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

“Zhang, take the helm,” Chen Zhan spoke first.

"Mr. Chen."

Old Zhang took his pipe out of his mouth and remained silent for a long while.

The men from the cart crew stood at a distance and did not come over. It was probably because Old Zhang had instructed them beforehand not to crowd around anyone.

"How are the brothers?" Chen Zhan asked.

Old Zhang sighed, his voice heavy: "Two died. A boat capsized while traveling by water. One, who couldn't swim, drowned. The other was caught by the canal gang and slashed several times. He couldn't stop bleeding after returning and passed away yesterday."

The rest are all there, seventeen people in total, none seriously injured.

Two people died.

Chen Zhan remained silent, standing there facing Zhang Laojiao for a moment.

The wind blew through the reeds, rustling the reed leaves, and occasionally a frog would croak from a puddle.

Old Zhang spoke first: "Mr. Chen, I don't blame you."

He looked up, the moonlight illuminating his sallow face, revealing deeper wrinkles and sunken eye sockets. The worry and escape of the past few days had aged him several years.

"To be honest, I knew from the beginning that this would go wrong. In Tianjin, the foreigners are too powerful, and the imperial court is unreliable. Our few dozen people can't really cause any trouble."

"But I don't regret it. Following you all these years, even though I lost a brother and lost our entire family business, I finally got my revenge for all the humiliation of being subservient to foreigners."

"only."

He paused for a long time before squeezing out the second half of his sentence: "It's just that I'm old, fifty, and can't keep up the pace. My brothers all have families to support, and they can't keep up with me."

Chen Zhan understood.

Old Zhang wants to quit.

He had invested his life's savings, lost two of his men, and the rest were his brothers who had followed him for many years. He didn't want any more of them to die.

This choice is reasonable.

"it is good."

Chen Zhan nodded without saying much, then took out a porcelain bottle and a stack of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Laojiao.

"Share this medicine among the brothers. Those who are injured should take half a pill; those who are not injured should save it for later, it could save their lives in a critical moment. Keep the silver notes, it's enough for you to settle down and find a quiet place to live."

Old Zhang looked down at the things in his hands; the porcelain bottle and the silver notes together were quite heavy.

He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbed twice, but in the end he didn't say anything, he just put the things in his pocket.

"Take care, Zhang, at the helm."

Chen Zhan turned around and walked into the reeds.

Cheng Shaojiu followed behind, and the two walked back along the way they came, their pace slower than when they came.

Emerging from the reeds and stepping onto the hard, dry dirt road, Cheng Shaojiu finally spoke: "Old Zhang has retired?"

"Um."

"There are far fewer people."

"With fewer people, things are actually easier to handle."

Chen Zhan picked up his pace again, and Cheng Shaojiu followed. The two of them sped along under the moonlight, quickly leaving the reeds and puddles behind.

When we returned to Liuhe Village, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Cheng Shaojiu set aside a room for Chen Zhan. It was an empty side room in a village household. The earthen bed was covered with clean straw mats and cotton quilts. Although it was simple, it was much more peaceful than the days in Tianjin.

Chen Zhan went inside and closed the door.

I haven't slept for three days and three nights.

From infiltrating the police station in the concession to kill Wang Shun, to the bloody battle at the Municipal Council, to killing the Grand Duke of the Canal, to leaving the city to find someone, he kept going all the way. He had countless wounds on his body. The gunshot wound on his back was bleeding, and the knife wound in his abdomen was still throbbing. There wasn't a single piece of intact flesh on his body.

The mind is stretched to its limit. While the internal energy can lock in vital energy, mental fatigue cannot be contained.

He lay on the cool kang (heated brick bed), the rough straw mat digging into the wound on his back. It hurt a little, so he adjusted his position and turned to his side.

As soon as I closed my eyes, my consciousness ceased, as if someone had flipped a switch, and I completely lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, it was already daytime.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window paper, falling on the mud floor beside the kang (a heated brick bed) as a bright line.

He lay still, taking a moment to assess his physical condition.

The gunshot wound on his back had scabbed over and was no longer very painful. The incision in his lower abdomen had also closed. His internal energy was circulating on its own during his sleep, repairing the damaged meridians and muscles. His recovery speed was several times faster than that of an ordinary martial artist.

He sat up, pushed open the door, and was blinded by the sunlight. He squinted for a moment before his eyes adjusted.

In the courtyard, Cheng Shaojiu was leading several of his brothers in practicing standing meditation.

Five people lined up in a row, facing east, with their feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands hanging down with palms facing inward, their posture upright, and their breathing even and long.

The Wuji stance of the Three Emperors Cannon Fist.

This kind of stance training is somewhat similar to the stance training in Tai Chi. Both are foundational skills that emphasize relaxation and naturalness, with Qi returning to the Dantian (lower abdomen). It involves standing quietly without exerting force or using energy, allowing the body to find its own balance and feel the flow of energy between the bones and muscles.

No matter how advanced your kung fu is, the first thing you should do every morning is to stand in a stance for a while as a warm-up, to regulate your muscles, bones, and blood circulation before starting your subsequent boxing practice.

Cheng Shaojiu stood the most steadily. His foundation in stance training was solid, and his knees were bent at an extremely low angle, almost in a half-squatting posture, and his whole body remained completely still.

Chen Zhan walked over and stood beside him for a while.

He had studied Sanhuang Paochui. Back then, when the North and South merged, there was frequent exchange between various styles of boxing. He had fought against several masters of Sanhuang Paochui and had a clear understanding of their moves and techniques.

The most famous successor of the Sanhuang Paochui style in later generations was Li Yaochen.

However, he had never met Li Yaochen, who was hired by Song Zheyuan, the commander of the 29th Army, to serve as the chief martial arts instructor.

Li Yaochen was not in the countryside, so Chen Zhan had no chance to meet him.

Back then, Li Yaochen created a set of "Wuji Sword Techniques" for the Big Sword Team. In the Battle of Xifengkou, the Big Sword Team launched a night raid on the Japanese army, striking fear into the hearts of the Japanese soldiers. That set of sword techniques played an indispensable role in their success.

Li Yaochen should still be practicing martial arts at Huiyou Escort Agency. He is only in his early twenties and has not yet matured, so he has no chance to fight.

Huiyou Escort Agency has quite a few master Sanhuang Paochui (Three Emperors Cannon Fist) practitioners, who inherited the skills from "Divine Fist Song Lao Mai" Song Mailun, the third-generation successor. He created the unique "Master's Three Bows" technique, which integrates fist training, qi training, and combat skills, thus ushering in the golden age of Sanhuang Paochui.

Chen Zhan watched for a while, and only went over after Cheng Shaojiu finished setting up the stake.

He walked over to him, pressed his shoulder, and patted his waist and hips: "Your waist and hips are too tight. The power of the Three Emperors Cannon Fist is generated by 'rising like carrying a load, falling like splitting bricks.' The power starts from the soles of your feet, is transmitted through your waist and hips to your arms. The waist and hips are the transfer station; if they are tight, the power will be blocked and unable to pass through."

"Loosen up, how loose? Loosen it so that you feel it might fall apart at any moment, but it won't actually fall apart, that's right."

He explained and demonstrated at the same time.

With feet slightly apart, body slightly lowered, and waist and hips relaxed a little—so little that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye—the overall aura immediately changed. The originally upright and steady stance gained a natural, relaxed energy, like an old tree with deep roots, its branches swaying in the wind, appearing loose but actually possessing a strong internal connection.

Cheng Shaojiu stared at it for a long time, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

He trained in the Divine Machine Battalion for more than ten years and then spent many more years fighting outside. He had already mastered the Three Emperors Cannon Fist technique to the peak of Dark Force. The next step was the threshold of Transformation Force, which he had been stuck on for two or three years.

It's not that I lack skill, it's that I'm missing a layer of paper that I can't break through no matter how hard I try.

Chen Zhan's words and actions were like poking a hole in the paper window, letting in a little light.

"Come on, demonstrate the twelve cannon techniques once, let me see."

Cheng Shaojiu took a deep breath, stretched his limbs, and got into a fighting stance.

The Three Emperors Cannon Fist Twelve Cannon Techniques: Opening Cannon, Mountain Splitting Cannon, Continuous Cannon, Corner Cannon, Cross Cannon, Back of the Head Cannon, Diarrhea Cannon, Skyward Cannon, Groin Cannon, Ground-Piercing Cannon, Heart-Stopping Cannon, Seven-Star Cannon.

Every move is powerful, every strike aimed at vital points.

Cheng Shaojiu performed each move with utmost seriousness, his punches whistling through the air, his power profound and deep. Each punch he fired was accompanied by a whooshing sound and a vibration under his feet, which made the brothers beside him nod in approval.

Chen Zhan watched from the side, observing the entire set of twelve cannon techniques without interrupting.

After Cheng Shaojiu finished his stance, he spoke: "Your opening shot was the best. The power was concentrated and penetrating, flowing from the soles of your feet all the way to your fist without any breaks. This is the result of your more than ten years of training; there's nothing to say."

Just as Cheng Shaojiu was about to show his smugness, Chen Zhan changed the subject: "But the later cannon shots became increasingly scattered. By the time of the 'Heart-Stopping Cannon' and the 'Seven-Star Cannon,' the force had already dissipated by 30%. The point of force shifted from the waist and hips to the shoulders, making the shoulders the ones exerting the force, while the waist and hips merely followed along, not truly participating in the transmission."

"The problem is still in the lower back and hips."

Chen Zhan walked up to him, extended two fingers, and pressed his Mingmen acupoint and Dantian respectively.

"The twelve cannon techniques of the Three Emperors Cannon Fist all originate from the Mingmen point, which is the central point of the waist and spine. All the force must start from here, be compressed and accelerated through the Dantian, and then be sent to the limbs."

"Of course, almost all boxing styles are centered around the waist and spine."

"Your problem is that you remember to use your vital points (Mingmen) for the first few shots, but as your stamina increases, the force in your vital points loosens, and you automatically switch to using your shoulders, which saves energy but reduces power."

"There's only one solution: train your vital points until they become second nature. No matter how many shots you fire, no matter how tired you are, you can't let your guard down."

"How do you train?" Cheng Shaojiu pressed.

"When you go back to practice Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation), focus your attention on the Mingmen point (located on the lower back), feeling its opening and closing. When you inhale, the Mingmen point should slightly expand outwards; when you exhale, it should slightly contract inwards. Repeat this opening and closing motion until you can practice it without consciously thinking about it, and it moves on its own. That's it."

Cheng Shaojiu closed his eyes, felt the location of the Mingmen acupoint on his lower back, and took a few breaths as Chen Zhan had instructed.

"Don't rush, take your time. This isn't something you can master in a day or two."

Chen Zhan patted him on the shoulder, then looked at the brothers next to him and gave them a few comments.

Some had problems with footwork, some had incorrect power generation sequence, and some had problems with breathing and movement coordination. Everyone's problems were different, and Chen Zhan pointed them out one by one and gave them methods for correction.

Several people listened intently, and some even tried a few punches as Chen Zhan had instructed. They immediately found that it was much smoother than before, and their faces lit up with joy.

Cheng Shaojiu stood to the side watching, feeling a mix of emotions.

Chen Zhan could readily point out the essence and shortcomings of each style of boxing, including Sanhuang Paochui, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Bajiquan, and Taijiquan. He could give pointers with ease, as if he had practiced and mastered all the boxing styles in the world.

Who exactly is this person?
He dared not ask, nor did he want to ask.

Working under such a person, you can learn real skills, and even if you die out there in the end, it will be worth it.

For the next five days, Chen Zhan stayed in Liuhe Village, practicing boxing with Cheng Shaojiu and the others during the day and practicing standing meditation to recover from his injuries at night.

The Xiao Huan Dan was very effective. The three wounded men under Cheng Shaojiu recovered extremely quickly after taking it. By the third day, they were able to walk on the ground, and by the fifth day, they were already able to practice standing meditation and boxing.

Chen Zhan's injuries had mostly healed. The gunshot wound on his back had all scabbed over, and new flesh had grown from the knife wound on his abdomen, leaving only some faint scars that were no longer a problem.

On the evening of the fifth day, Chen Zhan asked Cheng Shaojiu to send someone to inform Lu Jun and Xu Ying that they should come to Liuhe Village for a meeting the next day.

That very night, Cheng Shaojiu arranged for two of his brothers, who were quick on their feet, to go to Hewanzi Village and Wu Qingshan respectively to deliver the message.

On the morning of the sixth day, everyone had arrived.

In the main room of Liuhe Village, three people were sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Lu Jun, Xu Ying, and Cheng Shaojiu.

Chen Zhan sat on a stool opposite the kang (a heated brick bed), with a pot of hot tea and several rough porcelain bowls on the table.

With Zhang Laojiao's withdrawal, the Four Doors Car Gang's personnel no longer participated in subsequent operations, which reduced the overall size of the operation.

But from another perspective, smaller is actually easier to handle.

Zhang Laojiao's caravan is a mixed bag, with a lot of people and a very poor ability to keep secrets. The last time the plan was exposed, it had nothing to do with Zhang Laojiao, but ultimately it was because too many people knew about it.

The remaining people consist of about ten brothers under Lu Jun, thirteen men under Cheng Shaojiu, and more than forty female boxers led by Xu Ying and Lin Heier, totaling fifty or sixty people.

A few days ago, Chen Zhan also found Wu Qingshan, but he did not plan to go to the capital again.

Yesterday, Wu Qingshan's group of more than seventy people left, intending to go to the headquarters of the Yihequan in Shandong to continue training in local communities and build up their strength.

Everyone present was a trusted confidant, one of their own.

Few people, but excellent.

"You all probably already know that Zhang the Helmsman and Wu Qingshan have retired."

Chen Zhan spoke, glancing at the expressions on the three people's faces.

Lu Jun nodded, showing no surprise. He knew from the beginning that Zhang Laojiao had been forced onto the ship, and it was already quite an achievement that he had managed to hold on until now.

Cheng Shaojiu nodded. He wasn't familiar with Zhang Laojiao and had no feelings for him. He was gone once he left.

Xu Ying was even more straightforward, not saying a single unnecessary word.

"The matter in Tianjin has come to a temporary end. The foreigners suffered heavy losses, and the Salvation Society won't dare to resume operations for a while. But to be honest, our strength is too small right now."

"In my opinion, the Qing Dynasty's fate is almost over, but the foreigners are just beginning."

"Right now, Britain, France, and Germany are just doing business, sucking our blood on our land, but who knows when they'll start eating our meat."

"The Japanese devils have already started. Every time they fight, the Qing government pays tribute. This time it's silver and the Jiaodong Peninsula. What about next time?"

Chen Zhan spoke slowly, even somewhat ramblingly, without a clear theme.

"What do you mean?" Xu Ying asked.

"Let's build up our strength first. Those of you who are willing to train in the countryside can lead your men to continue developing in the Yan and Zhao regions. I will try my best to provide you with money. Sigh, if I had known about that silver, I wouldn't have divided it all up."

"Hehe, there's another box. I sent it out earlier, planning to distribute it again after leaving the city," Lu Jun suddenly laughed.

"Oh?" Chen Zhan was also surprised. He had distributed most of the silver dollars to the people, while Wu Qingshan, Lu Jun, and Zhang Laojiao each kept a box. He didn't expect that Lu Jun hadn't distributed any yet.

Cheng Shaojiu also said, "Although my share was divided, everyone could contribute more than half without any problem, so it didn't cost much."

Chen Zhan nodded. If he went to the capital, making money would be easy. (End of Chapter)