Huang Rong sat on the rock and evened her breathing for a while before she instructed Lu Youjiao to come over and perform the techniques. Lu Youjiao displayed all thirty-six strokes of the technique, but Lu Youjiao had yet to understand the formulae. Huang Rong kept her patience and explained everything more clearly to him.
The stances of the âDog Beating Stick Techniquesâ are of course ingenious and masterly, and the formulae behind it extremely clever and ingenious, otherwise how could a little bamboo stick become the treasure of the Beggar Clan? Even with Ouyang Fengâs great skills he had to think deep and hard for a long while; how could the opponent overcome a stance or half a move?
Huang Rong had used a monthâs time to teach Lu Youjiao the stances. Now she recited the formulae and the principles behind the changes a few times, and told him to remember this. When it comes to understanding and being able to use the skill, it depends on the personâs ability and intelligence. The Master cannot teach the disciple this.
Guo Fu and the Wu brothers did not understand the stick techniques, they didnât have a clue as to what was going on. What the âsealâ point was like, how the âcoilâ aim was meant to be, how the eighteenth change transforms into the nineteenth change and how the nineteenth change can be altered into the twentieth change. The three of them wanted to leap down from the tree but were afraid that Huang Rong would discover them; they hoped that she would go through it quickly and then leave with Lu Youjiao. But who could have guessed that Huang Rong had decided to hand over the position of Chief to Lu Youjiao today before the âHeroes Feastâ. She decided she would impart all the formulae to him now, if he didnât understand it she would slowly go over it with him later on. According to the rules of the clan, when he takes over the position he must have learned the âDog Beating Stick Techniqueâ; this is why that she spoke almost non-stop for around two hours. However, Lu Youjiao wasnât the most gifted and he was now old, his memory is fading, how could he remember all this in just a short time? Huang Rong kept on going, passage after passage; it was hard for him to remember everything. Huang Rong had met Guo Jing when she was fifteen and was used to being around someone who was slow and not the most gifted. She was angry about Lu Youjiaoâs poor memory. The rules of the clan states that the formulae to the technique must be passed on down orally and must not be written down. Otherwise writing it down and letting him slowly memorize it would have saved a lot of effort and energy.
That day on the peak of Mount Hua after both Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng had suffered internal injuries in their duel, Hong Qigong had taught Yang Guo every stance and every change so that he could perform it for Ouyang Feng. But he didnât teach him a single word of the formulae that are needed when fighting an enemy. Hong Qigong thought that without the formulae, the techniques would be useless to him. This doesnât really go against the rules of the clan and at the time he wasnât fighting Ouyang Feng for real, so there was no need to pass on the formulae to the technique. Who could have guessed that Yang Guo would now hear the whole thing in its entirety? He was over a hundred times more gifted than Lu Youjiao; after just three recitations he was able to remember the whole thing without forgetting a word, but Lu Youjiao still wasnât able to remember as he recited it ambiguously.
When Huang Rong became pregnant for the second time, she became careless one day while meditating and disturbed the chi of the fetus; because of this she has become very weak. Today she had taught for over half a day and had become very tired, she sat on the rock and rested, she closed her eyes for a while and then called out, âFuâer, Ruâer, Wenâer, Guoâer, come down at once!â
The four of them were shocked and thought, âSo she knew we were here long ago!â
Guo Fu said, âMother, you really are great, nothing can be kept from you.â As she said this she used a stance of âThe Forest Sends a Sparrowâ and lightly leapt down in front of her. The Wu brothers followed while Yang Guo climbed down slowly.
Huang Rong gave a âhengâ sound and said, âYou wanted to steal a look with your kung fu? If I couldnât even notice you little rascals, Iâm afraid that when that Iâm traveling around Jianghu Iâd be ambushed in half a day.â
Guo Fu felt embarrassed by her motherâs comments but knew that her mother was lenient and wasnât afraid of being scolded by her. She laughed and said, âMother, I brought these three along to take a look at the world famous âDog Beating Stick Techniqueâ, but who knew that when Elder Lu uses it, the skill doesnât look good at all. Mother, perform the skill for us.â
Huang Rong laughed and took the bamboo stick from Lu Youjiaoâs hand, she said, âFine, watch out, Iâm going to trip a little puppy.â
Guo Fu concentrated on her lower body, as soon as the bamboo stick comes towards her, she will immediately jump and avoid the trip. Huang Rongâs bamboo stick flashed across, Guo Fu quickly leapt up, her legs were half way away from the ground when the bamboo stick came across and skillfully and lightly tripped her up. Guo Fu got up and called out, âIâm not taking about that! It was my fault.â
Huang Rong laughed and said, âFine, you chose what you want to do.â
Guo Fu steadied herself in the Mount Posture and stood solidly, she had another thought and then said, âBig brother Wu and little brother Wu, come to my side and get into the Mount Posture as well.â The Wu brothers did as they were told and stood solidly. Guo Fu stretched out her arm and hooked it around the Wu brothersâ arms combining the strength of the three, as solid as Mount Tai. She said, âMother, Iâm not afraid of you, only fatherâs âEighteen Dragon Subduing Palmsâ can push us.â
Huang Rong gave a slight smile and waved the stick across the threeâs faces, a strong gust of wind rushed upon them. The three of them all moved backwards to avoid it, the Mount Posture of the lower body loosened as a result. Huang Rongâs bamboo stick returned and used the âturnâ formulae, the stick brushed across the threeâs legs, the three of them could not stand steady and all fell down at the same time. At least the threeâs kung fu had a good foundation, their bodies had just touched the ground slightly and they up immediately.
Guo Fu called out, âMother, thatâs just trickery; Iâm not taking about that either.â
Huang Rong laughed and said, âJust now I passed on the eight formulae to Lu Youjiao, âtripâ, âchopâ, âcoilâ, âpokeâ, âstirâ, âleadâ, âsealâ and âturnâ; which one uses reckless strength? You said this is trickery, thatâs correct, in the martial arts, ninety percent of it is used to trick someone, as long as youâve tricked a skilled fighter, youâve won. Only your fatherâs âEighteen Dragon Subduing Palmsâ type of martial arts uses real kung fu to battle and doesnât use any sort of trickery. But how many people in the world can reach such a stage?â
These words made Yang Guo nod in secret, he remembered the formulae that Huang Rong had recited and combined it with the stances that Hong Qigong taught him, the ingenuity and mastery behind it really was boundless. Though Guo Fu and the others understood what Huang Rong said, they didnât appreciate the meaning behind it.