The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Guo Jing was astonished. "How can the left hand fight with the right hand?" he asked.

"I pretend my right hand to be the Old Heretic Huang, the left hand to be the Old Urchin. The right hand attacks, the left hand neutralizes that attack and launches a counterattack, like this," Zhou Botong said, then moved his hands to battle each other.

At first Guo Jing thought it was very funny, but after several moves he realized that the stances were mysteriously wonderful, he couldn't help but feeling great admiration. People who practice martial arts, regardless of whether they are barehanded or wielding a saber or thrusting a spear, will always use both hands either to attack or to defend; but Zhou Botong was different. He used one hand to attack and the other to defend; each attack was fierce and always aimed vital points, while the defending hand would parry and counterattack with no less fierceness; truly like two people fighting each other. Guo Jing had never seen nor heard anything like this before.

After watching Zhou Botong fought himself for a moment Guo Jing commented, "Big Brother, why don't you use your feet too?"

Zhou Botong halted and smiled, "Not a bad observation! You could see through my moves. Come, come, come! You try!" While speaking thus he stretched his palm to attack. Guo Jing also stretched his to parry.

"Careful! I am going to push you to the left," Zhou Botong said. As soon as he finished speaking he exerted his energy. Guo Jing was ready, even before Zhou Botong warned him he had prepared himself to use the '18-Dragon Subduing Palms'. Two great forces collided, and Guo Jing staggered back seven, eight steps. He felt his arm sore and numb.

"Last time I borrowed the strength from my feet and you were pushed back," Zhou Botong said, "Now I am not going to use my feet. You try again."

Guo Jing followed his bidding to attack again; but suddenly he felt a pushing and pulling force. He was unable to stand steadily; he fell forward; his forehead hit the ground. He crawled trying to stand up; he was in a daze.

Zhou Botong smiled, "Do you understand?"

"No, I don't," Guo Jing replied.

"I developed this technique after toiling for more than ten years through training and meditation inside this hole," Zhou Botong said. "My martial brother had told me once about a technique of using emptiness to gain victory. That time my understanding of Taoist principles was still shallow. I heard him but I didn't understand. About five years ago I was moving my two hands when it suddenly dawned on me that I can develop palm technique using that principle. I was still unsure about it since it was only a theory; I have never tried it in a real combat. Brother, come and fight me again. Please don't fear the pain. I am going to make you fall some more times."

He saw Guo Jing was hesitant, so he persuaded again, "Good Brother, I have been here for fifteen years, and always longed for someone to come over and train with me. Several months ago Old Heretic Huang's daughter came and talked with me to chase my boredom. I was thinking of training with her, but she did not return the next day. Good Brother, I certainly am not going to hit you too hard."

Guo Jing saw his both hands were itching to move; his face showing eagerness that was hard to resist, so he complied and said, "What is falling some more times?" He launched his palm and fought a few stances; but he felt Zhou Botong palm was sometimes void of strength. He was about to fall again when suddenly Zhou Botong's left hand hit his shoulder from below. His body was sent somersaulting in the air and he fell hard to the ground. His shoulder was hurting very bad.

Zhou Botong face showed regret, he said, "Good Brother, I can't let you fall for nothing. Hear me out, I am going to teach you this technique." Guo Jing endured the pain, crawling up and came near.

Zhou Botong said, "In the Lao Zi's [Taoist Founder] 'dao de jing' [Taoist Holy Scripture – I don't know the correct English translation] there is a saying: 'a clay utensil is useful because it is empty, a room is useful because it is empty.' Do you understand this saying?"

Guo Jing's literary knowledge was limited; naturally he did not understand the saying. He smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

Zhou Botong took the rice bowl they used earlier. "This bowl is empty inside, that's why we can fill it with rice. If it is a solid clay clump, how can we put food inside?" he asked.

Guo Jing nodded; he thought, "It is a very simple truth, but I've never thought about it."

"Likewise a house can be occupied by people because it has four walls and windows and doors on those walls," Zhou Botong added. "What good it is if the building is made of solid bricks without windows and doors?

Guo Jing nodded again; his heart was more open to this truth.

Zhou Botong continued, "Our Quan Zhen Sect's highest martial art is based on 'gong' [empty] and 'ruo' [soft], these two characters. It was so-called because 'lacking accomplishment does not necessarily mean weak, lacking fullness does not necessarily mean empty.'"

Following these deep and profound thinking Guo Jing listened attentively and pondered deeply.

Zhou Botong added, "In terms of energy exertion, your master Hong Qigong's martial art is on the external side of the spectrum. Even though I know Quan Zhen Sect's martial art, I am not his match. But I am afraid once you reach certain level of the external type of martial art you cannot go much higher. Not so with the internal type of martial art, the type that my martial brother practiced. That time when my martial brother won the title 'Number One in the Martial Art World' he was not just being lucky. If he were still alive today, with the additional of more than ten years of training, if he again fights Eastern Heretic, Western Poison and the others, I believe he would probably need only half a day, not seven whole days and nights to subdue them."

"Venerable Wang's martial art was truly amazing; brother is unfortunate not to make his acquaintance," Guo Jing said. "Benevolent Master Hong's '18-Dragon Subduing Palms' is the pinnacle of the 'hard' type of martial art; but a moment ago Big Brother had made me fall to the ground using the world 'softest' type of martial art, isn't that so?"

Zhou Botong laughed. "That's true, that's true," he said. "Although the soft can subdue the hard, I wouldn't be able to push you that easy if your '18-Dragon Subduing Palms' was as fierce as Hong Qigong's. It all depends on the depth of your comprehension. Do you remember the move I used to push you down just a moment ago? Try to remember it well." And then he carefully recounted how to move the hand and how to exert the energy. He knew Guo Jing's comprehension was slow, so he took his time explaining everything.

Guo Jing tried the move dozens of time; fortunately he had a good foundation of profound internal energy technique from Quan Zhen Sect, so he had a good grasp albeit slowly.

Zhou Botong was elated, he said, "Brother, if your pain has lessened, let me make you fall one more time."

Guo Jing laughed. "Pain is nothing," he said, "But I am afraid I won't be able to remember your lesson." While speaking he was still trying hard to memorize everything.

Zhou Botong had a childlike enthusiasm; he kept urging, "Is it enough? Have you memorized it? Come on, quick!"

But actually his nagging was disturbing Guo Jing's mind. After some time was he finally able to memorize the move. So again he charged toward Zhou Botong; and again he fell down.