"You mean… no defense, just attack?" I guessed, feeling something was off.
"Not no defense. The only prerequisite for defense is four words: unavoidable. Only when it's truly impossible to dodge do you need to defend. If a sidestep or a step back can avoid it, why bother defending? When the opponent attacks and exposes an opening, just go for the offense, wouldn't that be enough?"
I nodded, it seemed to make sense. I decided to practice. "Come on, hit me again, but slower!"
Chu Qi stepped back half a step, her leg emerging from the water to kick towards my jaw. This was a straight frontal attack, and because the opponent was pushing off with their leg, the force was considerable. If I were to defend, I should cross my hands to protect my chin, then use the momentum to grab her small foot, twist, and dislodge her, perhaps even pull her down.
But defense wasn't needed now. I sidestepped, though my movement was a bit slow, and her heel grazed my face. It didn't cause much harm. After sidestepping, I directly used the back of my right fist to flick at Chu Qi's ribs, exposed by her leg extension. I hit her, of course, without using much force, just placing my hand there.
"Stop," Chu Qi said, balancing on one leg, seawater flowing from her foot down her calf and towards her knee, a picturesque sight. "Why did you hit my ribs?"
"It was convenient," I said. It was the closest part of her body to me after I sidestepped.
"But this is my left rib, and you used a flicking motion. Even if you hit it, it wouldn't cause me much damage." Chu Qi took my hand and flicked it forcefully against her ribs. I felt only a soft, yielding resistance. There was indeed little damage.
"Then where should I attack?" I asked.
"Observe again," Chu Qi said.
I scanned Chu Qi from head to toe and shook my head. "I don't know. I can't attack your legs, can I?"
"Above the legs, below the waist. The vital point is right in front of you!" Chu Qi said, discontented, with an air of disappointment that her protégé wasn't grasping the concept.
"...Is that… appropriate?" I frowned. After her kick, she was in a side-kick posture. After I dodged, I was facing her torso directly. It was indeed a position from which I could attack that vital point, and the attack distance was even closer.
"What's appropriate or not? In a fight, it's not about scoring points. The purpose of all your moves is to incapacitate the opponent, understand? Only in a ring are there forbidden moves. In a real fight, who cares about rules!"
"Alright," I said and threw a punch.
"Holy hell!" Chu Qi, caught off guard, was hit. She immediately curled up into the seawater.
"Are you alright!" I quickly pulled her out. "Why didn't you dodge!"
"I was just explaining to you… Never mind. You did the right thing. It was my lack of vigilance," Chu Qi's face looked a bit pale. "You keep practicing. I'll go ashore… to take a look."
"Look at what?" I asked.
"Just looking around!" Chu Qi snapped, hobbling ashore. She walked towards a large rock with her hands behind her back.
Once she reached the rock, Chu Qi, likely thinking I couldn't see her, immediately untied her leg and bent down to examine her injury.
I quickly turned away and squatted in the water, continuing my practice.
Later, I noticed Chu Qi had scurried back to the fortress like a frightened bird. I wondered if she went to get medicine.
I practiced until my back ached and my waist was sore. I returned to shore, lit a cigarette, and pondered Chu Qi's fighting principles. Recalling the so-called fight scenes I'd seen in TV shows and movies, I realized Chu Qi was right. Many moves were actually unnecessary. If two people could fight for three hundred rounds, it didn't mean they were evenly matched; it meant they were both putting on a show.
A true master's exchange, regardless of the difference in strength, should be decided within ten moves. An attack would expose a weakness; it was a double-edged sword. This was true for both sides. As soon as a weakness was exploited by the opponent, defeat followed. In real combat, especially with these experts whose attack power was so high, defeat often meant death.
One-Punch Man, instant kill!
The sun had risen. Seeing that Chu Qi wasn't returning, I felt a bit hungry and went back to the castle for breakfast.
Chen Ke had become our dedicated little chef. I must say, she cooked quite well.
After breakfast, Shen Xingyue called me, saying she was coming to Lv Shun today and wanted to meet me somewhere in the city.
"What, you miss me already? We haven't seen each other for only two days," I chuckled.