Chapter 26: Martial Arts Girl, Full of Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers

During the earlier scuffle, Josh suddenly launched a fierce attack on him, leaving only the move he had repeatedly practiced, the "Hoe Strike."

Indeed, in a street fight, no technique mattered—only instincts. Fortunately, Su Jie practiced this move thousands of times daily, making it second nature.

He realized that this move, in the middle of action, covered all directions.

Firstly, it mimicked a natural walking posture: arms hanging down close to vital areas like the abdomen and groin, ready to defend when needed. As the movement progressed, the hands rose to cover the head, the body lowered to protect the head and torso, and upon falling forward, shielded the chest and groin. Meanwhile, the elbows tightened against the ribs, guarding both sides. By crouching and curling, the body not only conserved energy but also reduced the area vulnerable to attacks.

This move proved surprisingly effective against sudden assaults or street brawls. Su Jie’s understanding of it deepened.

“What a profound technique—guarding the head with the lift, neutralizing force with the turn, dodging with the shrink, building power with the twist, striking with the pounce, protecting the heart with the return, shielding the groin with the collapse, defending the ribs with the shake, chasing with the follow-through, exhaling with the release, intimidating with the roar, stabilizing with the retreat, and surveying with the settle. All thirteen principles are present.”

As Josh struggled to get up, a voice came from the other end of the alley—it was a girl observing them.

To Su Jie’s surprise, it was Zhang Manman, a member of the martial arts summer training class. An American-born Chinese, she had returned to learn Chinese martial arts. Three days ago, Su Jie had already noticed her. During training, she exhibited great stamina while digging and would occasionally demonstrate Wing Chun moves from movies during breaks.

Of course, this wasn’t unusual; most students at the martial arts academy had some background. What stood out was that Su Jie, a complete novice, had joined to learn from scratch.

“Zhang Manman,” Su Jie greeted her.

Zhang Manman’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

She had coincidentally witnessed Su Jie and Josh’s swift yet intense scuffle. Her shock was indescribable.

The fight had lasted only a few seconds—far less dramatic than a ring match—but it was a real brawl.

‘Facing Josh’s sudden attack, Su Jie raised his hands to protect his head, twisted to neutralize the force, then shrunk, twisted, and lunged. Midway, he dropped to block a kick, counterattacked with another lunge, then switched from striking to pushing. Finally, he leaped back, steadied himself, and surveyed his surroundings for more threats. The entire process took five seconds. Luckily, I habitually record videos, so I captured it,'

Zhang Manman thought.

What impressed her most was Su Jie’s transition from striking to pushing. It wasn’t just ordinary martial arts. Even driven by combat instincts, he had the restraint not to cause harm. If his strike had landed earlier, the consequences would have been severe.

“I actually lost,” Josh muttered, crestfallen as he stood up. He had eight years of combat experience, training in various martial arts, and never stopped practicing. Yet, he lost a street fight to a high schooler with just a month and a half of training!

“In street fights, luck plays a huge role. Even professional fighters can fall to a random thug,” Zhang Manman said. “Josh, you underestimated the power of the ‘Hoe Strike.’ This move, though simple—a forward thrust—contains thirteen key principles and dozens of subtleties. It mimics animal hunting instincts, perfect for chaotic brawls. Your fitness, technique, and experience are solid, but lacking knowledge of this move’s intricacies, you fell into its trap. In ancient times, people would master one move through relentless practice to gain an advantage in sudden combat. If you familiarize yourself with its system, you can still defeat Su Jie.”

Zhang Manman spoke in fluent English, as she had grown up abroad and could accurately convey Chinese cultural concepts in English.

“Do you know this move as well?” Su Jie asked.

“Of course, many martial artists do. But seeing it executed so masterfully is rare. It’s like Muay Thai’s simple sweeping kick—lifting the knee, rotating the hip, and sweeping. Beginners can use it, but world-class fighters make it terrifying in the ring. Sweeping kicks are long and powerful, perfect for the ring but less effective on the streets. In a complex street environment, the ‘Hoe Strike’ from Xingyi Quan is far more suitable,” Zhang Manman explained.

“Su Jie, let’s go again,” Josh said, reviewing his loss. He realized he had underestimated the move’s variations. With caution, he believed he wouldn’t be defeated in five seconds again. His solid foundation was undeniable, but in street fights, even the strongest could fall victim to a moment of carelessness.

“Forget it,” Zhang Manman waved her hand. “This kind of fighting is too dangerous—it’s life or death. If you want real combat experience, come to the U.S. and register as a bounty hunter. Then, you can legally apprehend criminals, earn money, and gain experience. Fighting among friends isn’t worth it.”

“Bounty hunter? Are you sure that’s not just a game?” Su Jie asked. He had seen the bounty hunter profession in games but didn’t know it existed in real life.

"In the United States, there has long been a bounty hunter system. During the westward expansion, the West was chaotic, and the police couldn’t handle everything. So the police stations would issue bounty notices for cowboys to make arrests. After several amendments to the law, the bounty hunter system was finally perfected, officially known as bail enforcement agents. For example, many criminals who pay huge bail amounts can be temporarily released, but if they escape after release, the police often lack the manpower to capture them. That’s when bounty hunters step in," Zhang Manman explained. "Of course, modern bounty hunters mostly use guns and often have more authority than the police. If they know martial arts, that’s even better."

Josh observed Zhang Manman's right index finger joint keenly. "Your hands show signs of frequent shooting. Are you a bounty hunter?"

"I’ve done it a few times," Zhang Manman nodded. "This time, I returned home to learn martial arts, hoping to develop the animal-like sensitivity within martial arts to better sense danger."

"Bounty hunters…" Su Jie was still mulling over this profession Zhang Manman mentioned. He felt it belonged to another world. In America, there existed such a group of people—gun-toting tough guys like those in Hollywood movies—roaming the dark corners of cities to capture criminals.

For someone like Su Jie, a good student who had been focused on academics since childhood, this kind of world was hard to imagine, though it did have a certain allure. Of course, he had no plans to go to the United States to become a bounty hunter at this stage. Staying in the country to study diligently was the best option, especially since he wasn’t even an adult yet.

"We’ll settle this on the ring later," Josh patted Su Jie on the shoulder. "I underestimated you earlier and got pushed down. That won’t happen again."

"No problem." Su Jie himself wasn’t entirely sure how he had managed to push Josh down earlier. He planned to reflect on it later. That five-second exchange had given him new insights.

"I’ve recorded the video. Let’s exchange contact information, and I’ll send it to you," Zhang Manman said. She was dressed in a black tracksuit and running shoes, her ponytail neat and tidy. She was tall, standing over 1.75 meters, with a fit and streamlined figure—a classic example of a fitness beauty. However, upon closer inspection, her aura was imposing. While most fitness beauties radiated softness, Zhang Manman seemed to possess a body of steel and iron beneath her appearance.

This was a trait only those who had trained in combat for years could discern.

Su Jie, who had been practicing martial arts intensively, understood that a body’s toughness came from the coordination of muscles, tendons, and fascia. The elasticity derived from the relaxation and tension of these tissues was the key. The stronger the elasticity, the tougher the body—like the draw strength of an ancient bow.

This concept also aligned with what Chinese martial arts referred to as "inner strength."

When a person’s intent shifted, their body could become soft and fluid like water or cotton at one moment, and as hard as porcelain or steel the next. This was a sign of profound inner strength. Such individuals had agility, explosive power, and reaction speeds far beyond ordinary people.

Understanding this principle and undergoing strict training, Su Jie could discern the depth of a practitioner’s inner strength.

Undoubtedly, his classmate Zhang Manman was a master.

"You’ve worked as a bounty hunter. We should spar sometime," Josh’s eyes lit up.

"Not today. I have some things to attend to and just happened to pass by," Zhang Manman declined Josh’s invitation, then turned to Su Jie. "Your control over relaxation and tension is even better than mine. To master this, I spent three years practicing zhan zhuang (standing meditation). How did you achieve such skill in just a month? And I’m curious—how can you endure Uncle Mang’s massages? Are you naturally super strong-willed, like Guan Yu scraping poison from his bone without even flinching?"

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