Chapter 106: Hundred Families Rice

As the name suggests, Hundred Families Rice means eating anyone's food, somewhat like describing a beggar; Wu Chengyu had no idea what it meant at first glance.

But after reading the annotations on the bamboo slips that followed, he learned this was not a martial art like Dou Zhuan Xing Yi, but more like a mathematical formula.

A formula that could cleverly unite martial arts from all schools and sects.

Somewhat like the Minor Formless Skill, but the Minor Formless Skill imitates other martial arts through inner force without changing its core.

Somewhat like the Tianshan Plucking Flower Hand, but the Tianshan Plucking Flower Hand absorbs and fuses the essence of other palm techniques.

In Wu Chengyu's view, this formula given by the bamboo slips was not as advanced as the Minor Formless Skill or the Tianshan Plucking Flower Hand; it was more like a method of grafting.

From a vast array of martial arts, select moves that can blend together, then form a new combination based on the concept of Hundred Families Rice. Various moves differ in how they use force and inner force, but Hundred Families Rice can generalize broadly, allowing the inner force of various moves not to conflict with each other.

Wu Chengyu always felt his Minor Formless Skill was simpler and more comfortable.

But if the method of Hundred Families Rice were given to others, it would be like chicken ribs; you must constantly fill it with content and complete the formula.

But Wu Chengyu happened to have this condition; besides major sects like Shaolin Temple, the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts must also have collected many martial arts from other sects.

Purely speaking as an individual, probably no one in the world possessed more martial arts secret manuals than Wu Chengyu.

How to use Hundred Families Rice gave Wu Chengyu much thought; after long consideration and reading many martial arts secret manuals, he chose to use Hundred Families Rice as the core processor for close-quarters combat.

If not using weapons, a person in close-quarters combat can use various parts of the body: head, fist, palm, finger, claw, leg, foot, even elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee.

Even each part has corresponding martial arts; fist, palm, finger, claw, and leg are the most numerous. Besides, the head has Iron Head Skill, the foot has Foot Stabbing, the shoulder and hip can rely on leaning against the mountain, and there are many techniques using elbows and knees, applied extensively in modern mixed martial arts, such as Muay Thai.

Wu Chengyu, who often watched mixed martial arts in modern times, was also deeply influenced in his fighting philosophy. In his view, if not considering paying money and going to jail, when fighting one should use every possible means; whichever body part can injure someone, use that. Tyson almost made Holyfield into a one-eared man using his mouth.

Fighting like this might not look good, lacking the demeanor of a master. If you asked Huang Yaoshi to use Iron Head Skill, he would give you a big slap instead.

But if it were truly a fight to the death, who cares about looking good? Practicality is still the most effective.

So Wu Chengyu selected from the martial arts secret manuals he possessed some that could blend with other martial arts: finger technique was Canhe Finger, palm technique was Deng Baichuan's Furious Palm Technique, claw technique was part of the essence from Jie Gu Qin Na Shou and Nine Yin Divine Claw.

Leg technique was Lie Feng Leg, fist technique was Great Subduing Demon Fist from the Nine Yin Manual, and corresponding moves were also found for other more obscure ones.

For example, elbow technique had Overlord Elbow; shoulder and hip were mostly used in wrestling. For this, Wu Chengyu specifically asked A Ku for advice, and Rely Shan Hold Back, this later-generation national martial art flow, he also simulated according to its concept.

He even found a nameless martial art specifically using knees in the secret manuals collected by the Murong Family (couldn't think of a name, who can help me pick one).

Among all martial arts, only Iron Head Skill was put aside by Wu Chengyu on a high shelf. In the Murong Family collection, Iron Head Skill and Copper Hammer Skill both existed, but after reading the secret manuals, he discovered that once practiced, one would inevitably become bald. Having been troubled by hair loss in his previous life, Wu Chengyu considered it again and again but still did not have this courage.

In recent years, with the help of the bamboo slips, Wu Chengyu initially filled some moves of these martial arts into Hundred Families Rice; it could be said to be roughly formed, needing the test of practice.

At the same time, he secretly made up his mind that in the future he must go to the Western Xia Imperial Palace Ruins or Tianshan Lingjiu Palace to take a look. If he could find the Minor Formless Skill and the Tianshan Plucking Flower Hand, taking the strengths of all three to make up for weaknesses, one day they would surely become divine arts and supreme techniques.

Thinking of this, Wu Chengyu immediately retreated one zhang, temporarily leaving the battlefield, then cupped his hands in a bow and said.

"Elder Hong, long time no see. Today this junior will use a set of Hundred Families Rice to meet you, this Number One Under Heaven Beggar."

Hong Qigong furrowed his brow. He did not think he had met Wu Chengyu, but Wu Chengyu's words clearly showed he was very familiar with him.

"Who exactly are you, kid?"

Wu Chengyu smiled without answering, firmly refusing to tell Hong Qigong, while opening all five senses to form a small-range three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

Using Hundred Families Rice, the most important thing is to analyze the opponent's moves in time, and then use different martial arts targetedly.

To achieve this, one must have extremely rich combat experience and deep understanding of martial arts, thereby forming the keenest intuition. When striking, do not overthink; intention in the move comes first, timely resolving the opponent's attack or attacking to save the ally. This intuition can be called reaching the subtle level.

Wu Chengyu was still far from the realm of reaching the subtle level, so he must use the three-dimensional stereoscopic image to observe any minute movement of the opponent's body at any time, just like looking at the shoulder before kicking the leg.

After the three-dimensional stereoscopic image mapped Hong Qigong's entire figure into his mind, Wu Chengyu rushed forward in a stride, raising his hand with a move from Great Subduing Demon Fist, Thunder Suddenly Appears.

This move came out like a thunderbolt; inner force condensed three cun before the fist bones but was not released. After the punch, tendons and bones sounded together, and the entire arm seemed to suddenly stretch several cun, catching people off guard. The striking direction was precisely Hong Qigong's lower jawbone.

Hong Qigong was calm and unhurried. His hand seemed slow but was actually fast, quickly placing on Wu Chengyu's fist, immediately resolving the internal energy brought by Wu Chengyu's fist, then using a capturing hand to grab Wu Chengyu's pulse gate.

Wu Chengyu combined the invisible force field brought by his Eel Skill with the flow of hand muscles, dissolving the opponent's capturing hand, and also using the way of capturing hand to counter-grab Hong Qigong's wrist, attempting to dislocate Hong Qigong's wrist joint with the essentials of Jie Gu Qin Na Shou.

What a person Hong Qigong was! His wrist power surged, instantly shaking Wu Chengyu's hand open. At the same time, his left hand stretched out to clutch Wu Chengyu's throat.

Wu Chengyu did not retreat but advanced. His body instantly tilted to avoid Hong Qigong's palm. Close combat became body-to-body. Both feet, hip, and waist exerted force simultaneously, his shoulder smashing toward Hong Qigong's chest. With the eight hundred catties of immense force from the Ox and Horse Stance, if it hit, Hong Qigong would surely be injured.

But Hong Qigong's reaction was even faster, as if he had long known Wu Chengyu would have this move. His left hand withdrew and got there first, sticking to Wu Chengyu's shoulder. Before Wu Chengyu exerted force, he exerted force first, using Wu Chengyu's huge force to retreat first.

Wu Chengyu's attack this move had limited distance. There was still one cun from Hong Qigong's chest, but no matter what, he could not stick to it.

Wu Chengyu made a quick decision. With strong waist power, he forcibly stopped his body, leaped up backward, and his right knee once again thrust toward Hong Qigong's waist and abdomen.

Hong Qigong seemed to have already adapted to Wu Chengyu's fighting style of extreme distance. He did not entangle with Wu Chengyu, but retreated several steps to open space, no longer engaging in close combat. Directly disregarding martial virtue, he struck with a move of Arrogant Dragon Has Regret toward Wu Chengyu.

Chapter End