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

The night was dark and windy, and the gloom made it hard for the hunched poor man to breathe.

A chilling, howling wind swept through the Zhabei shantytown, where low-lying "ground dragons" huddled in the wind, and only the howling wind could be heard in the "coffin rooms," creating a deathly silence that was unsettling.

Chen Feng, dressed in a tattered long gown and jacket, moved nimbly. A rusty but sharp kitchen knife was tucked at his waist. He moved as swiftly as a cat in the dark, silently making his way to the detached wooden house where the Green Gang was based, using the shadows of the scattered shantytowns as cover.

Dim, flickering light peeked through the cracks in the wooden window frames. The clamor of drinking games and toasts inside spilled out through the windows, a cacophony of rough laughter, the clatter of bowls and plates, and the muffled thud of wine jars. A strong smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of sweat wafted out on the wind.

Chen Feng pressed himself against the cold wall, holding his breath and listening intently, trying to glean some useful information.

At this moment.

The room was bustling with noise, with a rough count of more than a dozen burly men, each with a loud and rough voice, all ruthless characters from the Green Gang who had been fighting for years.

"Boss! That old Li is a rickshaw driver for Feixing Company, he's one of 'Master Gu's' men, why are we going to 'plant lotus flowers' with him?"

The scarred man's sinister and resolute voice immediately rang out: "Mr. Du is making an example of someone to warn others, to send a message to 'Fourth Master Gu'—he's determined to take over this territory of Zhabei!"

"That 'Fourth Master Gu' is a tycoon in Jiangbei. If we do this, won't we get burned and become...cannon fodder?" a younger voice asked timidly.

"What's there to be afraid of! The Axe Gang didn't even take him seriously before, but now he's facing trouble at home and can't even take care of himself!" Scarface's tone was full of disdain. "Right now, he's still 'sitting and talking' at Desheng Teahouse, completely overwhelmed!"

"But what about 'Little Erzi' jumping off the mountain gate and becoming a disciple of Monk Huang?"

"Shh—keep your voice down! This Monk Huang is someone of great importance; even Mr. Du has to give him some respect!"

"That's right. Although he's never run an incense hall and is a 'loophole,' he dares to call himself a 'Heavenly Generation' member within the Green Gang!"

"The highest-ranking member in our gang is only the 'Da' generation, and he's aiming to dominate that generation!"

"Good heavens... Monk Huang and Mr. Du are teaming up to put on a show, they'll definitely be able to cut off 'Master Gu's' lifeline, and Xiang Gongpi won't dare to say anything... Hehehe, this shantytown is about to get lively!"

After a moment of silence, someone started talking about gang disputes again.

"Boss! Is the Axe Gang desperate for money? They're demanding those spineless cowards pay their taxes at noon, cutting off our source of income!"

"These lackeys aren't a problem, but that 'water rat' is a genuine master of Ming Jin!"

"Yes! I heard he's recuperating at the upstream dock of Wusong. If he comes, the few of us won't be able to hold him off!"

"What's there to be afraid of? My older brother will be back from Southeast Asia in a few months. He's learned Southeast Asian boxing, and he's incredibly skilled!" Scarface's voice was brimming with smugness. "At that time, let alone a mere 'water rat,' even the 'two bandit leaders' of Songjiang won't be a match for my brother!"

"Boss! There's something else... That girl your older brother had his eye on ran off with some pretty boy!"

"Hmph! You mean that punching bag kid called 'Iron Head Chen'?" Scarface sneered, his tone venomous. "I originally wanted to kill that brat and his mother myself, but then I thought, the good show of rescuing the damsel in distress should be left to my older brother!"

"Yes, yes, yes—the boss is right!"

"But that kid must have some money to have moved from the reed hut to Swallow's Nest. Let's go and loot his place, turn it upside down!"

Upon hearing this, a chilling light flashed in Chen Feng's eyes. He knew he couldn't avoid this, but he suppressed his anger as he rushed in.

He knew full well that he was outnumbered and outgunned. The Green Gang had been entrenched in the area for many years, and most of their men were desperate criminals. Charging in head-on would be tantamount to courting death.

They immediately hid in the shadows outside the wall, patiently waiting for their chance like a lurking cheetah.

The night wind blew harder and harder, carrying the pungent smell of alcohol further away, while the sounds of drinking games, boasting, and urging others to drink became increasingly unrestrained.

About an hour later.

The rough, hoarse voices gradually became indistinct, and the words became rambling and incoherent, clearly indicating that the group of people were completely drunk.

finally.

The noise inside the room finally subsided, leaving only the sounds of snoring and murmurs, occasionally punctuated by the clatter of a bottle falling to the ground.

These Green Gang thugs were already completely drunk and unconscious.

The time has finally come.

Chen Feng's eyes sharpened, and he moved like a ghost to the door. He gently pushed open a crack with his fingertips and, by the dim light, saw the scene inside: more than a dozen burly men were lying haphazardly, some on the ground, some on chairs, some fast asleep with wine jars in their arms, and some drooling and muttering nonsense. The room reeked of alcohol, making one almost want to vomit.

He walked with light, steady steps into the house, gripping a rusty kitchen knife tightly in his hand. The cold hilt pressed against his palm, and the blade gleamed with a chilling sharpness in the moonlight.

"Who is it?"

A muffled shout suddenly rang out, and a man lying by the door was suddenly awakened from his dream. He rubbed his eyes groggily and struggled to sit up.

Before he could react, Chen Feng flicked his wrist and the cleaver whistled through the air as it slashed straight at his throat. Blood gushed out, splattering onto the wooden wall and blooming into a hideous blood flower.

The man collapsed and died before he could even let out a scream.

The commotion instantly woke everyone up—a chaotic scene of drunken curses, frantic slashing of knives, and tables and chairs falling over.

"die--!"

Chen Feng swung his knife wildly, relying on the solid foundation he had built from his basic stance training. Each strike was powerful and aimed directly at vital points, the wind whistling through the air, without any hesitation or delay.

In the blink of an eye, several people died, blood flowed all over the floor, and screams filled the air.

Just as he was cleaning up the remaining villains, a loud shout rang out.

"Who?"

A dark figure suddenly darted out, carrying a strong smell of alcohol and a fishy stench. It was none other than the leader of this group of burly men—Scarface!

He was shirtless, with bulging veins and muscles as tough as iron, and he was holding a large, heavy machete in his hand.

"Hey--!"

Scarface's physical strength was astonishing; the machete whistled past with overwhelming force.

"Clang clang clang—"

Chen Feng dodged several times, narrowly avoiding death. His clothes were torn in several places by the blade, and his shoulder was grazed by the blade, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash. Blood instantly soaked through his clothes and flowed down his arm, the wound burning with pain.

"You brat, daring to trespass on Green Gang territory and kill someone, you're asking for death!"

Scarface roared, his attacks becoming increasingly frenzied. He wielded his machete with impenetrable force, each strike aimed directly at Chen Feng's vital organs such as his heart and throat.

"Whoosh whoosh-"

Chen Feng was certain that his opponent was drunk and weak, so he could simply avoid a direct confrontation.

After a brief struggle, the tide turned!

Seeing the man's machete come slashing down again with a strong wind, Chen Feng's eyes hardened. Instead of dodging, he swung his right arm to meet the blow head-on.

"clang--"

The clang of metal against metal was deafening, sparks flew, and both knives were sent flying, leaving the two men's hands numb from the shock.

Taking advantage of the moment when Scarface was stunned and lost in thought.

"die--!"

Chen Feng stepped forward, twisted his waist and back, and concentrated all his strength into his right fist. With the simplest yet most powerful punch, he slammed it into Scarface's chest with tremendous force.

"Snap!"

The sound of bone cracking rang out clearly. Scarface coughed up blood and staggered backward, his face ashen white.

"Quick!" Scarface clutched his chest, his voice filled with terror and frantic rage as he shouted to his men, "Attack him! Kill him!"

The remaining henchmen swarmed forward, unleashing a barrage of punches, kicks, and clubs.

However, Chen Feng had only learned one move, the Hammer Support. Although his punches were powerful, his moves were limited.

At first, he was able to defeat his enemies with his positioning and explosive power, but as the others became more aware of the situation and the encirclement became denser, he was attacked from both sides and his disadvantages became apparent.

Between punches and kicks.

Chen Feng was soon covered in wounds of varying depths, his skin and flesh torn open, causing him excruciating pain.

He was forced to retreat repeatedly, his chest heaving with blood and qi, and he felt numbness in his arms, which weakened his strength in supporting the hammer.

He knew in his heart that if he continued to passively take the beating, he would eventually be worn down and killed. He had to capture the leader first.

He gritted his teeth and, ignoring the punches and kicks coming from behind, lunged at Scarface.

Although he was seriously injured, he remained fierce and ruthless, launching a frenzied counterattack like a mad dog.

The two instantly engaged in close combat, their fists clashing and blood splattering, the battle becoming extremely fierce.

Ignoring his own injuries, Chen Feng relied on sheer grit and sheer strength to suppress Scarface.

Finally, he spotted an opening and delivered several powerful blows to the scarred man's throat, breaking his cervical vertebrae.

"No--"

Scarface's eyes widened, filled with resentment and disbelief. His body went limp and he fell heavily to the ground, lifeless.

With no leader, the remaining thugs instantly became like frightened birds, completely devoid of any fighting spirit.

In a short while, the room fell completely silent, with only the heavy, lingering smell of blood and Chen Feng's heavy, rapid, almost suffocating breathing.

He was covered in wounds, and drops of blood dripped from the corners of his mouth and clothes onto the ground, but his eyes were icy cold, devoid of any warmth, like a god of death crawling out of hell.

Despite the excruciating pain from his severe injuries, Chen Feng meticulously searched the room, finding silver dollars, copper coins, and legal tender on everyone, totaling several dozen silver dollars.

But when he turned over Scarface's body, besides a few shiny silver dollars, he also took out a small, exquisite porcelain bottle from his bosom.

As soon as Chen Feng unscrewed the bottle cap, a rich, mellow medicinal aroma wafted out, filling his nostrils. Inside the bottle was a fine, scarlet powder.

Based on the importance that Scarface carried with him, and combined with the rumors of miraculous medicine circulating in the martial arts world, Chen Feng instantly concluded that this was a rare and miraculous medicine that could quickly improve blood and qi, heal injuries and strengthen the body's foundation—Qi and Blood Powder!

At last.

Chen Feng's eyes darkened, and he picked up the cleaver again to finish off the corpse, deliberately leaving heavy slash marks, completely framing the Axe Gang for the murder.

After doing all this.

He looked around to make sure there were no traces pointing to him before dragging his battered body and quietly disappearing into the night.

The murder scene behind them is destined to become the fuse for a new round of bloody fighting between the Green Gang and the Axe Gang, igniting a bloody storm of gang warfare in Shanghai.

Carrying severe injuries and a heavy load of spoils, Chen Feng mustered his last bit of strength and struggled toward Hu Qing Yu Tang, a place dimly lit and filled with the lingering aroma of medicine.