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

The bright sun shone down, casting its light on the wide river surface, making it shimmer like a layer of broken gold.

Huayangdu Wharf may not be as bustling as Shanghai, but it has a rustic fishing village charm.

The bluestone pavement, worn smooth by time, has dark green moss embedded in its cracks.

On the riverbank, the awning boats, their hulls weathered and worn, have fishing nets hanging from them that sway gently in the wind, resembling brown sails.

Several fisherwomen sat on the stone piers of the dock, their hands gripping hemp thread as they swiftly wove fishing nets.

Not far away, fishermen were carrying heavy fish baskets off their boats; the crucian carp and carp in the baskets were jumping and splashing water.

Children on the riverbank chased and played barefoot, holding bamboo poles in their hands, trying to catch small fish in the river.

A river breeze swept by, carrying the dampness and saltiness of the river water, lifting the corners of their clothes and blowing away the hustle and bustle of the dock.

On the stone embankment stand several stone animal heads used for mooring during the Wanli period.

The beast head resembles a Pixiu, with its head held high, chest puffed out, eyes wide open in anger, and a thick iron ring in its mouth. After hundreds of years of river erosion and wind and rain, the stone body is covered with mottled patterns, yet it still exudes an imposing aura, as if it is guarding this river surface and resisting the invasion of foreign enemies.

Chen Feng stood beside the beast head, a cool breeze blowing across his face, carrying away his fatigue and gradually clearing his muddled thoughts.

The fierce battle at the Songjiang Phoenix Mountain North Ferry Wharf two days ago, with its flashing swords and flying blood, seems to have just happened.

But at this moment, the sight of the fishermen's homes and their cooking fires brought him a long-lost sense of peace.

Just then.

Suddenly, the sound of waves breaking came from the river.

Chen Feng looked up and saw several speedboats with canvas sails cutting through the waves, heading towards Huayang Ferry Wharf.

The boat sped along, kicking up two white waves that, from a distance, looked like arrows released from a bow.

After a while.

As the speedboat docked, two familiar figures leaped off the boat, stepping on the pebbles of the riverbank, and raced towards him.

"Brother Chen Feng! Brother Chen Feng!"

Ah Si was dressed in a dark blue short jacket, with a folding fan lying across his chest; Pig was shirtless, with a short knife at his waist, and his dark skin was covered in sweat.

The two ran up to Chen Feng, circling him, reaching out to touch him but afraid of aggravating his wounds. They could only look him up and down, constantly asking, "How are you? Does the wound still hurt? Are you feeling better?"

"It's windy and cold by the river, hurry back inside!" Ah Si said without waiting for a reply, and tried to help him walk back.

The pig chimed in, "Yeah, Brother Chen Feng, you just woke up, you can't let the wind blow on you!"

Chen Feng smiled and let the two of them escort him as they walked towards a large house with blue tiles deep in the dock.

This house is much more impressive than the previous thatched hut, with blue bricks and gray tiles, upturned eaves and corners, and a mottled wooden plaque hanging at the entrance with three powerful characters "Jinghai Hall" written on it.

"This house has quite a history!"

As soon as we entered the courtyard, Ah Si pointed to the house and introduced it: "It is said that it was built by the generals under Qi Jiguang, a famous Ming Dynasty general who fought against Japanese pirates. It has been repaired several times and has remained until now! The soldiers who fought against the Japanese pirates discussed their strategies and guarded the Songjiang River here! The remains of the heroes who fought against the Japanese pirates were also placed here, so..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng understood what the other party meant and nodded with a smile.

The pig chuckled and added, "We thought this house was sturdy and had a certain uprightness, so we'll all gather here later!"

Stepping inside, the main room is spacious and bright, with an eight-immortal table in the center and a circle of wooden chairs.

The guests and hosts took their seats, and Hu Tao served hot tea. The fragrant tea dispelled the chill.

I just took a sip of tea.

The crowd surged in like a tidal wave, filling the entire room to capacity.

Ah Si and Pig couldn't contain themselves any longer and started chattering with Chen Feng about the grand spectacle of Shanghai: "Brother Chen Feng, you have no idea what you did at Songjiang Wharf! It's all over Shanghai now!"

Ah Si was beaming with excitement: "The Shen Bao newspaper reported on the front page that you are a 'national martial arts hero,' and your name is being talked about everywhere. Even the Chinese in the foreign concessions are feeling proud!"

The pig slapped his thigh and laughed loudly, "I heard that the Japanese at the Hongkou Dojo were so angry that they beat up their men on the spot, and the Marines have completely shut their doors! This is truly gratifying!"

The man on the other end of the line chuckled and said, "The Japanese definitely hate you now, but they're also afraid of you. The people around Songjiang regard you as their guardian deity, and many want to become your apprentices and learn some martial arts!"

Hu Mingxuan sighed with emotion: "Fortunately, we thwarted the Japanese scheme; otherwise, if war had broken out between Shanghai and Songjiang, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Wang Xiaoer, still shaken, muttered to himself, "Tsk tsk tsk... I never imagined the Japanese had hidden so much weaponry in Phoenix Mountain..."

Everyone chimed in, talking about the Japanese's wolfish ambitions, the bustling activity in Shanghai, and the national pride... The main room was filled with laughter and joy.

As Chen Feng listened, a faint smile appeared on his lips, but the light in his eyes gradually deepened.

He knew that this world was vast enough to accommodate everyone, yet also small enough to not tolerate others' success—and that many would inevitably set up challenges and cause trouble.

He knew even better that the peace and jubilation in Shanghai was merely the calm before the storm—the Japanese bastards would not give up easily, and the days to come would likely be anything but peaceful.

Amidst laughter and cheerful conversation.

Chen Feng picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and slowly swept his gaze over everyone. His expression suddenly darkened.

The noisy main room fell silent instantly.

Noticing something amiss, everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him.

Chen Feng put down his teacup, his fingertips lightly tracing the edge of the table. His tone was calm, yet carried a barely perceptible urgency: "By the way, does anyone here know someone named Chen Jiabao? He used to work at the river engineering company!"

Upon hearing this, the main room fell completely silent.

The group looked at each other and shook their heads.

Ah Si frowned: "Chen Jiabao? Never heard of him!"

Piglet looked equally bewildered: "Yes, we know all the river workers and fishermen in the Songjiang area, but we've never heard of or seen this person before!"

Er Gou shook his head and said softly, "Brother Chen, I often walk along the riverbank, and I've never heard of this name before!"

Chen Feng's heart sank little by little.

His father's image appeared in his mind—an honest and hardworking farmer with a simple, kind smile always on his face...

Just then.

A slight noise suddenly came from a corner of the main room.

"Brother Chen!"

A river worker with a sallow complexion and a thin figure slowly stood up from his chair.

He felt weak all over, and his steps were unsteady as he walked.

He took a step forward, his voice trembling with uncertainty: "Brother Chen...you mean Chen Jiabao?"

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat, as if he had grasped the last straw.

He suddenly stood up, strode over to the river worker, and grabbed his arm: "You know him?"

Chen Feng's voice was filled with barely suppressed urgency and trembling: "He's my father! You've met him?!"

The river worker nodded, panting heavily, "I...I know him! Last year, Uncle Chen and I had just gotten onto the river when we were tricked onto a small boat by Flying Bear's men!"

"As soon as we boarded the ship, they chained us up!"

The river worker began to tremble, as if he were transported back to that terrifying night: "I remember it clearly. The burly man I met was eight feet tall, covered in tattoos of a giant octopus, with a blue face and fangs, and a fierce look. He was definitely not a good person!"

That night, when the boat reached the middle of the river, a sudden downpour began, and the river wind was so strong it could blow a person away!

The river worker's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion: "I took advantage of their lax guard and jumped into the river with all my might. Luckily, Ah Si, the gang leader, happened to be passing by and saved my life. But Uncle Chen... he's old and frail, he couldn't escape!"

"I heard them say that those people are sold to Southeast Asia to do hard labor, grow rubber, mine... those places are hell on earth, and those who go there will never come back in this lifetime..."

After he finished speaking, the main room fell into a deathly silence.

Chen Feng slowly released the river worker's arm, his fist clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm, drawing blood, but he was completely unaware.

A raging fire, like a volcano, surged within his chest, mixed with excruciating pain.

The image of his father intertwined with the scenes of "piglet boats" and "laborers in Southeast Asia" described by the river workers, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, like a lurking beast, and squeezed out each word from between his teeth, carrying a chilling aura.

"Flying bear... octopus tattoo... Southeast Asia..."