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

The news that Chen Hongwu killed Lin Xingwu and then beheaded a Japanese samurai at Hongsheng Hall spread throughout the Foshan martial arts community in less than three days.

The topic of conversation was everywhere – in the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns.

"Have you heard? A northern boxer came to the Hong Sheng Martial Arts School and killed Miyagi Nagaharu with just two punches!"

"What Northern boxer? That's the eldest son of the Chen family! Do you know the Chen family? They're the family that fled here from Sanhai County a while ago."

"Two punches? I saw it with my own eyes. My cousin was working in the kitchen at the banquet hosted by He Yongfu. That Chef Chen used not only fists, but also Bajiquan and Xingyiquan kung fu, which completely overwhelmed the two Japanese men!"

The news spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred. Chen Hongwu's name, along with "killing Japanese samurai," became a golden brand in Foshan.

The benefits received by the Chen family were immediately apparent.

Chen Huaijin and his son Chen Hongwen had just taken over a shop in Foshan, where they sold general merchandise from both the north and south of China. A few days ago, when they were buying and selling goods, local thugs would come over from time to time to "collect some tea money," and the laborers unloading goods at the docks would ignore them and abandon their work after unloading half of the goods.

It's different now.

The day before yesterday morning, several laborers carrying heavy loads at the dock saw Chen Hongwen driving his mule cart. Without a word, they surrounded him and quickly unloaded the goods, carrying them into the warehouse. Chen Hongwen took out some coins to pay his wages, but the old man in charge waved his hand, saying, "Master Chen killed a Japanese soldier, bringing honor to the people of Foshan. This little bit of strength is nothing!"

The thugs who used to collect protection money on the streets have disappeared. However, a few martial arts school disciples would occasionally stroll around the shop entrance, and if they encountered any trouble, they would immediately step in with their fists clenched.

What Chen Huaijin didn't expect was that those local tycoons who had previously ignored their Chen family suddenly changed their tune.

Invitation cards arrived one after another at the door. He Yongfu hosted a dinner, and the Zhou family mansion sent an invitation. Even the Foshan Chamber of Commerce sent someone to inquire whether the Chen family was interested in joining.

Chen Huaijin and Chen Hongwen were so busy every day that they were constantly attending social events and negotiating business deals, leaving them completely overwhelmed.

The Chen family, consisting of dozens of people, finally recovered from the chaos of their escape.

That morning.

Chen Hongwu pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard.

The morning dew on the bluestone slabs was still wet, and the air was filled with the smell of firewood wafting from the kitchen. He took a deep breath, the sound of thunder rumbling through his body, and a low hum emanated from his stomach.

I'm hungry.

After the thunderous sound entered his body, his internal organs were constantly vibrating. His stomach walls writhed like a millstone, and his digestive power was many times stronger than that of an ordinary person. The three pounds of beef and two large bowls of rice he ate last night were completely digested in just one hour.

He had only taken two steps when he saw a figure squatting at the gate of the courtyard.

Chen Hongxiu.

A girl of about fifteen or sixteen wore a blue floral blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a bamboo food box was placed at her feet. When she saw Chen Hongwu come out, her eyes lit up, and she picked up the food box and ran over in a few quick steps.

"Big brother! Breakfast is ready!"

The lid of the food container was lifted, and a wave of hot air rushed out.

A bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork, cooked until the rice grains were almost dissolved. Four fist-sized meat buns, with soft dough and the oil from the meat filling seeping out from the pleats.

Three scallion pancakes, cut into triangular pieces, were stacked on a whole plate. There was also a large bowl of beef soup, with bright green scallions floating on top.

Chen Hongwu picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

He ate slowly, but his food was very substantial.

Each bite of food was chewed thoroughly before being swallowed. Thunderous sound rolled through the stomach, causing churning of gastric qi, and the food that had just been swallowed was instantly ground into a paste.

Xue Dian said in "The Pictographic Boxing Method": "After the skill enters the body, the stomach qi is like a furnace, and food is immediately digested. It is not about the quantity, but about how quickly it is digested and how thoroughly it is absorbed."

When a person eats, the food stays in the stomach for two to three hours.

Chen Hongwu would eat, and in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the essence would be completely absorbed, and the residue would be expelled cleanly. He ate three or four times the amount of an ordinary person at each meal, but his stomach never bulged.

Taoism speaks of "refining essence into qi," but where does essence come from? It comes from food. The spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired constitution and the source of qi and blood. If the spleen and stomach are weak, no matter how many tonics you take, it will be in vain.

When internal martial arts are practiced to the point where the "thunderous sound enters the body," the spleen and stomach are the first to benefit.

In his later years, Sun Lutang had a voracious appetite, consuming half a sheep in one meal. Even at seventy, his teeth were as strong as a young man's, and he could crack walnuts with ease. When Shang Yunxiang was in his sixties, his apprentices invited him to dinner, and he could eat two jin of beef and ten steamed buns in one sitting, leaving everyone at the table dumbfounded.

This isn't gluttony; it's a bodily need.

Bone marrow tremors require a large amount of qi and blood to support them, and the generation of qi and blood depends entirely on the spleen and stomach's function of transformation and transportation.

The more you eat, the faster it digests, the stronger your Qi and blood become, and the deeper the impact on your bone marrow. This is a positive cycle: the more you practice, the more you can eat, and the more you can eat, the stronger you become.

Chen Hongxiu squatted down beside her, her hands supporting her chin, her mouth opening wider and wider.

The porridge bowl was empty, the steamed buns disappeared one after another, the scallion pancakes were eaten in two bites, and the beef soup was gulped down.

In less than fifteen minutes, the food box was completely empty.

"Big brother..." Chen Hongxiu swallowed hard. "I heard from second brother and the others that you've been eating a lot lately, but I didn't believe it. Where...where has all that food gone? Why isn't your stomach bulging?"

"You've gotten into it." Chen Hongwu put down his chopsticks.

"Where have you progressed in your training?"

Chen Hongwu offered no explanation.

The food would be completely refined by the thunderous energy within his body in less than half an hour. The subtle substances would transform into qi and blood, filling his internal organs and permeating his limbs and bones.

The remaining dregs are not worth mentioning.

This is the biggest difference between internal and external martial arts.

A lifetime of practicing external martial arts can result in bulging muscles and a robust appearance, but that robustness is merely superficial.

As people get older, their skills decline. Internal martial arts, however, penetrate to the internal organs and bone marrow, fundamentally changing a person's constitution.

It can be ingested, digested, and circulated smoothly, resulting in a continuous flow of qi and blood.

"Speak," Chen Hongwu said, putting the bowl and chopsticks back into the food box. "What's up, squatting at the door so early in the morning with porridge and steamed buns?"

Chen Hongxiu blinked, then grabbed Chen Hongwu's arm, her voice as soft as glutinous rice cake: "Big brother—"

Chen Hongwu pulled his arm back: "Get to the point."

Chen Hongxiu pouted: "Dad said... he's going to send me to school."

"Isn't it good?"

"What's the point of studying?" Chen Hongxiu puffed out her cheeks. "Can studying stop bullets? Can studying drive away bad guys? What we learn in school is completely useless in the face of guns and cannons."

Chen Hongwu remained silent.

Chen Hongxiu lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, I want to learn boxing from you."

She looked up, her eyes a little red, but she stubbornly held back her tears.

"I also want to protect everyone. I don't want to be stuck in a corner crying and unable to do anything if something happens in the future."

Chen Hongwu remained silent for a moment.

The experience of fleeing from Sanhai County left a deep mark on this little girl's heart.

He said, "Learning boxing is fine."

Chen Hongxiu's eyes widened instantly.

"But," Chen Hongwu said calmly, "whether you can endure this hardship depends on yourself. You have to practice horse stance, standing meditation, and mud-walking exercises. You can stand in one stance for half an hour, your legs shaking like leaves, but you can't get up. Even if you fall and get bruised and battered, you have to get up and keep practicing. If you don't have that kind of grit, don't even try."

Chen Hongxiu clenched her fists, her small face tense: "I can eat!"

"Hmm." Chen Hongwu stood up. "But you still need to study."

Chen Hongxiu's face immediately fell: "Why?"

"No matter how skilled you are in boxing, if you can't read, you're blind," Chen Hongwu said. "You can't read letters, contracts, or newspapers. Someone can sell you out with just a few words, and you'll be helping them count the money."

Chen Hongxiu opened her mouth.

"The school has mathematics, history, and geography. Mathematics teaches you how to manage accounts and finances, so you won't be fooled in the future."

History lets you know what happened on this land, lets you know where the boxing we practice came from, who our master's master's master fought and what he passed down.

Geography shows you how big the world is; it's not just about Sanhai County and Foshan. South of Guangzhou lies the sea, and beyond that, there are foreigners, steamships, and cannons.

Chen Hongxiu fell silent.

"Fist is the skill to kill enemies, books are the foundation of a living person. If you don't want to be bullied, you need both. If you've thought it through, come back to me."

Chen Hongxiu was stunned for a moment, then shouted loudly, "Big Brother!"

"Um?"

"I'm off to school!" Chen Hongxiu had already run a few steps, turned around and waved to him, "I'll practice standing meditation as soon as I get back from school!"

The little girl's floral blue blouse flashed in the morning sun at the alley entrance before she ran off into the distance.

Chen Hongwu stood at the courtyard gate, watching her back as she walked away, a slight smile curving his lips.

Then he found Liu Kun and continued practicing shooting.