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

Before the wolf howls had faded, eerie green lights began to illuminate the darkness.

A dozen or so wolves emerged silently from the grass, behind trees, and in the crevices of rocks, surrounding Chen Hongwu. They were emaciated, with ribs that could be counted, and their eyes gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

Chen Hongwu stopped in his tracks.

He did not draw his gun.

There are only four bullets left in the Browning; we can't waste them on these beasts.

The alpha wolf stood on a large rock, a size larger than an ordinary wolf, its gray-white mane standing on end, baring its teeth, and emitting a low growl from its throat.

It didn't pounce immediately, as if testing the strength of the person in front of it.

Chen Hongwu glanced at it and suddenly smiled.

Wolves are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. If you are tougher than them, they won't dare to make a move.

Chen Hongwu walked towards the alpha wolf.

Step by step, at a leisurely pace, like taking a stroll.

The alpha wolf's howl changed, turning into a short, uneasy growl. It pawed at the ground twice and pulled its body back slightly.

Chen Hongwu was only five steps away from it.

The alpha wolf finally couldn't hold back any longer, letting out a short howl before pouncing first.

Chen Hongwu shifted his stance, sidestepped the wolf's head, and delivered a right-hand chopping punch to the wolf's waist.

"Click."

The wolf's spine was broken. The wolf fell to the ground, unable to move its hindquarters. Its front paws were still desperately digging at the ground, and it was howling pitifully.

Wolves have heads of bronze, tails of iron, and waists of tofu; when hunting a wolf, don't hit its head, hit its waist.

One fatal blow!

The other wolves, seeing the blood, became ferocious and pounced from all directions.

Instead of retreating, Chen Hongwu advanced, stepping into the wolf pack.

His movements were fluid and agile among the wolves, swaying left and right like a willow branch in the wind. The footwork of Baguazhang, used to dodge punches and kicks on humans, was just as effective on wolves.

A wolf pounced from behind, but Chen Hongwu didn't turn around. He unleashed a powerful punch, striking the wolf squarely in the mouth. The wolf's teeth shattered, and it flew backward, crashing into a tree. It twitched twice and then lay still.

A wolf on his left lunged at his calf. Chen Hongwu raised his foot and stomped on the wolf's head. His foot grounded, and the force of his blows traveled down the wolf's head, shattering its skull and causing blood to flow from its seven orifices.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, more than a dozen wolf carcasses lay on the ground.

The alpha wolf lay at the front, its eyes still open, its pupils dilated.

Chen Hongwu flicked the blood off his fist. His short jacket was torn in several places, but his skin and flesh were intact. After achieving initial mastery of internal energy, his skin, muscles, and bones were several times tougher than ordinary people, and ordinary wolf claws could not break through his defenses.

He didn't linger and strode into the forest.

---

The mountain road was rugged, and the higher you went, the more desolate it became.

Chen Hongwu's senses were sharpened to the extreme; he could perceive every chirping of insects and every falling leaf in the night breeze.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, a dilapidated mountain god temple appeared ahead.

The temple was small, with blue bricks and gray tiles, a corner of the eaves collapsed, and half of the head of the stone lion at the entrance was missing. There was a fire inside the temple, shining through the tattered window paper, flickering on and off.

Chen Hongwu approached quietly, like a cat.

Intermittent voices could be heard coming from inside the temple.

He stood close to the wall, his ears twitching slightly, the sounds inside clearly reaching his ears.

The voices of five people in total.

"It's all Sun Laosan's fault. He led his men to rob the Chen family's goods, and they were all wiped out. If those twenty-odd brothers were still alive, we would have had guns and men, and we would have been more confident," a rough voice complained.

"It's not entirely Sun Laosan's fault," another voice chimed in. "It was all that woman from the Xu family who gave us false information. Who would have thought that after her whole family was killed by Chen Huaijin, she could still be a dog for the Chen family with a clear conscience? That woman is something else."

Chen Hongwu frowned.

That woman from the Xu family? Xu Wanqing?

She provided intelligence to the bandits? Was the message relayed by Xu Wanqing behind the caravan's ambush that day?

Scarface's voice rang out, hoarse yet steady: "Since the Xu family women dared to deceive us, they must pay the price."

He paused, seemingly turning his head to look at something: "We're not unlucky. We only intended to kidnap the second daughter of the Xu family, but we ended up with the third daughter of the Chen family as a bonus. I just wonder how much this third daughter is worth in Chen Huaijin's heart."

Someone laughed: "Scarface's move is killing two birds with one stone. If the Chen family pays, we release them. If they don't, we kill them and leave."

"After we finish this job, we'll head far away and start anew," Scarface said. "We can't stay in Sanhai County anymore. I heard the Chen family has been embroiled in some trouble lately, otherwise they would have already turned their attention to us."

"Scarface is right, I'll listen to Scarface no matter what."

Another voice rang out, its tone lewd: "Scarface, it would be such a waste to kill these two pretty girls tomorrow, why not tonight..."

The man licked his lips. "Let's have some fun, and that will be a way of avenging our fallen brothers."

There was a moment of silence.

Scarface spoke, a smile playing on his lips: "Everyone, line up, one at a time."

"Scarface, you go first. We'll just have some dishwater to drink," several thieves chimed in, their laughter vulgar and grating.

Chen Hongwu heard muffled struggling sounds coming from inside, like someone whose mouth was gagged trying desperately to shout.

He didn't move.

There were five people and five guns inside the temple. The space was cramped, with only one door and one window. If he rushed in through the door, all five guns would open fire simultaneously, and even if he had extraordinary abilities, he wouldn't be able to dodge them.

No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, one is still made of flesh and blood; a single bullet can take his life.

Reaching the legendary indestructible realm, one might be able to withstand firearms with one's bare body.

Chen Hongwu squatted down, picked up five pebbles from the ground, all of uniform size, and held them in his palm.

He took a deep breath and pinched the pebbles one by one between his fingers.

The boxing manual says, "Hidden strength is like a needle in a thread, penetrating the skin and reaching the bone." Hidden strength is not only used in fists, but also in hidden weapons. A stone infused with hidden strength is more powerful and accurate when thrown than an ordinary flying stone.

He did not go in through the door.

Chen Hongwu went around to the side of the mountain god temple, where there was a broken window with several sheets of paper pasted on it, letting in a dim candlelight. He stood outside the window, held his breath, and poked a small hole in the paper with his fingertip.

The interior of the temple is clearly visible.

Five people.

Scarface sat on the stone platform beneath the statue, holding a long spear in his arms and a pistol at his waist. The other four men sat scattered throughout the temple, some leaning against pillars, others squatting by the fire.

Two girls—Chen Hongxiu and Xu Wanting—were tied to the ground.

Her mouth was stuffed with rags, and her hands and feet were tightly bound with hemp rope. Hong Xiu stared wide-eyed, struggling desperately; Wanting's face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were empty.

Chen Hongwu's gaze swept over the guns in the hands of the five men, and he memorized the position of each of them.

Then, he made his move.

He held a pebble in his left hand, channeling his inner strength into it, and flicked it with his finger.

The first pebble went through the broken window and hit the candlestick precisely.

"Snapped!"

The candlestick overturned, and the lamp went out.

The mountain god temple was plunged into darkness.

The laughter inside the temple abruptly stopped.

"Who?!"

Scarface was the first to react, quickly raising his gun and aiming it towards the door.

The other four bandits panicked as well; some reached for their guns, while others fumbled for matches.

"Don't panic! Turn on the lights!" Scarface hissed.

But it's too late.

Chen Hongwu has already made his move.

A second pebble flew in through the window with a sharp whistling sound, striking the wrist of the nearest bandit. The man screamed, and the gun fell to the ground.

A third pebble followed closely, striking another bandit in the knee; the sound of bones shattering was exceptionally clear in the darkness.

"There are people outside! Take cover!" Scarface roared and fired a shot toward the window.

"Bang!"

The bullet flew over Chen Hongwu's head and hit the tree trunk behind him.