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

Zhabei at midnight.

The night was as dark as ink, splashing across the entire shantytown. The cold wind swept through the deserted alleys, carrying withered leaves. Only a few scattered alley entrances had dim, yellowish lights that faintly illuminated the deep darkness.

"Knock knock knock—"

Yan Tieqiao, leaning on his cane, personally escorted Chen Feng home. The cold moonlight spilled onto the muddy road, casting their shadows, which appeared to be sometimes short and sometimes long.

Not long after.

The two then walked to the entrance of the alley of Swallow Nest, also known as "Dragon Beard Post," a place where the Hongmen (Triads) were based.

A crackling bonfire burned in the corner, and seven or eight burly men with short knives at their waists squatted around it, clearly members of a gang that frequented the martial arts world.

They were casually smoking and whispering to each other, but the moment they caught sight of Yan Tieqiao, they seemed to be pricked by a needle, and stood up abruptly in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, their demeanor instantly becoming solemn.

The bald, burly man at the head of the group quickly stepped forward, clenched his right fist, and supported his elbow with his left, bowing deeply to Yan Tieqiao with utmost respect: "Young Uncle! Have a safe journey this late at night!"

The gang members behind him all bowed their heads, none daring to show the slightest disrespect. The entire alleyway was silent, filled with awe.

"sharp--!"

Chen Feng took in the whole scene and was secretly shocked. Although he knew that his master Yan Tieqiao was not as simple as he appeared, he never expected that even the powerful Hongmen members would be so respectful to his master, and the title "Little Uncle" sounded familiar.

"Um!"

Yan Tieqiao merely raised his hand casually, his face expressionless, as if he were already used to such scenes. His tone was flat: "Keep watch. It's late. Behave yourselves!"

"Yes! Respectfully seeing off young master!"

The bald, burly man responded respectfully, while the group of gang members remained standing with their heads bowed until Yan Tieqiao and Chen Feng had completely disappeared from sight, at which point they dared to squat back down by the campfire.

Suppressing his surprise, Chen Feng walked forward and recounted to his master in detail his experiences in the "Beast Cage" battle that night, his ambushes by Qian Hu on the way back, and his near-death experience at the alley entrance.

In conclusion.

He frowned slightly, full of confusion, and said, "Master, Qian Hu is vicious and harbors malicious intentions. His entire mind is focused on harming others and seizing profits. Keeping such a person around is like raising a tiger to cause trouble, creating danger at every turn!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Tieqiao's aged face curled into a meaningful smile, followed by a soft sigh, his tone revealing a profound understanding and composure born from years of experience in the martial world.

Humans have five fingers, each of varying lengths and unique features!

"Some troublesome individuals are more valuable than mediocre ones!"

"I originally kept Qian Hu as a whetstone for Zhao Shanhe, hoping to temper his character and push him to go further!"

"Unexpectedly, Qian Hu improved so quickly that he overtook him!"

Chen Feng was startled and became even more curious, so he quickly asked, "If that's the case, then why couldn't Qian Hu withstand even a single move from Senior Brother tonight?"

Yan Tieqiao chuckled, his tone laced with a knowing, mocking tone: "The flaw in Qian Hu's move was pointed out to Zhao Shanhe by me!"

The conversation turned.

He then gazed at Chen Feng meaningfully and emphasized, "Zhao Shanhe is already thirty years old, focused solely on martial arts and abstaining from women; his foundation is incredibly solid! But what about Qian Hu? He spends his days guarding brothels, indulging in debauchery; his body has long been hollowed out... If it were a true fight to the death, the two would be evenly matched at best!"

That's all.

Yan Tieqiao shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I then thought of leaving Qian Hu to my younger sister as a whetstone, to temper her character! But this girl, though she seems diligent, slacks off when it comes to martial arts practice, and she's too soft and gentle. Unless you push her to the brink, she has absolutely no intention of attacking anyone!"

That brings us to this point.

Yan Tieqiao suddenly stopped and turned to look at Chen Feng. His cloudy eyes were filled with undisguised satisfaction. He patted Chen Feng on the shoulder and said with a smile, "After all this time, this whetstone has finally benefited you, kid!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng couldn't help but chuckle, but remained silent...

Available in the next second.

To everyone's surprise, Yan Tieqiao immediately spread his palms, looking completely self-righteous and not beating around the bush at all: "Since we've found such a good whetstone, we have to pay extra!"

Chen Feng's eyes darted around, instantly seeing through his master's little scheme. He immediately grinned mischievously and exposed him: "Master, stop pretending! The person who saved Senior Brother Zhao Shanhe tonight wasn't some old man in black robes at all, it was you, wasn't it? You must have reaped quite a bit of benefits from that boxing match tonight!"

It was all revealed in a single sentence.

Yan Tieqiao wasn't embarrassed; he just stroked his beard, chuckled a few times, and changed the subject.

After a while.

He slowly suppressed his smile, his expression turning serious as he asked in a deep voice, "The owner of that underground boxing ring is a ruthless character; he never lets anyone suffer a defeat for nothing! Tell me, how did they arrange your next match?"

Chen Feng dared not hide anything and truthfully told his master about the life-or-death situation in the underground boxing ring where he was challenged to fight five opponents, all of whom were below the Ming Jin level.

Upon hearing this, Yan Tieqiao's expression hardened slightly, and he solemnly reminded him, word by word.

"Remember this: below the Ming Jin level, strength is also divided into different grades!"

"Those who fail to pass the test are far stronger than those who never attempt it; and seasoned veterans who have passed the test multiple times are even more experienced, ruthless, and deadly in every move!"

"Even if your hard qigong has reached the Ming Jin level, the best shield can't withstand the constant thrusts of a silver-plated spearhead. My good disciple, you must never let your guard down!"

The voice just fell.

The two had already arrived at Chen Feng's doorstep.

Yan Tieqiao repeatedly reminded him to be careful in his daily life, and then, leaning on his cane, he gradually disappeared into the deep night with a "thump-thump" sound.

Chen Feng stood in front of the door, about to push it open, when two familiar voices suddenly came from inside, causing him to pause.

It was Sister Lin and Little Aqiao.

"Great! That's wonderful!"

All that could be heard was Lin's voice, filled with relief and emotion: "I'm old and useless now, but you're in charge of the household. You do everything so well, managing everything perfectly!"

She took Xiao Aqiao's hand again, her tone resolute: "Men work hard outside, and you're doing the right thing by supporting him unconditionally! Money can be earned back, but finding the right person is more important than anything else!"

"Mmm!" Xiao Aqiao responded softly, her gentle voice filled with deep concern, each word warming Chen Feng's heart.

"No matter what Feng Ge does, I believe in him!"

"And whether or not we make a lot of money isn't important, as long as everyone else is safe and sound!"

As he finished speaking, his voice gradually lowered, trembling slightly with panic.

"Why isn't Ke Feng back yet... It's so late, and it's so chaotic outside, I'm worried something might have happened..."

She clutched the hem of her clothes, staring longingly at the darkness outside the window, her heart pounding in her chest.

With a creak, Chen Feng gently pushed open the door.

"Mom! Ah Qiao!"

Xiao Aqiao looked up and saw a familiar figure. She froze on the spot, her eyes reddening and tears welling up unexpectedly.

Without a word, she threw herself into Chen Feng's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. All the fear, worry, and longing that had accumulated throughout the night turned into hot tears, soaking both of their clothes.

"Okay! It's alright now!"

Chen Feng gently patted her back and soothed her with soft words, which gradually calmed the trembling person in his arms.

immediately.

He took out all the copper coins he had, as well as five neatly wrapped silver dollars wrapped in red paper, and gently placed them on the table.

The silver coins gleamed warmly under the dim oil lamp, heavy and full of a sense of solidity.

"Keep this money for daily household expenses. With the New Year approaching, you and Mother should buy some new clothes and bedding. Buy them in batches, just make sure it doesn't look cheap!"

"The rest must be kept hidden away at all times and never exposed, lest it bring trouble!"

Lin Sao and Xiao A Qiao were so excited by the pile of money on the table that they were at a loss for what to do, and their eyes turned red.

Aunt Lin held Chen Feng's hand tightly, lowered her voice, and kept praising him, "My Feng is so promising! With you by my side, Qiao will never have to live a hard life again!"

After saying that, Aunt Lin went back to her room, lay down, and fell asleep.

Xiao Aqiao boiled a large tub of hot water, but the house in Yanziwo was already small, so the huge bath tub could only be placed in her bedroom.

Chen Feng removed his clothes, which were covered in dust and bloodstains, and slowly sat down in the warm water. The warmth instantly enveloped his entire body, and the fatigue from the long journey and the soreness in his muscles and bones all disappeared at this moment, leaving him feeling indescribably comfortable.

He subconsciously raised his hand and gently pressed it against his chest—the spot where he had been severely injured by Qian Hu's two vicious slaps earlier. At that time, his bones were cracked and he was in excruciating pain, his internal organs were churning, and he almost fell to his death.

But when I pressed my fingertips against it, the skin was smooth and firm, the pain was completely gone, and not even a trace of injury remained.

Chen Feng felt a slight stirring in his heart and sighed inwardly.

The injury healed so quickly thanks to his physical strength, which was at a minor level of mastery in hard qigong, and the special medicine given to him by Yan Xiaomei. The two complemented each other and completely healed the fatal wound.

He had personally tested the effects of the medicine and was well aware of its extraordinary nature; in a critical moment, it could be enough to save lives and turn the tide!

"Um!"

Chen Feng closed his eyes and leaned against the bucket, secretly planning his next move.

He knew in his heart that since the boxing ring manager dared to agree to the life-or-death situation of one against five a week later, the tough guy he sent must have passed the test and would not be easy to deal with.

Once the water rats hiding in the shadows recover, they will definitely come knocking.

The most dangerous!

But it was a landmine planted by that old geezer—Qian Hu hated him to the bone, and his strength was constantly increasing. To completely eliminate this hidden danger, he had to improve his cultivation at an even faster pace.

Only by breaking through to the Ming Jin realm and achieving a minor mastery of hard qigong can one be prepared for a fight.

Improving one's martial arts skills requires not only diligent practice day and night, but also substantial resources; neither can be neglected.

As long as his Qi and blood are properly distributed, he is confident that he can break through to the Ming Jin level within a week.

Having personally experienced the life-saving effects of the special medicine, Chen Feng was even more determined that on his trip to Hu Qing Yu Tang, in addition to purchasing medicinal materials to nourish qi and blood, he must also prepare a batch of such special healing medicines in case of life-or-death battles.

Once his mind was settled, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

As soon as it was light, I went to Hu Qing Yu Tang.

but.

He only had seven silver dollars in his hand, and a bottle of Qi and Blood Powder cost five silver dollars, which instantly gave him a headache.

What's even more troublesome is that Hu Qing Yu Tang has always been honest and fair to all, young and old, and its prices are fixed.

Not to mention whether he would encounter difficulties from Wang Xiaoer if he tried to buy it with silver dollars.

Miss Walnut had already saved his life last time, and he owed her a huge favor. He absolutely did not want to owe her another favor by buying Qi and Blood Powder and special medicine.

In addition, the end of the year is approaching.

The family needed to buy meat, but such a rare item was hard to come by, not even with silver dollars or Yuan Shikai silver dollars. Only Mexican silver dollars could be easily purchased.

Think about it.

Chen Feng immediately decided that he would go to Xinzha Bridge first thing tomorrow morning to exchange the two hundred silver dollars for Mexican dollars.

He gazed at the deep night outside the window, and a strange yet vivid thought suddenly popped into his mind—what did the popular tourist spots that everyone flocked to in my time look like a hundred years ago? Were they bustling with traffic, or were they rife with undercurrents? Were they the glittering streets of Shanghai, or were they hiding starving corpses and the glint of swords in the shadows?

Seeing is believing!

Just as he was deep in thought and his mind drifted away.

suddenly.

A pair of soft, delicate, and slightly shy little hands gently slipped into the hot water...