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

The morning light, like a belated pardon, struggled to pierce through the thick, leaden clouds, with a few streaks of light slanting into the shantytown of Swallow Nest.

The muddy road was full of potholes, puddles of overnight rainwater reflecting a bleak, cold light; the crooked wooden window let in the cold wind, and half-worn rags hung there, fluttering in the wind.

In the past, the smoke from cooking fires in the early morning was the only source of warmth.

But today, vendors stood frozen in place, clutching their baskets; women held tightly to their vegetable baskets, protecting their children; children hid in their mothers' arms in fear; the entire alley seemed to be muted, even breathing became cautious, and everyone's face was filled with terror and unease.

"stop!"

Chen Feng strode forward, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his back taut and exuding an inviolable killing intent—his gaze was as cold as ice, without a trace of fear in his eyes, like an iron tower blocking the way, firmly blocking the path of the madam and the burly man.

He scoffed inwardly: "Those black swan bastards, finally dare to come knocking? If you dare mess with my neighbor today, I'll make sure you leave here straddling a chair!"

"not good!"

The onlookers were terrified, retreating to corners, behind doors, and by windows, barely daring to breathe. Some secretly wiped away cold sweat, whispering amongst themselves: "It's over, he's offended the Black Swan; Iron Head Chen is in big trouble..."

"Where did this brat come from, daring to block my way?"

The madam, dressed in a gaudy floral dress—red and green so bright it was dizzying—her fleshy face trembled with each shout. Her triangular eyes bulged, her shrill voice piercing the alleyway. Hands on her hips, she yelled, spitting as she declared, "I'm telling you, anyone who offends the Green Gang will surely die a horrible death, a gruesome demise!"

"You brat! You're asking for it!"

The burly men on either side glared menacingly, their clenched fists cracking with every movement, veins bulging, ready to tear Chen Feng to shreds at the madam's command.

Wu Xiaomei, her arm held tightly by the burly man, was terrified, her face pale and tears streaming down her face. Taking advantage of the moment when the burly man's attention was completely drawn to Chen Feng and he was distracted, she burst forth with astonishing strength from her small body. She suddenly broke free from the rough hand and stumbled forward barefoot, like a frightened little animal, throwing herself into Xiao Aqiao's arms, clinging tightly to her waist, and crying out in a pitiful voice, "Sister Aqiao, save me! Save me!"

Xiao Aqiao's heart tightened. She quickly reached out and hugged the trembling girl tightly, her teeth chattering. She gently patted her back and comforted her softly but firmly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid! With Brother Feng here, he'll hold the sky up even if it falls!"

The madam glanced up and instantly recognized Xiao Aqiao. Her expression immediately changed, and she began to hurl insults at her, each word filthy, harsh, and extremely cruel.

Chen Feng's eyes instantly darkened—daring to insult the person he was protecting was courting death!

Before the madam could continue her tirade, Chen Feng took a step forward, his body radiating a chilling aura: "Shut up!"

His right hand shot out like a pair of iron pincers forged from refined steel, moving with ghostly speed, and grabbed the madam's ribs! With a sudden burst of force from his knuckles, a tremendous weight crashed down!

"Click—click—"

The ear-piercing sound of bones cracking was so sharp it made your teeth ache. Chen Feng, with just one hand, forcefully broke seven or eight of the madam's ribs!

The broken bone spur pierced the flesh, and blood seeped out instantly. The madam's cursing stopped abruptly. She screamed like a mad dog whose spine had been broken, clutching her chest and rolling on the ground. Cold sweat and tears covered her face. She was in so much pain that her face turned blue and she almost fainted.

"Damn it! How dare they touch our eldest sister!"

"court death!"

The two thugs flew into a rage, roaring as they drew gleaming short knives from their waists. The blades, reflecting the morning light, exuded a chilling killing intent. They shifted their stance, flanking Chen Feng from the left and right, viciously attacking him. Their short knives were aimed straight for Chen Feng's heart and throat, each strike deadly, swift and ruthless.

These two men were guards at the Black Swan Ballroom. They had repeatedly failed to break through the Ming Jin level, but they were still skilled fighters in the Fourth Road area, with skills far exceeding those of ordinary thugs.

Chen Feng's expression was calm and composed, and his steps were steady and measured as he walked on the stone path.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, his blood and qi surging throughout his body, his internal strength already subtly contained in his palms. He unleashed a genuine Tongbei Quan (Tongbei Fist) move, the starting stance, his arms stretching out like iron whips, fierce and unparalleled!

The thug on the left swung his knife straight at Chen Feng, the blade grazing his cheek and sending a gust of wind through his face. Chen Feng easily dodged to the side, and with a bang, his left hand unleashed a Tongbei Fist [Supporting Hammer], the wind whistling as he punched his opponent hard in the chest!

A muffled thud!

The thug's chest caved in instantly, and a mouthful of blood gushed out. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, and was already lifeless before hitting the ground.

Upon seeing this, the thug on the right was filled with shock and rage, and swung his short sword horizontally, the wind from the blade fierce.

Chen Feng took quick, agile steps, his left arm flashing out to parry, striking precisely at the opponent's vital spot where the knife was held, easily deflecting the force of the blow. Simultaneously, his right hand unleashed a powerful Tongbei Fist, the "Piercing Palm Strike," aimed straight for the opponent's throat; the force of his fingers was as sharp as steel needles, instantly piercing the trachea!

The thug didn't even utter a sound. His eyes bulged out, his body stiffened, and he fell straight to the ground, dying instantly.

In just two moves, in the blink of an eye!

Two skilled fighters who failed to pass the test were killed on the spot by Chen Feng with a deadly move from Tongbei Fist—their blood splattered on the bluestone pavement, so red it was glaring and chilling.

The entire alleyway fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop. The onlookers were all dumbfounded, covering their mouths tightly to keep quiet. Some were so frightened that their legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground; others had their pupils shrink and were trembling all over, their hearts filled with utter shock.

Is this... is this still the same Iron-Headed Chen who only knows how to take a beating?

The madam lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, staring at the two cold corpses, then looking up at Chen Feng, who stood like a demon god. She was terrified and almost lost control of her bladder and bowels.

Driven by the instinct to survive, she overcame the excruciating pain and dragged her broken body to Xiao Aqiao's feet, frantically kowtowing until blood spurted from her forehead!

"Ah Qiao! Ah Qiao, my dear girl! Please, save me! Save me!"

"I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have come! I shouldn't have sworn! And I especially shouldn't have provoked this man!"

"Have you forgotten? Ever since you were sold into Black Swan, I've never forced you to perform! Not even once! I've treated you well! I've never let you suffer those who abuse others!"

"I was just confused for a moment! I was arrogant for a moment! Please, for the sake of our past relationship, plead for me! I will never dare to do it again! I will never dare to step into Swallow's Nest again!"

The madam wept bitterly, desperately recounting the "kindness" she had shown to Xiao Aqiao years ago, begging only to exchange it for her wretched life.

Xiao A's brows were furrowed, her eyes were cold, and she was not moved in the slightest. If she hadn't received a miraculous cure from a divine doctor and pretended to be sick, would the madam be so kind?

Chen Feng stood aside, coldly looking down at the madam kneeling and begging for mercy, his heart utterly unmoved, only chilling.

Not making Ah Qiao work as a prostitute is her excuse for her evil deeds? When she beat me half to death at the dance hall, why didn't you show any mercy? Today, daring to trespass into Yanziwo and bully the neighbors, she should be prepared to die! This debt should be settled!

"Remember! My name is Chen Feng! 'Feng' as in sharp!"

Chen Feng slowly walked towards the limp madam, his shoes grinding against the bloodstains on the ground with a grating sound. His eyes were cold and devoid of any warmth as he raised his hand to crush the madam's neck, finally ending this scourge.

"Brother Feng! Wait a minute!"

A series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from the alley entrance, and the bald man led a dozen or so capable men to hurry over.

The bald man's expression changed drastically when he saw the corpse on the ground and the dying madam. He rushed to Chen Feng's side and, in a low voice, gave him an urgent and solemn reminder.

"Brother Feng! Killing two thugs is one thing, but this madam is the manager of Black Swan, and a favorite of Mr. Du!"

"If you kill her now, Mr. Du will definitely retaliate! Even if you are highly skilled and can escape unscathed, what about Aunt Lin and Xiao A Qiao? They are just ordinary people and can't withstand Mr. Du's methods!"

"And then there's Old Man Wu's family. Given Mr. Du's ruthless approach to eliminating any threat, they'll all be floating dead in the Suzhou River within a night; not a single one of them will survive!"

The bald man paused for a moment, then quickly volunteered, his tone sincere: "Brother Feng, trust me, leave this to me. I guarantee I'll handle it and won't implicate you or your family!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng turned to look at Lin Sao and Xiao A Qiao behind him, who were filled with worry and unease.

He weighed the pros and cons in his mind—killing a madam was easy, but implicating his family was not his intention.

This debt will be remembered!

He loosened his knuckles slightly and finally nodded silently.

The bald man breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and immediately ordered his men, "Quick! Move the body away, clean it up, and don't let Brother Feng see it!"

Several henchmen swiftly dragged the body away and wiped the bloodstains off the ground with a damp cloth. The bald man then grabbed the trembling, pleading madam and hurriedly left Fangua Lane.

Chen Feng stared at the madam's retreating figure, his eyes still gleaming with murderous intent, his voice as cold as ice: "When we get back... we'll settle the score with this old woman!"

The crisis is over.

"call--"

The onlookers breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from their hiding places. Their gazes towards Chen Feng had shifted from initial worry to deep awe, even bordering on fanaticism.

Old Wu, holding his daughter Wu Xiaomei's hand, knelt down before Chen Feng with a thud, tears streaming down his face, repeatedly kowtowing: "Benefactor! Thank you so much for saving our lives!"

His wife also ran out with their two young children. The whole family knelt down and kept kowtowing. Cries of gratitude mingled together, a heartbreaking sight.

Old Wu wept bitterly and swore to Chen Feng, "My benefactor above! I, Wu, swear to heaven that if I ever step into a gambling den again, I will chop off my own hands. I will never break my promise!"

Lin's wife was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see the family kneeling and kowtowing, so she quickly stepped forward, bent down, and helped them up one by one, comforting them kindly: "Get up quickly, we're all neighbors, there's no need for this!"

Chen Feng stared coldly at Old Man Wu, his voice steady and authoritative, carrying an undeniable force: "Quitting gambling isn't about words, it's about actions!"

Old Wu nodded heavily, his eyes filled with regret and determination. But when he thought of the gambling debts he owed, his face fell, and he sighed, "My benefactor, even if I quit gambling, the debts I owe... I still have to pay them back in the end..."

Chen Feng took the silver dollar from Old Wu's hand and said calmly, "You don't need to worry about this. I'll handle the debt!"

That short sentence was like a reassuring pill!

Old Wu knelt down heavily again, kowtowing to Chen Feng. The sound of his forehead hitting the ground was crisp and firm—it was gratitude for surviving a desperate situation, and a kowtow to regain hope.

Wu Xiaomei, standing to the side, stared blankly at Chen Feng's tall figure with her wet, bright eyes. Her small fists were clenched tightly as she secretly vowed to etch the image of her savior into her heart forever and never forget him.

Before we knew it, it was afternoon.

Swallow Nest became lively again, with neighbors gathered together, chattering about the shocking events of the morning, their eyes filled with awe and admiration as they looked at Chen Feng.

Just then.

The bald man, carrying heavy, expensive gifts, arrived at Chen Feng's door with a beaming smile, bowing and scraping: "Brother Feng, Mr. Du greatly admires you! He said that the madam and her gang were being unreasonable and disturbing your peace; they deserve to die! These gifts were specially sent by Mr. Du to apologize to you; they're worth several dozen silver dollars, just a small token of his appreciation!"

Chen Feng glanced coldly at the silks, pastries, and New Year's goods, and said indifferently, "Take these things!"

Upon hearing this, the bald man was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear, and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

"There's one more thing!"

Chen Feng took out eighteen silver dollars and handed them to the bald man, entrusting him with the task: "Could you please make a trip... to settle Old Wu's gambling debts for me?"

The bald man patted his chest and readily agreed, "Don't worry, Brother Feng, it's a small matter! With my help, those gambling den people won't dare ask for a single penny of interest. They'll settle it for at most ten dollars, and the remaining ten dollars will all be left for Old Wu's family to get through the New Year. It's the New Year, and they can't even afford to cook. They're so pitiful!"

"Ten yuan?"

Chen Feng understood perfectly, but didn't say anything more.

As the bald man was leaving, he shouted to Chen Feng and all the onlookers, "Brother Feng, you are now a master of Ming Jin. According to the rules of the Shanghai underworld, all taxes, chores, and protection fees will be waived from now on!"