Counterfeit Hero

Although this number does not include civilian Mecha masters, it is enough to show how awe-inspiring a Level 9 Mecha Warrior is!

However, the commander of the Desic Empire's third Mechanical Armor Group, Level 9 Mecha Warrior Aistrazzi, whose ranking is only six places apart from Reinhardt on the military mecha rankings, unexpectedly couldn't handle an unknown Fatty despite attacking with full force at forty-six movements per second. Moreover, Fatty, whose right hand was almost crippled, still forced Aistrazzi to retreat step by step, how could this not astonish Bonnie?

What on earth is going on?

Tian Xingjian's eyes grew increasingly bright. At this moment, he was completely oblivious to himself, wholly immersed in the fervor of Mecha Martial Arts. At the instant his right hand reached its limit, he almost despaired. However, the decreased hand speed, the opponent's attack, and the accidental embrace in desperation allowed him to take a significant leap forward in Mecha Fighting.

This crucial step, which involved abandoning speed and efficiency and completely discarding all effective traditional fighting methods of the mecha, using the oldest martial arts techniques, was something Fatty could never accomplish, despite having fast hands and having accepted the basic principles of Mecha Fighting.

Current mecha combat typically emphasizes speed enhancement and the use of the simplest and most direct fighting skills. Every Mecha Warrior believes in having enough speed, enough strength, and the simplest and most direct ways of attacking.

Though Fatty had been mindful of incorporating Ancient Chinese Martial Arts into Mecha Fighting since his encounter with the [Vajra] in the Low Ridge Jungle, and had focused on strengthening various Martial Arts techniques in Mecha Fighting during his daily training, he still couldn't resolve the inherent contradiction between traditional martial arts and efficiency!

What White Crane Showing Wings, Embracing Tiger Returning to Mountain, Hand Waving Pipa, Wild Horse Splitting Manes, damn it, do people actually fight like this?

Many techniques, in Fatty's view, were completely redundant like taking off one's pants to fart. Fighting emphasizes speed and power, using the shortest and most direct path to attack the enemy's most critical spots, this is real fighting. Anyone who started a fight with the Golden Chicken Stance and then flapping their arms like chicken wings, posing like a scarecrow, was purely a lunatic.

If Fatty encountered such a person, he would certainly hit them with a straight punch, making their face blossom like a peach tree, then have them pose for six hours facing the wall, no stopping, no rest.

Thus, he could never imagine himself doing such foolish things one day. After all, those long-lost Ancient Chinese Martial Arts, in modern eyes, are far from being the essence of fighting; lacking speed, lacking power, and many techniques even have no offensive value. For instance, the technique where one bends the knees, stamps the foot, joins legs, forms a fist with the right hand and strikes the left palm, in Fatty's view, is ridiculously stupid.

Should this move be called 'deep regret' or simply 'another unnecessary act'?

In this world, no one can truly comprehend martial arts anymore. Those Inner Strength techniques in martial arts novels are no more than fairy tales. So, even though Fatty seriously studied the significance of traditional martial arts in Mecha Fighting, aiming to integrate valuable aspects into Mecha Fighting, like the circular fluidity of Tai Chi and the inch force technique, and some soft moves that could complement [Logic]'s special alloy form, it was absolutely impossible for him to abandon hand speed and Mecha Fighting techniques altogether.

And the knowledge stored in Boswell's ancient computer wasn't something a person who had received space-age education like Fatty could completely absorb. At least, he didn't understand the opening statement of the Tai Chi Boxing Scripture.

The opening statement comes from the Tao Te Ching: All the world knows beauty to be beauty; in this way ugliness is already known. All the world knows good to be good; in this way bad is already known. So, existence and nonexistence give birth to one another, difficulty and ease complement each other, length and shortness decipher one another, height and depth fill in one another, music and sound harmonize with one another, front and back follow one another. Thus are all things kept in balance. Therefore, the sage deals with non-conscious matters, and teaches without using words; when things arise, he does not initiate them, he brings them to life, he does not own them, he acts but does not rely on them, accomplishes merit but does not dwell on it. Precisely because he does not dwell on it, he retains it.

Regarding the last few sentences of this passage, Tian Xingjian had once heard the 16th Armored Division of the Aviation Marine Corps commander Zhou Zhisen mention them: when things arise, he does not initiate them, he brings them to life, he does not own them, he acts but does not rely on them, accomplishes merit but does not dwell on it. Precisely because he does not dwell on it, he retains it. However, at that time, he did not understand the meaning of these words.

It wasn't until he inadvertently embraced the golden [Warhammer] that, during the accidental unleashing of a head hammer at ten movements per second, resulting in an unexpected effect, Fatty finally grasped a bit of the essence of Ancient Chinese Martial Arts!

Chinese Martial Arts truly emphasize controlling the outer strength with the inner mind. Those techniques, though seemingly redundant to ordinary people, become deadly moves if executed by a master with profound Inner Strength! Tai Chi isn't as soft as imagined; its continuous force is neither hard nor soft, fluctuating between hard and soft, quick and slow. The real power of Tai Chi lies in this unpredictability.

The Golden Chicken Stance and White Crane Showing Wings, if executed after an aerial kick and followed by a leg swipe, not only aren't foolish, but actually maintain balance while eliminating the need for the next preliminary move. Existence and nonexistence give birth to one another, front and back follow one another, this phrase truly resolves the conflict between speed, power, and traditional martial arts.

When speed reaches its peak, it appears like no movement, while ultimate slowness can block the opponent's attack paths in anticipated foresight. In fighting, regardless of speed, the true goal is to seize the initiative. Once you have the initiative, no matter the opponent's speed, you will always be in control.

Seizing the initiative once is commendable, but what is required is to seize it in every move. Predicting the opponent's strategy, attacking where they must defend, responding later but arriving first, seamlessly connecting every move—these sixteen words were Fatty's sudden realization. To achieve such results, Inner Strength as depicted in martial arts novels is indispensable. Yet, for Mecha Fighting, this is not a problem at all.

If a Martial Arts Master can shatter rocks with one punch, the Mecha's punch can turn rocks into dust, killing without fail. If a Martial Arts Master has tough skin and strong resistance, the Mecha's steel frame enhances this further, making it impervious to pain unless the cockpit is destroyed. If a Martial Arts Master is agile, the Mecha moves like lightning. In essence, the qualities of a legendary Martial Arts Master are all embodied in the Mecha!

Especially [Logic], a Mecha constructed with biological dual state metal, born for Tai Chi fighting.

Now, the reason Fatty could maneuver [Logic] at a hand speed of less than twenty movements per second in the midst of golden [Warhammer]'s storm-like attacks, achieving speed with speed, was entirely because [Logic] had completely grasped the subtleties of Ancient Chinese Martial Arts techniques—pull, lead, stroke, squeeze, press, pluck, stick, lean, forward and back seamlessly connecting continuously.

Embrace, elbow sight, hand waving pipa, as closed as closing, move after move seamlessly transitioning, pushing and squeezing without excessive balancing or advancing operations, every extension of an arm or leg prepares perfectly for the next move.

Fatty's hand speed even dropped from twenty movements per second to sixteen movements per second!

However, [Logic]'s moves became more fluid and faster, never straying from golden [Warhammer]'s critical spots.

Aistrazzi finally lost patience. Golden [Warhammer] soared to unleash two aerial kicks, striking [Logic]'s slow-moving as closed as closing arms, using the momentum to leap into the air, escaping [Logic]'s relentless offensive, flipping in the air, ready to deliver a downward strike.

But then [Logic] shot flames from its rear, the Mecha bolted like a rabbit touched by pepper spray, darting several meters in quick flashes, diving into the gap in the enclosing Mechas on two sides.

***********************

Not sure if this theory is explained clearly. I intend to arrange a fortuitous encounter scene later, paying homage to Jin Yong; I've always wished for such a fortunate encounter, so much so that every time I see a cliff, I fantasize about jumping off, getting caught by a tree, and discovering a cave below... will writing this get me scolded?

(To be continued. For more, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM to support the author and genuine reading!)