Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

Editor: Inschain

Finally breaking through her “martial barrier,” Zhao Baiyu unleashed the Sixty-Four Hands and made the real Flowing Clouds and Running Water.

She was no longer confined by the forms or restricted by the verses; she struck wherever her thoughts took her.

Leading and following seamlessly, balancing strength with softness, mixing the unpredictable with the orthodox, her moves exuded the essence of a fluttering flag, and her energy flowed like a drifting cloud. Her fists and feet transformed endlessly.

“Truly, a good student comes from a good master!”

Two senior guests from the martial arts community watched Zhao Baiyu’s enlightenment on the stage and couldn’t help but feel moved.

“She’s a rare talent, but the young man is even more extraordinary.”

“Indeed, at such a young age, he exudes the aura of a grandmaster. His generosity in aiding others to succeed in the arena is commendable.”

“It’s not just that. Look closely; while the young woman fights well, the young man has never been at a disadvantage. His blocks are stable, and his counters are precise. It may seem unremarkable, but it’s the epitome of ‘less is more.\'”

“He hasn’t shown his full strength yet…”

As they spoke, Zhao Baiyu finished her Sixty-Four Hands and stepped back from the ring. She respectfully bowed with a clenched fist toward Qian Quan, performing a salute befitting her younger status.

Everyone saw this and knew the outcome even before the judges announced it.

However, many in the audience didn’t understand why Zhao Baiyu, who performed so gracefully, ended up losing to Qian Quan.

A clever audience member inferred, “Think about it. Zhao Baiyu fought so well, yet she couldn’t defeat Qian Quan. It just shows that Qian Quan is no slouch either.”

Experts in the audience, like Li Zihe, were flabbergasted. He knew very well the level of skill Zhao Baiyu had.

And Qian Quan…

He recalled how he’d sought out Qian Quan in the past, trying to intimidate him by breaking bricks, thinking about it now felt somewhat awkward.

In the end, the judges announced that Qian Quan, who had the upper hand throughout, won the competition and became the champion of this tournament.

Besides the prize money, trophy, and certificate of honor, he also earned the title “Sixth Star of the Big Dipper.”

Zhao Baiyu clapped in complete sincerity, leaving those who felt unjust for her dumbfounded.

Turns out, there were no dark tricks or shenanigans.

After the award ceremony, the host declared the end of this “Freshmen Partner Tournament.”

Then came the time for media interviews.

As the winners of the first and second places, both with stunning personal images, Qian Quan and Zhao Baiyu were the obvious choices for interviews.

“Baiyu, do you have any comments on the outcome of this competition?”

“Very satisfied.”

“Any regrets?”

Zhao Baiyu spoke sincerely and affirmatively, “Not only do I have no regrets, but I also feel extremely fortunate. 1 think even when I’m eighty years old, I will still be grateful for participating in this competition and meeting such a great opponent as Qian Quan. 1 will be thankful to him forever.”

“Why are you thankful to Qian Quan?”

“Let’s not go into details, but for now, he’s like a mentor to me.”

On the other side, Qian Quan was also being interviewed. Seeing that the media’s logo was from Azure Bay TV, he immediately became serious.

“I believe this is a very meaningful competition. It not only enriches our extracurricular lives as college students but also resonates with our country’s call for the theme: ‘Balancing Physical and Mental Growth’. It also serves as a beneficial promotion of our nation’s traditional culture.”

“Compared to this, 1 don’t think winning or losing is important. What’s important is that every student has shown a spirit of braving difficulties and aspiring to excel during the competition.”

“This spirit will inspire every student, making them realize the importance of physical fitness.”

“In my opinion, this is the real purpose behind organizing this competition!”

Though the media personnel felt that the interview could be used without any editing, they couldn’t help but internally scoff:

“Are you sure you’re not a plant set up by the organizers?”

“Your speech sounds like it’s at the level of a student council vice president in charge of publicity.”

After the interviews, Qian Quan, Zhao Baiyu, and Xun Liangping met two big names in the martial arts world and received guidance from the Masters.

Upon meeting Qian Quan, the first thing they asked was about his martial arts school. Learning that his skills were passed down in his family, they couldn’t help but express admiration.

“As expected, heroes come from the youth.”

“The younger generation drives progress forward.”

Then, the Masters gave specific pointers to Xun Liangping and Zhao Baiyu. They took their time because they knew both students came from renowned schools and shared valuable insights.

When it came to Qian Quan, they chuckled, “Since we haven’t seen you give it your all, we’re not sure what to say. What do you think Baiyu should practice next in her set of skills?”

“Less is more, I’d say,” Qian Quan responded.

The Masters laughed, “Well, we won’t teach a fish how to swim, then.”

Qian Quan didn’t know what to say.

After meeting the Masters, Qian Quan was going to take photos with members of his university’s martial arts association and then go find Ding Linlang.

However, just as he finished taking photos, Li Zihe and Zhao Baiyu’s father, Zhao Chunjia, found him.

The former looked like he had something to say but changed his mind upon seeing Zhao Chunjia, simply offering a greeting.

“Since Zihe is here, that’s great; we can all have dinner together.”

Zhao Chunjia was immensely grateful to Qian Quan for helping his daughter break through her martial arts barrier and forming a mentor-student relationship. He planned to host a dinner at home to thank Qian Quan.

Although Qian Quan initially wanted to decline, Zhao Chunjia cited connections ranging from his father-in-law to his wife Huang Lingyan, who was Qian Quan’s senior at school, and finally to Zhao Baiyu’s Master, Gong Xuanzhu.

Unable to refuse any further, and genuinely interested in meeting Gong Xuanzhu to discuss the “Golden Sound Jade Vibration Sixty-Four Hands,” Qian Quan accepted the invitation.

When Li Zihe heard that his master would also be attending, he quickly found an excuse to decline.

“Sorry, Mr. Zhao, I have something going on at school. After visiting Ajiu, I need to head back to Hangzhou immediately. So, 1 won’t be going.”

Zhao Chunjia didn’t press the issue.

After agreeing with Zhao Chunjia, Qian Quan went to find Ding Linlang.

Having watched the whole competition, Ding Linlang had a lot of questions for Qian Quan.

“Was the martial art you used during the match Wing Chun?”

“Yep.”

“When did you learn it?”

“I remember we talked about this the last time we were in Hangzhou.”

“A one-in-a-million martial arts prodigy, huh? I’ve accepted that narrative. My question is, did you learn Wing Chun before or after me?”

Qian Quan suddenly recalled their agreement.

“After you. 1 had an epiphany.”

Ding Linlang chuckled softly and didn’t press further. Changing the topic to today’s competition, she said, “During your match earlier, 1 heard many people discussing that Zhao Baiyu should’ve won.”

“But it seemed like she ultimately conceded defeat to you willingly.”

“She had hit a plateau; I gave her some inspiration,” Qian Quan grinned.

Being an online writer, Ding Linlang instantly understood what Qian Quan meant, asking, “You’re saying that in real-world martial arts training, there’s actually something like a ‘leveling bottleneck’?”

“Yes, just like writer’s block or block during scientific research.”

“This explanation works, I’ve been feeling a bit uneasy lately when writing about the ranking system in my paper. I’ll use this to clarify.”

Qian Quan nodded with a smile and said, “By the way, they’re inviting me to dinner tonight.”

“Zhao Baiyu?”

“Her parents, grandfather, and Master.”

Ding Linlang nodded, “Makes sense. If someone could give me some guidance, no, even a mini-outline when I’m stuck in writing, I’d want to make them my mentor on the spot.”

“Spot guidance is at most a ‘one-time mentor’ or a ‘half-mentor’.”

“That’s pretty good. There are many examples of masters and apprentices falling in love; it’s a nice arrangement,” Ding Linlang said.

“Hey, speaking of which, Zhuge Zhelan and Feng Lingxi are masters and disciples, too,” blurted out Qian Quan, immediately regretting it.

Sure enough, Ding Linlang stopped in her tracks, turning to stare at Qian Quan, “How did you know it?”