Thump-thump, thump-thump—the steam engine puffed out white mist and black smoke as the train chugged northward at a leisurely pace. Of course, "leisurely" was Jack Young's opinion; having grown used to bullet trains and airplanes in modern times, he really couldn't bring himself to admire these old steam locomotives.
Of course, your perception of speed depends on where you’re sitting. Take eighty kilometers per hour, for example—if you’re chilling inside a car, that’s one thing. But if you’re tied to the bumper and getting dragged along, that’s a whole different vibe.
Right now, Jack Young actually thought the train was pretty fast—mainly because he wasn’t inside the carriage, but on top of it. Yep, Dr. Thomas Tang had come up with a new training method: toss Jack onto the roof and let him practice up there.
At first glance, the train roof doesn’t look so bad, right? Wrong! You’re way off. Back in this era, the tracks weren’t exactly clear and open. Remember those old Western movies, where every few steps there’s a crossbar or a giant metal sign? Well, Jack Young didn’t have it quite that rough, but it was pretty close.
So all these obstacles—just the right height to smack him in the chest—came whistling right at him, one after another.
"I never taught you any forms, mainly because I never learned any myself. But kung fu, at its heart, is just fists, feet, and body—the forms are all extra. I’ve put together my own set of Basic Boxing Routine moves. It’s super streamlined. Once you master it, you can borrow techniques from other schools, mix in whatever you like, and slowly create your own style."
Dr. Thomas Tang was sometimes so calm it was infuriating: "You pick up moves fast, so teaching you now isn’t too late. Oh, and watch your step—if you fall, you might just die."
Jack Young ducked just in time, dodging a crossbar that came screaming toward him. The wind whistled in his ears, and he patted his chest, still shaken. "Seriously, Dr. Tang, couldn’t you pick a safer spot for me to learn? Did it have to be this terrifying?"
"If it’s not terrifying, will you focus? If it’s not terrifying, will you improve?" Dr. Thomas Tang didn’t even look—just sidestepped a signpost like he had eyes in the back of his head. "Pay full attention! Like I said, I’ll show you this Basic Boxing Routine three times. If you haven’t memorized it after that, I’m done teaching."
"First round." Dr. Thomas Tang raised his hand and traced a circle with his foot. Just then—whoosh!—the train plunged into a mountain tunnel. Jack Young felt the wind roar around him, darkness closing in, unable to see or hear a thing.
A moment later, the train shot out of the tunnel and the world was clear again.
"Alright, that’s the first round. Got it memorized? Only two left."
"Oh, come on! You’re messing with me, right? That counts as the first round? I couldn’t see a thing! All I got was you raising your hand and drawing a circle, then it was over!"
"Young man, anything can happen in this world. Regret after the fact won’t help—you’ve got to seize the future. Now I’m starting the second round, so pay attention."
Dr. Thomas Tang raised his hand and traced a circle with his foot. Jack Young squinted ahead, spotting another tunnel rushing toward them. Whoosh—the wind whipped by, and the world went dark again. Jack Young crouched low, eyes wide, straining to see. As his focus sharpened, he could just barely make out Dr. Tang’s silhouette, moving with measured steps as he practiced his boxing routine.
But it was way too dark in the tunnel, so even with Jack Young’s sharp eyes, night-owl instincts, and laser focus, he still couldn’t see much.
Whoosh—the train burst out of the tunnel, and Dr. Tang slowly finished his routine. "Alright, that’s the second round. Just one left."
Jack Young’s face was pure disbelief. That’s two rounds already? He hadn’t even gotten a taste of it yet!
"Seriously, Dr. Tang, you knew exactly what this stretch of track was like, didn’t you? You picked this spot on purpose to teach me, right?"
"Ha! Young people really are sharp." Dr. Tang grinned, all sunshine and cheer. "This stretch is famous for its mountains and tunnels. The next one up is the longest on the whole route—seven or eight minutes straight inside the mountain. That’s when I’ll do the third round. After that, I’m done. Whether you learn it or not, that’s up to fate."
"You jerk!"
Before he could finish cursing, whoosh—the train dove into another tunnel. Out of the darkness came Dr. Tang’s calm voice: "Third round, pay attention—raise your hand, draw a circle, let’s go—"
"Go your uncle!" Jack Young roared, stomping forward and throwing a punch. "I’ll show you ‘let’s go’!"
In the darkness, their fists and feet clashed, surrounded by roaring wind and pitch-black shadows—yet none of it slowed their sparring. After three rounds, Jack Young began to sense that Dr. Tang was actually following a set routine this time. That must be the Basic Boxing Routine!
Calming himself, Jack Young started to learn Dr. Tang’s Basic Boxing Routine through their exchanges. Great martial artists always say that sparring is the best way to truly understand each other—hands speak louder than words. Jack wasn’t anywhere near that level yet, but in the darkness, totally focused, he forgot everything else and learned by doing.
So focused, it was like time itself got warped. The darkness felt endless, and Dr. Tang’s punches just kept coming—never stopping, looping again and again through the same routine. Jack Young attacked and defended, over and over, soaking it all in.
Eight minutes later—whoosh!—the train burst out of the tunnel, and ahead lay open, flat ground.
Jack Young and Dr. Tang stood facing each other, silent. Jack closed his eyes, deep in thought, while Dr. Tang waited patiently.
After a while, Jack Young opened his eyes and, without a word, started moving. Hands up, foot draws a circle—let’s go!
Dr. Tang said his Basic Boxing Routine was super streamlined, and he wasn’t kidding. To the untrained eye, it might even look crude, like it barely counts as boxing at all. Start to finish, it’s only twelve moves—takes less than a minute to run through the whole thing.
(This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, click next page to keep reading!)
But Jack Young knew this routine was anything but simple. During their sparring, Dr. Tang had demonstrated it by the book: the first round was the most basic moves, which Jack memorized right away. But each round after that changed things up, branching into all sorts of simple or complex, hard or soft styles—absolutely amazing.
After finishing one round, Jack Young wrapped up his routine.
"Not bad." Dr. Tang nodded. "When it comes to kung fu, your eyes don’t see as much as your fists do. Eyes only catch the surface—fists get to the real deal. You’ve got some talent; you finally understand that. Alright, let’s keep going—this kind of training environment is hard to find, so practice your footwork. Go, run from the back of the train to the front and back again! If you’re too slow..." Dr. Tang pulled out a cloth bag full of pebbles, the threat in his eyes couldn’t be more obvious.
"Dr. Tang..." Jack Young groaned. "I swear I just saw you empty-handed—where’d you pull out that bag? Are you doing magic tricks now?"
"Quit whining and get moving!" Dr. Tang flicked his hand, and a pebble whistled through the air...
Inside the train, in a certain carriage.
It was a high-end sleeper car, packed with passengers—nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But if you knew what to look for, you’d notice that everyone moved and sat with a certain discipline, all subtly guarding someone. Among them, two young women who looked quite alike seemed to be in charge.
One was a bit older, dignified and steady. The other was younger and more lively, like a kid who hadn’t quite grown up yet.
Suddenly, the dignified woman’s ears twitched and she stood up. The others immediately went on alert, each taking their position and nodding at her. She didn’t say much—just slid open the window, leapt outside, and quickly returned, signaling to everyone. Instantly, the group relaxed and dropped their guard.
The younger girl ran over. "Sis, what’s going on? I didn’t notice anything."
"You’re still a rookie. I just heard someone running across the roof—their footsteps were real steady, like a pro. But when I peeked, turns out it was Dr. Tang teaching his student, so I left it alone."
The younger girl got excited. "Is that the Dr. Tang? Is he really as legendary as they say? Is he better than you, Sis?"
"I don’t know if he’s as strong as the stories." The older woman shook her head, then nodded in admiration. "But he’s definitely better than me. I was hiding by the side of the carriage, in the shadows, far away. Just peeked out for a second, and he spotted me instantly. With Dr. Tang here, this mission is basically foolproof."
She said it lightly, but the others looked at each other in shock. They knew that skilled martial artists could walk almost silently, some even without a sound. But in a shaking train, for her to notice someone running on the roof was impressive enough.
But for Dr. Tang to spot her in an instant—how skilled must he be? Maybe he really is as strong as she says. With him here, even though this trip is risky, maybe they’ll be totally safe! At that thought, everyone’s worries eased a bit. No one noticed that someone quietly tossed something out the window.