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

In Tianjin, the wind picked up along the Haihe River.

The first north wind of autumn swept away the reeds, making them bloom all over the sky.

The front hall of the Chinese Martial Arts Association was noisy, and a newspaper with fresh ink was slammed onto the table.

"Master Li, look at this. A Chen Hongwu has emerged from Shanghai, affiliated with the Central Martial Arts Academy, and wants to be the leader of the entire martial arts world! What the hell does he take our Northern martial arts community for?"

The man who slammed the table was a man in his early thirties wearing a short jacket. His temples were bulging, and he looked like a Northern boxing master who had mastered the Ming Jin (a type of internal strength) technique.

The people around him chimed in, saying, "That guy surnamed Chen is only twenty years old, he doesn't even know who his teacher is, yet he dares to call himself the Central Committee."

"Master Li, if we don't stand up and say something, outsiders will think the Northern martial arts world has backed down!"

"What right does this upstart southerner have to hang up this sign? The Central Government? My Central Government is nothing!"

An old man sat in a rattan chair on the north side of the main hall.

The old man was in his seventies, with a thin face, a white beard that reached his chest, wearing an old cotton robe and a pair of blue cloth cotton shoes.

He had his eyes closed, and his thumb was flicking a string of wooden beads on his wrist.

It was Li Cunyi, the president of the Chinese Martial Arts Association.

He listened for a long time without even lifting his eyelids, and just waved his hand dismissively.

"What are you yelling about?" The voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire room.

"You value the name 'Central Martial Arts Academy' so much, but he may not truly believe it," Li Cunyi said slowly. "Back then, when Huo Yuanjia founded the Jingwu Association, didn't he also say, 'We will protect the country through martial arts, regardless of North or South'? Our Chinese Martial Arts Association was established in Tianjin, and didn't we also want to integrate the North and South and unify the martial arts world?"

One of the young men was still indignant: "Master Li, does that mean he can ride roughshod over us?"

Li Cunyi finally opened his eyes, his gaze cloudy yet revealing a hint of cold light.

Are you his match?

The young man was speechless.

"If you're no match for him, then say less." Li Cunyi closed his eyes again. "If he can really unite the martial arts world of the South with a single punch and kick, that's a real skill."

If anyone in the North disagrees, they'll go find him themselves. There's no need for you to shout here; if word gets out, people will think the Chinese martial arts world is afraid.

The hall was completely silent.

On the same day in Beiping, in a courtyard house by Shichahai Lake, Sun Lutang was practicing boxing under a pear tree.

He stood upright, his feet neither too far apart nor too far apart, and his hands moved slowly in circles as if supporting a heavy object.

The dust beneath their feet was not stirred up, yet their sleeves fluttered in the wind like sails billowing on a river.

His apprentice, Liu Rutong, stood under the eaves, waiting for him to finish his rounds of boxing before stepping forward to offer him a hot towel. He whispered, "Sir, news has come from Shanghai. Chen Hongwu has opened the Central Martial Arts Academy. The newspapers have been reporting on it for three consecutive days, causing a sensation in Beijing and Tianjin."

Sun Lutang took the towel and slowly wiped away his sweat.

"Chen Hongwu." He seemed to pronounce the three words in his mouth. "I've heard of him. He caused quite a stir in the newspapers a while ago, which sparked a lot of heated debate among intellectuals."

"It's him."

Sun Lutang draped the towel over himself, looked at the old jujube tree in the corner of the courtyard, and after a moment said, "Draft a letter for me. There's no need to send it. Write: 'Art is divided into North and South, but the Way has no East or West. It's easy to raise a flag, but difficult to unite hearts. If you are sincere, you can go to Shanghai to take a look.'"

Liu Rutong agreed, but couldn't help asking, "Sir, do you really think Chen Hongwu can accomplish anything?"

Sun Lutang smiled and said, "Success depends on fate, but planning depends on man. He's only twenty years old; he has a long future ahead of him."

If you young people have some free time, you might as well go and broaden your horizons. Remember, you are guests, so don't show any weakness.

The winds of the north blew through Tianjin and Beiping, and overnight swept into the martial arts schools of all sizes in Zhili, Shandong, and Henan.

Someone sneered, "These southern barbarians dare to call themselves the central government? They don't know their own limitations."

Someone murmured, "To be able to tear Takeda Soukaku apart alive, that skill is truly impressive."

Some people packed their bags overnight and asked others to buy tickets: "I'm going to Shanghai. I want to see if the Central Martial Arts Academy can handle my fists."

When the news reached Foshan, Guangdong, it was raining.

Wong Fei-hung was setting someone's bones in the back room of Po Chi Lam when Chan Sing entered, wearing a straw raincoat, water droplets dripping down the edge of his hat.

"Master Huang, have you read the newspaper?" Chen Sheng placed a roll of newspaper wrapped in oil paper on the table.

Huang Feihong took his time, first setting the man's dislocated arm, then sprinkling some medicinal wine on it before washing his hands and taking out the newspaper.

The front page headline featured the five large characters "Central Martial Arts Academy".

The photo below also shows Chen Hongwu facing off against Takeda Sokaku in front of the gate. Although the photo is blurry, you can still vaguely see the young man standing proudly in the middle of the street.

Huang Feihong stared for a while, then suddenly laughed: "This kid really dares to do things. In just a few days, he's already made a huge mess of things."

Chen Sheng laughed, "If he dares to challenge us, we dare to accept. I've spoken with several martial arts masters, and they all say that the Southern martial arts school has been suppressed by the North for years and is lacking a leader."

If Chen Hongwu can truly hold this banner firmly, it will be a blessing for Foshan and for Chinese martial arts.

Huang Feihong nodded and folded the newspaper neatly: "He stood up for our Foshan martial arts community back then, so today we'll cheer him on."

"You arrange for a statement to be published in the newspaper in the names of both Baozhilin and Hongshengguan. It should say that the Foshan martial arts community supports the Central Martial Arts Academy and Chen Hongwu."

Chen Sheng clapped his hands: "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Once our two families make a statement, people in the south will definitely follow suit. Only when we build up our momentum will his position as the leader of the alliance be truly secure."

Wong Fei-hung flicked his robe and sat back down in his chair: "But I must also give him a word of advice: the higher you climb, the colder it gets. The bigger the flag, the stronger the wind. The old masters in the north are not so easy to deal with."

Chen Sheng nodded: "I have already had a telegram drafted, and it will be sent to Shanghai tomorrow."

With these two martial arts giants from Foshan making their stance clear, martial arts schools in Guangzhou, Xiangshan, and Dongguan followed suit, and the wave of Southern martial arts began to gradually surge towards Shanghai.

Meanwhile, at the Chen family home, Chen Huaijin was sitting in his study, staring blankly at the same newspaper.

He was no longer a wealthy country man, and through his correspondence with Chen Hongwen these days, he knew quite a bit about the reputation his son had made in Shanghai.

But the words "Central Martial Arts Academy" still made his palms sweat.

"The Central Martial Arts Academy...what a prestigious name," he muttered, pressing the newspaper down.

The old servant Chen Fu whispered, "Master, Young Master Hongwen said in his letter that the eldest young master's martial arts skills are already superb. Many big shots in Shanghai are afraid of him. You don't need to worry too much."

Chen Huaijin remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "It is precisely because of his great reputation that he has made many enemies. No matter how skilled one is in martial arts, he cannot stop bullets. No matter how strong one person is, he cannot withstand an attack from all sides."

As he said this, he stood up and walked to the window.

The rain intensified, pattering loudly against the eaves.

"Go, write another letter to your young master Hong Wen. Tell him to persuade his brother to slow down."

"Consider it the last wish of a father."