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

Liu Baichuan used the ground as a support to slowly get up.

Blood still clung to the corner of his mouth, and the blow to his chest was still throbbing. But being a lifelong martial artist, he managed to straighten up and even clasp his hands in a fist salute.

"I lost."

Liu Baichuan said, "I, Liu Baichuan, will be a member of the Central Martial Arts Academy from now on, and I entrust my life to Master Chen."

Chen Hongwu stepped forward and took the arms of the man who was clasped in a fist and palm salute: "Master Liu, you flatter me. On behalf of the Central Martial Arts Academy, I welcome you."

Chen Gongzhe walked forward with a smile and cupped his hands in greeting to Liu Baichuan: "Master Liu, it's an honor to meet you. From now on, we'll be eating from the same pot."

Liu Baichuan didn't hesitate, wiped his mouth, and followed Chen Gongzhe.

Chen Hongwu did not return to the museum; instead, he turned around and faced the dense crowd.

The sun was high in the sky, and the crowds stretched all the way to the street corner.

Some were just watching the spectacle, some were waiting to become apprentices, some were carrying gifts and asking to be named, and a few were hiding in the crowd, observing coldly.

Chen Hongwu raised his hand.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like muffled thunder, rolling from one end of the street to the other.

"From this day forward, I will accept any challengers. But there is one condition: they must follow my rules, Chen Hongwu's rules."

The crowd quieted down.

"Whoever can beat me can take the signboard of the Central Martial Arts Academy. If they lose, they can stay at the academy as an instructor."

If your skills aren't up to par, you can't even be a teacher—

He paused, his voice devoid of any anger, "Then don't blame me for being ruthless and merciless!"

These words were like a stone thrown into a crowd.

Some gasped, some quietly backed away, some turned pale, and some had gleaming eyes.

After what just happened, many people still harbor some lingering doubts. Even if they couldn't win, saying a few kind words might allow them to stay at the gym as instructors.

But now Chen Hongwu has made his point clear: if you want to come in, you must first have real skills; if you don't, be prepared to have your hands and feet cut off.

Clearly, this is a hurdle.

Chen Hongwu said nothing more and turned to enter the martial arts school.

The main door wasn't closed, but no one dared to squeeze into the hall anymore.

The news spread faster than the wind.

That afternoon, Chen Hongwu's call to recruit people for a challenge was published in major newspapers.

Some people slammed their fists on the table and cheered, saying that this was the true way to establish a school and make a name for oneself; others sneered and said that no matter how tough Chen Hongwu was, he could not subdue all the martial artists in the world.

Those who originally intended to stage accidents to make a living have all given up on the idea.

But there are always those who think they're capable enough and insist on giving it a try.

The southern provinces acted the fastest, with people setting off one after another.

On the streets of Shanghai, the number of unfamiliar faces carrying knives and sticks and carrying bedding rolls increased day by day.

Outside the martial arts school, reporters from several newspapers in the concession simply squatted down and refused to leave, while photographers also carried their equipment and waited at the street corner.

The rickshaw pullers were in for a good job, making trip after trip to the martial arts school to pick up people, their faces beaming with joy.

"Master Chen is truly a divine figure!"

"Once I've saved up some money, I'll send my little one to learn martial arts."

They praised Chen Hongwu to the skies, even though the latter couldn't hear a word of it.

Amidst the commotion, Chen Hongwu sat in the backyard room.

On the table was the oilcloth bag that Xuanzhenzi had given him yesterday.

The oilcloth had been opened, revealing a dusty, gray booklet inside.

It's a thread-bound book with four small characters on the cover: "The True Explanation of Xuanwu".

The paper was old, the corners were slightly curled, the writing was handwritten, the ink was dark and thick, and the strokes were slender.

Chen Hongwu turned two pages, then looked up at Xuanzhenzi: "The True Meaning of Xuanwu is truly invaluable."

Xuanzhenzi leaned against the window and tucked the gourd into his robes: "You have a good eye. This book is something that has been passed down through generations in my family."

My master and I studied this our entire lives, but we never managed to unravel its mystery before we died. Before he passed away, he told me, "If this book stays with me, it will eventually just become a pile of ashes."

He paused, then said, "I am not as good as you, but as the patriarch said, 'The Way is not easily transmitted; it arises naturally from causes and conditions.' This book is a bargain for you."

Chen Hongwu closed the booklet and said solemnly, "If I accept it, how will I return it in the future?"

Xuanzhenzi chuckled, revealing his yellow teeth: "Return it? After you've grasped the elixir and comprehended it, that's when you'll return it to me."

If you can master everything in this book and let me even catch a glimpse of it, I'd die happy for you!

Chen Hongwu did not refuse.

He lowered his head and slowly opened the book "The True Explanation of Xuanwu".

The booklet opens with a general outline, each word sharp as a sword:

"The fist is merely the end of strength. Above strength lies intention; above intention lies spirit. Only when spirit and intention are united can one speak of true skill."

"The tortoise represents the ultimate stillness; the snake represents the beginning of movement. From stillness comes movement, and from movement comes stillness. Between movement and stillness, yin and yang are not yet separated."

"The so-called Xuanwu True Meaning is to cultivate a tortoise and a snake within the body. The tortoise is for defense, and the snake is for offense. The tortoise represents the internal organs as a furnace, where water and fire complement each other; the snake represents the tendons and bones as a string, which can be separated at every point."

"Therefore it is said: The tortoise is firm within, the snake transforms without. Only when the inner and outer are in harmony can it be called the Black Tortoise."

Chen Hongwu read line by line, his brows gradually furrowing.

Seeing that he was engrossed in watching, Xuanzhenzi did not disturb him and went to pour himself a bowl of tea.

"Putting everything else aside, the most important thing in this book is this 'True Intent of Xuanwu'." He blew on his tea. "You can't see it until you actually practice it. Only when you reach the point of 'holding the elixir' and your physical body reaches its peak will you understand that the ultimate goal of practicing this fist technique is to cultivate the intent."

Chen Hongwu stared at the pages of the book for a long time before slowly saying, "Xingyi has 'Bear and Eagle in Harmony,' Taiji has 'Tortoise and Snake Coiling Together,' and Bagua has 'Dragon and Tortoise Carrying Diagram.'"

The stillness is the foundation, the movement is the application. But beyond the level of transforming energy, further progress is blocked by this thin layer of paper. Many grandmasters stop at this stage.

Xuanzhenzi nodded: "That's why I said this book is more suitable for you than for me."

It turns out that the book has an extremely unusual origin.

Legend has it that during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, Zhang Sanfeng meditated facing a wall for nine years at the Nanyan Palace in Wudang.

One day, during a thunderstorm, he saw in the flashes of lightning a giant tortoise and a green snake intertwined in a deep pool beneath a rock. The tortoise's markings resembled a hexagram, and the snake's body was like a thread. The tortoise and snake were intertwined, still as a mountain, and moving as thunder.

Zhang Sanfeng observed for seven days and seven nights.

He discovered that the turtle was not still, but was trembling slightly with an almost imperceptible amplitude.

Each tremor is synchronized with breathing; the snake is not always moving, it spends most of its time coiled around the tortoise shell, its breath becoming one with the tortoise's.

Zhang Sanfeng observed the fight between the tortoise and the snake and comprehended the principles of Yin and Yang.

"The tortoise represents the ultimate stillness, its breath penetrating to the finest hair; the snake represents the beginning of movement, its energy flowing through all nine joints. The tortoise and snake share the same body, forming the Black Tortoise. The Black Tortoise symbolizes the undifferentiated state of Yin and Yang."

Thus, the book "The True Explanation of Xuanwu" was created.

Xuanzhenzi put down his teacup, his voice unconsciously lowering: "After embracing the elixir, the method to break through the limits of the body and comprehend that layer of 'true meaning'."

To put it in a mystical way, this is a magical art; to put it simply, this is a method to return martial arts to the Tao.