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

Lu Desheng took two steps back and stared at the person in front of him.

The small lamp at the bow of the boat flickered in the river breeze, casting shimmering light on the face of the person approaching. The person's features were unremarkable, and water dripped from the hem of their clothes, soaking from their calves down.

A dozen or so men stood around on the deck, but no one dared to move.

The sight of them walking on water stunned everyone, though several of them had their hands on the guns at their waists.

A river breeze blew from the stern, ruffling the man's clothes. He stood in the center of the deck, relaxed, as if he were standing in his own backyard.

Lu Desheng, having seen the world, asked, "Are you a human or a ghost?"

Chen Zhan replied casually, "Of course I'm a person. Bodhidharma crossed the river on a reed, but I, Chen, am merely passing through the air. What does that matter?"

He gave his surname and identified himself as Chen.

His tone was as relaxed as if he were chatting casually in a teahouse, completely disregarding the dozen or so guns on the ship.

Lu Desheng had been in the Green Gang for twenty years and considered himself to have seen his share of big scenes. He knew that Mr. Du had no shortage of skilled men around him.
But he had never seen anyone walk across the water before.

His mind was racing, and while he was still trying to stall for time with words, his right hand was already slowly reaching towards his waist.

The holster's hidden clasp was released, and fingers rested on the gun handle.

A Mauser pistol with twenty rounds, already loaded, all he had to do was pull it out and cock the trigger. At a distance of two steps, it would be strange if he missed.

The moment his finger touched the gun handle, the person in front of him was gone.

It was so fast that his eyes couldn't keep up; his vision went blank for a moment, leaving not even an afterimage.

The next moment, a hand was placed on his hand holding the gun.

The force was unbelievably strong.

The sound of hand bones shattering mingled with the sound of metal deforming from the gun.

The flesh and bone of the palm were pressed into the gun barrel, leaving a palm print on the iron-cast pistol casing. The finger bones and flesh were embedded in the metal recess, and the iron and flesh were connected together, with no clear boundary.

Lu Desheng screamed, "Ah—!"

The last thing he saw before he collapsed was this middle-aged man's hand resting on his own, casually.

His ordinary face was expressionless, even a little bored, as if he were doing something not worth the effort.

Before the pain even reached my brain, I lost consciousness.

Lu Desheng lay on his side on the deck, his hand and gun intertwined, blood seeping from the gap between his wrist and the metal.

The person behind him was stunned for a moment.

"Fire!" someone shouted, reaching for their waist.

The deck lighting was already dim, and the small lamp at the bow could only illuminate a few steps away; everything outside the lamp's range was pitch black.

Chen Zhan was no longer there.

The first man had just pulled out his gun when he felt a sharp pain in his throat. The gun was gone, and his feet slipped, causing him to tumble over the gunwall and fall into the water without even a sound.

The second person stood far from the light, in the dark, thinking it was safe.

Before he could even touch the gun, he was slapped on the back of the neck, his vision went black, and he collapsed onto the deck.

Those behind saw people around them falling one after another, and turned to run. But there was water on all sides, nowhere to run. Just as they turned around, a figure appeared in front of them, slapped them in the chest, sent them flying, crashed into the side of the boat, and fell into the river with a splash.

The last man had already drawn his gun and fired a shot into the darkness.

Gunshots rang out on the river, and a flash of light illuminated half of the deck.

There was no one in the direction the gun was pointing; the bullets hit the ship's deck, sending wood chips flying.

The next instant, his wrist was grabbed, the gun slipped from his hand and fell onto the deck with a clatter. Then, he felt a chill on his neck and was lifted up and thrown into the river.

There was no sound of fighting from beginning to end.

One splash after another, rhythmic and even, like something being swept off the deck one by one.

In less than ten breaths, everyone standing on the deck disappeared.

The last remaining captain huddled behind the helm, trembling all over, his crotch soaked with sweat.

Chen Zhan stopped for a moment as he passed by.

The boat captain collapsed to the ground, his teeth chattering, his hands clutching his head.

"I'll need you to drive the boat later."

The boat captain nodded frantically, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

The deck fell silent.

Lu Desheng fell to the bow of the boat, his hand and gun stuck together, while the rest of the men fell into the water, leaving not a ripple on the surface.

The air was thick with the smells of gunpowder and blood, and the boat rocked gently on the river.

Chen Zhan entered the cabin.

The cabin was dark, with only a little light shining through the cracks in the walls. The air was murky and smelled of blood and sweat.

There were congealed bloodstains on the deck, left from their previous struggle.

Old Liu, Zhou Hu, and Xiao Meng were tied together and sitting against the boat plank. Old Liu had three or four knife wounds on his body, his short jacket was mostly soaked in blood, and his face was ashen. Zhou Hu's left arm was swollen and hung down at his side, unable to move.

Xiao Meng had a cut on his forehead, and blood smeared half of his face, which had already dried.

The woman was tied alone in a corner at the stern of the boat, her mouth gagged with a rag, and the rope around her wrists was so tight it had turned purple, but she remained calm, thinking that she was going to die anyway.

They heard the noise outside.

The sounds were brief: a few splashes, a gunshot, and then silence.

The hatch opened, and someone walked in, their footsteps very light, almost silent.

All four people looked at the newcomer at the same time.

A middle-aged man in his forties, with an ordinary face, was dry except for his legs below the knees, and had a calm expression.

do not know.

Chen Zhan walked over, went to the woman's side first, and took the gag out of her mouth. The woman coughed violently a few times, didn't say anything, and stared at him intently.

He placed his fingers on the knot on her wrist, and with a slight push of his inner strength, the knot untied itself, leaving the rope intact.

The woman looked down at the loosened rope.

The rope was perfectly fine; the knot hadn't been cut or untied, it just came undone on its own.

She looked up at Chen Zhan, her lips moved slightly, but she didn't say anything.

Chen Zhan turned around and untied the three men. Using the same method, he placed his fingers on the knot and exerted force, causing the hemp rope to unravel automatically. The thick hemp rope was stained with blood and fell onto the deck after being untied.

Old Liu rubbed his wrist as he stood up, blood still dripping from his wrist, but he ignored it and looked at the unfamiliar middle-aged man in front of him.

do not know.

Zhou Hu and Xiao Meng also stood up. The three of them looked at each other, all bewildered.

Chen Zhan glanced at the three men's injuries: knife wounds, club wounds, and bruises. None of them had been seriously injured, and they were able to move.

His gaze lingered on the woman for a moment.

Do you know how to maneuver a boat?

Old Liu: "I will."

"Take advantage of the darkness and head towards the liberated area. If I'm not mistaken."

All four of them tensed up simultaneously. Old Liu's eyes changed, Zhou Hu's hands unconsciously clenched, and the woman's body stiffened slightly.

Chen Zhan didn't explain or ask any further questions, and turned to walk towards the cabin door.

I took two steps.

Zhou Hu spoke up: "Why are you helping us?"

Chen Zhan didn't turn around: "You'll know once we get to the liberated area."

He left the cabin, walked to the ship's side, and thought for a moment.

The boat captain was an ordinary person and didn't have time to argue, so he left it to the others.

He stepped onto the gunwale and jumped off. The force from his feet was transmitted to the hull, causing the bow to tilt slightly and the boat to turn downstream.

The small steamship, weighing several tons, was deflected by the force of the kick, and it swayed slightly before regaining its balance.

Four people rushed out of the cabin.

Only Lü Desheng remained lying on the deck, his hand and gun stuck together, blood flowing down his wrist, and he was already dead.

The remaining dozen or so people were nowhere to be seen. There was water on the side of the ship, and two guns lay scattered on the deck.

Old Liu was the first to rush to the gunwale and lie down to look at the water.

The person didn't sink. His feet touched the water, which rose above his calves, and he moved as if on flat ground, speeding towards the dock. A series of ripples spread across the river in the night, and his silhouette grew smaller and smaller.

Several people leaned over the gunwale, watching, speechless.

The woman stepped out of the cabin, stood on the deck, and watched the receding figure on the water. The expression on her face changed from astonishment to something else.

Old Liu was the first to come to his senses.

"Stop looking, get the boat in position, we must get out of the Suzhou Creek before dawn."

He pulled the still trembling captain up from behind the helm: "Start the boat, go downstream, or we'll throw you overboard."

The captain, trembling, turned the rudder, and the small steamer sputtered to a halt, starting to move downstream.

Xiao Meng helped Zhou Hu sit on the deck and used strips of cloth to tie his arms.

Zhou Hu hissed and turned his head to look at the increasingly distant dock, where the lights were no longer visible.

Who exactly is that person?

No one answered.

Chen Zhan waded to the shore and went ashore.

His trousers were completely wet from the knees down, and his shoes were filled with water, making a squelching sound as he stepped on the stone slabs of the dock. After a few steps, he dispersed the force, shaking off the water stains, and headed towards Zhabei.

Several corpses lay scattered in the shadows of the dock. The men that Lü Desheng had arranged to meet them on the shore had been eliminated by him before the boat turned back.

Three people were killed instantly: one lay at the entrance of the tea shop, one collapsed next to the dock bollard, and one fell behind a wooden crate.

He'd been keeping an eye on the Sanshui gang for the past few days, and the more he watched, the more suspicious it seemed.

The gang consisted of several dozen people who guarded a small section of the dock in Zhabei and lived in the Green Gang's territory for seven or eight years.

Gangs on the docks either expand desperately or get swallowed up. The Sanshui Gang, however, survived for seven or eight years, remaining neither too big nor too small, neither too strong nor too weak, and kept to itself and its associates, the Green Gang.

The gang members' behavior was also inappropriate.

The people who loafed around at the docks walked casually and spoke loudly, while the members of the Sanshui Gang walked steadily, sat with their backs straight, and were well-behaved.

Then Lü Desheng also set his sights on the Sanshui Gang and deployed hidden sentries.

Looking at the actions on both sides, the Sanshui Gang was retreating, while the Qing Gang was surrounding them.

This afternoon, I followed them to the dock and saw the leader of the Sanshui Gang sending people onto the boat. I also saw Lu Desheng's men follow them. They first took care of the people waiting on the shore, and then waited in the shadows for the boat.

The leader of the Sanshui Gang is quite mysterious. Chen Zhan had been keeping an eye on him for several days, and today was the first time he confirmed his residence.

Chen Zhan walked along the riverbank for a while.

As night deepened, the banks of the Suzhou Creek fell silent.

The night shift at the yarn factory was still running, and dim yellow light shone through the windows, reflecting on the water and forming blurry streaks of light.

In the distance, there was the sound of a ship's horn; a cargo ship was sounding its horn on the Huangpu River. The sound came from a great distance, muffled and distant.

He turned into a narrow alley.

The alley was lined with low brick houses, where dockworkers lived. The walls were peeling, and electrical wires stretched haphazardly overhead. There were no streetlights.

The puddles on the ground reflected a sliver of light from the sky, and stepping on them was silent.

He walked to the wooden door of Chen Li's residence and stopped.

The door is old, the wooden planks are cracked, the door frame is slightly crooked, and the iron door ring is rusted.

There were no lights in the room, but he could sense that someone was inside.

Breathing steadily, not asleep, sitting alone, with the Qi and blood fluctuations at the Transformation Realm level, calm and inward.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Three long, two short, pause for a moment, then one long.

He didn't know what code the Sanshui Gang used, so when he tapped the code, he used the one he had established in Tianjin more than ten years ago.

inside the house.

Chen Li sat on the edge of the bed waiting for news.

The kerosene lamp was not lit, and the room was dark, with only a little daylight shining through the paper windows.

Old Liu and the others boarded the boat. Judging by the time, they should have already left the mouth of the Suzhou River. They would reach the Yangtze River in another two hours. They would change boats before dawn, so there shouldn't be any problem.

He was mentally planning how to arrange things for the remaining people.

There are still a dozen or so brothers in the gang. Six of them know the truth, and the others can just leave. The ones who know the truth should leave one by one and not gather together.

Two will be delivered tomorrow, two more the day after, and all will be cleared out within five days.

It's been seven or eight years.

They started with a dozen or so brothers at the Zhabei Wharf, fighting their way to victory with every sword and spear, and now they've just scattered like that.

He didn't feel any regret. He had come with a mission, and his master's wife could leave whenever she wanted, so there was nothing to hesitate about.

There was a knock on the door.

My body tensed up as my hand touched the chain dart under the pillow; the dart head was icy cold against my palm.

The code is wrong.

The secret code of the Sanshui Gang is one long and two short.

The knocking outside the door consisted of three long knocks followed by two short knocks, then a pause, and then another long knock—the rhythm was completely off.

It was the middle of the night, and we had just seen the people off. Lu Desheng's men had come just two days ago, and we still couldn't match the code.

He got out of bed, clutching the chain dart, and stepped barefoot onto the floor without making a sound. He pressed his ear against the door and listened, but couldn't hear anything.

"Thump thump thump—!"

The knocking resumed, three long knocks followed by two short knocks, then a pause, and then another long knock.

But the rhythm of this code
He frowned slightly.

I haven't heard from him in many years. He was about ten years old then, and now he's almost thirty.

But how is that possible?

He unlatched the door, crossed the small courtyard, and walked to the gate.

The door was not open.

The courtyard was quiet, the moonlight couldn't penetrate the alley, and it was pitch black outside the courtyard wall. Several bundles of old rope were piled up in the corner of the courtyard, and a carrying pole was placed against the wall. The night wind carried the fishy smell of the river.

Chen Li took a half step back, and the chain of the chain dart silently unwinds twice in his hand, the dart head hanging down beside his knee.

His left foot was slightly turned outward, and his right foot stepped forward half a step; this was his preparatory stance before throwing the dart.

I waited a few breaths.

Suddenly someone spoke in the darkness.

A voice came from a corner of the courtyard: "Good alertness, and your martial arts skills are not bad either."

It's like an elder testing a younger person, or a master giving a casual critique after watching their apprentice practice a set of boxing moves.

Chen Li flicked his right hand, and the chain dart flew out of his hand.

This is his specialty: the chain dart, a three-foot chain with a poisoned tip, and it strikes with lightning speed.

Driven by his inner strength, the dart, carrying a powerful gust of wind, hurtled straight towards the shadows on the wall. The chain stretched into a straight line in the air, and the sound of the dart tip piercing the night was extremely sharp.

The dart plunged into the darkness.

The chain is taut and pulled.

It can't be pulled.

Infuse your arms with internal energy, tighten your muscles and bones, and then pull.

Not moving.

The head镖师 (镖师 is a martial arts term for someone who has captured a dart or a chain) was grabbed. He disarmed him with his bare hands. What kind of martial arts is that?
Beyond the Transformation Realm, one attains the Elixir!
Chen Li's fingers tightened slightly on the chain, just as he was about to abandon the chain dart and turn to run.

A person emerged from the darkness.

He was of medium build, around forty years old, with an ordinary face. He held the head of a dart in one hand, with the chain hanging down from his palm, and his expression was calm.

Even from a few steps away, I could make out their faces with the faint light from the sky.

"The little fox has grown up, and he can't even recognize my voice anymore?"

A faint smile.

Chen Li stood in the courtyard, his hand gripping the chains trembling.

That voice sounds so familiar. (End of Chapter)