Chapter 130: Passionate Friction

Page 1 of 3

A run-down hotel.

Qin Yang lay on the bed, listening to a steady stream of ** coming from the room next door. He was frustrated and helpless. He wanted to sleep, but the sound carried far too well. The wooden walls had almost no soundproofing at all, and he could even faintly hear Dian Jiang snoring.

“Damn it, aren’t they afraid of getting AIDS?” Qin Yang kicked the wooden wall, making the entire room tremble.

Yet the people next door seemed determined to provoke him, and the noise only grew louder. Furious, Qin Yang rushed out of his room to see what kind of shameless people could behave so inconsiderately, only to find Sarah stepping out of her room with an equally helpless expression. She lived next door to him and evidently could hear the tormenting sounds as well. Since her room was slightly farther from the others, she had not been bothered quite as much. Qin Yang and the others had booked the rooms before arriving, while Sophie and the others had clearly failed to notice the arrangement. Qin Yang had generously given up several rooms so Zhao Wu and the others could squeeze together, while Old Qin, Sophie, and Sarah each had a room to themselves.

“Hi, Qin. You can’t sleep either, can you?” Sarah asked.

“It’s too noisy next door,” Qin Yang said gloomily.

Sarah covered her mouth and laughed as she approached. “May I talk with you? There’s no point trying to sleep anyway.”

“Sure.” Qin Yang let her into his room.

The people next door seemed to be tiring themselves out, and the noise had diminished considerably, though it still drifted over intermittently. Sarah found a chair and sat down, while Qin Yang sat cross-legged on the bed.

“Do you usually rest like this?” Sarah asked curiously. “I’ve read many books about China. It seems that meditation was a common method of rest among your ancient ancestors.”

Qin Yang smiled. “Meditation is a method of cultivating health and strengthening the body. The practitioner must remain completely still, allowing the mind to enter a state of emptiness and clarity. In Buddhism, this is called seated meditation. It can cultivate the mind and strengthen one’s will. A true master can remain unaffected by any disturbance from the outside world.

“Clearly, I’m not skilled enough yet. After meditating, I still practice my forms and move around to work my muscles and bones. The goal is to combine stillness with movement. As for calling it a method of rest, that isn’t entirely accurate. Few people can maintain a state of mental clarity for long. But for those who truly can, this method of rest is no less effective than sleep and offers tremendous benefits.”

“What kind of benefits?” Sarah asked curiously.

Qin Yang smiled. “Many. The most important are related to mental strength.”

Sarah nodded as though she understood.

“How long have you been part of the Religious Peace Organization?” Qin Yang asked.

“For a very long time. I joined when I was a child. My parents were killed by stray bullets while trying to save people during a war, so I must fulfill their final wish and bring the gospel of our faith to every corner of the world.” Sarah spoke firmly. “I believe that the glorious light of God’s mercy will illuminate every dark place in the world.”

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

Qin Yang nodded with admiration. “That is a truly grand dream.”

“Tell me about yourself. When did you join the Humanitarian Association?” Sarah asked.

Qin Yang muttered inwardly, but said aloud, “Me? Three or four years ago. I witnessed a massacre while I was overseas, and it affected me deeply. That was why I joined the peace organization.”

He was beginning to regret lying in the first place. Now he had to keep piling lie upon lie. That was not a serious problem—he had done such things many times before—but this time, the other party had truly devoted herself to the cause of peace. If she discovered that he was actually a ruthless demon who killed without blinking, she would probably turn against him completely.

With that thought in mind, he wanted Sarah to hurry back to her room and go to sleep, sparing him any further questions and the guilt they caused.

But just when he thought the shameless couple next door had finally worn themselves out, another duet began. It was even more vigorous than before. Qin Yang glanced at Sarah beside him and felt awkward. Such obscene sounds were hardly suitable for a man and woman to listen to together—especially when they had known each other for less than ten hours.

“The woman next door is a prostitute. Unless something unexpected happens, neither of us is likely to get much sleep tonight,” Sarah said with a shrug. “I heard it downstairs earlier.”

“Why ruin your own body?” Qin Yang said, deliberately maintaining his pose of compassionate concern.

Sarah sighed as well. “It is not merely physical degradation. It is also a descent of the spirit.”

Qin Yang rolled his eyes inwardly.

“Ah. I see.”

The sounds next door grew louder and louder, and Qin Yang felt his temper rising with them. If Sarah had not been there, he would certainly have drawn his saber and slaughtered the shameless couple—or at the very least knocked them unconscious so he could enjoy a peaceful sleep.

Instead, Sarah rose and sat cross-legged beside him. Smiling, she said, “Why don’t you teach me how to meditate? We can see who reaches the state your people call unity between heaven and humanity first. What do you think?”

“Sure.” Qin Yang caught the fragrance coming from her body and felt even more depressed.

“Meditation emphasizes the Five Hearts Facing Heaven, with the eyes slightly closed. Watch my posture.”

As he spoke, Qin Yang faced her and adjusted himself into the Vajra meditation posture. He placed both hands over his lower abdomen and steadied his breathing. Then he opened his eyes and said, “Try it.”

Sarah nodded and arranged herself according to his instructions. At the same time, Qin Yang continued, “Your back must remain straight. Hold your head high and your chest out. Your breathing should be even—neither hurried nor sluggish. Let your breath sink into the lower abdomen.”

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

“Where is the lower abdomen?” Sarah asked, puzzled.

“Three inches below the navel. It is also called the lower energy center, or the sea of energy.” Qin Yang pointed to his own abdomen. “It is the storehouse of vital essence. When the breath sinks there, it helps concentrate the mind.”

Sarah followed his instructions, breathing in and out with great evenness. But she had barely maintained the posture for a moment when a tremendous female ** from next door—of questionable authenticity—rang out. Sarah immediately lost her composure, while Qin Yang angrily kicked the wall. A cloud of dust fell from the ceiling, and even Sarah felt that the wooden partition might collapse.

“I’m sorry.” Qin Yang felt that his outburst was somewhat inconsistent with the identity he was pretending to maintain. “I’ve seen too many things today, and I’m a little irritable.”

“I understand.” Sarah nodded, then immediately asked, “Have you studied martial arts? That kick was incredibly powerful.”

“A little,” Qin Yang replied with a smile.

“Then could you teach me? I’ve always been extremely curious about Chinese martial arts. Your tradition advocates stopping violence with force and ending conflict through martial skill. I do not entirely agree with that philosophy, but it is certainly one of the fastest and most effective means of establishing peace.” Sarah looked at Qin Yang expectantly.

Since it seemed he truly would not be getting any sleep that night, Qin Yang simply got out of bed and moved the table and chairs aside.

“Chinese martial arts are known as the national arts. There are countless schools and branches. I study Xingyi Boxing and Bagua Boxing, but neither can be mastered in only a few years. Since you are going to Niger this time, I’ll teach you some self-defense techniques instead. They can quickly stop an enemy without necessarily taking a life, making them very useful for protecting yourself.”

Sarah hurriedly jumped off the bed and nodded.

What Qin Yang taught her was the self-defense method he had once taught the young Qin Yao. It was simple to learn, but there were many details to pay attention to. Teaching some of the movements inevitably required close physical contact. The African weather was extremely hot, and both of them were dressed lightly. The dilapidated hotel had no air-conditioning or other cooling equipment. Instead, the person next door seemed determined to fan the flames.

Under such circumstances, it was difficult for a man and woman alone to avoid friction while practicing at close quarters. Before long, both of them were flushed with embarrassment. Worse still, learning self-defense inevitably led to mistakes when the body failed to coordinate properly. The teacher’s responsibility was to prevent such mistakes and, when they occurred, do everything possible to keep the student from being injured.

Thus, when Sarah accidentally tripped and Qin Yang caught her, their eyes met. Their lips were separated by barely a few inches. With every favorable circumstance aligned, neither seemed inclined to continue concealing the small secret stirring within their bodies.

Sarah was a typical Western woman, yet the delicacy of her skin exceeded Qin Yang’s expectations. As their lips pressed together and they breathed in each other’s distinctive scent, their minds once again sank into temptation.

Qin Yang lifted the beautiful foreign woman into his arms and placed her on the bed without resistance. Separated only by a single wooden partition, two delicate cries began a prolonged battle.

Page 3 of 3