Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 227 Your Master's Skills Are All Show and No Action

It took half a month to reach Foshan.

At this time, Foshan was in the continuation of its heyday, with numerous martial arts schools and widespread participation from the working class and peasantry, making it one of the golden ages in the history of modern Chinese martial arts.

Unlike the previous dominance of Southern Fist, many years ago, starting with Li Cunyi's establishment of the Chinese Martial Arts Association, the North Fist style was strongly advocated to be transmitted to the South.

Later, Sun Lutang, Gong Baotian, Li Guangpu and others practiced what they preached, and this practice continues to this day, making the division between the North and South martial arts worlds less distinct.

Of course, this integration only occurred in the south.

The South is not divided into North and South, but in the North, Northern Kung Fu still reigns supreme.
When Li Cunyi was alive, he wanted to promote the spread of Southern Fist to the North, but he didn't have the chance. Now, Chen Zhan thinks it's unnecessary.

Because the North will soon be plunged into war, there will be no opportunity to teach boxing. Boxers from both the South and the North can simply go to the battlefield.

War is a melting pot. When the Japanese devils' cannons are right in front of us, all talk of Southern and Northern styles of martial arts, or the rivalry between the North and South martial arts worlds, is just nonsense.

If we don't fight, we die.

Chen Zhan and his two companions entered Foshan.

Unlike most cities in northern China, Foshan does not have a complete city wall. The city grew naturally along the Fenjiang River and Dongping Waterway, forming a linear structure of waterways, docks, and markets.

Rivers and canals are not only transportation channels, but also fire-fighting water sources and drainage systems.

Economically, at that time, most cities in the north were still primarily agricultural.

Foshan's industrial output accounts for a very high proportion, with metallurgy, textiles, and ceramics as its pillar industries, and 80% of its products are exported.

The martial arts school economy was also extremely developed. It is not a fiction that Ip Man taught martial arts to foreign students. Such things often happened in Foshan.

Of course, martial arts apprentices can never learn top-level skills.

In this respect, the North and South are the same. In the South, it is a secret, and in the North, many old masters are afraid of leaking the secrets, so they only pass it on to one person in their lifetime, or even only to their own son. No wonder so much of the kung fu has been lost.

It's no wonder it was lost.

At this time, Foshan was not yet affected by the war. Although there were some undercurrents, the city was generally thriving, and the people lived in peace and contentment. Their living standards were no worse than those in the capital, let alone other cities in the north.

Most martial arts schools in Foshan are located in the bustling areas of Nanhai District and Shunde District.

Fu Ning Road, Yapang Street.

Chen Zhan and Ye Ningzhen walked in with the little fox. From a distance, they looked like a couple with a child, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that the two were too young, and the little fox was already eleven years old, so they didn't seem to be father and son.

The little fox followed slowly behind like a follower, gesturing with its hands, constantly practicing what Chen Zhan had said: 'The skill of integrating illusion and reality, relaxation and stillness, into life.'

As soon as you enter the street, you are greeted by the atmosphere of the marketplace, with shouts of vendors and arguments coming from all directions.

And I can't understand it.
Everyone here speaks Cantonese. Chen Zhan can understand a few words, but the arguing and hawking are too fast for him to understand at all.

This street is very large, but the largest and most eye-catching sign is Hung Sing Martial Arts School, the headquarters of Choy Li Fut Kung Fu. Hung Sing Martial Arts School has 13 branches in the south.

Moreover, the head of Hongsheng Martial Arts School has a left-leaning ideology, and several years ago some members secretly participated in our party's activities.

Looking at the name of Hongsheng Martial Arts School, Chen Zhan said to Ye Ningzhen, "Write it down. Cai Li Fo is one of our own. In the future, we should integrate them and be more lenient in our attitude."

Take a few more steps: "Xingyi Martial Arts School, um, Hung Kuen style. There's nothing special about this place, no need to make special arrangements. We'll see how they treat us later."

"Yao's Wing Chun. Yao Cai, same as Yao."

“The Nguyen family’s Wing Chun, Nguyen Ky Son was a student of Leung Bo-chou, just like him.”

As Chen Zhan walked, he called out names along the way, and Ye Ningzhen smiled as she remembered them. The little fox was so engrossed in the fusion of walking and boxing that every step she took was strange and unusual.

"The other two of the three Wing Chun masters are here, but not Ip Man's martial arts school?" Chen Zhan asked curiously.

"Yes, Ip Man is on Yong'an Road." Ye Ningzhen knew very well that although she had been away from Foshan for a long time, she had lived in Foshan for many years since she was a child.

"I was thinking of going to see him first, but never mind, let's go to Jinlou first."

"You seem quite interested in Ip Man? Although Ip Man is a famous master in Foshan and one of the three great masters of Wing Chun, he is ranked last. Why would you pay special attention to him?" Ye Ningzhen asked jokingly, somewhat curious.

"Forehead"

Chen Zhan was unable to explain for a moment.

In fact, there are many martial arts masters in the South. Among the more famous ones are Du Xinwu, the great master of both North and South; Gu Ruzhang, the master of Iron Palm; Lin Shirong, the grandmaster of Hung Kuen; and even Wu Zhongsu, the master of Wing Chun.

Wu Zhongsu was the sixth generation successor of Wing Chun, a disciple of Chen Huashun, just like Ip Man. However, Chen Huashun died early, and Ip Man continued to study with his senior brother Wu Zhongsu for three more years before he was fully qualified.

In Chen Huashun's lineage, Wu Zhongsu is now the most senior.

No matter how you look at it—in terms of reputation, seniority, or even martial arts skills—Ip Man doesn't stand out.

But Ip Man is indeed the most famous in later generations.

In terms of fame among Southern boxers, only Wong Fei-hung can be compared to him.
"I can't say for sure," Chen Zhan could only say. "Gong Ruomei had a relationship with Ip Man, and she said something like that back then."

Upon hearing this, Ye Ningzhen's smile deepened: "What did she say?"

"It is said that Ip Man was both talented and intelligent, and perhaps he could take over the martial arts world in the south in the future."

"The evaluation is so high?"

"That's why I'm curious too." "It was Gong Er who said it, that's why you're curious, right?"

"."

Chen Zhanming knew that Ye Ning was just joking, but he was still a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, someone interrupted my thoughts.

"Kid, you're not practicing right. It's all messed up. Who practices martial arts while walking?"

Chen Zhan and Ye Ningzhen were so engrossed in their conversation that they unknowingly walked quite far away. The little fox, absorbed in her own world, fell more than twenty meters behind the two of them.

The little fox was gesturing wildly when it was spotted by a young man who had just come out of a martial arts school.

The young man glanced at it a few times, then stepped forward to speak.

The little fox glanced at the young man, then saw Chen Zhan not far away. He had no intention of helping him solve the problem. The little fox was very clever and understood what Chen Zhan meant.

"Um, big brother, do you think I'm practicing incorrectly?" the little fox said, pointing to himself.

"That's right, what kind of boxing is this? Back and forth, up and down, it's so soft. Also, practicing martial arts is practicing martial arts, walking while practicing martial arts will lead to qi deviation."

The young man, undeterred, observed the fox's attire and realized it didn't seem to be from a poor family. He thought to himself, "I've struck gold today; I can take on an apprentice."

"This is Tai Chi. Don't you know Tai Chi?"

"Of course I know Tai Chi, but how can you practice it like that? Walking around like that, all slouching, you'll never master it in your entire life."

"No, no, that's not what my master said. He said: 'The principles of boxing are in every movement, sitting and lying down. You should integrate boxing practice into your life.'"

The little fox was no naive boy; he knew quite a bit, and a mischievous smile played on his lips.

The young man, oblivious to the misunderstanding, shook his head confidently and said, "You've probably met a fraudster. What do you mean by 'walking, sitting, and lying down are all principles of boxing'? Tell me, how do you practice boxing by walking, sitting, and lying down? What can you possibly learn by taking two steps forward and one step back like that?"

As the young man spoke, he even imitated the little fox's movements.

He added, "Look, this is real boxing."

He assumed a "two-character clamp sheep horse" stance, sat half-bent with his hands on his hips, turned his waist to the right, drew a semi-circle with his left foot, stepped out with his left foot first, forming a "Ding Ba horse" shape, then placed his hands in front of his chest, and rotated his right hand forward to throw a punch.

"Crack~!"

It made a soft sound, not very crisp, but it was already cooked to perfection.

The hallmark of Ming Jin (明劲) is that a punch makes a sound, but the specific progress depends on how loud and crisp the sound is.

If the sound is loud and crisp, like thunder, then it is a great achievement.

This young man has entered the gate; he's not just all show and no substance.

"See that? White Eyebrow Fist is way more powerful than your Tai Chi. How many silver dollars did you get swindled out of?"

"Forehead"

The little fox scratched its head; Chen Zhan wasn't coming over, and it was difficult for it to explain.
"My master doesn't seem to charge me; he even gave me money."

"Then your master's skills are all show and no substance. Let your master also join our martial arts school. Our school master, Zhang Liquan, has unparalleled kung fu skills. He is ranked among the best in Foshan and is known as the Tiger of Dongjiang."

You've probably heard of it, right?

The young man pointed to the boxing gym on his left and said.

The little fox and Chen Zhan looked to one side and saw the sign: "Licun Baimei Martial Arts Academy".

Little fox, you've never heard of that.

He didn't know all the masters in the capital, and he had never been to the south. He only knew one great hero from the north and south, whom Chen Zhan often mentioned.

He shook his head: "I don't know, I just arrived in Foshan."

The young man's eyes lit up, and he smiled and said, "It's alright, come in with me and I'll introduce you to the masters in our martial arts academy. If you start practicing at your age and build a solid foundation, you might be able to reach the Ming Jin level in the future and become a decent martial arts master. Even if you don't bring glory to your ancestors, you can still establish a business in Foshan."

In the South, a little skill is enough to make a living, and those with slightly better skills are highly sought after.

Southern martial arts practitioners have more career options.

Dragon and lion dances, traditional opera and martial arts, street performances, and dock guilds are all ways to build a business. This is why there are more martial arts schools and more apprentices in the south, with dozens in Foshan alone.

In the north, security escort agencies are struggling to stay afloat, and it's extremely difficult to recruit apprentices because there are few other options.

The young man pulled the little fox towards the martial arts school. The little fox cast a resentful glance at Chen Zhan, as if to say, "If you don't do something, your disciple will be taken away."

Ye Ningzhen and Chen Zhan walked over, and she stepped forward to stop the young man.

"You're Zhang Liquan's apprentice?"

The young man looked at Ye Ningzhen and said politely, "That's right, I am He Chenhua, a disciple of Zhang Liquan. And you are?"

Ye Ningzhen naturally knew Zhang Liquan, so her tone was very kind: "Ye Ningzhen, you are a disciple of Li Guangpu. This is my husband's apprentice. You cannot take him away."

"Huh? Li Guangpu???"

(End of this chapter)