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

In the dead of night, the darkness was as black as ink.

Chen Feng walked steadily back to the backyard of Hu Qing Yu Tang.

The courtyard was completely silent. The lights in the surrounding rooms of the backyard had already been turned off, and Hu Tao and the others had already settled down for the night. Only the dim lamplight under the corridor flickered, reflecting the dust and bloodstains all over his body.

"Creak—"

The door to the side room was gently pushed open, the sound breaking the stillness of the night.

Xiao Aqiao from the next room was still awake. Hearing the noise, she rushed over and blurted out a soft, urgent "Brother Feng."

When she saw the bloodstains on Chen Feng's body, her eyes instantly reddened, filled with heartache. Without saying a word, she turned around to fetch hot water and soon prepared a large bucket of steaming hot water.

As Chen Feng lay in the warm water, his fatigue receded like the tide, and the wounds left by days of fighting gradually soothed in the warmth, making him feel much more relaxed.

Xiao Aqiao squatted by the bucket, first gently pouring a bottle of Qi and Blood Powder into the water, then bringing over a dozen kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs and adding them into the bucket one by one.

As she placed the herbs, she softly recited their names and effects: "This is *Clematis chinensis*, which can relax muscles and improve blood circulation; this is *Drynaria fortunei*, which can heal injuries and set bones; this is *Spatholobus suberectus*, which nourishes and promotes blood circulation..."

The instant the medicinal herbs are added to the soup.

A gentle medicinal power seeped into his skin and bones through the hot water, flowing throughout his internal organs. The refreshing and invigorating feeling made Chen Feng let out a soft groan, feeling as if he were floating on air.

He looked up in surprise at the girl by the bucket: "Ah Qiao, how do you know so much about pharmacology?"

Xiao A's cheeks flushed slightly, and she answered softly, "I was influenced by what I saw and heard in Miao territory since I was little, and some of it was taught to me by Grandpa Hu Sanzhen!"

Chen Feng gazed at her flushed profile, his eyes darkening slightly. After a moment of silence, the scene from that day at the City God Temple suddenly flashed through his mind—the man with the octopus tattoo, looking at Xiao A Qiao with the eyes of a hungry wolf eyeing its prey, sinister and greedy.

He finally spoke, his tone serious: "Ah Qiao, there's something that concerns your safety, and also a clue about my father. I need to ask you about it!"

He abruptly changed the subject, getting straight to the point: "That day at the City God Temple, why did the man with the octopus tattoo on his body keep staring at you? Do you know his background?"

Xiao Aqiao's face instantly darkened. After a long silence, she turned around, rummaged through the remaining half-pack of cigarettes, took one out, and lit it.

The starlight flickered in the dimly lit room, illuminating her pale face, which was filled with hatred.

She took a deep drag of her cigarette, spoke slowly, her voice hoarse with the weariness of life.

"I am originally from Miao territory. My hometown was ravaged by war, and when I was young, I fled to Shanghai with my parents, a journey of thousands of miles!"

"But the peaceful days didn't last long. My father was forcibly conscripted by Octopus's men to repair the Suzhou River, and he never came back!"

"My mother was overcome with grief and fell ill, and passed away not long after..."

"And I, I was sold to a place like Black Swan by Octopus, who was then the head of the alleyway!"

"Having fallen into that hellish state, I wanted to end it all, but I couldn't accept it, I really couldn't accept it!"

As she spoke, Xiao Aqiao's tears flowed uncontrollably.

"I was born with a natal Gu (a type of Gu poison), making my constitution different from ordinary people!"

"On my first day inside the Black Swan, I didn't hesitate to pierce my own protective barrier, activating the poison and causing festering sores to appear on my skin, pretending to be suffering from a serious illness!"

"The madam originally intended to dispose of me like the other sick women!"

"But after the octopus arrived, the madam's attitude suddenly changed drastically. Not only did she not punish me, she also stopped controlling me and gave me freedom of movement!"

"But after that, I never saw an octopus again. I heard it went to sea and sailed to Southeast Asia..."

The words fell.

As the last puff of smoke burned out, ash fell softly to the ground.

Chen Feng already understood. He had originally planned to settle accounts with the Black Swan madam after the battle on the second day of the second lunar month. Now that Xiao A Qiao's background was involved, it was a good opportunity for him to settle old and new grudges at the same time, and also get to the bottom of the octopus clues.

The next morning.

Chen Feng woke up early, stretched, his bones cracking and popping, feeling incredibly refreshed, all fatigue and pain gone.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that as the saying goes, "to do something well, you must first have the right tools." No matter how hard one cultivates, one cannot do without the help of rare medicinal herbs.

Sensing that his cultivation was about to break through, he was in a great mood within the last day or two.

"Brother Feng!"

Xiao Aqiao, carrying a stack of brand-new clothes, yawned as she walked out of the room, her eyes dark with circles. "These were made according to the style Brother Mancang described. I made some alterations last night. Try them on to see if they fit!"

Only when she was busy with Chen Feng could she temporarily suppress the pain and hatred in her heart and keep herself awake.

Chen Feng noticed the dark circles under her eyes and his heart softened. He gently brushed away the bags under her eyes with his finger and said softly, "Don't stay up so late anymore!"

The voice just fell.

Aunt Lin also came out of the house. Seeing her son, she immediately rushed forward, carefully examining him from head to toe, left and right. Only after confirming he was unharmed did she let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes slightly red. She said, "Mom knows everyone outside admires you and fawns over you, but every time I hear about your dangerous adventures, my heart aches. Mom knows you have ambition and aspirations, and I fully support you. But if you can't take it anymore, come back to Mom's side. We can always move back to Swallow's Nest in Fan Gua Lane. It's not shabby there, and it will always be our home!"

A surge of warmth welled up in Chen Feng's heart; this was home, this was his mother's love.

last life.

He was a helpless orphan, reborn in this life, determined to protect his little family.

Not long after.

Everyone sat around the dining table, laughing and chatting about everyday life, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

I have had breakfast.

Lin Sao quickly disappeared into the medicine room to get busy, while Xiao A Qiao, carrying a wine pot, wanted to go find Hu Sanzhen, but Chen Feng, feeling sorry for her, sent her back to her room to catch up on sleep.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Hu Tao laughed so hard she bent over, her eyes full of amusement.

Chen Feng turned to look at Hu Tao and Hu Mingxuan and said, "After I'm done with these next few days, I plan to move to Fan Gua Nong Highlands and buy a small house next to the boxing gym!"

Hu Tao and Hu Mingxuan exchanged a glance and then laughed: Hu Qingyutang is planning to open a branch in Fan Gua Lane, specializing in affordable and high-quality medicines to take care of the poor people in the shantytown. This is also the starting point for our ancestors to open this pharmacy!

Chen Feng nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, stating that it was a great thing that would benefit the country and its people.

Hu Tao suddenly changed the subject, smiling as she suggested, "Brother Feng, the area around Fan Gua Rong is a mixed bag. We'd like to ask you to be the nominal manager of our branch. You won't have to handle the day-to-day operations; with you here, the branch can operate smoothly!"

Hu Mingxuan quickly added, "The new shop also has a front store and a back yard, located on the high ground of Fan Gua Nong, very close to the boxing gym, making it convenient to come and go!"

Chen Feng naturally understood that Hu Qing Yu Tang earned millions of silver dollars a year and didn't care about the meager profits from the shantytown.

This move was simply to firmly bind him to Hu Qing Yu Tang, and it was full of sincerity and protection.

Thinking of this, he immediately smiled and agreed.

After a while.

Chen Feng changed into the blue shirt that Xiao Aqiao had sewn by hand. The fabric was close-fitting and neat, without making him look bulky. There was a hidden pocket on the side of his waist to conceal his gun. He could easily slip his Mauser pistol into the inner pocket without anyone noticing. The waistband was even more ingenious, with a concealed bullet belt sewn in, allowing for quick and easy access to the bullets while keeping them hidden.

He raised his hand and touched the hem of his clothes, feeling relaxed and at ease, and was very satisfied.

With a step, he headed back to the familiar boxing ring and stepped onto that familiar stage.

This time.

The boxing ring sent out its formidable number 9 fighter. The wind howled as the punches thundered across the ring, and the attacks were like a storm, making the battle extremely fierce.

But the final result shocked the entire boxing ring and left all the gamblers speechless!

Everyone initially thought "The Joker" was just a trap set by the boxing ring, but now they are shocked to realize that this man codenamed "The Joker" is actually incredibly powerful!

The entire battle.

Chen Feng stood still the whole time, letting his opponent bombard him relentlessly. His hard qigong circulated like iron, leaving not a single scratch. He even managed to completely destroy his opponent with a single punch.

Once the battle is over.

Chen Feng quietly left the boxing ring and disappeared into the night.

Upon returning to Hu Qing Yu Tang's room.

He then immersed himself in the warm medicinal tub again. Xiao Aqiao stood silently by the tub, gently adding herbs to the water. Occasionally, her fingertips would touch the bruises on his body, and she would carefully knead and soothe them.

The warmth and the effects of the medicine intertwined, making Chen Feng feel indescribably comfortable. His consciousness quietly slipped into his retinal interface, where lines of clear text appeared before his eyes:

Heaven rewards diligence; success is inevitable.

[Tongbei Quan Minor Mastery: 720/1000]

[Tongbei Quan - Minor Success in Stance Training: 800/1000]

[Minor Mastery of Hard Qigong +10 (990/1000)]