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

West Mountain.

Deep in the pine forest, Chen Zhan sat cross-legged on a blue stone.

The mountain breeze swept through the forest, carrying the bitter scent of pine resin and the dampness of the earth, and felt cool against the dried bloodstains covering my body.

The eunuch's clothes were already mostly tattered, with a torn section in the sleeve and the front covered in knife marks and rips from being punched. Blood had stained the fabric a dark brown, and it clung stiffly to his body.

Close your eyes, regulate your breathing, and let your blood and energy slowly return to your dantian.

It's very noisy down the mountain.

In the distance came the sounds of rapid footsteps, horses' hooves, and commands, along with the faint clanging of metal—the sounds of the Imperial Guards' armor and scabbards moving forward.

Troops inside and outside the city are being moved towards the western mountains. Many people saw him rush into the mountains, and it's only a matter of time before they surround and search the mountains.

It doesn't matter.

As long as Wang Wu and his two companions arrive before the soldiers, it will be fine.

The forest was very quiet, with only the occasional bird call coming from the treetops and being carried away by the mountain breeze.

Sunlight filtered through the pine needles, casting patches of light on the bluestone, which swayed and danced in the breeze.

Chen Zhan sat on the bluestone, the smell of blood on his body gradually dissipating in the mountain breeze, mingling with the scent of the pine forest.

After about the time it takes for several incense sticks to burn.

The sounds from outside the mountain grew louder, and troops were gathering at the foot of the mountain. One could vaguely hear someone shouting, "Block all the mountain roads!"

Footsteps echoed through the woods.

Three paths.

Quickly, urgently, stepping on fallen leaves and withered branches, making a crackling sound.

Chen Zhan opened his eyes.

Wang Wu walked at the front, his gray cloth shorts stained with a lot of dust and blood, his left shoulder still drooping, he hadn't recovered.

He was carrying a person in his right hand, dragging him on the ground. The person's feet left two long marks on the fallen leaves.

died.

Guo Yunshen and Zhang Dianhua followed behind. Zhang Dianhua was still clutching his stomach, his face pale, but he didn't stop walking.

The three of them followed the marks left by Chen Zhan and found their way here, stopping in front of the bluestone.

Wang Wu threw the dead body on the ground. The corpse rolled half a circle before lying face up in the pile of fallen leaves.

The man, in his thirties, of medium build, about the same height and build as Chen Zhan, was dressed in a drab, coarse cloth outfit. His face was ordinary, and the cause of death was unclear.

“This man is a wanted criminal. We tried to arrest him before, but we didn’t have a chance to do so,” Wang Wu said, catching his breath. “Now he comes in handy. We’ll disfigure him, but his build and appearance will resemble Brother Chen’s. Hopefully, we can fool them.”

Chen Zhan stood up from the bluestone, walked to the corpse, and squatted down.

He stretched out his right hand and pressed his five fingers against the face of the suspect.

If you place your fingertips on your cheekbone and push hard, the bone joints will shift, and the height of your cheekbone will change.

I moved my fingers to my chin and pressed twice. The lines of my jawbone changed from rounded to square. I pushed my brow bone up half a bit, tilted my nose bridge to the left a little, and adjusted the depth of my eye sockets.

The bones creaked and groaned beneath the flesh, and the face changed little by little. In just a few breaths, the face of the criminal had become seven or eight parts similar to the eunuch's face that Chen Zhan had seen before.

His fingers reached up to the top of his head, the tips gliding across his scalp, the force concentrated in his fingertips, making them sharper than a blade.

Wherever it went, hair was shaved off at the root, strands falling to the ground, and it was quickly shaved clean.

Finally, Chen Zhan took off his blood-stained eunuch coat and the crooked eunuch hat, and put them on the criminal.

The hat was pulled up, the clothes were straightened, and the bloodstains and tears matched perfectly.

From a distance, it was clear that it was the assassin who had stormed into Chuxiu Palace.

Chen Zhan stood up, wiping the blood from his hands: "You can handle this matter as you see fit. From now on, there will be no trace of me in the martial arts world."

He glanced at the three people.

"Take care, everyone."

After saying that, he turned around and walked into the deep mountains.

"Brother Chen."

Wang Wu blocked their way.

"Is this a departure from which you will never return?"

Chen Zhan stopped and turned around.

"Whether I go back or not makes no difference."

His voice was faint, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"This world is too corrupt for me to change. I can only leave it to future generations. Perhaps many years later, someone will rebuild the universe, and I will return. I just don't know how many friends will still be there then."

Hearing this, Wang Wu seemed to be deep in thought. After a moment of silence, he said, "Brother Chen, rest assured, I will do my best. With reform imminent and the influence of foreigners not yet established, we are not without opportunities."

Chen Zhan turned to look at him, knowing that Wang Wu thought he was referring to Tan Sitong's reforms.

The two people looked at each other.

A fire burned in Wang Wu's eyes, a fire that held the hope that Tan Sitong had placed in the reform and strengthening of the nation. He genuinely believed that the Qing Dynasty could still be saved, that reform could turn the tide, and that the Chinese nation could climb out of the mire.

Chen Zhan looked at the ball of fire but didn't say anything.

The Hundred Days' Reform could not fundamentally change the world. Even if it had succeeded, it would have only pushed the feudal imperial system forward by a few years, and it would have collapsed sooner or later.

But any reform is just a prelude; only on a solid foundation can the towering buildings that follow be constructed.

Without the bloodshed of this group, there would be no awakening of those who followed.

He won't hurt Wang Wu.

"Brother Wang has lofty ambitions; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

Chen Zhan added, "Although we haven't known each other for long, I'd like to offer you some advice."

This wasn't just said to Wang Wu.

Guo Yunshen and Zhang Dianhua were also nearby, one standing with a livid face, the other clutching his stomach and bending over, but both were listening intently.

The three men spoke at the same time: "Brother Chen, please speak."

Chen Zhan remained silent for a moment.

"Excessive rigidity leads to breakage."

The four words fell into the mountains and forests, and the wind blew through the treetops, making the branches and leaves rustle.

"Although it sounds somewhat incongruous for me to say these four words, if we encounter something impossible in the future, we can take a step back first, rather than risk mutual destruction."

The three of them looked a little strange.

You just stormed into the Forbidden City, fought your way to the Chuxiu Palace, chopped off the old witch's head, committed the greatest crime in the world, and now you're standing here advising us not to perish together.
These words would be appropriate for anyone, but they wouldn't be appropriate for Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan himself knew it was incongruous, but he couldn't give any further reasons.

He couldn't tell them that foreigners would invade Beijing in a few years, and that an even greater catastrophe would occur decades later. It would be a real waste if a grandmaster like Wang Wu died over these things.

A warrior's killing power is limited; no matter how skilled a person is, he cannot withstand the power of foreign guns and cannons.

But the inheritance of martial arts has no end. The disciples and grand-disciples taught by a grandmaster, passed down through generations, are far more valuable than those who die in a battle.

That's all he could say.

"This isn't to discourage the three of you. Those of us who practice martial arts may have limited individual killing power, but our influence on future generations of martial arts is far greater."

"Where there's life, there's hope."

Chen Zhan looked at the three people and said one last thing.

"Farewell, gentlemen."

Having said that, he turned away without looking back and strode into the deep mountains. His figure disappeared into the pine forest, his bluish-gray silhouette flickering among the tree trunks, growing fainter and fainter, farther and farther away.

Wang Wu stood there, watching the figure disappear into the woods, without giving chase.

The three of them exchanged a glance.

They all had the same question in their minds.

The mountain has been surrounded. The Imperial Guards have set up several blockade lines at the foot of the mountain, and each mountain road is guarded.

Chen Zhan walked deeper into the Western Hills. How did he get out?

If we're talking about brute force, with his skills, he might not be unable to break through.

But once he shows himself, the corpse in the hands of the three men will be fake. The traitor who murdered the empress is not dead. They have used a fake corpse to complete their mission. This is deceiving the emperor and is a capital offense.

But since Chen Zhan said he would disappear without a trace from now on, there was no need for him to lie to them.

He told the three men to prepare the corpse and hand it over. If he intended to break out of the mountains and show his face, why would he bother with this?
Wang Wu gritted his teeth.

"Let's go. Down the mountain."

Three people carried the body down the mountain path.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the Imperial Guard's blockade came into view. When the soldiers saw three men carrying a corpse down the mountain, they immediately surrounded them.

Upon hearing the news, the commander of the Imperial Guards rushed over and squatted down to take a look.

The eunuch's clothes were covered in blood, making it impossible to tell what he originally looked like. His size and appearance were similar to the assassin he had just seen in the palace.

"Is it him?"

Wang Wu nodded, his voice heavy: "We chased him into the mountains, where the thief resisted fiercely, but the three of us joined forces to kill him."

The commander of the Imperial Guards stood up and stared at Wang Wu for a long while.

Wang Wu's face was covered in blood, ash, and sweat. His left shoulder slumped and he couldn't lift it. He looked exhausted and fierce. Guo Yunshen's face was ashen, and he was breathing heavily. Zhang Dianhua was clutching his stomach, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

All three of them were injured; the injuries were real.

The Imperial Guard commander's gaze swept over the three men, then he glanced down at the corpses.

He didn't believe it.

But he had no evidence to say that this was not an assassin, as the face was similar, the clothes were eunuch-like, the build matched, and the scars matched.

Some people in the palace had seen the assassin's true face, but the thief was skilled in disguise, and they only saw a figure covered in blood, without being able to see the face clearly.

Moreover, he needs this corpse.

The Empress Dowager died while he was on duty.

If the assassin dies, he is guilty of dereliction of duty, but he killed the murderer and might be spared. If the assassin survives and escapes, he is useless and will face the execution of his entire family.

He needs an explanation.

"Take it away."

The body was loaded onto a carriage, covered with a white cloth, and transported towards the capital.

The imperial court naturally did not believe that Chen Zhan had been executed.

A top-tier expert who could break into the Forbidden City, smash through the Chuxiu Palace, and single-handedly defeat three people at the Core Formation Realm and still escape unscathed was chased into the mountains and killed by three people who were no match for him.
The Military Council held an emergency meeting that night and issued a strict order to surround the mountains and search for the suspect, demanding to see him alive or dead.

The Imperial Guards completely surrounded the Western Hills.

Three thousand soldiers marched in a straight line from the foot of the mountain to the summit, advancing step by step into the mountainside, leaving no blade of grass or tree untouched.

They searched the bushes, the caves, the streams, and even sent people down to check the bottom of the cliffs.

I searched for three days, but found nothing.

Two thousand more people were mobilized to expand the area and seal off the entire area within ten miles around Xishan.

Checkpoints were set up on the road into the mountains, and sentry posts were set up on the road out of the mountains. They searched for seven days, but found nothing.

Half a month has passed. Five thousand people have been searching in the mountains for half a month, turning over every mountain peak, every ravine, and every corner where people could hide. They have even dug out the dens of wild animals.

There was no trace of Chen Zhan.

There were no footprints, no pieces of clothing, no bloodstains, no trace of anyone having lived there, as if no one had ever entered this mountain.

A month later, the search and arrest operation in the mountains was lifted.

The imperial court found neither a second body nor any living people.

In the end, they could only drag out the fake Chen Zhan's body, tear it to pieces, hang his head at the nine gates, and announce to the world that the traitor who murdered the empress had been killed.

Inside the capital city.

The news of the Empress Dowager's death was suppressed by the court for several days before being released, and the wording used was "The Empress Dowager's health deteriorated and she suddenly passed away."

There was no mention of the assassin, nor of what happened in Chuxiu Palace.

But the truth will out.

The commotion at Chuxiu Palace that day was enormous. Several thousand imperial guards surrounded the palace, and two volleys of arrows were fired. The fighting inside the palace shook the ground, and the sound could be heard even outside the palace walls. So many eunuchs and guards died, and blood flowed from the steps of Chuxiu Palace all the way to the courtyard gate.

The palace eunuchs spread the word, and the imperial guards told everyone. In less than five days, the entire capital knew about it.

The Empress Dowager was murdered.

One man, single-handedly stormed the palace, hacked through the Chuxiu Palace, and beheaded the Empress Dowager.

The government and the public were shaken.

Memorials from governors and viceroys of various provinces poured into the Grand Council like snowflakes. Some were to offer greetings and inquiries, some to request instructions on how to handle the aftermath, some to probe the direction of the new policies, some to take the opportunity to express their loyalty, and some to observe the situation secretly.

Emperor Guangxu assumed personal rule.

With the Empress Dowager dead, the hand that had ruled from behind the curtain for thirty years was gone, and the Emperor stepped out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation and sat in the Hall of Righteousness and Brightness.

But I couldn't sit still.

Although the Empress Dowager is dead, the net she left behind still exists.

The ministers of the Grand Council, the governors and viceroys of various regions, and the princes of the Eight Banners all served the Empress Dowager, not the Emperor.

When the Empress Dowager was alive, they listened to her. After she died, they might not listen to the Emperor, but they didn't know who to listen to either.

An atmosphere of unease permeated the entire imperial court.

The reformers saw an opportunity.

After returning from the Forbidden City, Tan Sitong wrote a letter that very night and sent it to Kang Youwei.

The letter contained only one sentence: "It is the will of Heaven; we should act swiftly."

The calls for reform grew louder overnight.

Memorials, petitions, and lengthy edicts poured into the emperor's court from all directions.

Abolishing the eight-legged essay, establishing schools, reducing redundant officials, training a new army, opening up mining operations, and setting up a parliament—all the things that the Empress Dowager had previously suppressed and dared not mention suddenly came to the fore.

Emperor Guangxu's hands trembled as he looked at the mountain of memorials piled on his desk.

He waited for twenty years.

Now, the Empress Dowager is dead.

In a teahouse far away on the border, a storyteller turned the story of "Single-handedly storming the palace" into a tale, telling it over and over again, each version becoming more and more outrageous.

Later in the story, the assassin transformed into a ferocious god with three heads and six arms. He cleaved open the walls of the Forbidden City with a single stroke and flew away on a tornado from the roof of the Chuxiu Palace.

As the common people listened, some slammed their fists on the table in approval, some shook their heads and sighed, and some whispered among themselves about what should be done about the future of the country.

No one ever saw Chen Zhan again.

The streets and alleys of the capital were bustling with people, just like any other day.

A vendor selling candied hawthorns called out on a street corner, a rickshaw puller sped along the road, and a shopkeeper was doing his accounts.
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P.S. (Next volume, Hong Kong 1946.) (End of this chapter)