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

"Tsk tsk."

Guo Yunshen put down his teacup and sighed, "Yin Fu is cunning and not very upright in his actions, but his martial arts skills are truly exceptional. There aren't many people who have mastered Baguazhang to his level."

Zhang Dianhua said, "I fought Yin Fu in the palace. His Bagua skills were too slippery. He had enough skill and experience, but not enough magnanimity. He could not reach the level of Dong Haichuan. However, it is rare for someone who has reached the peak of Huajin to be killed."

Chen Zhan held the teacup, lowered his head and took a sip, but did not reply.

He killed Yin Fu. That night in the rain, his half-step Beng Quan blasted Yin Fu to pieces.

Sitting here listening to others sigh and lament, his face remained expressionless; he simply drank his tea quietly.

Cheng Shaojiu and Lu Jun sat at the lower end, also drinking tea with their heads down. Both of them knew the inside story, but neither of them would reveal a single word.

The conversation didn't linger on Yin Fu for long before shifting to the business of the escort agency.

This is what truly worries Zhang Dianhua.

"The escort agency is finding it increasingly difficult to survive."

Zhang Dianhua put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice. "In recent years, foreigners have acquired more and more firearms, and with the protection of these guns, more merchant caravans are traveling by sea, while trade on land is decreasing year by year."

"In the past, when escorting goods from the capital to Tianjin, there were bandits along the way, but our镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) were highly skilled. If we called out 'Huiyou镖局' (Huiyou Escort Agency), the bandits would give us some face. We'd arrive safely, get our money, and everyone would be happy."

"Things are different now. Foreign caravans are escorted by muskets. A volley of fire from them renders all your martial arts skills useless. They don't follow the rules of the trade, and they don't recognize your escort flag. If you charge in with the 'Huiyou Escort Agency' flag, they'll just shoot it to pieces."

He gave a bitter laugh as he spoke: "Many escort agencies have changed their profession. They no longer provide escort services; instead, they specialize in guarding the homes of high-ranking officials and wealthy people, standing guard at the gates, no different from the yamen runners. Our Huiyou Escort Agency is still holding on, but it won't last much longer."

Guo Yunshen nodded in agreement: "It's not just escort agencies, it's the same with martial arts schools. In the past, martial arts were a skill that could earn you a living; if you mastered martial arts, people would respect you wherever you went. But now? A foreigner can teach a complete novice to fire a gun in three days, and with one shot, even a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) who's trained for twenty years will fall to the ground. What kind of situation is this?"

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Chen Zhan again: "Brother Sanshui came from Shandong, and you should have seen it along the way. Wherever the foreigners build their railways, the security escort agencies go. Once the trains start running, goods travel by rail, so who would still hire security escort agencies to travel by land?"

Chen Zhan nodded: "That's true. Times are changing, and martial artists can no longer rely solely on their fists for a living."

These words were spoken plainly, but those present understood their deeper meaning.

Martial artists can't rely solely on their fists for a living, so what do they rely on?
Zhang Dianhua looked at Chen Zhan, hesitated, and finally just picked up his teacup, took a sip, and swallowed his words.

He's a smart man. Someone with Chen Zhan's skills and demeanor couldn't possibly have come to the capital just to "find a job and settle down."

But he wouldn't ask about the visitor's background; that was the rule of the Huiyou Escort Agency, and he wouldn't make an exception.

After chatting for more than half an hour, the atmosphere in the hall became more and more relaxed.

Guo Yunshen was much more unrestrained than Zhang Dianhua. After drinking a few bowls of tea, he couldn't sit still any longer. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying, "All talk and no action is useless, Brother Sanshui. I regret that I didn't see your moves with Song Caichen just now. How about we go outside and stretch our legs?"

He glanced at Zhang Dianhua as he spoke: "Brother Dianhua, don't be so formal. Your Sanhuang Paochui and my Xingyi have been sparring for years. Today, with the addition of our Sanshui brother, we can finally have a table together."

Zhang Dianhua was a martial arts enthusiast and a former martial arts champion. His competitive spirit had not diminished with age, and his eyes lit up immediately when he heard Guo Yunshen's suggestion.

He put down his teacup, stood up, and straightened his sleeves. "Well, that's fine. I've been sitting inside all day; my bones are practically rusting."

The three of them walked out of the main hall together and headed towards the training ground in the front yard.

The news spread extremely quickly: the chief镖头 (chief镖头, a term referring to a bodyguard or镖师) was going to personally participate in the duel, and Mr. Guo Yunshen would also be present. This was a grand event that only happened once every few years.

In less than fifteen minutes, the training ground in the front yard was packed with people. Escorts, disciples, porters, grooms, waiters, and even the head chef who was chopping vegetables in the kitchen came out, forming layers upon layers, making the area completely crowded.

Cheng Shaojiu's brothers were even more excited, crowding at the front and craning their necks, afraid of missing a single move.

Lu Jun and Qin Ming were also standing in the crowd. Lu Jun's eyes were fixed on Chen Zhan's back, his eyes full of anticipation.

When he was in Tianjin, he witnessed Chen Zhan kill people. Every move was fatal, and every punch drew blood. That was a real fight where life and death were at stake.

But he had never seen Chen Zhan spar with a master of the same level. He was always curious about how deep Chen Zhan's skills were without killing anyone.

A large open space was cleared out of the training ground, the blue brick floor was swept clean, and the surrounding weapon racks were moved away to prevent them from being bumped into during intense fighting.

Zhang Dianhua stood on the east side of the venue, took off his long gown, revealing a white undergarment underneath. The fabric was close-fitting, revealing the muscle contours of his arms and shoulders. Although he was over sixty years old, he was still strong and fit, showing no signs of aging.

He moved his hands and feet, his joints cracking, and he planted his feet on the ground, assuming the starting stance of the Three Emperors Cannon Fist.

Slightly different from Song Caichen's starting stance, Zhang Dianhua's stance is more open, with his arms spread wider, his center of gravity lower, and his legs bent to almost a half-squat. His entire posture is extremely stable, like a small mountain.

This is the stance of a master of the Three Emperors Cannon Fist, which is fundamentally different from the stance of a disciple.

Disciples practice the "form," while masters practice the "intention."

They may look the same, but their meanings are different, resulting in vastly different outcomes.

Chen Zhan walked to the west side of the venue, stood still, and did not rush to put on airs.

He looked at Zhang Dianhua's starting stance, his gaze sharpened slightly, and a sincere expression of admiration appeared on his lips.

The good thing about this frame is its "correctness".

Zhang Dianhua's Sanhuang Paochui (Three Emperors Cannon Fist) was passed down from Song Mailun, who was the third-generation inheritor and master of Sanhuang Paochui. He integrated boxing, qi cultivation, and combat techniques into one, creating the golden age of Sanhuang Paochui.

Zhang Dianhua received Song Mailun's true teachings and honed his skills in the palace and the escort agency for more than forty years, reaching a state of simplicity and authenticity in his kung fu.

His posture appears simple and unadorned, without any fancy tricks or clever techniques; it is simply a dignified, upright, and peaceful stance.

But it is precisely because it is so perfect that it has no flaws.

It contains the extraordinary within the ordinary, and the ingenious within the seemingly simple; it looks ordinary, but you'll only realize how powerful it is when you actually fight it.

Chen Zhan assumed the Three-Body Stance.

It's still the basic framework of Xingyi Quan, exactly the same as when I sparred with Song Caichen before.

When he fought Song Caichen before, he only used 30 or 40% of his strength and held back, not wanting to hurt him too badly.

Facing Zhang Dianhua, a master of the Core Formation Realm, a martial arts champion, and a seasoned镖头 (bodyguard/escort) who had been in the martial world for over forty years, he dared not hold back his skills.

In the Three-Body Stance, both arms are stretched to their limit, the fingers of the leading hand are slightly spread apart, the fingertips pointing forward, and the power is transmitted from the dantian along the spine to the fingertips. A deep and long-lasting power slowly spreads from his body.

He hasn't taken an opponent seriously in a long time.

The people he killed in Tianjin, whether they were Liu's three henchmen, Iron-Tongued Ma Liu, Yin Fu, or He Zhongming, were not worthy of his attention.

The one in front of me is qualified.

The two stood facing each other for several breaths, about ten feet apart.

The arena was completely silent; even breathing was suppressed to a minimum. Guo Yunshen stood at the sidelines, his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men, a smile playing on his lips.

It's a rare sight in the martial arts world today for two masters at the Core Formation Realm to exchange blows.

Chen Zhan moved first, directly unleashing the Xingyi "Splitting Fist" from the San Ti stance. It was of the metal element, slashing down from above in a dignified, upright, and peaceful manner.

The speed was not fast, even a bit slower than when he fought Song Caichen.

However, the force contained in the punch was several times stronger, and it only exploded the moment it was thrown out. It was like an iron hammer wrapped in cotton cloth, which looked soft on the outside, but you only realized how powerful it was when it hit you.

Zhang Dianhua was met with the "opening cannon" of the Sanhuang Paochui, which was equally grand and upright, advancing straight down the center line.

Both fighters adopted a conventional fighting style, engaging in a head-on clash from the very first move.

"boom--!"

The sound of the two fists colliding was several times deeper than in Song Caichen's previous fight. It didn't sound like fists hitting fists, but like two iron walls colliding.

Unlike Song Caichen, who was forced back half a step, this time neither of them moved an inch.

When their forces collided, fine cracks simultaneously erupted from beneath their feet. The stone dust on the surface of the blue bricks was shaken up, creating a thin mist. The cracks spread outwards, extending for more than three feet.

The disciples in the front row all took a step back. Some of them felt the ground tremble and their expressions changed drastically.

"this"

Cheng Shaojiu stood at the front of the crowd, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the scene. He didn't say a word, but his Adam's apple bobbed.

He had followed Chen Zhan for so long, and he had never seen Chen Zhan treat an opponent with such a serious attitude.

The first move tested each other's strengths and weaknesses. Almost simultaneously, they took a half step back, creating distance and reassessing each other.

Zhang Dianhua's feet changed.

The moment the square brick step was taken, all the disciples practicing the Three Emperors Cannon Fist opened their eyes wide.

The chief镖头's square brick step was completely different from what they usually practiced. Each step covered an area exactly the size of a square brick, with a very small stride, a very fast frequency, and the soles of the feet glided along the ground without lifting or jumping. The center of gravity remained stable, and power could be generated at any time with each step.

As the cultivator of the Embracing the Elixir Realm stepped out, the blue bricks beneath his feet vibrated with each step, making a dense "thump thump thump thump" sound, like the beat of war drums.

He moved rapidly around Chen Zhan, his body shifting left and right, his position changing extremely quickly, always maintaining a distance of less than ten feet. Based on the square brick step, he unleashed the twelve cannon techniques in succession.

"Skyrocket!"

The fist came from below, aiming straight for Chen Zhan's chin.

Chen Zhan turned his head to avoid it, but Zhang Dianhua continued his footing on the bricks, his body already turned to the side.

"Angle cannon!"

The punch travels in an arc, coming in from the side, and strikes the temple.

Chen Zhan raised his arm to block, but Zhang Dianhua changed his move the instant his fist touched his arm.

"A diarrhea cannon!"

The fist sinks down, aiming straight for the lower abdomen.

Three shots fired in quick succession, moving in three directions—upper, middle, and lower—with the square brick step constantly shifting the body's position, flowing smoothly like water.

Chen Zhan used the Five Elements Fist to neutralize each attack: the chopping fist to block the sky-piercing cannon, the drilling fist to receive the corner cannon, and the horizontal fist to parry the diarrhea cannon. His footwork remained facing forward throughout Zhang Dianhua's square brick steps encirclement.

The two moved quickly around the field, one attacking in circles, the other spinning in place, their footsteps as dense as raindrops.

Someone in the crowd exclaimed in a low voice, "The Chief Escort's brick-step technique is so fast! That speed!"

An old bodyguard chimed in, "You couldn't achieve that speed even after twenty years of practice. The chief bodyguard's square brick step was personally taught by Master Song; he's the only one in the entire escort agency who knows it."

Song Caichen stood in the crowd, his chest still throbbing with pain from his internal injury, but he couldn't care less. His eyes were fixed on Zhang Dianhua's footwork and fist techniques, his lips moving slightly as he silently memorized every detail of his senior brother's movements.

Zhang Dianhua's twelve-cannon method was used once, but he did not gain any advantage.

Chen Zhan's Five Elements Fist was flawless, with each punch hitting the target precisely, neither too much nor too little.

Chen Zhan's footwork suddenly changed, his feet stepping out of the Xingyi style, his body rushing forward, his hands reaching forward, his ten fingers bent like hooks - "Tiger Form".

A tiger pounces on its prey with powerful and heavy force.

Zhang Dianhua used the "Cross Cannon" to block the tiger-shaped attack, and punched out with his fists crossed, forming a cross shape with one horizontal and one vertical line, directly blocking the attack.

The two were locked in a stalemate for two breaths, their fists clashing, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Seeing this, Guo Yunshen on the sidelines rolled his eyes slightly, and his smile deepened.

He realized that Chen Zhan was brewing a change.

really.

After a third breath of stalemate, Chen Zhan changed his tactics.

His upper body still maintained the tiger-shaped stance, with his hands outstretched to maintain frontal pressure on Zhang Dianhua, but his lower body no longer followed the tiger-shaped footwork.

With a sudden twist of the waist and hips, the spine led the entire lower body in a serpentine twist. The upper body remained still, but the lower body slid from the front to the side, with the two legs crossing and stepping in a dragon-shaped manner. The body completed the transformation within a tiger-shaped frame.

Dragon and Tiger Combined Attack.

The Tiger form emphasizes strength and ferocity, while the Dragon form emphasizes agility and dexterity. The two forms are combined into one within the same body.

Originally aimed straight at Zhang Dianhua with his tiger-shaped palms, the attack angle suddenly changed due to the shift in his lower body. It changed from the front to the lower side, and the palms transformed into dragon-shaped piercing palms. With the fingertips gathering strength, the palms pierced under Zhang Dianhua's cross-shaped palms and went straight for his ribs.

Zhang Dianhua's crossbow blocked the front, leaving an opening on the lower side.

He took a quick half-step back, barely avoiding the fingertips of the dragon-shaped palm strike, but his clothes were shaken by the palm wind, leaving a shallow crease on the fabric.

The difference is minuscule.

Guo Yunshen stood on the sidelines with his hands behind his back, leaning forward slightly. He uttered a few words, not loudly, but those close to him could hear them.

"Dragon and Tiger Combined Attack? The twelve forms can actually be used together, impressive."

Cheng Shaojiu turned to look at Guo Yunshen. What he saw on the Xingyi master's face wasn't shock, but pure admiration and excitement—the kind of fascination one feels upon witnessing a peerless martial art. (End of Chapter)