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

A light drizzle was falling, and the sky was overcast.

The June rain, carrying the sultry humidity and offering no coolness, splashes fine water droplets on the ground, its pitter-patter sound making one's heart feel heavy.

The dark clouds pressed the sky low, and although it was not yet dusk, the world was already shrouded in gloom. Even the lanterns on the street emitted a dim, gray light, unable to illuminate the road ahead.

Chen Zhan sat on a stone bench in the backyard of the Black and White Pawnshop, with only a broken tile covering his head. Rainwater flowed down the eaves and accumulated in a small puddle at his feet.

He lightly tapped the stone surface with his fingertips, his gaze falling on the rain, and a sudden, inexplicable restlessness and unease welled up in his heart.

There were no warning signs, just pure intuition, an instinctive warning of danger after mastering the Dan Jin (internal energy).

Not right.

Something must have gone wrong.

With his eyes closed, he went over the entire plan to rob the machine bureau tonight in his mind, scrutinizing every detail from personnel deployment and route planning to rendezvous points and evacuation routes.

The plan wasn't perfect; after all, it involved a hundred people and too many other things, so it was impossible to be absolutely meticulous.

There are no secrets in the world. If he acts alone, his whereabouts are hard to find, and there is absolutely no risk of being exposed.

However, this time it involves four parties and hundreds of people working together. With so many people and so many eyes watching, even if every step is taken with utmost care, it is still difficult to avoid the risk of leaks.

Many people knew about the operation, but only five people—Lu Jun, Qin Ming, Zhang Laojiao, Wu Qingshan, and Cheng Shaojiu—truly grasped the overall plan.

These men were all sworn brothers, some burdened with deep-seated hatred, others wholeheartedly opposed to foreigners and the Qing government; they would never betray each other.

The men under their command were all selected through multiple screenings, so there shouldn't be any problems.

This feeling of unease grew stronger and stronger.

Chen Zhan suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and his inner energy surged slightly, suppressing the restlessness in his heart.

Without further hesitation, he got up and walked out, his steps steady yet carrying an urgent urgency that left no room for delay.

Qin Ming was tidying up the remaining valuables in the pawnshop in the front hall, packing up the money and dry food for tonight's operation.

Seeing Chen Zhan walk out quickly, he hurriedly got up to greet him, wiping the dust off his hands: "Sir, there's still more than an hour before dark. Isn't it too early to set off now? The brothers haven't met up yet."

"I'm feeling uneasy, so I'll go out and investigate."

After Chen Zhan finished speaking, he reached for the oil-paper umbrella in the corner, opened it, and stepped out of the pawnshop.

The black market, which was already hidden on ordinary days, became even more eerily deserted during this rainy season. There wasn't a single person in the alley; the only sounds were the rain hitting the earthen walls and stone slabs. It was so quiet that you could hear your own footsteps.

Holding an umbrella, Chen Zhan slowly walked out of the black market and stepped into the area where the old city and the shantytown meet.

The bluestone path underfoot became less and less, gradually turning into an uneven, muddy pebble path. Rainwater dripped onto the pebbles, gathering into tiny streams that carried mud down, making the path slippery and sticky underfoot.

There were a few pedestrians on the road, all with their heads down, hurrying along, their raincoats wrapped tightly around their bodies, unwilling to stay in the rain for even a moment longer.

Chen Zhan walked along the gravel road deeper into the shantytown, intending to first visit Wu Qingshan's wonton shop.

The members of the Incense Society were all gathered there; they were the main force in this operation. He needed to confirm the situation there.

However, the deeper he went into the shantytown, the more his brows furrowed, and the more intense his unease became.

The shantytown has always been crowded and noisy. Even when it rains, residents will take shelter under the eaves in the alleys. The sounds of children playing and women chatting are constant, creating a lively atmosphere.

Today, the entire alley was eerily quiet. Every household had their doors and windows tightly shut, and very few people came out in the empty alley.

This is very unusual.

Chen Zhan quickened his pace, no longer walking slowly. His figure swept through the rain, creating a gentle breeze that dispersed the raindrops.

In a short while, he passed through two narrow alleys and arrived at the entrance of Wu Qingshan's wonton shop.

The wonton shop, which is usually open all day, is now closed.

Without hesitation, Chen Zhan raised his hand and pushed the door, but the wooden door did not budge, clearly indicating that it was bolted from the inside.

He exerted a slight force in his palm, the power emanating from his hand, and pushed out forcefully.

With a crisp "crack," the thick wooden bolt snapped, and the wooden door was easily pushed open.

Chen Zhan stepped into the house in a few quick steps, without making a sound. His eyes quickly scanned the shop. The wonton stall, tables and chairs were all neatly arranged, without any abnormalities.

Hearing the commotion, Zhu Changzai quickly came out from the inner room. He was Wu Qingshan's capable subordinate and had met Chen Zhan with Wu Qingshan before.

Upon seeing Chen Zhan, he quickly stepped forward, his tone tinged with surprise: "Mr. Chen, what brings you here? The brothers are all preparing in the inner room. There are still several hours before the operation tonight, and we're supposed to set off after dark."

"Come and take a look."

Chen Zhan spoke in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping towards the inner room, where he could faintly hear the sounds of weapons clashing and equipment being organized.

Hearing the conversation outside, Wu Qingshan quickly came out of the inner room. When he saw Chen Zhan, his face was full of surprise. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Oh, Mr. Chen, didn't you say we would meet outside the city tonight? Why are you here at this hour?"

Chen Zhan nodded slightly and got straight to the point: "How are your preparations going for this inspection of potential hazards? Are there any unusual circumstances?"

"Everything is fine. The brothers are all itching to get started and are just waiting to make their move tonight."

Wu Qingshan patted his chest to assure them, then paused before adding, "Two of my brothers had a bit of an accident. They slipped and fell this morning and broke their legs. They can't walk and won't be able to join the operation tonight."

"They fell and got hurt? Which two people?" Chen Zhan frowned, and alarm bells rang in his mind instantly.

At this critical juncture, it's too much of a coincidence that someone has to fall and get injured.

"These are all young men who have only recently joined the incense society. You probably don't know them, sir."

Wu Qingshan didn't pay much attention and casually replied that, in his opinion, it was just a common accident.

Before Chen Zhan could ask any further questions, Erzhu poked his head out. He was one of the four people who had been surrounded by patrol officers while scattering silver coins with Wu Qingshan and had been rescued by Chen Zhan. He had a very deep impression of Chen Zhan.

He quickly explained, "Mr. Chen, you should have met him. It was that night when the four of us were scattering silver dollars at the street corner and were surrounded by patrol officers. You were the one who saved us. He Ming and Qingzi were the ones who were injured."

Upon hearing these words, Chen Zhan felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind. In an instant, he understood all the key points, and all the doubts were connected, revealing the truth of the mystery.

It's Li Bo and Wang Shun!

There must be something wrong with these two police officers.

When the silver dollars were surrounded by patrol officers, Li Bo and Wang Shun were at the scene and clearly saw Erzhu, He Ming, and Qingzi.

Later, the two became double agents, infiltrating the police station. Once they were controlled and interrogated by the foreigners, they would inevitably reveal the identities of He Ming and Qingzi.

The so-called fall injury was all a lie.

The two men had most likely been arrested and controlled by the foreign police. The claim that they were injured was just to appease Wu Qingshan and prevent him from becoming suspicious.

Following this lead, Li Bo and Wang Shun discovered that they knew far more than just this.

Knowing Wu Qingshan's plans, the foreigners followed the clues and their plan to rob the Machinery Bureau tonight has been completely exposed.

The foreigners did not immediately send anyone to arrest him, and even allowed Wu Qingshan to gather manpower and prepare equipment, for one purpose only.

fishing.

They planned to wait until everyone involved in the operation was gathered, then wipe them all out, eradicate any resistance forces within Tianjin. Oh no!

Chen Zhan's expression instantly turned serious, his aura deepened, his internal energy circulated rapidly within him, and his eyes sharpened like knives.

He turned to look at Wu Qingshan, his tone urgent and imposing: "How much do these two people know about the details of the operation?"

Seeing Chen Zhan's expression, Wu Qingshan's heart sank. Realizing that something had changed, the ease on his face vanished instantly, and he quickly replied in a serious tone, "They both participated in several preparatory meetings with me. They know everything about tonight's operation: the time, the location, and the objective."

"What's wrong, Mr. Chen? What happened?" Wu Qingshan pressed.

Chen Zhan's mind raced, every second crucial; any delay would mean certain death in the crossfire.

He didn't have time to explain, speaking very quickly: "The plan has been exposed. The night's operation is to be abandoned immediately. Everyone must break up into smaller groups, leave the city immediately, and hide in the countryside as far away as possible."

"What?"

Wu Qingshan was completely stunned, his face filled with disbelief. "How could we have been exposed so suddenly? We did it so discreetly, how could this have happened..."

"If we don't give up, everyone will die."

Chen Zhan interrupted him, his tone icy, "No time to say more. Arrange for the brothers to leave immediately, through the tunnel, not through the main gate."

He knew that Wu Qingshan had dug a tunnel in his own home.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zhan didn't linger and turned to walk out.

With Wu Qingshan's side exposed, Lu Jun, Zhang Laojiao, and Cheng Shaojiu's side are definitely not safe either. Since the foreigners were able to find this place, they will surely be able to follow the clues to find the other three parties' strongholds.

The foreigners weren't fools. He went to the concession to change his bones, but Wang Shun, Li Bo, and Wu Qingshan's men had all seen his true face.

His identity has been exposed.

He had stayed at Zhang Laojiao's Four Gates Inn for a long time. The old stories of killing Tie Zui Ma Liu and Yin Mian Liu would be connected, and all the related people were on the foreigners' list of people to be eliminated.

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

If they hesitated even slightly at this moment, all of these hundreds of brothers would be buried with them.

Chen Zhan was confident that he could break through the encirclement alone, but these men who followed him had no chance of survival once they were surrounded.

He can't abandon these people.

As Chen Zhan pushed open the door and stepped into the rainy alley, a strong sense of being spied on instantly overwhelmed him, as if he were being stared at by several venomous snakes. Cold gazes shot from all directions, hidden behind low houses, at the alley entrance, and under the eaves, densely packed, clearly having already laid an ambush.

He originally intended to inform Lu Jun, Zhang Laojiao, and others first, but as soon as he took a step out, he suddenly turned back.

If he leaves like this, the foreigners' ambush men will immediately attack Wu Qingshan's brothers. These men will not have time to retreat and will inevitably suffer heavy casualties.

Chen Zhan's gaze froze. He looked up at the back of the low house on his left, where three figures were hiding, meeting his eyes.

Seeing that their whereabouts had been exposed, the three men stopped hiding and slowly walked out from behind the low house, standing in the rain and forming a triangle to block Chen Zhan.

The leading man clasped his hands in a fist salute, a sinister smile on his face, and said arrogantly, "Mr. Chen, now that you're here, you're not leaving today. Our Lord Tai Sui instructed that if you show up, you must be kept here."

Chen Zhan glanced at them and saw that all three were dressed in black and gray outfits, with a clear "Cao" character embroidered on the hem.

His tight-fitting clothes and bulging muscles clearly showed that he was a master of external martial arts, with many lives on his hands.

Cao Tai Sui.

The biggest local tyrant in Tianjin, controlling the canal transport.

"You're tired of living."

Chen Zhan spoke calmly, his tone laced with a chilling killing intent, "I didn't settle accounts with him, yet he dared to cooperate with foreigners. He's courting death. The three of you, go down first. I will personally escort the Grand Duke to see you in the next few days."

"Heh, quite the boast."

The leader scoffed, his face full of disdain. "You really think you're Yang Luchan? Even if Yang Luchan came to the capital, he'd have to give the local bullies some face. The three of us brothers will join forces."

Chen Zhan was too lazy to waste any more words with the three of them. He narrowed his eyes and opened his senses completely, sensing that there were no less than ten auras hidden in the alley and behind the eaves. They were all people arranged by the Canal Gang and the foreigners.

With a single step, mud and water splashed from the ground, and his body accelerated suddenly, covering the hundred-meter distance in an instant.

In just a few steps, he was in front of the three people, so fast that he left only a blur.

With a focused mind, the energy throughout the body became perfectly integrated, without the slightest flaw.

Chen Zhan suddenly stopped, no more than ten feet away from the three of them, and unleashed his Tiger-Style Chopping Force instantly.

This is his most proficient skill. Tiger-style boxing is inherently fierce and domineering, and its chopping force is even more incomparably sharp. Combined with the enhancement of internal energy, its power is enough to split mountains and shatter rocks.

He lowered his body slightly, and his right arm, like a tiger descending a mountain, brought a whistling wind as he slashed at the arms of the leading man. The force was so strong that even the surrounding rainwater was shaken and splashed in all directions.

The three brothers of the canal gang, who had worked together for many years, immediately joined forces to deal with the situation upon seeing it.

The leader raised his arms overhead, channeling all his strength to try and withstand the force of the chopping blow, intending to block the attack and create an opportunity for his two brothers behind him to launch a sneak attack.

The two men behind him dodged to the side, circling around Chen Zhan from both sides, unleashing punches and palm strikes aimed at Chen Zhan's waist and ribs, intending to strike a decisive blow.

However, they underestimated the power of a Dan Jin master, and even more so the domineering nature of Chen Zhan's angry attack.

The tiger-shaped chopping force descended without a deafening roar, only a dull thud of colliding energy.

The moment the leading man's arms touched Chen Zhan's palm, he felt an irresistible force strike him, and a piercing pain shot through his arms.

"Click-click-click!"

With several sharp cracking sounds, the leader's arms snapped instantly, bone fragments piercing his muscles, and blood gushed out.

He was thrown backward like a rag doll by the force of the blow, crashing heavily into the low wall behind him. The wall collapsed, and his fate was unknown.

Upon seeing this, the two men who had attacked from both sides changed their expressions drastically and quickly withdrew their attacks. They tried to help their elder brother, but in their haste, they took three steps back.

Chen Zhan gave them no chance to react. After landing a successful attack, he swept through the rain, his figure drawing a sharp arc through the fine raindrops.

Before the two could even regain their footing, he struck them both squarely on the chest with both palms.

"Boom!"

Two muffled thuds were followed by screams. The two men were struck as if by a heavy hammer. Their chests caved in instantly, and they flew backward, crashing into the mud. They twitched a few times and then went still.

After dealing with the three, Chen Zhan disappeared into the rain without stopping.

He moved swiftly through the alleys, his senses locking onto the stalkers in the shadows. Wherever he went, he defeated them with a single move. His fists and palms fell, accompanied by the sound of bones cracking and short screams of agony, without any hesitation.

The ambushers in the shadows had no time to react, not even a chance to fire. In a short while, all the ambushers in the alley were wiped out, leaving only groans and bloodstains soaked in mud.

Inside the wonton shop, Wu Qingshan heard the screams and cracking sounds coming from outside. Knowing that Chen Zhan was clearing the way, he didn't dare to delay and immediately urged the remaining brothers: "Hurry! Don't stand still, go through the back tunnel, evacuate in batches, don't leave anything behind, and meet up at the old place in the countryside after you get out of the city!"

Fortunately, Wu Qingshan had made preparations in advance, having sent all his brothers' families to the countryside to settle down.

The brothers who stayed at the wonton shop were all single men with no ties, so their departure was extremely swift.

The crowd grabbed their weapons and rations, ran to the backyard, crawled into the pre-dug tunnels, and quickly retreated out of the city. (End of Chapter)