novelslam Chapter 41 Upgrade: I've Become a Special Forces Teacher!
Chapter 41 Upgrade: I've Become a Special Forces Teacher!
The night is dark.
The American delegation was sent away from the base overnight in a state of near disorientation. Their chief instructor, "The Butcher," remained silent after recovering, but before getting into the car, he gave Ma Cong a deep look with an extremely complex expression—a look that contained resentment, confusion, awe, and even a hint of longing.
He knew he had encountered a completely new power beyond his comprehension. A door to a new world had opened a crack in him, only to slam shut again—a feeling worse than death.
Inside the training hall at the base, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the night outside. It was brightly lit and bustling with activity. Twenty special forces soldiers surrounded Ma Cong, their faces filled with barely suppressed excitement and fervor.
"Teacher Ma! You're amazing! You're like a god descended to earth!" "Yeah, Teacher Ma, what kind of skill was that last move? How did that big black guy fall down with just a light touch of his finger?" "And that spinning footwork was so cool! It was like dancing, it made him dizzy!"
The team members chattered away, like a group of elementary school students seeing their idol, asking all sorts of questions. They were now filled with endless curiosity about every single move Ma Cong made.
Ma Cong was a little annoyed by their noise, but looking at those eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge, he felt a sense of relief.
"Quiet!"
Shi Lei stepped forward and loudly silenced the team members' noise. He straightened his clothes and, to everyone's astonishment, suddenly knelt down on one knee!
He raised his head and looked at Ma Cong with incredibly solemn and eager eyes: "Teacher Ma! Please accept me as your apprentice!"
His voice was loud and firm, echoing throughout the training hall.
All the team members were stunned. They never expected their captain, who was always arrogant and unruly, to make such a move. Given Shi Lei's status and power, he was practically untouchable throughout the entire military region; there was probably no one he would willingly kneel before. And now, he was performing this grand gesture before a "teacher" several years younger than himself.
After a brief moment of shock, Tank also came to his senses. Without thinking, he knelt down with a thud, even more directly than Shi Lei—both kneeling on the ground, he kowtowed three times to Ma Cong.
"Teacher Ma! Please accept me too! I, Tank, have never submitted to anyone in my life, except you! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west! If you tell me to die, I won't even flinch!" His voice was tinged with tears.
He was truly and utterly captivated by Ma Cong's charisma. He had always thought his brute strength was invincible, but after witnessing Ma Cong's miraculous "power," he realized how laughable and utterly vulnerable his former pride was. He too wanted to learn that truly "living" power!
With Shi Lei and Tank taking the lead, the other team members also reacted one after another. "Thump! Thump!" A series of kneeling sounds rang out as twenty of China's top special forces elites knelt down on one knee in front of Ma Cong.
"Please, Teacher Ma, accept us as your apprentices!"
Their unified roar soared into the sky, making the roof of the training hall seem to vibrate. Their eyes were sincere and eager.
Ma Cong was also moved by the shocking scene before him. He knew that from this moment on, he had truly and completely won over the hearts of these chosen ones.
He stepped forward and helped Shi Lei and Tank, who were kneeling at the front, to their feet. "Get up," he said gently. "I'm here to teach you martial arts. Taking on apprentices is just a formality; there's no need for that."
"No!" Shi Lei stubbornly refused to get up. "Teacher Ma, this is different! A teacher for a day is a father for life! We sincerely want to become your students and learn real Chinese martial arts, not just treat you as a temporary instructor!"
"Yes, Teacher Ma!" Tank said in a deep voice, "Please take us in! We promise we won't let you down!"
Looking at their determined faces, Ma Cong pondered for a moment. He understood what they meant—in traditional martial arts, master and instructor are two completely different concepts. Instructors only teach techniques, while masters pass on the "way" and are responsible for their disciples' entire lives; this is a deeper and more solid relationship of inheritance.
"Alright." Ma Cong nodded. "Since you're so willing, from today onwards, you are my disciples, Ma Cong's disciples."
"Why is he a nominal disciple?" Tank asked, somewhat puzzled.
Ma Cong smiled and explained, "The rules for the inheritance of Chinese martial arts are very strict. Only by passing the master's rigorous tests and having one's character, comprehension, and perseverance recognized can one become a true 'disciple' and receive the most core inheritance. You have only just taken your first step; the road ahead is still long."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei and the others showed no disappointment; instead, they became even more excited. They understood that Teacher Ma had acknowledged their identities and pointed them to a path to continuous advancement!
"Yes, Master!"
This time, they changed their address, and their voices were louder and filled with more heartfelt respect than before!
"Get up, everyone," Ma Cong said again.
"Yes, Master!"
The twenty disciples stood up in unison, each one standing ramrod straight, their eyes filled with pride and glory.
Just then, General Zhou and Qin Zhenshan walked over with beaming smiles. "Haha, congratulations, Teacher Ma! No, you should be called Master Ma now!" General Zhou joked gleefully. "You've just taken on twenty precious disciples!"
"It's their honor, and it's also a blessing for Chinese martial arts!" Qin Zhenshan exclaimed, looking at the vibrant scene before him, feeling as if he had become decades younger.
Ma Cong nodded to the two old generals, then turned to face his twenty new disciples, his expression turning serious: "Since you have become my disciples, there are some things I need to explain to you."
"What I'm teaching you is traditional Chinese martial arts, a skill for killing, not gymnastics for physical fitness. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it; the same applies to martial arts. You must remember that with great power comes great responsibility. The skills you learn can only be used in two places in the future—one is to protect your country and kill enemies on the battlefield; the other is to help the weak and oppressed and uphold justice in life."
"If anyone dares to bully the weak or commit evil deeds just because they've learned some martial arts..." Ma Cong's eyes suddenly turned cold, "then I will personally cripple their martial arts!"
His voice wasn't loud, but the undeniable, icy will it carried sent a chill down the spines of all the disciples.
"Disciple understands!" "We will obey Master's orders!" the twenty people replied in unison.
"Okay." Ma Cong nodded in satisfaction. "Now, you can ask me any questions you have."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Tank eagerly raised his hand: "Master! I want to ask, what was the principle behind your last blow to that big black guy? I didn't think you used much force, so why did he look like he'd been struck by lightning?"
This is a question that everyone has in mind.
Ma Cong smiled and said, "What I just used was a variation of 'inch force' called 'springing force'. The force you used before was 'squeezed' out of your muscles, which is clumsy and lifeless. But 'force' comes from 'shaking' out of your tendons and bones, which is vitality and energy."
As he spoke, he held up one finger: "Look."
He lightly tapped the tank's chest with his finger: "I'm going to push you now using what you understand as 'force.'" With that, the muscles in his arm tensed suddenly, and he pushed forward with force. The tank, weighing over 200 pounds, was pushed back a step.
"Can you feel it? This force is forward and continuous; you can sense its direction and fight against it."
"Mmm!" Tank nodded repeatedly.
"Now, feel this again."
Ma Cong's fingers were still on the tank's chest. This time, his arm was completely relaxed, and his wrist and fingers flicked forward very slightly and quickly—the movement was so small that it was almost invisible.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Tank was jolted backward as if electrocuted, landing hard on his backside. Clutching his chest, he exclaimed in horror, "I...I'm screwed!"
He felt as if a steel needle had suddenly pierced his chest. The force was sharp and brief, yet extremely penetrating! He didn't have time to react at all before his blood and qi surged violently!
"See that?" Ma Cong withdrew his finger and said to the disciples who were dumbfounded, "This is 'Jin' (internal strength). It is formless and shapeless, yet it is everywhere. It comes from the 'stances' you stand in every day and the 'steps' you take every day. When you can train all the tendons and bones in your body to be like a single, strong tendon, and be able to instantly transmit power from the soles of your feet to any part of your body—that's when you can be considered to have truly entered the gate of Chinese martial arts."
Ma Cong's words were like a key, unlocking the long-sealed doors in the hearts of all the disciples. They looked at Tank, sitting on the ground with a bewildered expression, then at the composed Ma Cong, their eyes filled with boundless anticipation for the future!