Doctor and His Glamorous Sister-in-Law-Chapter 613 - 616: Erlang Fist

This left Ning Hua with an exasperated expression.

After finishing his practice, Liu Ergou looked up at Ning Hua with an expectant gaze. Ning Hua simply smiled at him before delivering another fierce kick to his rear.

The kick sent Liu Ergou flying two or three meters straight into the air before he came crashing back down. He landed grimacing, clutching his backside and yelping about how much it hurt.

Looking up at Ning Hua, Liu Ergou said indignantly, "Senior Sister, that's enough!"

"Why do you keep hitting my bottom? You're going way too far!"

"If you keep this up, I'm calling Master to tattle on you!"

"It's one thing not to teach me anything, but why are you hitting me?"

Hearing this, a vein throbbed on Ning Hua's forehead.

She roared at him, "Liu Ergou, are you even listening to yourself? Do you hear the nonsense you're spouting?"

"What do you mean, the Flying Swallow Piercing Heart Kick is for women? By that logic, you should go complain about how Wing Chun was originally created for women, only to be popularized later by Master Ye Wen."

"Go on, I dare you to criticize Master Ye Wen!"

Confronted by her fury, Liu Ergou shrank back and didn't dare say another word.

But Ning Hua had no intention of letting him off the hook. "So what if it was made for a woman?" she continued to rage. "Then how come you can't beat a woman who uses it!"

"Master also learned the Flying Swallow Piercing Heart Kick! Go ahead and say that to his face! See if he doesn't kick you until you look like a sieve!"

"And you complain about me hitting you? It's a testament to my good temper that I haven't beaten you to death!"

Although he had been thoroughly berated by Ning Hua, Liu Ergou still muttered under his breath, "But I really don't think leg techniques are for me!"

"Fist and palm strikes are so much better. One punch, one down. One slap, one down. With kicks, what am I supposed to do if I lift my leg and my pants rip?"

Liu Ergou's words left Ning Hua utterly speechless. She had intended to lecture him some more, but seeing his pitiful expression, she let out a long sigh.

"Ugh, I give up! How could Master have been so blind as to accept a disciple like you?"

With that, Ning Hua rummaged around in her robes for a moment before pulling out a tattered-looking book and tossing it in front of Liu Ergou.

"You want to learn fist techniques? Fine, you got it!"

"This is the Erlang Fist. You're lucky to get it!"

Hearing this, Liu Ergou's spirits instantly lifted. He scrambled forward, picked up the manual, and began examining it carefully.

As he looked, he commented, "Senior Sister, the name of this fist style is so imposing! Erlang Fist... Was it practiced by the god Erlang himself?"

His question rendered Ning Hua speechless for the third time. She desperately wanted to march over and punch him again, but she held back.

Patience. Beating up Liu Ergou isn't something to be rushed. There will be plenty of chances later.

Hitting him now would be a waste of energy. She was better off saving her strength for when they sparred. Then she could give him a proper thrashing—one so thorough he wouldn't be able to care for himself.

Thinking this, Ning Hua pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Then let me ask you," she said, her voice dripping with exasperation, "is there a wife inside a wife cake?"

"Are there a husband and wife in 'husband and wife lung slices'? Is there fish in 'fish-fragrant shredded pork'?"

"Is there a pockmarked old woman in 'mapo tofu'?"

Her tirade left Liu Ergou completely speechless. He realized he had misunderstood.

Seeing him quiet down, Ning Hua continued, "I won't get into the specific origins of the Erlang Fist. You can look it up on Baidu later since you have a phone."

"I'll tell you the key points for its cultivation. The Erlang Fist is an external martial art that emphasizes skill and technique. It's not the kind of style that relies on powerful, sweeping movements."

"The characteristics of the Erlang Fist are strikes as swift as lightning and withdrawals like a searing brand."

"It prioritizes leg techniques and footwork. The legs are primary, and the fists are secondary!"

Liu Ergou, who was still flipping through the manual, froze when he heard that the legs were primary.

"What?! No way!" he exclaimed, his face crestfallen. "If the legs are the main focus, it should be called Erlang Legs, not Erlang Fist!"

"Besides, Senior Sister, I wanted a fist technique, not a leg technique! We may have our issues, but you can't do this to me!"

"Give me a different fist style! I'd even take Wing Chun, or Tai Chi if not that! Even Arhat Fist would do—the kind that any secular disciple of Shaolin can learn!"

Ning Hua replied without a moment's hesitation, "Still haven't given up, have you?"

"I can't get my hands on authentic Wing Chun or Tai Chi manuals. As for Arhat Fist, you can go ask the Shaolin Temple for it. You could just become a monk while you're at it and spare women the trouble!"

"Besides, this Erlang Fist manual is all I have. Take it or leave it. If you won't learn it, then get lost!"

"Our Flying Swallow Sect has always passed down leg techniques. The skills within the Flying Swallow Piercing Heart Kick are entirely in the legs; the hands aren't used at all!"

"You're lucky I even have a manual for Erlang Fist!"

Her words left Liu Ergou utterly hopeless. After a moment of internal conflict, he sighed and resignedly continued to study the manual.

Seeing that he wasn't talking back anymore, Ning Hua nodded in satisfaction. But seeing his miserable expression, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

She told him, "I really don't have any other fist technique manuals. This is it. These days, the core techniques of every sect are closely guarded secrets. All you can find are knock-off versions, and those are only good for performances. In a real fight, you'd probably get yourself killed in two punches!"

"If you're really set against it, then do this: go through the Erlang Fist manual, pick a few techniques that suit you, and learn from Cheng Yaojin—just master three moves!"

Liu Ergou's eyes lit up at her suggestion.

That's right! Senior Sister is right. How did I not think of that brilliant idea?

Filled with renewed hope, he began to eagerly flip through the Erlang Fist manual once more. The entire afternoon passed with him engrossed in his study.

「The next morning」

Liu Ergou, sporting dark circles under his eyes, went through his cultivation routine before following Ning Hua up the mountain again.

Noticing his haggard appearance, Ning Hua asked, "The Erlang Fist manual I gave you yesterday, how much did you read?"

Liu Ergou replied, "I was up all night reading it. I think I pretty much finished the whole thing. There are a lot of techniques in it, so I just got the gist of it."

Ning Hua was stunned by his words.

Got the gist? That's quite a boast.

I had Swallow Li himself teach me the Flying Swallow Piercing Heart Kick step-by-step, and even after a whole day, I couldn't properly execute a single move.

And here was Liu Ergou, after just one night with the Erlang Fist manual, daring to claim he'd gotten the gist of it. The Erlang Fist was known to be incredibly complex to learn; its intricate leg techniques, footwork, and fist forms would each take a normal person a very long time to master.