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

The night at Waibaidu Bridge Wharf is pitch black, as if soaked in ice.

A gust of cold wind swept through, and the biting chill seeped into my bones through the seams of my clothes, lingering there.

"Tap tap tap—"

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed on the slippery stone path. Chen Feng and his two companions walked quickly through it. The path, soaked by the river for years, was sticky and clingy underfoot. In addition to the unique fishy smell of the river, there was also a faint stench of decay in the air, the lingering odor of a corpse that had been submerged for years. It was so suffocating that it made their chests tighten and even their breathing feel heavy and suffocating.

Along the way, the sixth senior brother lowered his voice, which was carried by the wind and carried a chillingly dangerous tone.

"Originally, the Suzhou Creek was divided into three sections: upper, middle, and lower, with clear boundaries and each section responsible for its own area!" The sixth senior brother said solemnly, his face grim. "But now, it has been completely distorted by the major forces of the Green Gang!"

"The smiling tiger in the middle section is a ruthless character who eats people without spitting out the bones!" he continued. "This man is greedy, cruel, and cold-blooded, and he is secretly colluding with the soon-to-be-retired Vulture in the next section. They have illegally altered the river boundaries and have seized control of the entire Suzhou River corpse retrieval business, reaping enormous profits that have all gone into their pockets!"

Er Gou, standing beside him, was pale, his Adam's apple bobbing, his tone betraying barely suppressed fear: "Brother Feng, on the Suzhou River, every single dirty and sordid incident involves corpses... corpses are their biggest source of wealth!"

Chen Feng's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his mind instantly became clear.

The corpses represent the core of the underground forces' interests along the Suzhou River.

The breakthrough! It's in the corpse!

The sixth senior brother frowned, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "Although Chief River Chief Gu Beiwang is a member of the Hongmen, his term is about to expire, and he only wants a peaceful transition. He has no desire to get involved in this matter. As for Old Tangyuan from the upper section..."

At this point, his voice suddenly lowered, full of warning: "This man is one of Huang Jinrong's seventeen disciples! On the surface, he seems to be hiding in his own little world, trying to protect himself, but in reality, he is extremely cunning, ruthless, and unpredictable. We must be wary of him!"

"But the one we need to be most wary of right now is that smiling tiger in the middle section!" The sixth senior brother suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife. "He is a core member of Du Yuesheng's Little Eight-Legged Gang! Although his cultivation is only at the mid-stage of Ming Jin, he is a natural-born master of the gun. His cold-gun technique is superb, and he has killed several late-stage Ming Jin experts with his skills and marksmanship!"

"His stealth attacks are ten times more terrifying than direct combat!"

Chen Feng nodded slightly, his resolve growing stronger: he must master hard qigong as soon as possible—not only to fight Qian Hu, but also to live up to his master's expectations!

"Tap tap tap—"

The three of them kept walking, the atmosphere as oppressive as the sea before a storm.

Before long, the waterfront tavern at Waibaidu Bridge Wharf came into view.

This banquet was a farewell feast for the vultures.

Outside the tavern, the seemingly idle people were actually spies, sentries, and thugs planted by various gangs and along the river. Their eyes darted around, but they were constantly scanning their surroundings, and no movement escaped their notice.

Inside the tavern, the dim lights flickered in the wind, shadows mingled, and cups and goblets were already prepared.

But the entire tavern was filled with a suffocating sense of oppression; the air was as solid as iron, and every inch of air seemed to conceal unseen swords and shadows.

The four people seated at the table were the true power holders of the Suzhou Creek.

At the head of the table, the Chief River Chief looked northward!

He and Yan Tieqiao were bosom friends. Although he was upright, he was constrained by the times and had no choice in his own destiny.

On the left is the middle section chief, a smiling tiger.

With a mid-stage Ming Jin cultivation level, his Southern Fist technique was renowned throughout Shanghai, and his spear skills were unparalleled in Suzhou. He could kill enemies of higher levels with ease.

The man had a long scar on his face, which was twisted by his ever-present smile. Beneath that hypocritical face, there was a hint of cruelty and greed.

The right side is the upper section, featuring old-fashioned glutinous rice balls.

This person is at the late stage of Ming Jin cultivation, and was a formidable figure in his early years, wielding Bagua Palm.

Now he is a greasy, fat, bald man who is war-averse, smooth and shrewd, and most skilled in interpersonal relationships. He only wants to live a peaceful life.

The last seat to be taken is occupied by the outgoing section chief, Vulture!

He was a mid-stage Ming Jin cultivator, and legend had it that he was skilled in using double scythes, with cunning and ruthless moves, and his hands were stained with blood.

He was a bald, hooked-nosed, pointed-mouthed, monkey-faced man with wrinkled skin on his neck like withered skin. He looked like a vulture and was sinister and ruthless. He made his fortune by retrieving corpses.

At this moment, Gu Beiwang's heart was filled with solemnity.

This farewell banquet was a mixed bag, fraught with danger; smiling tigers and vultures harbored wolfish ambitions, and the banquet was filled with schemes and traps.

He had no intention of inviting Chen Feng to the banquet out of a desire to protect him; he only wanted to keep the newly appointed section chief out of this mess and out of danger.

However, the moment the tavern door was pushed open and Chen Feng's figure appeared at the doorway...

"???"

Gu Beiwang's pupils contracted slightly, his gaze suddenly froze, and a clear look of hesitation and helplessness flashed across his face.

He knew that once Chen Feng had stepped into this place, there was no turning back.

After a brief hesitation, Gu Beiwang finally stood up, stepped forward, and gestured for him to take his seat. He then introduced him loudly to everyone present: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the newly appointed head of the Suzhou River Lower Section, Chen Feng!"

Chen Feng nodded slightly, then turned slightly to the side. His tone was steady and powerful as he glanced at Mancang and Er Gou: "These two are my brothers who would risk their lives for me. Mancang and Er Gou, from now on, you'll be working together on the Suzhou River!"

With a single sentence, he subtly positioned the two people to advance and retreat alongside him, instantly establishing his superior aura.

After saying that, Gu Beiwang was the first to extend his hand.

His palm was warm and thick, carrying the unique concern of an elder, yet also concealing a lingering solemnity and worry. A gentle squeeze followed by a quick release, a thousand words unspoken—this place is dangerous, proceed with extreme caution. I cannot protect you completely; from now on, you are on your own!

Following closely behind, the smiling tiger strode forward, his face beaming with a warm smile, his tone as intimate as if meeting an old friend: "Section Chief Chen! I've heard so much about you! Young and promising, a truly handsome man!"

However, at the very moment of shaking hands...

A sinister and cunning hidden force suddenly erupted, its power malevolent, aimed directly at Chen Feng's bones, concealing undisguised killing intent and provocation.

The warmer the smile on his face, the fiercer the killing intent in his hands. Relying on his seemingly gentle but actually powerful hand, the Smiling Tiger wanted to give Chen Feng a taste of his power and deflate his arrogance on the spot.

Chen Feng remained calm, subtly raising his internal hard qi – his arm muscles tensed slightly, and his palm steadily received the hidden force. He neither clashed head-on nor showed weakness, but instead used gentle force to deflect and lock the opponent's power, quietly neutralizing their ferocity.

Smiling Tiger felt as if his strength had vanished into thin air; not only had he failed to suppress Chen Feng, but he was instead held up by a steady, gentle force, unable to advance or retreat.

He was startled, and the smile on his face froze for a moment. He then realized that the young man in front of him was far more difficult to deal with than he appeared.

The two shook hands calmly, but in reality, they had already exchanged blows, and the difference in their abilities was immediately apparent.

The smiling tiger felt a chill run down his spine and dared not push him any further. He slowly withdrew his strength and released his grip.

But the fake smile faded a bit in his eyes when he looked at Chen Feng, replaced by genuine apprehension.

Everyone at the table was a seasoned veteran, and they immediately noticed the undercurrents that had just occurred.

Gu Beiwang's brows relaxed slightly...

"Hahaha--"

Seeing this, Old Tangyuan immediately stepped forward to smooth things over, swaying his large, fat belly. He waved his greasy hands repeatedly, chuckled a few times, and spoke in a smooth, oily tone.

"Both section chiefs are truly young and promising! Even their handshakes are so powerful; they're definitely real men!"

"Come on, come on, don't stand there, come and sit down, the food and wine are getting cold!"