Chinese martial arts: From human punching bags to martial arts mastery

January 16, 1930, Shanghai, Zhabei!

The cold fog enveloped the muddy streets of the "Fan Gua Nong shantytown," where the dark and damp "ground dragons" let in the wind, and were separated from the neon lights of the French Concession several miles away by a mere chasm.

Only one tin shed was lit with a dim yellow light, and the noise of people was so loud it seemed to lift the roof off—this was the notorious underground boxing ring in the shantytown, which the gamblers called "the beast's cage."

Inside the iron cage, the light bulb flickered, illuminating two entangled figures.

The gamblers around them were like madmen, banknotes dancing wildly in their rough hands, their eyes red as they roared and screamed.

"Black Panther!"

"Kill him!"

Chen Feng! He huddled in the corner of the cage, his arms protecting his head. Before him stood a Muay Thai fighter with dark leopard tattoos, grinning maliciously as he gripped Chen Feng's shoulders. His hard knees pounded into Chen Feng's ribs and abdomen like pile drivers.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The dull thud made the people outside the cage's teeth ache.

Blood kept trickling from the corner of Chen Feng's mouth, and excruciating pain coursed through his body like an electric current, yet his eyes remained frighteningly calm.

With each heavy blow, a line of pale gold text, visible only to him, would appear on his retina.

[Received a heavy blow, Hard Qigong proficiency +1 (93/100)]

[Received a heavy blow, Hard Qigong proficiency +1 (94/100)]

……

Chen Feng transmigrated here half a month ago.

In his past life, he was a corporate slave who died from overwork. In this life, he has become a human stake, struggling to survive in the shantytown.

The so-called human target is a live target used by professional boxers to get a feel for the opponent and practice their killing moves.

Their lives are as worthless as grass; they can be beaten to death without consequence.

But Chen Feng is different!

A destiny hung in his mind: "Heaven rewards diligence; success is inevitable."

This means that for him, there are no qualification requirements or bottlenecks in any skill; as long as he practices, he will definitely be rewarded!

Even if you're being attacked, as long as you use breathing techniques to withstand it, you can still gain experience.

"Inhale—exhale!"

Chen Feng adjusted his breathing rhythm—"I'm about to break through in [Hard Qigong]!"

To outsiders, he was a dead dog about to be beaten to death.

In his eyes, the brutal Muay Thai fighter opposite him was nothing more than a free tool who only gave away experience points.

"Damn yellow-skinned pig, why won't you fall down!"

Black Panther, having failed to break through after a prolonged attack, was exhausted and a hint of savagery and rage flashed in his eyes.

"Kill him quickly!"

"It must be a fatal blow!"

"Don't blow this piece of trash's insides!"

Suddenly, a disgruntled shout came from the high platform.

"Damn dog, Deka!"

Black Panther suddenly took a half step back, gripped Chen Feng's neck tightly with both hands, and forcefully pressed his head down. At the same time, he raised his right knee high, which was the most ferocious killing move in Muay Thai - the neck-clamping knee strike, aimed straight at the face!

If this blow had landed squarely, a shattered nasal bone would have been the least of the problems; it could have resulted in a concussion and even death.

The gamblers outside the cage held their breath, anticipating the thrilling scene of blood splattering.

In that split second between life and death.

The heat that had been accumulating in Chen Feng's body for a long time was completely ignited by this attack, surging through his meridians to his limbs and bones.

A soft sound came from beside my ear, and the panel suddenly refreshed.

Heaven rewards diligence; success is inevitable.

[Hard Qigong (Advanced) → Hard Qigong (Beginner)]

[Introduction to Hard Qigong: 0/500]

[Characteristics: The skin is like wood, and it is difficult to be injured if you are below Ming Jin]

Chen Feng felt his skin tighten instantly, as if a layer of tough old cowhide had grown under his skin.

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang.

Black Panther's knee slammed solidly into Chen Feng's forehead.

"puff--!"

Chen Feng's head snapped back, blood gushing from his nose, but his lower body remained firmly planted on the ground, unmoved!

"ah--!"

Instead, Black Panther let out a scream, staggered backward while clutching his knees, and a pained expression appeared on his face.

He felt as if the knee had hit not a person's face, but a metal plate covered with human skin!

"How is this possible?!" Black Panther looked at Chen Feng in horror.

Chen Feng slowly raised his head, his face covered in blood, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, revealing a fierce glint.

But he did not retaliate.

He's a human punching bag and can only take hits now; he has no means of attacking!

Taking advantage of the moment when Black Panther was in excruciating pain in his knee, Chen Feng pounced on him, grabbed his waist tightly, and put all his weight on him.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The bell finally rang for this round.

Backstage dressing room.

Chen Feng rinsed the blood off his face with cold water, looking at his pale yet angular face in the mirror.

Name: Chen Feng

[Introduction to Hard Qigong: 1/500]

"Finally, I've got the hang of it..."

Chen Feng murmured softly, his palm stroking his forehead. There was only redness and swelling, no fracture, and no serious injury.

In the past, that choke knee strike would have definitely taken half his life.

At this moment, a burly manager walked in, casually tossed him two silver dollars, and spoke with utter contempt.

"Here, this is today's pay!"

"You're lucky, kid, you actually survived Black Panther's knee strike!"

Chen Feng silently picked up the silver dollar, blew on it, listened to the crisp echo, and carefully put it into his pocket.

Two silver dollars.

This is the reward he earned by risking his life.

Stepping out of the boxing ring, the damp, cold, and foul-smelling wind stung my face like a poisonous knife.

Chen Feng tightened his thin, tattered coat, gazing at the bright lights of the French Concession in the distance, then looked back at the dark shantytown behind him, a gloomy look pressing down on his eyes.

Although he was born with the destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence", the beginning of his life was extremely difficult.

Right now, he's like a meat shield with all his defense skills maxed out but no offensive skills at all.

In this chaotic world rife with guns and gangs, what good is simply being able to take a beating? You're just a slightly better punching bag.

"I need to find a way to learn boxing, to learn real killing techniques!"

Chen Feng pondered in his heart that in this chaotic world, only by practicing martial arts could he bring his destiny to its fullest potential—martial arts could help him protect himself, conquer territory, and rise above others, carving out a bloody path in this turbid world!

He heard that there was an old martial arts school in Fan Gua Lane that taught the real internal Tongbei Quan, which was fierce and powerful, and most suitable for actual combat.

But the owner of that martial arts school was a disabled old man with an eccentric personality who only cared about money—the apprenticeship fee was a full twenty silver dollars!

"Twenty silver dollars!"

Chen Feng touched the two yuan in his pocket, and a sense of powerlessness welled up inside him.

He also had to buy medicine for his mother and pay taxes; this amount of money was just a drop in the bucket.

Before the heaviness in my heart had dissipated, a cacophony of shouting and cursing suddenly erupted from the alleyway ahead.

"Old man, you dare to hide when you can't pay your taxes?"

"Hang him up there! Let all those 'rats' in the neighborhood see what happens when they don't respect the Axe Gang!"

Chen Feng's heart sank; that was the only way he could get home.

He quickened his pace and walked over, his pupils suddenly contracting.

There was a person hanging from the utility pole at the entrance of the alley.

That was Old Li, Chen Feng's neighbor, an honest rickshaw puller. He had been beaten beyond recognition, his feet, soaked in alkaline water, were corroded to the bone and dangling in the cold wind.

Under the utility pole.

Seven or eight thugs, each wielding a short axe and looking rather shady, glared at them menacingly.

The leader, with a dazzling gold tooth and wearing a black overcoat, was stepping on the straw sandals that Old Li had dropped on the ground, looking arrogant and domineering.

"Yo!"

Big Gold Tooth grinned, his yellow teeth jutting out with his gold, looking utterly repulsive: "Isn't this our Iron Head Chen back? Perfect, saves me the trouble of coming all the way to your door!"

Chen Feng stopped in his tracks, his eyes turning cold: "Big Gold Tooth, what do you mean by this?"

"What do you mean?"

"The head of the village is celebrating his 60th birthday! The whole village is celebrating!"

Big Gold Tooth picked at his ear with his little finger, and his henchmen immediately chimed in, "Taxes are doubling this month! For your family of three, the land tax, toll tax, labor tax, drinking water and breathing tax, and cough tax add up to five silver dollars!"

"Five yuan?"

Chen Feng clutched the silver dollar in his pocket tightly, his knuckles turning white and even digging into the flesh of his palm: "It was only two dollars last month, you're robbing me!"

"Rob? You're right, that's exactly what I'm doing!"

Big Gold Tooth's face darkened, and he brandished his short axe in the air a couple of times: "What? You're not convinced? Look at Old Li up there, this is what happens when you resist taxes!"

He took a step closer, his voice sinister, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"Chen Feng, I know you can take a beating! But no matter how tough you are, can you withstand an axe? Can you withstand a bullet?"

"If I don't see five silver dollars by sunset tomorrow..."

Big Gold Tooth pointed towards Chen Feng's house deep in the shantytown: "Just wait to go to the Suzhou River and fish your consumptive old mother's corpse out!"

After saying that, Big Gold Tooth laughed heartily and led his group of men away.

"call--!"

Chen Feng stood still, the foul wind carrying mud and grime blowing across his face.

"Five silver dollars..."

He suddenly raised his head, looking at the dark night sky. The last trace of restraint in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a bloodthirsty killing intent.

"You're forcing me... right?"