harleyscars Chapter 19 Master Chen's Past
Chapter 19 Master Chen's Past
The two chatted amiably, exchanging words back and forth.
Ma Cong also learned many secrets about the martial arts circle from Huang Tianxiang.
For example, there are no more than ten martial arts masters in China who are known to the public. Each of them is a treasure of a major family or school and rarely shows themselves.
For example, within the government, there is actually a secret department composed of martial arts masters who specialize in handling supernatural events.
This information opened a door to a new world for Ma Cong.
As they were chatting, Huang Tianxiang suddenly asked a question.
"Master Ma, please forgive my intrusion."
"Your Bajiquan skills are so exquisite. Could it be that you were sent to Qingzhou Qingcun by your elders when you were young and became a disciple of the Bajiquan sect?"
Ma Cong shook his head.
"no."
"I learned my boxing from an old boxing master named Chen who performed on the street when I was a child."
Upon hearing this answer, Huang Tianxiang's expression changed instantly.
He jumped up from his chair, his face filled with horror.
"What did you say? Street performers?"
"Oh no! Oh no! This is terrible!"
Huang Tianxiang paced anxiously back and forth in the ward, muttering to himself.
"Master Ma, do you know that what you're practicing is the most authentic internal martial arts style of Bajiquan!"
"This kind of unique skill can only be learned by direct descendants!"
"You're not a disciple of the Bajiquan sect, yet you've mastered these skills. If they found out, they'd definitely assume you stole their sect's secret techniques!"
Huang Tianxiang's tone became increasingly urgent, and his voice even carried a hint of fear.
"When that time comes, they will definitely send people to cause you trouble. At best, they'll force you to abandon your martial arts; at worst... they'll wipe them out!"
......
Huang Tianxiang sighed and added, "Our Hung Kuen lineage emphasizes branching out and has a much more flexible way of passing on knowledge, without as many restrictions. But Bajiquan is different; they take sectarianism very seriously."
After listening, Ma Cong fell silent.
An image of a disheveled man carrying a gourd of wine all day long flashed through his mind.
Master Chen, a renowned boxer.
Who exactly is he?
Ma Cong's thoughts drifted back to his childhood.
Back then, his parents were still driving long-distance trucks, and he lived on the truck with them.
Once, on the streets of a city, he saw an old man performing for money.
The old man's punches were powerful and dynamic, completely different from the health-preserving Tai Chi practiced by the elderly men in the park.
Young Ma Cong was immediately captivated and refused to leave, insisting on learning the boxing style.
His parents couldn't persuade him otherwise, so they had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.
He remembered that the old man only glanced at him and said that he was mediocre and not cut out for martial arts.
But Ma Cong was stubborn; he would go to the street every day to watch, and even if the old man didn't teach him, he would just imitate the gestures himself.
Rain or shine.
Whether it was a sudden impulse or he was moved by the old boxing master's persistence, the old man, who claimed to be surnamed Chen, eventually accepted him as a disciple.
Later, Master Chen even followed his family to Jincheng to teach him boxing techniques wholeheartedly.
Until the year he entered junior high school, his master sat cross-legged in the courtyard one morning and left silently.
He passed away peacefully in meditation.
At that moment, Ma Cong felt like the sky had fallen.
Now, considering Huang Tianxiang's words, the master's death was probably not so simple.
How could a master who could teach authentic Bajiquan (a style of Chinese martial arts) end up performing on the streets?
Moreover, the master seemed to have been suffering from some hidden injuries at the time, which led to his sudden passing.
"Chairman Huang."
Ma Cong raised his head and asked a name that had been buried deep in his heart.
Have you ever heard of the name "Chen Hongfei"?
Huang Tianxiang was picking up his teacup, ready to drink some water.
Upon hearing the name, his hand trembled violently, spilling tea all over the floor.
He jumped up from his chair, his face filled with undisguised horror.
"How...how do you know this name?!"
Judging from his reaction, Ma Cong had a better understanding of the situation.
He was my mentor.
"My mastery of Bajiquan was taught to me by him."
"I see... I see!"
Huang Tianxiang seemed to have all his strength drained away, and slumped back into his chair, muttering to himself.
It dawned on him.
"Chen Hongfei, a native of Qingzhou, joined the Bajiquan sect at a young age and was the most talented of his generation, without exception."
"At the age of thirty-two, he achieved the level of a Master of Ming Jin!"
Huang Tianxiang glanced at Ma Cong as he spoke, his expression complex.
"I truly envy your good fortune, young man. Chen Hongfei only reached the Ming Jin realm at the age of thirty-two, and he was already hailed as a once-in-a-century genius. And you, you're only seventeen."
"His specialty is one of the two deadly moves in Bajiquan, the Heart-Piercing Elbow."
Ma Cong's heart stirred.
The master taught him to lean against the mountain, but he didn't teach him to lift his elbow to the center.
He only said that the move was too fierce and aggressive, and not suitable for him.
Now it seems there's more to the story.
Huang Tianxiang's voice became low: "Decades ago, during a competition within the Bajiquan sect, Chen Hongfei had a conflict with his master."
"In a moment of carelessness, he delivered a fatal elbow strike to the heart, killing his master on the spot."
Ma Cong's body stiffened.
He finally understood why his master never mentioned his past, nor did he ever pass on his most valuable skills.
He personally killed his mentor.
How heavy must this sin and shadow be for a master of Ming Jin to choose to dissipate his power, leave for distant lands, and live a life of aimless wandering on the streets?
But Ma Cong always felt that something was wrong.
Given my master's character, he is definitely not the kind of person who would flee from justice.
Even if he accidentally killed someone, he would rather atone with his death than live on in this world.
Moreover, before his death, his master's strength was only at the half-step Mingjin level, roughly equal to Huang Tianxiang's, and he also had many old injuries.
How could a master of Ming Jin (a type of martial arts) end up in such a state?
Who left those wounds?
Bajiquan School?
"I don't know all the details from back then either," Huang Tianxiang shook his head.
"I only heard that the Bajiquan sect was in chaos at the time, and Chen Hongfei disappeared without a trace. Almost fifty years have passed since then, and most people have long forgotten about it. If I weren't his contemporary, I wouldn't remember this story either."
Ma Cong did not ask any further questions.
He already had the answer in his heart.
He needs to find the truth himself.
The master's death was definitely not as simple as accidentally killing someone.
There must be a hidden story behind this.
Bajiquan School.
Ma Cong's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists.
Even if you don't come looking for trouble by "stealing" my knowledge.
I will also visit in person.
I demand justice for my master!
......
Two days later, at Jincheng First People's Hospital.
The head of orthopedics, Dr. Wang, was holding Ma Cong's latest CT scan, his hands trembling.
"A medical miracle! This is simply a medical miracle!"
On the film, the bones that were previously broken and misaligned have now healed perfectly, and not even a crack can be found.
If he hadn't conducted the examination himself, he would never have believed that this was a patient who had been lying in bed moaning just two days ago.