Under the fist

Chapter 1: The Boy, the Extraordinary

September 1979, Guanzhong.

In the cramped green train carriage, people were packed together, with barely enough room to put their feet down.

Everyone was pushing and shoving their way in, and everyone seemed to have endless things to say.

People were slumped under the seats, lying on the luggage racks, standing in the aisle, and even outside the window, someone was being frantically rummaged through the air, being helped up by their bottom. Pots and pans of all sizes were clattering and rattling, mixed with the cries of children, shouts of various voices, and the strange, wailing noises from the broken loudspeaker outside—it was utter chaos.

Just as the train was about to depart, a head with thick eyebrows and big eyes suddenly emerged from the noisy crowd. He was wearing a Lei Feng hat around his neck, a white shirt, and green military pants.

The boy had strong features and was tall and strong. He held a heavy bag high in his hand, as if he had used all his strength. He gritted his teeth and stuck his head out, then squeezed out half of his body, and then pulled his hands and feet out with a flushed face.

"This is really dangerous."

Muttering a complaint, Lian Youming quickly straightened his clothes, then hurried to a window and called out to his mother and younger siblings outside, "You should go back soon... I'll probably be back soon."

"You brat, if you dare cause trouble again, I'll skin you alive."

Seeing that her son was about to be sent to the countryside, Lian's mother, who was originally teary-eyed, became furious when she saw the boy's smirking face.

Standing beside their mother, Lian Shuang, the younger sister, said worriedly, "Brother, you must take good care of yourself over there. Don't act impulsively in any situation."

The third son, Lian Lei, was only eight years old. Holding his mother's hand, he exclaimed with his chubby face, "Brother, Dad is actually here too. He also said that men never regret what they do, so he's probably watching you somewhere right now."

Upon hearing this, Lian Youming glanced at the platform, and only chuckled when he spotted a familiar figure. "Alright, I got it."

As they spoke, the train began to slowly move, but Lian's mother's words of advice could still be heard outside the window: "Mom cooked your favorite tea eggs last night, they're all in the bag. Remember to eat them on the way, don't leave them too long, they'll spoil easily... Also, when we get to the north, remember to change into the thick coat in the bag, don't get cold..."

Lian Youming kept responding, "Mmm, I know... Let's not change the clothes, it's only September."

Unfortunately, the words were immediately interrupted by the deafening roar of the train.

By the time he tried to respond, the station had already disappeared into the receding scenery.

Seeing this, Lian Youming quickly leaned out and waved his hand, only pulling back in when he could no longer see his mother's figure.

He touched the tea eggs in his bag; they were heavy and substantial. "Good heavens, are they struggling to make ends meet?"

As the train pulled away, more sobs filled the carriages.

In this era, people are still pure and willing to leave the city for their ideals, traveling day and night to those unfamiliar and arduous places.

Learn from Daqing in industry, and learn from Dazhai in agriculture.

Going to the countryside.

Lian Youming glanced around and found that there were only a dozen or so people cutting in line in the carriage.

Compared to the massive scale of the "Down to the Countryside Movement" of millions of educated youth in the past, this was now the year the movement was coming to an end, and most of the educated youth who had been sent to the countryside in various provinces had returned to the cities. As for himself, he should have continued his studies and taken the college entrance examination after graduating from high school, but something happened.

"I just beat up a few thugs who were harassing young girls, and they want me to go hide in the countryside."

Lian Youming muttered resentfully, but in his heart he knew he had gone a bit too far.

Several thugs suffered broken arms or legs, and the most seriously injured one almost lost half his life. He was kicked in the groin and is reportedly still lying at home.

It's fortunate that her own father had military merits; otherwise, this matter would have been much more complicated.

But what was most unexpected was that the girl he saved denied being bullied and refused to come forward to testify, which led to this incident.

Having lived two lives, Lian Youming was well aware of the intricacies involved. This person was either threatened or had been paid to change his story; it seemed those thugs came from families with considerable influence.

But what's done is done. If the road is uneven, someone will smooth it over; if injustice is wrong, someone will take care of it. He had nothing to regret. Besides, those thugs had already brandished knives. If he hadn't used force, he might be the one lying in bed right now.

As for reading, it doesn't matter where you read.

Seemingly unable to breathe due to the rampant smell of smoke and sweat in the carriage, Lian Youming simply walked out of the crowd, trying to find a place to catch his breath. However, he was momentarily stunned and ended up being squeezed next to the toilet.

He had barely stood still and hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when a foul odor suddenly rushed in from the cold wind outside the window, along with the strange smells in the carriage and some food smells, making his face turn green.

"I go."

By the time Lian Youming wanted to change locations, it was too late.

People from both ends were pushing and shoving, blocking the way in front and cutting off the way behind. Lian Youming suddenly felt as if he had been surrounded by enemies, with a dark mass of surging heads in front of him, making people sway and stagger.

However, there are advantages to the smell, namely that he is the only person in the small area around the toilet, making it particularly spacious.

Lian Youming was too lazy to squeeze out any further. He simply pulled out two wads of cotton from his satchel, rubbed them, stuffed them into his nose, hugged his luggage, and squatted down against the swaying carriage with his buttocks dangling.

Unlike the other educated youths in the carriage, who were traveling together but mostly joining the local train crew and could get off after two or three stops, he was heading to a more remote place in Northeast China, near Mohe. He would have to change trains in the north, and even without delays on the road, it would take at least two or three days.

Seeing the loud noise in the carriage, with shouts and cries, Lian Youming simply plugged his ears with cotton and hugged his luggage to calm himself down.

Before I knew it, it was already evening. The setting sun slanted down outside the window, and patches of red clouds hung on the rolling mountains in the distance. They were as red as blood and as bright as gold, reflecting the birds flying south.

Lian Youming didn't know how long he had been dozing off. In his drowsy state, he heard a singing voice and subconsciously looked up.

"The spring water in the border region is clear and pure, and the songs from the border region warm people's hearts..."

It turned out that a few college students had boarded the train. The singers were female students, and someone else was playing the harmonica. Their singing was loud and clear, attracting a crowd of passengers who watched, applauded, and cheered.

Lian Youming had already gotten used to the smell next to the toilet. Ignoring the stares of those around him, he sat down and started eating tea eggs while listening to music.

But as he was eating, he suddenly exclaimed "Huh?" and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that there were other people in this small area besides himself.

The man had a sallow complexion, with several pancakes rolled up in one hand and a bunch of scallions in the other. He didn't care about the people coming and going in the toilet, and just ate heartily, seemingly enjoying his meal.

Lian Youming was curious and glanced at the other person a few more times.

The man was disheveled, with a stubble beard, and wore a faded blue Zhongshan suit. His thin cheeks were full of food, which he chewed vigorously and earnestly.

After chewing, he still had to swallow. With each swallow, the veins on the man's forehead bulged, and his eyes bulged wide, as if he had used up all his strength, or as if he were eating his last meal.

Lian Youming stared intently, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

He only looked away quickly after the other person had stuffed the entire pancake and scallion into their mouth and swallowed it.

What a ravenous eating manner!

Judging from his clothes and appearance, he looked like a farmer, his hands covered in calluses...

"Ok?"

Lian Youming's eyelids suddenly twitched, and he casually glanced at the man's hands.

Before his father was demobilized, he was the company commander of a reconnaissance company. He was not only proficient in firearms, grappling, and hand-to-hand combat, but also had particularly outstanding reconnaissance skills.

Although Lian Youming did not receive the true teachings, he had been influenced by what he saw and heard and had also pondered it in secret for a while, so his ability to discern others was definitely sufficient.

However, it would have been better if he hadn't looked at it. Just that one glance was enough to change Lian Youming's previously nonchalant expression.

This person... is not simple.

Those hands, half-hidden in the sleeves, appeared rough and thick, much like those of a hardworking farmer. But what was strange was that the palms and backs of the hands were covered with a layer of hard calluses, without a single hair visible. Moreover, these calluses were distributed extremely evenly, not even between the fingers, and the palm lines had been worn away.

Lian Youming raised his eyebrows. He remembered that many of his father's comrades-in-arms had visited his home before, one of whom was similar to him.

The man had mastered a Northern-style Eagle Claw Kung Fu technique. His ten fingers were strong and muscular, and with the slightest movement, his strength flowed to his fingertips, making them feel like raw iron. Although the man claimed to have only learned a little bit, he managed to press three finger holes into the wooden table in the man's house with just that little bit of skill.

Later, Lian Youming overheard his parents talking and learned that the man had been someone's bodyguard before he retired from the army.

And the person in front of me is most likely the same kind of being as that person.

Thinking of this, Lian Youming was secretly amazed. Having been reborn, he had always thought he was destined for greatness, determined to seize every opportunity to make a fortune and rise above others. Who would have thought that before he had even done anything, he would encounter such extraordinary people one after another.

In fact, he was also somewhat curious about these things, otherwise he wouldn't have pestered his father to teach him a few fighting techniques.

Which man in this world doesn't dream of being a martial arts hero?

Lian Youming knew that some things in this world, hidden from the secular world and known to few, were destined to be beyond the reach of ordinary people. If it weren't for his parents in this life, he would probably have encountered these extraordinary people as nothing out of the ordinary.

Unlike in those martial arts novels where people would bow down and worship upon seeing a master, Lian Youming composed himself and simply stopped looking. The man, on the other hand, remained expressionless throughout, as if everything around him was irrelevant; he neither looked nor listened.

As dusk fell outside the window, the train moved along, stopping and starting, passing one station after another. Passengers came and went, their faces constantly changing. Fortunately, the carriage was no longer as crowded as before. Lian Youming seized the opportunity, grabbed a seat by the aisle, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He still had more than ten hours before he got off the train, and he didn't want to spend the night by the toilet.

The night wind howled outside the window, bringing a touch of coolness.

Lian Youming looked up and realized that the educated youth who had boarded the train with him were gone. The college students who had sung earlier were also fast asleep in their seats. The carriage, which had been noisy and chaotic during the day, was now gradually quieting down.

Then, as if possessed, Lian Youming glanced towards the toilet again.

For some reason, ever since he caught a glimpse of that person's hands during the day, he couldn't shake the image of them from his mind.

The man was still standing there, arms crossed, eyes slightly closed, as if he were dozing off.

As for Lian Youming, he had already subconsciously imagined the other party's identity.

Martial arts master?

Assassin?
A hermit master?

Or perhaps it was a sudden death?

Unexpectedly, once the thought took hold, it became unstoppable, and his mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts.

Suddenly, Lian Youming's eyes lit up as he noticed something particularly strange.

The man stood with his feet slightly apart, neither shoulder-width apart nor feet-height. Although he had nothing to lean on, his body rose and fell with the swaying of the carriage, as if he were riding a horse or floating on water. Yet he remained very stable, as if he were rooted to the ground and had become one with the carriage.

"What are they doing? Practicing martial arts?"

Perhaps piqued by curiosity, Lian Youming simply turned to the side, no longer bothering to hide, and quietly began to observe.

Since the other party can use their methods in such a place, why would they care about the opinions of others?

Moreover, it's not enough for ordinary people to just see it; they also need to understand the intricacies. Otherwise, to the average person, the posture is no different from sitting or lying down, except that it looks a bit strange.

Lian Youming was initially dumbfounded. Even though he knew the other person was different from ordinary people, he couldn't find anything special about him. As time passed and the moisture outside the window condensed into frost, his previously drowsy eyes suddenly widened and then opened wide, and the expression on his face became more interesting than ever before.

As the chest and abdomen rose and fell, two streams of white vapor suddenly emerged from the person's mouth and nose, leaping out like dragons and snakes, each a few inches long, before being swallowed into the throat by the person.

In an instant, the man Lian Youming saw underwent an extraordinary change.

The man's face was radiant, his eyes held a restrained brilliance, and with each breath he exhaled, two streams of white mist, like dragons and snakes, flowed back and forth between his mouth and nose.

As the man inhaled and exhaled, his clothes also expanded and contracted accordingly, as if there were turbulent winds inside. Even the loose Zhongshan suit was stretched with lines that looked like dragons and snakes moving, and air pockets appeared all over his body.

Lian Youming was dumbfounded.

"What's the trick to this?"

But when he suppressed his shock and looked again, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

A little while later, several groups of passengers passed through the aisle, some going to the toilet and others needing hot water.

Suddenly, two figures walked quickly past the boy.

For no apparent reason, Lian Youming, who was dozing with his eyes closed, suddenly felt a chill and involuntarily shrank his neck.

"This feeling... murderous intent!"

Lian Youming shuddered, quickly suppressing his surprise and doubt, and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

This feeling was all too familiar to him. It was exactly the same feeling his father had experienced in nightmares a few years ago. Especially the scene where he unintentionally shouted "Kill!" The sound was like a beast's roar, extremely tragic, and it even scared the military dog ​​in the yard to death.

Why would there be murderous intent on a train?
Wait, could it be that they went there for that person?
In an instant, the hairs on the back of Lian Youming's neck stood on end, and his heart was pounding in his throat.

He squinted cautiously and, sure enough, both men were heading towards the sallow-faced man.

By this time, most of the passengers in the carriage had fallen asleep, and it was completely quiet.

"What are they going to do?" Lian Youming's palms were sweaty, and he subconsciously reached for his satchel.

By the dim light overhead, one could see his right hand reach out and retract, revealing a slingshot in his hand.

He didn't intend to fight or help, but rather felt a tremendous threat and subconsciously wanted to find something to protect himself.

Just as Lian Youming was intently waiting, staring nervously at the backs of the two people.

One of the middle-aged men, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, suddenly stopped and turned around to look.

As luck would have it, their eyes met Lian Youming's.

The two men, one old and one burly, one short and one tall, the former wearing a Zhongshan suit and the latter a People's clothing, both had cold, stern faces, showing no emotion.

Meeting the other's cold, sharp eyes, Lian Youming felt a chill run down his spine as the sound of the wind outside the window suddenly vanished, followed by the strange noise of wheels rolling over the tracks, and all the starlight disappeared.

However, they entered a tunnel.

The already dimly lit carriage became even darker.

Just as the light and shadow shifted, and the lights outside the window flickered, figures crossed paths at the junction of the carriages.

Within that small space, a deadly intent arose.

Lian Youming's eyes widened. He faintly heard words like "Xingyi Sect", "traitor", and "die" in his ears. Then he saw the middle-aged man who had just turned around to look at him suddenly turn around and pounce like a tiger, fiercely attacking the sallow-faced man.

Lian Youming saw that the man rushed out quickly, but retreated even faster. His back suddenly hunched over, his clothes ripped open with a "rip," his brows furrowed, and his face visibly paled.

And whether it was just his imagination or not, he noticed that the man's gaze towards him held a hint of resentment.

The old man had a full head of silver hair, gray eyebrows and a beard, and a gaunt face that revealed a fierce look. In a flash, he took the opportunity to leap and swung into the air like a monkey, using both hands and feet to attack the man next to the toilet, punching his throat and kicking his chest.

The sallow-faced man remained expressionless, but his gaze bypassed the old man and intentionally or unintentionally glanced towards Lian Youming.

Lian Youming was both thrilled and somewhat confused.

But the old man's expression changed. With his back to Lian Youming, he saw his opponent's movements and assumed that the man had helpers. He subconsciously held back a bit of the power in his killing move that he had been putting all his strength into.

But in the instant his thoughts changed, the old man's expression suddenly changed.

The sallow-faced man was now slouching, his shoulders and elbows drooping, and as he gathered his strength, his Zhongshan suit seemed to swell up a size.

Amidst the old man's shocked and furious gaze, the man bent his arm as if a tiger were grabbing his head, took a step forward, and fiercely met the old man's attack from the side, raising his elbow to protect his throat while forcefully thrusting forward.

"Humph!"

Lian Youming's view was blocked, so he couldn't see the two fighting, but he heard a muffled groan. The old man's limbs trembled, and he flew backward five or six meters from the back of the carriage.

The man did not fall to the ground. He steadied himself by sinking his feet, taking several steps back. An unusual flush appeared on his aged face.

Before Lian Youming could recover from his shock, the old man and the strong man in the carriage, without saying a word, swiftly opened a window and nimbly climbed out.

Just then, the starlight reappeared outside the window, and the train emerged from the tunnel.

As for that inexplicable scene just now, no one but Lian Youming witnessed it.

"Fuck!"

Lian Youming was dumbfounded. He had thought that his second life would be like living in a period drama, but now it felt like he had jumped into a martial arts drama.

And all of this happened so fast, so quickly, so quickly, it was over before I could even understand what was going on.

It seems the man who ate the pancake probably won.

Lian Youming quickly looked towards the toilet, only to find that it was completely empty, with no one in sight.

……

(End of this chapter)