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

Hongkou, entrance to the Black Dragon Society.

Outside the wooden lattice paper door, the night rain had not stopped. The raindrops pattered on the sand and stones in the courtyard, the rustling sound like thousands of silkworms nibbling on mulberry leaves.

Inside the room, a single lamp cast a dim light, and three people knelt silently beside a low table.

Tanaka Yoshio was the first to lose his composure. He leaned forward and whispered, "Branch Chief, Mr. Takano has been gone for almost an hour and hasn't returned yet. Could it be...?"

"What are you trying to say?" Kinoshita Shigeo raised his head, his gaze piercing like a knife. "Mr. Takano is a legend in the swordsmanship world of our Great Japanese Empire, a swordsmanship instructor before Emperor Meiji, and a master of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school. A mere Chinese boxer, do you think he could possibly harm you? Shut your mouth!"

"But two hours have already passed." Tanaka Yoshio frowned. "Chen Hongwu is no ordinary man. Funakoshi Gichin, Peter, and the ninjas we sent to Foshan have all been killed by him. Although Mr. Takano is strong, he is ultimately alone."

"What do you know?" Kinoshita Shigeo sneered. "The highest level of Japanese swordsmanship is far beyond what those Chinese amateurs can compare to. Mr. Takano is a true swordsman, not one of those third-rate ronin assassins. You'd better put away these pointless worries, lest they disrupt morale."

Tanaka Yoshio's face flushed red, and he was about to argue again when Sato Kenichi finally spoke up: "Enough."

The two fell silent at the same time.

"What kind of behavior is this, all this noise and commotion?" Kenichi Sato's face was as calm as an ancient well. He glanced past the low table and looked towards the door. "Mr. Takano's whereabouts are not something we can discuss. Go and rest. We'll have news tomorrow."

Tanaka Yoshio opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more, muttering, "Yes," before getting up and leaving the room. Kinoshita Shigeo also stood up, bowed, and followed him out.

The door closed, and Kenichi Sato sat alone under the lamp, his gaze fixed on the rain outside the window. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the edge of the low table. "Takano-kun, please don't disappoint me!"

---

The next morning, as dawn broke.

The rain stopped, and the sun rose from the direction of the Huangpu River, its golden-red light spreading across the asphalt pavement of the Bund and also shining into the half-open window of Chen Hongwu's room.

Chen Hongwu sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

His breathing was long and even, like the ebb and flow of the tide.

Despite not sleeping all night, my energy is even greater than yesterday. I have just achieved initial mastery of internal energy, and my body's qi and blood are perfectly balanced, as if I have inexhaustible strength.

Suddenly, a newsboy's shout rang out from outside the window, his voice crisp and clear:

"Breaking News! Breaking News! Chen Hongwu has defeated three martial arts masters in succession, fighting two against one, and warned Huang Jinrong that his head is in danger!"

"Look at the newspaper! The Green Gang has suffered three defeats in three matches. Master Chen declares: If the Green Gang sells opium again, I'll take Huang Jinrong's head!"

"Chen Hongwu has declared! Shanghai is about to change!"

The shouts rolled from one end of the street to the other, and then from the other end into the deep alley.

Chen Hongwu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on his right palm.

The bloodline cut by the katana on his palm had disappeared, leaving only a thin mark fainter than a hair.

He opened his palm, looked at both sides, and with a slight tremor of his body, his pores opened and closed, and a very faint white mist rose from his arm and dissipated in the blink of an eye.

Hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Chen Hongwen ran upstairs without even knocking and pushed the door open.

"Brother! Read the newspaper!" He grinned from ear to ear, waving the newly bought "Shen Bao" newspaper in his hand, and squeezed to the bedside in a few quick steps:

"Brother, look at what this newspaper says! 'Your fists subdued three tigers, your voice shook the eight directions!' It says you fought three people yesterday, Lu Songgao, Tian Zhaolin, and then you even pointed your finger at Huang Jinrong and cursed him! It's all over Shanghai! Newsboys are scrambling to get their hands on your newspapers, I barely managed to—"

Chen Hongwu raised his hand.

With just a slight lift of his head, Chen Hongwen's words caught in his throat.

"Hongwen." Chen Hongwu turned around, his gaze falling on Chen Hongwen's face, which was flushed with excitement. His tone was calm. "You, along with Li Yi and Chen Shi, must leave Shanghai today."

Chen Hongwen was stunned.

He looked down at the newspaper in his hand, which still smelled of ink, then looked up at Chen Hongwu, his joy completely wiped away by the cold water poured on his face.

"Big brother, what did you say?"

"We've only been in Shanghai for a few days..."

"Including today, it's been four days." Chen Hongwu picked up an old, thread-bound book and tapped the pages. "We just slapped the Green Gang's face in the mud, and now the whole world is talking about my name, Chen Hongwu. Do you think that's a good thing?"

"But..." Chen Hongwen grew anxious and took a step forward, "Isn't this a good thing? Our reputation is established, and business will—"

"Reputation is earned with one's life." Chen Hongwu interrupted him. "Do you think Huang Jinrong and the Black Dragon Society are some kind of benevolent people? I have disgraced the Green Gang, and those old guys behind Huang Jinrong will never sit idly by."

Last night I killed a swordsmanship master hired by the Black Dragon Society. They have close ties with the military and must have other plans. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. I'm naturally not afraid, but what about the three of you?"

Chen Hongwen gasped: "The Black Dragon Society?"

Although he was new to Shanghai, he had already become familiar with the Black Dragon Society through his surroundings. It was a ronin organization with ties to the Japanese military, wielding immense power in Hongkou and killing without blinking an eye.

"If both sides attack at the same time, I'm not afraid." Chen Hongwu stood up, opened the window, and let the morning breeze in. "But I can't be in two places at once to protect the three of you. You, Li Yi, and Chen Shi must leave first, hide, or simply go back to Guangdong."

"What about you, brother?" Chen Hongwen asked anxiously. "Isn't it more dangerous for you to stay in Shanghai alone?"

"If I want to leave, no one in Shanghai can stop me." Chen Hongwu turned around, his face calm. "Whether you fight or stay, I can handle it all on my own. If you leave, I will be able to act more freely and be distracted by watching over you, which would be the real danger."

The door rang again, and Li Yi was already standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

He had clearly been listening for a long time before finally speaking: "Hongwen, listen to your elder brother. Once you're on Huang Jinrong and the Japanese blacklist, your closest relatives will be the best targets. The longer you stay here, the more leverage you'll have to blackmail him."

Chen Hongwen was speechless.

"Where is Chen Shi?" Chen Hongwu asked.

"Still eating porridge downstairs," Chen Hongwen said in a muffled voice.

"Set off after you finish eating. Don't bring too many suitcases. Keep the banknotes separately on your person. Don't go through the train station. Take the afternoon ferry from the Shiliupu Wharf, heading towards Hangzhou first, and then transfer back to Guangdong. I will come to find you when the time comes."

Chen Hongwen gritted his teeth and nodded firmly: "Okay, big brother, I'll go arrange it right away."

He turned and went downstairs, his steps hurried.

Li Yi didn't leave; he remained leaning against the doorframe. Only after Chen Hongwen came downstairs did he slowly ask, "Are you really going to stand up to the Black Dragon Society alone, alongside the Green Gang?"

Chen Hongwu did not answer directly, only saying, "They are now in your hands."

Li Yi laughed: "My injury hasn't fully healed, so I can't box. But as long as I can still walk, I can still manage this."

"That's good. Perhaps I'll resolve things here before you even return to Guangdong." Chen Hongwu nodded, making a rare joke.

He turned to look out the window. Sunlight fell on the street, and the shouts of newsboys rose higher and higher, making his name known throughout the city.

"Black Dragon Society, Huang Jinrong, whatever tricks you play, I, Chen, will take them all on!"