A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Squatting in a horse stance was child's play for Song Hongfei.

Song Hongfei was strictly required to study and practice martial arts by his family from a young age, and was taught by famous teachers. He learned traditional internal martial arts, which laid a solid foundation in martial arts from childhood.

Du Xinwu, a renowned martial arts master known as the "Great Hero of the North and South" and who served as a bodyguard for pioneers of the democratic revolution such as Sun Yat-sen, Huang Xing, and Song Jiaoren, once instructed Song Hongfei in the authentic internal natural style of martial arts.

At that time, the little boy Song Hongfei was exceptionally talented. At a young age, he was able to learn by analogy and integrate the breathing techniques, meridian circulation, power generation, striking techniques, and footwork methods of various schools and famous masters. His progress was rapid.

Du Xinwu couldn't help but marvel. He first praised it highly, then sighed with regret, thinking to himself, "If my master, Master Xu, were still alive, I don't know how happy he would be with such talent."

Master Du is preoccupied with many affairs and naturally cannot provide constant guidance.

One day, Du Xinwu invited a mysterious old man from somewhere. The old man looked unremarkable, but Du Xinwu treated him with utmost respect and courtesy, saying that the old man was a fellow disciple of Master Xu, the founder of the Natural School, when he was young.

The mysterious old man was secretly amazed when he saw Song Hongfei practicing his martial arts. He couldn't help but beam with joy, but then, like Du Xinwu, he sighed with regret and fell silent. From then on, he taught Song Hongfei martial arts, and the Song family treated the old man with great respect.

The mysterious old man didn't teach any profound martial arts, nor did he require Song Hongfei to undergo a formal apprenticeship ceremony to establish a master-disciple relationship. He simply guided Song Hongfei in practicing basic martial arts techniques such as breathing exercises, meridian circulation, power generation, various basic striking and attacking techniques, as well as footwork and body techniques.

The mysterious old man, without fail, would set up a table, a chair, and a pot of tea every day, offering guidance and occasionally demonstrating in person.

Song Hongfei was at the age of being mischievous and playful. After a while, he found it boring and sometimes couldn't stand it. He would become absent-minded and would often daydream about going out to play, climbing trees to steal birds' nests, or going down to the river to catch fish and shrimp. How interesting that would be!

Whenever he lost focus or failed to execute a movement correctly, the mysterious old man would strike him with a bamboo pole, appearing out of nowhere and striking with unparalleled precision.

Although the blows weren't hard, they still hurt. Song Hongfei grimaced in pain and had no choice but to focus on his practice. His daily horse stance practice was a must, no matter the weather or weather conditions. He couldn't go out to play or rest until he finished his practice.

Every night, the mysterious old man would use various exotic flowers and herbs he had acquired from who-knows-where to boil water and pour it into a large wooden tub for Song Hongfei to bathe in. He would also use a mysterious technique to massage and pound his bones. The old man said that this would not only help strengthen his bones and muscles and improve the circulation of qi and blood, but also help Song Hongfei understand the structure of the human skeleton, muscles, and meridians, and how force is generated, transmitted, and emitted. It was all very mysterious.

Surrounded by steam and filled with a sweet fragrance, Song Hongfei felt his entire body relax and unwind completely while soaking in the tub. He felt incredibly comfortable and relaxed.

In the days that followed, more training was added. Every morning and evening, he would wear a sand vest and sand leg wraps and run for half an hour to warm up. He would run to the riverside woods so that he could breathe in the clear morning air. After running, he would practice plum blossom stakes, hitting sandbags, hitting wooden stakes, and various fist and foot techniques.

The mysterious old man placed a log, as thick as Song Hongfei's thigh and nearly three meters long, on one end of which was on the ground, and held the other end in his hand. He then had Song Hongfei practice various techniques, including tossing, lifting, flicking, striking, hitting, catching, grabbing, and guiding. This practice would help him become familiar with the force of an opponent's movements and how to receive and neutralize their force and techniques in combat. Later, another log was added, and they practiced with both logs together.

"If you master it, once you get a hold of an enemy, you can dislocate their tendons and bones," the mysterious old man said.

Sometimes when Song Hongfei goes for a run in the morning, he can't go empty-handed. He has to hold two jars of wine with both hands outstretched. The jars can't be covered, and not a single drop can be spilled. Otherwise, he has to run back to the wine shop to fill them up and run back.

The old man didn't actually want to drink the wine; he wasn't a big drinker, only occasionally having a couple of small cups. Often, it was Song Hongfei who stole his father's treasured wine to offer to the old man. After bringing the wine back, the old man would mix it with various magical flowers and herbs to make a soup for Song Hongfei to soak in and relax his muscles.

On the ground, blue bricks were arranged in various formations. Song Hongfei had to step on the bricks and move forward according to the formations. Later, he had to lift the bricks with both hands to carry the weight, and more and more bricks were added. He then filled a wine jar with water and practiced his finger strength by gripping the rim of the jar. The bricks under his feet also changed from standing sideways to standing upright, and the difficulty increased dramatically. Song Hongfei had to walk on them as if they were flat ground.

In a corner of the courtyard, several wooden stakes were erected, each topped with a bowl of water. The old man moved nimbly through the dense array of stakes, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, his movements ghostly and agile, eliciting gasps of amazement from Song Hongfei, who clapped his hands until they turned red with excitement. Song Hongfei practiced his movements among the stakes, trying not to knock over the bowls or spill the water.

Day after day, year after year.

Song Hongfei was puzzled. Sometimes, even when he was facing away from the mysterious old man and secretly making faces, he would still be hit by the old man's miraculous move. He couldn't figure out how the old man found out.

Later, the mysterious old man told him: "The skin and flesh are connected to the tendons and bones. When the skin moves, the tendons and bones move first. Every move must start with the tendons and veins, followed by the muscles and bones. All the movements have a traceable path. Once you understand this principle, you can have a clear understanding of the situation and anticipate the enemy's moves."

Song Hongfei suddenly realized.

After that, the mysterious old man switched between bamboo poles, whips, or even sandbags as hidden weapons, attacking without any mercy.

The old man leisurely took a sip of tea and said, "When I no longer have to hit you, or when you can dodge it yourself, that will be about right."

Song Hongfei, however, was unconvinced and said, "Teacher, times have changed. Now we have firearms. Even the best martial arts skills are no match for a single bullet."

"Bah! You frog in a well, spouting nonsense!"

"Ouch!" Song Hongfei took a solid hit from the old man's bamboo cane.

"Chinese martial arts have a long history and are incredibly skillful." The mysterious old man said solemnly, "From five steps away, the spear is fast."

"Within 5 steps, faster than a bullet? Is this old man really that amazing?" Looking at the old man's serious expression, Song Hongfei secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

Meanwhile, the mysterious old man sighed inwardly, "Times have changed. Traditional martial arts can no longer reproduce the style of the past. If it were ancient times, with Hongfei's talent, he would have been a martial arts master who founded a school, or a general who established unparalleled achievements."

Despite his diligent practice and constant vigilance, Song Hongfei still couldn't avoid the mysterious old man's unpredictable moves, even when he was in high school.

It wasn't until his high school graduation year that Song Hongfei was able to directly avoid the mysterious old man's punishment move, which made him extremely happy.

That year, Song Hongfei turned 17.

That year, as arranged by the Song family, Song Hongfei first served as a cadet at the Nanjing Central Military Academy for half a year, and then was selected by the Nationalist government to study in Europe and America, going to the famous West Point Military Academy in the United States.

One day that year, a mysterious old man left a letter for the Song family and then mysteriously disappeared.

The letter read: "Hongfei, nearly ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, as if it were yesterday. Over these years, I, this old man, have been fortunate enough to be taken in by the Song family and to be able to pass on to you the rudimentary martial arts I have learned throughout my life. Hongfei's talent, diligence, and solid and exquisite skills have truly surprised and delighted me. I originally intended to stay with Hongfei until he turned eighteen before we could master the skills, but Hongfei's progress has exceeded my expectations, and I suppose that is no longer necessary."

I was delighted to learn that Hongfei will be attending West Point Military Academy in the United States to study modern military science. My teacher once taught me the art of judging character, and I observe that with Hongfei's talent, he will undoubtedly master modern skills and one day become a pillar of the nation, achieving unparalleled feats! Although we are not formally teacher and student, I hope you will not forget what I taught you: the fundamental principle of martial arts is to defend the country and protect oneself; the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people! I hope Hongfei will remember this well, so that our acquaintance will not have been in vain. I also hope Hongfei will continue to work diligently and tirelessly, remaining humble in victory and undeterred in defeat. I wish Hongfei a speedy return after completing his studies!

Finally, there is one more thing. If you are in a foreign land, far across the ocean, and still have questions about your skills, or if you have other requests, you can go directly to the Hongmen On Leong Tong in New York, America. Several former members of the Hongmen and the head of the hall, Mr. Situ Meitang, are also my old friends.

I know that Hongfei and the entire Song family are people of great loyalty and affection. To avoid adding to the sadness of parting, this old man will take his leave now, and not worry about me.”

Song Hongfei and his family were moved to tears as they looked at the letter, but the mysterious old man had vanished without a trace.

Upon hearing the news, Du Xinwu rushed over and couldn't help but shed tears. He said, "Although the old gentleman and I are not from the same sect, he is still my senior uncle. He has always been elusive, and I only managed to find him with great difficulty by chance. I never expected that he would also suddenly leave like my master, Master Xu. The old gentleman is not concerned with trivial matters and worldly etiquette. After this parting, I don't know when I will see him again."

It wasn't until a year later, when Song Hongfei specifically sought out Situ Meitang, a bigwig in the Hongmen, in the United States, to inquire about this mysterious old man, that Song Hongfei finally spoke. Situ Meitang was taken aback at first, then said, "This old fellow, he's always been elusive, never showing his face or his tracks. After all these years, he hasn't forgotten us old buddies after all..."

Situ Meitang, a leader of the Hongmen, recounted their passionate youth, leaving everyone in the Hongmen deeply moved.

Song Hongfei recalled the question that had been lingering in his mind and asked, "Master Situ, I've always wanted to ask a question: how fast can a spear move from five steps away? Is your martial arts really that powerful?"

Situ Meitang laughed heartily and said, "This old fellow is still the same. There's actually one more thing he didn't say: within 5 steps, his gun is both accurate and fast."

Song Hongfei was both amused and exasperated, but tears had already blurred his vision.