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

The latch on the side gate was broken, so he found a wooden stick in the yard to prop it up and made do with it.

Back in my room, I lay down again.

Just before dawn, the third wave arrived.

The people who came this time were different.

There was only one person.

A man entered through the main entrance of the inn. Although the main entrance was bolted, it was useless to a martial arts expert. He flipped over the door with extremely smooth movements, his toes touching the top edge of the door before he landed silently.

This person's movement skills are several levels better than the previous two groups.

His breathing was long and slow, his footsteps landed silently, and his movements in the courtyard were clean and efficient, without any unnecessary pauses or hesitations, heading straight for the second floor.

A master of internal strength.

Moreover, it's not the early stage of internal strength; it's at least the foundation of the middle to late stage of internal strength.

Chen Zhan didn't wait in the room. Instead, he climbed out of the window and landed on the roof of the courtyard, looking down at the figure walking towards the stairs.

The newcomer was dressed in dark gray night clothes, with a slender figure and efficient movements. He was unarmed and walked unarmed.

He had just stepped onto the first step of the stairs when he suddenly lost his footing.

It wasn't that he actually missed a step; a master of internal strength wouldn't make such a mistake. It was that someone fell from above the moment he stepped onto the step and stepped on the instep of the foot he was using.

The force wasn't heavy, but the precision was terrifying. It landed precisely on the knuckles of the instep, causing the person's center of gravity to collapse instantly, and they fell forward.

He reacted extremely quickly, bracing himself with his hands on the ground, flipping over to regain his footing, and looking up to see Chen Zhan standing at the top of the stairs.

The two stared at each other for a moment in the dimly lit stairwell.

Without saying a word, the man took off running.

The judgment of a master of internal strength is evident. The fact that the opponent could land silently in front of him and accurately step on his instep shows that the skill is far superior to his own. He can't win by fighting; running away is the only option.

He rushed three steps toward the door, but didn't take the fourth.

Chen Zhan leaped down the stairs, landing behind him in one step, and grabbed the back of his collar with his right hand.

The man froze, feeling a force pressing down on the back of his neck, as if he were being crushed by a mountain, unable to move.

Chen Zhan carried him to the middle of the courtyard and pressed his fingers on several acupoints. The man's limbs instantly lost their strength and he collapsed limply to the ground. He was still conscious, but he couldn't lift a single finger.

"People from Prince Yi's residence?"

Chen Zhan squatted down in front of him, speaking very softly.

The man gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Chen Zhan didn't expect him to answer. With a forceful twist, he broke his neck, and he died silently, his body thrown into the alley.

There were already six people lying in the alley, some unconscious, some half-dead, and some paralyzed on the ground, unable to move. They were piled up against the wall, looking like a pile of junk from a distance.

Chen Zhan returned to his room, finally finding some peace.

For the remaining hour or so, he sat on the bed and practiced his internal energy, circulating his internal energy through his body for several cycles, which served as a substitute for sleep.

Its daybreak.

When Zhao Qi pushed open the door, he had dark circles under his eyes. He had tossed and turned all night, worried that something had happened. He had listened intently all night, but hadn't heard anything.

He walked out of the room and saw Sun Yuanhong and her two concubines calmly walking down the stairs with their children, their expressions normal, as if they had not been disturbed at all.

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Zhang Kai and Zhang Yi also came out of the room. They looked at each other and both looked exhausted, clearly having not slept well all night.

Li Hanzhang slept well; the young man was easygoing. He yawned as he came out of his room and even stretched.

Chen Zhan was the last to come out of the room. He had a rosy complexion and was full of energy, just like he had been the day before. There was no sign that he had stayed up all night.

Zhao Qi leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Head镖师, were you alright last night?"

"It's alright, everything's fine."

Chen Zhan walked into the canteen, sat down, ordered a bowl of tofu pudding and two fried dough sticks, and ate slowly.

Zhao Qi breathed a sigh of relief, turned around to arrange the carriage and luggage, and prepared to continue on his way.

He didn't know that six people had been lying in the alley outside the inn last night, nor did he know that Chen Zhan had gone out three times in one night.

After breakfast and getting ready, the group came out of the back door of the inn and walked along the alley towards the city gate.

As Chen Zhan passed through that alley, he glanced at the base of the wall.

empty.

The six people were gone, leaving only a few blurry pools of blood and drag marks on the ground, which had been cleaned up before dawn.

Chen Zhan withdrew his gaze and urged his horse forward.

Cangxian County lives up to its reputation; it certainly has some interesting aspects.

I wonder if any experts will come out and make arrangements for him before he leaves the city.

Cangxian County is not a large town. It's about seven or eight li from the north gate to the south gate, and it only takes about 15 minutes to walk there on horseback.

With banners waving and horses' hooves clattering, the group traveled through the city from North Street.

People on the street stopped to watch. Some who recognized the guard flag whispered among themselves, while others who didn't craned their necks to get a better look. Idlers in the teahouse stood at the door with their bowls in hand, and shopkeepers put down their work to watch this guard team that passed through without lowering its flag.

Chen Zhan rode at the very front, his gaze fixed straight ahead, completely ignoring the stares from both sides.

After crossing the main street and making two turns, the south gate tower came into view.

The city gate was open, and the morning light shone through the gate, casting a bright glow on the bluestone pavement.

A person stood at the south gate.

He wasn't just standing idly against the city wall; he stood upright in the very center of the gate, facing north, his gaze fixed straight at him.

They were waiting for them.

Chen Zhan raised his hand and pressed down behind him, and the group stopped.

Zhao Qi reined in his horse, squinted at the road ahead, his expression changed slightly, and he whispered, "Captain, someone's blocking the way."

“I saw it.”

Chen Zhan urged his horse forward and slowly walked up to the man.

The person who came had a very intimidating appearance.

Tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a thick waist, his arms were as thick as his calves and slightly bent when hanging down at his sides. He had the skeletal structure of an ape and naturally long arms.

His face was covered by a thick, unshaven beard, revealing only his eyes and nose. His eyes weren't large, but they gleamed with a restrained sharpness, and when he looked at someone, there was a scrutinizing quality to them. He was exceptionally robust, with the appearance of natural superhuman strength.

People with this kind of appearance can learn martial arts several times faster than others. They have strong bones, thick tendons, and vigorous blood and energy, giving them a natural advantage.

If one is born into a family of emperors or generals, then one is born with the qualities of a general. Xiang Yu, Lü Bu, Ran Min, and Gao Chong were all such people.

The man clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Zhan, his voice booming with a Cangxian accent: "I am Wu Lianshan, the third-generation successor of the Wu Family Bajiquan."

Chen Zhan dismounted and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Chen Sanshui, Shunyuan Escort Agency, what brings you here?"

Wu Lianshan nodded, his face showing no hostility and his tone being quite polite.

"Shunyuan Escort Agency, Wang Wu the Great Swordsman, has some connection with my Mengcun Bajiquan. Logically speaking, I shouldn't have stopped your shipment. Even if you parade around without lowering your escort flag, Wang Wu's reputation is enough to protect you."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"However, you injured my junior brother last night. Even though he was in the wrong first, I still have to stand up for him."

Chen Zhan chuckled: "You still know he was in the wrong first? He touched my dart; it's a miracle he didn't die."

"really."

Wu Lianshan nodded, his tone calm. "He took money from others and did things he shouldn't have done. It's his fault, and you deserve to beat him to death. But as his senior brother, after I teach him a lesson, I also need to regain face, otherwise our Bajiquan sect won't be able to operate in Cang County."

"However, regardless of winning or losing, I won't touch your darts, and I'll even give you a hundred taels of silver. How about that?"

Chen Zhan understood.

Reputation is very important in Cang County. We can't let outsiders embarrass us and then just walk away without any consequences. Otherwise, who will respect the martial arts community of Cang County in the future?

Therefore, Wu Lianshan's decision to stand at the city gate and fight him in front of all the martial arts practitioners in the city was not to steal the goods, but to save face.

This kind of thing is very common in the underworld, and it's not considered excessive.

Chen Zhan nodded in agreement.

Wu's Eight Extremes.

Mengcun Village in Cangxian County is the birthplace of Bajiquan (Eight Extremities Fist).

Bajiquan was founded by Wu Zhong, a Hui man from Mengcun, who was the first patriarch of Bajiquan in northern China.

Wu Zhong studied literature in his youth, but abandoned it for martial arts at the age of fifteen. In the fifth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, he met a wandering martial arts master outside the village. This man was nicknamed "Lai" and was said to be a master from the Southern Shaolin Temple. Some people also said that his name was Lai Kuiyuan, but his real name is now unknown.

Lai taught Wu Zhong boxing and spear techniques for three years, imparting all his knowledge and even gifting him secrets of boxing and weaponry.

Wu Zhong combined his learning with his own practice, emphasizing "hard strikes and unobstructed advances" when exerting force, so that his power could reach the farthest places in all directions, hence the name "Bajiquan" (Eight Extremities Fist).

His nephew Wu Ying later obtained Wu Zhong's consent and officially named the boxing style "Kaimen Bajiquan". He wrote a boxing manual to establish the lineage, and honored "Lai" as the first generation patriarch and Wu Zhong as the second generation.

Wu Zhong's most legendary experience was during the Qianlong era when he single-handedly stormed the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian three times. He fought his way in and broke through three gates: the hidden weapon array, the wooden dummy alley, and the eighteen bronze men. He managed to pierce through all the obstacles with a single spear without being hit by a single hidden weapon.

After this battle, the name "Divine Spear Wu Zhong" resounded throughout the world. He was bestowed with the eight-character comment "Wu Zhong of Nanjing, the world's best boxer," thus establishing his status in the martial arts world as "Tai Chi brings peace to the world, Bajiquan brings stability to the universe."

Wu Lianshan claims to be the third-generation successor, which probably doesn't include "Leprosy" in the count. He counts three generations from Wu Zhong, otherwise he would be Wu Zhong's direct disciple according to seniority, which doesn't match his age, as Wu Zhong has been dead for sixty or seventy years.

Chen Zhan noticed a large spear leaning against the city wall behind Wu Lianshan.

The spear shaft is made of ash wood, the spearhead is polished to a shine, and the tassel is red. Although it is a bit old, it is very well maintained. There is not a single crack on the shaft, and the shaft is coated with a thin layer of tung oil, making it as smooth as a mirror.

Eight Extremes Spear.

Wu Zhong's unique skill, the signature weapon of the Bajiquan sect.

When Wu Lianshan saw Chen Zhan's gaze fall on the spear, he opened his mouth, intending to say that since the other party was unarmed, he would also fight bare-handed.

Chen Zhan spoke first: "Let's have a spear contest. My spear skills are quite good too. We'll settle the score with our spears, life and death are irrelevant."

Wu Lianshan was taken aback.

He didn't expect the other party to propose a gunfight.

The spear is no ordinary weapon; not just anyone can pick it up and wield it. The shaft is twelve feet long and weighs over ten kilograms. Wielding it requires extremely high levels of arm strength, waist strength, and footwork. Without more than ten years of hard work, one simply cannot master it.

Moreover, the Eight Extremes Spear is the signature skill of the Eight Extremes Sect. The spear technique passed down from Wu Zhong is extremely exquisite and has been practiced for generations. The masters in the sect are unmatched in the north when using the spear. Isn't Chen Zhan asking for trouble by proposing a spear contest?

Chen Zhan turned around and walked to the back of the group, where he found a large spear on the weapons rack of the soldiers.

The shaft was made of ordinary mixed wood, not ash wood, and the material was much inferior. The spearhead was also roughly made by an ordinary blacksmith, and it was polished so carelessly that the blade was not very sharp.

He weighed it in his hand; it was a little heavy, but that didn't matter, since he didn't rely on the advantage of his weapon.

He walked back with his gun and stood in front of Wu Lianshan.

Wu Lianshan glanced at the shabby-looking spear in his hand, his brow twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything in the end. He turned around and picked up his own ash wood spear from the side of the city wall.

Once he got his hands on the gun, his entire demeanor changed.

Although he was already calm and powerful before, after wielding the spear, his power increased to another level. It was as if he and the spear had become one, and all the energy in his body was transmitted through the spear shaft and concentrated on the spearhead.

"Alright, let's compare big guns."

He shook the gun barrel, and the tassel drew a red arc in the air before snapping open with a sharp, rustling sound.

On the open ground at the city gate, the two men kept their distance, about two zhang apart.

More and more people gathered to watch.

People who came to watch the excitement from the main street, those who came out from the alleys on both sides, and the idlers who were already squatting at the city gate all gathered in a large circle and automatically retreated to a large area.

The people of Cang County all know the rules. They can watch a martial arts competition, but they must give way to avoid getting hurt.

Some people moved stools and sat on the steps in the distance, while others climbed up the low wall next to them. The waiter of the teahouse stood at the door with a teapot in his hand, cracking sunflower seeds in his mouth, looking as if he was used to it.

Chen Zhan's caravan stopped inside the city gate. Zhao Qi, Zhang Kai, and Zhang Yi dismounted and stood at the front to watch.

Li Hanzhang also squeezed to the front. Yesterday, he witnessed Chen Zhan take down thirty or forty bandits with his bare hands. Today, they were going to have a gunfight. He didn't say anything, but his resentment had turned into curiosity.

The child peeked out of the carriage again, but this time his mother didn't pull him back. She probably thought it wouldn't hurt to watch such a serious competition.

The two stood still in the open space.

Wu Lianshan assumed the starting stance of Bajiquan spear, holding the spear shaft horizontally at his waist with the spearhead slightly raised forward and upward. His back hand gripped the spear tail, and his front hand gripped the shaft one-third of the way down. His feet were planted in the horse stance of Bajiquan, with his center of gravity extremely low.

Chen Zhan adopted the stance of Xingyi spear.

Xingyi spear and Baji spear are somewhat similar, both being spear techniques that follow a powerful and forceful approach, emphasizing directness and hard-hitting, but their methods of generating power differ.

The power of the Eight Extremes Spear originates from the waist and hips, and follows the "sinking force". The vibration of the spear shaft is transmitted from the back hand to the front hand, and then from the front hand to the spearhead. In between, the elasticity of the spear shaft accelerates the vibration. The spearhead, when thrown out, vibrates at a high frequency and hits the target not at a single point, but across a wide area.

The power of Xingyi spear originates from the Mingmen point (located on the lower back), and follows a "spiral force". The spear shaft rotates and advances in the hand, while the spearhead follows a spiral drilling route. After penetrating the target, the force continues to rotate, which can twist the wound into a trumpet shape, making it extremely vicious.

Two shooting techniques: one uses a shockwave, the other a drilling motion. (End of Chapter)