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

"Da da da!"

Under heavy firepower, the mandrill-like monster finally couldn't hold on any longer.

Bullets struck it, splattering puffs of blood. It let out a deafening roar, turned, smashed open the mansion gate, and tumbled and crawled away into the night.

"Ceasefire! Ceasefire!"

A middle-aged man in a long gown raised his hand and shouted for a halt, and the gunfire stopped abruptly. The courtyard reeked of gunpowder, and the ground was littered with gleaming yellow bullet casings.

Chen Hongwu stood under the eaves, his mind still a complete mess.

He looked down at his hands; they were fair, slender, without calluses or scars.

These aren't his hands. His body, built up over three years of martial arts training, should have calluses on his hands, thick knuckles, and prominent veins on the back of his hands.

These hands belong to a young master who has never done any heavy work.

"Young Master, are you alright?" A butler-like man rushed over, his face full of concern. "That beast barged in just now and terrified this old servant. Luckily you're alright, otherwise how could I explain to the Master?"

Chen Hongwu opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would give himself away, because he didn't know this person or this place at all.

"Young Master has been frightened. Let him go back to his room and rest." The steward beckoned to the two maids, "Help the Young Master back to his room and take good care of him."

Two maids stepped forward, one on each side. Chen Hongwu instinctively wanted to push them away, but he pulled his hand back after reaching out.

His current body is as weak as a chick; he probably couldn't even beat an ordinary woman.

"I'll walk by myself," Chen Hongwu said, his voice a little hoarse but steady.

The butler paused slightly, glanced at him, said nothing, and bowed as he withdrew.

Led by a maid, Chen Hongwu passed through several courtyards and arrived at an exquisitely furnished side room. It was furnished with mahogany furniture, silk quilts, and a Western kerosene lamp on the table.

"Young Master, please rest early. Call us if you need anything." The maidservant withdrew and gently closed the door.

Chen Hongwu sat on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.

Memories flooded my mind like a burst dam.

---

His name is Chen Hongwu, the eldest son of the Chen family in Sanhai County, Guangdong.

The Chen family was the richest family in Sanhai County, with an extremely large business empire. They owned more than a dozen shops in the county alone, including gold shops, silver shops, money exchanges, and pawnshops. They also had dozens of factories of various sizes, such as textile mills, flour mills, match factories, and even a machinery repair shop.

His father, Chen Huaijin, was the last person to pass the imperial examination in the late Qing Dynasty. He later resigned from his official post and went into business, increasing the Chen family's assets more than tenfold.

The current president is Xu Shichang, in the eighth year of the Republic of China.

1919 AD.

Chen Hongwu suddenly opened his eyes.

The eighth year of the Republic of China? 1919?

"Is this time travel? Reincarnation? Or the awakening of innate wisdom?"

He had heard that if one cultivated martial arts to an extremely high level, one could inject their memories into the mind of another person after death, thus being resurrected in another's body.

But those are all just legends.

It is a state of being that is not bad, and that one can see the gods.

He's only at the internal strength level, how could he possibly have such skills?

Chen Hongwu shook his head, suppressing these thoughts.

Since we're here, let's make the best of it.

Regardless of how he came to be, he is now the eldest son of the Chen family in Sanhai County, Guangdong Province, in 1919. This world has monsters capable of withstanding heavy firepower, which is clearly different from the history he knows.

This kind of monster could not possibly exist in the original world.

Therefore, this Republic of China is probably not the Republic of China he knows.

"The primary task is to regain my martial arts skills."

He stood up and tried to assume the Three-Body Stance.

Grip the ground with your toes, bend your knees slightly, tuck your hips in, and keep your spine straight.

In an instant, he sensed the condition of his body—

too weak.

With loose muscles and bones and insufficient blood and qi, I couldn't even hold the most basic San Ti Shi (Three-Body Stance) for more than a few seconds. My legs felt as heavy as lead, my spine was loose and slouching, and I couldn't find any sense of "dragon body" at all.

"Let's start practicing from the beginning."

He was not discouraged. After three years of martial arts training, he knew better than anyone that skill was accumulated little by little. In his previous life, he had also started from scratch and reached the upper level of Ming Jin in three years.

Although his physique is weak, he has the advantage of youth and hasn't been ruined by incorrect exertion habits. Given time, he can recover.

"First change the bones, then the tendons, and finally the marrow. Develop over time the strength, the hidden strength, and the neutralizing strength."

He mentally planned his training regimen while slowly practicing the Five Elements Fist in the side room.

Split, collapse, drill, cannon, horizontal.

Practice each move slowly and deliberately, focusing on correct force rather than speed.

He was sweating profusely and panting heavily after less than ten minutes of fighting.

"This body... is even inferior to that of an ordinary person." Chen Hongwu smiled bitterly.

Three years ago, when he first entered prison, although he wasn't particularly strong, he was still a college student and could run three to five kilometers without any problem. Now, this young master of the Chen family looks like he's been pampered all his life; he probably couldn't even lift a bucket of water.

"Young Master! Young Master!"

Suddenly, a hurried shout came from outside the door, and then the door was pushed open. A maid stumbled in, her face pale and her whole body trembling.

Chen Hongwu withdrew his fist and assumed a stance, frowning slightly: "What is it?"

"The Xu...the Xu family..." the maid gasped, "That monster...it broke into the Xu family!"

Chen Hongwu's heart skipped a beat.

Xu family.

In my memory, the Xu family and the Chen family had been on good terms for generations. Xu Mingyuan, the patriarch of the Xu family, and his father, Chen Huaijin, were sworn brothers. The two families visited each other frequently and had many business dealings.

More importantly, he was engaged to Xu Wanqing, the eldest daughter of the Xu family.

It was a marriage arranged since childhood, with both families' parents agreeing and exchanging betrothal gifts. Although Chen Hongwu had not yet met the eldest daughter of the Xu family, in this era, with parents' orders and matchmakers' words, this marriage was basically a done deal.

That mandrill monster, over three meters tall and incredibly strong, capable of withstanding heavy firepower.

It escaped from the Chen family mansion and went to the Xu family instead?

"How is the Xu family doing?" Chen Hongwu's voice was calm. He was very curious about just how far that monster could go.

To withstand bullets with one's own body is beyond the realm of mere mortals.

What will martial arts look like in this world?

"No...I don't know." The maid shook her head. "The Xu family's steward came to report that the monster stormed into the Xu family mansion and was killing people indiscriminately. Master has already led his men there and asked me to come and tell the eldest young master."

Chen Hongwu remained silent for a few seconds.

"understood."