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

February, early spring.

Bright sunlight streamed through the carved windows of Hu Qing Yu Tang's main store, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone floor and dispelling the last vestiges of winter's chill!

As soon as Chen Feng stepped through the door, a very low voice rushed into his ears.

"Chen Feng!"

Hu Mingxuan hurried forward, his face still showing shock and disbelief, his eyes swirling with lingering fear. His voice was so urgent it almost cracked: "That fire last night that burned through most of the street... you were the one who did it?"

Chen Feng waved his hand dismissively, his tone calm and even, yet carrying an unyielding coldness: "They forced me to!"

Those five short words struck Hu Mingxuan like a hammer blow, nearly causing his jaw to drop to the ground.

His eyes widened suddenly, he staggered back half a step, and exclaimed in shock, "Are you crazy! You've got some nerve! That's Japanese territory! How dare you..."

Before the words were finished, a lazy, nonchalant voice drifted out from the inner room.

"Oh--"

Hu Sanzhen stretched and slowly sauntered out of the inner room, tapping his pipe with a "click" and his eyes shining with an astonishing light.

He nudged Chen Feng lightly with his elbow, a playful smile on his face: "How's it going? You made such a ruckus last night, did your cultivation break through?"

Chen Feng nodded silently.

My physical body is no longer what it used to be; it is as still as a deep pool and as firm as a mountain, so stable that it is impeccable.

The restrained aura of late-stage Ming Jin throughout his body was also more refined than it had been a few days ago.

"A real breakthrough?!"

Hu Mingxuan's eyes lit up suddenly, and he immediately rolled up his sleeves, getting into a fighting stance, his fighting spirit surging: "Come on! Punch me in the chest!"

Before he finished speaking, two light footsteps came from under the corridor.

As Hu Tao was about to leave with Xiao A Qiao by her hand, she looked up and bumped into Chen Feng. Their eyes lit up at the same time.

"Brother Feng!"

Little A-Qiao skipped forward excitedly and explained in a cheerful voice, "Sister Hu Tao is going to her best friend Tang Tang's house. She said she'll take me to see the world!"

Speak of the devil, and he appears!

Hu Tao was overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Chen Feng's arm without saying a word, her tone filled with an eager and urging tone that left no room for refusal: "You've come at the right time! I was just worried that I needed an assistant for today's matter. Come with me!"

As she spoke, she pushed Chen Feng towards the inner room, her tone urging, "Hurry up, go wash up and change into clean clothes. It's not appropriate to go see anyone looking all disheveled!"

In just a short while.

A black sedan drove out of Hu Qing Yu Tang, carrying Chen Feng, Hu Tao, and Xiao A Qiao, and sped off towards the Tang family's location.

The car drove smoothly through the streets of Shanghai, with Hu Tao sitting in the passenger seat. Turning back to Chen Feng and Xiao A Qiao, she softly introduced Tang Tang's family background, her tone carrying a hint of solemnity.

"The Tang family originated from a prominent family in Guangdong. Later, they moved north to Shanghai and served as the chief comprador for Jardine Matheson, making them one of the most prestigious comprador families in Shanghai!"

She paused, then spoke clearly, each word distinct.

"Today, the Tang family owns more than forty industrial and commercial enterprises, spanning shipping, coal mining, railways, insurance, cement, education, charity... almost every lucrative field in Shanghai. Their wealth and influence are immense and their roots are unfathomable!"

"Tang Tang's father enjoys extremely high prestige in Shanghai's military, political, and business circles. Even top-tier wealthy families like the Sheng family have maintained good relations with the Tang family for generations. Ordinary forces don't even have the right to get close to him!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng nodded slightly, already having made a judgment about the significance of this family.

Half an hour later.

An extremely luxurious European-style garden villa came into view.

The off-white marble exterior is inlaid with gilded decorations, and the pointed dome pierces the sky. It is surrounded by a meticulously maintained French garden, where tulips of various colors bloom among the neatly trimmed hedges.

In the very center is a huge fountain garden, where white water jets shoot into the sky and then scatter into sparkling droplets that refract dazzling light in the sunlight.

Compared to Zhang Defa's nouveau riche mansion, the elegance of this European-style garden villa is deeply ingrained, a result of centuries of accumulated heritage and prestige—it's on a completely different level.

The car came to a smooth stop next to the fountain garden.

Chen Feng pushed open the car door, his gaze sweeping over the magnificent scene before him, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his index finger—he could still faintly hear the distant, indistinct sounds of gunfire, carrying with them a lingering scent of gunpowder.

As Hu Tao got out of the car, a hint of undisguised envy flashed across her eyes as she gazed at the luxurious villa before her.

Xiao Aqiao tightened her clothes and her steps trembled slightly, clearly nervous about this grand occasion.

Seeing this, Chen Feng reached out and gently took her hand. His palm was warm and steady, and his voice was deep and powerful as he reassured her, word by word: "Don't be afraid, I'm here!"

Just now.

A nanny in an elegant uniform hurried up, her face full of worry. Seeing Hu Tao, she breathed a long sigh of relief, as if a savior had appeared: "Miss Hu Tao, you've finally arrived!"

She leaned closer and lowered her voice, her tone anxious: "Miss Tang has been throwing a tantrum these past few days, locking herself in her room and refusing to come out. It's been several days now, and Madam is so worried she can't eat!"

The nanny leaned closer to her ear and cautiously added, "The master has even declared that if Miss continues to disobey, he'll send her straight back to Germany without any leniency!"

Hu Tao gently patted the nanny's hand, reassuring her, "It's alright, I'll handle it!"

The group followed the nanny up to the second floor of the villa, stopping in front of a carved door. She knocked lightly twice: "Tang Tang, it's me!"

A muffled noise came from inside the room.

A moment later, the door was opened.

Tang Tang was wearing a loose silk nightgown, her hair was messy, and her face still showed signs of anger. But when her gaze fell on Chen Feng, her pupils suddenly contracted and her face instantly turned red.

"boom--"

The door was slammed shut, making the door frame vibrate.

"Auntie! Please have everyone wait downstairs for a while!"

Tangtang's voice came from inside the door, sounding somewhat flustered.

Immediately following was the sound of running water and hurried dressing in the bathroom; the girl's embarrassment and panic were clearly felt even through the door.

A dozen minutes later, the door opened again.

Tang Tang changed into an elegant little dress, her hair neatly combed, but her cheeks were still flushed, as if someone had stumbled upon her most secret secret.

She hurried downstairs, and as soon as she was next to Hu Tao, she whispered in her ear, her tone a mix of embarrassment and annoyance: "Why did you bring him? You didn't even tell me beforehand! The way he was behaving just now was absolutely humiliating!"

Hu Tao suppressed a laugh and gently patted the back of her hand: "We just happened to run into each other on my way out. Aren't you always talking about certain people? Besides, he's got his eye on your shooting range too!"

These words were spoken.

Tang Tang immediately deflated, her head drooping, her tone a mix of grievance and frustration: "I don't want him to go... There's this really annoying guy at the shooting range who keeps bothering me, and there's a whole bunch of others joining in the commotion, it's so annoying!"

She paused, bit her lip, and finally dragged herself out, saying, "Let's go!"

Arriving at the back garden.

She suddenly stopped, looked up at Chen Feng, her eyes filled with genuine worry, and softly instructed, "When you get to the shooting range, if you encounter those people, just ignore them! Those people are all arrogant young masters who rely on their family background. Don't get into a conflict with them, lest you... suffer a loss!"

Hu Tao stood aside, taking in the whole scene, a knowing smile unconsciously curving her lips.

She and Xiao Aqiao exchanged a glance, and in their eyes, they both held the same thought.

It's really hard to say who will suffer a loss!