That evening, Jason Luo naturally returned to his inn in town. Master Liu, worried about the dark and slippery mountain paths, didn't insist that he stay for dinner.
Perhaps there was no signal up the mountain, because once he got down, Jason noticed a missed call from his father and immediately called back.
Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious. His father told him that Grace had found her grandmother, and her mother's ashes would temporarily be kept by her grandfather until her father was released from prison, when they'd decide how to handle them...
After exchanging updates, Jason told his father about his current situation and agreed to meet in Jiexiu three days later.
He also gave Mr. Rod a quick call—mostly just to check in, since this trip was half work, half vacation anyway...
With everything settled, Jason went downstairs and found a small local restaurant for dinner. It was just a street-side place, but the food was surprisingly good—definitely better than Master Liu's cooking!
It was a small family-run business. The husband cooked, the wife handled serving and cleaning, and she also had to keep an eye on their young son's homework. Judging by her tone, the boy wasn't doing well in school. As Jason ate, he couldn't help overhearing her scolding the kid for playing too many mobile games instead of studying...
Jason shook his head quietly. You can't force someone to learn. Parents should focus on nurturing their child's drive and interest—pressure alone would only backfire.
Just like Coach Brown used to say: "If a person doesn't truly want to become strong, you can't teach them to be."
Listening to the mother's endless nagging, Jason lost his appetite. He took out some cash to pay, but the woman looked surprised and said she didn't have change, asking him to scan her WeChat code instead.
That left Jason speechless. He'd always used cash back in the U.S.—what was mobile payment?
When she realized he didn't even have WeChat, the owner's wife frowned, then had to run next door to a convenience store to get change before settling the bill.
The next morning, Jason ran into the same issue buying pork and liquor. Almost nobody carried cash anymore; paying with cash actually made things more troublesome. The whole experience felt oddly new to him.
Still, money was money—it worked in the end. He bought everything and started up the mountain, carrying over twenty pounds of pork and a case of liquor that cost him more than eight hundred yuan. Comparing prices in his head, he thought, So much for cheap living out here...
That dog's nose was something else! He was still two li away from the tofu workshop when Erhu came bounding down the path, tail wagging—drawn straight to the smell of the meat in Jason's hands!
Jason couldn't help but laugh at its greedy face. The butcher had thrown in an extra piece of fatty pork, so Jason held it out—but to his surprise, the dog refused to eat it. Instead, it pawed toward the tofu workshop and tugged at Jason's pant leg with its mouth, as if urging him to hurry up.
What a clever dog!
Jason laughed, hefted the meat and wine, and stepped into the tofu shop. Master Liu was already waiting. When he saw the bottles, his face lit up. "Oh ho! Fine liquor! This stuff isn't cheap—haha, looks like I'm in for a treat today!"
"No problem. Erhu's been drooling over this—give him some meat first. He wouldn't take it from me."
"Don't be fooled! That mutt eats better than most people. Bamboo rats from the grove keep sneaking in to steal soybeans, and he's eaten every one of them. That's why he's so spoiled."
Even so, Master Liu took a knife, cut off a piece of pork belly, and tossed it into a bowl. Erhu dove right in, eating happily.
Since they didn't need to make tofu today, training could start right away. Master Liu grabbed a rope and a small bag of soybeans, while Jason carried the meat up the mountain.
At the training ground, Master Liu tied the pork to a thick wooden post and stuffed it full of soybeans. "Alright. This setup gives the best feel for practicing Penetrating Force. The only problem is it's too expensive to do often. In winter it's better—you can reuse the meat. If you ever have the means, try it in a cold environment; it'll even toughen your fists."
Jason tried it, and the sensation was incredible—almost like striking real flesh. The feedback was thrilling!
No need to ask—the goal was to crush the soybeans inside. What a brilliant idea! Way more interesting than a punching bag.
While Jason trained, Master Liu Jiguang asked him in detail about boxing rules and match formats so he could determine which Power Generation Technique would best suit him.
After listening carefully, Master Liu nodded. "Talking theory isn't enough. How about this—you attack, I defend. That way, I can pinpoint the key issues and design something for you."
Jason hesitated. "But I didn't bring gloves."
"Hahaha! Don't worry about that. Go ahead and hit me. It's been years since I've sparred—this will be fun!"
"Alright, then I'll go all out." Jason had long been curious about Master Liu's real fighting ability.
Jason took up his orthodox stance. Seeing it, Liu Jiguang nodded slightly, shifting from a light step to a rooted stance. "Come on—don't hold back."
Jason moved in with a quick step, leading with a jab and following with a straight from the rear hand. Master Liu sidestepped smoothly, then shot forward in a bow stance, punching straight toward Jason's midsection. Startled, Jason realized how effective that bow stance was—faster and more stable than a low dip. Knowing Master Liu's punches packed serious Strength, he avoided meeting it head-on, circling to counterattack instead.
Master Liu adjusted instantly, pulling back from his bow stance and spinning into another punch. East and West collided—each attacking and defending in turn...
During the exchange, Jason was stunned. Even though Master Liu followed the boxing rules he'd explained, the fight felt completely different!
Master Liu's Footwork was unusual. His body rose and fell dramatically with each movement, making it impossible to track his rhythm. When Jason unleashed a flurry of combination punches, Master Liu suddenly twisted his legs and sat down on the ground...
What? Was he giving up mobility? But in the very next moment, Master Liu twisted again and sprang to his feet with explosive speed, leaving Jason wide-eyed.
"What are you staring at? Speed up! Show me your strongest offense!"
After several rounds, Jason got into rhythm, unleashing everything—Lian Pai, Lun Pai, Flash Stab—all while holding back his full Strength. After a few more exchanges, Master Liu raised a hand to stop.
"Not bad. Setting raw Strength aside, your Boxing Technique itself has merit. Within your rules, this Western style is indeed effective—simple, direct, and efficient. As long as you've got the speed and power, it's definitely threatening."
"Still, your style only uses three core attacks—straight, hook, and uppercut. That limits your variation. In Chinese Boxing, we have cover, collapse, hang, and so on—much richer options. But there's overlap too. That flash attack of yours? We call it a charging punch. And your continuous hooks resemble 'Twin Hook Strike.' The principles are basically the same. It just feels awkward within your rule set."
Jason rubbed his sore arms. "Uncle Liu, what kind of Footwork was that? You were rising and sinking nonstop—and even dropped into a sitting stance. That was unreal!"
"Bow, Horse, Servant, Empty, and Rest—these are the five fundamental stances of Chinese Boxing Technique. The one you mentioned, the Rest Stance, is among the five most stable postures passed down by our predecessors. Heh, but don't think too much about it—you won't really use those in boxing."
"Now, let's talk about your Boxing Technique. You lack variation. Your left hand's the feint, and your right hand's the real weapon, right?"
"Yes."
"You always use your left to cover for your right. That's not good. It might fool weaker fighters, but experienced ones will see the pattern and exploit your opening. Try using your right first to force movement, then strike with your left while your opponent's adjusting."
"Also, strengthen your left punch. Combine feints and real attacks so your opponent takes it seriously. Right now, it's obvious your front hand's empty—no real threat at all."
Master Liu's words hit home. That was exactly Jason's problem. Too often, opponents ignored his left hand entirely and focused only on his rear punch—because his lead had no power to make them wary.