Master Liu had explained it clearly enough, yet Jason Luo still felt confused. "But... how exactly do you generate downward force?"
Liu Jiguang nodded. "That's the key. Gravity is the only vertical force we can truly use. That's why, as a natural law, the larger the body—whether human or animal—the greater the relative Strength."
That was exactly what puzzled Jason Luo. Humans weren't nails—how could they drive themselves into the ground?
Master Liu chuckled. "Conversion! You can't create downward force out of thin air—but you can transform it. Watch closely."
He dropped into a deep squat, his waist, hips, and legs tensing together. As his legs clamped shut, his feet carved a shallow groove into the soil. Holding a solid horse stance, he said, "You redirect horizontal force diagonally downward. Imagine your legs gripping the ground like a pair of tongs. Once your feet take root, Strength becomes limitless. Combine that with control over your center of gravity, and that's what we call the Falling Force."
"Falling Force... like a thousand-pound drop?"
"Haha, the name doesn't matter. I'm just explaining the principle. Jason Luo, boxing and weapon arts are different—they both study the essence of force. To understand it, let's play a little trick."
He pulled out a rope and looped it around Jason's waist, hoisting him into the air. Jason panicked as his body dangled helplessly.
"Alright. Now that your feet have no grounding, try throwing a punch. Once you feel something, tell me."
Liu turned away and went back to the stone table to continue making tofu.
Punch in this position?
Jason was miserable. He tried throwing a punch—it wasn't that he couldn't, but he had no control over his balance. His punches flailed everywhere, weak and exhausting. But Master Liu wanted him to feel something…
Hanging like this, with no contact with the ground—it had to have something to do with his legs! Jason punched again with all his might and suddenly realized that every time he threw a punch, his legs made a strong thrusting motion beforehand. He hadn't noticed it before.
Got it! His punching power had always come from his legs—he'd just never realized it. He quickly shouted the discovery to Master Liu, who smiled. "Close enough! You pass this test. But don't rush to come down yet—your Waist Strength is too weak. Try bending your waist first. I'll let you down when I'm done with the tofu."
Great... just hurry up! This position was unbearable. With no leverage at all, bending his waist was nearly impossible. Jason struggled for a long time without success.
At last, Liu finished the tofu and slowly lowered him. The moment his feet touched the ground, Jason felt a wave of relief. But Liu didn't let him rest. "Hurry, throw a few punches and do some sit-ups. Feel the difference."
The result was obvious—his punches were fast and powerful, his sit-ups effortless. Compared to before, it was like night and day.
Liu nodded. "Martial artists aren't scientists. We don't talk about action and reaction forces. To us, humans have always been borrowing Strength. The foot as the root, power rising from the ground—that's our understanding of force."
"When you're suspended, there's no leverage to borrow, so your punches rely purely on muscle Strength. You've felt it—it's weak. That's why learning how to borrow Strength is far more effective than relying on brute force."
Practice reveals truth. Jason felt as if a new world had opened before him. "Master—oh, Uncle Liu—please teach me! I have to master the Falling Force!"
Liu waved him off. "Take it slow. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Strength takes time—your legs are already spent for the day. How can you train now?"
He guided Jason to sit by the stone table. "Force is the foundation—the raw material. Now let's talk about 'Jin'! Take the same piece of tofu—you can stew it, braise it, stir-fry it, serve it cold... Force works the same way. Watch carefully."
He brought over the tofu, which he had cut into thick, rectangular blocks. He placed one block along the table's edge, balanced an egg behind it, then struck the tofu sharply with his fist. The tofu stayed perfectly intact, but the egg shot into the air and burst mid-flight.
Liu examined the tofu and shook his head slightly. "That's Penetrating Force. But I still haven't mastered it fully. This worked because the tofu was specially made for you—I used extra weight when pressing it, so it's denser than usual."
Jason's eyes widened. "So that's why you always sell broken tofu—it's for practicing Penetrating Force Boxing Technique?"
Liu shook his head. "Not exactly. You're focused on Power Generation Technique. I'm pursuing control—the balance of release and withdrawal. Being able to strike but not retract is dangerous. You can't grasp that yet."
He then struck a bamboo stalk, snapping it cleanly, demonstrating Accelerating Force. A moment later, he sent Jason flying several steps back with a short punch—but Jason felt no pain at all. "That's Hidden Force," Liu said.
"I just want you to understand that the same Strength, when used differently, can create completely different results. The transformation between Force and Jin can't be taught with words—it must be felt. Only through constant practice will you find it."
Jason was amazed—this was real Kung Fu! "Uncle Liu, that's incredible! Can I learn all of these?"
Liu shook his head. "Hidden Force isn't suitable for you. Accelerating Force is powerful, but without a hard-attack foundation, it'll just harm you. For you, Penetrating Force is best. I know you box with gloves."
"Oh... you're right."
Jason was satisfied. With only three days to learn, mastering even one technique was already lucky.
Coach Brown had talked about Penetrating Force too, but this was completely different. Brown only discussed how to use punching Strength, while Master Liu explained how to borrow, redirect, and layer it. Jason could understand the logic, but his body just couldn't follow.
By sunset, the tofu on the table had been smashed to pieces. Not a single successful attempt—and all the eggs lay shattered on the ground.
As dusk fell, they headed down the mountain. Halfway, Jason suddenly remembered. "Oh no! Uncle Liu, you spent the whole day teaching me boxing—you didn't sell any tofu, and we wasted all those eggs…"
Liu smiled warmly. "The tofu was pressed too hard anyway—couldn't have sold it. The eggs were from my own hens. Starting tomorrow, you'll use clay blocks instead."
Jason could tell that Liu wasn't well-off, yet he never once mentioned money. That made Jason feel even more guilty.
"Uncle Liu, don't worry. I'll pay for all the tofu we've used these three days. Just tell me how much!"
Liu stopped walking. "Are you rich?"
Jason grinned. "At least not poor. I live in the US, so I don't really know prices here. Would a thousand yuan a day be enough?"
Liu studied him for a moment. The kid didn't look flashy, but he sure talked big.
"You don't seem poor, that's for sure. In that case, good! Tomorrow, when you go up the mountain, buy twenty pounds of raw pork—whole cuts, the fattier the better. Can you do that?"
"No problem!"
"Good. That way, we won't need to make tofu anymore. We'll save plenty of time—and enjoy some meat too. Two birds with one stone."
"Got it!"
"And... grab a couple of bottles of liquor while you're at it."
As the sun sank beyond the hills, a warm red glow spread across Old Liu's smiling face.