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

"Waaaaahh ...

The small steamer slowly entered the Phoenix Mountain North Ferry Wharf. The surging river water was plowed open by the bow, creating two white waves. The ship gently swayed and steadily moved towards the stone berth.

Chen Feng stood at the bow of the ship, his back straight as a spear, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire dock.

The stalls on the shore were sparse and dilapidated, lacking the hustle and bustle of Nandu Wharf. However, the berths were surprisingly spacious and the water depth far exceeded that of ordinary ferry crossings. The vast empty shoreline, though seemingly idle, exuded a deliberately concealed sense of desolation.

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!

He frowned almost imperceptibly, his knuckles lightly tapping the gunwale—this was not a ferry crossing for pilgrims to pray for blessings, but a hidden outpost for soldiers, ships, and goods.

At this moment.

The entire dock had already been cleaned up.

More than a hundred strong men, armed with knives and sticks, their arms encased in iron armor, stood solemnly on the bank, their expressions tense like bowstrings, their eyes fixed on the river like hawks.

The air was thick with a chilling, tense atmosphere, as if a bloody battle was about to erupt at any moment.

But when they saw Chen Feng and his group arriving by boat, everyone's tense shoulders relaxed in unison, and their hands gripping their weapons loosened slightly.

Seeing this, the hearts that had been in their throats finally settled back into their stomachs.

Just then.

One of the hundred people on the shore stepped forward; it was the burly man who had acted as matchmaker at the teahouse.

He took two quick steps forward, scanning the bank, reeds, and the bottom of the boat with lightning speed to make sure there were no ambushes, no pursuers, and no hidden stakes before finally letting out a huge sigh of relief.

His right hand swiftly reached behind his waist, pulled out a brass-cased signal musket, raised his arm to the sky, and fired with a muffled "thud".

A column of crimson smoke shot straight into the sky, exploding into a dazzling firework in the hazy sky.

In less than half an incense stick's time.

The sound of oars echoed from the far end of the river as several large ships broke through the waves, flanked by a dozen or so small sampans, like stars surrounding the moon, slowly approaching the dock.

Two people stood on the bow of the lead ship.

The man on the left was as thin as a monkey, dressed in a clean and neat blue silk cotton robe and trousers. He had long, slender fingers and gentle eyes. At first glance, he looked like a down-on-his-luck scholar, but the shrewdness hidden in his eyes made him someone not to be underestimated—he was none other than "A-Si," the leader of the river bandits.

The burly man beside him was the complete opposite. He was eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a face full of fat. His black short clothes could not contain his bulging muscles, and his large, fan-shaped hands had bulging veins. When he stood there, he was like an iron tower—the number one fierce general known in the martial arts world as "Pig".

The two boats had just approached each other.

Ah Si and Zhu Luo stepped forward simultaneously, clasped their hands in a fist salute to Chen Feng and the others, and said in a calm and decisive tone: "Let's talk ashore!"

No unnecessary words.

Chen Feng took the lead, his boots making a steady sound as they stepped onto the wooden planks; Hu Mingxuan followed closely behind, one hand behind his back, exuding composure; Hu Tao lifted her skirt slightly, her steps light yet confident.

Wang Xiaoer led the Hu Qing Yu Tang shop assistants, carrying the medicinal herbs and following closely behind, everyone looking vigilant.

on board.

The boatmen did not turn off the engine; they were all on duty, working diligently.

Hu Sanzhen lazily lay down on the armchair, covered his face with his robe sleeve, and said only, "Call me if anyone is injured, otherwise I'll rest." As soon as he finished speaking, his snoring began softly.

Tangtang gripped the gunwale with her little hands, leaning half her body out, her big eyes fixed on the shore, both frightened and curious.

ashore.

The herbal tea stall was old and simple, but it was swept clean.

An eight-immortal table was placed in the center, and the two sides stood in their respective positions.

The burly man who had made the connection cleared his throat, stepped forward, and pointed to Hu Tao, deliberately raising his voice: "This is Miss Hu, the eldest daughter of the Hu family!"

Ah Si and the pig immediately bowed and greeted each other, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

The surrounding bandits couldn't help but steal glances, whispering amongst themselves, "So young..." "Looks like he stepped out of a painting!"

"Cough cough—!"

The burly man coughed lightly to quell the commotion, then pointed at Hu Mingxuan, his tone becoming more respectful: "This is Hu Mingxuan, the head manager of Hu Qingyutang!"

Ah Si and his companion's eyes lit up, and they quickly stepped forward: "We've long admired Manager Hu's name. Your grappling skills are known throughout the martial world!"

The surrounding bandits gasped again, their gazes towards Hu Mingxuan now filled with a newfound respect—"This is a tough guy who can both prescribe medicine to save lives and subdue enemies!"

At last.

The burly man took a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, and said, each word uttered with utmost reverence, "This is none other than Chen Feng, the one who commands respect throughout the Songjiang waters!"

The words fell.

The entire venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a deafening roar.

"Chen Feng?!"

"It's him?!"

"The Killer God who slaughtered five Japanese in a row at the underground boxing ring!"

"That ruthless guy who punched Qian Hu away at the Garbage Bridge!"

"In the battle of Rice Market Ferry, one man swept through the entire dock, hacking away at everyone with a kitchen knife until only one person remained!"

"At such a young age, he has already become a true master of Ming Jin! He's practically a grandmaster in the making!"

Exclamations rose and fell, like waves crashing on the shore, making one's eardrums vibrate.

All eyes were fixed on Chen Feng, filled with awe, fear, curiosity, and even fervor.

Ah Si and Piglet exchanged a glance, then stepped forward simultaneously, bowed slightly, clasped their hands, and said in unison, "We have long admired Brother Chen's name! Heroes have always emerged from among the young, and meeting you today, we can see that your reputation is well-deserved!"

The pig's chest heaved slightly, his fighting spirit boiling within him, his eyes fixed on Chen Feng's shoulders, back, waist, hips, and fists—he really wanted to fight him right away.

"Please sit down! Please sit down!"

Ah Si gestured and took a seat first.

Chen Feng and his two companions sat down calmly, and the atmosphere on both sides of the octagonal table became extremely subtle.

"well----!!"

Ah Si ran his fingertips along the rim of the teacup, sighed, and said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "We... had no choice!"

"Forced to do so?"

Hu Mingxuan's face darkened, he slammed his elbow on the table, and his voice turned cold: "You've robbed my Hu Qing Yu Tang merchant ship three times in one year, and you call that being forced to do something?"

Hu Tao frowned slightly and replied softly, "The first two times you robbed goods, and this time you're kidnapping people. Isn't that a bit too unethical?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Wang Xiaoer immediately spoke up: "There are plenty of pharmacies across the country that need medicinal herbs, why are they insisting on targeting us?"

The pig, with his violent temper, slammed his fist on the table and roared, "The government has issued a warrant for our arrest and imposed a blockade, and we desperately need medicinal herbs! If we don't rob your Hu Qing Yu Tang, who else should we rob?!"

"If you can't buy it, you steal it?" Wang Xiaoer suddenly stood up and demanded sharply, "Whose law is this?!"

The burly man who had acted as matchmaker quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, clasping his hands in a fist and bowing deeply, looking helpless: "Please calm down, everyone!"

He then frankly admitted, "We were truly desperate, which is why we resorted to this tactic. This kidnapping was to force you all to come forward and discuss the matter!"

Chen Feng listened in silence, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his eyes calm as a deep pool.

He finally spoke, his voice not loud, but clear and distinct, overpowering the noise of the room.

"We've brought the medicinal herbs with us today!"

"The redemption will be handled according to the rules of the martial arts world!"

"Secondly, you cut off the waterway supplying medicinal herbs to Shanghai. If a war breaks out between Shanghai and Songjiang, tens of thousands of wounded soldiers will have no way to receive medicine—have you considered this consequence?"

His words struck me like a heavy hammer blow.

Ah Si and the pig's faces turned red and then pale, and they had nothing to say in response.

They then exchanged a glance, simultaneously raised their hands, and slapped heavily behind them.

Immediately, a group of people slowly disembarked from the pirate boat. Wang Xiaoer recognized them at a glance and exclaimed in surprise, "They're our men!"

The men were not tied up, had no injuries, and although they looked somewhat haggard, they did not appear to have been abused or starved.

Seeing this scene.

The expressions of the people from Hu Qing Yu Tang softened considerably, and they handed over the medicinal herbs to the other party.

The tense atmosphere on site gradually relaxed.

"please!"

Chen Feng picked up his teacup, gave a slight nod, took a sip, and then looked directly at the two men, asking bluntly, "Since you two say you have difficulties, Miss Hu, Manager Hu, and I are also curious. You make your living by the water, not practicing medicine. What do you need so many medicinal herbs for?"

Ah Si closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were filled with exhaustion and helplessness: "Since last summer, we have taken in a large number of displaced river workers, but soon an epidemic broke out, and the deaths were terrible—that was the first time we stole your medicine, in order to save people!"

His voice turned cold, filled with hatred: "But this incident cut off the lucrative business of the 'coolie trade' on the river; before the autumn harvest even arrived, the government immediately launched a crackdown, and our brothers were killed and wounded everywhere, forcing us to scramble for medicine a second time to treat our injuries!"

Piglet picked up the conversation, slamming his fist into his leg, his eyes bloodshot: "This time it's even worse! The Japanese seem to appear out of nowhere, launching sneak attacks every day... small skirmishes every three days, big skirmishes every ten, our brothers are suffering heavy casualties! This dock used to be our stronghold, but now it's just a temporary foothold!"

The two men stood up simultaneously, cupped their hands in a respectful greeting to Chen Feng, Hu Tao, and Hu Mingxuan, and said in an awkward yet sincere tone, "Other pharmacies are rife with counterfeit medicines, and we can't afford to be careless when it comes to saving lives. We had no choice but to target your establishment. We don't want to be your enemies; we're truly...desperate!"

The voice has not fallen,

All the river bandits on the shore knelt down in unison, a dark mass of them, kowtowing and pleading: "We were dying river laborers, saved only by the rescue and treatment of the two leaders! The government's encirclement and suppression has just ended, and now the Japanese are closing in, using every means possible—night raids, poisoning, assassination, ambushes! We beg Brother Chen, Steward Hu, and Miss Hu—to have mercy and save our wounded brothers!"

In an instant, cries, pleas, and the sounds of kowtowing filled the air on the river breeze.

Hu Mingxuan's heart softened, and he said in a deep voice, "I know the government's ban. Doctors have a benevolent heart, and I can give you the medicine privately. But from now on, you are not allowed to touch a single ship or package from Hu Qing Yu Tang!"

Ah Si and the pig were overjoyed, but their faces immediately fell, so embarrassed they could barely lift their heads: "But... the required quantity of medicinal herbs is enormous, and such a large sum of money... we... we really can't afford it!"

In a word,

The entire venue fell silent once again.

The air felt frozen, making even breathing difficult.

Everyone felt that the negotiations had once again reached a deadlock.

Chen Feng suddenly chuckled softly.

The laughter was faint, yet it carried an indescribable certainty.

He picked up his teacup, slowly sipped the tea, and glanced at everyone. His tone was calm, yet every word carried immense weight.

"money?

"That stuff is actually the most profitable!"