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

Lin Hei'er was definitely going to stay in the village to train the local militia. It was up to Xu Ying to decide what to do. Xu Ying didn't hesitate for long and decided to stay.

Cheng Shaojiu and Lu Jun decided to go to Beijing with Chen Zhan. Lu Jun only took Qin Ming with him, while the rest of them learned kung fu from Xu Ying.

His men are too incompetent; I'm afraid they'll hold Chen Zhan back if they go to the capital.

And so it was decided, and a dozen or so people went to Beijing.

But Chen Zhan hasn't said where he's going, or what business he'll be doing in the capital.

"Of course, it's the security escort agency and the martial arts school, right?" Cheng Shaojiu said with a smile.

Chen Zhan nodded. These days, martial artists who go to the capital only have these two jobs. They have nothing else, such as guarding the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles. Cheng Shaojiu also knew this, and Chen Zhan would never do such a thing.

They set a time and went back to prepare.

Chen Zhan was also considering who he should seek refuge with once he arrived in the capital.

Two days later, before dawn, a dozen or so figures had already gathered at the entrance of Liuhe Village.

Cheng Shaojiu brought eight brothers with him, plus Chen Zhan, Lu Jun, and Qin Ming, making a total of twelve people.

Everyone had changed into farmers' attire: coarse cloth short jackets, leggings tied around their trouser legs, cloth shoes with multiple layers of soles, and satchels slung over their backs, stuffed with dry food and water bags. From a distance, they looked like a group of farmers traveling to visit relatives.

No one brought weapons.

The capital city was not like Tianjin. The Nine Gates Commander's yamen runners were very strict. Anyone carrying a knife or gun into the city would be detained before even reaching the city gate.

Cheng Shaojiu had hidden two daggers under his satchel, wrapped in cloth so that their shapes were indistinguishable, just in case.

Chen Zhan walked at the front, his steps quick and steady, his feet barely kicking up any dust on the official road.

Eleven people followed behind, all walking at a brisk pace. Cheng Shaojiu's brothers were all martial arts practitioners with a foundation in internal strength, so traveling was almost like taking a stroll for them.

Although Lu Jun and Qin Ming were slightly inferior, Lu Jun's Xingyi footwork was solid, and Qin Ming had also trained in legwork, so keeping up with him was not difficult.

It was still dark on the official road, the surface glistening with moisture. On either side were dark fields, and the occasional crowing of a rooster could be heard in the distance, but otherwise it was quiet.

The twelve people walked along the road for less than two hours. The sky began to brighten, and a layer of pale light appeared on the distant horizon. The outline of the fields gradually became clear.

The city walls of the capital are already faintly visible.

The gray-yellow city wall stretches across the horizon like a lurking giant python. The eaves of the city gate tower reveal their outlines in the morning light, and the dragon flag on the flagpole hangs limply, without any wind.

They covered more than a hundred miles in less than two hours.

For an ordinary person, this speed might be too fast even to run on horseback, but for these twelve people, they barely even broke a sweat.

Cheng Shaojiu struck up a conversation with Lu Jun from behind: "Brother Lu, have you been to the capital before?"

No, this is the first time.

"Then you'd better be careful. There are ten times more rules in the capital than in Tianjin. You have to be careful with your words and actions, especially when you enter the territory of martial arts practitioners. There are far more experts here than in Tianjin."

Lu Jun nodded without saying anything more.

When they arrived at the city gate, it was just as the gate was opening.

There was already a long queue outside Yongding Gate, including vegetable farmers pushing wheelbarrows, merchants driving donkey carts, and people carrying luggage to visit relatives.

They were all crammed together in a mess, and the constables were checking them lazily. Their attitude wasn't bad, but they were slow, looking at each person's travel permit and asking where they came from.

The twelve people split into three groups to enter the city. Chen Zhan, Lu Jun, and Qin Ming went in one group, Cheng Shaojiu led four brothers in another group, and the rest went in the last group.

After entering the city gate, the group agreed to meet at a restaurant on Qianmen Street.

The mornings in Beijing are quite different from those in Tianjin.

The mornings in Tianjin are awakened by the docks and the river, with the shouts of the canal workers, the calls of the cart drivers, and the sound of the river lapping against the shore, all carrying the dampness and the smell of fish.

The mornings in Beijing begin in the hutongs: the cries of scissors and knives sharpeners, the calls of vendors selling soy milk, the jingling of rickshaw bells—the streets are filled with the aroma of smoke and the smells of donkey dung and coal.

Chen Zhan walked down Qianmen Street. Shops on both sides opened one after another, and shop assistants used long poles to pick up the door panels, removing them piece by piece with a "click-click-click" sound, revealing the colorful signs and shelves inside.

The breakfast stalls have already set up, with steaming bamboo steamers stacked high, oil pans for frying dough sticks sizzling and smoking, and large pots for selling fried liver bubbling away, filling the whole street with the aroma of food.

The three groups of people arrived one after another and sat down in a restaurant of moderate size.

The restaurant is called "Guangjude". It sells home-style dishes and noodles. The prices are reasonable and the portions are generous.

The twelve people booked two tables and ordered mutton noodles, noodles with soybean paste, meat-filled flatbreads, several side dishes, and a large pot of hot tea.

After traveling all night, everyone was hungry, so they ate in silence, no one speaking.

Chen Zhan ate a bowl of mutton noodles, then added two more flatbreads, drank half a pot of tea, wiped his mouth, and looked up at the street scene outside the window.

The capital city.

The last time I came here was during the Republic of China era.

By then, the capital city had been renamed Beiping. Rickshaws and cars were running on the streets. The old locust tree at the entrance of the alley was still there, and the old man under the tree still had the same mannerisms, carrying a birdcage and humming Peking Opera.

The capital city today looks much older than it did back then, but it's also much more bustling.

The streets were full of pedestrians with queues, some in long robes and mandarin jackets, others in short clothes, some were laborers carrying loads, and others were officials riding in sedan chairs. People came and went, shoulder to shoulder.

After finishing their meal and paying the bill, the twelve people left the restaurant and walked north along Qianmen Street.

Huiyou Escort Agency was located on Liangshidian Street inside Chongwenmen, not far from Qianmen Street; it was just two alleys away.

Along the way, Cheng Shaojiu explained the ins and outs of the martial arts world in Beijing to Chen Zhan.

"There are countless more martial arts schools and security escort agencies in the capital than in Tianjin. There are at least eight well-known security escort agencies, with Huiyou Security Escort Agency ranking first. It has been established for over fifty years, has nearly a thousand disciples, and more than a dozen branches nationwide, with extensive connections."

He paused, then continued, "The foundation of Huiyou Escort Agency lies in Sanhuang Paochui, founded by Old Man Song, our lineage's grandmaster. However, we learned it in the military, and regardless of seniority in the martial arts world, once we join the escort agency, we can't simply claim to be Mr. Song's successors. We must bow our heads when necessary."

Chen Zhan nodded; he was aware of all of this.

The backer of Huiyou Escort Agency was Li Hongzhang. Although this influential figure's reputation had been tarnished considerably after the First Sino-Japanese War, he was still a formidable figure with deep-rooted influence in the capital, and no one dared to offend him easily.

Moreover, the name "Huiyou" itself reveals the attitude—to make friends with martial arts enthusiasts from all over the world and welcome all who come.

When martial artists from other places come to the capital to make a living, six or seven out of ten will first visit the Huiyou Escort Agency to pay their respects, send a letter, introduce their master, and become familiar with the place so that they can be looked after when they travel around the capital in the future.

As we walked along Grain Store Street, we could see the sign for Huiyou Escort Agency from afar.

The four large characters "Huiyou Escort Agency" are written in gold on a black background, with vigorous strokes. It is said that they were personally written by Song Laomai, the "Divine Fist" of yesteryear. The agency has a large facade with three bays. The two vermilion doors are wide open, and two escort flags stand at the entrance. The left one is embroidered with "Huiyou" and the right one with "Ping An" (peace and safety), fluttering in the wind.

The threshold is half a foot above the ground, and a pair of stone lions crouch on either side, carved with a majestic and spirited air, clearly old objects that have been around for many years.

Inside the gate was the front yard, which was very spacious with blue bricks paving the ground. To the left was a stable with five or six horses tethered, and to the right was a row of weapon racks with swords, spears, halberds, and other weapons neatly arranged. On the rack at the front hung several triangular flags used for escorting goods.

There were already quite a few people in the courtyard, mostly dressed in shorts, some practicing martial arts, others wielding knives.

Two people were standing together, demonstrating some kind of move, while a group of people watched, nodding or shaking their heads from time to time.

A middle-aged man in a gray cloth robe stood inside the doorway, holding a notebook in his hand. He was the gatekeeper of the security escort agency, responsible for receiving guests.

Seeing Chen Zhan and his group of twelve approaching, the steward glanced around, his gaze lingering on each person for a moment before quickly realizing that these people were no ordinary farmers.

The way he walks, his posture, and the composure in his gaze are all signs of a skilled practitioner. Cheng Shaojiu, in particular, stands there with his back straight and his feet firmly planted on the ground, as stable as iron stakes. It's clear that he has put in a great deal of practice.

Chen Zhan's kung fu had reached its zenith, so naturally no one could see through his disguise.

"Where are you from? Who are you looking for?" the manager asked, his attitude neither warm nor cold.

Cheng Shaojiu stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "I am Cheng Shaojiu, from Tianjin. I belong to the Sanhuang Paochui lineage. I've brought a few brothers to the capital to make a living. We've long admired the Huiyou Escort Agency and have come to pay our respects."

"Three Emperors Cannon Fist?"

The manager's eyes lit up, and his expression relaxed slightly.

Sanhuang Paochui is the foundational style of Huiyou Escort Agency. Being from the same school and lineage, they naturally have a closer relationship, attracting many people to join them. However, few people actually practice Sanhuang Paochui; most just use the name to make a living.

The steward sized up Cheng Shaojiu and asked, "Whom did you study under?"

"Skills passed down in the military are difficult to categorize by lineage or seniority. However, if we trace their origins, they share the same lineage as those of Elder Song."

Cheng Shaojiu answered respectfully and tactfully, explaining his background without bringing up seniority. He handled the situation perfectly in this context.

When Song Laomai served in the Shenji Battalion, he was awarded the rank of fifth-grade official with a hat and peacock feather.

But that was many years ago. It's normal for the Three Emperors Cannonball to spread in the army, so the officer in charge didn't suspect that they were deserters from the Divine Machine Battalion.

The steward nodded, scribbled a few notes in his notebook, and gestured towards the courtyard: "Gentlemen, please rest in the front yard and have some tea. I'll go and announce your arrival and see which steward is here; please come out and greet him."

Cheng Shaojiu thanked them and led everyone into the front yard.

When the people practicing martial arts in the courtyard saw a group of unfamiliar faces enter, they all stopped what they were doing and glanced at them. Some were curious, some were scrutinizing, and some continued practicing their martial arts without paying any attention.

The twelve people found an empty seat in the corner of the courtyard and sat down. A waiter brought them tea and a few dishes of peanuts. The service was neither too warm nor too cold, just average.

Before long, a person came out from inside.

He was in his forties, of medium build, wearing a blue-gray short jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing two strong arms with prominent veins on the back of his hands, clearly the result of years of hard training.

He has a round face, thick eyebrows, and a short beard on his chin. He walks with steady and powerful steps, and his feet land with a distinct "stomping" force.

"Which one of you is Cheng Shaojiu?"

He walked up to the crowd, glanced around, and finally fixed his gaze on Cheng Shaojiu.

Cheng Shaojiu stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "That is me."

"My surname is Song, Song Caichen, and I am the deputy chief manager of the escort agency."

Song Caichen also clasped his hands in a fist salute, a smile on his face, his attitude much warmer than the gatekeeper's, "Brothers from the Sanhuang Paochui lineage have come to join us; we're family, no need for formalities."

His gaze lingered on Cheng Shaojiu for a few moments, scrutinizing him from head to toe before giving a slight nod.

Cheng Shaojiu's skill level was already apparent. This man stood there with perfect balance between his waist and stance, and his aura was deep and concentrated. He was at least at the peak of the Dark Force realm, which would make him one of the top experts in the Huiyou Escort Agency.

"Are all of you from the Three Emperors Cannon Fist?" Song Caichen asked.

"These brothers behind me are all of them, and they've all trained in the military."

Cheng Shaojiu pointed behind him, then turned to Chen Zhan and gestured with his chin, "This Mr. Chen, and these two, are my friends. They came to Beijing with us to make a living."

Song Caichen's gaze shifted to Chen Zhan and paused for a moment.

Chen Zhan sat on a stone bench in the corner, holding a teacup in his hand, slowly drinking tea. His posture was relaxed, and he didn't look like a martial arts practitioner, but rather like a scholar.

But Song Caichen had worked in the escort agency for over twenty years, escorting countless goods. He had seen all sorts of people and had a very sharp eye.

The young man sat there, his posture seemingly relaxed, but in reality, his center of gravity was extremely stable, with his feet planted on the ground just within shoulder width.

The lower back is relaxed, but the spine maintains a very subtle straightness.

This is a manifestation of stance training reaching the very core; whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, everything is stance training.

He glanced at Chen Zhan a couple more times, but didn't ask any further questions. Turning to Cheng Shaojiu, he smiled and said, "Those trained in the military have solid skills, which is exactly what our escort agency needs. Here's what we'll do: you two stay in the front yard for now, with food and lodging provided by the agency. We'll formally introduce you when the agency's chief escort returns in a couple of days."

Cheng Shaojiu quickly thanked him.

Song Caichen said a few more polite words, then turned and went back inside.

The twelve people settled down in the front yard, and the waiter led them to a side room. The room was small, but it was clean, and there were newly changed mattresses on the kang (a heated brick bed). The conditions were much better than in Liuhe Village.

After putting down their luggage and washing their faces, Cheng Shaojiu's brothers couldn't contain themselves and ran to the courtyard to watch others practice their skills.

The front yard was the training ground for the security escort agency. People practiced martial arts from morning till night, including fist and foot techniques, sword and spear fighting, wrestling, and all sorts of other skills.

Cheng Shaojiu's brothers had trained in the army for many years and had seen a lot, but when they arrived at the training ground of Huiyou Escort Agency, they still watched intently.

The Sanhuang Paochui here is similar in style to what they learned in the military, but there are many differences in the details.

The boxing style in the military emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, with the ultimate goal of killing the enemy in actual combat. The moves are concise, the power is fierce, and there are no unnecessary routines or fancy moves.

The boxing techniques of the escort agency have been improved upon, especially the footwork and body movements, which are more varied. The way of exerting force also emphasizes the use of inch force and hidden force, which shows that it has been refined and improved by several generations.

The fourth and fifth brothers stood on the sidelines for a while, their hands itching to play. They exchanged a glance, walked to an empty spot in the middle of the court, got into position, and started a split-pushing game.

The two were practicing the "Three Rounds of Sparring" of the Sanhuang Paochui style, one attacking and the other defending, their punches coming and going with great force and a muffled thud, making the blue bricks under their feet tremble slightly.

The镖局 (bodyguard agency) disciples who were practicing their skills in the courtyard all stopped what they were doing and gathered around to watch.

The two outsiders' fists and feet were indeed solid, clearly honed in real combat. Their moves were not flashy, and every punch was aimed at vital points, carrying the ruthless, fearless spirit of soldiers.

After three rounds, the two stopped, beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads, and a few cheers rang out from the surrounding crowd. (End of Chapter)