Reverend Insanity - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Close Combat Gu Master

Translator: - -  Editor: - -

Three days later.

“Lowering oneself to dodge is the basic skill to restrain a swing. When your opponent is attacking you, quickly crouch down, then take advantage to strike back, attacking his crotch and abdomen. Don’t be scared of their swinging fists. Usually, people who swings their fists right off the bat are those with no brains, with emotional impetus.”

In the Martial Art Hall, the Fisticuffs Teacher was talking and demonstrating at the same time.

When the right fist of a scarecrow horizontally swept over, the Fisticuffs Teacher vigorously crouched down, escaping the attack. After that, he threw a punch right at the scarecrow’s abdomen. With several bangs, the scarecrow was utterly defeated.

The disciples were sitting in a circle. However, the majority of them was dispirited and didn’t seem to be interested.

The schoolhouse imparted various courses. This one was a class of fisticuffs foundation. Compared to the cool and ruthless Moon Blade attack, putting energy in throwing a punch was nothing. Thus the group of young men didn’t focus at all.

“The next class is the examination in using the Moon Blade. How is your practice going?”

“So-so. I can release the Moon Blade for three consecutive times, but it hardly hits the scarecrows though. Usually, only two can hit the scarecrows.”

“Yeah, I am not much different. These days, because of practice, I even had to buy a scarecrow.”

...

The young men were muttering. Their heads had soon left this place. They were all worried about the next examination.

Because of this examination, they had practiced diligently after class. Right now, they were putting in all of their efforts. Hence, toward the exam, they had been eagerly anticipating it.

The sounds of muttered discussion that was coming from the disciples were picked up by the teacher’s ears. The fisticuffs teacher suddenly turned around, and loudly yelled, “You are forbidden to talk in class. Keep your mouths shut. Focus here!”

He was a level two Gu Master with a sturdy figure. His naked muscular upper body was a brownish color with numerous scars. With a loud yell, his awe-inspiring presence abruptly suppressed the actions of every youngster that was present in the hall.

The Martial Art Hall turned dead silent.

“Fisticuffs foundation is the most important. Most especially during the initial development stages of a Gu Master, compared to the others, this is the most critical. Everyone has to focus on this!”

After rebuking, the fisticuffs teacher approached another scarecrow.

This faint yellow scarecrow was two meters tall. The giant wooden feet were stamping on the bluestone tiles, reverberating crispy sounds. It opened its hands, and clumsily dashed toward the teacher.

The teacher dodged his attack, and harshly grasped its waist, using force to push the giant scarecrow to the ground. Right after that, he seized the opportunity to straddle its back, rapidly throwing punches on its head.

After a period of resisting, due to the barrage of punches that was being rained on it from the teacher, its head was smashed. It laid paralyzed on the ground, totally immobilized.

The teacher stood up. With his breath being totally uninterrupted, he turned to the disciples and explained, “In close combat, when facing a tall and powerful opponent, don’t be scared. A wise tactic to stop an opponent is to wreck their center point of gravity. Just like what I did, grasp their waists, control their pelvises, then use force to push forward. After straddling the opponent’s body, using vigorous punches, people without any defending abilities will quickly collapse.”

The disciples continuously nodded, although gleams of disapproval were beaming in their eyes.

As the teacher saw all of that, he bitterly smiled inside.

Previously, everything was like this. The nature of a young man was in being easily attracted by superb and dazzling stuffs. Without any experience and understanding of oneself, these youngsters wouldn’t be able to comprehend the importance of the foundations of Fisticuffs.

In fact, toward the Gu Masters who were at their early stages, the Fisticuffs foundation that didn’t look eye-catching was even more important than the attack from the Moon Blade.

“... Remember, when in close combat, you don’t need to stare at your opponent’s eyes, but you have to be mindful about their shoulders. Whatever fist attack they intend to use, their feet, and shoulders will always be the first to move...”

“.... Speed is crucial in close combat. The speed I am talking about is not the speed of your hand in striking a punch, but the speed of your feet....”

“.... The best defense is distance....”

“.... Your feet needs to be flexible; it will then be easier to burst out its power....”

“.... When you throw a punch, you need to maintain your triangle stance so that it reinforces your posture. If you can’t control your bottom part, the opponent won’t be defeated. On the contrary, you will fall....”

The teacher was patiently explaining as he demonstrated. These were the valuable experiences he had accumulated by shedding blood and tears during his long-term fighting career.

It was a pity that the disciples in the hall didn’t seem to understand this point.

They gradually gathered together, discussing about the Moon Blade examination that would take place in the next class.

“This teacher is really pragmatic, but there is a problem in his way of teaching.” Fang Yuan silently looked at him within the crowd, slightly nodded then shook his head.

This teacher obviously didn’t have any structure in his teaching. It was purely arranged as desired. He would teach whatever he had thought of at that particular moment. Hence, the teaching was messy, both too many and too complicated. Many disciples were focusing at the start but soon lost their interests, then putting their attentions on other matters.

Only Fang Yuan carefully listened to him. The others were learning. He was reviewing. His fighting experience was much more abundant than that of the teacher. However, listening to the other methods that were being taught was also a kind of verification in cultivating.

A Gu Master’s way of fighting was divided into Close combat and Ranged combat.

The Moon Blade attack was a kind of ranged combat style. However, if looking carefully, it could only be considered as middle-ranged combat. Because its effective attack range was merely ten meters.

About Close combat, this teacher was the best example. They usually chose the self-growing Gu to start cultivating. These Gu brought them exceptional power, speed, reactivity, endurance, etc.

Taking this teacher as an example, the skin on his body was dyed with a brownish color. This, of course, wasn’t the color of his own skin, but it was the effect from a Copper Skin Gu.

This Copper Skin Gu would increase the defensive power of his skin, helping the Gu Master to be able to withstand and endure more injuries.

“A Moon Blade will waste ten percent of Primeval Essence. When fighting, how many times can a Gu Master release that? The number of times will get smaller and smaller, especially for new recruits. Basically, they can create an effective strike. Being a deadly strike, its deterrence is better than lethality. To a level one Gu Master, the truly effective strike is the fisticuffs skill. Because it could be prolonged, and it is more reliable. However, they won’t be able to comprehend such principles without further understandings about themselves.”

Fang Yuan used a pair of dull eyes to sweep across those disciples who were at his age, and couldn’t help but beam a cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

The class of Fisticuffs had finally come to an end. After resting for a while in the Hall, the schoolhouse’s Elder slowly walked over under the anticipating eyes of the youngsters waiting for him.

He waved his hand, pointing towards a line of scarecrows under the bamboo wall, and directly talked to the point, “Good, today is the day to test your results. Five persons form into a group, getting up here in order, urging three Moon Blade strikes.”

Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh.

The first group of disciples came up; the Moon Blades were flying in the air.

Three rounds after that, only nine Moon Blades were able to hit the scarecrows accurately.

The schoolhouse’s Elder slightly shook his head. He was not quite satisfied with this. The scoring rate was too low. The point was that among five persons, only two of them had successfully struck two Moon Blades.

“You guys need to practice harder, especially you, and you also.” The Elder reprimanded, then waved his hand again, “Next group.”

The two who were being reproved left dejectedly. Among them, there was a girl. The rims of her eyes were reddened. She was feeling sad.

She was only a grade C aptitude, but she was reluctant in using the Primeval Stones to recover her Primeval Essence. Therefore, she didn’t practice much in the past three days, resulted in being incompetent in urging Moon Blade.

A Gu Master used money to refine Gu, used money to raise Gu, also used money to practice using Gu. But where could she have dug up such an amount of money?

Even though her parents were assisting her, each family had its own problems. The difficulties that a Gu Master usually encountered were in having shallow pockets.

“No matter what, it is hopeless to try to come in first place. Giving it up and saving some Primeval Stones are better anyway.” Thinking like that, the girl calmed down.

People having the same thought as her were not only a few.

Because of the lack of practice, many of the disciples’ performances were only considered as barely satisfactory.

The schoolhouse’s Elder furrowed his brows even more.

As Fang Yuan was looking at them, he was shaking his head inside, “These people are pitiful and sad at the same time. Because of a few Primeval Stones, they have given up their own opportunities to move forward. Primeval Stones are for one to use. Saving up Primeval Stones like a miser, how can you become a Gu Master then?”

In other words, short-sighted people would always haggle over every cent, barter the trunk for the branches. And those who dreamed big usually showed off a tolerant and generous appearance, easily giving things up.

“Finally it’s my turn.” Right now, the hatchet-faced Gu Yue Mo Bei was carrying a confident smile, walking up.

His figure was sturdy, displaying a beam of fierce aura. After he had stopped his footsteps, he urged three Moon Blades out of his palm. All three had accurately hit it’s mark. Among them, one had hit the scarecrow’s bosom, one on his left arm, scraping away several threads of blue-green grass.

Such result was enough to make the other youngsters exclaimed.

“Not bad.” The schoolhouse Elder’s brows were slightly stretched out.

Another group stepped up. This time, there was Gu Yue Chi Cheng.

Gu Yue Chi Cheng had a small figure. His face was full of pockmarks. He seemed particularly nervous.

He continuously released three Moon Blades. They all hit the scarecrow’s bosom, forming three crisscrossed wounds. The wounds started to get less deep. After a few breaths later, because of the scarecrow’s ability to self-recover, it had returned to its normal state.

Anyhow, with such performance, he was equal to Gu Yue Mo Bei, and also received compliments from the Elder.

Chi Cheng lifted his head and went down. On the way, he provocatively glared at Mo Bei.

“Huphm!” Under the platform, Gu Yue Mo Bei coldly snorted. He didn’t turn to look at Chi Cheng, but was glancing at the person who still had not come on stage, which was Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

He understood well that, only Gu Yue Chi Cheng and Gu Yue Fang Zheng could truly be a threat to him.

The former one was the same as him, a grade B aptitude with a limitless source of Primeval Stones. The latter was of a grade A aptitude. Although Fang Zheng wouldn’t have such an abundant amount of Primeval Stones like them, he could only count on the Primeval Essence recovering speed according to his aptitude to practice as much as he could in such a short period.

Right now, Gu Yue Chi Cheng’s result had already been exposed. He was equal to Mo Bei. There was only Gu Yue Fang Zheng left.

After several more groups, it was finally Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s turn.