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

Inside the martial arts hall.

Five martial arts masters stood in a row, looking at the eldest young master of the Chen family in front of them.

Cai Rong spoke first: "Young Master, martial arts training begins with stance training. A weak stance will cause the ground to shake. The stance of my Cai Li Fo lineage emphasizes stability, solidity, and agility..."

As he spoke, he demonstrated, standing with his feet apart, knees bent in a half-squat, upper body straight, and hands tucked into his waist.

"Knees should not extend beyond the toes, weight should be on the soles of the feet, and breathing should be natural. Stand for 15 minutes first."

Chen Hongwu nodded and did as instructed.

Stand with your feet apart, knees bent, and back straight.

He had practiced the Three-Body Stance for three years in his previous life, which was much more difficult than this horse stance. At this moment, he was just going through the motions, but he couldn't appear too proficient.

"Young Master, your waist feels a little heavier." Lin Deshun stepped forward and reached out to support his waist and hips.

Chen Hongwu obediently sat down a little further.

"Yes, that's it."

A minute passed.

Two minutes.

five minutes.

Chen Hongwu remained motionless, his breathing steady, with a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

The five martial arts masters exchanged glances, all somewhat surprised.

"Has the young master practiced before?" Su Zhihao asked tentatively.

"No," Chen Hongwu said without changing his expression. "Perhaps he has a decent foundation."

He Yongfu squatted down to look at his knees and feet, then pinched his calves, marveling, "Knees at the right angle, stable center of gravity, heels on the ground... This composure doesn't seem like someone who's never stood on a horse before."

"Talent, talent." Liang Jinkun stroked his beard. "I've been teaching for decades, and on the first day, I can count on one hand the number of students who can stand for five minutes without swaying."

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Hongwu slowly stood up, his calves trembling slightly.

This trembling is genuine, not feigned. This body is too weak; the only reason it can withstand this is due to its past life's experience and willpower.

"How are you feeling, young master?" Lin Deshun asked.

"My legs are sore, but I can still stand."

"Good! Good!" Cai Rong clapped his hands. "Take a short rest, then we'll learn standing meditation."

Each martial arts master had their own unique stance. Choy Li Fut had the "Four-Level Horse Stance," Wing Chun had the "Two-Character Clamping Sheep Stance," and Hung Kuen had the "Copper Bridge Iron Horse Stance." The five masters each taught their own, and Chen Hongwu followed their instructions one by one.

After an hour, the five martial arts masters were speechless.

No matter what kind of stance it was, as long as the eldest young master of the Chen family heard the key points once, he could stand on it almost perfectly. Although his physical strength couldn't keep up, his posture and his concentration were like someone who had practiced for ten years.

"A martial arts prodigy, one in a century!" He Yongfu exclaimed sincerely.

"It's a pity... you started training too late." Su Zhihao shook his head. "At eighteen, your body is fully developed. If it had been ten years earlier, no, five years earlier, the young master would surely have become a grandmaster."

Chen Hongwu wiped his sweat but didn't reply.

He knew he wasn't too late; in his previous life, he started practicing at twenty-three and reached the level of internal strength in three years. With experience in this life, he could only progress faster.

"That's all for today," Chen Hongwu said. "We'll continue tomorrow."

The five martial arts masters clasped their hands in farewell and took their leave.

In the days that followed, Chen Hongwu never left his home.

Every day at dawn, we would get up, first run laps in the yard to warm up, then practice horse stance, standing meditation, and Five Elements Fist. Five martial arts instructors would take turns teaching us, two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

Chen Hongwu outwardly learned from them, but secretly practiced his own Xingyi.

He dared not demonstrate Xingyi Quan in front of a martial arts master—that would give him away. Anyone with a brain would know something was wrong if someone who had never practiced martial arts suddenly displayed authentic Xingyi.

Therefore, he only practices the basics: stance training, standing meditation, stretching, and basic power generation movements. These are applicable everywhere and don't reveal any particular school of thought.

He practiced true Xingyi in the dead of night.

In the backyard wing room, the door was bolted shut and the windows were covered. Chen Hongwu, barefoot, slowly began practicing the Five Elements Fist on the stone floor.

Chopping Fist, Crushing Fist, Drilling Fist, Cannon Fist, Horizontal Fist.

Each move was slow and deliberate, like drawing silk.

He no longer pursued strength and speed, but instead focused on feeling every joint and every muscle in his body.

This body is too weak.

His muscles and bones were loose and weak, his qi and blood were insufficient, and the functions of his internal organs were far inferior to those of his previous life.

But it is precisely because he is weak that he can start from the bottom and polish every detail to perfection.

"No rush, take your time."

Chen Hongwu practiced his boxing while silently reciting mantras.

His past life's experience told him that the three-step skill must begin with bone straightening. When the bones are straight and the tendons are supple, qi and blood can flow freely. If the bones are not straight and the tendons are not supple, all training will be in vain.

His bones are currently crooked—years of poor posture have resulted in a slight scoliosis and asymmetrical shoulder blades. If these problems are not corrected, his future path in martial arts training will be fraught with difficulties.

"Master Shang Yunxiang of Xingyi said that in practice, you should use strength but not force, and in combat, you should use force but not force."

Chen Hongwu took a deep breath and stopped his fist from its position.

---

The Chen family was large and wealthy, possessing all kinds of rare medicinal herbs.

Although Chen Huaijin was indifferent to this son, he was never stingy with what he should give him. Every day, he would bring Chen Hongwu a bowl of nourishing soup, made with ginseng, deer antler, wolfberry, and astragalus, stewed according to a recipe until it was very rich.

Chen Hongwu didn't stand on ceremony and drank every last drop.

For martial artists, qi and blood are paramount. Without a healthy body, any martial arts technique is just empty talk. In his previous life in prison, the senior martial arts instructor would regularly bring him various medicinal herbs; otherwise, he wouldn't have reached the upper level of Ming Jin even after three years.

He's in a better position now, so he naturally won't waste it.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Hongwu stood in front of the bronze mirror, examining his reflection.

The changes are significant.

Her face had thinned out, becoming more defined with a sharp jawline. Her previously pale skin had turned a healthy tan, her temples were slightly fuller, and her eyes held a bright, intelligent light.

He hasn't grown much taller, but his shoulders have broadened considerably, and his back is straight; he stands there like a spear.

He clenched his fist, revealing prominent veins and clearly defined muscles on his arm.

"This body is barely usable."

Chen Hongwu took a deep breath, walked into the courtyard, and punched a locust tree as thick as a bowl.

"Bang!"

The tree trunk trembled violently, and leaves fell in a rustling sound.

The skin on his fist was red, but not broken. The force had already penetrated, although it was far from reaching the standard of Ming Jin (manifested strength), it was many times stronger than it was a month ago.

"Your muscles and bones are not fully aligned yet, and your qi and blood are not abundant enough. After two more months of practice, you should be able to reach the threshold of Ming Jin (manifest strength)."

Chen Hongwu withdrew his fist, turned around, and went back into the house.

---

Meanwhile, in the front hall of the Chen residence.

Chen Huaijin sat in the armchair, flipping through the account books, when he suddenly remembered something and looked up at the steward.

"How is Hongwu doing lately?"

The butler bowed and said, "Master, the eldest young master has been practicing martial arts in the backyard and has not gone out."

Chen Huaijin was stunned.

"Didn't go out fooling around?"

"No. The young master gets up at dawn every day and practices until dusk. Five martial arts instructors take turns teaching him, without interruption."

Chen Huaijin put down the account book, somewhat incredulous.

He initially agreed to let Chen Hongwu practice martial arts only to keep the kid quiet for a few days. Based on his past behavior, he'd likely revert to his old ways within three days and sneak out to visit brothels.

Unexpectedly, after a month, I really managed to hold it in.

"Did he call the maid into the room?" Chen Huaijin asked again.

The butler shook his head: "No. The young master even sent away the servants, saying that no one is allowed to disturb him while he's practicing."

Chen Huaijin remained silent for a moment, then a rare look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"This kid has finally grown up a bit."

He stood up, walked behind his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a brand-new Browning pistol.

The gun was jet black with a good blued finish, and a string of English letters was engraved on the grip.

"Take this to him." Chen Huaijin handed the pistol to the butler. "Tell him that practicing martial arts for self-defense is fine, but in this world, this is more useful in critical moments."

The butler accepted the gift with both hands, bowed, and withdrew.