140: Chapter 137 Martial Artists and Gangs

Zhang Youdao stroked his beard and chuckled upon hearing this, his expression indifferent. "The kid is alright, just a bit more diligent than the average person."

"Fist without fist, intent without intent; the true intent lies within the unintentional. This young man has reached the stage of 'intent without intent,' and you call that just 'alright'?"

The old man looked at Old Man Zhang with an expression that clearly said, 'You are talking complete nonsense.'

He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Old Zhang, we've known each other for so many years, yet you're still playing these games with me. Tell me, did you raise this young man from childhood? His inner light is restrained, and his essence, Qi, and spirit are exceptionally full. I'm afraid even a veteran master who has practiced Internal Martial Arts for decades couldn't compare to him!"

Zhang Youdao didn't say anything, instead smiling and changing the subject. "Changsheng, come here, let me introduce you. This is the founder of this Zhirou Martial Arts Club, Old Master Yang Pu. He is one of the few remaining Taiji Great Masters today, and one of the heroes who helped our Chinese people establish a Foundation here in the early days!"

"Old Zhang, you flatter me. I'm no hero, and I can't be considered a Great Master—I just know a few tricks of the trade. I'm younger than you, yet I'm already with one foot in the grave, while you old rascal are still lively as ever."

Hearing this, Old Master Yang immediately became annoyed. This Old Zhang really was something else; he had specifically gone over to show off when he was a newlywed a while ago, and now he was bringing his Disciple here to flaunt.

"Old Yang, this is the Changsheng I mentioned, Li Changsheng. However, he is not my Disciple. If I had a Disciple like him, I'd probably wake up laughing in my dreams."

Zhang Youdao didn't take credit; he knew exactly how much he had taught Li Changsheng.

If they were truly master and Disciple, then according to the old rules, there would be so much to teach—it wouldn't just be a matter of giving a few pointers.

Li Changsheng hurriedly bowed to Old Master Yang. Both old men were very enthusiastic, pulling him over to sit with them and chat.

According to the old rules, Li Changsheng, as a Junior, shouldn't be sitting and chatting with his elders, but times were different now. Plus, since Li Changsheng wasn't a Disciple of either of them, it didn't matter.

After some conversation, Li Changsheng learned quite a bit about Old Master Yang.

Old Master Yang was originally from Guangdong Province. He was invited here by overseas Chinese in 1939 and later opened the first Taiji class in Chinatown, which eventually became the Zhirou Martial Arts Club.

At that time, it was mainly to teach the families of workers from Chinese trading companies here in the US to practice traditional martial arts for health and fitness, and the target group was limited to Chinese people.

As martial arts schools blossomed all over Chinatown and more schools of various styles gathered there, everyone gradually united to form a Chinese Alliance.

They established many rules to restrain the Chinese people in Chinatown, and on the other hand, to prevent the immigration bureau from intentionally looking for trouble.

Furthermore, they established an iron rule: it was forbidden to teach martial arts to foreigners!

This iron rule has continued to this day; although it has loosened somewhat, very few foreigners can learn martial arts here.

People like Martin are the type who can only learn after passing a test. Moreover, some heavy-handed techniques or killing moves aren't taught to them; they are mostly taught some standard routines.

Through their conversation, Li Changsheng realized that the older generation of martial artists had truly sacrificed a lot in this foreign land.

Back then, the country was weak, and there was little support from behind, so in the grand scheme of things, one could not defy these foreigners.

For example, the US immigration bureau, which was constantly watching the Chinese people, was a detestable department.

Actually, the immigration bureau was easier to deal with; as long as one disciplined their own countrymen, it could be managed.

The trouble was that Gangs were rampant at that time, and there were many immigrants from various countries. These people would form various Gang organizations based on their regions.

For instance, there were many large and small forces from Southeast Asia united together, or the Mexican Mafia formed by Mexicans, or the Black guerrilla Family formed by our Black brothers.

The Kenyan Mafia, the Texas Syndicate, the Crips, the Bloods, and even Gangs formed by prison inmates—the Mexican Mafia, for instance, started as a prison Gang.

In the beginning, there were Chinese Gangs there too, but having just arrived, they didn't have much of a Foundation. However, after figuring out the rules of the game here, they quickly established a reputation.

This Old Master Yang had also helped train enforcers for some halls in his early days. Being able to occupy such a significant piece of territory here shows that his status was such that he definitely had a say in things.

Li Changsheng could even occasionally hear the two old men mention terms like Hongmen or the Hop Sing Tong—these types of organizations.

Li Changsheng knew a bit about Hongmen; after all, it was too famous. During the late Qing Dynasty, it was known, along with the Qing Gang and the Gelaohui (Paoge), as one of the three major non-governmental forces.

The origins of Hongmen can be traced back to the late Ming and early Qing dynasties; it has a long history and is a very patriotic organization.

During the late Qing period, it contributed significantly to the War of Resistance, providing a large amount of overseas medicine to the army on the Shanghai battlefield, and many members of the Gang also participated in the fighting.

Later, moving to Hong Kong and even overseas, it helped overseas compatriots establish a firm Foundation. Even now, the words 'Hongmen' are like a massive boulder pressing down on countless foreign Gangs, holding a pivotal position.

While it may not be comparable to those hidden, powerful Families and big conglomerates, it definitely has a certain level of influence.

After some casual chatting, Li Changsheng gradually understood that the old man just comes here every day to drink tea and chat.

As for the 'Grandmaster' title Martin used, it wasn't wrong, because Old Master Yang's Disciple, who is Martin's master, does indeed have to call the old man 'Master.'

It's just that the old man never really cared much about it. After all, there was no formal apprenticeship; it could only be considered as having provided some guidance for a period, similar to Li Changsheng's situation.

After chatting for a while, Old Master Yang walked out of the private room, supported by a young man.

He said with a chuckle, "Old Zhang, you and Little Li continue chatting. My old bones can't take it anymore; I need to go rest."

"You, you're supposed to be practicing Taiji, how did you manage to wreck your body like this?" Zhang Youdao shook his head.

"Heh, back in my younger days, I was hot-blooded and couldn't stand seeing my compatriots being humiliated, so I was a bit impulsive. Sigh, never mind, you guys go ahead and talk."

Old Master Yang waved his hand and walked out shakily, supported by the young man.

Seeing them leave, Zhang Youdao finally took a serious look at Li Changsheng, and his expression suddenly darkened.

"Speak, what on earth happened? You kid never visit without a reason, let alone coming all this way—it can't be just to see an old man like me, right? Did you get into trouble back home?"

At his age, the old man was truly a shrewd person. As soon as he heard Li Changsheng was coming to the US to see him, he understood that he must have caused some trouble and was here to seek refuge.

"Old man, I…"