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

Pujunxu, the back of the herbal tea shop.

Night had fallen, and the entire street was pitch black. Only a dim oil lamp hung outside the herbal tea shop, its wick mostly burned out, the flame flickering slightly in the night wind.

Chen Hongwu's gaze swept over the courtyard wall.

It is over two zhang tall, made of blue bricks, and has broken glass stuck in the top.

He leaped up lightly, his toes barely touching the wall.

His body rose lightly, like a leaf lifted by the wind. He channeled his inner strength into his fingertips, inserted his five fingers into the cracks in the brickwork, and with a flick of his wrist, landed silently on the inside of the courtyard wall.

When landing, the toes touch the ground first, and the ball of the foot rolls down to dissipate the impact without making a sound.

Chen Hongwu slid along the base of the wall, his feet brushing the ground, his whole body like a feather stuck in the shadows of the wall.

The "mud-walking step" in Bagua footwork emphasizes "walking on thin ice, as if facing a deep abyss," probing before stepping and landing silently.

Chen Hongwu had practiced for so long that this footwork had become second nature to him.

Two lanterns were lit in the courtyard, casting a dim, yellowish light.

One guard was dozing against a pillar, his gun across his knees, his head bobbing up and down. Another guard sat on the steps, rolling a cigarette, the match just lit.

Chen Hongwu slid silently past the base of the wall.

He reached out from the shadows where the lanterns couldn't reach, spread his fingers, and gripped the back of the dozing guard's neck. With a burst of internal energy, he pressed his fingertips against the carotid sinus.

The man slumped to the ground without uttering a sound. Chen Hongwu caught him and gently laid him flat.

The guard on the steps lit a match and was about to put it on his cigarette when he caught a glimpse of the figure under the pillar disappearing. He just looked up.

"Snap!"

Chen Hongwu's hand chopped at the back of his head, the force precisely penetrating his skull. He stumbled forward, but Chen Hongwu caught him and dragged him behind the steps.

A guard stood at the corner of the courtyard wall, his back to Chen Hongwu. Chen Hongwu approached, slithered around behind him, covered his mouth with his left hand, and grabbed his neck with his right. He channeled his inner strength into his fingers and twisted them to the sides, producing a muffled and short sound of his cervical vertebrae dislocating.

Three breaths, three people.

Chen Hongwu continued to venture deeper into the courtyard.

He stopped in front of the woodshed and peeked through the crack in the door. Chen Huaijin and Chen Hongwen were tied up and thrown on the ground, their mouths stuffed with rags, and they were dozing off.

Apart from being tightly bound, the two did not appear to have suffered any physical pain.

Chen Hongwu did not alert them.

He turned and walked towards the master bedroom, his pace quickening.

The internal energy was cultivated to the ears, resulting in extremely keen hearing, capable of detecting the faintest sounds amidst the noise. The master bedroom was located at the deepest part of the courtyard, with dim candlelight filtering through the paper windows, from which came the sounds of a woman's coquettish laughter and a man's heavy breathing.

Chen Hongwu walked to the door, raised his foot and kicked it hard.

"Bang!"

The door panel exploded, and splinters of wood flew everywhere.

The latch broke in two, and the door panel flew inward and smashed against the wall.

The woman on the bed screamed and grabbed the blanket to cover herself.

Ghost Hand Peng reacted even faster. The moment the door shattered, he leaped off the bed, his bare feet landing on the ground. Before he could even fully assume his fist stance, his agility was already on full display. With a sidestep, he dodged the flying wood chips.

Chen Hongwu had already entered the bedroom.

Without stopping, they marched straight for the central palace.

Ghost Hand Peng's eyes flashed in the candlelight, and he finally saw the person who had appeared. His pupils contracted sharply: "You—"

This was the last word he ever spoke in his life.

Chen Hongwu's fist had already arrived.

Tai Chi! Covering Hand and Elbow Strike!

Tai Chi looks gentle and emphasizes using minimal force to overcome great strength, but that's just the surface.

Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan includes the "Gangjia" routine, which emphasizes "silk-reeling energy" and "power release." When power is released, it is as powerful as thunder.

When Chen Wangting created his boxing style, he incorporated the thirty-two forms of Changquan from Qi Jiguang's "New Book of Effective Tactics". Among them, "Covering Hand and Elbow Hammer" is a killing move derived from battlefield combat - covering the heart with the hand, punching like a hammer, with qi flowing through the dantian and the force spiraling.

In ancient times, those who wielded hammers were all fierce warriors. Li Yuanba, the number one hero in "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties", wielded two large hammers and was invincible throughout the world.

When the Tai Chi masters created the style, they borrowed the power of the word "hammer".

This punch is a twisting motion of the entire spine, with the body's strength suddenly released like a tightly wound spring, originating from the soles of the feet, passing through the waist, hips, back, shoulders, and elbows, all the way to the fist.

Before the fist even landed, the powerful wind had already arrived.

Ghost Hand Peng didn't have time to dodge. His Hung Kuen stance wasn't fully in place yet; his hands were sealed in front of his chest, using the hard stance of the "Iron Bridge Hand" in Hung Kuen.

He tensed his arms like iron to meet Chen Hongwu's fist.

"Bang!"

Their fists collided with a dull thud.

Ghost Hand Peng's arms felt as if they had been struck by an iron hammer, and a spiraling force drilled into his arms.

The silk-winding force twists and turns like a hemp rope, winding inward layer by layer.

His iron bridge hand was smashed to pieces by this punch, his arms swinging to the sides and his chest gaping open.

Chen Hongwu's next punch landed.

He suddenly stepped forward, his arm swinging out horizontally in a move called "Advancing Blocking Strike" from Tai Chi.

With a loud "thud," the fist slammed solidly into Ghost Hand Peng's chest.

Ghost Hand Peng, whose body weighed nearly 200 pounds, was suddenly sent flying as if hit by a cannonball, crashing heavily into the wall of the room, causing the entire house to shake for a moment.

He slid down the wall and sat on the ground. A section of his chest caved in, and bone fragments pierced through his flesh.

Ghost Hand Peng opened his mouth, only spitting out half a mouthful of blood foam. His head lolled to the side, and he remained motionless.

From the moment Chen Hongwu entered the room to the moment Ghost Hand Peng died, three breaths passed.

The woman on the bed was huddled in the corner, clutching the blanket, trembling all over, her screams heart-wrenching.

Chen Hongwu turned and walked out of the bedroom without looking back.

He spared her life for a reason.

This woman will become the best living advertisement, telling the gangs and martial arts schools in Foshan that if they want to treat the Chen family as an easy target, they'll have to ask Chen Hongwu first.

A common man's anger can cause blood to splatter five steps away!

Let's see who in Foshan dares to lay a hand on the Chen family again!

He walked to the door of the woodshed and slammed his fist on the bolt.

The latch broke, and the wooden door sprang open to both sides. Chen Huaijin and Chen Hongwen, who were drowsy inside, were startled by the noise and looked up sharply. They couldn't see who it was in the darkness, but they could see a figure standing in the doorway. Their mouths were gagged, and they could only make muffled noises.

Chen Hongwu walked in: "Father, it's me."

Chen Huaijin was stunned for a moment, recognized the voice, and his body instantly relaxed.

Chen Hongwu first removed the rag from his father's mouth, then untied the rope. Chen Hongwen was still whimpering on the ground. Chen Hongwu went over and pulled the rag from his mouth, hooking the rope with his finger, and it broke.

Chen Hongwen broke down instantly. He rushed forward and hugged Chen Hongwu tightly, wailing, "Brother! I thought I was going to die! They were going to kill us! I...I..."

Chen Hongwu patted him on the back: "It's alright now."

Chen Hongwen's sobs echoed in the woodshed, his breath coming in gasps.

Chen Huaijin stood up, stretched his wrists, walked to the door and glanced at the courtyard outside. He found that the guards were lying haphazardly against the walls, steps, and pillars, all motionless.

He glanced back at Chen Hongwu and asked, "Have they all... been dealt with?"

Chen Hongwu nodded.

Chen Huaijin did not ask any further questions.

He stood at the doorway, looking at the deep night outside, paused for a moment, and said, "Let's talk about it when we get home."