Chapter 54: Torrential Rush

Fujiwara, in a dazed state, suddenly had a memory surge in his mind like a blood-red tide… There were roars of beasts, sounds of tearing flesh, and cries of a woman. Chaotic fragments of memory flickered in his mind—bizarre laughter suddenly echoed through a pitch-black mansion, the eerie sound resembling the hoot of a night owl.

He grabbed his head desperately, his actions frantic and weird.

—Don’t think about it! Don’t think about it! Don’t think about it!

A very gentle voice emerged in his mind, kindly advising him.

That’s right, there was no need to dwell on those things. He just had to focus on the present—that bastard, the animal who had brought him to this state, he would never let him off.

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During this period, Fang Jing began to formally receive Sakaki Tetsuhei’s personal guidance and started learning the remaining parts of the Sakaki-style Shaolin Kung Fu.

After mastering all ten boxing styles involving the hard and soft methods, he stopped using his Growth Value to level up. Instead, he worked under Sakaki Tetsuhei’s direct instruction to refine each move and stance.

Sakaki Tetsuhei had immersed himself in martial arts for most of his life and had his own views on his family’s boxing style and combat philosophy. Under his guidance, Fang Jing progressed quickly in all aspects.

Fang Jing’s weakness was his lack of experience and exposure, while Sakaki Tetsuhei’s experience was extensive. Through both verbal instruction and personal example, he imparted many practical insights that couldn’t be gained through mere reinforcement.

“Nishizuka, what do you think is the essence of martial arts?”

Sakaki Tetsuhei asked him this.

“Power,”

Fang Jing responded as if it were obvious, adding, “A form of power.”

“You brat, your thinking is really straightforward.”

Sakaki Tetsuhei chuckled and said, “Then let me ask another question: what is the difference between martial arts and actual combat?”

“It probably relates to personal experience. Martial artists who frequently engage in real fights should be a bit stronger.”

“Well! You’re not wrong there, but you’re overlooking one thing, or rather, you’re making the same simple mistake as most people.”

Sakaki Tetsuhei spoke unhurriedly, “The essence of martial arts is a skill. Strictly speaking, it’s not even actual combat—it’s more like a rehearsal for real fights.”

“A rehearsal?”

“Yes… actual combat and martial arts aren’t the same. In a real fight, anything can happen. Martial arts prepares you by simulating various scenarios.”

Sakaki Tetsuhei continued at length, “It’s like playing cards. You form different sequences of moves to handle different combat situations and confront various circumstances… So, your past attacks lacked flexibility; your intentions were too obvious. An experienced fighter could quickly figure out your next move.”

“I see, so my movements are too rigid and predictable?!”

“Exactly! Your attacks shouldn’t be too straightforward or obvious. Mix feints with real moves so others can’t guess your approach. That’s another form of rehearsal—you need to constantly develop that kind of thinking in your mind…”

Sakaki Tetsuhei bluntly pointed out his shortcomings.

In just half a month, Fang Jing had a strong intuitive sense that he had learned a great deal. The wisdom and experience of these martial artists greatly inspired him.

“To be honest… your drive to learn is truly remarkable. You pick things up faster than others. Much of what I’ve taught you needs to be gradually absorbed and made your own.”

Sakaki Tetsuhei was quite satisfied with this disciple.

Over the past half month, Fang Jing had absorbed all the knowledge like a sponge.

The hard and soft methods, their combined integrated techniques, as well as solo drills, form practices, and random capture skills, were all taught to him in stages.

Fang Jing didn’t use his Growth Value further. Instead, through thoroughly understanding the ten boxing styles of the hard and soft methods and relying on his excellent memory, he managed to grasp about sixty percent of what followed.

The remaining parts leaned more toward theoretical knowledge. Further improvement would depend on his personal growth.

He wasn’t in a rush after that. He continued studying under Sakaki Tetsuhei, striving for perfection.

At the same time, realizing he didn’t have much new material left to teach, Sakaki Tetsuhei thought hard and decided to pass on his prized secret technique to Fang Jing.

“Nishizuka, you’ve mastered most of what you need to learn. Next, I will teach you the ‘Torrential Rush,’ known as the water skill…”

Sakaki Tetsuhei sat cross-legged on the Tatami-covered floor.

“…I heard from Senior Xuan Zao before that this is a move you learned from an extraordinary person.”

“That’s right.”

Sakaki Tetsuhei spoke candidly about the truth.

“When I was young, I was aggressive and loved to fight. I learned Judo and Karate as a child and loved brawling. Many people gave me the nickname—’Mad Dog.’ When I was your age, I often worked as an enforcer for gangsters, Bōsōzoku, and special attack teams, specializing in fighting for others and taking part in street brawls. The reason was simply that I enjoyed facing off against people.”

“But by the time I was almost twenty, I realized I wasn’t encountering any decent opponents. After all, they were just thugs and hooligans who relied on numbers; truly skilled experts were rare. So I went around challenging dojos to see if I could meet any genuinely formidable figures.”

“You have to understand, I had trained in martial arts since childhood, my physique was stronger than average, and I had plenty of real combat experience. I challenged seven or eight Boxing Dojos in a row, overwhelming them almost effortlessly—until I met ‘that person’…”

Fang Jing hadn’t expected his teacher to have such a past. He originally thought Sakaki Tetsuhei was a very proper and exemplary martial artist, never imagining he had such experiences in his youth.

The account Sakaki Tetsuhei gave differed from what he had heard from Xuan Zao.

Xuan Zao said that Sakaki Tetsuhei accidentally met an extraordinary person, exchanged martial arts insights with them, and learned the “Torrent Skill.” But Sakaki Tetsuhei’s own story was clearly not like that.

“Teacher, the person you mentioned—is that the ‘extraordinary person’ who taught you the ‘Torrential Rush’ technique?”

“Correct. The teacher who instructed me was named Kume Nansho—this teacher was like a free-spirited wanderer, a recluse who lived apart from the world. Of course, he was also a martial arts master—Back then, I was young and brash, relying on sheer courage. I injured many local martial artists and naturally made personal enemies. When Teacher Kume heard the news, he sought me out himself to spar with me.”

As for what happened next, the story went that the ever-youthful and spirited young hero encountered a mysterious master late at night. The master warned him that continuing to challenge dojos might not be a wise path.

“Martial artists are people too. They rely on teaching students and running dojos for their livelihood. Managing a dojo single-handedly isn’t easy. If you kick down their signboards, how are they supposed to make a living afterward?”