Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

Was he... going to fall here again? This thought, like a venomous snake, gnawed at his divinely gifted will. No! He couldn't let it happen again like last time!

In that instant, as if swallowed by darkness, a sudden realization surfaced from the depths of his mind: the realization he had when he first created the "Hidden Dragon Inquiring of the Heart Finger" under the moonlight—"The finger inquires of one's own heart, illuminating the illusions"; he recalled his master, Chen Jiren, patting him on the shoulder and saying, "To discern the qi and recognize the opportunity, the first step is to settle oneself"; he remembered the deep pool beneath Eagle Cliff, reflecting all things yet leaving no trace...

These images and sounds, like a stabilizing force, pierce through the chaotic noises of inner demons and reach the depths of the soul.

"Self-awareness...questioning the heart..." Tianci silently murmured to himself. He no longer tried to forcibly dispel those humiliating memories, no longer clung to the idea of ​​"proving," but instead, like an observer, "watched" them rise, churn, and then slowly burst like bubbles in the deeper layers of his consciousness. He withdrew his attention from his opponents, the clamor of the audience, and even his own pain, focusing all his efforts on guiding the almost scattered inner energy of the dormant dragon. He no longer pursued the circulation of Qi throughout the body, but simply returned it to his dantian, like returning a raging storm to a deep pool, forcibly condensing that point of "stillness" and "tranquility."

This process was extremely difficult, like trying to keep a needle steady in a raging storm. The pressure from his opponent, the pain in his body, and the lingering distractions constantly interfered. But with an almost stubborn tenacity, he held on to the last shred of clarity in his mind.

In a few breaths, his eyes underwent a subtle change. The previous chaos, anger, and even a trace of bewilderment receded like the tide, replaced by an unusually cold calm after the violent upheaval. In the depths of that calm, it was as if a deep pool had gathered, reflecting everything on the arena, including his opponent's seemingly impeccable rhythm and aura, which were actually subtly changing due to continuous attacks and waiting.

The opponent seemed to sense the solidification of Tianci's aura, frowned slightly, and decided not to wait any longer. He launched another fierce attack, delivering a sharp high roundhouse kick to Tianci's head, intending to secure victory in one fell swoop!

However, just as he raised his leg and exerted force, his blood and energy surged towards his attacking leg, causing a brief but real moment of "stagnation" and "emptiness" in his upper body's defenses—

Tianci moved.

He didn't try to meet the blow head-on or dodge as he had before. He slightly turned his body to the side and lowered his head, letting the whip kick graz his hair. At the same time, at that "juncture" when his opponent's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen, and his body was slightly unbalanced due to the full-force kick—his innate ability to "judge the situation" allowed him to calm himself, dispel distractions, and capture this fleeting opportunity with unprecedented clarity and precision!

His right fist was like a dragon emerging from its cave, or a silver needle piercing a hole. It went from bottom to top, following the smallest gap between the conversion of qi and blood and power, piercing through the opponent's blocking arm, which was slightly slowed by the lifting of his leg, and struck the side of the opponent's jaw with perfect accuracy!

With a muffled thud, the opponent's eyes glazed over, his power dissipated instantly, and his tall body swayed before crashing to the ground!

The referee rushed in to count down: "...five, six, seven, eight...ten!" The dust settled.

Cang Tianci won the gold medal in the junior group 48kg Sanda category.

After a brief silence, the Anshi camp erupted in a deafening roar of jubilation.

However, the deafening roar of the stadium seemed to be separated from Cang Tianci by an invisible barrier, becoming distant and blurry. He stood there, but his heart suddenly fell into a strange clarity.

The lightning-fast strike, and the entire process of inner turmoil, self-reflection, seizing the opportunity, and achieving unity of mind and body before defeating his opponent, replayed in his mind like a slow-motion, dissected video. Every detail, every breath, every muscle movement, and even every emotional fluctuation was vividly clear.

An unprecedented enlightenment, like moonlight breaking through the dark clouds, illuminated his mind:

"'Discerning Qi and Recognizing Opportunities' is the eye and the ear, perceiving the opportunities of external things; 'The Hidden Dragon Questions the Heart' is the heart and the will, seeing through one's own illusions; martial arts skills are the body and the weapon, putting the sharpness of one's will into practice."

"If the mind is not settled, the eyes and ears will be confused, and all that is seen and heard will be illusions and delusions. The body will become sluggish and full of flaws."

"When the mind is settled, the eyes and ears are clear, the body and mind are in harmony, and the vessel moves with the thought... There is no gap that cannot be observed, and no obstacle that cannot be broken!"

This was not just about winning a match, but also about forging and integrating the different aspects he had learned and understood from his elder brother, master, and coach under the most extreme pressure—the insights and mental techniques of traditional martial arts, the techniques and rules of modern competition, and even his own tenacious will to overcome his shortcomings—in a life-or-death tempering process. It was as if scattered pearls were suddenly pierced by a strong thread, forming a complete "object" that belonged to him.

He touched upon a deeper realm of "martial arts": it was not merely a technique for defeating opponents, but a rudimentary form of "the Way"—the ability to control oneself and thereby perceive and influence the rhythm of the outside world. If this is true of the arena, perhaps the same principle applies to other difficulties in the world.

He stood in the center of the ring, his chest still heaving, but his eyes were as if washed by ice water, or like a moon reflected in a deep pool, calm and profound, reflecting the dazzling lights and the boiling crowd. The sudden rise and fall of his inner demons, the edge of defeat and the desperate counterattack, and especially the final enlightenment that permeated his body and mind, made him experience a "battle of self-examination" that was more profound than any training he had ever done before.

Almost simultaneously, good news came from the next arena—senior brother Chen Gang, after three rounds of hard-fought battle, narrowly defeated another strong opponent by a narrow margin in the youth group finals, adding another gold medal to Anshi's record.

This victory was truly unexpected for everyone, especially for Li Weiguo, coach of the Anshi Sports School Sanda team. He was filled with mixed emotions, happy for Anshi adding another gold medal to the tally, yet heartbroken by his team's defeat. Liu Wei, who had defeated Chen Gang to win the championship in the Anshi selection trials, failed to reach the finals due to a mistake. Fortunately, Wang Meng performed to his usual standard, winning a bronze medal in the 48kg category.

Two gold medals! Anshi has made history, a resounding success! Team leader Sun Qiming jumped up excitedly and embraced Zhou Zhenhua tightly. Routine coach Qian Bin also stepped forward to congratulate them.

On the sidelines, Zhang Jinsong slowly stood up, his expression extremely complex. He stared intently at the slender boy on the ring, surrounded by his teammates, his clothes soaked with sweat, yet his eyes calm and serene. He finally remembered—that was Cang Lifeng's younger brother! The child he had rejected years ago. With a somber expression, he rose and walked towards the referee's table.

Shortly after, the chief referee convened the arbitration panel for a brief, hushed discussion before coldly announcing over the loudspeaker: "To ensure absolute fairness and impartiality in the competition, upon review, in the third round of the Youth 56kg final, regarding whether Chen Gang's right hook and left shoulder strike during two close-quarters grappling maneuvers constituted clear and valid scores, different referees had technical disagreements on the determination of 'the moment of effective contact' and 'the point at which the grappling began.' Based on the latest guidelines for the relevant rules, the arbitration panel believes that the original scoring was flawed and needs to be corrected. Therefore, it has been decided to temporarily suspend the awarding of the Youth 56kg gold medal, pending review by the arbitration panel and the announcement of the final result."

Time ticked by in anxious anticipation. Finally, the verdict came over the loudspeaker: "After careful review of the multi-angle video footage, the arbitration panel believes that the original ruling was flawed in its interpretation. Based on the latest review results, the score has been revised. Final result: Chen Gang, runner-up."

Like a poisoned dagger cutting into his heart! The Anshi team's jubilation froze instantly. The color drained from Chen Gang's face, leaving him deathly pale, his burly body trembling slightly with shock and rage. Zhou Zhenhua sprang from his seat, veins bulging on his neck, eyes bloodshot, pointing at the arbitration panel, his roar deafening: "Bullshit! What technical disagreement? Those two contacts were crystal clear. You're using the rules to cheat us! I refuse to accept this! I don't recognize this gold medal!"

The enraged lion shoved aside the plastic chair in front of him, making a screeching sound. He glared at Zhang Jingsong, whose face was ashen but who was trying to appear calm, grabbed the distraught Chen Gang, and tightly gripped Tianci's wrist with his other hand. Under the watchful eyes of countless people, he stormed out of the stadium without looking back.

Back at the hotel, the atmosphere was terribly oppressive. Zhou Zhenhua's face was ashen as he silently packed his luggage. Chen Gang sat on the edge of the bed, head down, fists clenched.

Tianci's gaze unconsciously swept across the room. He saw Chen Gang's clenched fist and Zhou Zhenhua's retreating figure as he quickly packed his belongings in the outer room. Tianci suddenly realized that the "unity of body and mind, weapon moving with thought" he had just comprehended, which seemed capable of defeating any opponent on the ring, was utterly ineffective against the intangible yet hard and cold reality before him. The "Tao" he had touched seemed to be separated from the "world" that his senior brother and coach were experiencing by a thick barrier that required much more to penetrate.

Just as they were about to leave the hotel with their luggage and a heavy heart, a deputy secretary-general of the organizing committee, led by Sun Qiming, the team leader from Anshi, rushed over. He quickly stepped in front of Zhou Zhenhua and awkwardly smiled, saying, "Coach Zhou, wait! It's a misunderstanding! Perhaps the arbitration panel was too strict in its application of the rules, and there were some procedural disputes. After an emergency discussion, the organizing committee believes that the on-site referee's decision should be the primary basis. Chen Gang's gold medal is valid. We will issue the medal and certificate immediately."

The gold medal, lost and then regained, was now covered in a layer of greasy grime that could never be wiped away. On the bus home, no one spoke. Zhou Zhenhua stared out the window, his eyes filled with anger and exhaustion. Chen Gang leaned against the window, his eyes closed, but his tightly pursed lips and occasional twitching of his eyes betrayed his unease. Tianci silently stroked his gold medal, its cold, hard texture a reminder of the complex emotions behind the glory. Chen Jiren's whispered words, "All beings suffer, the world is full of hardships," echoed in his ears.

The banquet hall of the Jixian County Party Committee Guesthouse was brightly lit, yet the atmosphere was strikingly different from the oppressive atmosphere in the provincial capital. County Head Zheng, beaming, personally raised his glass and said, "Comrades, our Jixian Wushu Team has returned with honors, a truly remarkable achievement! Two provincial gold medals have created an unprecedented glory in the history of Jixian sports. This is the result of the hard work of Coach Zhou Zhenhua and the team members, bringing honor and glory to our Jixian. On behalf of the County Party Committee and the County Government, I toast to everyone."

Amidst the clinking of glasses and a torrent of praise, Zhou Zhenhua maintained a polite smile as he socialized. When County Head Zheng patted him on the shoulder and said, "Zhenhua, the sports school will be counting on you from now on," he nodded with a smile. However, his gaze inadvertently swept over the bright red banner with the slogan "Strive for Excellence" on the main wall of the banquet hall. For a moment, his eyes seemed to wander, as if he could hear the cold announcement of the results from the arbitration panel in the provincial stadium through that inspiring banner.

Soon after, an appointment letter was issued: Zhou Zhenhua was officially promoted to principal of Jixian Sports School due to "outstanding contributions". He gained power and status, but the flame in his heart that was fighting for martial arts and for his disciples seemed to be doused with cold water by the provincial capital.