Chapter 75: Two Distinctive Worlds

"Of course I mean well." Jiang Fei answered without hesitation, his shock and fear already fading. He turned the steering wheel, clicking his tongue. "You're so different from when I saw you at the end of August. If you weren’t as 'manshow' as ever, I would have thought I met a stranger who looked just like you!"

"We would be good friends if you could shut your mouth after your first line," Lou Cheng laughed. Manshow? What even is that?

Jiang Fei grew more excited. "Cheng, how did you pull that off? It hasn’t even been six months! How did you become so powerful all of a sudden? I saw you take out three knife-wielding gangsters in just a few moves!"

"I was focused on schoolwork before and didn’t realize I had a gift for meditation. Also, the Songcheng Martial Arts Club hired a great coach to restore its former glory. With these two advantages, I made huge progress. But this kind of improvement only happens at the beginning. The more I practice, the harder it is to improve." Lou Cheng explained it simply.

Jiang Fei wasn't a martial arts fanatic and didn't know much about amateur rankings. He knew Lou Cheng was strong, but he couldn't grasp the extent of his power. He smiled. "Oh, I see. I wonder why I never noticed your potential? Brother Lou, Master Cheng, you simply must help me if I get bullied one day!"

"Come on, we're friends, aren't we? Just give me the signal and I'll bring an army to save you!" Lou Cheng joked.

Jiang Fei continued to drive, his voice full of excitement. "Cheng'zi, can you teach me some moves when we exercise tomorrow morning? Can I be cool for a bit too?"

"Sure, as long as you can calm your heart and handle the stance." Lou Cheng nodded. The still stance was the true foundation of martial arts, followed by the moving stance and then the moves used in combat, like the 24 Blizzard Strikes.

"Don't worry, I'm a forgetful guy. I can definitely calm down," Jiang Fei said proudly.

I highly doubt that... Lou Cheng thought. Fatty Jiang was easily distracted and loved to daydream, which didn't meet the requirements for achieving concealment of spirit and qi.

The car arrived at the neighborhood entrance. Lou Cheng unbuckled his seatbelt. "Sleep early. I'll pretend this never happened if you can't get up tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry! I woke up early and worked hard in my last year of high school!" Jiang Fei said proudly. "Right, Cheng, your secret is safe with me. Mm, I saw nothing just now."

Lou Cheng laughed, standing outside the car door and looking down at Jiang Fei. "Well, if you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten that you're a big mouth..."

He went back home. His room was cold and quiet. Lou Cheng replayed the events of saving Wang Xu, making sure he hadn't missed any details. As long as Wang Xu kept quiet, the other party wouldn’t find him. He finally relaxed, then busied himself with chores, separating the laundry and putting his laptop on his desk. He checked his email for any information or videos from his master on the Big and Small Hand Wrap.

"No new emails? Then I'll mainly do recovery exercises tomorrow..." Lou Cheng lay on the couch, chatting with Yan Zheke and waiting for his laundry to finish.

Just after nine, as he was about to hang his laundry, he heard footsteps, deliberately lightened, coming from the fourth floor. He leaned his head to listen, entering the Condensation Stance and remaining calm. He went to the front door, waiting. When the footsteps stopped, he abruptly opened the door.

Outside stood Wang Xu in an army-green overcoat, his face pale and his eyes wide with shock. He looked like he hadn't decided whether to knock. "Have you treated your wounds already? How's it going?" Lou Cheng asked, signaling him to come in.

Wang Xu carefully stepped inside. "I've found someone to deal with it. It’s no big deal. Tonight’s mess is settled for now." He was carrying a bottle of hard liquor, a local specialty of Xiushan. "I know you've quit drinking, so this bottle of authentic original-proof spirit is for me." He familiarly opened the cabinet where Lou Cheng's father kept his wine cups and took out two.

Lou Cheng watched him, surprised and amused. "You're injured. Why are you still drinking?"

"No drink, no talk. Just take it as me using alcohol to disinfect my wounds." Wang Xu sat down and chuckled.

"That's not how you disinfect wounds, okay!" Lou Cheng laughed.

A silence followed. Neither of them seemed ready to talk. Wang Xu took a sip and broke the silence. "Cheng, I’m not sure how I can thank you for saving me tonight. If it wasn't for you, my parents would be pouring this bottle of wine on my grave."

"I haven’t thanked you for watching my back all those years ago. Now that I’ve learned some martial arts, how could I watch you die?" Lou Cheng said frankly. "Back then..." He let out a soft laugh. "Honestly, I was pretty simple. I thought about our friendship, and I didn't want to see a kid from our factory get bullied."

Lou Cheng took a deep breath and spoke, "Brother Xu, you can’t go on like this."

Wang Xu looked up. "It was that damn Third Jian who started the trouble. He hired a Professional Ninth Pin expert from the provincial capital and surprise attacked our bar. Le almost got killed. We were lucky Brother Biao and Brother Wei were bold enough to keep the expert busy. But they outnumbered us, so we had to escape. These guys chasing me were machetemen led by Third Jian. Every one of them is an Amateur Sixth or Seventh Pin. I can usually handle one, but against three, I had no choice but to run. Cheng'zi, I can’t believe you took them out in just a few moves!"

Lou Cheng shook his head. "I only succeeded because it was an ambush, but that’s not the point. Brother Xu, my skills are limited. I can save you once, but I can't save you a lifetime. Are you really planning to walk this path to the end?"

Wang Xu fell silent, then smiled bitterly. "It’s not like I don’t understand. I've seen plenty in the underworld. I’ve seen the most successful bosses whitewash their history, and I’ve seen those who don’t make it, fighting day after day. Even the best martial arts experts can make a mistake. One slip-up could mean being replaced by a new face. Some of the guys in my first gang had their hands cut off, and some ended up dead on the street. Of course, I was terrified by their endings. So, I went to martial arts clubs to train while trying to quit the gang. I saved up some money to open a small business. But things don't go as you wish once you're in this circle. If my old boss summons me for a fight, should I go or refuse? What would happen if I said no? I couldn't refuse even from a friendship standpoint."

Lou Cheng had never been exposed to this side of life. A stifling silence enveloped him. After a moment, he spoke in a steady tone, "Brother Xu, have you ever thought about getting out?"

"Getting out?" Wang Xu looked at him, confused.

"I went to Songcheng to study, and I’ve even visited Yanling on my way back home. Both places are completely disconnected from Xiushan. The world is big and wonderful, with so many opportunities. Why confine yourself to Xiushan? If you can't break the bonds here, why not give yourself a chance to gain knowledge and experience? Give it three to five years and come back when they’ve forgotten about you."

Wang Xu was startled. He took a sip of wine. "Cheng, your student side hasn’t completely left you yet... I’m just glad I haven't reached the level of Le’s confidant yet. Otherwise, if I got involved in his affairs and saw some secrets, do you think I could just walk away? What would I do once I got out? Labor work? I've seen people in the neighborhood working in other provinces, doing worse than even I am. What's the point of a life like that?"

"Didn't you want to open a small business?" Lou Cheng knew Wang Xu's life was comfortable. A gangster like him wouldn't have to worry about cigarettes, women, or money. People on the street wouldn't even dare look at him.

"I will think about it." Wang Xu looked down and refilled his cup.

Lou Cheng felt a pang of emotion. They had similar backgrounds but had led completely different lives because of one choice in junior high. Lou Cheng had studied hard and gotten into a good university. His life was made of bright, clean classrooms and students who talked about games, movies, novels, and future careers. It was a world of light and hope. Wang Xu lived a life of fear. He wasn’t sure if he would wake up peacefully after drinking himself to sleep. His life was painted in shades of gray. If he couldn't rise to the top and legitimize his past, the darkness would eventually swallow him.

Education can change one’s fate, and so can martial arts... Lou Cheng felt certain of this more than ever. He changed the topic. "Brother Xu, you didn't tell anyone about my involvement, did you?"

Wang Xu took another sip of wine. "Don’t worry, I know you're a goody-two-shoes student, and I won’t get you in trouble. Le asked me, and I covered it up by saying I ran into a friend from a martial arts club and was saved. Oh, right, how do you practice martial arts? How did you become so impressive all of a sudden?"

"I have a gift I didn't realize because I wasn't training back then. Then, a former Physical Invulnerability Mighty One became my coach, which is why I'm barely able to keep up." Lou Cheng emphasized Geezer Shi's existence on purpose. After witnessing Wang Xu’s life, Lou Cheng was wary. He wanted to dispel any extravagant hopes Wang Xu might have by bringing up the reputation of a Mighty One.

Wang Xu trembled at his words. He forced a smile. "No wonder. You have an impressive coach... Cheng'zi, can you teach me a few moves? So I'll be more prepared before quitting the gang."

"The foundation of my martial arts is the still stance and meditation. Why don’t you try to achieve the concealment of spirit and qi?" Lou Cheng outlined the key points.

Wang Xu knew that all powerful martial arts were built on a foundation of Solemn Silence. He listened quietly. "I will practice what you taught me and come back to you if I have any questions. I’ll leave this bottle of wine for Uncle Lou."

As he watched him leave, Lou Cheng sighed. It felt as if they were in two different worlds now. He had no confidence that Wang Xu could enter a meditative state. How could a man who indulged in fantasy and luxury possibly achieve that?

Life truly was a pot of all sorts of circumstances...