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

As the sun rose higher in the courtyard, Chen Hongwu and Xuanzhenzi talked more and more deeply.

From the Great Sage Stance to the Three-Body Stance, from the Three-Body Stance to the Dan Jin (energy cultivation), and from the Dan Jin to "not hearing or seeing, sensing danger and avoiding it."

When Xuanzhenzi got excited, he would even gesture a bit.

Chen Hongwu would sometimes nod, and sometimes gently press his hand in the air, using his hand to explain the principles of boxing.

Just as the two were talking about "the unity of spirit and energy, the unity of energy and strength, and the internal connection of the six harmonies, only then can one achieve true power," a commotion suddenly broke out in the front yard.

Chen Hongwu stopped talking, his ears twitched slightly, and he heard a flurry of footsteps and voices surging toward the door like a tide.

"It seems this place won't be quiet today," he said.

Xuanzhenzi laughed and said, "You're a living advertisement in Shanghai now. Want some peace and quiet? You'll have to wait until you take this plaque down."

The two walked out of the moon gate, crossed the courtyard, and before they even reached the front hall, they saw that the area outside the gate was already crowded with people.

A dense, dark mass of people blocked almost half the street.

The streets were crowded with rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages, and cars.

People carrying sacks, wearing long gowns, carrying foreign knives, and leaning on canes swarmed to the door.

The eight disciples temporarily transferred by the Jingwu Association were covered in sweat, and even with their arms outstretched, they couldn't stop people.

"Line up! All of you line up! Ask your questions one by one!" the leader shouted at the top of his lungs, veins bulging on his neck.

The main hall was even more lively.

The benches on both the east and west sides were full of people.

Chen Gongzhe sat in the main seat with a pot of cold tea in front of him. To his left, the accountant was flipping through a blank book of music, while to his right, Chen Hongwen sat upright with a wolf-hair brush in his hand.

"Zhang's Rice Shop is willing to supply you with food for the whole year, only asking to have your name card displayed in the shop." A fat man in a gray silk mandarin jacket stepped forward with a smile, followed by two red lacquered gift boxes carried by his assistants.

Chen Gongzhe smiled and shook his head: "I appreciate Boss Zhang's kindness. If you need a name card, let's wait until the academy has finalized its rules before we can discuss it further."

"Chairman Chen, I run a seafood business at the Shiliupu Wharf. In our area, there are often gangs in short shirts causing trouble in the middle of the night. We'd like to ask you, Master Chen, to help put things under control."

He doesn't need to go himself; just send two decent instructors to support him for a month, and the cost will be negotiable!

"Make a note of this first, then we'll discuss it later."

Chen Gongzhe was adept at handling all situations; he responded readily and refused gracefully.

Outsiders couldn't see the depth of the situation; they only felt that the threshold was frighteningly high, and the more they couldn't reach it, the more they would crash into it.

As Chen Hongwen took notes, he listened to how Chen Gongzhe would leave three parts of his words unsaid, three parts on his face, and three parts unfulfilled in his promises.

After several rounds, he was slightly sweaty, but his eyes were bright.

A young sergeant squeezed into the hall, his military boots clattering: "I am the adjutant of General Lu's guard. I would like to invite Master Chen to Longhua to teach twenty people close combat."

Salary is paid monthly, and the military provides an additional allowance for express transport. Is Master Chen still available?

Chen Gongzhe remained calm and composed: "The head of the academy is busy. I'll make a note of this matter and have the academy give your department a definite answer another day. Brother, please leave your name card first."

The adjutant dared not get angry and left with his hands clasped in respect.

Just as things were getting busy here, two men in Western suits came in, claiming to be compradors from the Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company. They offered to book a full-page congratulatory message in the newspaper, in exchange for one of their GG flags being displayed during martial arts demonstrations at the training hall.

"They're here to deliver money," Chen Hongwen muttered to himself.

"Everyone wants to ride on your brother's coattails," Chen Gongzhe said in a low voice. "Money doesn't guarantee a favor."

The bigger the brand, the less you should agree to things carelessly, otherwise you'll ruin your reputation. A small amount of money is nothing.

Chen Hongwen paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

Outside the main hall, a middle-aged man in a short gray cloth shirt squeezed to the front and shouted into the hall, "Master Chen, does your school accept apprentices? My son is ten years old, and he's very strong! He can hold two bricks in his sturdy frame!"

Chen Gongzhe turned to the accountant and asked, "How many children are there?"

"Reporting to the Chairman, this morning alone there were thirty-two students requesting to join the sect. There were also a dozen or so junior students, but I didn't dare to accept them."

"First, those who are in the second tier, aged twelve or above, and have a strong foundation, can enter the examination hall. The rest will be admitted after the introductory class."

Chen Gongzhe knew perfectly well that if the teaching staff was not strong enough, taking in too many students would ruin the reputation.

But outsiders ignored all this and kept pouring in wave after wave.

Chen Hongwu stood inside the hall, watching for a while through half a bamboo curtain, then turned to Xuanzhenzi and said, "Daoist Master, look at this scene, it's even more lively than yesterday's arena."

Xuanzhenzi leaned against the doorframe and sneered, "These people aren't here to learn martial arts; they're clearly here to take advantage of others. Out of ten, it's good if even one wants to practice."

Chen Hongwu nodded: "It's alright. If the martial arts school is to keep running, we have to entertain all sorts of people. In this world, you can't practice your kung fu on an empty stomach."

After he finished speaking, he lifted the curtain and went out.

Upon Chen Hongwu's appearance, a loud "whoosh" sound erupted both in front of and outside the hall, like water splashing into hot oil.

"Master Chen!"

"Master Chen is out!"

"Master Chen, please accept me as your apprentice!"

Chen Hongwu cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, saying little, only saying, "The school is busy today, so please be patient. Those who truly want to learn martial arts should come tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM) to see my boxing first, and then we can talk."

His voice, like a resounding bell, pierced through the entire venue, and the voices of the crowd seemed to recede as the tide went out.

Chen Gongzhe turned to Chen Hongwu and whispered, "There are several groups here. Some want to formally become disciples, some want to hire people from the academy to be guards for their shops, and a few are sent by the British Concession Municipal Council, asking if we would accept 'temporary helpers'."

Chen Hongwu glanced at him: "What do you mean?"

Chen Gongzhe laughed: "If we can decline, we should decline. Right now, there are only a few of us in the school, and we can't even gather a proper instructor."

No matter how big the business, if you can't handle it all, you'll ruin your brand.

Chen Hongwen squeezed through from behind and whispered, "Brother, some of them are acceptable. For example, that 'rice shop,' they said it would cost fifty yuan a month, as long as we put our names on it and send a few disciples to stand in front of it, we don't need to fight."

Another shipping company wants to hire two instructors to teach standing meditation to their crew members; you don't need to go yourself for any of that.

Chen Hongwu glanced at him: "You should first learn from Chairman Chen how to divide things."

Chen Hongwen had an expression that said, "I've been learning this for a long time," but he said, "Yes."

The tables and chairs from last night's banquet have not yet been cleared away and are now being used to entertain guests.

Chen Gongzhe dealt with each case one by one, and the people who came had different identities, so he responded with proper reasoning.

If they encounter officials or wealthy merchants, they are invited into the east wing for tea; if they encounter martial arts masters, they are led to the west hall to test their skills first.

As long as the peddlers and laborers don't cause trouble, they are allowed to sit in the front yard and drink a bowl of coarse tea.

Chen Hongwen stood by, handing out invitations, checking lists, and noting names. If he was unsure about something, he would ask his disciple to ask Chen Gongzhe.

He had an excellent memory. In half a day, he filled a booklet with detailed notes, clearly distinguishing which family wanted to pay how much money, how many people they needed, and which family was just trying their luck.

Chen Hongwu accompanied several groups of guests, exchanged a few polite words, and then disappeared from public view.

All aspects of the Chinese affairs at the consulate were handled by Chen Gongzhe and Chen Hongwen.

If a martial artist gets bogged down in worldly affairs, his mind will become impure and he won't go far.

After all, a person's energy is limited, and it is already rare to be able to focus on martial arts training.

In the midst of the chaos, a Jingwu Association disciple hurriedly crossed the front hall and ran to Chen Gongzhe's side, lowering his voice: "President Chen, someone has arrived outside, demanding an explanation."

Chen Gongzhe's eyebrows twitched slightly: "What explanation do you want?"

The disciple said, "He stepped on all the blue bricks at our entrance and cracked them, saying, 'The Central Martial Arts Academy must have a reason to stand up.'"

Chen Gongzhe and Chen Hongwen exchanged a glance and burst out laughing at the same time.

"Great!" Chen Hongwen slammed his fist into his palm. "I was just worried about not having any instructors, and here they are, delivered right to my doorstep!"

Chen Gongzhe laughed and shouted towards the back of the hall, "Go and invite the headmaster. Tell him someone's trying to cause trouble!"

The disciple had just turned around when suddenly silence fell over the doorway.

A tall shadow shone in from outside the door, darkening half of the hall.