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

The night was dark and the wind was high.

A foul wind, carrying the stench of sweat and blood from the underground boxing ring, swirled wildly in the dilapidated tin shed. The dim light bulbs swayed on the ceiling, casting distorted, ghostly shadows.

The boxing ring manager, his sinister face hidden in the shadows, emerged from the eerie dark room, his leather shoes crunching over cigarette butts scattered on the floor, and kicked open the broken door to the backstage dressing room.

"Clang—"

He slammed six silver eagle-shaped silver dollars onto the wooden table in front of Chen Feng, the crisp sound of metal clashing piercing the eardrums.

"Next time, if you can withstand the combined attack of five Black Panther-level boxers, you'll get twenty Eagle Dollars, not a penny less!"

Chen Feng gently stroked the Yuan Shikai silver dollar with his fingertips, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He knew all too well the filth of this underground gambling den—the bookmaker was definitely going to lose everything tonight. These scumbags weren't really letting him fight; they were clearly using him as a punching bag to vent their anger, intending to beat him to death on the ring.

When meat is within reach, how can one not slaughter it?

Chen Feng grabbed the eagle-shaped eagle and stuffed it into his coat, his voice as cold and hard as tempered iron: "If you want to fight, you can't be a punching bag. It's just a duel, and your opponents must all be below the Ming Jin level!"

The manager squinted, looking the young man up and down as he considered the pros and cons. After weighing the advantages and disadvantages for a moment, he finally gritted his teeth and nodded.

Once the death warrant is signed, there's no turning back!

Clutching the scalding hot silver dollar, Chen Feng turned and plunged into the pitch-black night, heading straight for the meeting point he had arranged with Er Gou.

"Everything's here!"

Er Gou patted the heavy pack on his back, his sharp eyes quickly scanning the surrounding alleys: "I've shaken off all those tails who were watching me!"

Chen Feng nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Let's go and meet up with our senior brother!"

Er Gou was born with an extraordinary sense of smell, comparable to a hunting dog. He stealthily led the way along the wall, dodging left and right, managing to avoid three or four groups of robbers hiding in the shadows.

Even so, at the fork in the road near the meeting point, a burly, tiger-like figure still blocked their way—Qian Hu!

"Where do you think you're going!"

This guy had a fierce look on his face, and his knuckles were cracking as he clenched his fists, clearly intending to ambush and kill Chen Feng on the way.

"Die!"

The moment their eyes met, Qian Hu's murderous aura exploded, stirring the alleyway with a sharp and piercing force, creating a tense atmosphere that was about to erupt!

"Hey--"

The man suddenly roared, his body as heavy as Mount Tai, his right arm straight as an iron whip, and with his five fingers together, he slapped down fiercely, unleashing a genuine Tongbei Fist killing move accompanied by a whistling wind, aimed straight at Chen Feng's vitals!

Chen Feng's pupils contracted sharply as he recognized the "Bewitching Palm" at a glance—the most famous killing move of his school's Tongbei Fist, which he had long known by heart. However, Qian Hu had already mastered Tongbei Fist and his strength far surpassed his!

His attacks were swift and deadly, showing no mercy whatsoever to fellow disciples!

Chen Feng was perfectly clear-headed. He could understand the fist techniques and identify the flaws, but he was suppressed by the opponent's realm. His movement speed could not keep up with the opponent's rhythm of force, and he had no way to avoid it!

In an instant.

His muscles were taut as if cast in stone, and the physical strength of his minor mastery of hard qigong burst forth. His bones and tendons resonated beneath his skin as he forcefully withstood the heavy punch with his chest!

"Bang—!"

The dull, deafening roar made the air tremble.

"Ta-da!"

Chen Feng staggered back three steps, each step crushing the mud and stones on the ground. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, but thanks to his strong physique, he managed to catch the blows steadily without injuring his internal organs in the slightest.

[Minor Success in Hard Qigong (4/1000)]

Qian Hu's expression changed drastically, his eyes wide with shock: "How long has this kid been a beginner, yet his physical body is already this strong? He clearly only knows rudimentary hard qigong, and hasn't even mastered the basics of Tongbei stance training, yet he can withstand a blow from my Lesser Mastery Tongbei Fist?"

"This child! His growth rate is terrifyingly fast. If he isn't eliminated tonight, he will surely become a great threat in the future!"

The shock and greed vanished in an instant, replaced by an even stronger murderous intent.

"You must die today!"

Qian Hu roared, his veins bulging, his arm muscles bulging and bursting. He unleashed his Tongbei Fist for the second time, the force in his palm rising wildly, already touching the threshold of Dark Force. The power increased several times, carrying the force to shatter mountains and split rocks, and slammed hard into Chen Feng's heart!

Chen Feng could still see this palm strike clearly. The starting point, the exertion of force, and the landing point of the "Soul-Chasing Palm" were all clearly visible! However, his cultivation level was insufficient and his internal strength was inadequate. Even if he had a way to counter it, he was powerless to use it. He still had no way to avoid it or block it!

"Bang--!"

Chen Feng felt the air around him being completely compressed, and a suffocating feeling swept over his entire body. He tried his best to activate his hard qigong again, but how could his physical body, which was close to the dark force, withstand the killing move of Tongbei Fist?

"puff--!"

A mouthful of blood gushed from Chen Feng's mouth, and his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the cold wall. The wall instantly cracked with countless fine lines, and plaster fell in a flurry.

His vision blurred, his blood surged and he nearly fainted, completely trapped in a life-or-death situation!

"Hehehe—I didn't expect you to still be alive after all this!"

With a sinister grin, Qian Hu stepped forward, gathering power in his palm once more. The third Tongbei Fist strike was already in place, and with a raised arm, he was about to shatter Chen Feng's heart completely!

At that critical moment, when life hung by a thread!

"presumptuous!"

A loud shout exploded like a thunderclap!

A sharp figure streaked through the air, so fast that it left afterimages—it was none other than Senior Brother Zhao Shanhe, who had been rescued by the old man in black robes!

The moment he appeared, he neither dodged nor avoided, but swung his right arm horizontally, delivering a powerful and unparalleled punch that precisely struck Qian Hu's fist and wrist, the force of which was like a great bell striking a cauldron, forcefully interrupting Qian Hu's third attempt to gather power!

"Snap!"

The cracking sound of dislocated joints was extremely piercing.

"ah--"

Qian Hu let out a miserable howl of pain as his strength instantly dissipated. His entire arm went numb and became uncontrollable. He staggered back several steps, his face as pale as paper.

The murderous intent has been foiled!

Knowing he had no chance of winning, Qian Hu instantly put on a fake smile, rubbing his wrist as if to appear relaxed: "Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding! Junior brother was just passing by and wanted to give Junior Brother Chen a couple of pointers!"

Zhao Shanhe is not easily fooled.

His aura was as heavy as a mountain, and his tone was so firm that it brooked no argument: "Qian Hu, if Chen Feng makes even the slightest mistake, you will be expelled from the sect and never be able to rise again!"

Yan Xiaomei rushed to Chen Feng's side, shoved a "Special Emergency Rescue Pill" into his mouth, then turned her gaze, her eyebrows furrowing, and pointed at Qian Hu, angrily shouting, "Seventh Senior Brother! Your attacks are all Tongbei Fist killing moves, each one deadly; you clearly intend to kill Chen Feng!"

Qian Hu smiled sheepishly on the surface, but in his heart he gritted his teeth in hatred and secretly vowed revenge.

"Zhao Shanhe, Yan Xiaomei, you just wait!"

"Once I break through to the Dark Force realm, the first thing I'll do is kill you, Zhao Shanhe. Junior Sister, you'll be mine sooner or later, and I'll definitely torture you to death..."

"Junior Sister, you've really misunderstood... Senior Brother is still as amazing as ever... Ninth Junior Brother has a bright future!" He said a few polite words.

Qian Hu clutched his throbbing arm, gritted his teeth, and left in a huff.

"The crisis has been averted!"

"This is not a place to linger!"

Chen Feng, Zhao Shanhe, Er Gou, and Yan Xiaomei rushed back to the boxing gym. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, their extremely tense nerves finally relaxed completely.

The warm yellow light shone down.

The crowd sat around the stone table, and the courtyard was instantly filled with laughter and joy. The danger, bloodshed, and murderous intent from before were all swept away by the exhilaration of surviving the ordeal.

The most exciting moment has finally arrived!

Chen Feng waved his hand, and six gleaming eagle dollars landed on the stone table with a "clatter." He casually picked one up, put it to his lips, and blew on it gently.

"jingle--"

The crisp, melodious metallic sound echoed in the courtyard, making one's bones feel weak and one's blood boil—this was a sound earned with one's life, a sound of confidence, a sound of glory, a sound of exhilarating pleasure that penetrates to the bone!

"hey-hey--"

Er Gou's eyes widened in astonishment, and he immediately dumped the large cloth bag on his back onto the table!

"Splash splash splash splash—!"

The copper coins were piled up into a small mountain, golden and heavy, so bright that they dazzled the eyes under the light!

Yan Xiaomei was quick-witted and skillful; her fingers flew across the counter as she counted, her voice trembling with excitement as she spoke: "Brother Feng... Senior Brother! It's worth it! It's worth over two hundred silver dollars! You're going to be rich!"

More than two hundred silver dollars piled up in front of you—that's real wealth and luxury.

It's money that ordinary people in the Fan Gua Nong shantytown couldn't save up in half a lifetime.

"Junior brother!"

Zhao Shanhe remained silent throughout, simply pushing a heavy cloth bag in front of Chen Feng.

Chen Feng untied the knot, and everyone in the courtyard gasped instantly—the bag contained fifteen neatly stacked red paper envelopes containing silver dollars, each containing fifty dollars, totaling seven hundred and fifty dollars!

The red paper was festive, while the silver coins were cold and hard, their weight causing the stone table to tilt slightly.

Yan Xiaomei covered her mouth, her eyes shining like stars, too excited to speak.

Chen Feng glanced at the three men, and without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed six thick silver dollars, each one bulging and heavy. He casually handed two dollars to each of them and stuffed them into their hands.

"Take it!"

Two words: domineering, extravagant, and exhilarating!

Er Gou held the red envelope, his hands trembling. The weight of the silver coin pressed against his palms, giving him an unprecedented sense of security and peace.

Holding the red paper envelope, Zhao Shanhe's usually cold and hard face showed an undisguised ripple of emotion.

Holding the money, Yan Xiaomei's eyes were red, she was both crying and laughing, her heart filled with emotion.

next moment.

The three shook their heads almost simultaneously, their voices choked and trembling: "No, no! It's too valuable! This is money you earned risking your life in the boxing ring, we can't accept it..."

Chen Feng suddenly stood up, his imposing aura soaring to the sky, his eyes sharp as knives, his tone filled with an arrogant arrogance that swept away everything, each word striking heavily on everyone's heart.

"My life is worth more than this!"

"From now on, there will only be more! You who follow me should take it!"

One sentence silenced the entire courtyard.

The next second, ecstasy erupted completely!

How lucky I am to have such a loyal, capable, and wealthy brother!

The red paper envelope pressed against my palm was warm and heavy, giving me peace of mind. It felt ten times better than winning it myself by risking my life!

"I want to buy new clothes!" Yan Xiaomei's eyes lit up.

"I'm going to fire that awful foreman!" Er Gou made up his mind to stop being a beast of burden.

"I...I haven't thought about it yet..." The eldest brother waved his hand憨厚ly.

"I have a few important things to do!" Chen Feng said firmly, his gaze far ahead.

"Knock knock knock—"

Just as the courtyard was filled with jubilation, joy, and anticipation, the sound of a cane tapping the ground came from the moon gate.

Followed by.

Yan Tieqiao walked slowly with a cane, a smile of unprecedented contentment on his face.

He glanced at the table full of gleaming copper coins, shiny silver dollars, and silver dollars wrapped in red paper, and then looked at the heavy haul in everyone's hands—this old geezer who was known for his greed.

At this moment, he showed not a trace of envy, but instead smiled so much that all the wrinkles on his face smoothed out. He simply raised his chin toward the table, his tone warm and intoxicating.

"Stop counting, hurry up and tidy up!"

"Your teacher's wife cooked some sweet fermented rice with eggs, it's piping hot!"