Without further attention to Wang Bo, he strode off toward Zhao Yun’s side. Wang Bo had no choice but to follow behind.

He could not catch up with Tong Yuan, and could only complain inwardly. After all, he was not the master’s own son. He had waited there for so long, and yet Tong Yuan had said nothing at all and simply ignored him.

Arriving at the training ground, Wang Bo saw Tong Yuan speaking with Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan. He wanted to go over and listen, but after thinking about it, he decided this was between master and disciples, and he had no reason to join in. So he found a place and began practicing the bear fist.

No one knew exactly what Tong Yuan had said to Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan, but before long the two of them lifted their spears again. As if he had forgotten all about Wang Bo, Tong Yuan kept watching Zhao Yun and nodding repeatedly.

After another while, seeing that Tong Yuan still had not come over, Wang Bo could no longer bear it. He stood up and walked toward him.

“Master, when do you plan to teach me the remaining fist forms?” Wang Bo asked respectfully when he reached Tong Yuan’s side.

Hearing this, Tong Yuan was startled. Only then did he suddenly remember that there was still another person here, and he gave an awkward smile. “I was just about to teach you. Do not be impatient. I merely wanted you to become more familiar with the fist forms I taught you this morning.”

Hearing this, Wang Bo could not help cursing inwardly. You’re clearly having a wonderful time teaching them here—how is this about to teach me? Shameless. Utterly shameless.

Of course, he could only mutter these words in his heart. Outwardly, he could only say respectfully, “Master, I have already practiced the morning forms to about the same extent. I should be able to continue learning the rest.”

“Very well. Then come with me, and I will explain the remaining forms to you.” Then he turned to Zhao Yun and the other man and said, “You two stay here and keep practicing spear handling. For no less than two hours, neither of you may put it down.”

Wang Bo’s head swam at that. Two hours was four whole hours. He looked at the pair and gave them a sympathetic look.

Tong Yuan took Wang Bo to the side and began a new explanation.

“The bear fist and crane fist I taught you this morning. This afternoon, you should strive to learn the tiger fist, deer fist, and ape fist. The tiger fist requires bright, piercing eyes, the motions of shaking the head and swishing the tail, pouncing, pressing, and turning to fight, displaying a fierce and mighty bearing. It must be strong and forceful, with softness within hardness and hardness within softness, combining both. Since you have personally experienced it, it may be easier for you to understand. The tiger is the king of all beasts, its presence majestic and unyielding. The tiger fist mainly enriches the essence, nourishes the marrow, and strengthens the waist and kidneys.”

In every movement Tong Yuan made, Wang Bo could feel that overwhelming presence rushing toward him.

Time passed little by little, and Tong Yuan finally taught Wang Bo all the fist forms of the Five Animal Fist.

“Very well, I have taught you all the forms. Rest for a moment first. I still need to explain the key points of practice, and you must listen carefully.” Tong Yuan waved Wang Bo to sit down, and Wang Bo obediently did so.

“Remember this: when practicing the fist, the whole body must be relaxed. There must be tension within relaxation, and hardness within softness. You must never use stiff force. Only when relaxed will the strength you produce contain softness within hardness, allowing your movements to flow smoothly and continuously without becoming rigid. You must also keep your mind at the lower field of elixir and cast out distracting thoughts, focusing instead on the lower abdomen beneath the navel. This helps form abdominal breathing, allowing the upper body to remain empty and the lower body to remain full, with the chest empty and the abdomen full. That deepens the breath, strengthens the function of the internal organs, and promotes vigorous circulation. Before practicing, take several deep breaths to regulate the breathing. During practice, the breath must be natural and steady, preferably through the nose, though both nose and mouth may be used together. However, you must not gasp with your mouth open; instead, inhale slowly and exhale gently. As the movements proceed, abdominal breathing will arise naturally, increasing the range of motion in the waist and making the abdominal muscles contract with force, all of which benefits the internal organs. Finally, remember that the movements should imitate the animals. In Five Animal Frolics, both the outward shape and the spirit must resemble the five creatures. When practicing the tiger fist, you must show a fierce and powerful bearing, with bright eyes, a shaking head and swishing tail, pouncing, pressing, and battling, all of which help strengthen the body. When practicing the deer fist, you should imitate the deer’s calm mind and relaxed body, with extended posture, showing the deer’s leaning forward, raising its neck, drawing in its head, running, and turning back. Very well—just remember these points.”

When Tong Yuan finished, Wang Bo hurriedly rose and bowed in thanks. “Many thanks, Master, for your instruction. I will surely keep it in mind.”

Tong Yuan waved his hand again.

“The master leads you to the door, but the craft depends on the individual. I have taught you everything you need. How much you can comprehend will depend on you.”

“Please rest assured, Master. I will not let down your good intentions.” Wang Bo bowed again to Tong Yuan.

“If you can think that way, I am relieved. Very well, practice as much as you still can. If not, then rest.” With that, Tong Yuan departed. Wang Bo also continued his training.

Days passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, Wang Bo had already been living on the mountain for more than a month. During that month, he practiced the Five Animal Fist every day, almost from dawn to dusk. But his progress was also quite remarkable. Seeing his own improvement, Wang Bo was very pleased. Still, more than a month had passed, and it was time to go down the mountain.

That day, Wang Bo got up early again. He came to the training ground and once more began the Five Animal Fist. Soon afterward, Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan also arrived in succession. Seeing Wang Bo practicing, the two of them were already used to it. During this past month, Wang Bo had always been the earliest to arrive, and his diligence had left even the two men, who had spent years in martial training, feeling ashamed. Even Tong Yuan had been comforted by Wang Bo’s perseverance.

The two gave Wang Bo a perfunctory nod and began holding their spears as usual. Of course, this was all thanks to Wang Bo’s “blessing.” Naturally, neither man resented him, because after a month of practicing spear-handling this way, both of their spear skills had clearly improved. Even Xiahou Lan’s spear technique had become more spirited, no longer as rigid as before, and for that he was deeply grateful to Wang Bo.