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

Wu Lianshan made the first move.

He stepped forward, raising the spear shaft from his waist and thrusting the spearhead upwards, employing the "block" technique from the Bajiquan spear style. He utilized the elasticity of the spear shaft to its fullest extent, transforming the resilience of the ash wood into an arc-shaped elastic force in his hands, and the speed at which the spearhead was thrust upwards was terrifying.

Chen Zhan stepped forward, thrusting his spear horizontally, employing the "stabbing" technique of Xingyi spear fighting, with the spearhead thrusting straight forward along the center line, aiming directly for Wu Lianshan's throat.

The two guns collided in mid-air.

"clang--"

The gun barrels clashed, the sound of ash wood colliding with miscellaneous wood crisp and clear, making the hands of both men tingle slightly.

Wu Lianshan's spear was deflected, and he took advantage of the deflection to make an arc-shaped twisting motion, using the "take" technique. He circled the outside of Chen Zhan's spear shaft with the spearhead, hooked the tip of Chen Zhan's spear, and pulled it to the side, trying to deflect Chen Zhan's spear.

Chen Zhan twirled the spear shaft in his hand, the spiraling force traveling along the shaft to the spearhead. The spear tip, caught in Wu Lianshan's grip, spun free and, with a backhand "bang," the spear shaft sprang up, the spearhead flying towards Wu Lianshan's face.

Wu Lianshan turned his head to avoid it, the spear tassel brushed past his ear, and the red tassel swept across his beard, causing a few whiskers to float in the air.

The two exchanged blows, spear to spear, for over a dozen moves. The clanging of their spears was continuous, like the dull, rhythmic sounds of blacksmiths striking iron in a shop.

The onlookers were mesmerized, and one knowledgeable person whispered a comment: "The blocking, grappling, and thrusting techniques of the Bajiquan spear are very authentic. Is this big guy from the Wu family of Mengcun?"

"The one on the other side is no slouch either. His Xingyi spear technique is incredibly accurate and powerful; his thrusts are so precise, his hand doesn't even tremble."

Wu Lianshan's spear technique was indeed superb, worthy of being a direct descendant of the Bajiquan school. He used the three core techniques of blocking, seizing, and thrusting with ease. The spear shaft came alive in his hands, and he could flick, press, twist, or stab in various ways. Every thrust carried the profound power of a master of internal energy.

Chen Zhan did not use the Xingyi spear very often. During the Republic of China period, he used fists and palms more often, and only practiced the spear on a few occasions.

However, the foundation of Xingyi Quan is there. Xingyi spear techniques and Xingyi Quan techniques are of the same lineage. The five elements of Xingyi Quan, such as chopping, drilling, collapsing, cannoning, and horizontal thrusting, correspond to the spear techniques as chopping, thrusting, collapsing, picking, and blocking. The way of exerting force is completely the same. The level of one's fist technique is naturally the same as the level of one's spear technique.

After thirty moves, both of them had figured out each other's fighting style.

Wu Lianshan's spear technique follows a solid and steady approach, with each strike being firm and powerful, without any fancy tricks or shortcuts, but rather a direct and forceful attack, which is consistent with the Bajiquan style of "hard fighting and advancing without any obstruction".

Chen Zhan's marksmanship was sharp and precise. Every thrust of the spearhead was aimed precisely at vital points: the throat, the heart, the armpit, and the lower abdomen. The angles of the spear thrusts were tricky, but Wu Lianshan blocked them all with his blocking and seizing techniques.

The two were evenly matched, and the game was evenly contested.

Wu Lianshan became more and more excited as he fought, and began to utter low shouts, the unique "humph and ha" breaths of Bajiquan. Each shout was accompanied by a fierce thrust, and the vibration of the spear shaft became more and more intense.

The crowd had retreated again and again, with the people at the front at least 30 feet away from the two men; any closer and they risked being caught in the aftershocks of the gunfire.

Zhao Qi was dumbfounded. He had some experience with Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts) and spear techniques, but compared to the spears of the two men in front of him, it was like children playing house.

Zhang Kai and Zhang Yi remained silent, their four eyes fixed on Chen Zhan's marksmanship, their lips moving slightly as they silently memorized every detail.

After another dozen or so moves, Chen Zhan changed his strategy.

No more delaying.

His spear thrust suddenly slowed down by half a beat, the spearhead retracted an inch, revealing a small opening on his left side.

Wu Lianshan was a seasoned veteran who spotted the opening immediately.

The spearhead thrust out with a fierce "thrust" technique, aiming straight for Chen Zhan's left rib. It was a full-force thrust, pushing the elasticity of the spear shaft to its limit, and the spearhead made a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air.

He thought he had seized the opportunity.

When the spearhead was halfway through its thrust, Chen Zhan's posture suddenly changed.

The opening on his left rib disappeared, and he twisted his waist sharply, turning his body from the side to the front. The previously exposed opening became the spearhead facing Wu Lianshan directly.

At the same time, he pulled his spear back from the front, rotated the shaft 180 degrees in his hand, and turned the spearhead from front to back.

A counterattack, a combined attack technique.

The horse-like agility and the snake-like thrusts.

The spearhead circled around Chen Zhan's right side and thrust out from behind, following an unbelievable arc. It circled around Chen Zhan's right waist to his back and then thrust forward from behind, the spear tip aimed straight at Wu Lianshan's throat.

The strange thing about this shot was that Wu Lianshan's spear was thrusting forward, and the two spears were thrusting at each other at the same time, but Chen Zhan's counter-attack spear followed an arc, making a half-turn longer than the straight thrust, so it should have been slower.

But Chen Zhan's gun was half a breath faster.

The spearhead reached Wu Lianshan's throat first.

When the tip of the gun was less than an inch from his Adam's apple, Chen Zhan's wrist suddenly jerked.

The gun barrel trembled, and the tip shifted two inches off course, sliding from the throat to the shoulder.

"puff--"

The spearhead pierced Wu Lianshan's left shoulder, the tip penetrating the shoulder muscle and almost piercing through the entire shoulder. The red tassel on the spear was stained even redder by the blood, which dripped down.

Wu Lianshan's thrust missed.

His spearhead was still half a foot away from Chen Zhan's side, without touching Chen Zhan's clothes.

That "gap" is fake.

It was all bait from beginning to end, luring him to thrust out with all his might. The moment he drew his spear, the other side stabbed back from an impossible angle.

If he hadn't fallen for the trap and hadn't seized that opening, the two could have exchanged another dozen or so blows.

He was fooled, and this is the result.

Wu Lianshan froze on the spot, a sharp pain shooting through his left shoulder. Blood gushed from where the spearhead had pierced him, soaking half of his clothes.

He did not fall.

His two legs were firmly planted in a horse stance, his right hand still gripping the gun barrel, the butt of the gun resting on the ground, supporting his body.

The open space at the city gate fell silent.

The crowd held their breath; some people had their mouths open and forgot to close them, while others dropped the sunflower seeds in their hands.

Chen Zhan drew his gun.

When the spearhead was pulled from Wu Lianshan's shoulder, it sprayed a spray of blood onto the bluestone ground, the crimson color glaringly bright.

Wu Lianshan gritted his teeth, sweat rolling down his forehead, mingling with the blood on his stubble, and flowing down his chin to his chest.

He glanced down at his shoulder; the gunshot wound had pierced through the deltoid muscle, but hadn't damaged the bone or the major artery. Although there was a lot of bleeding, it wasn't fatal.

I held back.

The shot was originally aimed at the throat; if it went in, it would be fatal. But with a final jerk, it missed by two inches and landed on the shoulder.

Wu Lianshan raised his head, looked at Chen Zhan standing in front of him with a gun, and forced a smile.

He planted the large gun in his right hand into the ground, the shaft swayed twice, and stood there. Then, with his left hand covering his bleeding shoulder, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Zhan.

A single-handed fist salute, though not a full greeting, conveys the meaning.

"Thanks to Chief Escort Chen for showing mercy, Wu is completely convinced of his superiority."

He turned around and called out to someone behind him. A young man who looked like a servant ran over, carrying a cloth bag in his arms. When he opened it, there were silver ingots, neatly stacked, totaling one hundred taels.

The servant presented the cloth bundle to Chen Zhan with both hands.

Chen Zhan reached out and took it, weighed it in his hand, and stuffed it into the saddlebag on the horse's back.

He tossed the spear back to the scouts behind him, mounted his horse, and nodded to Wu Lianshan. "Brother Wu, your spear technique is superb; the Eight Extremes Spear technique truly lives up to its name. Take good care of your shoulder injury when you get back; don't let it become a chronic condition."

After saying that, he spurred his horse toward the city gate.

The caravan followed behind, the sound of horses' hooves rang out again, and the caravan flags passed through the city gate and fluttered in the sunlight outside the city.

Wu Lianshan stood at the city gate, clutching his shoulder, watching the镖旗 (镖旗 is a type of escort flag) recede into the distance, his gaze complex.

The servant beside him rushed forward to bandage his wound, but he was pushed away in his haste.

"No rush, let's see him walk away first."

He stood there until the caravan disappeared at the end of the road before turning back.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and murmurs of discussion rose and fell.

"He lost. Wu Lianshan lost."

"Who's that镖头 (head镖师, escort officer)? From Shunyuan镖局 (Shunyuan Escort Agency)? Is his spear skill that good?"

"The counter-attack, did you see that? That spear was originally aimed at the throat, but it missed by two inches and pierced the shoulder; they held back."

"Impressive, truly impressive. Cangxian hasn't seen someone like this in years."

The sound gradually faded into the distance.

Once outside Cang County, the official road widened again, with endless plains on both sides, the wheat fields lush and green, stretching all the way to the horizon.

As Chen Zhan rode on his horse, his hand, which had been holding the gun, was still warm, and the vibration of the gun barrel lingered faintly in his palm.

Wu Lianshan's Eight Extremes Spear technique was indeed formidable. He had mastered the Three-Word Technique of Blocking, Grabbing, and Thrusting to an unparalleled level. If Chen Zhan hadn't used the trick of the Returning Spear, a direct confrontation would have required much more effort.

Zhao Qi urged his horse forward and moved closer to Chen Zhan, his expression having changed from resentment a couple of days ago to complete admiration.

Li Hanzhang's voice came from behind. He was whispering something to the scout next to him. His tone no longer carried the resentment of before, but rather a hint of fear.

"If that shot hadn't missed..."

"Shut up."

Wang Xiaochuan's voice cut in, "Stop gossiping about Chief Escort Chen."

Li Hanzhang obediently shut his mouth.

Leaving Cangxian County, we headed south, clearing roads through mountains and building bridges over rivers.

For three days in a row, they did not encounter any serious danger.

On the way, they encountered two or three groups of petty thieves, all of them small, insignificant bandits. Three or five of them would squat in the roadside bushes, holding machetes and wooden sticks. When they saw the caravan coming, they would jump out and shout, trying to extort a few copper coins.

Chen Zhan didn't even need to lift a finger; Zhao Qi, along with Zhang Kai and Zhang Yi, took care of this kind of person.

Even masters of internal strength earn a good amount of money from escort agencies; they can't just take it for free.

Zhao Qi delivered a powerful punch, sending the ringleader flying seven or eight steps. The rest of the bandits threw away their machetes and sticks, then turned and ran into the mountains, faster than rabbits.

Several scouts didn't even get a chance to make a move, just standing next to the horse watching, their hands itching to join in.

Chen Zhan, riding in front, glanced back and chuckled, "Next time we encounter a master, shall we send you guys?"

Li Hanzhang quickly shook his head, waving his hands like a rattle drum: "You're the head镖师 (chief镖师 is a high-ranking镖师), you should do it. Our lives are the most important thing."

That shot at the gate of Cangxian County extinguished his last bit of resentment.

Even those who lacked self-awareness at this point knew that Chen Zhan was an unparalleled master, so they should refrain from taking the lead.

We've been traveling for a day since we entered Shandong province.

We'll be leaving Shandong in two days, and Suzhou won't be far away.

Chen Zhan didn't know the way. He had never been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) before, nor had he ever been in this area. He had to rely on Zhao Qi to find his way using a map.

Zhao Qi was originally from Shandong, and he knew this area very well; he could walk around it with his eyes closed.

He urged his horse forward, pointing to the mountains ahead: "There should be a post station after passing Fenggu. We can't enter the city tonight, so we'll have to make do at the post station for the night."

Chen Zhan didn't care. The post station was set up by the government and the conditions were worse than the inn, but it had a stable, which was perfect for feeding the horses some good feed. After traveling for days, the horses also needed to rest.

What kind of place is Shimofuku?

“It’s a canyon with a narrow road, only wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass, and surrounded by cliffs,” Zhao Qi replied.

"Is it open space above?"

Zhao Qi was taken aback: "Uh, how did you know?"

"I also know there's an ambush here."

Chen Zhan's voice was calm, "We have to take a detour here."

He made the decision directly.

In this kind of place, there is a canyon, a narrow road, rock walls on all sides, and an open space above.

If someone were to set up rolling stones, oil, and crossbows on top, pouring them down from above, the entire canyon would become a natural killing field.

He can walk; with his Core Formation Realm agility, flipping over a rock wall is almost as easy as walking on flat ground. Zhao Qi and the Zhang brothers might be able to run too; the reaction time and skill of a Dark Force expert are enough to escape from a hail of arrows.

But the experienced players are no match for them. Those young people who haven't even entered the realm of Ming Jin are just sitting ducks trapped in the canyon.

The Xu family members, women and children, were also in the carriage; they couldn't escape.

Ordinary mountain bandits wouldn't resort to such genocidal methods. Robbing a caravan is one thing, but trapping people in a canyon and slaughtering them with burning oil and stones would create a blood feud.

But Prince Yi was capable of doing it.

Need I say more about how ruthless the Iron-Capped Princes were during the infighting within the imperial court?

Xu Zhiyuan was a pillar of the reform movement. His family died on the way. Whether it was due to banditry or accidental fall off a cliff, the court would not investigate it thoroughly. They were just the family members of a third-rank official.

"Take a detour? If we take a detour, we'll have to sleep in the wilderness."

Li Hanzhang's voice came from behind. He spurred his horse to catch up. His attitude had changed drastically in the past few days, and he was very respectful to Chen Zhan. However, he was young and lively. Hearing the discussion about the route ahead, he couldn't help but interrupt.

"You know the route?" Chen Zhan didn't have any ill feelings towards him.

"Yes, I traveled with my master. This route is a detour of over a hundred li, with no towns or post stations. It's getting dark, so we'll have to camp in the mountains."

"Then let's camp in the mountains."

Are you sure there's an ambush ahead?

"Why don't you give it a try?" Chen Zhan said with a smile.

Li Hanzhang shrank back: "Then forget it."

Chen Zhan suggested taking a detour, and no one dared to object. The group turned right at the fork in the road and headed around the mountain. (End of Chapter)