I changed the world.

"Yo~~~~~ Master Gui, are you sparring?" The door to the martial arts school was pushed open, and a somewhat sarcastic voice followed.

"Is my timing a bit off? Please don't take offense, Master Gui..."

Zhang Jing turned his head and saw a young man with a shaved head wearing a shirt. Behind him were three men in black suits with fierce expressions. One of them had a gray suit jacket draped over his arm, presumably to help the man in front of him with his clothes.

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Spy Photography Operation

Although he said it was unfortunate, the bald man didn't stand on ceremony at all and just walked in swaggeringly.

"Brother Tiger, what are you doing here again?" Gui Cang asked with a gloomy expression as he ripped off his helmet.

"I just came to see Master Gui, didn't I?" the bald man said with a grin. Zhang Jing secretly sized him up, noticing the muscular physique beneath his white shirt and his steady gait; he was likely a trained martial artist as well.

"I heard... Master Gui's place has been rather quiet lately."

"What does this have to do with you? Didn't I already reply to you last time?" Guicang said impatiently, "You go your way, and I'll go mine."

"Hey~~~~ Master Gui, don't be so absolute. Look at all your skills, running such a small martial arts school, how much money can you possibly make? It's such a waste of your talent~~~~~" the bald man said in a slightly exaggerated tone, "I'm really looking forward to Master Gui joining us in this grand endeavor..."

“My ancestors taught that one must follow the right path in this world to become a righteous person. I dare not disobey this.” Guicang cupped his hands towards the wooden shrine beside him and said, “Brother Hu, please go back.”

The bald man scoffed dismissively, "What era are we living in? Master Gui is still spouting such outdated nonsense. In this world... money is the only truth!"

With that, he shook his head, turned around, and waved his hand: "Alright, I won't bother Master Gui any longer. I just came to pay a casual visit today. I hope Master Gui will reconsider my invitation."

Without lingering, he turned and left with the other three, disappearing through the doorway.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the bald man did not utter a single word to Zhang Jing.

After this incident, it was clear that the two were no longer suited to continue their contest. They each removed their protective gear. Guicang glanced at Zhang Jing and forced a smile, saying, "Hongjian, your foundation is very solid, and your movements are agile. You're not just some country bumpkin."

"Master Gui, you flatter me," Zhang Jing said. Seeing that Gui Zang seemed somewhat absent-minded and looked troubled, even though they weren't close, he couldn't help but ask, "Who were those people just now...?"

“That man’s name is Yan Hu. He’s a gangster and he’s been trying to recruit me.” Guicang didn’t try to hide anything: “Once you get involved in this kind of thing, you’ll never be able to get out of it. I’m not going.”

"Master Gui is a man of great character!" Zhang Jing said, bowing respectfully.

The concept of "daxing" (打行, literally "hit gangs") didn't exist in Zhang Jing's previous life. They primarily engaged in "dirty" work, such as debt collection, revenge, and were frequently involved in civil disputes like land expropriation. Because they were paid to do things, they differed from pure organized crime. However, since daxing mostly served wealthy families and even criminal gangs, and were protected by certain local powers, they had a poor reputation among the people.

Guicang returned the greeting with a bow, shook his head, and said nothing more.

"I'd like to learn some swordsmanship from Master Gui, but I'm wondering about the fees..."

"Oh?" Gui Cang's eyes lit up upon hearing this. After what had just happened, he thought Zhang Jing wouldn't stay, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better.

"I see that Hongjian, you also possess martial arts skills, so you don't need to follow the regular courses. How about this, you can pay a membership fee, and then you can come whenever you want..."

After paying a six-month membership fee of 500 yuan, Zhang Jing studied swordsmanship with Guicang for a while and felt that he had benefited from it before leaving the martial arts school.

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Before he knew it, evening had arrived, and the sky was already darkening. As Zhang Jing walked, he flipped through the map on his phone. He noticed an old restaurant not far away that specialized in ginseng stewed chicken, and the online reviews were good, so he decided to give it a try.

However, just as he rounded a corner, several people appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Zhang Jing looked up and saw that they weren't strangers, but the four thugs he had just seen.

The bald man who was leading the group, Yan Hu, squinted, took out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth. Someone next to him quickly stepped forward to light it for him. He took a deep breath, then exhaled a puff of smoke, pointed at Zhang Jing with the hand holding the cigarette, and then leaned against a lamppost by the roadside to start smoking.

A man in a black suit walked up to Zhang Jing and looked at him with a half-smile: "Young man, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Zhang Jing stopped in his tracks, knowing that these people were probably there to ambush him. He didn't say anything, but smiled slightly and said, "Yes, what a coincidence."

Zhang Jing's calm demeanor clearly surprised the other party, who looked him up and down and asked, "Young man, you've just come to Master Gui's place to learn kung fu, haven't you?"

“Yes,” Zhang Jing nodded, “Is there a problem?”

"As you can see, we have a little conflict with Master Gui..." The man in the black suit chuckled. "So, I think, young man, you shouldn't come here to learn kung fu anymore. Master Gui's kung fu isn't suitable for you."

"Really? I think it's a good deal. Besides, I've already paid, so why don't you give me a refund?"

Seeing Zhang Jing feigning ignorance, the man in the black suit immediately darkened his expression: "The purpose of practicing martial arts is to strengthen the body. If you injure or cripple your body, that's not good... Don't you think so?"

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, my friend. How can practicing martial arts lead to injury?” Zhang Jing touched his chin thoughtfully and said, “You seem to have a lot of experience. Have you ever been injured?”

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Just as Zhang Jing was talking to the man in the black suit, two girls dressed as students were peeking around from another corner behind them.

"Hey, Xiaoqing, look, look, is there going to be a fight up ahead?" A schoolgirl with shoulder-length hair and a red hair clip whispered to her companion.

"Those guys blocking the way don't look like good people. Maybe they're trying to extort money from us?" Her companion, a girl with a ponytail and also wearing a school uniform, said in a low voice.

"Then let's not go over there yet, let's wait until they leave before we go over, okay?"

"Okay, let's check the situation first," the girl with the ponytail said, taking out her phone and turning on the recording function. She carefully extended the phone out from behind the corner of the wall.

"Be careful, don't let anyone find out."

"Don't worry, it won't happen. If a fight really breaks out, I'll definitely gain more followers if I upload it to F station."

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Chapter Thirty-Five: The Master

The man in black made a few subtle threats, but Zhang Jing feigned ignorance and retorted each time, which made Zhang Jing's expression turn sour. They had done this more than once before, but the previous times, the students had backed down after being threatened. After all, no one wanted to provoke these people who didn't look like good people just to learn martial arts.

This is the first time I've encountered someone like Zhang Jing who seems unyielding to both soft and hard approaches.

"Playing dumb, huh... You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!" Feeling a bit embarrassed, the man in black reached out and grabbed Zhang Jing's throat.

However, before his outstretched hand could even touch Zhang Jing's throat, his wrist was suddenly tightened, as the other man had already grabbed it from behind. Immediately afterward, a tremendous twisting force rose from his wrist, and suddenly, the world spun around him, and he was slammed face down to the ground like a rag caught in a wheel.

"Huh?!" Just as Zhang Jing made his move, Yan Hu, who was smoking, suddenly narrowed his eyes and casually flicked his cigarette aside: "Damn it, I misjudged him."

"Hand...hand..." The man in black was lying on the ground, his right hand behind his back, his elbow at an abnormal angle. He dared not move, only groaning, clearly in extreme pain.

"He's actually a trained fighter..." Yan Hu reached into his waistband, pulled out a baton, snapped it straight, and waved it at the two men in black beside him. One of the men in black also pulled out a baton, while the other put on a brass knuckle duster.

Yan Hu, with a gloomy face, strode forward, holding a baton at an angle, and swung it diagonally down at Zhang Jing.

The stick whistled through the air, and in the dim light, it was already at Zhang Jing's face in a flash.

Zhang Jing didn't dodge; instead, he swung his left forearm out like a stick, aiming to clash with the opponent's stick.

The short baton collided with the arm instantly. Yan Hu's face was sinister, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. His baton was specially made of tool steel. If the opponent rashly used his arm to meet the attack, his bones would definitely not be able to withstand it. He thought he could give the opponent an unforgettable lesson.

However, the next moment, before Yan Hu's smile had faded, he felt a strong force strike his hand. He lost his grip on the baton, which flew out of his hand and landed on the paving stone with a dull thud. The baton was bent in a definite bend, as if it had been struck.

As Zhang Jing seized the moment when Yan Hu's arm was swung away, leaving his front wide open, he stepped forward and rushed between Yan Hu's legs, slamming his right shoulder into Yan Hu's chest. Yan Hu was sent flying backward, crashing into a lamppost. The lamppost shook violently, and its cover shattered on the ground.

Yan Hu slid down from the lamppost, kneeling on both knees. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was in so much pain that he dared not even breathe loudly.

He heard a whoosh of wind behind him, and Zhang Jing instinctively ducked and kicked to the side, dodging a fist covered in brass knuckles. At the same time, he kicked the black-clad man in the waist, sending him flying five or six meters into the roadside bushes, where he fell silent.

With a swift movement of his right hand, he grabbed the last baton that was being swung at him, twisted it, and snatched it from his grasp. Immediately afterward, Zhang Jing stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and struck the last man in black in the chest with a fist salute. The man in black was thrown into the air and flew directly onto a roadside tree, causing the trunk, which took two people to encircle, to shake violently. He then fell to the ground and landed hanging from a branch more than two meters off the ground.

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Jing sent the baton flying straight out of his hand with a whistling sound, embedding itself in the tree trunk beside the man in black, down to the handle.

In the blink of an eye, from the moment the man in black made his move to the moment Zhang Jing finished and stopped, it all happened in just over ten seconds.

Zhang Jing clapped his hands together and walked towards Yan Hu. Yan Hu was still kneeling there, not yet recovered. Seeing Zhang Jing approaching, he was terrified, but he couldn't lose face. He forced a hoarse voice and said, "This time I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I have offended this friend. I admit defeat. I, Yan Hu, will host a banquet at Yunhu Guiyunlou to apologize to my friend."

Zhang Jing didn't answer, but slowly walked closer until he stopped beside Yan Hu. Yan Hu's body was tense, clearly very nervous, but at this moment, he dared not make any other movements.

"There's no need for an apology, I'm very busy," Zhang Jing said after a moment of silence.

As he spoke, he reached out and patted Yan Hu on the shoulder, causing Yan Hu to tremble slightly: "I'm just giving you a piece of advice: the world is a dangerous place, so you should be more cautious."

"I've learned a lot, I've learned a lot..."

Regardless of whether Yan Hu's statement was true or false, Zhang Jing stopped what he was doing, glanced at the mess around him, put his hands behind his back, and strolled away into the distance...

Once Zhang Jing had walked away, Yan Hu, who had been kneeling on the ground, finally caught his breath and struggled to his feet. He clutched his chest, glanced at his companion still hanging in the tree, and then turned his head to stare intently in the direction Zhang Jing had left.

After a long pause, he exhaled, "Hitting someone like hanging a painting... Where did that guy Guicang find such a master..."

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"Wow!!! That person is amazing! Even more amazing than on TV!" From around the corner, the girl with shoulder-length hair clenched her fists, lowered her voice, but her eyes were full of stars.

"Really? That's amazing..." The girl with the ponytail next to her also gaped, "She's way better than Zhu Linsheng in our class!"

"Is that the show-off guy who claims to have studied Fusang Hands for two years? Pfft, he's nowhere near as good!" The shoulder-length-haired girl pouted, then leaned closer to her companion's phone: "By the way, Xiaoqing, check your phone, did you take pictures of everything?"

"Don't be so loud, or we'll get caught." The girl with the ponytail reminded her companion while putting her phone away from its upright position. "Let me see."

After being reminded, the girl with shoulder-length hair covered her mouth with her hand and leaned over to look at her companion's phone, saying, "It's already dark, and you're taking pictures with your back to the camera. It's already pretty good that you can get a clear picture."

"Hey~ upload it now!"

"Post it sooner, gain more followers sooner..." Xiaoqing skillfully opened a mobile app called "FreeLiving," then went to the backend and started editing the title of her short video: "On-site witness! Martial arts master battles armed gangsters on the street, ten seconds, 1 vs 4!!"

"On my way home from school today, my classmates and I unexpectedly witnessed an amazing live-action fight. I used to think that martial arts masters only existed on TV, but I never imagined that there were such amazing people! One against four, that's just too amazing! ㄟ(▔皿▔ㄟ)(╯▔皿▔)╯" After editing her name, Xiaoqing quickly typed a description, then selected the video she had just filmed, clicked upload, and uploaded the video to her personal page.

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Chapter Thirty-Six: Special Event? Wish Points Increased!

Completely unaware that his actions had been posted online by the two little girls, Zhang Jing still decided to go ahead with his plan to eat ginseng chicken. Although those people seemed to have been badly beaten in the fight, he had actually held back. Otherwise, they wouldn't have simply been sent flying; they would have had some bones and internal organs shattered. But if that were the case, someone would definitely die, and Zhang Jing wouldn't go that far.

Hopefully, these people will learn from this experience.

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