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

Chapter 59 Sect Origins, Senior and Junior Brothers Address Each Other
She glanced back at her, signaling her not to act rashly, and then stepped forward, saying, "Inspector Charlize, what brings you to this commotion?"

Charlize is tall, but he is not the stereotypical Western hulking man who is brave but reckless, with muscles bigger than his head.

He had some understanding of the power structure behind Jinlou and knew that Ye Ningzhen and her group of martial arts figures had warlords backing them.

“Excuse me, Miss Ye, but we are ordered to search for a Level 1 wanted criminal. All merchants and citizens in Tianjin must cooperate unconditionally,” Charlize said slowly.

The two were not acquainted, but they knew of each other.

A Level 1 wanted criminal is subject to the highest arrest warrant, a law passed by the Five Nations Conference, and must be obeyed.

Chen Zhan's actions earned him a Level 1 wanted criminal status because the highest level a criminal can be is Level 1.

Five-star good citizen is one of them.

"Oh? Is Chen Zhan wanted? That killer should be thoroughly investigated. But could you all please be careful not to damage the antiques in the building?"

Ye Ningzhen, of course, understood those social interactions and immediately offered one hundred silver dollars, which Charlize accepted without question.

"No problem, Miss Ye, if you cooperate, I won't make things difficult for you."

"Be careful, check thoroughly, and don't hurt anyone or damage anything."

As Ye Ningzhen and Charlize spoke, all the waiters, guards, cooks, and even the female street performers in the building were woken up in the middle of the night.

One by one, they came down from upstairs.

At this moment, the patrolmen and Japanese soldiers were really not in the mood to harass the girls in the building. Itagaki's death had already enraged the Emperor, who had issued a death order to find the murderer and had already negotiated with various countries.

Otherwise, Charlize wouldn't have worked so hard for the Japanese.

Ruan Zhi was a little nervous, but Ye Ningzhen shielded her behind her, and Li Qingsu grabbed her hand and squeezed it to reassure her that everything was alright.

Ye Ningzhen was not worried at all that this group of people would be able to find Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan's skills and stealth abilities, as displayed at the Buddhist Lodge, far surpassed hers; how could a nobody possibly discover him?

The two teams searched the entire Jinlou building, turning it upside down, but found no one there.

Charlize and her men left. It was almost dawn, and no one could sleep. Everyone went back to their rooms to pack their things.

They said they would try their best not to damage or smash anything, which would be good enough; it's normal for things to get messy.

Ye Ningzhen said to the group of people in the kitchen, "Uncle Shan, make another snake soup, add more nourishing ingredients, and send it to my room."

Among the group of cooks, an unassuming old man with a face full of wrinkles nodded silently and turned to go back to the kitchen.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only Mengniang to be taken to the backyard by Ye Ningzhen and her two sisters.

“Mengniang, you should keep what you know to yourself. We only have one life. You should know what the Japanese are like.”

There was no threat in Ye Ningzhen's words, only admiration.

In this world, anyone who is a little older knows the ways of the Japanese; even if they hand over Chen Zhan, they will still be doomed.

"Boss, Mengniang understands, she understands."

"Alas, you are also a poor soul. You have been in the Golden Pavilion for over a year. If there is a suitable man, you should marry him. I will provide the dowry."

After Ye Ningzhen finished speaking, she turned and left without waiting for Mengniang to reply.

Upon entering the room, Chen Zhan was already waiting for them.

The black clothes had vanished without a trace, and somehow they found the linen cotton coat worn by the guards.

"I'm causing trouble for you."

"We martial arts practitioners don't mince words, but I've always wanted to ask, Brother Chen, you're proficient in three major internal martial arts styles, may I ask which school you're a disciple of?"

Chen Zhan had long known that Ye Ningzhen was not a gentle and tactful person, so he was not surprised by her question. "I cultivate the Sun family lineage."

Chen Zhan wasn't lying; a fifth-generation disciple is still a disciple.

"Oh? Martial Saint Sun Lutang, Elder Sun?" Ye Ningzhen asked, surprised and delighted.

“That’s right, Miss Ye knows Old Master Sun?” Chen Zhan also asked.

In fact, he knew in his heart that they probably knew each other. As fellow martial artists of this era, they must have known Sun Lutang in their previous or even earlier generations.

Sun Lutang was proficient in the teachings of three schools. His mastery of Xingyi was unparalleled, and he also held a high position in the Bagua and Taiji schools. His fellow disciples, students, and grand-disciples were all over the world.

"It's more than just knowing him! In fact, we should call Elder Sun our senior uncle. He personally guided us sisters when we were teenagers."

Ye Ningzhen spoke of Sun Lutang with a touch of reminiscence.

Before Chen Zhan could ask, they mentioned that all three of them came from the Cheng School of Bagua and were grand-disciples of Cheng Tinghua.

Chen Zhan immediately understood the reason.

Since ancient times, Xingyi and Bagua have been on good terms, as evidenced by the relationship between Cheng Tinghua and Li Cunyi, and Dong Haichuan and Guo Yunshen.

But if that were all, he wouldn't be considered a close master-uncle. However, later, the Xingyi lineage produced a Sun Lutang.

He was not bound by sectarianism or eager to learn the principles of the I Ching, and he pestered Professor Cheng Tinghua for Baguazhang.

But back then, the distinction between different social classes was not like it is now. Sun Lutang had become a disciple of Guo Yunshen, who was a generation older than Cheng Tinghua. How could he dare to accept Sun Lutang as a disciple?
Offering one or two pointers is already considered generous and bold.

In those days, peeping at someone practicing martial arts could lead to a life-or-death fight, which meant that the two factions were on good terms.

But a turning point came a year later. At that time, martial arts were divided into North and South. The South emphasized agility, while the North emphasized strength. Just as a martial artist from the South was heading north to the capital, intending to challenge the boxers in the capital with his own strength, the competition between the North and South pushed the famous masters in the city to the forefront.

After a series of victories, many boxers in the capital were defeated by martial artists from the south. Although it was just a match, it was a matter of life and death. What was more serious was that boxers in the capital had to support their families, and those who lost lost their jobs.

This fierce martial artist from the south defeated a group of experts, and he remained undefeated until he stepped into Cheng Tinghua's Bagua Martial Arts School.

However, Cheng Tinghua was more than ten years older than the martial artist and of a higher generation, so he was embarrassed to make a move.

Since the master didn't step in, the other disciples of the Bagua School had no choice but to bite the bullet and fight them one by one. As a result, this group of useless people were all defeated. The martial artists from the South thought that Bagua Palm was just a trivial skill and nothing special.

Sun Lutang, who had been hanging around Cheng Tinghua's martial arts school, couldn't stand it anymore and called himself a servant of Cheng's school, challenging the martial artists from the south.

However, according to the disciples present at the time, the two did not fight fiercely. They exchanged a few blows, and the southern martial artist was pushed out the door by Sun Lutang and left in a huff.

Perhaps knowing he was no match for Sun Lutang, and perhaps because Sun Lutang had spared him face, he was outmaneuvered.

That year, Sun Lutang was twenty-three years old.

It was during this incident that Cheng, the bespectacled, was overjoyed to discover Sun Lutang's amazing martial arts talent and finally generously taught him all the unique skills of the Bagua School, including the Bagua Sword and the Seven Star Staff.

Although Sun Lutang was already highly skilled in Xingyi Quan at the time and had already mastered the art, he was exceptionally considered a direct disciple of Cheng Tinghua.

Cheng Tinghua lived only 52 years, but he mentored many younger generations and even his peers, including Xingyi master Li Cunyi, who nominally learned Baguazhang from Dong Haichuan, but was mostly taught Baguazhang by Cheng Tinghua.

Ye Ningzhen points out the relationship between Sun Lutang and Cheng Tinghua, and Chen Zhan is also quite curious about this story.

Martial artists in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China were not as rigid as legend suggests, clinging to a single skill and never passing it on until their death.

"Senior Brother Chen should rest and recuperate in the building. Once you're almost fully recovered, head to Fengtian."

Ye Ningzhen naturally addressed Chen Zhan as her senior brother. The two were a year apart in age, and it was perfectly reasonable for her to address him as her senior brother from the perspective of their master-disciple relationship.

She then spoke of the feud between Ye Bangchui, a seventh-rank official of the Gong family, and their ancestor, without any attempt to conceal it.

P.S. (You'll reach mastery very quickly! There are more surprises to come. Don't worry about it; it won't suppress your combat power.)
(End of this chapter)