Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 788 It's just a small matter.
Monday, April 8th.

Nearly seventy years old, Yang Zhenlong did not go for a stroll in the park as usual. Instead, he sat upright in the armchair in the main hall, his body ramrod straight, playing with two iron balls in his hands, his eyelids drooping, quietly closing his eyes to rest.

The rest of the Yang family, young and old, were all waiting in their respective rooms. The three-courtyard house, housing more than thirty people, was completely silent.

Fifty years ago, after Yang Zhenlong graduated from Li Wancheng's school in Yongnian County, he opened a small martial arts school in the capital. Thanks to the reputation of "Invincible Yang" built by Yang Luchan and Yang Banhou, father and son, as well as the numerous Yang family disciples in the capital and his own mastery of the Yang family's true teachings, he easily established himself in this chaotic land.

Then we watched as the political landscape shifted and power changed hands, until the founding of the People's Republic of China brought stability. Now, half a century has passed.

That year, the "All-China Sports Federation" was established, which later became the State General Administration of Sport.

After the establishment of the General Sports Administration, the principle that "martial arts should serve the health of the people, our party implements a public ownership system, and prohibits private schools from setting up schools and teaching students" was established. His small martial arts school was forced to close down, and his students and grand-students went their separate ways to make a living.

Finally, only this three-courtyard siheyuan remained as the place where the whole family lived.

A three-courtyard siheyuan is actually not very big, generally occupying no more than 500 or 600 square meters. The front and back courtyards are quite narrow, with only the middle courtyard having a small yard of more than 100 square meters, which is acceptable.

This is also where the Yang family's children usually practice martial arts.

However, no one came out today; everyone stayed in their rooms.

Yang Chenfeng could only stretch his legs and move his muscles in the room.

Yang Congling sat at her desk, one hand supporting her chin, her eyes constantly gazing towards the hanging flower gate.

Hearing the whooshing sound behind her, she said impatiently, "Third Brother, go practice in your own room. What are you doing in my room?"

Yang Chenfeng silently practiced his silk-reeling technique, saying expressionlessly, "My room is occupied by my second brother, my second brother's room is occupied by my eldest brother, and my eldest brother's room has my sister-in-law and Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang, so I can't practice."

Yang Congling pondered for two seconds, then sighed, "Then it would be better to have my elder brother come directly to my room."

Yang Chenfeng was silent for a moment, then said, "He likes you the most, and he can't bear to part with you."

If he didn't feel uncomfortable if he didn't practice his skills for a day, he wouldn't have been willing to take up his little sister's room.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this courtyard has a lot of rooms. There are many people in the Yang family. Not counting the married aunts, there are four brothers in the uncle generation, and then there are the younger generation like them. In total, there are more than a dozen people, accounting for half of the family.

The oldest members of the younger generation have already started their own families and have even younger members, so this courtyard house can be considered a four-generation household.

It was really crowded.

Unfortunately, houses are becoming increasingly difficult to buy, and the Yang family hasn't separated yet, otherwise he would have wanted to move out and live independently long ago.

As he was deep in thought, Yang Congling pouted and said, "Big brother is reluctant to take my place, but you have the nerve to come here. Grandpa even praised you as the number one person in three generations of the family, and even in the whole capital, you are one of the best. But you don't even care about your reputation and have the nerve to come and compete with me for a spot."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chenfeng couldn't help but look up and sigh, "Don't call me the number one young person, I really can't accept that title."

Yang Congling was slightly taken aback, then realized what he meant, turned around and leaned against the back of the chair, looking at him and saying, "Hey, Third Brother, is this Qinglian Temple Master really that young?"

Since my third brother went to Chaoyang Temple with my grandfather in April, he has been depressed. He had been somewhat lax in his practice, but suddenly he became more diligent than before.

When asked, he wouldn't say anything, only that the abbot was very young and he wanted to catch up.

Yang Congling was curious. Could there really be a genius even more powerful than her third brother?

Upon hearing his younger sister's words, Yang Chenfeng fell silent and stopped speaking.

Seeing that he still didn't speak, Yang Congling pouted and said, "Hmph, every time I ask you about the Abbot of Qinglian Temple, you don't say anything. Anyway, he'll be here soon, I'll see for myself!"

Yang Chenfeng: ? ? ?

That's right, the Abbot of Qinglian Temple will be visiting soon, and I'll be able to see it myself anyway, so there's no way to keep it a secret.

There's really nothing to hide about this; the problem lies with the "person" involved.

After pausing for two seconds, he could only sigh, gather his strength to finish his practice, and then said to his younger sister, "Alright, I'll tell you."

Yang Congling tossed her head back and said, "Hmph, I won't listen."

Yang Chenfeng hesitated for two seconds, then said, "So, the Master of Qinglian Temple is Chen Fan, and you still won't listen?"

"Let alone Chen Fan, even if it were..."

Yang Congling turned her head sharply, her eyes wide open. "Who did you say it was? Which Chen Fan?"

Yang Chenfeng put his hands in front of his stomach and chuckled, "It's the Chen Fan you're thinking of."

Yang Congling held her breath instantly, her pupils dilating. A few seconds later, a scream with astonishing penetrating power pierced through the walls and windows, echoing throughout the courtyard.

……

Chen Fan asked a few people and parked the car precisely next to the gate of a courtyard house.

He got out of the car, checked the house number and found it was correct. After Jiang Tiantian, Jiang Lili and Zhou Yali got out of the car, he went to knock on the door.

Suddenly, a scream rang out, startling him. After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Wow, what a powerful voice."

Zhou Yali patted her chest to catch her breath, then looked at him somewhat blankly, "Does Yang-style Tai Chi require vocal training?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment and said, "There are relatively few Tai Chi practitioners who practice vocalization. Bajiquan and Xingyiquan are more commonly practiced, and they practice the 'hum and ha' breaths, combined with the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound to train the internal organs."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Nowadays, there are quite a few sects that have disciples from different schools. Perhaps a young lady from the Yang family has become a disciple of Bajiquan or Xingyiquan and is practicing some kind of secret sound technique."

This is one of the biggest taboos in the martial arts world, so don't ask me about it later.

After saying that, he waved his hand and went to knock on the door.

The next second, Chen Fan heard the sound of clothes fluttering from inside through a door. The footsteps were extremely light; if he hadn't had such good hearing, an ordinary expert probably wouldn't have been able to hear them.

The person who comes must be a master.

Two or three seconds later, the door was pulled open from the inside, and a middle-aged man in his fifties, dressed in traditional kung fu attire, appeared at the door.

Chen Fan glanced at him and, confirming that it wasn't someone who had visited Chaoyang Temple before, cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Qinglian Daoist of Chaoyang Temple has come to visit Senior Yang Zhenlong. Please announce my arrival."

The man carefully examined Chen Fan, and after Chen Fan finished speaking, he immediately put on a smiling face, cupped his hands and said, "So it is the Abbot of Qinglian Temple in person. My apologies for my disrespect. My father has been waiting for a long time."

After saying that, he stepped aside to make way for them and gestured for them to come in, saying, "Please come in, everyone."

He then stepped forward and led the way.

Without hesitation, Chen Fan stepped inside, with Jiang Tiantian and the other two immediately following behind.

Seeing what had just happened, they unconsciously adopted the mud-walking steps of Baguazhang, acting like martial arts practitioners. Chen Fan's ears twitched, and he couldn't help but twitch his lips.

After passing through the front yard corridor and the hanging flower gate, the person from before quickly ran into the main house.

Chen Fan remained unhurried, and even though he heard that there were people in the side rooms on both sides, he acted as if no one was there and continued walking forward as if nothing was wrong.

At this moment, Yang Zhenlong suddenly stopped holding the iron ball in his hand, casually placed it on the octagonal table next to him, then stood up by holding onto the corner of the table and walked steadily forward.

As soon as they reached the door, the eldest son jumped up and whispered, "Father, the Abbot of Qinglian Temple has arrived." Yang Zhenlong grunted in acknowledgment, "I see them. Go and keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't run around, especially those juniors. They're just making a fool of the Yang family's reputation."

That noise just now really scared him half to death, and he can't take any more of that.

Unfortunately, just as he finished speaking, a window was pushed open, and a head with two braids poked its head out.

Yang Congling was about to speak with a look of surprise on her face when a pair of hands covered her mouth and head, pulling her back in a flash.

The next second, Yang Chenfeng grinned at Chen Fan, who had turned to look at him, then grabbed the window and slammed it shut.

Chen Fan blinked, a little confused. What kind of etiquette was this?
Before he could think any further, Yang Zhenlong clasped his hands and walked down the steps, laughing heartily, "The arrival of Abbot Qinglian is truly an honor to my humble abode. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

Without thinking twice, Chen Fan immediately turned around, took a few steps forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I apologize for my impolite visit, senior."

In terms of age, this senior is older than the master. In terms of seniority, he is the grand-disciple of Yang Banhou, and his status in the martial arts world is very high. If Master Zhang and the others had not held positions before, they would probably be a generation lower than him.

Even if they were considered to be of the same generation, Chen Fan would call him "senior" without any problem.

Seeing that Chen Fan remained so polite, Yang Zhenlong was in a great mood and smiled broadly, "Not at all. We are fellow martial artists and should exchange ideas more often."

He then pointed inside and said, "Please come inside to talk."

Chen Fan cupped his hands in thanks again, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

Yang Zhenlong took the lead and led the way, entering the main room in a few steps. He then gestured for them to enter before taking his seat in the main seat.

As the saying goes, "left is superior to east," the left side of the Eight Immortals Table, which faces the main entrance and is also to the east, is where the master sits.

The other side is naturally the host and guest seats.

Chen Fan sat down on the other side of the table, while Jiang Tiantian and the other two took their seats in the chairs next to him.

The person who had opened the door and led the way didn't leave. After inviting a woman in her twenties to serve tea, he sat down on a chair on the other side.

Yang Zhenlong gave a brief introduction, "This is my son, Yang Renhai."

Being called "my son" at over fifty years old made Yang Renhai blush a little, and he quickly cupped his hands to Chen Fan, saying, "Greetings, Daoist Master."

Chen Fan returned the greeting, "Greetings, Brother Yang."

According to his master and the others, he and Yang Renhai were of the same generation, so calling him "Brother Yang" was not wrong.

After a few brief pleasantries, Chen Fan finally got down to business, "Senior, I am here today to ask you for a favor."

Yang Zhenlong frowned slightly, then quickly smoothed his brow and laughed, "It's rare for the Abbot of Qinglian Temple to speak so kindly. If I can do it, I will naturally comply."

He spoke with great bravado, but the next second, he changed the subject, "Excuse me for speaking frankly, Abbot, your status is extraordinary, your abilities are extraordinary, and your connections are far-reaching. You have connections with high-ranking government officials, workers, and farmers, while we are just an ordinary family. Is there anything you can't do and have to ask us for help with?"

He was thinking to himself, "Your Chaoyang Temple only has a few big cats and small cats, and you're short of people to fill the space, so you want to find our people to come and become Taoist priests, right?"
Yesterday, those who had previously visited Chaoyang Temple to offer their congratulations also shared the news with each other.

Upon final verification, everyone who had visited Chaoyang Temple had received a visiting card, without exception.

They even discussed what Chen Fan meant by sending out invitations to a wide range of people this time.
One theory is that he wants to repeat what Lin Yuanxiang and Zhang Xuansong did back then, and challenge them.

After all, Lin Yuanxiang and his gang were too wicked back then. In order to force them to use their unique skills, they were incredibly ruthless, beating many of their old friends until they cried out in pain.

Otherwise, Yang Zhenlong wouldn't have been so ruthless towards them. After all, they were high-ranking officers in the army. Even if you don't respect them, you should at least give them face. If it weren't for going too far, how could an old man like him dare to kick a leader's butt?

But in the end, it was just a few kicks to the butt, not even enough to cause injury.

If things really come to a head, even if he himself doesn't care about his old life, what about the huge Yang family?

If Chen Fan were to challenge them again now, to win back face for his masters, that possibility is not out of the question.

Besides this speculation, some people believe that Chaoyang Temple only has one abbot who is truly capable, while the other junior Taoist priests are all literary Taoist priests who grew up in Baiyun Temple. They are good at chanting scriptures and drawing talismans, but they have no kung fu skills whatsoever.

Chaoyang Temple is a rising star in the martial arts world of the capital. How could it not even have a few Taoist priests who know martial arts?

So, is it possible that Master Chen sent out this invitation to recruit people?
As for casting actors for a movie, they would never even dream of it.

The saying "a trade is like a mountain" refers not only to technical skills and common sense, but also to information barriers.

Many of these rumors are already common knowledge within the industry, but outside of it, probably no one has heard of them.

That's the magic of how information spreads.

Many of these older generation martial arts practitioners had family members who later joined the army, studied hard, and became cadres in factories, while others went into medicine.

After all, medicine and martial arts are inseparable.

There were even those who went to the countryside to farm and never came back.

But he never joined the arts and literature system.

They hadn't received any message, and they would never have guessed the purpose of Chen Fan's visit.

Seeing Yang Zhenlong's attitude, Chen Fan didn't mind.

Do you really think that martial arts practitioners sending a formal letter of invitation is exceptionally polite?

That was all just polite talk.

Many invitation letters were actually declarations of war. However, to save face for both sides, they used invitation letters to visit each other and then had a closed-door competition. No one outside the circle knew who won or lost, so the losing side would not lose face.

Before revealing one's true intentions, people can think whatever they want.

Seeing Yang Zhenlong's slightly oppressive gaze, Chen Fan smiled nonchalantly and said, "Here's the thing, I'm going to make a martial arts movie. The main story is about my third master and his sect breaking down the mountain to kill enemies and save people."

Everything is ready now, but the actors haven't been chosen yet...

Yang Zhenlong was stunned when he heard this.

What?
Are they going to make a movie about the story of that lame Taoist priest?

At this moment, Yang Zhenlong's eyes were filled with jealousy.

Why is it that there isn't a single such considerate disciple in my Yang family?
With her thoughts diverted, she didn't even hear what Chen Fan said next.

After Chen Fan finished speaking, Yang Zhenlong came to his senses and stared at him blankly. "You're making a movie? How can we help with that?"

Yang Renhai, standing next to him, felt an urge to cover his face. "Dad, what were you thinking just now? Someone was talking to you, and you only listened to half of it?"
I've heard that Master Qinglian's kung fu is incredibly advanced, almost on par with his grandmaster. Could he be angry about this and turn against me?
I don’t know if I can handle 160 pounds.

Fortunately, Chen Fan didn't get angry, or even show a bad expression. He just smiled and patiently repeated, "...that's it. We want to select some suitable actors from various companies."

This time Yang Zhenlong heard clearly, and immediately clapped his hands and said, "It's just picking a few good kung fu actors to make a movie, it's a small matter, no problem at all."

He got up and walked to the door, then shouted, "Everyone, come out here!"

(End of this chapter)