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

The lanterns of Cuiyun Pavilion swayed gently in the night breeze, casting a pink glow on the bluestone path, creating an ambiguous and dreamlike atmosphere.

The sounds of string and wind instruments, laughter, and rock-paper-scissors drifted out from behind the curtain, blending into a soft, gentle wave.

Chen Hongwu climbed over the side wall and landed in the courtyard of the backyard. He channeled his inner strength into the soles of his feet, landing silently without even disturbing a cat.

He traversed the corridor, dodging the maids and pimps carrying fruit platters and snacks, his figure flashing between the pillars. His Bagua footwork moved with effortless grace in this complex environment; to onlookers, it was merely a passing breeze, nothing more.

Second floor, at the end of the corridor.

Chen Hongwu saw Captain Ma escort a heavily made-up woman into a room, while Li Fuqun led another girl into the next room. Both doors closed one after the other, and dim candlelight shone through the cracks.

He stood in the shadows at the corner of the stairs and waited for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

The corridor fell silent. The sounds of music and laughter coming from downstairs only served to emphasize the stillness upstairs.

Chen Hongwu walked to Captain Ma's door. The door was made of wood, not thick, and the bolt was inserted from the inside. He stretched out his finger, pressed it against the gap between the door panel and the frame, and secretly pushed it.

The force penetrated, and the latch slid open silently.

He pushed open the door and entered, his footsteps landing silently.

The room was filled with the smells of alcohol, perfume, and an indescribable decadent atmosphere. The candles on the candlesticks were mostly burned out, their wax dripping onto the table. Behind the screen, on a large, carved bed, the brocade quilt was disheveled, and two bodies were entangled together.

Captain Ma's clothes were scattered on the ground. He was on top of the girl, uttering obscene and vulgar words. The girl's mouth was covered by him, and she could only make muffled sobs.

The two were completely unaware that someone had entered the room.

Chen Hongwu walked to the bedside and stood still.

Raise your hand.

He chopped down with a palm strike.

The palm, imbued with hidden strength, is like a knife or an axe.

"puff!"

A palm strike landed on Captain Ma's head from behind. The sound of his skull cracking was muffled and short, like stepping on an egg.

Captain Ma's body stiffened abruptly, then went limp, pressing down on the girl. Blood gushed from his mouth, splattering onto the girl's face and neck, the warm, sweet-smelling liquid streaming down her cheeks.

The girl screamed, her voice sharp as a knife slicing through glass. She saw Captain Ma's face—his eyes bulging, his pupils dilated, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his expression frozen between shock and fear.

Her eyes rolled upwards, and she softly fainted.

From the moment Chen Hongwu entered the room to Captain Ma's death, only three breaths passed. There was no struggle, no fighting, it was clean and swift, without even a superfluous sound.

Chen Hongwu glanced at the two bodies on the bed; one was already dead, and the other was merely unconscious. He turned around, pushed open the window, and leaped out.

Outside the second-floor window was a narrow alley. He bent his knees slightly when he landed, dissipating the force of the fall.

Before I could even take a step, I heard the sound of a window being smashed open overhead.

Li Fuqun climbed out of the window of the next room and landed about three zhang behind him. His clothes were open, revealing thick black hair on his chest. His face was gloomy, and his eyes held a hint of alcohol and anger.

He heard the girl scream and went out to check, just in time to see a dark figure jump down from the window next door.

"Stop!" Li Fuqun shouted in a low voice and chased after them.

Chen Hongwu didn't look back, but pushed off with his feet and sprinted deeper into the alley. Li Fuqun was no slouch either—the footwork of Cai Li Fo boxing emphasizes "dodges and leaps," making short-distance sprints extremely rapid. The distance between the two was closing.

Three zhang, two zhang, one zhang.

Chen Hongwu suddenly turned around and threw a powerful punch. The punch flew like an arrow, aiming straight for Li Fuqun's chest.

Li Fuqun didn't expect him to stop and fight back, but his reaction was extremely fast. He dodged to the side, while simultaneously clawing at Chen Hongwu's face with his right hand.

This is the "Chin Na Hand" from Choy Li Fut Kung Fu, with five fingers like hooks, specifically designed to grab a person's joints and vital points.

Chen Hongwu neither dodged nor evaded, but met the attack with a tiger-shaped chopping fist. The fist and claw collided, producing a dull thud.

Li Fuqun felt a powerful force surge from his palm, his entire arm went numb, and he involuntarily took a step back. He was startled; this person's strength was even greater than he had anticipated.

Chen Hongwu pressed his advantage relentlessly, following up with a serpentine drilling fist. His arm moved like a snake, curving in the air to evade Li Fuqun's block and heading straight for his throat.

Li Fuqun, with his rich experience, advanced instead of retreating, his body shrinking down as he rammed his shoulder into Chen Hongwu's chest. This is the "close-quarters strike" in Cai Li Fo boxing, which uses the shoulder to drive the waist, and the waist to drive the hips, concentrating the entire body's power into a single point; a collision with this strike would result in either death or serious injury.

Chen Hongwu changed his move even faster, retracting his drilling fist and launching an eagle-shaped chopping claw. His five fingers, like steel hooks, reached for Li Fuqun's Jianjing acupoint.

Li Fuqun felt a numbness in his shoulder, as if it were being clamped by iron clamps. Immediately afterwards, a piercing pain spread from his shoulder throughout his body, and his entire right arm instantly lost all strength.

He groaned, stumbled, and crashed into the wall of the alley.

"Who are you...?" Li Fuqun asked, clutching his shoulder, his voice hoarse.

Chen Hongwu did not answer.

Hurried footsteps came from outside the alley, chaotic and heavy; it wasn't just one person, but more than a dozen. Police officers, hearing the commotion, rushed over.

Chen Hongwu turned and disappeared into the darkness.

A few breaths later, a group of police officers in uniforms poured into the alley. They held guns, and the light from their torches illuminated the entire alley.

"Master Li!" The lead officer saw Li Fuqun leaning against the wall, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and rushed forward to help him up. "Who beat you up like this?"

Li Fuqun waved his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said in a low voice, "I'm fine. How's your Captain Ma? This guy... came for him."

The lead constable's expression changed, and he led two men into the Cuiyun Pavilion.

A moment later, a heart-wrenching scream came from upstairs: "The captain is dead! Captain Ma is dead!"

Li Fuqun closed his eyes, leaned against the wall, and exhaled a long breath.

The shoulder injury wasn't serious; the bone wasn't broken, but the skin and flesh were scratched by the finger force, leaving five finger holes from which blood wouldn't stop flowing. He hadn't encountered an opponent like this in a long time.

"Hidden strength... and above mine." Li Fuqun muttered to himself.

He looked up at the direction where Chen Hongwu had disappeared, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

The police were in complete chaos. Some went up to examine Captain Ma's body, some searched everywhere for the murderer, and some ran to the county government to report the incident. The guests in Cuiyun Pavilion heard the commotion and screamed as they ran outside. Several lanterns fell over, and the curtain caught fire, leading to another flurry of activity as they tried to put out the flames.