Chinese martial arts: From being shot and killed by the armed police during a mountain search to bec

Huang Feihong was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

"The world belongs to us, and it also belongs to you..." he murmured, repeating it over and over, his eyes suddenly brightening.

"Good! Good! Good!" He said three times in a row, his voice hoarse but full of energy.

When he said the third "good", he suddenly coughed violently, bent over, and his shoulders shrugged as if he was coughing up his lungs.

Chen Hongwu stepped forward, placing his right palm on the back of the man's chest. With a hollow space in his palm, a gentle, subtle force penetrated from the Laogong acupoint, flowing down the Bladder Meridian to help regulate the surging Qi and blood.

"Master Huang, you shouldn't get angry right now."

Chen Hongwu withdrew his hand. "Rest assured and recover. With me here, the Japanese won't be able to cause any trouble in Foshan."

Huang Feihong's cough gradually subsided, and he straightened up with a look of relief. "Good! Master Chen, with your words, I, Huang, could die in peace right now."

Chen Hongwu then said, "I can beat Funakoshi Yoshichin to death in the ring, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wong Fei-hung's lips twitched slightly. "In the ring, fists and kicks have no eyes. If you kill your opponent fair and square, there's naturally no problem."

He paused, his tone turning serious, "But Master Chen, don't be careless or underestimate your opponent."

He walked to the square table, dipped his finger in the cold tea in his cup, and drew a few circles on the rosewood tabletop.

"Although I have never fought with Funakoshi Gichin, he is quite famous in the Japanese martial arts world and is the founder of the Shotokan school."

The Shotokan school of karate is rooted in Ryukyu Tang Shou, and later absorbed Japanese Jujutsu and Kendo footwork, integrating them to form its own unique style.

His boxing style is fierce and swift, especially adept at straight-line attacks, which is similar to the half-step Bengquan (崩拳) of Xingyi Quan (形意拳), both involving seizing the center line, stepping on the center, and attacking hard.

He drew a straight line on the table with his fingertip, from the two characters "Funakoshi" all the way to the edge of the table.

"But his straight-line thrust is different from Xingyi Quan. Xingyi Bengquan uses spiral force, with the arm rotating inward and the fist like a drill; Funakoshi's karate straight punch uses straight-line penetrating force, with the fist surface flat and the power penetrating the finger bones."

The two types of force produce different effects: the Beng Quan (崩拳) penetrates and then explodes, while the Zheng Quan (正拳) directly pierces through.

Master Chen, if you use a horizontal punch to break his front punch, remember not to take his first punch head-on. His first punch is a feint, only using seven-tenths of his strength. After you block, his second punch will be full power, specifically targeting when your old strength is exhausted and your new strength has not yet been generated.

Chen Hongwu nodded. He had seen Yoshinobu Funakoshi make moves on the Hongsheng Hall stage, so he was naturally familiar with the so-called Shotokan-style karate.

Huang Feihong dipped his finger in tea and made a few wet marks on the table.

"His leg techniques are also very impressive; he has mastered front kicks, side kicks, and back kicks."

Especially the back kick, when turning and spinning, the waist and hips work together, and the whole leg swings out like a whip, landing on both sides of the head and neck.

The flaw in this move is that the elbow moves before the leg. Master Chen, your eyesight is better than mine, so anticipating the opponent's move shouldn't be difficult for you."

The two talked for a long time in the side room until the sun began to set outside the window.

---

In the afternoon, Baozhilin sent a reply.

Upon receiving the reply, Funakoshi Gichin immediately sent people to post notices in Foshan City and also informed the English newspapers in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Baozhilin accepted the challenge, and the date of the duel was moved up from two months later to six days later.

Notices were plastered all over the streets and alleys of Foshan, from the screen wall of the Ancestral Temple all the way to the waiting shed of the train station, in black and white on white paper.

The teahouses and taverns were in an uproar, filled with curses.

Some say the Japanese are taking advantage of others' misfortune and kicking them when they're down. Others have used even harsher language, saying the Japanese are shameless and will resort to any dirty trick.

Several hot-tempered laborers on the dock tore a Japanese flag off the shop entrance and stomped on it more than a dozen times. By the time the police arrived, the crowd had already dispersed, and the flag was covered in shoe prints.

---

The next day, Baozhilin.

The white paper lanterns in front of the door were still lit, the candles burned all night, and the lamp oil was added three times.

The black gauze on the lintel swayed slightly in the morning breeze. The coffin in the front hall was not yet closed, and the coffin lid leaned against the wall, revealing the plain white silk cloth lining it.

According to Foshan's funeral customs, the body must be kept in the womb for at least three days before the encoffining can take place.

In the past few days, relatives and friends from near and far have come to pay their respects. The gate of Po Chi Lam has been open from morning to night, and the threshold has been worn smooth by the people coming and going.

Several square tables were set up in the courtyard, covered with plain cloths, and set with tea and vegetarian snacks.

The women of the Huang family knelt before the coffin, their waists tied with hemp ropes, and white cloths hanging from their hair buns to their waists. Every now and then they would let out a few soft sobs, their voices very low, as if afraid of disturbing the peaceful sleep of the person in the coffin.

Several junior disciples squatted under the eaves burning paper money. The flames leaped up and down, and the ashes were blown up by the wind, swirling and landing on the branches of the old pomegranate tree in the courtyard.

Chen Hongwu withdrew from the mourning hall, passed through the moon gate, and walked along a narrow path made of blue bricks towards the west courtyard.

A clump of phoenix-tail bamboo grew at the base of the courtyard wall. The bamboo leaves were wet with morning dew and rustled in the wind.

The courtyard gate was ajar; when pushed open, people were already inside.

Stone locks, stone weights, and wooden dummy stakes were placed on the open ground. Single-edged swords and spears were placed on the weapon rack, and two people sat on a bench against the wall.

Chen Sheng and Li Su of Hong Sheng Guan.

Li Su was squatting on the ground tying his shoelaces when he saw Chen Hongwu come in. He stood up and clasped his hands in greeting: "Master Chen, we invited you here today for two reasons. First, a few of us old brothers wanted to see you. Second, we wanted to ask you to take a look at my Cai Li Fo Kung Fu and see if there are any flaws."

Even though you've taken over the ring six days from now, our Hong Sheng Hall can't be idle.

In case the Japanese resort to any underhanded tactics, having more people means more strength.

Chen Hongwu nodded and walked to the center of the courtyard.

Without further ado, Li Su adopted the Cai Li Fo "Pulling Three Stars" stance: feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned inward, knees slightly bent, center of gravity lowered, chest slightly concave, back straight, front hand in a throwing punch starting posture, and back hand protecting the heart.

The boxing manual states: "Choi Li Fut boxing originated from Chen Xiang, and is based on the five punches of piercing, throwing, hanging, sweeping, and striking, with a long bridge and wide stance, combining hardness and softness."

As soon as Li Su adopted the stance, his back arched like a bow, his breath sinking into his dantian, his entire being exuding a calm yet fierce power ready to be unleashed.

"Master Chen, please."

Chen Hongwu didn't adopt a stance; he simply let his hands hang naturally at his sides, his toes gripping the ground, and his breathing was long and even: "Master Li, make your move."

Li Su didn't hold back. With a push of his feet, he sprinted across the ground and rushed into Chen Hongwu's center line.

The lead hand delivers a powerful, piercing punch straight to the face, the force of the punch cutting through the air with a short, crisp sound, while the rear hand is simultaneously concealed under the ribs, poised to strike.

This punch was quick to start, accurate to land, and its force traveled in a straight line.

Chen Hongwu neither dodged nor evaded, but slid his right foot back half a step, raised his left hand to his chest, turned his palm into a horizontal fist with the palm facing outward, and raised his forearm upward like a hanging painting.

The boxing manual says, "Rising like a steel file, falling like a hook." This stance uses the starting force of Xingyi Hengquan to gently stick to Li Su's Chuanpao Chui, and then rotates the wrist outward to deflect the force of the punch to the side.

A horizontal punch breaks a straight punch; it follows the principle of using the horizontal to control the vertical.

Li Su's punch was deflected, but he didn't stop. He took a half step forward with his back foot and crashed into Chen Hongwu's inner gate. At the same time, his back hand came out from under his ribs, and his fist followed an arc, hitting Chen Hongwu's side neck with a hook punch.

This move involves a series of throws and hooks, with the force shifting from hard to soft, and the punching path changing from a straight line to an arc. The changes are seamless and executed in one smooth motion.

Just as Li Su's hook punch was about to hit, Chen Hongwu's body suddenly shrank, his back twisted like a dragon, his whole body shrunk by half a head, his toes gripped the ground, and his body moved half a foot to the side of Li Su's punching path.

Xingyiquan - Snake Walk!

Without stopping his feet, his right hand simultaneously emerged from his waist, a fist like a snake's tongue, aimed straight for Li Su's ribs.

Before the fist arrived, the force came first, and the fabric under Li Su's ribs was slightly sunken by the force of the punch.

Li Su's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly stepped back, withdrew his fist, and crossed his arms to press down, using Cai Li Fo's "Cross Gold Dividing" defensive stance to forcefully block Chen Hongwu's drilling punch.

Chen Hongwu's punch was deflected, and he did not pursue. He withdrew his fist, stepped back, slightly arched his back, and stood back in the same place.

Cai Li Fo Kung Fu's "Hanging Fist" is powerful and flexible in its moves. Chen Hongwu's snake form is even more consummate. With the twisting of his waist and hips, he can deflect the force of the punches from the whole body. His listening skill is also superior to Chen Hongwu's. Before Chen Hongwu has even exerted his full strength, he is already being suppressed and beaten. Going any further would be a humiliation for him.

"I'm not fighting anymore, I'm not fighting anymore." Li Su waved his hand. "Master Chen, I'm truly impressed by your skill. How did you manage to bypass my Cross-Shaped Gold Fist with that drilling punch just now?"

Chen Hongwu said, "When the hands are crossed, the elbows open for a moment, and the drilling fist strikes through that gap."

Li Su was taken aback, looked down at his elbow, and chuckled, "You managed to exploit such a small opening? Master Chen, how confident are you in the ring six days from now?"

"Fifty-fifty, I guess." Chen Hongwu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the blue brick wall on the west side of the courtyard, the top of which was covered with blue tiles.

A few clumps of withered yellow foxtail grass grew in the cracks between the tiles, swaying slightly in the morning breeze.

The group chuckled, about to say, "Master Chen, you're being too modest."

But then Chen Hongwu said, "I'll kill him five times in five moves!"

The two men froze.