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

Chen Zhan glanced at him.

With a casual grab, he pulled him up by the back of his collar, lifted him off the ground like a chicken, and tossed him behind him.

Zhao Qi caught the punch and slammed it into the man's face. The sound of the nose bone breaking was crisp, and the man flew out of the canteen entrance, joining his two companions.

Chen Zhan turned around and looked at Sun Yuanhong and Zhao Shi.

Zhao slumped in her chair, her face deathly pale, her whole body trembling, still clutching the one or two taels of silver in her hand.

Sun Yuanhong's face was also pale, her lips were tightly pursed, one arm was around her son and the other was on her daughter's shoulder. The two children were behind her, and two pairs of eyes, one big and one small, looked out from under her arm, both curious and scared.

"Were any of you hurt?"

Chen Zhan's tone was very calm, no different from his usual way of speaking.

Sun Yuanhong took a deep breath, pressed her hand to her chest to calm her pounding heart, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "No, no, thank you for your trouble."

Zhao opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but her lips trembled for a long time and she couldn't say anything. Her eyes reddened, and she slowly loosened her grip on the broken silver. The silver fell to the table with a "clink" and rolled twice.

I was terrified afterwards.

The dagger was only three inches from her throat; if Chen Zhan hadn't intervened, she would be dead.

Zhao Qi, Zhang Kai, and Zhang Yi had already rushed to the door. They looked around the street and saw three "beggars" lying outside. Two were unconscious, and one had a broken nose and his face was covered in blood. None of them were able to resist.

Pedestrians on the street were startled by the commotion and kept their distance, peering curiously in this direction.

The two servants with sticks stood at the door, looking at each other in bewilderment. They slowly lowered their sticks, their expressions changing from anger to horror, and then from horror to confusion.

They really came to beat up the beggars. The beggars who were eating for free at the restaurant across the street came over here, and they chased after them to teach them a lesson. This floor is not fake.

But the fact that the three beggars took advantage of the chaos to approach the Xu family members and then drew their knives to assassinate them was something they hadn't anticipated.

It's also possible that they had no idea the three beggars were fake.

Chen Zhan glanced at the two servants, then looked away, walked back to his table, sat down, and took a sip of tea.

Li Hanzhang leaned closer, squatted down next to Chen Zhan, and lowered his voice: "Chief镖师 (bodyguard/escort), how did you figure out those three people were suspicious?"

Chen Zhan put down his teacup.

"When they rolled in, they weren't dodging the sticks in the right direction. A beggar being hit would instinctively run towards the door, to hide where there are fewer people, not into the dining hall, much less roll right next to Madam Xu's table."

"The whip marks on their bodies were fresh and bright red, indicating they had just been whipped. But their movements were too agile. If they had really been whipped like that, they wouldn't have been in so much pain that they couldn't get up, let alone roll around on the ground so nimbly."

"The leader's fingers are incorrect."

"Fingers?" Li Hanzhang was taken aback.

"A beggar's fingers should be rough, stiff, and full of dirt under his nails. His fingers were indeed dirty, but his knuckles were flexible, there were calluses on the base of his thumb, and a thin layer of hard skin on the pads of his index and middle fingers—marks left from years of holding weapons."

Li Hanzhang was dumbfounded. He had been so focused on eating that he hadn't paid any attention to the three beggars, let alone noticed the calluses on their fingers.

Zhao Qi, standing to the side, also heard these words. His expression changed from admiration to self-consciousness. He had been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for so many years and thought his eyesight was pretty good. He probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference from an assassin disguised as a beggar.

Sun Yuanhong walked over, bowed to Chen Zhan, and said in a much more solemn tone, "Chief Escort Chen, our family will remember your kindness this time."

Chen Zhan waved his hand: "This is my duty, Madam Xu, you don't need to be so polite."

Sun Yuanhong nodded, turned around and went back to her table. She helped Zhao Shi, who was still trembling, up and whispered a few words of comfort.

Two children emerged from behind Sun Yuanhong. The bolder boy wasn't afraid at all; instead, he was flushed with excitement. He ran up to Chen Zhan, looked up, and asked, "Uncle Chen, how did you shatter that knife? That was amazing! Can you teach me?"

The little girl ran over, tugging at Chen Zhan's clothes, and said in a childish voice, "I want to learn too! I want to learn how to fight bad guys!"

Chen Zhan looked down at the two children, and his lips twitched slightly.

"You're still young, let's talk about it when you're older."

"How big is considered big?" the boy pressed.

"When he was taller than your dad."

The boy tilted his head and thought for a moment, then pouted, feeling that the standard was too far off.

Sun Yuanhong walked over and pulled the two children away, giving Chen Zhan an apologetic smile: "The children are ignorant; please forgive them."

The atmosphere in the canteen gradually returned to normal.

The manager of Jiufenglou bent down and swept up the shards of the dagger on the ground, muttering something about "bad luck." He then told his waiter to go to the door to check and, while he was at it, to report it to the authorities.

The two servants had already run away, probably realizing that things had gotten out of hand and they didn't want to get involved.

Chen Zhan sat down at the table and picked up his teacup again.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn't mind and sipped it slowly.

The servants and guards of the restaurant opposite Jiufenglou were probably unaware of the situation, and Chen Zhan didn't make things difficult for the two of them. The manager of Jiufenglou had already reported the matter to the authorities, so they just had to wait.

Zhao Qi walked over to him and whispered, "Chief镖师, it seems Prince Yi hasn't given up yet."

"Um."

Chen Zhan nodded. "However, this should be the last wave. These scattered assassins aren't directly sent by the Prince's Mansion; they're more like locally hired killers. Their methods are crude, they don't care about martial arts, and they rely on assassination and sneak attacks."

He paused, then continued, "It takes at least ten days for the message from the Prince's residence to travel to Huaibei and back. The fact that they could arrange manpower at this time indicates that they had already pre-planned rendezvous points along the route, so no matter which road the caravan takes, there will be people waiting."

Zhao Qi felt a chill run down his spine after hearing this.

"When we arrive in Suzhou..."

"You'll be safe once you reach Suzhou."

Chen Zhan put down his teacup. "The Xu family is a powerful clan in Suzhou. If they can't even protect their own family, the reformers shouldn't even think about fighting against the iron-hat hereditary officials. Of course, once we've handed over the goods, what happens next is none of our business."

Zhao Qi nodded; that made sense.

Chen Zhan urged everyone to eat a few more bites, then got up and walked to the counter, saying to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, please settle the bill first; include everything that was broken."

The old shopkeeper could tell from Chen Zhan and his companions' skills and the flags that they were no ordinary people, so he dared not offend them. However, he couldn't very well say he wouldn't pay, since it was a considerable sum, and he had already smashed several tables and chairs.

“No need to be polite, just tell me the price, shopkeeper,” Chen Zhan added.

The shopkeeper nodded, fiddled with the abacus beads a couple of times, and said, "That'll be three taels and three mace in total."

Chen Zhan glanced at the damaged tables and chairs in the room, thought the price was reasonable, and took out some silver to pay the other party.

The shopkeeper thanked him profusely and put away the silver.

Chen Zhan then asked, "What's the magistrate of Huaibei City like?"

Upon hearing this question, the shopkeeper paused for a moment, not understanding what he meant by "how is it?"

Chen Zhan then asked, "Is it a righteous official, or...?"

He didn't say what came next, but the meaning was clear.

The shopkeeper naturally understood and whispered in Chen Zhan's ear, "The local magistrate is fairly fair, neither greedy nor muddle-headed, but he's not exactly an iron-fisted judge." Chen Zhan nodded; fairness was all that mattered.

He wasn't asking this casually; he was plotting something. The three assassins had been beaten so badly and left on the street. If the matter was reported to the authorities, they would have to go through the yamen (government office). Going through the yamen would involve checking their identities, taking their statements, and going through procedures. If they encountered a corrupt or incompetent official, or if Prince Yi's connections intervened, the escort team would have a hard time getting out of the yamen.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of constables surged onto the street.

Seven or eight men, dressed in black robes with knives at their waists, some carrying iron chains and others carrying fire and water sticks, first handcuffed the three wailing "beggars" on the ground and took them away, then entered Jiufeng Tower.

The leading constable had broad eyes and large ears. He was in his forties, wearing a black robe and a long knife at his waist. He walked with a swagger, looking like a veteran constable who had been in the yamen for many years.

"Did you report it to the authorities? Who were those three people who hit them?"

His gaze swept over everyone in the canteen, finally settling on Chen Zhan.

"it's me."

Chen Zhan answered decisively.

The constable glanced around and saw the escort flag and a group of burly bodyguards behind Chen Zhan. His expression changed slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed twice.

People from a security escort agency, and judging by their size, they're not to be trifled with.

But he still steeled himself and spoke: "You'll all come with me to the yamen. Whatever the cause of the conflict, it must be recorded."

Chen Zhan did not refuse, but made a request.

Everyone went together, including the shopkeeper and other witnesses present.

His gaze swept over the two tables of guests in the corner of the dining hall: two men who looked like merchants and a middle-aged man drinking alone. These men hadn't said a word from beginning to end, but they were eyewitnesses, and their words at the yamen carried more weight than those of the security escort agency.

The head constable naturally couldn't refuse such a request; with witnesses present, it was only right to bring them along.

He then led everyone to the yamen (government office).

The Huaibei County Government Office was not large, consisting of two courtyards. Above the main hall hung the four large characters "明镜高悬" (meaning "a clear mirror hangs high"). On both sides stood yamen runners, holding fire and water sticks, arranged in two rows, presenting a solemn appearance.

County Magistrate Tong Jianxing sat in the hall. He was in his fifties, with a thin face and a mustache. He wore the official robes of a seventh-rank county magistrate, and his black gauze hat was neatly placed on his head. He looked quite righteous.

Chen Zhan and his group stood below the main hall, while the Xu family members were behind them. They were led by the yamen runners to a side hall to sit temporarily. The two children were restless and peered out from the door frame of the side hall.

Tong Jianxing asked a few questions and quickly found out the whole story.

There were simply too many eyewitnesses: the manager and waiters of Jiufenglou, the customers at those two tables, plus the passersby on the street. The testimonies of more than a dozen people matched, leaving no room for concealment.

The three beggars were imposters who attempted to assassinate the guests being escorted by the security company with daggers, but were subdued on the spot by the security guards.

The facts are clear and the evidence is conclusive; in principle, registering the case and releasing the person should be the end of it.

But when Tong Jianxing looked through the case files that were presented to him, he frowned.

The case file listed the names of the guests escorted by the security escort agency.

Xu Zhiyuan's family.

His fingers paused on the case file for a moment, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Xu Zhiyuan, a third-rank official in the current court and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was recently urgently transferred to the south to take charge of administration, and now holds the title of Governor of Jiangnan.

The Xu family wielded immense power in the south, with Suzhou being their ancestral home. Their clansmen were scattered throughout the region, and they owned thousands of acres of fertile land. Their influence in the area was comparable to that of a minor feudal lord.

The roughnecks of the escort agency were oblivious to the factional struggles in the imperial court, but Magistrate Tong Jianxing was well aware of them.

The reformers and the imperialists had been fighting for years, and the court was rife with undercurrents. Xu Zhiyuan was a key figure in the reformers. His family was assassinated on the road. This incident was not about any江湖恩怨 (jianghu grudges), but about factional infighting within the court.

As a seventh-rank county magistrate, he was caught in the middle, unable to offend either side.

Tong Jianxing's mind raced, his lips moved, and he made a decision.

He closed the case file, raised his head, looked at Chen Zhan below the hall, and his tone softened.

"This case involves the assassination of a high-ranking official's family member; it is a serious matter and cannot be closed hastily. Guards, take the women and children to the back room to rest and be well taken care of. Further arrangements will be made after the county court has completed its trial."

He was referring to the "back room".

The back hall was the inner courtyard of the county government office, separated from the main hall in front by a courtyard wall. Once inside, it was out of Chen Zhan's sight.

Chen Zhan's brow twitched slightly.

"My lord, there's no need. My family will stay here; we won't go anywhere."

Tong Jianxing's expression changed.

"What did you say?"

“I said, the family members will stay here, within my sight, and won’t go anywhere else.”

Chen Zhan's tone remained unchanged, still calm and even, but the meaning behind his words was firm and unyielding.

He knew what Tong Jianxing was thinking. He wanted to report it, and perhaps he wouldn't actively harm Xu Zhiyuan's family. But if they were taken to the back room and separated from the escort agency's people, he wouldn't be able to help them if something happened, and the escort would be lost.

Shopkeeper Tong Jianxing was right; this magistrate was "fairly fair."

When faced with a choice between two sides, which side will someone who doesn't want to offend either side take?

Most people side with the more powerful side.

Prince Yi was a hereditary prince, while Xu Zhiyuan was only a third-rank official. Comparing the two, Tong Jianxing knew which was more important.

"How dare you!"

Tong Jianxing slammed his gavel, his previous gentle expression vanishing, replaced by an air of absolute authority.

"Can't you hear me? This unruly commoner dares to disobey official orders?"

The constables on both sides shouted in unison, "Majesty!"

The water-and-fire stick struck the ground three times with a "thump, thump, thump," the sound echoing in the hall.

Several constables gripped their batons tightly and took two steps toward Chen Zhan.

Zhao Qi, Zhang Kai, Zhang Yi, and Li Hanzhang took a step back.

Chen Zhan stood in the middle of the hall, motionless.

Taking action wasn't out of the question; these constables were practically made of paper in front of him, and he could clear the area in the blink of an eye.

But this is a government office.

Serving as an official in a government office is completely different from fighting bandits in the mountains. It is considered resisting the government and defying the imperial court, a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire family.

He himself doesn't care; he's using an alias, so they can't catch him or find him. But what about the people from the escort agency?
Zhao Qi, Zhang Kai, Zhang Yi, Li Hanzhang, and Wang Xiaochuan—these are all people with names, backgrounds, and connections. They made their move in the yamen (government office), and once they returned to the capital, the Shunyuan Escort Agency was finished.

His hand clenched slightly, then relaxed. (End of Chapter)