Chapter 2

Cangzhou is located in North China and has been known since ancient times as a place with both water and land ports. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through the entire region, and the people of Cangzhou have always been known for their simplicity, uprightness, diligence, and bravery.

Due to its strategic location near the capital, Cangzhou has been a key battleground for military strategists throughout history. It was once known as a "distant and harsh county" and during the Ming Dynasty, it was called "Little Liangshan." The area around the Bohai Sea, covering over a hundred miles, was mostly reed marshes and desolate beaches, sparsely populated. It served as a place of exile for criminals and a hiding place for rebel generals.

Therefore, since the Ming and Qing dynasties, some rebel generals who were wanted by the court sought refuge in Cangzhou, taking advantage of the local people's strong and martial traditions. These people changed their names, disguised themselves as monks, Taoists, or wandering knights, and made a living by teaching martial arts. The reputation of Cangzhou as a martial arts hub began from this time.

Although during the turbulent decade, many martial artists were persecuted for various reasons, and many boxing manuals and historical artifacts were destroyed, the development of Cangzhou martial arts was temporarily set back.

However, the martial arts tradition in Cangzhou never waned. From the 1980s onwards, various martial arts schools sprang up like mushrooms after rain. It was not an exaggeration to say that almost every household practiced martial arts. Even the old Hu, who sold baked pancakes, had some skills.

At this moment, Qin Feng was crouching outside the back wall of a household. The family was surnamed Liu and was considered a prominent family in Cangzhou, with over ten tile-roofed houses.

More than ten years ago, the Liu family suffered a significant impact, and their houses were temporarily confiscated. In the early 1980s, the government returned the houses to the Liu family, and now four generations of the family lived there.

Unlike the courtyards of ordinary families, the Liu family's backyard was very spacious and had been converted into a martial arts training ground. Two rows of weapon racks were placed along the edge, filled with various weapons such as swords, spears, and halberds.

In the center of the courtyard, about seven or eight children, all around ten years old, were practicing their stances. An elderly man, over eighty years old, sat on the side, his eyes half-open, leisurely sipping hot tea from a table in front of him.

However, as soon as any child's posture became lax, the old man would immediately use a long, peeled willow branch to lash out at the child like a venomous snake.

"Once you enter the martial arts hall, you either practice against a post or stand against the wall. If you want to learn the Eight Extremes Fist, you must first stand in the correct stance!"

Looking at the children who had been standing for over half an hour, their faces drenched in sweat, the old man stood up and glanced at the wall outside.

"Has Grandpa Liu noticed me?"

Qin Feng, who was peeking through a hole in the wall, quickly pulled his head back.

Martial arts were deeply ingrained in Cangzhou, and lineage and tradition were highly valued. His behavior was considered stealing skills, and if discovered, he could be severely punished, even losing his life.

However, Qin Feng's eyes were unusually determined. He stood in the same stance as the children in the courtyard, his calves trembling, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Just as Qin Feng thought the old man had noticed him, one of the children in the courtyard suddenly asked, "Grandpa, how long do we have to stand to be considered skilled?"

"How long? For a lifetime!"

Seeing the confusion on the children's faces, the old man shook his head and said, "Your ancestor once roamed the seas and was invincible. This post stance is the foundation..."

Seeing that it was almost time, the old man waved his hand and said, "Take a break. If you want to learn true skills, you must be willing to endure hardship. Otherwise, go home early!"

"Grandpa, tell us a story about our ancestor."

Hearing the old man's words, the children cheered and gathered around him. Apart from training, the old man was very kind to them.

Qin Feng, outside the wall, also perked up his ears. He had been secretly learning here for several years, and every time he heard the story of "God of the Spear" Li Shuwen, his blood would boil.

"Alright, I'll tell you a story about how my master Li Shuwen once defeated the Japanese with his spear. I wasn't even born then..."

Old age often brings loneliness. Even though the old man was a master of the Eight Extremes Fist and a renowned martial artist, he still had the common trait of enjoying reminiscing about the past.

However, as the only living disciple of "God of the Spear" Li Shuwen, the old man was undoubtedly the most authoritative. The stories he told were real.

It was 1895, and Yuan Shikai was training troops in Xiaozhan, south of Tianjin. He used various means to recruit skilled martial artists and hired Japanese karate experts and German military instructors to train his elite forces.

Li Shuwen's master, Huang Shihai, received an invitation from Yuan Shikai. Due to his advanced age, he recommended his disciple Li Shuwen to take the position.

When Li Shuwen arrived at the camp with Huang Shihai's letter, he was naturally led to the martial arts hall to meet Yuan Shikai. Yuan Shikai and the other instructors, seeing his unimpressive appearance and his thin, frail build, carrying a large spear, mistakenly thought he was Huang Shihai's servant or child.

When they learned that Li Shuwen was there to replace his master as an instructor, they burst into laughter.

Yuan Shikai's martial arts instructor, Ito Taro, sneered at Li Shuwen, calling him a "sick man of East Asia" and pointing at him with his little finger.

Li Shuwen, with his fiery temper, could not tolerate such an insult. He lifted his spear, pointing the tip at Ito, challenging him.

Ito, feeling his pride wounded, flew into a rage and swung his Japanese long sword at Li Shuwen with the force of a mountain. However, Li Shuwen's spear deflected the sword, and with a swift move, he pierced Ito's throat and flung the corpse out of the hall.

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.

Seeing their comrade killed, the Japanese martial arts instructors, Akiyama, Inoue, and Noda, rushed at Li Shuwen with their swords. Li Shuwen moved like lightning, his spear darting like a dragon, and in a moment, the three Japanese experts were dead, their bodies flung out of the hall. Li Shuwen then thrust his spear at a fly on a pillar, and the fly fell without leaving a mark on the pillar.

The hall erupted in thunderous applause, and Yuan Shikai exclaimed, "God of the Spear! God of the Spear! Truly a God of the Spear!" From then on, "God of the Spear" Li Shuwen became famous throughout the world.

"Our ancestor was truly amazing!"

Even though they had heard this story countless times, the children were still filled with excitement, their legs no longer aching, and their eyes wide with admiration, wishing they could be the ones to defeat the Japanese.

Qin Feng clenched his fists, his eyes burning with hatred. If he had Li Shuwen's skills, the tragedy that befell his family five years ago would not have happened.

Thinking about the past, Qin Feng's eyes turned red, his nails digging into his flesh. If not for a sliver of reason, he would have already been screaming.

"Father, why aren't you resting inside? What are you doing here?"

Just as Qin Feng was lost in his thoughts, a man in his mid-fifties walked into the backyard, glancing at the children with a frown and said, "Go back to your training. Why are you bothering the master?"

"Second son, it's stuffy inside. I feel more comfortable with the children."

The old man waved his hand, stopping his son's words, and said, "Although I haven't reached my master's level, I know my time is limited. I want to leave something behind."

"Father, don't say such things. You will live a long life."

The man looked worried after hearing his father's words.

"My master only lived to seventy-two, and I'm already over eighty. I'm content."

The old man smiled and said, "Second son, my energy is waning, and I can no longer perform the Eight Extremes Post. Show the children the benefits of the post stance."

"Father, these kids haven't even mastered the basics. Is it appropriate?"

The man hesitated. Chinese martial arts differ from Western combat techniques, emphasizing gradual progression and avoiding shortcuts. Demonstrating skills in front of the children might have a negative impact.

The old man suddenly smiled at his son, glancing at the wall, and said, "What's inappropriate? The saying 'Wen has Tai Chi to pacify the world, Wu has Eight Extremes to stabilize the universe' is not just words. Let the children see!"

"Yes, Father!"

Seeing his father's smile, the man seemed to understand something and became serious. He walked to the wall and said, "Let me show you the power of the post stance!"

The man didn't remove his clothes, standing loosely against the wall with his feet in an unaligned position.

Suddenly, his body lowered, and his shoulder slammed into the wall behind him. With a loud "boom," the nearly two-meter-high wall was shattered, a section of it collapsing.

"Hmm, you dodged pretty quickly, didn't you?"

After performing the post stance, the man turned and looked at a patch of grass outside the gap, shouting, "Boy, come out! If you can run ten meters, I'll write my name backward!"

"Master Liu, it's... it's me..."

Qin Feng's voice came from the grass. He had been overwhelmed by hatred and only noticed Liu's second son approaching the wall at the last moment. He rolled away just in time to avoid being hit.

However, his face was scratched by flying sand and gravel. Knowing the taboo of stealing skills, he didn't dare to wipe his face and hesitantly stepped out of the grass.

"Hmm? It's you, boy?" Seeing Qin Feng's bloodied face, the man was surprised and looked back at his father in the courtyard, his eyes seeking approval.

In fact, Qin Feng had been secretly learning for several years, and they had already noticed him. The old man had suppressed the matter, but now he was unsure why he wanted to expose Qin Feng.