You all chase after the innocent school beauty, then I'll choose the rebellious female school b

Zhang Tieguai, leaning on his iron crutch which had been taped with tape, and clutching a flashlight in his left hand, limped over.

The beam of light flickered and shone on the man in black. He roared, "Who are you? How dare you touch my young master! Do you believe I'll beat you to death?"

The man in black didn't seem to care. His eyes flickered subtly, and he probably even curled his lips into a smile, clearly mocking Zhang Tieguai for overestimating his abilities.

His expression was practically screaming: "You cripple, get out of my way!"

"Master Zhang, you should take Yixian away quickly, it's very dangerous." Lu Yuan stood up, clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain. His chest ached as if he had been hit with a hammer.

"Young boss, stop talking." Zhang Tieguai didn't even turn his head. "Today, I, Zhang Tieguai, will protect you."

As he spoke, he limped and stood in front of the two young men.

Lu Yuan watched his retreating figure, feeling bitter inside.

Although Zhang Tieguai was a gatekeeper with the responsibility of protecting the factory, he was, after all, an elderly man. His usual job was simply to open the gate and check the cleanliness of the entrance. No one expected him to be able to handle such emergencies.

Apart from a heavy iron cane, he didn't have a decent weapon.

Where's the riot shield? Where's the riot fork? We need to get one, right?

Now I remember, the Lu family didn't buy him any of these things.

Lu Yuan wanted to cry but had no tears.

"Go to hell!"

The man in black's eyes hardened, and he charged forward with his knife.

"Be careful!"

Ye Yixian called out subconsciously.

However, as soon as the words were spoken, a muffled "bang" was heard, like the sound of metal hitting metal, followed by the crisp sound of the curved knife in the black man's hand falling to the ground, and the lingering crackling of fireworks in the distance.

Upon closer inspection...

Good heavens! Zhang Tieguai, holding his iron crutch, stood with his legs apart, firmly planted on the ground, striking a very imposing pose. The crutch was held horizontally in front of him, slightly tilted, like a wall.

Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian were both stunned.

The man in black is definitely a trained fighter with excellent skills. The strength and speed he displayed when fighting Lu Yuan just now far exceeded those of ordinary people, and he is likely also a master of using a knife.

But when faced with a lame old gatekeeper, he couldn't even last a single move and was easily disarmed.

The man in black clutched his aching wrist and staggered back several steps before staring at Zhang Tieguai in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Master Zhang, didn't you say your leg was failing?" Lu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"My legs aren't what they used to be, but I still have the skills I had when I was young." Zhang Tieguai said calmly, as if he were commenting on the nice weather. "Dealing with these petty thieves will be a piece of cake."

As he spoke, he swung his iron crutch again, the sound of it cutting through the air filling the air. The heavy iron crutch felt as light as a twig in his hand.

Lu Yuan was dumbfounded. In his memory, the lame gatekeeper he had hired was a disabled man who couldn't even carry water properly. He walked slowly, spoke slowly, and looked no different from any other retired old man on the street when he sat in the gatehouse smoking.

Why does he act like a completely different person when he starts fighting?

The man in black shook his numb wrist, gritted his teeth, and pulled out a second knife from his back waist, launching another attack on Zhang Tieguai.

This time, Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian saw it more clearly.

Zhang Tieguai remained calm and composed when faced with the black-clad man charging at him with a knife, without even taking a single step back.

With a flick of his iron cane, he deflected the blade; with a flick, he pried open the black-clad man's stance; with a strike, he slammed the black-clad man's chest, thus giving Lu Yuan a taste of his own medicine.

Three strokes, clean and neat.

The man in black was knocked to the ground, writhing in pain. His scimitar flew out of his hand again, bounced twice on the ground, and slid a long distance away.

Throughout the entire process, Zhang Tieguai's feet did not move an inch, like a defensive tower, unmoving and providing a great sense of security.

Lu Yuan was dumbfounded.

He had no idea that the gatekeeper at his factory was actually a hidden master.

In his previous life, Lu Yuan had also met some talented people from the common folk, many of whom were skilled in martial arts.

Why do we say "fist and foot skills" instead of "martial arts"?

So-called martial arts are fighting skills that rely on physical strength and technique to deal with enemies. They are skills that ordinary people can learn through hard work and practice.

Sanda, boxing, and Muay Thai all fall into this category.

But martial arts are not just about fighting skills; they also include something else: internal energy.

Internal strength is a rather mysterious thing, and Lu Yuan has never practiced it, so he can't explain it in detail.

But it is real. Some extraordinary individuals have indeed mastered internal energy, which is why they can unleash power that ordinary people cannot achieve no matter how much they train.

That power doesn't come from muscles or weight, but rather surges from deep within the body, like an undercurrent.

Martial arts, in essence, are a fusion of internal energy and fighting techniques.

It is certain that Zhang Tieguai possessed internal strength.

He is a true martial arts practitioner.

Normally, he sits there like a lame old man, no different from any other elderly gentleman. But once he uses his internal energy, like now, he becomes a completely different person, like a god of war.

The man in black struggled to his feet. The ferocity he had displayed earlier had lessened, and his eyes were much clearer, as if he had calmed down.

He stared at Zhang Tieguai and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

"Heh." Zhang Tieguai chuckled lightly, "I'm just a gatekeeper."

They keep a very low profile.

The man in black was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "I didn't expect such a godforsaken place to be full of hidden talents. I miscalculated."

"Then why don't you obediently turn yourself in?" Zhang Tieguai pointed at him with his cane.

"Confess..."

The man in black muttered to himself, seemingly deep in thought. He knew he couldn't possibly defeat Zhang Tieguai in a fight; those three blows had made him acutely aware of the difference in their abilities.

Suddenly, his gaze swept past Zhang Tieguai and landed behind Lu Yuan and the others. He called out urgently, "Why are you only arriving now? Come help me!"

Everyone's first reaction was that he had helpers!

Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian quickly turned to look.

There was nothing behind it, not even a ghost in sight.

When they turned around again, the man in black had already run to the door, used both hands and feet to climb over the gate, and disappeared into the night.

"Damn it! He got away!"

Lu Yuan was so angry that he slapped his thigh. He really wanted to grab this person and get to the bottom of things, at least to find out what his purpose was in being there.

Unfortunately, he and Ye Yixian couldn't beat them when they caught up, while Zhang Tieguai could beat them but couldn't catch up.

Asking a lame old man to chase after a strong, agile young man is asking too much of him.

"Young boss, have you offended someone lately?" Zhang Tieguai put away his cane, turned around and asked.

Lu Yuan shook his head: "How could I have offended anyone?"

But Hu Chenghui is already dead. His men are either dead or have fled. Surely the remaining ones wouldn't be so loyal as to avenge him?

As for Hu Chenghui's family, they are said to be all out of the country and unaware of the illegal activities he was involved in. They would certainly not connect it to Lu Yuan, let alone hire someone to commit murder.

Moreover, Lu Yuan noticed a detail: the man in black did not initially intend to harm him and Ye Yixian.

Because before this, he had many opportunities. He was already there when Lu Yuan first came out of the drawing room. If he really wanted to make a move, Lu Yuan would have been caught off guard then, making it the easiest time to succeed.

The fact that he didn't make a move indicates that his target wasn't Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian.

In other words, he has another purpose in appearing here?

Unable to figure it out for the moment, Lu Yuan put the question aside and turned to look at Zhang Tieguai, his eyes lighting up: "Master Zhang, you've practiced martial arts, haven't you?"

Zhang Tieguai chuckled and slammed his iron crutch on the ground: "When I was young, I was a wanderer in the martial arts world, so of course I practiced martial arts. But now it's a new era, and the concept of the martial arts world is becoming increasingly blurred. You young people probably don't even believe that martial arts exist."

"No, Mr. Zhang, I believe you!" Lu Yuan quickly said, his tone very sincere. "I believe you completely. I've wanted to be a peerless martial arts master since I was a child. So, Mr. Zhang, could you teach me a move or two? That way, I can protect myself if I encounter danger in the future."

"Uh..." Zhang Tieguai looked Lu Yuan up and down, then shook his head. "Little boss, you can't train."

"What do you mean I can't train?" Lu Yuan retorted.

He felt he was quite athletic; doing dozens of sit-ups and pull-ups was as easy as eating and drinking, and he was also incredibly agile on the basketball court.

With such excellent physical qualities, how could he not be a martial arts prodigy?

"Your physical constitution isn't good enough; you can't train," Zhang Tieguai said, reaching out to pat Lu Yuan's shoulder.

He didn't seem to be using much force, but Lu Yuan felt a piercing pain shoot from his shoulder to his arm and quickly stepped back.

Lu Yuan rubbed his sore shoulder, frowning as he said, "Have I already missed the best age to practice martial arts? My muscles and bones are all fully developed, so I can't practice anymore?"

"It's true that you should start practicing martial arts from a young age, but that doesn't mean you can't practice at all when you grow up." Zhang Tieguai was clearly reluctant to go into details, but seeing how curious Lu Yuan was, he explained, "The main thing is that you, little boss, have been spoiled since childhood. You're very big and strong, but your bones and muscles are relatively fragile and can't withstand the impact of internal energy on your body. If you force yourself to practice martial arts, even if you reach a certain level, you'll end up hurting yourself more than your opponent. You might not kill your opponent, but you'll die from internal injuries first."

"How could that be!" Lu Yuan still refused to accept it. "I'm great at swimming, basketball, and running. Where am I weak?"

Zhang Tieguai glanced at him and said slowly, "Your training intensity isn't high enough. Why don't you participate in top-level sports events, like the NBA or the Olympics? You'll definitely get all sorts of injuries after just a few rounds of high-intensity competition—ligament tears, muscle fatigue, joint sprains, all sorts of things."

"In short, boss, you are a benefactor, destined to strategize from a high vantage point, without needing to practice martial arts or do the work yourself."