Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 183 Ma Fengtu, the Sword God of Cangzhou
The following day, Chen Zhan left.

When Ye Ningzhen and her group arrived at Shuncheng Bagua Martial Arts Hall, they immediately felt the oppressive atmosphere upon entering.

The core disciples of the sect all went to the Golden Pavilion the day before yesterday.

Corpses everywhere.

These disciples, who had never killed anyone before and had only ever seen blood, vomited for a quarter of an hour after seeing those corpses.

After the body was collected, it was handed over to the police station patrol officers, who checked it before releasing it.

After returning to the martial arts school, Zhao Hongbao shut himself in and remained silent no matter what his disciples said.

Until Ye Ningzhen arrived.

The two had a private conversation inside the house, and no one knows what they said.

When he came out again, Zhao Hongbao not only looked much more relaxed than before, but he also had no more worries.

Once Ye Ningzhen takes over the Bagua Hall, he can go south and escape the troublesome place of Beiping. No matter how his senior brother punishes him, it will be better than suffering here.

Moreover, with the Bagua Pavilion handed over to Ye Ningzhen and Chen Zhan's assistance, it might be able to go even further.

Zhao Hongbao had no attachment to the capital. When Cheng Tinghua died, he had just started his training and was still a teenager. He was taken back to Foshan by Li Guangpu and grew up there.

My feelings for Foshan are much deeper than for Beijing.

Senior brother Li Guangpu treated him with the utmost respect, so unsurprisingly, he voluntarily resigned and went south to be punished.

His announcement inside the martial arts school caused a great uproar.

Over the past ten years, Zhao Hongbao has had both merits and demerits, but he has always been very caring towards his disciples. Because his disciples were unable to stand on their own, he personally took charge of everything.

When his disciple was bullied, he personally went to the door to demand an explanation.

He personally instructed his disciples who were not skilled in martial arts.

Therefore, he was highly respected by the disciples in the sect.

"Master, why are you stepping down? In the past ten years, where have we not done well enough in the capital? On what grounds does our sect leader have to remove you from your position as head of the sect?"

"Yes, Master, we have been diligent and conscientious. We may not have made any great contributions, but we have also made no mistakes."

"Among the thirteen martial arts schools, we can rank in the upper-middle range. Many disciples in the police station have benefited from our Bagua School's kindness. We're in a great position now."

The excellent situation they were talking about was precisely because Chen Zhan had uprooted the Chaquan Martial Arts School, the Heaven and Earth Society, and the Yellow Lotus Sect, resulting in a lot of vacant territory.

"Shut up!"

“I, Zhao Hongbao, have made a grave mistake by handing over my share of the Golden Pavilion to the Yellow Lotus Sect. Afterwards, they ran an opium business without reporting it in time. It’s no exaggeration to say that I deserve to die. Stepping down as the head of the pavilion is just the first step.”

"You don't need to worry about me. This is all my own fault. The world is vast, and whether we will meet again in the future depends on fate."

Zhao Hongbao recounted what he had done, and his disciples dared not speak, they could only listen.

Ye Ningzhen said calmly, "Those of you who are willing to go south can go with Uncle Hongbao. You will have a place in Foshan."

The Beijing Bagua Museum is to be abandoned.

In fact, Ye Ningzhen and Chen Zhan had already planned it out.

The gossip shop was abandoned, leaving only a few reliable people. They went underground, opened a clinic, and turned it into an underground liaison station.

Similar to the current situations in Tianjin and Fengtian.

We must no longer have any connection with the Bagua Hall to the outside world.

Because once the Japanese start fighting, they will inevitably ruthlessly target the martial arts factions associated with Chen Zhan.

Therefore, heading south at this time is not a bad idea.

Everyone hesitated, Ye Ningzhen wasn't in a hurry, and Zhao Hongbao didn't need to leave today.

They gave me three days to consider it.

Just as we had agreed that everyone should leave, a disciple came to announce our departure.

"Master, Ma Fengtu has brought people to our door."

"Ma Fengtu? He's back in Beijing?" Zhao Hongbao exclaimed in surprise.

"It must be for the Taiping Society. That day at Guangqumen, several disciples of the Pigua Sect were injured. Ma Fengtu is the Grand Master of the Tongbei Pigua Sect, so it must be because of this."

Ye Ningzhen said that she had also heard of Ma Fengtu's reputation, and that he was no ordinary person.

Although there are many masters in the capital, none can compare to him. The reason why Wang Xiangzhai and Li Chunran are called the "Twin Jewels of the Capital" is because Ma Fengtu does not reside in the capital permanently.

Otherwise, I don't know if there are any "Twin Jewels," but "Knife God" would definitely be ranked first.

This person's life story is truly legendary.

Ma Fengtu is not old, but he became famous very early.

Twenty years later, Li Cunyi and others established the Chinese Martial Arts Association, and he was elected as the vice president and chief instructor.

He was not yet thirty years old at the time.

He once competed against a Japanese kendo instructor who taught at a school in Tianjin as a representative of the samurai association. He won three consecutive matches against the sword without weapons.

Later, he was persecuted for participating in activities against the restoration of the imperial system and went to Northeast China, where he worked as a primary and secondary school teacher.

If that's the case, then so be it.

In the following years, he joined the Northwest Army, where he held several positions, most notably the director of the bayonet tactics teaching and research office.

Chief editor of "A Tutorial on Close-quarters Combat Tactics".

During this period, together with his younger brother Ma Yingtu, he created the "Wind Grinding Stick," which combines a spear with a staff, the "Wind-Breaking Eight Knives," which was widely used by the Northwest Army for training and actual combat, and the third route of the Pi Gua Quan, Flying Tiger Fist.

These martial arts skills all played a significant role in future battles against enemies.

In the Battle of Xifengkou, the Northwest Army's Big Sword Team, each soldier wielding a large sword, went on a rampage with their "Eight Wind-Breaking Swords"!

It is said that he killed more than 5,000 Japanese soldiers, striking fear into the hearts of the Japanese and being called "a nightmare of bayonet fighting" by newspapers at the time!

Ma Fengtu, single-handedly wielding a sword, killed over three hundred Japanese soldiers in one battle. He was hailed as the "Sword God of Cangzhou!"

But that happened later. Chen Zhan knew this, but the others did not. So when those Taiping Society members said they were Ma Fengtu's disciples, he didn't say anything and let them go.

Ma Fengtu was unwavering in his resistance against the Japanese, which Chen Zhan greatly admired.

At this time, he should still be holding a position in the Northwest Army.

Over the years, the Northwest Army fought in numerous battles, and the details are too complicated to recount.

After establishing the National Martial Arts Academy in Zhangye County last year, he participated in the preparation and establishment of the GS Provincial National Martial Arts Academy, serving as its deputy director.

Unexpectedly, I suddenly returned to the capital.

Ye Ningzhen, Zhao Hongbao, and Li Qingsu went out together.

Ma Fengtu has broad eyes, a square face, a short beard, is in his fifties, has a wasp waist and a broad back, long arms and large ears.

Anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that he is a top-tier master of the Tongbi Pigua (a type of Chinese martial arts).

With a physique like that, it would be a shame if she didn't train for a full-body brace.

When Zhao Hongbao and his group came out, Ma Fengtu was followed by a disciple, one of whom was Chen Ran, whose leg had been broken by Chen Zhan.

“She was the only one there at the time.” Chen Ran’s leg was still bandaged as he pointed at Ruan Zhi.

Ma Fengtu didn't recognize these people, but he did recognize Zhao Hongbao. He stepped forward and said, "Master Zhao, I just returned to Beiping. My disciples have been crippled. I've come to demand an explanation."

Zhao Hongbao had heard Ruan Zhi mention it, but by this time he was already disheartened. Ye Ningzhen stepped forward and shielded Ruan Zhi behind her.
“Master Ma, I’ve heard so much about you. My name is Ye Ningzhen, and I’m a disciple of Li Guangpu.”

"Oh? So you're Brother Guangpu's disciple. In that case, we're not strangers. Let's be frank: who among you injured my disciple?"

Ma Fengtu was too imposing. Having held a high position for many years, and possessing both high martial arts skills and seniority, he spoke very directly.

Although he was an old acquaintance of Li Guangpu, he didn't give him any face.

"The person who caused the injury isn't here. If you want to find him, you'll have to make a trip to Wang's Xingyi Hall." Ye Ningzhen wasn't intimidated by him. It's good to have a powerful backer. In the past, even if Li Guangpu were here, she wouldn't have had this confidence.

But with Chen Zhan around, things were different.

There's nothing shameful about a woman relying on a man, and besides, Little Fox is Chen Zhan's apprentice. Even if Ruan Zhi doesn't intervene, Little Fox will still suffer.

A strange look flashed across Ma Fengtu's square face. No one in the capital's martial arts world didn't know him, and Ye Ningzhen's self-introduction showed that they were even more familiar with each other.

He and Li Guangpu didn't have much of a relationship; they had worked together twenty years ago and were old acquaintances.

But since Ye Ningzhen knows him, her presence and confidence suggest she's fearless.

"Hey, that's great. It's been a long time since I've seen Wang Zhenghe. Let's meet up and see who he is that dares to make a move after hearing my name."

Ma Fengtu would naturally not make a move against Ye Ningzhen; it would be beneath him to attack a junior.

Several disciples behind him were indignant. Chen Ran, being helped along, said, "If it weren't for Master's great reputation and Xiao Yun's quick thinking, we wouldn't have made it back. That kid was too fierce."

Chen Ran and the tall, thin boy from before were both there, but the members of the Taiping Society were not.

The Taiping Society is not affiliated with the Tongbi Pigua Sect; it is merely an affiliated organization. Ma Fengtu was too lazy to manage it and left it to a few older disciples.

He was a big shot in the Northwest Army, so he wouldn't look down on these gangs.

Ye Ningzhen led the way, with Ruan Zhi and Li Qingsu in front.

Zhao Hongbao didn't go; he was disheartened. He just wanted to head south as soon as possible, as staying in the capital was torture.

The group didn't walk. It was more than ten miles from Dongsi to Xisi North Second Alley. Walking was too slow, and one of them had difficulty walking.

As soon as I left the alley, I hailed a rickshaw driver.

They're all well-off.

Head straight to Xisi, to the Wang Family Xingyi Quan School.

Chen Zhan arrived early in the morning.

Wang Xiangzhai was Guo Yunshen's most accomplished disciple, but he joined the sect late, much like Zhao Hongbao. Guo Yunshen passed away not long after Wang Xiangzhai became a disciple.

He later learned boxing from his fellow disciples Sun Lutang and Li Cunyi. Although he was young, he achieved great success. He joined the army in his twenties and became famous in the capital for his outstanding martial arts skills at the age of 28.

He reached the level of "Hua Jin" in his thirties and was as famous as Li Chunran of Wu-style Tai Chi. Both of them were top masters and were recognized as masters who had the potential to become grandmasters.

He's only in his forties or fifties now, and he's already established his own school of thought.

He was different from Zhao Hongbao, who named his martial arts school Shuncheng Bagua Hall and dared not use the name Zhao Shi or Zhao Jia.

Even if he doesn't establish his own sect, he still has senior brothers above him who are in charge.

Wang Xiangzhai was the founder of the Wang Family Xingyi Studio.

This signifies that it has become an independent sect or faction.

However, his achievements were even greater, extending to later generations, where he compiled books, organized martial arts competitions, and made significant contributions to traditional Chinese medicine.

He lived into the 1960s.

The door was ajar, and Chen Zhan pushed it open and went in. The Wang Family Xingyi Hall was rather deserted, which shouldn't be the case. Wang Xiangzhai was one of the two most sought-after masters in the capital, and people flocked to him to become his disciples.

However, he has been extremely busy with the "Little Red Coat" incident recently, and even Wang Xiangzhai himself has been unable to catch him.

The martial arts school was also temporarily closed. One of the students had been raped and murdered, and the murderer could not be caught. Wang Xiangzhai was too ashamed to continue opening the school.

Several disciples were practicing their boxing and exchanging blows when they saw Chen Zhan enter, noticing he was a stranger.

They came over to inquire.

Chen Zhan told the truth.

As soon as Chen Zhan spoke, someone went in to report, while another person led him to the reception room.

The Wang Family Xingyi Hall is larger, with a spacious front yard and training ground that are also clean and tidy.

There was a sense of discouragement and dejection about him.

(End of this chapter)