<h4>Chapter 15: Attaining the Power of Wing Chun</h4>


    The next morning, when Ding Ling saw Qian Quan, there was a moment of awkwardness.


    However, she quickly returned to her usual self.


    "Did you know you talked in your sleepst night?" Qian Quan told her about what happenedst night.


    "What, what did I say in my sleep?" Ding Ling umonly showed a hint of nervousness.


    "You called out my name. I asked you what happened, but then you fell asleep again."


    "You must have misheard."


    "It was quite clear. It even startled me."


    "You must have misheard. I didn''t call out anything."


    "Uh... alright." Qian Quan didn''t bother arguing with her any further.


    After breakfast, the two of them went to Lingyin Temple.


    Lingyin Temple was built during The Tsin Dynasty, over 1600 years ago. Its most famous attraction is the Triskelite, believed to be effective in seeking romantic rtionships.


    However, on the inte, there is a more famous rumor about it, the advertisement for recruiting monks at Lingyin Temple, which gained poprity due to its enticing terms:


    Monthly sry of 8,000, an eight-hour work schedule, including meals and amodation. Additionalpensation for overtime and travel expenses for performing rituals. After three years of work, the sry increases to 14,000. Those who advance to the highest leadership position within the temple can earn up to 30,000. If skilled in fortune-telling and divination, there is an opportunity for profit-sharing. During working hours, abstinence from alcohol, sexual activity, and meat consumption is required. Off-duty hours do not interfere with personal life, marriage, or having children.


    As for the requirements, a bachelor''s degree is needed, with a preference for postgraduates. Prior knowledge of reciting the <i>Diamond Sutra</i> and the <i>Lotus Sutra</i> is preferred. Considering that Buddha was of Indian origin,nguage proficiency is also required. During the internship, taking one of the seventy-two unique skills and two elective courses is mandatory...


    This notice was written with a convincing tone, and its misleading nature was quite strong. In reality, it was a scam, being posted by various ces pretending to be different temples, all to deceive graduates into providing their personal information.


    "Why are you nning to visit Lingyin Temple?"


    In the subway, the crowd was a bit dense. Qian Quan positioned Ding Ling in a corner, and the two stood facing each other, their bodies making contact. Their emotions couldn''t help but feel somewhat unusual.


    In fact, when they used to y one-on-one basketball, there was much more intense physical contact. But back then, they were focused on trying to outy each other or pull off a great move without thinking too much.


    At this very moment, in this particr situation, being in a strange ce, the atmosphere became subtly nuanced.


    Ding Ling intentionally brought up a topic to alleviate the awkwardness.


    "I''ll start by paying respects to the Medicine Buddha, seeking blessings for the safety and health of my family. Then, I''ll visit Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, hoping for a smooth journey through university. Finally, I''ll pay homage to Bodhisattva Manjusri, asking for sess in my career and the dream of bing the wealthiest person in Azure Bay." Qian Quan checked the guidest night to ensure they wouldn''t make a wrong choice.


    "You want to be the richest person?"


    Qian Quan chuckled, "Who doesn''t want to be wealthy when young?"


    Ding Ling nodded with a smile.


    "What about you? What are you seeking?" Qian Quan looked at her and asked.


    "Same as you, but I won''tpete with you for the title of the richest. I just wish for financial freedom," Ding Ling replied.


    Qian Quan smiled and said, "If I be the richest, I promise you''ll have financial freedom."


    "Hope you keep your word." Ding Ling smiled back and exchanged a nce with him.


    Both deliberately avoided mentioning the Triskelite.


    The subway suddenly decelerated at that moment, causing their bodies to press together due to inertia momentarily. They discreetly moved apart again.


    "How many more stops?" Qian Quan looked up to check the route map.


    Ding Ling nced at her phone, keeping her head low.


    ...


    "Left palm transforms into a fist, striking straight forward along the central line, while the little finger points downward. Simultaneously, the right palm transforms into a fist, retracting towards the chest along the central line, close to the left elbow, with the little finger pointing downward..."


    As summer vacation wasing to an end, Qian Wenlin had been diligently practicing Wing Chun during this period.


    Wing Chun emphasized the principle of "sending a punch while the elbow remains in the center," so every punch required the elbow to stay close to the central line. The power was generated in a straight line, pushing the fist forward. During the execution of each punch, the other hand''s wrist had to be struck, maintaining a closed posture, preventing an opponent from attempting to attack through the central path.


    Today, he practiced the straight punch and gradually improved.


    The "Little Idea" movements, although notplex, were foundational. Only by mastering thebinations of "Little idea" movements could one advance to learning higher-level skills, progressing to practicalbat exercises.


    After practicing the continuous sequence of left and right punches for three hundred rounds, he retracted the left fist to his chest and stood with his feet together in the ending stance.


    "If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to fully grasp the entire sequence of ''Little Idea'' today. It seems my past efforts in Kung fu haven''t been in vain."


    Qian Wenlin was in a great mood, looking rejuvenated after finishing the routine.


    "Those two kids, Rocky and Ling, didn''t even believe I''m an extraordinary martial arts prodigy among thousands. I''ll surprise them when they get back."


    Taking a short break, he performed the "Three-Closure Palm" routine.


    It was approaching noon by the time Qian Wenlin had mastered all the segmented routines.


    He took a deep breath. No more video exnations or guidance from books were needed. Standing with his feet together and fists held at his chest, he exhaled lightly. The fists faced upward with knuckles up, the back of the fists facing down. His knees were slightly bent, feet t on the ground and positioned apart, facing left and right, forming an "open scissors stance."


    He performed this series of movements seamlessly, without pause.


    Next came the downward cross-plowing hand, followed by the upward cross-spreading hand, retracting the fist, advancing with the straight punch... spreading the hand, sinking the hand, horizontal palm, upright palm, pointing finger, circling hand... left shoulder hand, left spreading hand, left bottom palm... and then moving on to the left-right straight punch, finally concluding with the upright closing posture,pleting the practice session.


    Wing Chun, Little Idea, achievement unlocked.


    ...


    An hour ago.


    After Qian Quan and Ding Ling finished their prayers at Lingyin Temple, they took bus route 7 to Southern Song Imperial Street.


    When traveling to Hangzhou, naturally, West Lake was the first must-see ce, followed by this streetid out during the Southern Song Imperial Street.


    About fifty minutester, they got off the bus at Sanyuan Fang and walked toward their destination. Not far along, they saw a Chinese chess stall by the roadside.


    "Southern Song Endgame, ck or red, red goes first, 100 per round, 300 for victory, 100 for a draw, pay 100 for a loss."


    About ten people were gathered around the stall, discussing and analyzing.


    "Let''s take a look," Ding Ling''s curiosity was piqued.


    The words "Southern Song Endgame" also intrigued Qian Quan. He and Ding Ling walked over together.


    The chess yer was a man in his sixties. Three endgames of games wereid out in front of him, and challengers could choose any of them.


    "Do you believe this red side can guarantee victory? I just need to sacrifice both chariots to form a repeating cannon..."


    A muscr young man pointed to one of the boards and said.


    "How do you set up the chained cannons? If you move the cannon and put the enemy''s general in check, the ck side can move the elephant to threaten your rear cannon." Another person said.


    Ding Ling watched for a while, then whispered to Qian Quan, "I feel like the advantage is with the ck side in that game. Picking ck gives a better chance of winning."


    Qian Quan pondered but didn''t speak for a while. Finally, he said, "All three games are draws. No one can win. Let''s go."


    "All draws? Really? Can''t you win either?"


    "These aren''t endgame; they''re scams." Qian Quan shook his head and said gently.


    "Just a moment, let me take a photo. I''ll try them out when we get back."


    Qian Quan had memorized all three endgames, but Ding Ling had already taken out her phone before he could stop her.


    "Hey, what are you taking pictures of?"


    The muscr young man noticed Ding Ling taking photos and asked in a harsh tone.


    "I''m capturing these three endgames. I want to study themter," Ding Ling replied innocently, her life experience still limited as a high school student.


    The muscr young man and two others exchanged nces, then closed in on Qian Quan and Ding Ling.


    "What are you studying for? If you''re interested, pay to challenge. If you''re not brave enough, leave. Don''t cause any trouble."


    "That''s right. These setups are hereditary endgames passed down from the Southern Song Dynasty, an intangible cultural heritage. What do you think you''re doing by taking photos and studying them? Delete them quickly!"


    Qian Quan had already realized they were a group, and he positioned himself slightly in front of Ding Ling, saying, "We''ll delete them, we promise. You guys can continue watching the chess game."


    "Delete them right in front of us!" the muscr young man''s tone turned stern.


    "Or you can pay for the next game. You can learn on the spot and won''t need to delete the photos," another person suggested.


    Ding Ling held up her phone. "I''ve already deleted them."


    Saying this, she grabbed Qian Quan and began to leave.


    The three blocked their way. "How do we know if you''ve deleted, hidden, or sent it to someone else? Hand over the phone so we can check."


    "Give us the phone or y the next game. It''s your choice," another person chimed in.


    Qian Quan''s expression changed, too. "Are you sure you want to escte this situation? This is one of the liveliest areas in Hangzhou. If we start causing a scene, the police will arrive quickly."


    "Quit the nonsense. Hand over the phone. We''ll check it and give it back to you. We''re here working hard on these chess setups. We''re not forcing you to y. It''s all voluntary, but you took pictures to cheat. So what if the policee?"


    In his mind, Qian Quan thought, "Chess games that involve money are scams in themselves, and now they''ve arranged a few of you to deceive passersby. This is clearly a very typical fraud. If the police show up, you guys will end up in trouble. Don''t make it sound like some legitimate business deal."


    "We''ll y a game and pay them," Ding Ling sensed that Qian Quan was about to explode and wanted to avoid any trouble. She decided to spend 100 to settle the matter.


    Naturally, Qian Quan understood Ding Ling''s intention. However, he was well aware that he wouldn''t get it back if he handed over the money, even if he managed to draw in his game.


    But if he refused their demands...


    He was concerned not for himself but for Ding Ling''s safety.


    As he hesitated, a sudden notification sound from the system echoed in his mind:


    [Ding! The system has detected that your father has made initial progress in practicing Wing Chun''s ''Little Idea.'' You are rewarded with the title of Grandmaster Level in Wing Chun!]


    In the next moment, a vast amount of information surged into his mind. Thousands upon thousands of figures appeared, practicing martial arts in his thoughts. Some were empty-handed, others held Eight sh Knives, and some wielded the Six-and-a-Half Point Pole, practicing alone or sparring, exhibiting various movements. Little Idea, Seeking Bridge, Shooting Fingers, Wooden Dummy Stance, de Skills, Pole Skills...


    Rehearsing again and again, repeating thousands upon thousands of times, until the memories became deeply ingrained, vividly clear.


    Meanwhile, a peculiar force surged through his body, moving like an electrically charged earthworm, creating an itching and tingling sensation throughout him. It seemed to umte boundless strength within him, an urge to vent and release.


    That sensation was akin to…


    Right now, he could take down ten people!