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

dusk.

Chen Hongwu withdrew his fist and stood in the courtyard, the afterglow of the setting sun bathing his entire body. He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which lingered and drew a white line in the air before slowly dissipating.

He turned and went inside, rinsed his body with cold water, and changed into a clean blue cloth robe and cloth shoes.

Chen Huaijin and Chen Hongwen were already waiting at the door. After three days apart, the two looked much more haggard. Chen Huaijin's eyes were sunken and there were more white hairs at his temples. Chen Hongwen's face was sallow and there were obvious dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, the secret sale of assets in the past few days had exhausted him.

The father and his two sons got into the car, and the black Ford slowly drove out of Chenjia Alley.

As night fell, the street between the Wang family residence and the county government office was bustling with activity. Rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages, and cars, guided by Wang family servants, parked in an orderly fashion, their headlights and lanterns illuminating the entire street.

Even on occasions where all the prominent figures in the county are present, only a minority can still travel by car to the banquet.

Most people still rode in horse-drawn carriages, with lanterns hanging from each household on the carriages, their flickering candlelight casting dim yellow light on the bluestone road.

Chen Hongwu glanced out the window but said nothing.

The car came to a stop, and the three got out. A servant at the door greeted them, and as soon as Chen Huaijin stepped onto the steps, several people surrounded him—

"Mr. Chen! It's been a long time!"

"Brother Chen, I heard you've been..."

Chen Huaijin responded with a smile, making polite remarks, but his feet never stopped moving.

A servant came forward, gave Chen Huaijin a perfunctory greeting, and then turned to lead the three of them toward the banquet hall.

After passing through the hall and around a screen wall, the view suddenly opened up before you.

The main hall was extremely large, grand and spacious, with brand-new calligraphy and paintings hanging on the mahogany beams and pillars, and Western chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, brightly lit by candlelight.

The guests huddled together in small groups, their voices low, their brows furrowed with barely concealed sorrow. Many had come to this welcoming banquet, but few were there willingly.

Chen Huaijin and Chen Hongwen were quickly swallowed up by the crowd. The Chen family had been operating locally for many years and knew too many people to avoid social engagements.

Chen Hongwu was not interested in these things and wandered around the hall alone.

He walked to the long table, picked up a piece of pastry and put it in his mouth, then picked up a cup of tea and took a sip, but his gaze never left the table.

His gaze swept across every corner of the hall. Behind the beams and pillars, on the sides of the screens, and in the corridor on the second floor, there were at least seven or eight hidden spots where armed men stood.

Wang Yucheng had indeed made preparations.

But he didn't intend to make a move. If he did, he was confident he could kill Wang Yucheng amidst a hail of bullets, but he couldn't protect Chen Huaijin and Chen Hongwen.

Chen Hongwu was not a reckless man, nor did he want to implicate the entire Chen family for a moment of pleasure.

Everything will be settled after the Chen family leaves Sanhai County.

He held his teacup and continued pacing around the hall.

Suddenly, a muscle pore on my back twitched.

After the internal energy flowed into his chest, his senses became much sharper than before. The pores in that area closed and opened spontaneously, as if he had been pricked by something.

Chen Hongwu turned around.

In a corner of the hall, a middle-aged man was watching him.

The man was unremarkable in appearance, around forty years old, of medium build, wearing a gray cloth long gown, and standing there he looked like an inconspicuous tree.

But his gaze was different; it was so sharp it seemed to see into a person's heart, like two knives hidden in their sheaths.

Liang Fangwu.

Their eyes met in the air.

In boxing, "eye contact" refers to intimidating the enemy with a single glance. A highly skilled boxer possesses a fierce aura and can strike fear into the hearts of his enemies with just a look.

Both were extremely bold, and when they looked at each other, neither was willing to give in.

Chen Hongwu's gaze was calm as still water, undisturbed. Liang Fangwu's gaze was as deep as a mountain, as heavy as iron.

The two stared at each other for three breaths before simultaneously looking away.

Liang Fangwu's lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling.

At that moment, the stage lights came on.

Wang Yucheng walked onto the stage, wearing a brand-new dark blue long gown, with a broad smile on his face.

Behind him followed Wang Zhiyuan and Xu Wanqing—Wang Zhiyuan was dressed in a suit and had slicked-back hair; Xu Wanqing was dressed in a bright red dress, with exquisite makeup and a perfectly timed smile on her lips. When her gaze swept across the audience, it lingered on Chen Hongwu for a moment before casually looking away.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Wang Yucheng cleared his throat. "We invited you all here tonight for two reasons. First, to welcome Young Master Mo. Young Master Mo is of noble status, and it is an honor for our entire county to have him grace Sanhai County with his presence..."

He spoke for the full time it takes for an incense stick to burn, from Mo Rongxin's great achievements to the cooperation between Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, from suppressing bandits to maintaining public order, and from maintaining public order to the responsibilities of the gentry.

The people in the audience wore smiles on their faces, but in their hearts they were all cursing.

"...There's one more thing." Wang Yucheng changed the subject. "My son's wedding to Miss Xu was originally scheduled for the eighth day of next month. But in order to share in Young Master Mo's joy, I've decided to move it to the eighteenth of this month. I would be honored if you all could grace us with your presence then."

A perfunctory round of applause erupted from the audience.

Wang Zhiyuan stood on the stage, chin slightly raised, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, while Xu Wanqing's smile remained impeccable.

Chen Hongwu did not look at her.

He had already tasted all the pastries on the table and drunk two cups of tea, and was getting a little tired of the endless chatter on stage. He put the empty cup back on the table and turned to walk out of the hall.

No one noticed his departure.

The moonlight was bright outside the hall, and the night breeze was cool.

Chen Hongwu walked down the steps, stood in the courtyard, and took a deep breath. The cool air filled his lungs, and the heat in his chest slowly subsided.

Inside the banquet hall, Wang Zhiyuan had somehow slipped up to Liang Fangwu's side. He bowed, his smile ingratiating: "Master Liang, did you see the eldest son of the Chen family just now? What did you think of him?"

Liang Fangwu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing in the direction where Chen Hongwu had disappeared, and remained silent for a moment.

"He's a skilled fighter, his character is quite good." He paused, "but we'll only know for sure once we actually fight him."

Although he had never seen a photo of Chen Hongwu, the man's aura in the banquet hall was like the bright moon in the fireflies, making him instantly recognizable.

That's not an exaggeration—the moment Liang Fangwu first saw Chen Hongwu, he felt that the young man standing there was like the moon tonight.

Serene and tranquil.

He was neither as fierce and ruthless as a typical martial artist, nor as composed as an ordinary martial arts school disciple.

Chen Hongwu stood there, like a still pool of water, or a solitary moon.

Taoism speaks of "the unity of heaven and man," and the same applies to practicing martial arts. One should be energetic in the morning, focused and controlled at midday, relaxed and joyful in the evening, and serene and tranquil at night. Chen Hongwu cultivated his qi and blood to move with the seasons, subtly aligning with the laws of the sun and moon's movement.

Wang Zhiyuan immediately smiled obsequiously, "Master Liang, you're too modest. That young lad from the Chen family has only been practicing martial arts for a few months. How could he possibly be compared to a renowned martial arts master like yourself?"

As Chen Hongwu stepped out of the mansion gate, the engine roared suddenly, and three military vehicles emerged from the shadows in a triangular formation, their headlights like knives, slashing straight at him.

The rickshaw pullers waiting on both sides screamed as they were hit and sent flying, their rickshaw frames scattered in all directions.

The front of the car was nearly three zhang (approximately 10 meters) long, and the steel beams gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

The speed remains undiminished!