Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

28

I wanted to become his student to learn martial arts, but he said his skills weren't good enough and he was afraid of hindering me.

Later, he mentioned several famous masters of Xingyi Quan to me, including the story of Master Shang, which made me admire him greatly.

Unfortunately, I was only two years old when Shang Gong passed away.

After arriving at my master's house, I heard from my master's wife that you also live in this alley, and that your kung fu is extremely skilled, having received the true teachings of Master Shang. Therefore, I came here specifically to pay you a visit, hoping to learn your boxing techniques from you.

After listening to He Yuzhu's story, Shang Zhirong found him to be articulate and clever, and asked, "Learning martial arts is a very arduous process. Why do you want to learn it?"

"To be honest, I simply like martial arts, and learning martial arts can also improve my health."

"My family has been chefs for generations. It's a tough profession, but I'm not afraid of hardship," He Yuzhu replied sincerely.

Shang Zhirong stared at him for a moment: "Since you have made up your mind, I will accept you as my disciple."

However, while Xingyi Quan may seem easy, mastering it is very difficult. Ultimately, how well you progress depends entirely on your own efforts.

He Yuzhu immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times: "Master, please accept my bow." He then took off the bundle on his back, took out the fifty silver dollars he had prepared, and handed them to Shang Zhirong with both hands.

Shang Zhirong accepted his apprenticeship gift with a smile, but upon opening the bundle, her face immediately darkened: "You're so young, where did you get so much money? Did you steal it? If you don't explain where the money came from, you'd better take it back!"

He Yuzhu quickly explained, "Master, don't worry, the source of this money is absolutely clean."

"But after I tell you, I hope you can keep it a secret, otherwise it will get me into trouble."

Shang Zhirong immediately instructed her maid Xiao Cui to stand guard at the door. He Yuzhu leaned close to her ear and whispered the origin of the money.

He claimed that the silver dollar came from saving a worker or peasant comrade, who gave it to him as a token of gratitude. He said that even his father didn't know about it and begged his master to keep it a secret.

After listening to He Yuzhu's story, Shang Zhirong pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is of utmost importance. Since you trust your teacher so much, I will naturally keep your mouth shut for you."

Remember, never mention this to anyone else again, Xiao Cui, come back.

After learning the details of He Yuzhu's wealth, Shang Zhirong was moved by his honesty and secretly resolved to teach this apprentice well.

If he truly has a talent for martial arts, then I will impart all my knowledge to him without reservation.

She gave the silver coins to Xiao Cui and asked her to take them to her mother.

Shang Zhirong began to explain the origins of Xingyi Quan to He Yuzhu: "This set of boxing techniques was created by Li Luoneng from Shenzhou, Hebei Province, during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. It originated from Xinyi Quan."

Xingyiquan emphasizes the unity of internal and external, based on the San Ti Shi stance, supplemented by the Five Elements Fist and the Twelve Forms Fist.

The Three-Body Stance is the foundation of Xingyi Quan. The Five Elements Fist, derived from the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, is divided into five techniques: splitting, drilling, collapsing, cannoning, and horizontal striking. The Twelve Forms Fist was created by imitating the forms of twelve animals, including the dragon, tiger, bear, and snake.

As she spoke, she personally demonstrated, first teaching He Yuzhu the Three-Body Stance.

After he practiced twice, I let him practice on his own while I gave him pointers.

After several rounds of practice, Shang Zhirong discovered that He Yuzhu had a great talent for martial arts and urged him to practice diligently.