Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

"Yuzhu, you've studied Bajiquan for a few years, so you have a solid foundation and a strong physique," He Damin said. "But Bajiquan focuses on close-quarters combat, with strong explosive power and wide, sweeping movements, but relatively speaking, it's not very agile in terms of footwork. I'll teach you two more sets of boxing, Xingyiquan and Taijiquan."

"Xingyi Quan? Tai Chi?" He Yuzhu scratched his head. "Uncle, what are these two styles? Are they powerful?"

"Xingyiquan, based on the Five Elements and Twelve Forms, emphasizes 'imitating the form to convey meaning,' combining softness and strength, with powerful and imposing momentum. Taijiquan, on the other hand, emphasizes using softness to overcome hardness, stillness to control movement, and striking after the opponent has moved first; it is the representative of internal martial arts." As He Damin spoke, he suddenly moved, no longer as slowly as when he was teaching Yuzhu, but as fast as lightning, instantly performing a set of boxing techniques on the lawn. At times, it was like a tiger descending the mountain, with a powerful momentum that made the air buzz; at other times, it was like a nimble monkey climbing, with agile and unpredictable movements; at still other times, it was like a dragon emerging from the water, continuous and full of power. Wherever the wind from his punches passed, the grass on the ground was stirred up and flew everywhere.

He Yuzhu stared in disbelief, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg. It wasn't until his uncle finished his set of punches, stood still, and breathed evenly, as if the swift and agile man from moments before hadn't even been him, that He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze and slapped his thigh hard: "My goodness! Uncle, that's amazing! Much more impressive than my Bajiquan!"

"Practice hard, and you can do it too." He Damin walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "In Xingyi Quan, first learn the Five Elements Fist—Splitting, Collapsing, Drilling, Cannon, and Horizontal. Master these five basic fist forms and unleash their power. Taiji Quan can wait until later, after you have a certain foundation in Xingyi Quan and your temperament has become more stable."

"Okay! Alright!" He Yuzhu agreed excitedly, eager to learn. He Damin first taught him the starting stance of Xingyi Quan and the basic movements of the "Splitting Fist." What seemed like a simple downward chopping motion actually contained techniques for coordinating the entire body's power. At first, He Yuzhu didn't grasp the key points, simply using the strength of his arms to throw the punch. He Damin corrected him repeatedly: "No, it's not about using your arm strength, it's about using your waist to drive the movement, from your feet to your legs, then to your waist, and finally through your shoulder and arm to your fist. It needs to be a unified force, not just localized power..."

He Yuzhu practiced until he was covered in sweat. At first, he couldn't find the feeling. Either his power was disjointed or his movements were deformed, which made him stomp his feet in frustration. But he had an indomitable spirit in his bones. The more difficult it was, the more energetic he became. If once wasn't enough, he would do it twice, and if twice wasn't enough, he would do it ten times. It wasn't until the sun was setting that he barely grasped a little bit of the basics of the splitting fist and could feel a little bit of the "whole force".

Finally, He Damin walked up to Chen Xueru.

Chen Xueru looked at him with a hopeful smile on her face: "What should I learn? At my age, my bones are too stiff; I'm afraid I can't learn those powerful kung fu techniques anymore."

He Damin thought for a moment and said, "You are calm, meticulous, and methodical, which makes you suitable to learn Wing Chun. Wing Chun is also a close-quarters combat style, but it emphasizes technique and timing, using softness to overcome hardness and borrowing force to strike back. It doesn't require a lot of space to move around, nor does it require practitioners to have a particularly burly physique, which suits you very well." He paused and added, "Moreover, Wing Chun emphasizes 'a calm and focused mind,' which complements the Taoist practices you cultivate in terms of mental state."

Chen Xueru nodded without hesitation: "Okay, I'll learn Wing Chun."

He Damin then began teaching her the "Siu Nim Tao" routine of Wing Chun. This is the foundation of Wing Chun; the movements appear slow and gentle, but each move contains subtle variations. Chen Xueru studied very diligently. Unlike He Yuzhu, who was impatient for quick results, she carefully studied each move, practicing repeatedly to ensure accuracy and precision. Although it was her first time learning martial arts, she had a strong understanding and progressed rapidly.

As evening approached, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the sky a golden hue.

He Damin then led the three to the villa's basement. This basement, originally a wine cellar, was quite spacious. He Damin had made some simple modifications, turning it into a small shooting range. The walls were reinforced with thick steel plates, and several paper targets hung on the opposite wall. On the shelves next to them, various firearms were neatly arranged—small and exquisite pistols, sleek rifles, powerful submachine guns, and even two intimidating-looking sniper rifles.

He Yuzhu's eyes widened as soon as he entered the basement. Although he had occasionally seen police officers or military personnel carrying guns when he was in Beijing, he had only ever seen them from afar; ordinary people could never even touch them. Now, seeing so many real guns laid out right in front of him, he felt as if he had stumbled into an armory, and his heart pounded uncontrollably.

"Uncle... these... these guns, are they all yours?" He Yuzhu's voice trembled slightly.

"Hmm." He Damin took a relatively small and easy-to-handle Browning pistol from the wall, examined it, and then handed it to Chen Xueru. "Firearms are one of the most effective self-defense tools in modern society. Although you have begun your cultivation, your cultivation level is still shallow and your true energy is weak. When encountering real danger or dealing with enemies armed with firearms, a gun is often much more useful and direct than the rudimentary techniques you have just learned. Therefore, you must learn marksmanship, and you must learn it well."

He gave each person a pistol suitable for beginners and some blank cartridges (for initial practice), and then began to explain in detail the basic structure of the gun, safety rules, usage methods, and maintenance knowledge.

"This is the safety; always check that the safety is on before shooting. This is the magazine; you need to learn how to change it quickly. This is the trigger; pull it smoothly..." He Damin patiently explained each item. "You need to hold the gun steadily, keep your arm straight, breathe evenly, aim accurately, and pull the trigger decisively without hesitation. You need to practice these actions thousands of times until they become muscle memory and an instinctive reaction."

He Yuzhu held the heavy pistol, his palms slightly sweaty. Following his uncle's instructions, he held the gun with both hands, aimed at the distant target, took a deep breath, and slowly pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

A muffled gunshot echoed loudly in the enclosed basement. He Yuzhu's arm went numb from the recoil, the muzzle veered, and the bullet missed the bullseye, striking the steel wall beside him and sending sparks flying.

"That's normal," He Damin said expressionlessly. "It's the first time you fire a gun, and you're not good at controlling the recoil or getting the feel for aiming. Keep practicing, start with aiming with an empty gun, and get used to the feel and recoil."

Chen Xueru was much calmer than He Yuzhu. She took the gun, listened carefully to He Damin's explanation, and then followed the steps: checked the safety, cocked the gun, held it with both hands, and aimed. Although her posture was still a little rusty, her grip on the gun was steady, and she took a longer time to aim. "Bang!" She also fired a shot. Although the bullet didn't hit the bullseye, it at least landed on the edge of the target, much better than He Yuzhu's shot.

"Not bad." He Damin nodded approvingly, a rare occurrence. "You have a calm mind and steady hand; you're well-suited for shooting practice."

He Yushui was too young, so He Damin didn't let her touch the gun. He just let her watch from the side and learn the most basic gun safety knowledge, such as never pointing the gun at people and assuming it was loaded regardless of whether there were bullets or not.

In the days that followed, He Damin filled the three of them's lives to the brim, leaving them with almost no free time.

At five in the morning, before dawn, the lights in the villa were already on. The three of them got up on time, washed up, and returned to their rooms to sit cross-legged and begin practicing the "Taoist Innate Alchemy - Basic Chapter." An hour of meditation was not easy. He Yuzhu often found it difficult to enter a meditative state due to distracting thoughts, and his true energy would encounter blockages in his meridians, causing him to grimace in pain. He Yushui, being younger, lacked concentration and began to sway after sitting for a short while. He Damin gently guided her from behind, helping her to focus her mind.

Chen Xueru's progress was relatively smooth, but she still needed to pay close attention to her breathing rhythm, otherwise she would get a stitch. They ate breakfast promptly at seven o'clock, rested briefly, and then began learning Taoist talismans at eight. Drawing talismans was a delicate task; He Yuzhu often made mistakes due to shaky hands, spilling cinnabar everywhere. Chen Xueru, though steady, often caused the talisman paper to malfunction due to uneven distribution of her inner energy. He Yushui, on the other hand, repeatedly encountered difficulties in memorizing the structure of the talismans. A morning of learning often left the three of them with sore wrists and mental exhaustion.

After a short lunch break, the afternoon was dedicated to martial arts training. He Yuzhu's Xingyi Quan was powerful and impressive, but he always seemed to lack the right technique for generating power. He Damin corrected his posture repeatedly until he was drenched in sweat. He Yushui's Twelve Tan Legs were quite impressive, but her leg strength was insufficient, so He Damin had her practice with sandbags strapped to her body. Chen Xueru's Wing Chun moves were standard, but she lacked practical experience, so He Damin personally sparred with her, helping her understand the art of using an opponent's force against them in combat.

As evening fell, gunshots rang out precisely from the basement. He Yuzhu and Chen Xueru took turns practicing shooting, repeating each movement—from aiming to firing—hundreds of times until their arms ached so much they could barely lift them. At night, the three of them would review what they had learned that day, organize their notes, and preview the next day's material, often working until late into the night before they could rest. These fulfilling yet arduous days continued day after day without interruption.