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

The brass target stand gleamed coldly in the sunlight. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and the dampness unique to Shanghai, yet it was frozen in place by the tense atmosphere that seemed to freeze the air, even the wind seemed to stop.

Chen Feng stood like a javelin in the center of the shooting range, his back ramrod straight, his invisible aura carrying a chill that quietly enveloped Hu Tao.

He glanced coldly at Nassau's hand, which was suspended in mid-air, feigning a pose. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and a chilling smile slowly curved his lips—the smile didn't reach his eyes, but was instead icy, making one's whole body stiff!

He didn't want to get too entangled with this clown, but Nassau's gaze on Walnut was too filthy and too frivolous, and had already touched a nerve!

If he backs down even half a step today, wouldn't every Tom, Dick, and Harry in Shanghai dare to covet the people around him?

Since the other party has offered himself up for abuse, then so be it.

On the shooting range, the strong reign supreme!

Chen Feng casually stroked the revolver's barrel with his fingertips, the cold, hard metallic luster shimmering in the sunlight.

His tone was calm, devoid of any emotion, yet every word carried an undeniable and authoritative pressure: "A friendly spar is fine, but if you lose, don't accuse me of being barbaric—"

next second.

Chen Feng suddenly looked up, his gaze sweeping over Nassau and the Jewish youth beside him. He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice ringing out: "The loser must: 1. Pay for all the ammunition expenses at the firing range today; 2. Kneel down and kowtow three times!"

The words fell.

"boom!"

The surrounding air seemed to explode instantly.

A sinister glint flashed in Nie Huanxi's eyes, but he feigned anxiety, stepping forward and grabbing Nassau's arm tightly. He lowered his voice and urged, "Brother Nassau! Don't be impulsive! This kid is cunning; he's just trying to provoke you. His marksmanship might not be that good. We don't need to get angry with him! Let's not gamble!"

He offered words of advice, but in reality he was adding fuel to the fire, plotting to use someone else to do his dirty work—regardless of the outcome of the Nassau vs. Chen Feng confrontation, he could reap the benefits!

Nassau turned to look at the group of Jewish youths beside him. Their faces showed doubt, but also the arrogance and ruthlessness of the wealthy young men.

They all stepped forward, echoing each other with disdain, their eyes gleaming with eager anticipation: "What's there to be afraid of? He's just a yellow-skinned kid. Let him see the marksmanship of us Jews!"

Nassau was somewhat cautious. He had heard of Chen Feng's reputation before and knew that this man was no good. But now that he was in a high position and was being encouraged by the crowd, he suddenly became tough.

He looked directly at Chen Feng and pressed, "Alright! How do we compete?"

The words fell.

Hu Tao's hands were gripping the hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

She gazed at Chen Feng's tall and straight back, which, though not imposing, exuded a sense of unwavering security—as if no storm could get near him as long as he was there!

A surge of warmth welled up from the bottom of my heart, but it quickly turned into a heart full of worry!

She gently tugged at Chen Feng's sleeve, her voice trembling with emotion, "Chen Feng, maybe... we should just forget about it. I'm not afraid, let's not take the risk!"

"Chen Feng!"

Hu Mingxuan stood beside Hu Tao, his face serious: "Rumor has it that the Jews have dirty hands, and these kids are probably up to something too! But if you're determined to make a move, I, Hu Mingxuan, will be the first to stand behind you, without hesitation!"

Tang Tang, standing to the side, watched Chen Feng's retreating figure with a knowing look in her eyes.

She knew Chen Feng's personality all too well—he was usually calm and reserved, never causing trouble, but if anyone dared to provoke him or offend someone he cared about, he would definitely retaliate a hundredfold!

Today's action is not only to protect Hu Tao, but also to uphold the Tang family's reputation.

Thinking about this...

Tang Tang raised her eyebrows and coldly rebuked Nassau: "I kindly advised you to leave earlier, but you insisted on not listening! Now you've humiliated yourself. Don't try to renege on your debt when you lose!"

Cow Mom, dressed in a smart short-sleeved outfit, had sharp, eagle-like eyes as she squinted to assess the situation on the field.

Upon hearing Chen Feng propose the bet, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which quickly turned serious.

"Chen Feng, don't act rashly!"

"Although Nassau is arrogant, he has been learning marksmanship from a master armorer since childhood, and is by no means an ordinary person!"

Tang Zhen stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp suit unable to conceal his imposing aura.

His gaze was sharp as he stared intently at the field, a hint of admiration for Chen Feng flashing in his eyes, and a strange confidence welling up in his heart.

He tilted his head slightly and whispered to Niu Ma, "Chen Feng always acts with method and is by no means reckless. Let's see how he handles this!"

Before he could finish speaking...

Chen Feng slightly raised his eyelids, his tone remaining indifferent, and uttered only four words: "Best of three!"

The moment he finished speaking, a line of pale gold text appeared on his retina—【Sharpshooter Xiao Cheng (10/1000)】

His aura seemed to solidify slightly.

He paused, his voice calm yet resolute.

"First round, machine guns!"

"Second round, rifles!"

"The third round, pistols!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Nassau subconsciously glanced at the several Maxim heavy machine guns mounted in the corner of the firing range. Those enormous iron behemoths, all black, exuded a heavy sense of oppression.

He and the few Jewish youths beside him exchanged bewildered glances: "Competing with machine guns? How...how do you compete with machine guns?"

Even the well-informed Niu Ma frowned slightly, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes, clearly unable to guess Chen Feng's intentions.

Chen Feng spoke calmly, uttering a chilling rule: "Whoever fires a thousand bullets first!"

"What?!"

Tang Tang and the others were all taken aback, then their eyes lit up with interest.

Although machine guns have a high rate of fire, a thousand rounds of ammunition is no small number. To achieve both speed and prevent the barrel from overheating and exploding or jamming, it is not only a test of hand speed, but also an extreme level of control over the firearm.

"Be careful, this is a trap! He's definitely up to something!" Several Jewish youths were sweating profusely as they urgently warned him.

"No problem!" Nassau replied casually, agreeing without hesitation.

He boasted that he knew the Maxim machine gun inside and out, and was well-versed in how to control the rate of fire so that he could fire four ammunition boxes in the fastest time while avoiding all risks.

In his view, Chen Feng was just bluffing!

He suppressed his doubts and, with a grim face, pressed on, "How can a rifle be compared to a pistol?"

"Rifles, Mauser rifles, no auxiliary tools allowed, fixed target at 300 meters, one bridge clip per person!" Chen Feng's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"hiss--!"

Gasps of astonishment filled the air.

Although Hu Tao and the others did not know much about the range of firearms, they recognized the farthest target on the shooting range, which was 150 meters away.

Upon hearing the figure of three hundred meters, they were all startled, instinctively looking towards the seemingly endless distance, and exclaimed in shock, "More than...more than that, twice as far?"

The cow mother nodded slowly, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

She picked up the Mauser rifle beside her, gestured to the aiming posture, and said in a deep voice, "Three hundred meters is already the limit for a conventional rifle! Wind drift, humidity, breathing rhythm—every detail must be perfect. The slightest deviation will result in missing the target. I can hit it eight or nine times out of ten, but I can't guarantee a perfect score!"

"To hit the target, you need real skill!"

A hint of admiration flashed in Tang Zhen's eyes, and his evaluation of Chen Feng rose even higher: "Good lad, he's going to carve out a place for himself in Shanghai with guns!"

Nassau's brow furrowed tightly, and he cursed inwardly, "A regular Mauser rifle at 300 meters? Is this kid deliberately making things difficult for me, or is he just messing with me?!"

But now, they're in a bind.

He gritted his teeth, comforting himself, "Even if I can't do it, this brat could never do it! Of everyone here, only Cow Mom has even a slight chance of having this ability!"

Thinking about this...

He regained some confidence, though his face remained ashen, and he asked the final question in a stern voice: "Where's the pistol? How do you play with a pistol?"

Chen Feng raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over him indifferently. He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered an answer that instantly caused an uproar throughout the room.

"Pistol, fire at a moving target at 150 meters!"

These words were spoken.

"What?!"

Exclamations of surprise suddenly echoed throughout the entire firing range.

Followed by.

"Chen Feng!"

Hu Tao covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief and terror. She grabbed Chen Feng's hand, her voice trembling with tears, "A 150-meter moving target... this is too difficult, really too difficult!"

Tang Tang and Hu Mingxuan also looked tense, and said in a deep voice, "Chen Feng, this is unnecessary. We can change the rules!"

Niu Ma suddenly stood up straight, a hunch flashing through her mind as if she had misheard: "A pistol shooting at a moving target 150 meters away?"

"hateful!"

The smile on Nassau's face vanished completely, replaced by undisguised rage and malice—he felt that Chen Feng was absolutely playing with him and toying with him!

He will make Chen Feng pay a heavy price!