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

Chen Hongwu pushed open the car door and strode into the Chen family's gate.

He didn't answer Xu Wanqing, nor did he even glance at her.

"Someone come here."

The doorman jogged over.

"Has the Third Miss returned this afternoon?" Chen Hongwu asked.

The gatekeeper shook his head: "Young Master, the Third Miss hasn't returned since she left the school."

Chen Hongwu frowned and immediately ordered, "Go and report to the master that the Third Miss is missing, and send people to look for her."

The gatekeeper ran towards the inner courtyard in response.

Chen Hongwu turned to the driver and said, "Turn around and go to the police station."

He opened the car door and got in, but before the door was even fully closed, the car had already turned around.

Xu Wanqing stood at the gate, watching the car taillights flash by at the alley entrance, and stomped her feet in anger.

"Chen Hongwu! You bastard! You just left me here all alone? You didn't even give me a ride to the police station!"

No one answered her.

The car had disappeared into the night.

---

The Sanhai County Police Station is located in the west of the city, in a gray two-story building with the Kuomintang flag hanging at the entrance.

When Chen Hongwu arrived, the head of the police station, surnamed Ma, known as Captain Ma, was drinking tea in his office. Upon hearing that someone from the Chen family had come, he personally came out to greet them with a broad smile.

"Young Master Chen, what brings you here?"

Without exchanging pleasantries, Chen Hongwu went straight to the point: "My sister and the second young lady of the Xu family went missing this afternoon. I suspect they were kidnapped. I request Captain Ma to send people to assist in the search."

Captain Ma's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes flickered.

"Oh dear, Mr. Chen, this matter could be serious or minor. You said 'missing,' but did they run away from home or get kidnapped? Is there any evidence? Are there any witnesses? Without any of these, our police station can't act rashly."

Chen Hongwu looked at him: "Captain Ma means we're not sending anyone?"

"It's not that we won't send anyone, it's just that we have to follow the rules." Captain Ma picked up his teacup and slowly blew away the foam. "Here's what we'll do: you go back and wait for news. I'll have someone register it here, and we'll send someone to check first thing tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow morning...

Chen Hongwu stood up expressionlessly.

"Then I'll have to trouble Captain Ma."

He turned and left without saying another word.

Captain Ma was taken aback, not expecting this young master to be so easy to talk to. He got up and saw him to the door, saying "Take care, Young Master Chen," but he didn't move more than a few steps.

Chen Hongwu got into the car, his face darkening.

In the past, when the Chen family came to do business, Captain Ma was more proactive than anyone else, providing manpower and guns as needed.

The Chen family's business has been going badly lately, and their entire guard has been wiped out. Rumors are already circulating that the Chen family is about to collapse. Is the police trying to take advantage of the weak and promote the strong?

wrong.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; no matter how down on its luck the Chen family is, they're not someone a small police station can handle. Captain Ma's blatant disrespect must mean he has powerful backers.

New county magistrate.

Chen Hongwu understood.

Previously, when the new magistrate needed money to suppress bandits, the Chen family provided it; when he needed people, the Chen family provided them.

The two families had worked together seamlessly, their relationship as close as honey. Now that the bandits have been wiped out, the Chen family's trade routes have been cut off, and their profits have dwindled, so the new magistrate's attitude has naturally changed.

People in officialdom can change their minds faster than turning the pages of a book.

"Let's go back to the manor," Chen Hongwu said.

---

The Chen family mansion was brightly lit.

Chen Huaijin stood at the entrance of the hall, his face ashen. Chen Hongwen stood behind him, his folding fan no longer in motion. Liu Kun sat on a chair in the corridor, his body still wrapped in bandages, his face pale.

A dozen servants were sent away to search for someone, leaving the courtyard empty except for a few guards patrolling.

Just as Chen Hongwu walked in, Chen Huaijin was about to erupt.

"you--"

"Have you found the person yet?" Chen Hongwu interrupted him.

Chen Huaijin was taken aback and before he could answer, a servant rushed in from outside, panting.

"Master! We've found traces of the Third Miss!"

Everyone in the hall looked at him.

The servant wiped his sweat and said, "Near the land temple outside the east gate of the city, someone saw the Third Miss and the Second Miss of the Xu family being knocked unconscious and abducted by a man with a scar on his face. The Third Miss's handkerchief was also found on the ground."

A knife scar.

Liu Kun suddenly stood up from the chair, which aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain.

"They're remnants of the bandits from Meiguan!" Liu Kun's voice was hoarse. "I've seen that scarred-face guy before; he's one of One-Eyed Dragon's men. Last time we wiped out the bandits, that kid ran away from the back mountain. I didn't expect him to still be near Sanhai County."

Chen Huaijin's expression turned even uglier.

"I heard a few days ago that there were signs of bandit activity in the nearby mountains, and I was thinking of sending people to clear them out. But now we're being targeted by that mountain demon, sending people out would just be suicide. I had no choice but to inform the magistrate and ask him to send troops, but I never expected..."

He gritted his teeth: "I didn't expect that guy surnamed Wang didn't take it seriously at all!"

Chen Hongwu listened to everything.

He didn't say anything, and turned to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Chen Huaijin demanded.

Chen Hongwu did not answer, and continued walking.

"You unfilial son!" Chen Huaijin slammed his fist on the table in anger. "At a time like this, you're still making things worse!"

Chen Hongwen quickly reassured him, "Father, my eldest brother usually has the best relationship with my third sister. He was just worried and lost his composure for a moment. Please don't be angry."

Chen Hongwu had already walked out of the hall.

Liu Kun sat on the veranda, watching Chen Hongwu's retreating figure, and suddenly spoke up: "Master, the eldest young master may have gone to rescue the third young lady."

"Save what? What can he possibly use to save him?" Chen Huaijin was furious.

"That day, the caravan was attacked. Thanks to the young master's intervention, otherwise my old life would have been lost to that beast."

"The young master's kung fu is quite impressive!"

The hall fell silent.

Chen Huaijin's angry expression froze.

Chen Hongwen dropped the folding fan from his hand to the ground without even noticing.

"You said... Hongwu saved you? Or you saved Hongwu?" Chen Huaijin's voice was somewhat unsteady.

When he saw Liu Kun return seriously injured that day, while Chen Hongwu was unharmed, he naturally assumed that Liu Kun had risked his life to escort Chen Hongwu back.

Liu Kun nodded, then asked doubtfully, "Absolutely true. Didn't the young master tell the master?"

Chen Huaijin stood there, speechless for a long time.

He recalled what he had said to Chen Hongwu that day—"Thanks to your Uncle Liu for risking his life to protect you."

Thinking about it now, it's really fucking infuriating.

Chen Hongwen's face looked the worst.

"Master, should we send someone to chase after them?" Liu Kun asked.

Chen Huaijin snapped out of his daze, gritted his teeth, and said, "Send them out. Send out all the rest of them."

He paused, then added, "Bring all the guns. If we really run into that beast, fight if you can, run if you can't, and just bring the person back."

Liu Kun clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I'll go."

"Your wound—"

"It's alright." Liu Kun had already stood up and tugged at the bandages on his body. "Young Master saved my life, I can't let him go to his death alone."

Guns might not be effective against that beast, but they'd be easy to use against people—it was a whole gang of armed bandits.

---

Chen Hongwu has already left the city.

One person, one gun, and one pair of legs.

The night was as dark as ink, and there were no pedestrians on the official road. The mountains and forests on both sides were pitch black, like wild beasts with their mouths wide open.

Chen Hongwu walked along the road at a moderate pace.

He didn't blindly pursue them. He went to the local temple outside the east gate, to find Scarface and the remnants of Meiguan. These people had kidnapped Hong Xiu and Xu Wanting not to kill them, but for revenge, or to blackmail the Chen family.

The two girls will not be in any danger until they achieve their goal.

But the longer it drags on, the more variables there will be.

Chen Hongwu took a deep breath and quickened his pace.

The night wind whistled past my ears, and the trees along the road rushed past.

He didn't bring a lamp, nor did he need one.

After achieving initial mastery of internal energy, his senses became several times more acute than those of ordinary people. Though the moonlight was faint, it shone as brightly as day in his eyes.

"Awooo!" A clear wolf howl rang out.