Is this the real Fumang Spear?

Luke Lewis had already noticed Henry Smith, but he waited until this set of Fumang Spear moves was finished before stopping.

At this moment, Henry Smith walked over carrying the clay jar. Luke Lewis, separated by a low wall, said, “This Fumang Spear technique of mine emphasizes the body moving like a dragon and the spear like a python. It’s a spear style commonly used in the army. Young Mr. Smith, you’ve practiced it too, right?”

“I often see Seventeenth Uncle and the others use this spear style, but I’m clumsy and can’t do it well,” Henry Smith replied honestly.

Other than Brian Walker having run into Henry Smith again that afternoon, Luke Lewis didn’t believe Henry Smith was a fool, but Henry Smith’s movements were somewhat stiff, as if he’d gone astray in his martial arts training.

Luke Lewis couldn’t figure out what was going on, but that didn’t stop him from saying a few more words:

“The Fumang Spear, to put it plainly, isn’t all that exquisite. As a battlefield spear technique, it’s fierce, but the main focus is on ‘concealment and restraint’—”

“Concealment and restraint?”

Over the past month, Henry Smith had realized that his previous martial arts training was too superficial and that he’d gone off track, but the principles of martial arts weren’t something he could figure out just by pondering on his own.

Luke Lewis explained in simple terms, “On the battlefield, you face hundreds or thousands of enemies. There’s no room for overly complicated spear moves. If you don’t know how to conceal and restrain, even if you have the power of a true dragon, how long can you last? So, within limited space for maneuvering, the essence of the Fumang Spear is to kill enemy soldiers as efficiently and effortlessly as possible. The key is the word ‘伏’ (fu, to crouch or conceal). If you break down the character, it’s made up of ‘person’ and ‘dog’—meaning a person should crouch like a dog, waiting for the right moment to act. It’s fundamentally about ‘concealment and restraint,’ not ‘subjugation.’ The Fumang Saber, Fumang Spear, and Fumang Fist all originate from the same source, and the principles are the same. I saw the way you held the machete on Eagle’s Beak Cliff—you must have learned the Fumang Saber, right?”

“……”

From this discussion, Henry Smith could tell that Luke Lewis’s mastery of the Fumang Spear surpassed that of Seventeenth Uncle James Smith and the others. Without hesitation, he asked directly, “May I ask, Master Lewis, how does one begin to train in the method of concealment and restraint?”

Luke Lewis also had many questions in his mind and said, “The method of concealment and restraint in the Fumang Spear is contained within the basic fist stances and stance training. You should have practiced them, but I see your movements are stiff, as if you’ve gone off track. It’s getting late now. If you can come by tonight, I’ll explain it to you in detail…”

“Alright,” Henry Smith thought to himself that after getting caught up in so much trouble today, he deserved some benefit. He agreed to come over late at night to hear Luke Lewis explain the Fumang stance training. He passed the clay jar over the low wall and said, “This is chicken soup Aunt Seventeen made for Miss Emily Walker…”

Chapter 8: There Are Mysteries Within the Willow Grove

The discipline among the Patrol Office troops was usually rather lax, and with Gregory Dean absent from the camp today, things were even more unruly.

With this rare opportunity, many local soldiers simply took leave and went home. James Smith was also invited to the Hedong market to drink—at such social occasions, James Smith preferred to bring the perceptive and clever Andrew Smith along, and Henry Smith only occasionally got the chance to tag along for a good meal.

The other captains and sergeants also went out drinking at this time, or headed straight to a few brothels in the market; those soldiers who hadn’t taken leave spent the night in the barracks gambling, all acting as if they were on holiday—the camp itself was almost deserted and very quiet.

Ethan Clark was fond of drinking, filling his teapot with wine during the day, and was rarely sober at night. When Henry Smith arrived at the post station, only an old station guard named Old Quinn, a former auxiliary soldier, was dozing off in the front yard.

When Old Quinn saw Henry Smith come in, he just cursed, “What are you running around for at this hour? If you dare peek at the young lady, I’ll poke your dog eyes out,” but didn’t stop Henry Smith from going to the back to find Brian Walker.

Luke Lewis was waiting in front of the side courtyard. Seeing Henry Smith approach, he said, “Young master, you’ve had a hard day. Since you can finally get some early rest, let’s talk elsewhere.”

“There’s a willow grove by the pond to the east. It’s quite peaceful,” Henry Smith said.

When they reached the willow grove behind the pond, Henry Smith hung the lantern on a willow branch, illuminating a small area.

Luke Lewis had many questions in his mind, but he figured Henry Smith wouldn’t reveal much at this time, so he didn’t waste words and said directly, “I can only tell so much from your posture and gait—you must have learned the Fumang Fist as well. Show me the changes in the Whip-Hammer Form…”

Henry Smith had indeed learned the Fumang Fist. The Whip-Hammer Form had three variations: the opening move was similar to the Overturning Arm Fist, with the right arm swinging back with the elbow like a giant python’s tail, sweeping to the side and rear, striking out like a spear or steel whip—powerful and heavy, and derived from spear techniques.

This was one of the more difficult parts of the entire Fumang Fist set, and rarely used in actual combat.

Henry Smith was extremely strong. In a relatively open space, when he used his full strength to sweep sideways with his fist, he could break saplings as thick as a bowl.

Even Andrew Smith and the others were far inferior to this.

However, the Whip-Hammer Form had three variations. Besides the opening, the second was a sinking elbow strike, derived from the horizontal strike of the Fumang Spear and the horizontal slash of the saber. The third was an upward punch and sudden thrust, corresponding to the upward stab of the Fumang Saber and Fumang Spear.

Henry Smith had learned the basic techniques, but to complete these three variations in extremely limited space and in an instant, required extremely precise and strict control over all the muscles in the body.