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

The light at the gate dimmed for a moment, and a burly middle-aged man strode into the gate.

Chen Hongwu turned his head and looked over. The man was wearing a dark blue short jacket with a black cloth belt that was only a palm's width around his waist, and leather boots with hard soles. His steps were heavy and powerful, and his footsteps made a dull thud on the broken brick ground.

Behind him were two young apprentices, one carrying a long white waxwood stick and the other with two short knives at his waist, glaring menacingly at everyone in the courtyard.

"Which blind fool dares to touch my apprentice, Liu?!" The middle-aged man's voice boomed as he kicked away the broken bamboo basket on the ground.

His gaze swept around the yard and landed on Liu San, who was sprawled on the ground with his arms twisted behind his back. The fat on his cheek twitched.

Although Liu San's relationship with him was merely one of master and apprenticeship based on exchanging money, he still carried his name. Now that he'd been beaten like this, he had to get his revenge; otherwise, how could he face the underworld?

As if seeing a savior, Liu San struggled to his feet and cried out hoarsely, "Master! It's them—it's these people! You have to stand up for your disciple! Cripple them! Break their arms and legs!"

The middle-aged man followed Liu San's gaze and looked at Chen Hongwu, who was sitting on the stone bench.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and his entire body froze, as if he had been struck on the top of his head by a bolt of lightning.

Liu San was still wailing on the ground: "Master! It's this little scoundrel—"

The middle-aged man suddenly turned around, rushed in front of Liu San, raised his leather boot, and kicked Liu San hard in the chest.

Liu San was kicked so hard that he slid three feet away on the ground, his back hitting a pillar of the broken wooden shed, and he coughed up a mouthful of sour water.

"Why didn't I beat you to death?!" the middle-aged man shouted, pointing at Liu San's nose. "You blind bastard!"

After cursing Liu San, he straightened his clothes, walked quickly to Chen Hongwu, bent down, and forced a smile: "Master Chen, what are you doing here? This bastard is blind and offended you, please don't take it to heart."

His voice was low and soft, a stark contrast to the booming tone he had when he entered.

Chen Hongwu looked at him: "You know me?"

"My name is Liu Desheng, a member of the Green Gang, working under Mr. Du." Liu Desheng bowed and scraped. "I had the pleasure of seeing your photo at the mansion before. I had long heard of Master Chen's deeds in Foshan. I have admired you for a long time, and now that I have met you, I can see that you truly live up to your reputation."

"The Green Gang." Chen Hongwu picked up his teacup and took a sip. "They're definitely cut from the same cloth."

Liu Desheng's smile froze for a moment, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He opened his mouth, as if to explain something, but then swallowed it back, lowering his head even further, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.

He had read reports about Chen Hongwu and knew that this man was not to be trifled with; he was ruthless and vicious, and would take people's lives at the drop of a hat.

Liu San slumped down under the wooden shed pillar. Upon seeing this scene, his face turned from deathly pale to ashen, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Liu Desheng was his biggest backer in Shanghai and a capable henchman of Boss Du of the Green Gang.

At this moment, he was actually bowing and scraping to that young man in his early twenties, like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

Liu San opened his mouth: "Master, who exactly is he—"

"Shut up!" Liu Desheng turned around abruptly, his voice low as he squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, "Say one more word, and I'll tear your mouth off myself."

Chen Hongwu stood up, waved his hand, and said, "For Huang Jinrong's sake..."

"Yes, yes, yes! Master Chen, you are very generous."

Chen Hongwu walked towards the door, and Chen Hongwen and Li Yi also stood up. The three of them walked towards the courtyard gate.

The children gathered at the gate quickly parted to make way for the children.

Little Mudskipper stood in the middle of the courtyard, watching Chen Hongwu's figure grow further and further away. The color drained from his face little by little, replaced by a deathly despair.

Sure enough, anyone who heard the name "Green Gang" in Shanghai would back down.

As Liu San watched the three men step across the threshold, his tense nerves finally relaxed.

He leaned against a pillar of the wooden shed, spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "Master, who is this nobody? What's gotten into you like this?"

Liu Desheng crouched down and whispered in his ear, "Watch your mouth! Even if this guy is the gang leader, we have to treat him with caution. The Green Gang is holding a tournament the day after tomorrow, and we're going to fight him."

Liu San was taken aback for a moment, then sneered: "So powerful? Hearing the name of the Green Gang, they'd still be scared out of their wits—"

The mouth shape for the word "urine" wasn't finished yet.

"Whoosh!"

A dark shadow streaked through the air, so fast that Liu Desheng didn't even have time to react.

A pebble the size of a pigeon egg flew from the direction of the courtyard gate, over the dilapidated, crooked locust tree, over the heads of two teenagers, and drew a straight line in the air as fast as lightning.

"Snapped!"

The pebble struck Liu San squarely between the eyebrows, and the crisp sound of bones shattering was clearly audible.

The pebble emerged from the back of his head, bringing with it a cloud of blood and bone fragments, and embedded itself deeply into the wooden pillar behind him.

Liu San's mouth was still open, his eyes were wide open, there was a bloody hole between his eyebrows, and he was no longer breathing.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Liu Desheng squatted blankly beside Liu San's corpse, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably, and the back of his clothes was soaked with cold sweat.

The little loach suddenly raised its head and looked towards the gate of the courtyard.

Chen Hongwu's figure was disappearing at the alley entrance outside the courtyard gate, the corner of his gray cloth jacket being lifted by the wind.

"Sir! Wait for me!"

The little loach took off chasing after it.

P.S. I'm adding an extra chapter. I feel like the studio has been messing with me lately. I just received the adaptation notice, and the rating plummeted by 0.8 that same day. It's ridiculous!