148: Chapter 148 Square Inch Sword Technique

It was already past 1:00 AM when filming wrapped. Although Lin Chuyan was fixated on the sword technique Master Huang had promised him, he wasn't so oblivious as to be inconsiderate; he simply sent a WeChat message saying he would go find him tomorrow.

To his surprise, he immediately received a reply from Master Huang: "Are you still at the set? If you are, you can come now; I'm in the prop room."

Well, there was nothing more to say—there's no time like the present. Lin Chuyan headed over immediately.

Showing up in the middle of the night to learn a skill, Lin Chuyan inexplicably felt like the Monkey King getting tapped on the head three times.

Upon entering, Master Huang didn't waste any words: "Sit."

Lin Chuyan found a chair and sat down obediently.

"This sword technique is actually quite simple. Of course, it depends on what you compare it to; compared to the Five-Step Fist, it is a bit more complex."

"Let me introduce its features. First, it looks very impressive when performed. I've even seen people doing this as an Acting performance at company annual meetings or comic conventions, and the audience clapped their hands raw."

"Second, it can strengthen the body and improve health. It's a set of aerobic two-handed sword techniques, similar to swimming, running, or hiking. In short, just practice it daily according to your own physical condition."

"Third, it's convenient to perform. You don't need to find a specific venue to practice; it's a rare type of sword technique that you can practice at home."

Lin Chuyan couldn't help but ask, as this was something he was very curious about: "So, does this sword technique have a name?"

"Fangcun Collection Two-Handed Sword, or simply Fangcun Sword Technique. As the name implies, you only need a small space—a 'square inch'—to perform it properly."

"...Good name."

"Hehe, I'm no martial arts master, but in the short term, this is the most convenient one I could think of to teach you."

"Don't say that, Brother. I'm just happy you're willing to teach me. By the way, Brother, how do you charge? Don't be polite with me; I can't let you teach me for free."

To his surprise, Master Huang waved his hand: "Forget it, I'm really not charging. No need to say anything more about this. Fangcun Sword Technique isn't some secret family skill; many people know it. If I charged for this, I wouldn't be able to show my face in public if word got out."

Seeing that he was resolute, Lin Chuyan didn't insist further and stood up to thank him again.

Master Huang found a wooden stick and held it in his hand: "There are no swords on this set, so I'll use a wooden stick to demonstrate it for you once. You can buy one online later."

"Alright, any recommendations?"

"A standard one will do, but since you're tall, I recommend buying a longer one, around 32 inches. Also, I suggest buying an unsharpened one to avoid hurting anyone. We're just doing this to strengthen our bodies, right?"

"Understood."

The room was quite small. Seeing that the other party was about to start, Lin Chuyan thought about giving him some space, but was stopped: "Don't move, just sit there. I said it was the Fangcun Sword Technique; this is the perfect chance for you to see it in action."

"Alright." Lin Chuyan was all about being obedient and well-behaved, then asked, "Brother, I'm afraid I won't remember it. Can I record a video? Is that considered taboo?"

"It is."

"...Okay."

"Hmm, how about this: during this time, after work at night, you can come find me here. I'll perform it twice for you every day—once in slow motion and once at normal speed—until you finish filming. Under normal circumstances, you should be able to remember it."

"Alright, thank you, Brother. Come on! I'm ready."

Lin Chuyan concentrated, beginning to observe carefully, terrified of missing a single movement.

Master Huang nodded, said nothing more, and holding the wooden stick, began to perform directly.

During the first pass, he did indeed go in slow motion, and he kept explaining as he went: "This is the first form: Poke, Lift, Wash, Parry and Hang... Poke, Lift, Wash, Parry and Hang..."

"This incorporates the stance and power-generation principles of Xingyiquan, and includes sword moves from various martial arts schools such as Mantis Through the Forest, Wudang Sword, Miao Dao, Whip Stick, and Spear Techniques..."

"Pay attention to my footwork. The tip of the sword arcs upward twice... move right first, then left... here, pay attention to my hand gestures: from back to front, diagonal upward arc, lowering the sword to the back left... top right, back left, front left, bottom right, good, back to the starting point."

Master Huang performed it form by form in slow motion while explaining. Lin Chuyan could see it quite clearly, but in truth, he couldn't really remember much.

Once the set was finished, Master Huang stood still: "Did you learn it?"

Lin Chuyan: "I've learned it, but it's a disaster."

Master Huang didn't pay him any mind: "Alright, next I'll do it for you at normal speed."

"Alright."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Master Huang before him seemed like a different person. He said it was normal speed, but Lin Chuyan felt like he could see afterimages of the stick...

Moreover, the simple "Poke, Lift, Wash, Parry and Hang" that Master Huang had mentioned earlier—when performed at normal speed, it was actually so impressive?

Cool, it was fucking cool!

Incredible, absolutely incredible. If this were a real sword, wouldn't it be even cooler?

The Master Huang before his eyes was no longer just Master Huang. A master, this was a master!

Lin Chuyan was truly amazed: he usually looked like an ordinary action director; who would have thought he was this badass behind the scenes?

When the set ended, Lin Chuyan didn't speak, seizing the moment while the performance was still fresh in his mind to savor and reflect on it.

Master Huang patted his arm: "Pick a stick from the ones in this room, practice more when you have time, and see you tomorrow night."

He turned and left.

...

The crew of the long season didn't have many other weapons, but there were plenty of sticks. Following Master Huang's instructions, Lin Chuyan picked a longer one and, without lingering, headed back to the hotel—he still had to continue filming early tomorrow morning.

However, after returning, his mind was still buzzing with excitement, constantly trying to recall Master Huang's movements. Combined with having taken a shower, he really couldn't fall asleep.

Tossing and turning in bed, for some reason, he suddenly thought of something—didn't he have some good items in his system that he hadn't used yet?

He opened the virtual panel: [Immersion Deep Learning Card x3] [character skill card x1]

Especially this "Immersion Deep Learning Card"—he had already saved up three, but had never used one.

He checked the item description again. [Immersion Deep Learning Card: Can perform one immersive deep learning session on a target, thereby increasing proficiency.]

The question was: could this thing be used on the Fangcun Sword Technique?

After thinking about it, since the item was useless just sitting there, he might as well try it out.

With a thought, the virtual panel before him changed: [Immersion Deep Learning Card x2] [character skill card x1]

That's it? And then what? There was absolutely no reaction?

Lin Chuyan waited for a long time without receiving any feedback from the system. Checking the time, it was already 2:30 AM. He really couldn't stay awake anymore; sleepiness slowly washed over him, his eyelids grew heavy, and he gradually drifted off to sleep.

...

Lin Chuyan had a dream.

He remembered something called a "lucid dream," where you know you're dreaming and can even control the direction of the dream... those who know how to play can even have a lot of fun.

His current state was somewhat similar, but also very different.

He knew he was dreaming, but he couldn't leave the dream on his own, nor could he control its direction.

Ding! A sound echoed in his mind. [Immersion Deep Learning Card activated: Target content "Fangcun Collection Two-Handed Sword," starting.]

Immediately after, Lin Chuyan saw a person who looked exactly like Master Huang standing in front of him, holding a sword in his hand.

The next second, he felt as if he had possessed Master Huang's body.

Then, Master Huang began to move, beyond his control.

Lin Chuyan couldn't describe this feeling. He was both a spectator and a participant, following this "body of Master Huang that he had possessed," involuntarily performing the moves over and over again.

What else could it be if not the Fangcun Sword Technique?