“`
“Huh??”
This time, it was Yang Hao’s turn to be flabbergasted; he hadn’t expected Ma Tianjiao to actually agree.
“You’re really going to be my disciple?”
Yang Hao looked at Police Officer Ma somewhat speechlessly.
“Yes!”
Ma Tianjiao decisively nodded, then asked, “Shall we go through the formal discipleship ceremony?”
Yang Hao thought for a moment and said, “Becoming a disciple is not something that can be done casually.”
“As the saying goes, a master tests a disciple for three years, and a disciple seeks a master for three years; accepting a disciple still requires evaluation of character.”
“Well, for now you’ll just be an informal disciple.”
Ma Tianjiao slightly furrowed her brow and couldn’t help but mutter silently in complaint: I’ve agreed to take you as my master, and you’re still being picky!
But Police Officer Ma really did want to learn martial arts, so she could only dejectedly ask, “Can an informal disciple learn to fight?”
“They can,” replied Yang Hao with a nod.
“But I’ll start by teaching you the basics, as these martial arts require a solid foundation.”
“Hmm, that’s fine.”
Police Officer Ma, if she were a character in a martial arts novel, would be the type obsessed with martial arts—one who thinks fighting is the most enjoyable thing!
That’s because she hasn’t yet opened the door to a new world, and Yang Hao, as her master, is naturally the one to lead her through it.
A proverb says it well, “The master leads you to the door; the practice depends on the individual!”
What follows will hinge on Police Officer Ma’s own talent.
“Good day, Master Yang.”
Ma Tianjiao hesitated for a bit but felt that since she had taken him as her master, she should at least greet him properly. Continue your saga on empire
However, upon hearing this form of address, Yang Hao had a look of speechlessness: “If you’re going to call me master, just say ‘master.’ Can you not add the surname, please??”
When a surname is added before ‘master,’ it makes one sound like a taxi driver or a repairman.
The prideful Police Officer Ma was doing this on purpose. Despite her quick agreement, calling out ‘master’ directly was somewhat challenging for her.
After all, her impression of Yang Hao wasn’t particularly good; she thought of him as a scoundrel who plays with people’s feelings!
“If you want to become a disciple, you must be sincere, or you might as well not do it at all!”
Yang Hao shrugged his shoulders and said, “Anyway, the sparring is over. I’m going to leave!”
“Eh?”
“Don’t go, Master!!”
Unable to resist the lure of the martial arts, Police Officer Ma finally called out ‘Master.’
“Now, that’s more like it.”
Yang Hao nodded, satisfied.
Ma Tianjiao pursed her lips: “Can you teach me now?”
“You seem very unconvinced?”
“Hmm, a melon forced off its vine isn’t sweet. I don’t have to take you as my disciple!”
Yang Hao felt that this new disciple’s attitude was far from proper and needed correction.
“I’m not!”
Ma Tianjiao shook her head and added, “If I’m defeated, I’m defeated. I completely accept it.”
“Alright.”
“Let’s see what your basics look like!”
Yang Hao, with one hand on his chin, looked Police Officer Ma up and down again.
“Okay.”
Ma Tianjiao nodded. “Which aspect of the basics would you like to see?”
“Can you do a split?” asked Yang Hao.
“I can.”
“Show me.”
“Okay.”
Police Officer Ma was the type to act without hesitation; she agreed and promptly performed a split on the spot—a perfect one with her thigh completely flush against the ground, no gaps whatsoever.
Yang Hao nodded in approval. Her level wasn’t much different from that of Meng Chacha, who had a background in dance!
From past experience, he knew that anyone who could do such a perfect split would also have an excellent experience when playing cards.
“Is that okay?”
Seeing that Yang Hao didn’t speak for a while, Ma Tianjiao looked up and asked.
“Do another one, a standing split.”
“Oh,” Ma Tianjiao stood up and performed another split as per Yang’s instruction.
Police Officer Ma was wearing tight leather pants today, and her splits were so perfect that certain areas formed clear outlines.
With a height of around 168 cm, she and Yang Hao had just the right height difference.
In Yang Hao’s mind, he visualized a scene where Police Officer Ma’s leg was resting on his shoulder.
He suddenly remembered a saying: What weighs on your shoulder is not always responsibility; what stabs you in the back is not always a knife; screams of agony don’t always signal pain; kneeling down doesn’t always mean begging for mercy; convulsions aren’t necessarily a sign of illness; in the future, may you become happier and happier!
“Is that okay now?”
Seeing Yang Hao staring blankly at her again, Police Officer Ma furrowed her brows once more.
“That’s enough, put it down,” Yang Hao gestured lightly.
“Can you teach me now?” Ma Tianjiao asked eagerly.
“We haven’t finished with the basics yet!”
“Next item.”
“Get down on all fours.”
Yang Hao commanded soberly.
“All fours??”
Ma Tianjiao was confused, not quite understanding the meaning of getting down on all fours.
“`
“Learning to fight when you can’t even understand how to keep all four limbs on the ground??”
Yang Hao shook his head with a stern face.
“Hmm…”
Ma Tianjiao thought for a moment and then bent over, placing her hands on the ground. Her flexibility was exceptional, and she performed the move effortlessly. With her hands and feet on the ground, her body morphed into the shape of a shrimp.
Yang Hao nodded in satisfaction.
New knowledge +1!
“Elbows and knees on the ground,”
Yang Hao issued another instruction.
Police Officer Ma, who had no idea why Yang Hao asked her to perform these movements—and who thought they were really to test her basic skills—complied once again.
Yang Hao nodded slightly, “Yes, raise your hips a bit higher.”
“Right, tilt them up!”
Ma Tianjiao followed Yang Hao’s commands, contorting her body into the desired shape.
Yang Hao nodded with satisfaction, “Good, that’s the feeling.”
“How long can you maintain this position?”
“One or two hours should be no problem!”
Ma Tianjiao replied proudly, feeling that the pose wasn’t particularly challenging.
Yang Hao waved his hand contentedly, “Your basic skills are fine, but to learn my style of fighting, you still need to build a good foundation.”
“From today on, do three hundred squats every day.”
“Just three hundred will suffice?”
Ma Tianjiao exercised every day, and the amount of movement she did exceeded three hundred squats by far.
“If you think three hundred is too few, then add another two hundred!”
Yang Hao felt he might have underestimated Police Officer Ma’s fitness. Since she was in good shape, it wouldn’t hurt to train a little more!
“After I’ve perfected squats, can you teach me the fighting technique?”
Ma Tianjiao asked eagerly.
“We’ll see, it should be possible,” Yang Hao gave a noncommittal answer, thinking to himself that it would depend on how sensible his little apprentice was.
Ma Tianjiao patted the dust off her pants and said earnestly, “I’ll record a video of my practice every day and send it to you.”
“Great!”
Yang Hao gave an OK gesture, appreciating the dedication of his eager apprentice.
“By the way, I know ‘Shadowless Finger,’ do you want to learn it?” Yang Hao asked with a grin.
“What’s ‘Shadowless Finger’?” Ma Tianjiao asked, looking puzzled.
“That’s…”
Yang Hao drew out his words to grab Ma Tianjiao’s attention. At the same time, using the Shadowless Finger technique, he stealthily removed the mobile phone from her pocket.
“Is this the Shadowless Finger??”
Yang Hao dangled Ma Tianjiao’s phone before her eyes.
“This??”
Ma Tianjiao’s eyes widened; she was a police officer, after all, trained to be vigilant against pickpockets and more observant and agile than the average person.
Yet the man managed to steal her phone without her noticing!
“Isn’t this skill supposed to be practiced by thieves?” asked Ma Tianjiao, astounded.
“If you learn it, you can give them a taste of their own medicine!”
“Moreover, this finger technique isn’t just for stealing. There are other, more important, uses,” Yang Hao said, tilting his head skyward, his manner inscrutably wise.
“Like what?”
Eager to know, Ma Tianjiao pressed on.
“I can’t say right now, but I’ll tell you gradually later.”
“So, do you want to learn it?”
“Yes!!”
As an avid enthusiast of combat sports, Ma Tianjiao couldn’t possibly resist such a temptation and nodded seriously.
“Then you must first improve the dexterity of your fingers. I assume I don’t need to teach you that; you can figure out how to practice on your own…”
“Oh, okay.”
Ma Tianjiao actually wanted to say she had no idea how to improve finger dexterity, but swallowed her words. If she asked about everything, it would make her seem too clueless.
Yang Hao returned the phone to his little apprentice and then picked up his floral basket, leaving the park together.
“Remember to practice the tasks I set for you!”
Yang Hao reminded her again before they parted.
“I will!”
Squats were nothing for Ma Tianjiao; what she was pondering was how to rapidly improve her finger dexterity.
Well, I’ll ask Lu Lu later!
Ma Tianjiao drove straight to the Clyde Hotel in her BMW 3 Series. She and her best friend Wang Lu had agreed to dine together there, in the hotel’s Western restaurant.
The Clyde Hotel was one of Jiangcheng’s top five-star hotels, famous for both its Western restaurant and buffet, and a must-visit eatery for many urban professionals.
As previously mentioned, Ma Tianjiao came from a well-to-do family, which was why she mingled in the same circles as Miss Color, Huang Qing. So, even though her profession was as a police officer, money was not an issue for her, and the same went for her friends.
For example, her friend Liu Lu she was meeting—not only came from a wealthy family, but was also very capable in her own right. Having returned from studying abroad, she was already the deputy manager of the Clyde Hotel at a young age.
After parking her car, Ma Tianjiao made her way confidently to the Western restaurant and after a short wait, Liu Lu arrived, smiling, dressed head to toe in Chanel style. Her legs, significantly longer than Ma Tianjiao’s, crossing casually—one could say her legs were indeed longer than life itself!
“My dear officer, what brings you here today?”
Liu Lu sat opposite Ma Tianjiao and asked while effortlessly crossing her long legs. Standing significantly taller than Ma Tianjiao, she was around 175 cm, and those long legs were the epitome of perfection.
“Lu Lu, how can I improve the dexterity of my fingers?”
Ma Tianjiao was always direct with her inquiries, so as soon as her friend settled in, she asked.
“Hmm?”
“Improve finger dexterity??”
Liu Lu was momentarily taken aback, then her lips curled into a smile, “Isn’t that easy? I’ll give you a website after we eat, and you’ll learn it in no time!”