Cultivating From Obtaining Experience - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Mountain Climbing And Pine Trees

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“The Tai Chi Villa on Qingyang Mountain is more like a private club. It’s a place where he made connections. Ah… one more thing to remember: if you go there, be sure not to cause any trouble,” Li Xinzhu said.

“Understood. I am going there to learn, and harmony is most important in the martial arts world.” Wang An smiled.

The next morning, he left early and headed to Qingyang Mountain.

Qingyang Mountain was about a thirty-minute drive from Hu An City. It was not that far.

As he approached Qingyang Mountain, he could see that the mountain was covered with trees. There were some evergreen pine trees and some with fallen leaves.

The mountain looked bleak in winter.

The car entered the deep mountains along the winding mountain road.

Qingyang Mountain was not just one mountain but a range of mountains. Part of it was open to the public, and another part was considered a private area that was not open to the public.

Chen Xifeng’s Tai Chi Villa was in a restricted area, and registration was required before entering.

The Tai Chi Villa was built against the mountain and had an ancient architectural style.

In front of the villa, at the foot of the mountain, there was a spacious area about the size of a football field, with a large Yin-Yang Tai Chi pattern in the center.

Today was not a weekend, but there were more than twenty cars in the parking lot. Over half of them were luxury cars.

Ascending the stone steps paved with blue stones, a stream flowed in front of the villa. The water was clear, like a long jade belt.

Even if one did not understand Feng Shui, one could still feel the extraordinary Feng Shui of this villa between the mountains.

After crossing a stone bridge, Wang An arrived at the front gate of the Tai Chi Villa.

The gate was made of wood, and a plaque hung above it with four flamboyant words: “The Tai Chi Villa.” It was seemingly the work of a master artisan.

The gate was wide open, and Wang An entered. A young man in training attire was waiting at the entrance. He was very friendly and was there to guide the guests.

After entering, there was a decorated wall with carvings of Tai Chi and the Eight Trigrams.

There was a spacious courtyard paved with blue stones and it featured another Tai Chi pattern. It seemed to be a place for group practice, with corridors on both sides.

Following the guide, Wang An entered one of the rooms inside the main hall.

The room was not small. It was about a hundred square meters, with windows on both sides providing good lighting. There were cushions and chairs on the side.

When Wang An entered, there were already five people in the room. They appeared to be in their forties. They all looked well-maintained and sat together while talking and laughing. They were obviously already acquainted.

They just glanced at Wang An as he came in and continued their conversation.

Wang An sat in a window seat. Through the window, he could see the red maple leaves that had not completely fallen.

On the adjacent wall hung a piece of calligraphy. It was a passage from the Tranquility Sutra.

After a few minutes, more people arrived in the room. These people seemed to know each other and greeted each other when they met.

They saw Wang An sitting by the window and smiled. Some of them waved at him in greeting, and Wang An smiled back in response.

These people, judging from their attire, appeared to be affluent. The clothes they wore were obviously of high quality.

On the other hand, Wang An’s clothes were all discounted, and his whole outfit couldn’t match even one pair of pants of theirs. It made him stand out. Subsequently, more people arrived. After a while, a total of sixteen people could be seen in the room.

With a creak, the door opened, and a man in training attire entered.

Following him, a man in his forties walked in. He had a medium build, a ruddy complexion, slender eyebrows, and bright eyes. He appeared refined and scholarly.

Behind that man, Wang An saw a familiar face: Yang Xianhua.

‘Why is he here?’

“Teacher Chen.” Everyone in the room stood up and greeted the man.

‘So, this is Chen Xifeng…’ Wang An was surprised. The person was different from what he had imagined.

“Today we have a new student. Hello.” Chen Xifeng glanced over and then smiled at Wang An.

“Hello,” Wang An said in response.

“The person beside me is an old friend. I think everyone knows him. He is the vice president of our city’s Tai Chi Association, Yang Xianhua,” Chen Xifeng said as he introduced Yang Xianhua.

After a brief chat, Chen Xifeng started the class.

The first lesson was about the breathing techniques of Tai Chi, and then the Tai Chi routines. The class was clearly leaning toward health and fitness.

Wang An couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. He hadn’t come here to listen to this.

After practicing Tai Chi for a while, Chen Xifeng began teaching them individually. Soon, he reached Wang An.

“Teacher Chen, I have a question I’d like to ask you,” Wang An said earnestly.

“Please go ahead.” Chen Xifeng smiled.

“How can I better understand the Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi?”

Chen Xifeng was slightly surprised by the question and carefully looked at Wang An. Someone who could ask such a question was definitely not an ordinary person.

Several students nearby also looked toward Wang An when they heard the question.

“For understanding the Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi, diligent practice and experiential understanding during practice are essential,” Chen Xifeng said.

Wang An sighed inwardly.

“You can practice pushing hands more and focusing on applying force effectively,” Chen Xifeng said.

Then, he continued with the class. After about thirty minutes, it was time for a break, and everyone started talking again.

In the second class, Yang Xianhua took over as the instructor and taught the group Tai Chi pushing hands. He asked for a volunteer to demonstrate the technique.

Wang An stepped forward. He thought that he might gain something from sparring with a skilled practitioner.

Yang Xianhua looked at Wang An. He felt that this young man seemed somewhat familiar.

In the dojo, he was always in a hurry, and he only paid real attention to a few students. He did not recognize most people.

Wang An did not greet him either. The two shook hands.

Yang Xianhua had felt a jolt when they began.

‘This guy seems to have some real skills!’

His arm was relaxed. When he exerted a bit of force, it was redirected by the opponent.

Wang An focused and felt the changes in the force of his opponent’s arms.

Fixed-step push.

Moving-step push.

Yang Xianhua’s face turned serious.

The opponent’s arm was soft as cotton, but there was hidden strength within. If one was not careful, force would suddenly spring forth.

‘Where did this young man come from? Is he here to make trouble?’

Immediately, the disdain in Yang Xianhua’s heart disappeared, and he became very cautious. He could not be careless in the slightest.

‘I can’t afford to make a mistake. My reputation as a master is at stake here. After all, there are so many people watching!’

Wang An did not think much about anything. His thoughts were straightforward. He was here purely for improvement.