“Alright, I’ll be the witness. You all can gamble, but it has nothing to do with my experiment,” Uncle Mang said in a mechanical tone. “Young man, take off your shirt and lie on the bed. But before that, you need to pay 3,000 upfront. If you can endure it, the money will be refunded, and future massages will be free.”
“I’ll transfer it to your account,” Sister Nie said, taking a seat nearby.
Zhou Chun, standing on the side, smirked coldly.
He didn’t believe for a second that this kid could endure the massage.
“Face up,” Uncle Mang said, seemingly perceiving Su Jie lying facedown on the massage bed. Somehow, with a single motion, he flipped Su Jie over effortlessly.
Under Uncle Mang’s hands, Su Jie felt like a pancake—turned over with the flick of a wrist.
Then Uncle Mang’s thumb and forefinger pressed into a spot three inches below Su Jie’s navel with considerable force.
“Ah!”
It felt as if a knife stabbed into Su Jie’s abdomen, twisting his intestines. To make it worse, it was as if salt and chili were being rubbed into the wound.
Su Jie nearly cried out and bolted for the door. But when the scream reached his throat, he suppressed it, utilizing the relaxation techniques taught by Odell to tighten his entire body against the pain.
Sure enough, the pain lessened significantly.
“Hmm?” Uncle Mang nodded slightly, intrigued. His technique shifted, and he suddenly flipped Su Jie over again, pressing firmly on his lower back.
“Arrghr!”
Su Jie clenched his teeth so hard he nearly ground them to dust.
His body tensed to its utmost, experiencing an intensity of pain he had never known before.
However, he realized this was an excellent training method.
Since Odell left, no one had been there to help him hone his martial arts practice.
The principle of hard-body martial arts was simple: use external stimuli to strengthen muscles and nerves to their maximum potential. Under conscious control, the body could become as soft as water or as hard as steel.
However, mastering this skill required precise control of external force, or it could lead to injury and significant harm to the body.
Soft martial arts focused on aerobic exercise and were the safest, but progress was slow, and they lacked combat effectiveness. Hard martial arts, on the other hand, involved anaerobic exercise, which was popular in global combat sports. They were highly effective and deadly but came with high risks of injury.
According to Odell’s research, mastering hard-body martial arts properly could enhance metabolism, boost cellular vitality, and make the skin more resilient and sensitive—achieving cat-like agility.
Many professional athletes incorporated elements of hard-body training. The most typical example was Muay Thai fighters, whose harsh training often led to debilitating injuries at a young age, even forcing some world champions to retire early.
‘Relax, tense, relax, tense…’ Su Jie had no other thoughts in his mind, focusing solely on rhythmically controlling his body. This reduced the pain significantly.
He never cried out.
This surprised Sister Nie more and more.
Even Uncle Mang’s expression shifted slightly.
Zhou Chun was stunned.
He had experienced Uncle Mang’s massage methods—it was pure agony, like dying and coming back to life.
‘Could Uncle Mang be faking it? Did he go easy on this kid? Impossible! Uncle Mang wouldn’t pull his punches,’ Zhou Chun thought, knowing Uncle Mang’s character. ‘I refuse to believe this kid can endure it.’
Uncle Mang’s massage became faster and more intense. Each press brought searing pain, yet Su Jie endured it, despite sweating profusely.
Finally, Uncle Mang pressed on Su Jie’s neck.
Su Jie felt as if his head had been severed, with the pain shooting through his entire body. On top of that, a strong sense of fear washed over him—like standing on the brink of death.
Uncle Mang continued to massage Su Jie’s neck. Each press felt like another death, the pain and fear indescribable.
Fortunately, Su Jie had been practicing the “Great Corpse State” meditation nightly, training himself to simulate the sensation of death and rebirth. Without this mental preparation, he wouldn’t have lasted.
Uncle Mang and Sister Nie’s astonishment grew stronger with each moment.
Finally, after a series of precise techniques, Uncle Mang stopped.
A full round of his heavy-handed massage was something few could endure. Yet, Su Jie had made it through.
“Impossible!” Zhou Chun exclaimed.
“Zhou Chun, are you trying to back out of the bet? Or do you think Uncle Mang went easy on him?” Sister Nie said, exhaling in relief. The wager involved a rare jar of wine—more valuable than a house.
“Where did you learn your hard-body martial arts? And you’ve even practiced the advanced meditation of the Great Corpse State to perfection?” Uncle Mang suddenly asked.
Su Jie snapped back to reality, feeling utterly drained.
Yet his bones, muscles, and spirit felt as if they were soaking in warm water—comfortable beyond words. The experience was euphoric, almost like ascending to heaven.
Uncle Mang’s massage was akin to hellish torture, but afterward, the sense of relief was unmatched. This was the hallmark of a skilled masseur.
Sweetness after suffering.
Su Jie didn’t want to speak; he just wanted to enjoy the moment. His entire body was so relaxed that even talking felt like a chore.
This single massage had elevated his martial arts to a new level.
No wonder Odell had stayed here for so long—there truly were extraordinary people in this place.
“I won’t renege on the bet,” Zhou Chun muttered darkly, leaving with a stormy expression. As he exited, he glared at Su Jie. “Kid, you’ve got some nerve.”
“I knew he had mastered hard-body martial arts,” Sister Nie said, pulling Uncle Mang outside so Su Jie could rest.
Once outside, she whispered, “Hard-body martial arts demand a lot from both the trainer and the trainee. The trainer must precisely control the intensity, while the trainee needs extraordinary talent—single-minded focus, pain tolerance, and the ability to alternate between tension and relaxation. The Great Corpse State seems simple—just lying down in a spread-eagle position—but the simpler something is, the harder it is to master. Few succeed, yet this student has only trained for a month.”
“His bones and muscles are exceptionally well-formed. Whoever trained him is remarkable,” Uncle Mang commented, based on his expert understanding of the human body. “At sixteen or seventeen, he’s at the optimal stage for development—he’s a promising talent.”
“Your heavy-handed massage is hellish at first but ultimately builds resilience. It’s an extreme method of strengthening mental toughness. But be careful—it’s risky. If anything goes wrong, it could be disastrous,” Sister Nie warned.
“I know my limits,” Uncle Mang replied dismissively. “This student is interesting. Since you handle personnel at the academy, why not cultivate him? With two or three years of training, he’d excel as a professional fighter or stunt performer.”
“I already suggested it, but he said he’d think about it. He’ll probably return for more massages. If you can convince him to join my mixed martial arts class, I’ll share half the wine I just won,” Sister Nie offered temptingly.
“You mean it?” Uncle Mang seemed intrigued by the mention of the rare wine.
After lying down for half an hour, the euphoric sensation finally subsided. Su Jie got up, his heart brimming with joy.
‘This massage method can significantly improve my hard-body martial arts,’ Su Jie thought. ‘I was worried about training after trainer Odell left, but now I’ve found the perfect solution.’
“Are you planning to use my heavy-handed massage to enhance your martial arts?” Uncle Mang entered, his empty eyes staring straight at Su Jie.
“Uncle Mang, I’m just a beginner. Is there even room for improvement?” Su Jie asked sincerely. He treated everyone as a teacher and remained humble despite his progress.
Uncle Mang nodded approvingly at Su Jie’s humility and thirst for knowledge. “At your age, understanding the principles of hard-body martial arts and mastering the Great Corpse State meditation speaks to your exceptional mental toughness. You’ve achieved what Wang Yangming called ‘unity of knowledge and action.’”
“Unity of knowledge and action,” Su Jie repeated. “I’ve heard that before—it means doing what you know is beneficial. It’s hard for most people, even when they know it’s good to exercise or study. They still waste time on games and laziness. My teacher explained this, and I forced myself to follow it until it became a habit.”
Su Jie’s daily habit of journaling was born during that period.
“I won’t ask who trained you,” Uncle Mang said. “According to my rules, since you endured my heavy-handed massage, I’ll provide it for free in the future. Come here every night before bed for a 30-minute session.”
“Thank you, Uncle Mang,” Su Jie said, bowing before getting ready to leave.
“Wait,” Uncle Mang stopped him. “Let’s chat a bit, shall we?”
“Alright,” Su Jie said, sitting obediently with his hands on his knees like a diligent student, ready to listen.
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