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

Once outside the capital, the official road stretches southward, flanked by wheat fields in early summer. The wind blows, and the wheat waves surge, pushing layer upon layer into the distance.

Chen Zhan rode at the front on a chestnut horse, his back straight, his eyes looking straight ahead. The whip rested on his knee; he hadn't used it much. The horse was docile and walked steadily without needing to be urged.

Three horses rode side by side behind him, with three bodyguards on their backs, spaced just wide enough to look out for each other without obstructing their view.

Chen Zhan met all three of them when he had dinner yesterday.

Walking on the far left is Zhao Qi, a native of Shandong, who practices Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts). He is thirty-four or thirty-five years old, tall, and his arms are longer than average, almost reaching past his knees when they hang down. He is strong and powerful, clearly someone who has trained in hard martial arts.

Tongbei Quan is widely practiced in Shandong. Zhao Qi learned from the village's old boxing master from a young age. He made a name for himself in his twenties and went all the way north to the capital. In his early thirties, he entered the realm of Anjin (hidden strength). It is really not easy to have Anjin skills at this age. He could make a living anywhere.

He worked at Shunyuan Escort Agency for more than two years, escorting more than a dozen shipments without any mishaps. He was reliable and Wang Wu trusted him.

Walking on the right are two cousins, Zhang Kai and Zhang Yi, from the Yan and Zhao regions, both of whom practice Xingyi Quan.

Xingyi Quan is most widely spread in the Yan and Zhao regions. Several famous masters are from Yan and Zhao. Li Luoneng is from Shenzhou, Zhili; Guo Yunshen is from Shenxian; Liu Qilan is from Shenzhou; and Che Yizhai is from Taigu. The roots of Xingyi Quan are in this land.

Zhang Kai is my cousin, twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. He is taciturn and doesn't say a word while riding his horse. His eyes are always fixed on the road and the trees on both sides. He is the kind of veteran who is used to escorting goods and is always vigilant.

Zhang Yi is Zhang Kai's cousin, two years younger than him. He has a more outgoing personality and occasionally chats with the other runners behind him, but not often.

Not only were the two skilled in Xingyi Kung Fu, but they were also adept at fighting together. They had trained together in the village since childhood, one focusing on offense and the other on defense. Their teamwork was so seamless that they were practically in sync. They had fought several group battles in the escort agency, and when the two stood back to back, seven or eight people couldn't get close to them.

The three bodyguards were somewhat resentful of Chen Zhan.

Everyone has reservations about a complete stranger becoming the head镖师 (chief镖师, a term for a bodyguard or镖师) on their very first day at the镖局 (镖局, a type of security escort agency).

However, the three men were not young and had been wandering the martial arts world for many years. They were naturally shrewd and would not act out like young lads. On the surface, they all respectfully called him "Head镖师 Chen" (Head镖师 Chen), but what they were thinking remained hidden.

Unlike Li Hanzhang.

Li Hanzhang rode in the rear of the pack of riders and left the capital. Without Cheng Tinghua glaring at him, his resentment and indignation resurfaced.

He was whispering something to the porter beside him, not loudly, but Chen Zhan could hear it clearly.

They would say things like, "He doesn't seem that impressive," "The head镖师 (chief镖师) is overestimating him," and "We'll see if he's really capable once we encounter trouble on the road."

Chen Zhan didn't care.

Young people are often hot-blooded, that's normal.

If Li Hanzhang knew that his senior martial brother Yin Fu had been killed by this man in just over ten moves, he probably wouldn't have been so arrogant.

The group walked south along the official road. The horses' hooves pounded on the compacted loess road, making a dull but rhythmic "clattering" sound. The wheels of the two carriages creaked as they rolled over the road.

In the afternoon, we entered Langfang.

The journey was peaceful and uneventful; not a single suspicious person was seen. Smoke curled from the chimneys of the villages on both sides of the official road, people were working in the fields, and oxen were walking slowly along the ridges—a scene of perfect tranquility.

We found an inn to rest.

The inn was small, a two-story wooden building. The upstairs were guest rooms, and the downstairs were a dining hall and stables. When the innkeeper saw the flag of Shunyuan Escort Agency, his attitude immediately became more enthusiastic, and he eagerly came to arrange food and lodging.

They provided Xu Zhiyuan's family with the best rooms upstairs. The wife and two concubines shared one room, and the two children shared the next, with a door connecting them.

Chen Zhan lived downstairs, right next to the stairwell. This was a good location, as he could sense any movement upstairs immediately.

The three bodyguards and seven porters were scattered throughout the inn. Some were watching the horses by the stables, some were eating in the dining hall, and some were stretching their muscles in the courtyard.

Chen Zhan sat in the downstairs canteen, ordered a bowl of noodles and a plate of peanuts, and ate slowly.

Apart from him, no one else realized the real danger of this escort mission.

The three bodyguards and their crew only knew that this was a personal escort mission, protecting the family members of a high-ranking official. The head bodyguard, Wang Wu, had taken on the job. The fee was not low, and the journey was not short, but it was nothing special.

They didn't quite understand the conflict between the reformists and the monarchists in the Qing court; they only knew that their chief bodyguard was very influential in the capital, and many Qing officials gave Wang Wu, the "Big Knife King," some face.

Along the way, the bandits should all know the names of Shunyuan Escort Agency and Big Knife Wang Wu. Hearing their names, they would probably let them pass, and might not even dare to accept tolls.

In their view, this escort mission might not necessarily be risky.

After finishing his noodles, Chen Zhan put down his chopsticks, walked into the courtyard, and looked up at the sky.

As dusk settled, the sunset painted half the sky ablaze, and the old locust tree in the inn's courtyard cast a long shadow in the setting sun.

His divine will spread silently, covering a radius of a hundred paces around the inn. Every breath, heartbeat, and footstep of every person fell into his perception.

No exception.

Nothing happened that night, and no one made a move.

The next day, they set off before dawn and continued south.

After another full day of travel, passing through several groves and two rivers, the road conditions on the official road deteriorated, turning from smooth bluestone slabs into a bumpy dirt road. The carriage bounced violently, and the women and children inside were uncomfortable from the jolting. Chen Zhan told the driver to slow down.

We stayed overnight in a town in the evening, and nothing happened that night.

Day three.

As we approached Cang County, the terrain changed.

The flat wheat fields gradually disappeared, replaced by rolling hills and patches of mixed forests. The official road passed between two low hills, and the road narrowed considerably, making it difficult for two carriages to walk side by side.

Ahead was a narrow path nestled between mountains and forests, with dense trees on both sides that blocked out most of the sunlight, making the road surface gloomy and cold even in broad daylight.

Zhao Qi rode ahead to scout the way, and when he reached the entrance to the narrow road, he suddenly reined in his horse.

He smelled smoke.

It wasn't the smoke from firewood, but the smell of dry tobacco, pungent and acrid, drifting from the woods on the right.

Then he saw people.

A dozen or so men emerged from the woods, blocking the road. They held various weapons, including broadswords, iron rods, spears, and two old-fashioned muskets, their dark muzzles pointed towards the main road.

The leader was a one-eyed man with a black cloth covering his left eye and a gleaming right eye. He had a pipe in his mouth and a ghost-head knife at his waist, with a red cloth strip wrapped around the hilt.

Behind him were about twenty other people, scattered along the edge of the woods and in the bushes on both sides of the road, totaling thirty or forty people, completely blocking the narrow road.

Zhao Qi reined in his horse without panicking. He had been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) many times and had seen the formations of bandits; he knew their rules.

He dismounted, took a few steps forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a drawn-out tone, using the jargon of the镖行 (escort agency).

"My lord, Shunyuan Escort Agency, Wang Wu the Great Swordsman's business, please grant us passage. We ask for your leniency."

This is the rule between the镖行 (escort agencies) and the 劫賊 (bandits). The镖行 announces their number, and the 劫賊 listens for the signal. When the signal sounds, those who are courteous will give way, and those who are not will negotiate a price. Most of the time, both sides will go through this process politely, and everyone will be on good terms.

The names of Shunyuan Escort Agency and Big Knife Wang Wu were quite effective in the Yan and Zhao regions. Since they hadn't even left Zhili, Zhao Qi thought that simply reporting their names would be enough.

The one-eyed man took his pipe out of his mouth, spat out a mouthful of phlegm, and grinned.

"Wang Wu? I recognize him. Big Knife Wang Wu, a celebrity in the capital, everyone knows him."

After he finished laughing, the smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold expression.

"However, the master told me to stay here and guard the place. He said the people in the carriage can stay; you can leave if you want."

Zhao Qi's expression changed.

Disrespectful? This is the first time.

He worked for Shunyuan Escort Agency for more than two years, using the name Wang Wu. From Beijing to Tianjin, and from Tianjin to Shandong, all the outlaws along the way gave him face, and some even gave way and provided him with water and dry food.

This group of people today didn't ask about the price or follow any rules; they just wanted to keep the people in the carriage. It's obvious they're after the Xu family.

Zhao Qi then tried using a jargon phrase, meaning that the price was negotiable and that any amount was negotiable.

The one-eyed man shook his head, his attitude resolute: "It's not about money. Keep the men; the rest of you are untouchable."

Zhao Qi turned around and glanced at Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan sat on his horse and listened to the whole thing.

This band of mountain bandits were bandits, but they weren't the kind of stupid bandits who just stayed in the mountains and lived in isolation. They were well-informed and knew the name of Wang Wu, the "Big Knife King," and naturally, they also knew the name of Prince Yi's mansion.

If one had to choose one side to offend, it would naturally be easier to offend Wang Wu's side, since Wang Wu only had a few dozen people in his escort agency, while Prince Yi's mansion had the entire imperial court behind it.

Chen Zhan urged his horse forward, and the chestnut horse slowly walked to Zhao Qi's side.

When the one-eyed man saw the stranger arrive, he looked him up and down. He wasn't like Wang Wu, who had a burly build, nor was he like Cheng Tinghua, who looked like a scholar with glasses. He was just an ordinary middle-aged man wearing the standard short jacket of a security escort agency, and he didn't seem to have much ability.

He was secretly delighted.

Neither Wang Wu nor Cheng Tinghua personally led the team, so this business was easy to do; the five hundred taels of silver from Prince Yi's mansion were just free.

"Are you the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort)?" The one-eyed man, with a pipe in his mouth, glanced at Chen Zhan from head to toe.

"Um."

"That's perfect. I'll tell you, leave the people in the carriage behind, and you can return the way you came. No one will make things difficult for anyone, how about that?"

Chen Zhan did not answer. He glanced at the thirty or forty men behind the one-eyed man, and then at the crossbowmen hidden in the woods on both sides of the road.

The one-eyed man, thinking he was weighing the pros and cons, smiled and added, "I'm not an unreasonable person. If your Shunyuan Escort Agency continues to operate on this road, I'll still give you face. This matter isn't directed at you; you're just escorting goods for someone else, no need to drag yourselves into it."

Chen Zhan looked at him.

The one-eyed man felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and his smile froze for a moment.

Chen Zhan spoke, his voice calm: "Finished?"

The one-eyed man was taken aback.

Chen Zhan didn't give him any more time to react.

The horse leaped off its back, snorted, and lowered its head to graze on the roadside grass.

He landed three steps in front of the one-eyed man, his feet making no sound as he stepped onto the dirt road.

The one-eyed man's right hand had already reached the ghost-head knife at his waist. Just as his fingers touched the hilt, Chen Zhan was already in front of him.

He slapped the wrist of the man holding the knife.

With a "crack," the one-eyed man's wrist bone fell limply to his side, and his ghost-head knife slid halfway out of its sheath before falling back in.

He doubled over in pain, his pipe falling to the ground. Before he could even cry out, Chen Zhan's knee had already pierced his abdomen.

The person folded up, lay face down on the ground, and couldn't move.

From the moment Chen Zhan dismounted to the moment the one-eyed man collapsed to the ground, less than two breaths had passed.

The remaining bandits were stunned for a moment, but after they realized what was happening, they erupted into chaos and swarmed over, wielding broadswords, iron rods, and spears in a chaotic flurry.

Chen Zhan did not take any weapons.

He stood in the middle of the crowd, his figure flashing. His speed wasn't too fast, at least not in his own eyes, but to these bandits who only had superficial strength or even no internal strength, it was already so fast that they couldn't see him.

Those behind saw their companions in front flying out, falling down, and crouching down one after another, and their momentum clearly slowed down; some even began to hesitate.

Chen Zhan didn't give them time to hesitate. He darted forward and rushed into the densest crowd.

If you touch it, it flies away; if you get wet, it lies down.

Palm strikes, elbow strikes, shoulder strikes, knee strikes, and kicks—these are all the most basic forms of force output. Regardless of school or technique, when they hit you, there's only one word: pain.

Seeing that something was wrong, the archers in the woods fired two arrows, the sound of the arrows piercing the air sharp and shrill.

Without turning his head, Chen Zhan reached behind him with his left hand, tucked two arrows between his fingers, and tossed them lightly to the ground.

The archers were so frightened that they dropped their bows and arrows, turned and ran, disappearing into the woods.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the road was littered with people.

Thirty or forty bandits lay sprawled on the dirt road. Some were groaning with their arms around their shoulders, some were curled up in a ball clutching their stomachs, some were lying on the ground unable to get up, and a few had been knocked unconscious and lay motionless.

The one-eyed man was still lying at the front, his wrist broken, his abdomen slammed by a knee, his face covered in dust and cold sweat, panting heavily, his eyes wide open, his right eye filled with disbelief.

Chen Zhan dusted off his hands and took out a silver note from the one-eyed man's pocket. Five hundred taels, quite a lot.

He turned around and walked back. The chestnut horse was still grazing by the roadside. He went over, took the reins, mounted the horse, and urged it to slowly return to the group.

Behind him, a whole field of bandits lay scattered, none of them able to stand up.

Zhao Qi sat on his horse with his mouth open, unable to close it for a long time.

He had witnessed the entire incident. From the moment Chen Zhan dismounted to the moment he finished off the last man, it took less than half an incense stick's time. None of the thirty or forty bandits were standing.

Zhang Kai and Zhang Yi exchanged a glance, both seeing the same expression in each other's eyes. (End of Chapter)