17: Breathing Method, Good Bones

Qingcheng has four major urban areas, east, south, west and north. There has always been a saying that "the east is rich, the west is poor, the north is noble and the south is humble", which roughly describes the division of residents in Qingcheng.

Most of the residents in Dongcheng District are wealthy people, and the headquarters of large companies are basically located here. It can be said that every inch of land is worth a lot of money. Beicheng District is full of dignitaries and is extremely safe. The location here is not a matter of every inch of land being worth a lot of money, but a matter of not being able to buy it even with money.

Xicheng District is where most ordinary people live, and it is also where Xue Jing's family lives.

Of course, this statement is not absolute. It does not mean that people living in Dongcheng District are definitely rich, and people living in Xicheng District are definitely poor. After all, this is just a rough division.

But there is nothing wrong with the term "Nanjian" in Nancheng District.

It is a real slum, the final destination of all the evil in a city. It is governed by gangs rather than laws. Even the Sheriff's Department cannot control it. Many criminals disappear once they go in and cannot be found at all. Only the security companies behind the gangs have a say here.

However, Xue Jing had never been to Nancheng District. Since he was a child, his parents and other elders had repeatedly warned him not to go near it, so he didn't know the specific situation and only heard about it from others.

He really didn't expect that Pei Youguang, who was described by his classmates as having a "strong background", actually lived in the South City District.

Although it is only in the outer area of ​​South City, close to West City, it is still somewhat like a "slum".

"Brother Jing, come in."

In front of a house that looked quite large, Pei Youguang took out the key, opened the door, and said to Xue Jing.

The house looks quite old, with a square floor plan and a large front yard. The white brick walls are covered with mottled marks of time and are severely oxidized and yellowed.

The environment around the house was also backward and dilapidated. There were many bottles and cans of garbage on the streets, and it seemed that no one had cleaned it for a long time.

Xue Jing shook his head and followed Pei Youguang into the room.

Surprisingly, contrary to the old exterior of the house, the interior decoration is quite nice, with grey imitation wood grain flooring, a large plush carpet in the middle of the living room, and all kinds of furniture. At first glance, it doesn't look very tasteful, but at least it is quite harmonious.

Xue Jing took off his shoes, walked into the living room, hung his schoolbag on a hook on the wall near the door, chose a single sofa to sit on, and said:

"You live alone?"

Pei Youguang, who was taking a drink out of the refrigerator, paused and nodded, "Yes."

Xue Jing asked in a casual tone: "Why do you live here? Doesn't your father work for the councillor? Even if you can't go to North City, you can at least live in East City, right?"

Pei Youguang threw a bottle of soda to Xue Jing, opened one for himself, took a big sip, sighed happily, and then said, "My relationship with my dad is not very good... This house belongs to my mom. She left it to me after she passed away. I moved here two years ago after I had a fight with my dad."

"There is a Jinfeng Dojo nearby. It is said that the owner came from the Inner Ring City and is the successor of the 'Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword'. After I moved here, I entered the Jinfeng Dojo because of its reputation. I practiced martial arts with the master there for a few months... Later, something happened and I left the dojo."

Xue Jing nodded: "Is that so."

It seems that Pei Youguang's life is not easy.

However, if you look closely, everyone has some stories, but he was not interested in knowing them, so he stood up and said, "Without further delay, start teaching me 'strength'."

This is the only reason why he came here.

Pei Youguang stood up when he heard it, threw the empty drink bottle in his hand into the trash can, and said, "Okay, Brother Jing, come with me, let's go to the practice room."

…

This is a large room of about 70 square meters. The room is covered with a thick layer of cushions and filled with various fitness equipment, as well as some machines whose purpose Xue Jing cannot understand.

In the center of the room were several boxing poles and sandbags made of different materials. They all looked worn and were obviously used frequently.

"If you want to develop strength, the most important thing is breathing."

In the training room, Pei Youguang began to explain the Tao as the old master from his previous dojo taught him.

"Strength is the kinetic energy generated by the movement of the internal organs of the human body. However, we humans have very little control over our own bodies. We cannot control the flow of blood, nor can we control the internal organs. Even the muscles can only be simply 'tightened' or 'relaxed'. Therefore, we must first learn how to influence these parts that we cannot control normally. This requires the use of 'breathing techniques'."

"Next, I will teach you a set of 'breathing techniques'. This is a basic breathing technique that every disciple in the dojo knows. Through this breathing technique, you can exert influence on the inside of your body."

Pei Youguang finished speaking and sat down cross-legged on the cushion.

"Come on, Brother Jing, follow me."

Xue Jing did as he was told and sat down with his legs crossed like Pei Youguang.

Pei Youguang then began to explain the specific steps of the breathing method, demonstrating while Xue Jing followed and learned.

The breathing method is not too complicated, but it is very difficult. In some steps, the interval between inhalation and exhalation is extremely long, and a large amount of oxygen needs to be inhaled in one breath. Such a large amount of oxygen rushes into the lungs. People whose vital capacity is not up to standard are not even qualified to practice.

Pei Youguang originally thought that Xue Jing would not be able to keep up with the breathing method since it was his first time practicing it. When he practiced it himself, it took him a full month to barely complete a complete breathing method exercise.

Therefore, he was still joking and wanted to see Brother Jing coughing awkwardly, but after watching the whole set of breathing techniques, he was shocked.

Xue Jing actually followed the whole process and successfully completed the basic breathing method on his first try!

"Is it over?"

After inhaling a large amount of oxygen, Xue Jing, who was not used to it, felt dizzy, his heart was beating fast, he felt nauseous, his vision was blurred, and it seemed as if there was fire burning all over his body.

This is because a large amount of oxygen enters the blood through the alveoli, causing the blood to circulate at an overspeed, raising the body temperature.

It was embarrassing, but he finished it.

"Brother Jing, awesome."

Pei Youguang was truly impressed and gave a thumbs up.

Only people like him who have practiced it know how difficult it is to practice breathing techniques, but Xue Jing actually did it on his first try.

Maybe this is what the old master calls "good bones"!

Pei Youguang was extremely envious.

"As long as you get used to the breathing method, practice it often, and even turn it into your own instinct, using it all the time, you can continuously improve your physical fitness. However, I haven't done this yet. At present, I can't practice the breathing method too many times a day, otherwise my body can't bear it."

"Once you get used to it, you will gradually be able to feel the rhythm of your body when you breathe. When you learn how to use breathing to influence and even control them, your strength will naturally develop."

Pei Youguang said.

Xue Jing closed his eyes, trying to calm down the burdens he had felt after practicing the breathing technique for the first time.

After a long time, he opened his eyes and said, "Teach me again."

Pei Youguang said worriedly: "You have just started breathing techniques. Just practice once today and continue tomorrow. Otherwise, I am afraid your body will not be able to bear it."

Xue Jing shook his head: "It's okay, continue."

He had memorized most of the steps of the breathing method, but he needed to do it again to consolidate his memory and ensure that there were no mistakes.

…