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

The dirt road narrowed further and further, from being wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side to only being able to pass one, and then even a carriage could barely pass. The wheels rolled over the protruding stones, making the carriage frame creak and groan.

Li Hanzhang was right. This detour had no towns or post stations. On both sides were continuous low hills and mixed forests. Occasionally, you could see a few dilapidated mud houses by the roadside, which were the huts of herb gatherers or hunters and had long been uninhabited.

After another hour of walking, it got dark.

The moon had not yet risen, and the world was shrouded in a gray twilight. The road was not clearly visible, and the horse's hooves slipped several times on the stones.

A forest appeared ahead. It wasn't dense, but it covered a considerable area. The tree trunks were thick, and the branches and leaves blocked out the sunlight overhead.

"Set up camp on the spot."

Chen Zhan dismounted and handed the reins to the porter beside him.

He didn't need to do the camping himself; that was the job of the pack carriers and apprentices. They gathered firewood, pitched tents, set up stoves, and fed and watered the horses. They had done the same process countless times and were quick and efficient.

Wang Xiaochuan led two scouts to scout the surrounding area, confirmed that there was no one around, and returned to report that everything was safe.

A campfire was lit, its flames dancing in the woods and illuminating a small clearing. Horses were tethered to tree trunks to graze, and two carriages were parked in the center of the clearing, their curtains drawn. Sun Yuanhong and the children were resting inside the carriages.

Zhao Qi and Zhang Kai sat by the campfire eating dry rations, Zhang Yi sharpened his knife, and Li Hanzhang and two henchmen squatted under a big tree chatting.

Chen Zhan stood at the edge of the campfire's glow, his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the woods.

Zhao Qi noticed his expression, put down the dry rations in his hand, and asked in a low voice, "Captain, what's wrong?"

"Set up camp here and make the campfire burn brightly. I'll be back in a bit."

Finished talking and left.

His figure flashed into the depths of the woods, disappearing into the darkness in an instant.

Zhao Qi was stunned for a moment, looked in the direction where Chen Zhan disappeared for a few moments, but couldn't see anything. He then turned to Zhang Kai and gave him a wink.

Zhang Kai silently got up, picked up the knife from the ground, walked to the carriage and stood there. Zhang Yi followed him, and the two brothers stood guard on either side of the carriage.

Chen Zhan moved swiftly through the darkness, his steps barely making a sound as he stepped on fallen leaves and withered branches.

Power surged into his legs, increasing his speed to about 70-80%. The surrounding trees and bushes rushed past in his field of vision, and the night wind whistled into his ears.

His senses spread out, covering an area of ​​several miles in radius.

To the southeast, about four or five miles away, a group of people were moving toward their camp.

The footsteps were synchronized.

They are not bandits.

The bandits walked in a scattered manner, with varying speeds and uneven footsteps; even the most well-trained bandits could not achieve such uniformity.

Only those who have trained in military camps can march in such perfect unison.

The Qing Dynasty's military.

Chen Zhan quickened his pace and headed towards the group of people.

He had to take the initiative to catch them; he couldn't wait for them to gather around the campsite. If that happened, the campfire would expose everyone's positions, and with a single crossbow shot, Zhao Qi and his men would be attacked from both sides, which would be troublesome.

After running for about three miles, Chen Zhan stopped.

A troop was marching along the edge of the woods ahead.

The moonlight finally rose, and its pale light shone through the gaps in the treetops, illuminating the silhouettes of the group of people.

Forty or fifty men, all dressed in short, tight-fitting clothes, had dressed up but were not wearing military uniforms. Their leg wraps were tied in the same way, their belts were tied in the same tight way, and even the position of the swords at their waists was neatly arranged on the same side.

He came from a military background, without a doubt.

Many soldiers in the Qing Dynasty practiced martial arts, and the troops stationed in various places had their own training methods. Some practiced swordsmanship, some practiced spearmanship, and many also combined it with the Manchu ancestral wrestling, so their close combat ability was not weak.

This group of people were the personal guards of Prince Yi's mansion. Although they were disguised, their military bearing was unmistakable.

The person walking at the very front of the group was a person.

This man was not tall, but extremely muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He wore a black, close-fitting outfit, with no sword at his waist and a long spear in his right hand.

It's not a wooden gun.

It's an iron spear.

The gun barrel, made entirely of iron, was thicker than that of an ordinary wooden gun, and the spearhead was also larger than usual. It was jet black and gleamed with the dark light characteristic of cold iron under the moonlight.

This kind of iron spear, the shaft alone weighs over a hundred pounds, and with the spearhead, the total weight is probably one hundred and twenty or thirty pounds. An ordinary person cannot lift it with both hands, but this person carries it with one hand as if he is carrying a bamboo pole. When he walks, the spearhead drags on the ground, leaving a shallow groove.

Five Yin Spear, Xue Jiuzhong.

One of the Four Sacred Mountains of Beijing.

The martial arts world in the capital is known as the "Four Mountains," which refers to four top masters who have made a name for themselves in the capital. Each of them occupies a territory and has their own powerful backer.

Of the four Yue families, two served in Prince Yi's residence.

One is "Divine Hand" Ao Bai, and the other is "Five Yin Spear" Xue Jiuzhong.

It wasn't Ao Bai who came, but Xue Jiuzhong. It was probably because the target of this mission to intercept Wang Wu, the Great Swordsman, wasn't Ao Bai himself, so there was no need for him to personally take action.

If Wang Wu personally led the caravan, then it should have been Ao Bai who came.

Chen Zhan stood behind a big tree, watching the group get closer and closer.

When the other party was less than thirty feet away, he came out from behind the tree, carrying the same large wooden spear he had used in Cang County. The bloodstains on the spearhead had been wiped clean, but there were still some dark red marks left on the shaft.

Xue Jiuzhong stopped, and the team behind him also stopped, in perfect unison, with not a single person taking an extra step.

He squinted at Chen Zhan for a couple of breaths, not recognizing him. He looked like an ordinary bodyguard wearing a standard short jacket from a security company, holding a shabby wooden spear that looked like a fire poker compared to his own forged iron spear.

"Shunyuan Escort Agency?" Xue Jiuzhong asked, his voice deep and slightly nasal.

"Um."

"Where's Wang Wu? Where's Cheng Tinghua? Why send some nobody to their death?"

There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, not at Chen Zhan, but at Wang Wu.

He had long wanted to spar with Wang Wu. In literature, there is no first place, but in martial arts, there is no second. Wang Wu was rumored to be the number one expert in the capital. Those who had never fought him were naturally unconvinced. He thought that this mission would allow him to meet Wang Wu in person and test his skills. However, the person who came was a stranger.

Disappointing.

"I'm in charge of this shipment." Chen Zhan's tone was calm, as if he were just chatting.

Xue Jiuzhong glanced at him twice more, pursed his lips, and said no more.

He lifted the iron spear from the ground in his right hand. The heavy iron weapon, weighing over a hundred pounds, felt light in his hand. The spearhead pointed forward, and the shaft was held horizontally at his waist.

"Hand over the goods, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Chen Zhan didn't move.

Xue Jiuzhong's patience had run out.

The iron spear thrust out suddenly, its tip whistling through the air, aiming straight for Chen Zhan's chest. The force of this thrust was immense; the iron spear itself weighed over a hundred pounds, and combined with Xue Jiuzhong's arm and waist strength as a master of internal energy, a single thrust could pierce a hole in the city wall.

His speed was not slow either. Although the iron spear was heavy, Xue Jiuzhong had been using it for decades and it had long been an integral part of his arm.

Chen Zhan's wooden spear met the attack.

The shaft of the spear was turned sideways, blocking the tip of the iron spear.

"clang--"

The iron spear struck the wooden spear, causing the wooden shaft to bend violently and nearly break. However, Chen Zhan's wrist rotated half a circle at the moment of impact, and the spiraling force traveled along the shaft to the point of impact, dissipating most of the iron spear's force. The shaft bounced back without breaking.

Xue Jiuzhong was slightly taken aback. He thought he could break the wooden stick with one shot, but he did not expect the other party's technique of deflecting the force to be so exquisite.

In that moment of hesitation, Chen Zhan's spear had already thrust forward.

The wooden spearhead followed a spiral path in Xingyi spear technique, spinning straight towards Xue Jiuzhong's heart.

Xue Jiuzhong raised his spear to parry, the iron spear held horizontally in front of his chest. With a clang, the tip of the wooden spear struck the iron shaft and bounced away.

The iron spear was several times heavier than the wooden spear, so Chen Zhan's wooden spear was at a disadvantage in a head-on collision.

Taking advantage of the momentum from his parry, Xue Jiuzhong thrust his iron spear forward, the tip piercing straight into Chen Zhan's abdomen.

Chen Zhan dodged to the side, the spearhead grazing past his waist. The heavy force of the iron spear carried a gust of wind, causing his clothes to flutter violently.

The two exchanged three moves.

Xue Jiuzhong's iron spear was half a beat faster, but Chen Zhan's wooden spear was much more agile. One was fast and the other was agile, so they were temporarily tied.

Xue Jiuzhong sneered and swung his iron spear even more fiercely, thrusting, sweeping, parrying, and smashing one after another. In his hands, the iron spear was like a rolling iron python, each move carrying immense force.

Chen Zhan's wooden spear weaved and dodged the iron spear's attacks, occasionally bumping into it only to bounce back. He avoided direct confrontation with the iron spear, instead seeking out gaps in the iron spear's attacks to strike, each thrust aimed at Xue Jiuzhong's vital points.

On the fifth move, Chen Zhan found an opening.

Xue Jiuzhong unleashed a sweeping attack, his iron spear sweeping from left to right with a wide coverage area. However, after the sweep, the spearhead shifted to the right, exposing the center of the left side.

Chen Zhan's wooden spear pierced in from the left, its tip spinning, aiming straight for Xue Jiuzhong's heart.

Xue Jiuzhong didn't have time to retract his spear and defend. The iron spear was too heavy; it would take a breath to pull it back after sweeping it out.

The tip of the wooden spear was embedded in his chest.

"puff."

The spear tip pierced through the fabric of the tight-fitting clothes and embedded itself in the bronze breastplate inside.

The heart-protecting bronze mirror is cast in bronze and is half an inch thick. If a regular sword or knife pierces it, it will at most leave a mark.

The tip of the wooden spear pierced through the bronze mirror.

The spearhead emerged from the back of the bronze mirror and pierced Xue Jiuzhong's chest flesh, about half an inch deep. It did not damage his heart, but the bronze mirror shattered into several pieces, with fragments embedded in his flesh.

Xue Jiuzhong groaned and took two steps back. Looking down, he saw a hole in his tight-fitting clothes, with broken copper pieces and blood seeping out around the edge of the hole.

His expression changed drastically.

Did it pierce through the protective bronze mirror?
It was made of fine red copper, half an inch thick, capable of stopping rifle bullets, yet it was pierced by a piece of junk.
He looked up at Chen Zhan, the contempt in his eyes gone, replaced by vigilance and apprehension.

Chen Zhan did not give him time to readjust.

The wooden spear was retracted, the spearhead was flipped in the hand, and then thrust out again.

Xingyi Five Elements Spear Technique: Chopping, thrusting, striking, parrying, and blocking. The five spear techniques are used in rotation, with each spear aimed at vital points: throat, heart, armpit, lower abdomen, and temple. Every spear strike is a killing move.

Xue Jiuzhong desperately parried with his iron spear. Although the iron spear was heavy, it could block frontal attacks, but Chen Zhan's spear technique was too fast and agile. The wooden spear moved freely between the gaps in the iron spear. If he blocked to the left or right, he would be stabbed; if he blocked above or below, he would be stabbed. He could only defend himself from the front and not from the rear.

The weight of the iron spear has turned from an advantage to a disadvantage, as each swing requires a lot of physical strength and time, while Chen Zhan's wooden spear is light and flexible, with almost no interval between drawing and retracting the spear.

Behind Xue Jiuzhong, the forty or fifty personal guards saw their leader being forced to retreat and drew their swords, rushing forward.

Chen Zhan did not wait for them to surround him.

His spear thrusts suddenly accelerated, stabbing three times in quick succession, forcing Xue Jiuzhong to retreat three steps. Then, he dodged to the left, avoiding Xue Jiuzhong's iron spear counterattack, and swept his wooden spear horizontally, striking the two guards who had charged forward first.

With two sharp "snap" sounds, the two men were sent flying by the gun barrels, knocking over their companions behind them.

Chen Zhan rushed into the crowd.

The wooden spear flew through his hands, each thrust of the spearhead carrying penetrating force; it could pierce through iron armor and pierce through flesh.

He showed no mercy.

Before the soldiers could even see where Chen Zhan was, the spearhead had already pierced through his armpit, penetrating his heart and lungs. He collapsed to the ground, twitched twice, and then remained still.

They targeted his fatal weaknesses.

Throat, temple, chest, back of the head, Mingmen (a point on the back of the head); each thrust of the spearhead precisely pierced a fatal spot, one shot, one kill, no second shot needed.

When Xue Jiuzhong got up from the ground, there were already more than a dozen corpses lying around him.

Blood was still flowing from his chest, and shards of the bronze mirror were embedded in his flesh, causing him to whistle as he breathed.

He looked around and saw his personal guards lying dead on the ground in the moonlight-lit woods. Some were still convulsing, while others were motionless. The smell of blood filled the air.

Of the forty or fifty people, more than half died in less than half an incense stick's time.

Chen Zhan stood amidst the corpses, the tip of his wooden spear covered in blood, which dripped down the shaft and onto the fallen leaves, turning the withered leaves a dark red.

His gaze turned to Xue Jiuzhong.

Xue Jiuzhong gripped the iron spear tightly, his teeth grinding together, and blood seeped from the wound on his chest with each heavy breath.

Looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, and at Chen Zhan standing amidst them, he felt true fear for the first time.

This person is neither a bodyguard nor a martial artist from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world).

This is a god of death.

Xue Jiuzhong did not turn around and run away. He knew he couldn't escape. He had clearly seen the speed of this person just now. Even forty or fifty well-trained guards couldn't surround him.

He raised his iron spear and charged towards Chen Zhan, letting out a roar as he poured all his remaining strength into this final thrust.

The iron spear thrust out, carrying a resolute determination to destroy everything.

Chen Zhan sidestepped the iron spearhead, and the wooden spear flipped up from below, its tip spinning in the same spiral pattern.

This time, the protective bronze mirror wasn't used; it was already broken.

The spearhead pierced through the original wound in Xue Jiuzhong's chest, penetrating all the way into the shaft.

Xue Jiuzhong froze, the iron spear slipped from his hand, and the heavy iron weapon, weighing over a hundred pounds, crashed to the ground with a dull thud.

He looked down at the wooden gun barrel on his chest, opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word, bent his knees, knelt on the ground, and then fell forward.

"The four sacred mountains of the capital, such a huge difference?" (End of this chapter)