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

Behind them, the mandrill's roar grew closer and closer.

Chen Hongwu carried Liu Kun, his legs moving swiftly. He could feel the beast's presence approaching, the stench of its prey filling the air, and the ground trembling slightly.

Can't run away.

It was moving too fast, and his stamina was already exhausted.

Just then, Chen Hongwu's ears twitched.

Ahead, there was a rustling sound.

Without saying a word, he turned around and ran wildly toward the direction from which the sound of water came.

As the dense forest gradually thinned out, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before us.

A large river lies across our path, its surface several dozen feet wide, its current swift and its waves churning. This is the main channel of one of the three rivers that run through Sanhai County, which the locals call the "West River."

Chen Hongwu did not hesitate.

He rushed to a willow tree as thick as a bowl by the river and punched the trunk.

"Snap!"

A surge of hidden power erupted, and the tree trunk snapped in two. He grabbed the trunk and forcefully threw it into the river. The trunk spun on the surface of the water before settling firmly afloat.

Behind them, the bushes suddenly parted.

The mandrill rushed out.

It was covered in blood, with a fist-sized bruise on its chest. Its eerie green eyes were fixed on the two people by the river, its fangs bared and drool dripping from its mouth.

Chen Hongwu picked up Liu Kun and jumped.

My feet landed firmly on the tree trunk.

The tree trunk suddenly sank down, then bounced back up. Chen Hongwu slightly lowered his waist and hips, shifting his center of gravity downwards, making the entire tree trunk as stable as flat ground beneath his feet. The current pushed the tree trunk downstream.

On the bank, the mandrill rushed to the riverbank, dipped its front paws into the water, and then abruptly withdrew them.

It stood on the bank, pacing back and forth, restless. Several times it tried to go into the water, but then retreated. Its eerie green eyes remained fixed on the tree trunks that were getting farther and farther away on the river, and it let out a low roar.

Finally, it gave up.

The mandrill let out a long howl and then disappeared into the dense forest.

Chen Hongwu stood on the tree trunk, watching the dark figures on the shore gradually disappear into the distance, before finally letting out a long breath.

In the past, Bodhidharma crossed the Yangtze River on a single reed, and Wang Baobao at the end of the Yuan Dynasty crossed the Yellow River on a single log—these are legendary figures. Chen Hongwu could not do what they did, but he could still cross the river using a tree trunk.

"Young Master... your skills..." Liu Kun was being lifted up, half of his body submerged in water, his voice trembling.

"Don't speak," Chen Hongwu interrupted him.

He dared not relax.

His sprint had pushed him to his physical limit. His stomach was empty, his legs were weak, and he felt completely drained. But he dared not stop—if he relaxed, his pores would catch their breath, he would be drenched in sweat, and he would collapse from exhaustion.

Chen Hongwu stood on the tree trunk, his legs slightly apart and his waist and hips slightly lowered, in a Hunyuan stance.

He slowed his breathing, his chest and abdomen rising and falling like the tide with each inhale and exhale. His body trembled gently up and down with the rise and fall of the tree trunk on the water's surface, as if an invisible hand was supporting him.

Standing meditation is the best way to cultivate one's vital energy.

The Hunyuan stance is the essential method for cultivating Qi in Xingyi Quan. When the stance is correct, the scattered Qi can be slowly drawn back and sinks back into the lower abdomen. If the stance is incorrect, the Qi will dissipate, and the person will collapse.

The boxing manual says: "Stance is for cultivating the foundation. When the roots are deep, the leaves will flourish; when the stance is stable, the energy will sink."

Chen Hongwu stood there for a full quarter of an hour.

At first, he felt as if heat was escaping from every pore of his body, like a deflated balloon. But slowly, as he adjusted his breathing and the support structure stabilized, the leaking air receded.

My lower abdomen relaxed, my legs felt soft and supple, and every pore on my body softened.

Not a single drop of sweat came out.

Liu Kun was being held by him, half of his body submerged in the icy river water, not daring to utter a sound. He watched Chen Hongwu stand motionless on the swaying tree trunk, as steady as Mount Tai, and was deeply shocked.

"The young master's kung fu seems to be even better than the masters of several martial arts schools in the county," Liu Kun thought to himself.

After Chen Hongwu finished standing on the stake, he opened his eyes.

He looked down at Liu Kun and saw that the man's face was pale, his lips were purple, half of his body was submerged in water, and his wounds were still bleeding.

"Hold on a little longer," Chen Hongwu said.

He pushed off the tree trunk with one foot, causing it to turn slightly and move towards the opposite bank.

The current gradually calmed down, and there was a bend in the river ahead where the water was shallow and the waves were calm. Chen Hongwu seized the opportunity, leaped up, and grabbed Liu Kun, jumping ashore.

When he landed, his legs went weak and he almost knelt down.

The energy drain from that punch was greater than he had anticipated.

He gritted his teeth and steadied himself.

Liu Kun lay on the ground, panting heavily. He glanced at Chen Hongwu, then at the empty river surface, and suddenly gave a bitter smile.

"Young Master... we escaped. But those guards... they all perished inside. And that large shipment..."

He sighed repeatedly, his eyes reddening: "How am I supposed to explain this to the master when I go back?"

Chen Hongwu was silent for a moment before speaking: "I only have the strength left to save you."

"I know, I know," Liu Kun waved his hand. "Young Master, I didn't mean to blame you. I blame myself for being useless."

Chen Hongwu remained silent.

He looked up to see where he was going, then looked at the sky. The moon was mostly obscured by clouds, and it was pitch black all around; he could barely make out which direction was which.

"This is the lower reaches of the Xijiang River." Chen Hongwu checked the location. "Go north, cross that mountain, and you'll reach the main road back to Sanhai County."

Liu Kun struggled to stand up, but his legs gave way and he sat back down.

Chen Hongwu reached out and helped him up, placing his arm on his shoulder.

"Young Master, you're exhausted too..." Liu Kun tried to push him away.

"Enough talk, let's go."

Chen Hongwu supported Liu Kun and walked north step by step.

The two walked all night.

As dawn broke, the familiar official road finally appeared ahead.