THE SMILING PROUD WANDERER by Jin Yong

Seat Fighting Part 2

"Hearing these words," Yilin went on, "Tian Boguang did not get angry at all. He simply said with a grin, 'Brother Linghu, Tian Boguang admires your courage and personality, not your Kung Fu.'

"Big brother Linghu immediately followed, 'Linghu Chong admires your fast knife strokes while standing up, but not your fast knife strokes while sitting down.'

"'There's something you don't know,' Tian Boguang explained. 'When I was a young boy, my legs had problems. For two years, I was only able to practice my knife skills sitting down. Fighting while sitting down is actually my specialty. Just now when I was fighting the bull...bull...priest, I wasn't really deriding his skills; I was just used to fighting while sitting down, so I got lazy and didn't bother standing up. Brother Linghu, you are not as good as I am in this department.'

"'Brother Tian, there's something you don't know either,' big brother Linghu also started explaining. 'Because of the problems of your legs, you had to practice your knife skills while sitting down for two years. That was only two years. My other Kung Fu skills are not as good, but fighting while sitting down, I am really better. I practice my sword skills while sitting down every single day.'"

At these words, all eyes turned toward Lao Denuo, all wondering, "Is there really a special Huashan sword form that is practiced while sitting down?"

Lao Denuo shook his head. "Big senior brother was just kidding. Our sword school does not have such a type of martial arts."

Yilin went on with the story, "Tian Boguang appeared to be taken by surprise. 'Really?' he said. 'Then I must be ignorant. I'd like to see this Huashan Sword School's Sit...Sit...What's the name of the sword art?'

"'This sword art was not taught by my respectful Master. I created it myself,' big brother Linghu grinned.

"Tian Boguang's face turned solemn at these words. 'I see,' he said. 'Brother Linghu, you must be a genius. That is very admirable!'"

Everyone in the hall knew exactly why Tian Boguang was so moved. In one's study of the Martial Arts, it was very difficult to create a new set of sword arts or hand fighting forms. One would have to have both first-class Kung Fu skills and outstanding knowledge and intelligence to find a way to create new moves. A big school like the Huashan Sword School had been in existence for several hundred years. Each move of Huashan Sword School's martial arts moves was improved and tested thousands of times. It would have been very difficult to even modify just one of its existing moves, let alone to create a new set of sword arts.

"Did big senior brother create a new set of sword arts?" Lao Denuo thought to himself. "How come he never mentioned this to the Master?"

Yilin continued, "Big brother Linghu grinned. 'This set of sword arts is very smelly. There is nothing to admire about it.'

"Tian Boguang was confused. 'Why is it very smelly?' he asked. I was also very confused. A set of sword arts could be bad; how could it be smelly?

"Big brother Linghu then explained, 'Well, to tell you the truth, every morning when I go to the bathroom and sit on the toilet, there are always annoying flies flying around, so I would pick up my sword and try to kill the flies. In the beginning, I could hardly hit any of the flies, but after many days, my thrusts got better, and I could hit some of them. Gradually, my mind and thrusts worked in harmony, and I was able to create a set of sword arts out of thrusting at the flies. When I use this sword art, I am always sitting on a toilet, so of course it would be a bit smelly.'

"Hearing this, I could not help laughing. Big brother Linghu was so funny. How could anyone practice sword arts like that? But when Tian Boguang heard these words, his face turned livid.