Atlas of Heaven and Earth-Chapter 20: Throwing Technique

Throughout the entire month of July, Chen Chuan followed a routine training schedule. As he gradually mastered Da San Shou[-], his use of various techniques became increasingly proficient.

Now, even without using "Second Self" or wearing any protective gear, he could easily overpower Lu Ke.

This was largely due to the significant advantage of the breathing technique, which comprehensively enhanced his physical abilities. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been referred to by Yu Gang as taking a shortcut.

Compared to those students who started training from a young age, they were no match for him. This was normal because, without "Second Self," it was a trade-off between his own life and the potential of overdrawing his future.

And if under normal circumstances, such an exchange would not be equal, because once these students also mastered the breathing technique, this advantage would no longer exist, and the gap would widen again.

In late July, Chen Chuan received a notice from Wuyi University[-] and went there again.

This time, he did not enter the campus but only picked up a booklet at the entrance, which contained specific information that incoming students needed to be aware of, as well as the process for re-examination registration.

Following this, in addition to his own training, he also prepared for his enrollment, leaving a bit earlier each day.

On this day, as he ran back home from The House of Fists, passing by a shed, several men were standing behind an open window on the third floor of a small building by the roadside, smoking and looking at his passing figure with ill intentions.

One of them, a short man wearing an open-chest plaid shirt and a gold watch, pointed and said, "Brother Qi, it's this kid."

"Brother Qi" was a man in his late twenties with a crew cut, wearing a bracelet on his thick arm. He looked down and said, "Are you sure? It's this kid?"

"No mistake, Brother Qi. He went to Wuda[-] a few days ago, and we recognized him then. He's the one who embarrassed Brother Dan!"

Brother Qi asked, "Have you found the right place?"

The man in the plaid shirt leaned out and pointed to an intersection ahead, saying, "It's that alley up front. Once we block both ends, there's no way he'll escape."

"Is he definitely going to pass by there? Don't let me down."

"Don't worry, boss. We've been watching for five or six days. This kid passes by here every morning and evening, like clockwork. So, boss, shall we move tomorrow? How should we teach him a lesson?"Brother Qi sneered and said, "Tomorrow? Wouldn't that be too easy for him? Isn't he supposed to go to Wuda[-] in early August? Let's make our move on the last day of the month. Since he used his leg to kick Third Brother's face, it's not too much to break both of his legs, right?"

The man in the plaid shirt hurriedly said, "Not too much! Not too much!"

Brother Qi said, "Then I'll leave it to you."

"Don't worry, boss, we'll handle it properly."

Time quickly came to the last day of July. Yu Gang seemed to have something to do and went out after lunch. Chen Chuan, because of tomorrow's event, did not continue training in the afternoon but helped Lu Ke organize and pack some things.

After finishing, Lu Ke took Chen Chuan to the rooftop, where there were tables, lounge chairs, and a sunshade. In the drink crate next to it, there were several bottles of Shazhen soda.

Lu Ke walked over, picked up two bottles of soda, opened them, and handed one to Chen Chuan, saying, "We fighters should drink less alcohol, so I'll make do with soda. Since you're going to Wuda[-] tomorrow, I'll toast you with this."

Chen Chuan clinked his soda bottle with Lu Ke's and took a sip. Only then did the two sit down. Lu Ke let out a sigh, looking at the leisurely white clouds in the sky, and said, "Young Chen, when you first came, I always targeted you. You must have really disliked me, right?"

Chen Chuan said, "Not really. Everyone has their own reasons for doing things. But I have to say, as long as you don't regret your own actions, others' opinions aren't that important."

Lu Ke paused for a moment, then brought the soda bottle to his mouth, gulping down a few mouthfuls. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, placed the soda bottle on the table, and pointed to the northeast direction, "See over there? Jiao Mountain."

Chen Chuan looked over and saw a huge circular gray shadow, which was Jiao Mountain. It's said to be a relic from a previous era, but now it's become an endless landfill.

Lu Ke gazed there, lost in thought, and said, "I was born in the Jiao Mountain area. It's incomparable to you city folks. We didn't have the qualifications to go to school in the city. People from my area could only make a living by scavenging in the mountains."

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "I've heard that most people living near Jiao Mountain suffer from an incurable lung disease?"

Lu Ke said in a low voice, "You're not wrong. I have it, and so do almost everyone around me, including my family. My father disappeared when I was very young, and my mother has been bedridden for years. I started coughing frequently when I was only three or four. Only my sister, who is ten years older than me, was lucky enough not to get it. From as far back as I can remember, it's been my sister taking care of the whole family."Just six years ago, the village reportedly found something that was quite important to a big shot. Someone wanted to keep it to themselves to sell for a high price, but the village was too poor to negotiate with the gangs. That night, they stormed into the village to search and rob, leading to a conflict with the villagers. My sister, who had just returned from scavenging, was innocently caught up and became disabled.

As he spoke, he wiped his eyes with his arm, "Later, I followed my master, practiced boxing with him, hoping to earn money in the future to take them out and let them live a good life."

He took another gulp of soda and said, "The day I couldn't beat Ding Shuo wasn't just because I didn't take the medicine, but because I was scared. I was afraid of getting injured. Now, my sister and my mother are relying on me, so I must not have anything happen to me! That day, my master asked me to try the breathing technique, but I stopped halfway because I was scared..."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Chen Chuan with a complex gaze, "I really envy you. You can study in the city, you don't have to bear these burdens, you can take the Wuda[-] exam. Seeing you, I wonder, why can't I have such a life, why can't I be the one to pass Wuda[-]..."

"Chen Chuan!"

His voice suddenly rose, wiping his face hard, raising the bottle high, his eyes a bit red, "I toast to you, hoping you can stand firm in Wuda[-], you can't be worse than me!"

Chen Chuan silently picked up the bottle, clinked it hard with Lu Ke's, and took a sip.

Lu Ke finished the whole bottle of soda in one go, then raised his hand as if wanting to smash the bottle with the emotions in his chest, but thinking it could be recycled for some money, he put it down carefully on the table.

After venting, he seemed to recover a bit, and after a while, he said, "You've improved so quickly after practicing the breathing technique, it seems the breathing technique really works. I must master it too, but I'm not as daring as you, so I can only take it slow."

Chen Chuan said, "Taking it slow is fine too. After all, you're now a "half-step breathing'.

"Cough cough." Lu Ke coughed a couple of times, then laughed too. He stood up from the ground, "Come, let me teach you something."

Chen Chuan saw him walk to the edge of the rooftop railing and also got up to follow. Lu Ke pointed, "See that over there?"Chen Chuan looked over and saw two sparrows standing on a utility pole, about fourteen or fifteen meters away. At that moment, Lu Ke flicked his wrist, and suddenly one of the birds fell down, while the other was startled and flew away.

Chen Chuan was surprised and asked, "What is this..."

Lu Ke opened his palm, revealing two small, finely polished pebbles, about the size of a fingertip.

Seeing these, Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat.

"Throwing technique."

Lu Ke made a throwing motion and said, "From a distance of ten to twenty meters, with just a simple polished pebble, you can kill or injure an opponent. I heard from my master that due to certain restrictions, this technique is not taught at Wuda[-], but it's very useful. If you master it, even someone much stronger than you can be incapacitated from a distance."

Chen Chuan nodded in agreement, having a deep understanding of this. His predecessor was fatally struck by a pebble, though the distance was uncertain, it felt like over a hundred meters, perhaps even further.

Lu Ke tossed the pebble and said, "I can teach you. The key to this technique lies in the knack of exerting force. Since you've learned the breathing technique, it should be easy for you to pick up."

Chen Chuan asked, "Did Mr. Yu teach you this? Can you teach others?"

Lu Ke said indifferently, "This is just the simplest throwing technique. I haven't mastered the more advanced ones, so even if I wanted to teach, I couldn't."

Chen Chuan looked at him and asked, "Are there many people who know this throwing technique?"

Lu Ke thought for a moment and said, "My master never mentioned it, but ordinary people can master it with hard work. It's not difficult, but reaching a profound level is not simple. Come, let me show you how to throw."

Seeing Lu Ke's enthusiasm, Chen Chuan didn't stand on ceremony and followed along to learn. Having an extra skill is always good, and he indeed had a reason to understand it.

The throwing technique was indeed not very difficult, mainly focusing on the posture and the knack of exerting force, making it easy to pick up. However, achieving precision and speed requires continuous refinement.

A key factor is the pebble itself, preferably polished and of moderate weight. According to Lu Ke, such stones are abundant in Zhang Mountain, a place known for its quality stone materials.

Hearing this, Chen Chuan's heart stirred with suspicion that the pebble might be from Zhang Mountain. If so, he would need to find time to check it out. Perhaps he could even use this to find clues about the person who caused his predecessor's death.After practicing with Lu Ke for a while longer, since tomorrow was the enrollment day and also the time for the re-examination registration, Chen Chuan bid farewell to Lu Ke and left, taking two pebbles with him as he left.

He still maintained his usual habit of running back.

In the long alley he passed every day, in a temporarily rented room on the third floor, Brother Qi and the man in the floral shirt were waiting there.

Brother Qi asked, "Are the people all ready?"

"Brother Qi, everything is set."

Brother Qi looked into the distance, where a man was standing at the corner, leaning against the wall, wearing a tank top and work pants, with a very unfamiliar face. He asked, "Who is that?"

The man in the floral shirt said, "Brother Qi, that's a skilled outsider we paid for, with no criminal record. We thought, since that kid got into Wuda[-], he must have some skills. Having such a person is more secure."

"Nonsense."

Brother Qi said disdainfully, "He's not like those rich kids from above, what skills could he have before enrollment? But since he's here, let's see if he's worth it."

He then took out a cigarette, and the man in the floral shirt, understanding, immediately took out a lighter to light it for him. He took a drag, exhaled a smoke ring, and said, "After this is over, call the brothers who are keeping watch, let's go to Chunfu Restaurant for a meal."

The man in the floral shirt said, "Good, good, I'll thank Brother Qi on behalf of the brothers." He then looked at his watch and glanced into the distance, excitedly saying, "Brother Qi, he's here, a bit early today."

Chen Chuan ran into the long alley following his usual route. This section of the road was relatively flat, and he would usually speed up a bit.

But this time, when he reached the middle of the alley, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He saw five or six people with pipes in their hands walking towards him with malicious intent, their faces all showing mocking and vicious expressions.

Seeing this, he immediately stopped, and as if sensing something, he looked back to find that the way he came was also blocked by many figures.

People from both sides were slowly walking towards him, at the same time tapping and scraping the walls with the pipes in their hands, making a harsh noise, as if to increase the pressure on him.

At the same time, in a building somewhere, a young man was doing inverted push-ups there, and he also saw this scene, "Huh? Did this guy offend someone?"Brother Qi, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked down with disdain. From his position, he could clearly see people from both sides slowly closing in.

Chen Chuan looked up. The long alley was flanked by dilapidated walls, topped with shards of broken glass, making it difficult to climb over. Moreover, entering a residential building would only cause trouble for others.

Since there was no way out, he decided not to leave.

He unbuttoned the front of his shirt, revealing the white shirt underneath, and after taking it off, he threw his outer garment far to the side.

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While the clothes were still in mid-air, he stepped on the ground, and in an instant, his Second Self merged with him. A cloud of dust rose from the ground as he darted forward!

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