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

"This way, please!"

Chen Gongzhe raised his hand and led both sides to a square table on the east side of the arena.

A large red paper was laid on the table, with several lines of regular script written on it in thick ink, the characters neat and solemn.

The above content is also very simple:

"A contract for life and death."

The parties hereby agree to engage in combat in the arena, where fists and feet have no eyes, and each shall accept their fate. Any injury or death shall be the sole responsibility of the party, and no one shall hold a grudge or seek financial compensation afterward. Any party who reneges on this agreement shall be condemned by heaven and earth and despised by the martial arts world. The parties hereby sign and affix their fingerprints, and the witnesses also sign and affix their fingerprints.

October 8th, 1919.

Two lines were left blank at the end, for the two contestants to sign and affix their fingerprints.

This was the rule of the martial arts world in the Republic of China: once a life-or-death contract was signed, the fists and feet on the ring were no longer bound by law; whether someone was killed or maimed depended on their own ability, and no one else could be blamed.

Back in the day, Huo Yuanjia defeated several foreign strongmen in a row on the Tianjin stage, and for each match, a death warrant was placed beside the stage.

When Sun Lutang competed with others in Beijing, he would first sign a death contract before stepping onto the stage.

It's not that martial artists are bloodthirsty, but rather that fists and feet have no eyes; when it comes to fighting to the death, holding back is tantamount to courting death.

Chen Hongwu picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote his name at the end.

The brushstrokes are steady and powerful, penetrating the paper.

Meng Guangyin took the pen and signed his name next to it: "Meng Guangyin." The handwriting was neat and meticulous, just like the man himself.

As a witness, Chen Gongzhe also signed his name on the third line, then looked up and surveyed the crowd, and announced loudly: "Today's arena is witnessed by the Shanghai Jingwu Gymnastics Association."

"The waiver is signed, and the rules of the ring remain the same. Anyone who falls off the ring loses, anyone who concedes defeat loses, and anyone deemed unable to continue by the referee loses."

Fists and kicks have no eyes; let fate decide!

He gave Chen Hongwu and Meng Guangyin a deep look. "Please come up on stage, gentlemen."

Meng Guangyin turned and walked towards the ring, his feet leaving more than a dozen deep footprints in the mud.

When he walked onto the stage, the murmurs from the audience erupted like boiling water.

"Judging by this situation, someone might die today!"

"That's right, they've already signed the death warrant. The Green Gang is really going to bleed this time."

"This old bodyguard seems to be no ordinary person. He walks as if he's stepping on cotton, so steady and heavy. He probably has real skills."

"Who is that young man? He looks like he's not even twenty yet. How dare he sign a death warrant?"

"You're so ignorant! That's Chen Hongwu! He killed two Japanese men in the Foshan ring, and even Funakoshi Gichin was killed by him with a single palm strike."

"So impressive? But he looks so young. How much experience can he possibly have? Master Meng has more experience than he has."

"Kung Fu isn't about who's older. Huo Yuanjia was only in his early thirties when he fought the foreigners."

Huang Jinrong sat back in his armchair, his gaze sweeping across the arena before turning to Lu Songgao and Tian Zhaolin, asking, "Master Lu, Master Tian, ​​in your opinion, who has the better chance of winning this match?"

Lu Songgao squinted for a while, then slowly said, "It's hard to say. In a duel between masters, things can change in an instant. Master Meng is the authentic successor of Cangzhou Mianquan, with mastery of internal strength. He has traveled all over the country and is very experienced. He is currently in his prime."

Although Master Chen has an outstanding record, he is only eighteen years old and has only fought a handful of tough battles.

When masters at the level of internal strength compete, victory or defeat depends not only on skill, but also on mindset and experience.

Both men have mastered the art of internal strength, but in terms of adaptability in combat, Master Meng should have the upper hand.

Tian Zhaolin nodded and continued, "Master Chen's talent is beyond doubt. He reached the peak of internal strength at the age of eighteen, which is extremely rare in the history of martial arts over the past hundred years."

However, his boxing style is characterized by its fierce and aggressive nature, making him very sharp in combat. This is both his strength and his weakness.

What is rigid is easily broken; the stronger the force, the faster it is consumed. Master Meng's Mianquan (Cotton Fist) uses softness to overcome hardness and stillness to control movement; it excels at attrition warfare.

If Master Chen cannot defeat Master Meng in a short time, and the match drags on into the second half, his stamina and strength will drop significantly, at which point Master Meng's advantage will become apparent.

Chen Hongwu stood on the ring, facing Meng Guangyin.

He could feel his heartbeat steady and strong, his blood surging through his veins, and his fascia trembling slightly.

This is the body automatically adjusting its state, like a cheetah tucking its limbs and lowering its center of gravity before pouncing.

"Master Meng," Chen Hongwu spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly audible to the two on the stage, "There was no enmity between us, but you took money from the Green Gang, and I owe the Green Gang a life. Today, standing on this stage, there is no room for me to hold back."

Meng Guangyin did not respond.

Chen Hongwu continued, "Do you have any unfulfilled wishes? Tell me. After I kill you, perhaps I can do my best to help you settle them."

When he said this, Chen Hongwu's expression was calm and indifferent, as if he had Meng Guangyin under his thumb.

Even though Meng Guangyin had traveled all over the country for many years and had cultivated a very calm temperament, his face twitched slightly from these words.

He said coldly, "No need. Keep those words to yourself, Master Chen."

Chen Gongzhe stood between the two men, glancing left and right.

Once both sides were confirmed to be ready, he raised the command flag in his right hand and then swung it down forcefully.

"start!"