Chapter Eighteen: Unity of Body and Horse!
“Those who sit high see far!”
Before the tricycle driver could speak, the young man sitting atop the vehicle interjected.
Tan Ping couldn’t help himself; he looked up and retorted, “Sitting that high is dangerous. Aren’t you afraid of falling?”
“Not at all! It’s all about technique! Mainly the harmony between waist and horse stance!”
The young man atop the tricycle said this with a carefree expression.
“What? What did he say?”
In the livestream chat, the viewers were stunned.
“He said he’s not afraid of falling because he has technique!”
“And harmony between waist and horse stance!”
“That means he knows martial arts!”
Tan Ping couldn’t resist asking, “What? Harmony between waist and horse stance? Have you actually trained?”
“Trained! Trained!”
The young man repeatedly affirmed, showing no hesitation.
The tricycle driver added, “He’s from Nanhe!”
“From Nanhe? No wonder! The hometown of martial arts!”
Upon hearing the young man was from Nanhe, the viewers in the livestream all showed expressions of sudden realization.
“I remember, Shaolin Temple is also from Nanhe!”
“Today, Sir Tan has met a master!”
“A kid from Nanhe?”
Before Tan Ping could say anything, Wang Xingyun on the side asked in the Nanhe dialect in surprise, “Fellow villager?”
The young man atop the tricycle perked up with joy and asked, “You’re from the same place?”
“That’s right! I’m from Nanhe too!” Wang Xingyun smiled and nodded.
“So, a martial arts master! My apologies!”
Hearing this, Tan Ping raised both hands and cupped his fists towards the young man on the roof.
“Master of martial arts from Nanhe, can you come down from up there?”
“Sure! No problem!”
The young man on the roof smiled confidently.
“I knew this guy had an extraordinary aura and manner of speaking. Turns out, he’s a fearless master!”
The viewers in the livestream eagerly watched the screen.
“Everyone, watch closely! The martial arts master is about to showcase his special skills!”
“The moment to witness a miracle has arrived!”
Tan Ping gestured for the young man to come down: “Come on! Be careful! Are you planning a front flip or a hawk flip?”
“Whatever!”
The young man from Nanhe stood up confidently, exuding the demeanor of a grand master.
---
“666! Even ‘whatever’—looks like he really knows his stuff!”
The viewers began spamming ‘6’ in the chat.
“Didn’t expect that watching Sir Tan’s traffic safety stream would turn into a martial arts performance!”
“From now on, the livestream legend has one more: a martial arts master!”
At this moment, the young man reached the edge, grabbed the tricycle’s front handle with one hand, and said to Tan Ping, “Make some space!”
“Alright, I’ll step aside so you can show off. Be careful when you get down!”
Tan Ping stepped back while giving the warning.
The livestream camera focused on the young man from Nanhe, ready to capture his spectacular martial arts display.
“Whoosh!”
The young man took a deep breath, exerted a slight force with his hand, and flipped his entire body downward from the vehicle.
“Brilliant!”
The traffic police on site were ready to applaud.
“That pose was both cool and handsome!”
The viewers in the livestream praised him in the comments.
But then, a loud thud echoed through the air.
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
The young man had flipped off the tricycle but landed headfirst on the ground, sprawling out in all directions!
“This…”
Seeing this, Tan Ping’s eyes widened in shock.
The surrounding traffic cops halted their clapping.
“What do you call that? Coolness lasting less than three seconds?”
The viewers in the livestream were equally surprised.
“The way you get off should be stylish! But the speed of hitting the ground has to be swift!”
After rolling on the ground, the young man calmly stood up, looking unruffled and acting the part of a master.
Tan Ping immediately stepped forward with concern: “You said you trained—are you alright?”
“No problem! It’s nothing!”
The young man wore a dust-colored trench coat and had a cigarette tucked behind his ear, composed and unhurried.
“Nothing? That was nothing?”
Tan Ping couldn’t help but feel skeptical.
“Did you really train? If you’re hurt, I’ll take you to the hospital right away!”
“No way! Really no problem! When I landed, I grabbed the handbrake area!”
The young man showed his right hand, which bore rusty stains and some blood.
Clearly, he had grabbed the handbrake just in the nick of time.
Seeming to feel he had lost some of his masterly dignity, he explained: “Usually, these are minor stunts. Today, seeing the police officer, I got a bit nervous and slipped up!”
“Oh! So I distracted you! You’re actually a real master?”
Tan Ping asked.
---
“A little bit! A little bit!”
The young man responded modestly.
Tan Ping pointed at the cigarette behind his ear: “I’m guessing you’re pretty skilled—falling from such a height, your hairstyle is still intact, and the cigarette behind your ear hasn’t fallen off!”
The cameraman immediately zoomed in on his hairstyle and the cigarette.
The viewers agreed enthusiastically: “That’s true!”
“Ordinary people would be a mess falling from that height, but this master’s hair is flawless—he definitely has real skills!”
“That was just a slip-up!”
Seeing the reluctant look on the young man’s face, Tan Ping smiled and said, “Come on, master, I’ll give you another chance. Show off properly in front of the camera this time! I’ll step back a bit; don’t slip again!”
The livestream camera remained focused on the young man.
The young man nodded in agreement: “Alright! Today, I’ll perform a set of fists for everyone!”
He stepped into the middle of the sidewalk, assumed a stance, and began his routine.
“Hey!”
“Hey!”
The young man performed an unknown style of fist technique. Dust swirled around him as he moved with overwhelming momentum.
“Clap! Clap! Clap!”
The surrounding traffic police began applauding.
Encouraged, the young man performed with even greater vigor.
“Not bad! Not bad! These punches look clean and sharp—he’s got some real skills! Though, not much hair!”
The viewers also chimed in with their commentary.
After finishing his set, the young man cupped his fists towards the camera, exuding the full flair of a martial artist.
Tan Ping stepped forward to interview him: “Master of martial arts, you’re from Nanhe. Which master did you apprentice under?”
He really couldn’t discern any school or style from the young man’s fists.
The young man smiled proudly: “Self-taught!”
“Oh? Self-taught?”
Tan Ping asked in surprise.
“Yes! Self-taught. These moves are all my own creation!”
The young man nodded.
“Self-taught, impressive! Very impressive! Huo Yuanjia was self-taught too. Master, may I ask your surname?”
Tan Ping continued the in-depth interview.
“Zheng,” the young man answered.
“Oh, Zheng. Let me think... Qiuguan, his surname is Zheng too. Look at his skills—his swordplay is so graceful, that folding fan twirls so smoothly!”
Tan Ping pondered for a moment and praised a famous star surnamed Zheng.
Unexpectedly, the young man was unimpressed and said, “That’s acting. This is real kung fu!”