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

Cheng Shaojiu slowly narrated:
"The passage was dark and stuffy. A dozen people walked in a line, bent over, for almost an hour before they came out. They crawled out through the back door of the granary and ran into some spies from the canal gang. They fought for a while before they got away."

"That's when Lao Qi's leg was broken. He was surrounded by three thugs from the Canal Gang, and an iron rod hit his calf, making him unable to walk on the spot. Lao Si and Lao Wu dragged him for half a street before they shook off their pursuers."

Chen Zhan listened without responding.

These people suffered a lot following him.

After walking for more than an hour, a poplar grove appeared ahead. The poplar leaves shimmered silver in the moonlight, and when the wind blew, they fluttered like shattered silver.

Passing through the poplar grove, a village slightly larger than Liuhe Village came into view.

There is a small stream at the entrance of the village, with a stone slab bridge spanning it. Several old willow trees are planted beside the bridge, their branches drooping to the water's surface and swaying gently in the moonlight.

It's a small village on the edge of Gegu Town, without a name; the locals call it "Hewanzi".

Cheng Shaojiu led Chen Zhan across the stone bridge and headed towards the east end of the village. When they arrived at the door of a house whose courtyard wall was half a meter higher than the others, Cheng Shaojiu knocked three times, paused for a moment, and then knocked twice more.

Footsteps came from inside the courtyard, and the door opened a crack. A pair of alert eyes peered out from the crack, and only after recognizing Cheng Shaojiu's face did the door open completely.

Qin Ming opened the door.

He still had several abrasions on his face that hadn't completely healed, and a crack at the corner of his mouth.

Upon seeing Chen Zhan, she froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened. She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything. She simply stepped aside and pulled the door as far as it could go.

Chen Zhan stepped into the courtyard.

The courtyard was much larger than Cheng Shaojiu's. There were three main rooms and one wing room on each side. Two donkeys were tied up in the courtyard, some dry grass was spread on the ground, and a stove was built in the corner with an iron pot on the stove. The bottom of the pot was still warm.

The door to the main room was open, and light was streaming in. Chen Zhan walked in and immediately saw Lu Jun.

Lu Jun sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his right shoulder wrapped in a thick bandage. His face was pale, but he was in good spirits. When he saw Chen Zhan enter, he suddenly stood up, which aggravated his wound. He grimaced, but forced himself to stand up straight.

"Mr. Chen!"

On the kang (a heated brick bed) next to him, Xiao Jiu was huddled under the covers, only half of her head showing, her bright eyes looking at Chen Zhan at the door.

"Sit down, don't aggravate the wound."

Chen Zhan walked to the kang (a heated brick bed), patted Lu Jun's shoulder to make him sit back down, and pulled up a stool to sit next to him.

“A gunshot wound?” He glanced at the bandage on Lu Jun’s shoulder.

"Yes, no bones were broken. Sister Xu treated it for me and applied some medicine. It's nothing serious," Lu Jun answered quickly, afraid that Chen Zhan would worry.

Where is Xu Ying?

"She's been busy these past two days in the east wing, treating everyone's wounds and contacting people in the village."

As Lu Jun spoke, he called out towards the door, "Qin Ming, go and invite Sister Xu over."

Qin Ming responded and quickly headed towards the east wing.

Not long after, Xu Ying came over from the east wing.

She was in much better condition than the last time we met; she walked with a light step, her back was straight, and her complexion was rosy. She really looked to be only in her forties.

After the Shaolin Great Rejuvenating Pill was fully activated, her kung fu recovered to at least 70-80%, and her qi and blood were abundant. She was completely different from the withered and emaciated old woman she had been before.

There was another person following behind her.

A young woman.

He looked to be in his early twenties, of medium build and not particularly tall. He wore a gray-blue coarse cloth jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing a section of well-proportioned and muscular arms. His skin was dark, the result of years of working under the sun.

He has a square face, thick and straight eyebrows, and small but deep eyes that exude a calmness beyond his years when he stares at people.

Her hair was neither tied up in a bun nor braided, but was simply tied back with a thick strip of cloth, neat and tidy. She walked with a firm gait, displaying the composure characteristic of someone who practices martial arts.

He had a short-handled curved knife tucked at his waist, the scabbard of which was made of cowhide and polished to a shine, indicating that he often drew it out for use.

Xu Ying entered the main room, nodded to Chen Zhan, stepped aside to let the young woman pass, and respectfully introduced, "Mr. Chen, this is Lin Hei'er, whom I've mentioned to you before. She's also the most outstanding disciple I've trained in the countryside over the years."

Lin Heier stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said only four words: "Greetings, sir."

Her voice wasn't loud; it had the straightforward, rough quality typical of country women.

Chen Zhan looked at her.

This is Lin Heier.

The later-famous "Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus," as the founder of the Red Lanterns of the Boxer Rebellion in Tianjin, led thousands of female Boxers into the foreign concessions during the Boxer Rebellion years later, burning down the Zizhulin Church, killing foreign soldiers, and destroying the church, making her famous throughout North China.

He was eventually captured by the Eight-Nation Alliance and brutally murdered.

A century later, her remains were sent abroad for exhibition, displayed in museums as a specimen of "Oriental barbarians" for foreigners to see, where she suffered endless humiliation.

At this moment, she was just a country girl in her early twenties who had been practicing boxing with Xu Ying for several years and had organized some women in the village to practice martial arts for self-defense.

She did not yet have the title of "Holy Mother of Yellow Lotus," nor had she founded the Red Lantern Society, and she had no idea what fate awaited her five years later.

Chen Zhan withdrew his gaze and nodded to her.

"How many years have you been practicing kung fu?"

"Six years," Lin Heier replied briefly.

"What are you practicing?"

"Sister Xu taught me Plum Blossom Fist, and I also learned some staff techniques from my father—the village's staff techniques, not considered a proper school."

Chen Zhan looked at Xu Ying, who replied, "She has a solid foundation. After six years of practice, she's already grasped the basics of internal strength. She's extremely quick to learn and her skills are impressive. She's led the girls from the village and the church members in several battles, and they've never suffered a loss."

"The edge of hidden strength?" Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly and looked Lin Heier over again.

For a country girl like Xu Ying, who had no famous teacher and relied entirely on her father's teaching, to reach the threshold of internal strength in six years was already quite fast.

It took him much longer to grasp the essence of internal strength back then.

Lin Heier stood there, being scrutinized by Chen Zhan. She didn't flinch or feel uneasy; she just stared straight at him with a blank expression, as if waiting for him to say the next thing.

After Chen Zhan finished reading, he turned to Xu Ying and asked, "How many people does she have in total, along with yours?"

"There are about twenty women we can mobilize in the village, ranging in age from sixteen to thirty. Half of them have martial arts training, the rest know how to use sticks and knives, and a few can even ride horses."

Chen Zhan remained silent for a moment.

There were more than twenty female boxers, plus Wu Qingshan's more than seventy people, Cheng Shaojiu's thirteen people, Lu Jun's brothers, and Zhang Laojiao's chariot gang confidants, adding up to about a hundred people in total.

Scattered in several villages around the small station, there are not few people, but not many either.

He sat on the stool, one leg crossed over the other, his gaze fixed on the oil lamp on the table. The wick was very short, and the flame was small, swaying gently in the night breeze.

Everyone in the room was staring at him, and no one spoke. There was Lu Jun, Qin Ming, Xu Ying, Lin Heier, Cheng Shaojiu, and Xiao Jiu, whose head was half-peeked out from under the kang (heated brick bed).

Everyone was waiting for him to speak.

"Rest for a couple of days, let your injuries heal, and we'll talk about the rest when we get to the capital."

Chen Zhan walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and reached out to pat Xiao Jiu's head.

When I placed my palm on her forehead, my fingertips felt the temperature on her forehead. It was a bit high, not a fever, but not normal either.

His hand slid down Xiao Jiu's forehead and rested on her pulse, pausing for a few breaths.

The pulse is weak and thready, indicating insufficient lung qi. The breathing is shallow and short. There is a feeling of tightness in the chest when inhaling, and a faint whistling sound in the throat when exhaling.

pulmonary disease.

Moreover, it wasn't a recent development; it was an old ailment that had accumulated over the years. Xiao Jiu had been weak since childhood, and the environment in the shantytown was poor—damp, dusty, and filled with choking coal smoke. Seven or eight out of ten children raised in such places would have lung problems.

Xiao Jiu's condition is more severe than others. It has dragged on for so many years without getting better, which has damaged its foundation. If it is not treated soon, it will only get worse.

Chen Zhan withdrew his hand and took out a small white porcelain bottle from his pocket. The bottle was smooth and about the size of his palm. He uncorked it and found nine reddish-brown pills inside, which emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.

Lesser Rejuvenating Pill.

He handed one to Lu Jun: "Give her one."

Lu Jun reached out and took the porcelain bottle. He knew the significance of this thing. Back then, when Xu Ying was paralyzed for many years after being poisoned by the palm, Chen Zhan gave her a pill to eat.

He had eaten it and it cured the poison, restoring his youth. He had witnessed that scene firsthand and still remembers it clearly.

"After eating, do not take any highly nourishing medicines for two days. Try to eat a simple, light diet."

Chen Zhan looked at Xiao Jiu and added, "Stand in a stance for at least an hour every day. Any stance will do, but the Wuji stance is best. If you can't stand in it, run around everywhere—in the fields, by the river—and release your energy."

Lu Jun was taken aback: "Standing meditation?"

"She has been bedridden for many years, with weak limbs and stagnant blood and qi. This medicine is too strong; after taking it, her blood and qi will suddenly become engorged, and her body cannot withstand it immediately. She must use exercise to dissipate the excess medicinal power; otherwise, it will stagnate in her body and harm her health."

Chen Zhan paused, glanced at Lu Jun, and said, "You know what I mean, right?"

Lu Jun nodded vigorously, unable to contain his surprise, his mouth stretching to his ears, and he thanked him several times.

"Also, injured people can eat it too. Half a pill is enough for each person. Unless it's a serious injury, there's no need to eat the whole pill. Keep the rest for emergencies."

There are nine small pills in the porcelain bottle. Give one to Xiao Jiu, give a few to the wounded, and there will be three or four left.

He had accumulated quite a few of these things. When he emptied the Shaolin Temple's medicine storehouse, he had filled several bottles with Xiao Huan Dan (a type of medicinal pill). It wasn't considered particularly precious.

The truly precious pill is the Great Rejuvenation Pill, which he personally refined using the old monk's life essence. There are only seven of them in total, and he rarely touches them.

Lu Jun carefully tucked the porcelain vase into his pocket, then turned to Xiao Jiu on the kang (heated brick bed) and said, "Xiao Jiu, quickly thank Mr. Chen."

Xiao Jiu climbed out of bed, knelt on the kang (a heated brick bed), and kowtowed earnestly to Chen Zhan. Her head hit the kang board with a soft "thud".

"Thank you, Mr. Chen."

The voice was soft and slightly nasal, a lingering symptom of years of coughing.

Chen Zhan waved his hand, said nothing more, stood up and walked towards the door. He stopped at the threshold, turned back to Lu Jun and said, "Call the person in charge over in a few days to discuss the next steps. I plan to go to the capital."

Lu Jun responded.

Stepping out of the courtyard, the night wind blew in my face, carrying the damp, grassy smell of the fields.

Cheng Shaojiu was still waiting outside the courtyard when Chen Zhan walked over, took out another small white porcelain bottle from his pocket, and handed it to Cheng Shaojiu.

"Your three wounded soldiers should also take some, half a pill each, that should be enough."

Cheng Shaojiu took the porcelain bottle, weighed it in his hand, and his eyes lit up.

He had always coveted this stuff. Back then, when his third brother was severely injured by Chen Zhan's palm strike, it was a small pill that brought him back from the brink of death. He had personally witnessed its efficacy, and it was a hundred times more effective than the prescriptions written by the best traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Tianjin.

I thought this kind of miraculous medicine was extremely precious, with only two or three pills in a bottle at most. I didn't expect Chen Zhan to give it to me so casually, with nine pills in a bottle.

"This is too expensive, isn't it?" Cheng Shaojiu clutched the bottle, somewhat at a loss.

"It's nothing, not even comparable to the Great Rejuvenation Pill."

Chen Zhan didn't explain much, then changed the subject, "Let's go, let's make a trip to Old Zhang's place tonight."

Cheng Shaojiu carefully put away the porcelain bottle and nodded in agreement, "Dagukou is quite far, dozens of miles away, but we're fast travelers, so a round trip will only take an hour or two."

"That's enough."

Chen Zhan strode out of the village, and Cheng Shaojiu followed. The two left Liuhe Village and stepped onto the dirt road in the fields, immediately picking up their pace.

The night was deep, and the moonlight spread across the fields. Two figures darted across the moonlight, their feet pounding on the hard dirt road, making a dense and rhythmic "thump-thump" sound, like the beating of war drums.

In ancient times, there was a legendary figure named Dai Zong, who could travel eight hundred li in a day.

In Chen Zhan's view, Dai Zong was only at the level of a Grandmaster of Transformation, and traveling 800 li a day was not a remarkable skill. If he ran at full speed, traveling more than 1,000 li a day would be nothing special.

After embracing the elixir, the essence and energy are completely locked in the dantian. As long as the elixir energy is not leaked, you will not feel tired at all. The difference in the essence and energy consumed by running all day and taking one step is not much.

He only increased his speed to 30%, and Cheng Shaojiu kept up without much effort. The two of them walked at lightning speed, covering more than 50 miles in an hour.

They passed through several villages without stopping. The village dogs barked a few times when they heard the commotion, but the figures had already darted past.

Upon reaching a reed bed, the air was filled with the smell of water plants and mud. The path underfoot became increasingly soft, transforming from hard soil into semi-wet sandy mud, leaving deep footprints on our boots.

Cheng Shaojiu slowed his pace and lowered his voice: "It's just ahead. Old Zhang is very cautious; he's kept watch on the perimeter."

"Yes, I know, he's a little afraid of me."

Cheng Shaojiu glanced at Chen Zhan but didn't reply.

He knew Chen Zhan was telling the truth. Old Zhang had never willingly gotten on this boat from the beginning; he had been dragged into it by Chen Zhan. Now that his secret had been exposed and some of his men had died, it was understandable that he was upset.

The two walked along the edge of the reeds for a while, and sure enough, they met Zhang Laojiao's men by a puddle.

Two men from the cart crew were squatting in the reeds, holding short sticks. They stood up immediately when they heard footsteps, and only relaxed after seeing Cheng Shaojiu's face. They then led the two men deeper into the reeds.

After passing through a dense patch of reeds, you reach a slightly elevated dry area with several simple thatched huts made of reed stalks and tarpaulins, barely enough to shelter you from the wind and rain.

Two small boats, borrowed from a nearby fishing village, were moored next to the thatched hut. Old Zhang and his confidants lived here.

Old Zhang was sitting outside the thatched shed, leaning against a bundle of reeds, a pipe in his mouth, the pipe unlit, just sitting there.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw Chen Zhan approaching. His expression was complicated; his lips moved slightly, but in the end, he simply stood up, brushed the grass off his backside, and nodded to Chen Zhan. (End of Chapter)