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

Chapter 61 The Ghost of Northeast China, Ding Lianshan!

The next day, early in the morning.

Chen Zhan appeared before Ruan Zhi and Li Qingsu with a different appearance. The two were startled, looking at Chen Zhan and then at Ye Ningzhen with disbelief.

It wasn't until Chen Zhan spoke that they recognized his voice.

"You learned the Bone-Changing Technique in just a few days?" Ruan Zhi asked incredulously.

Chen Zhan smiled, neither confirming nor denying. It wasn't a particularly profound technique; someone with internal strength cultivation could easily master it.

"Big sister, are you leaving today?" Li Qingsu asked.

"Okay, go early and come back early. Keep a low profile in Tianjin. It doesn't matter if Jinlou doesn't open." Ye Ningzhen gave a few instructions and turned to leave.

Chen Zhan stopped him and said with a smile, "Go to the kitchen."

He finished speaking and left. Ye Ningzhen followed him with some suspicion. The food and provisions for the journey had been prepared yesterday. Why was he going to the kitchen now?

Are you reluctant to part with the snake soup?
These days, Chen Zhan's greatest enjoyment is a bowl of snake soup.

We walked through the backyard and into the kitchen.

At this time, Jinlou was closed, and most of the chefs and waiters they had hired were not there. The kitchen was deserted, with only a few young waiters wiping pots and pans.

Uncle Shan sat by the stove, his face wrinkled and looking worried. He wore a tattered cotton-padded jacket with frayed cuffs and tobacco stains on the collar. He warmed himself by the fire, took a couple of puffs of his pipe, and tapped the pipe in the stove a few times.

The smoke from the dry tobacco mingled with the soot from the stove, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other.

Chen Zhan walked all the way to Uncle Shan's side.

He remained silent, watching quietly.

Uncle Shan looked at Chen Zhan and thought, "Hmm, he's a bit ugly. I don't recognize him."

Looking at Ye Ningzhen and the other two behind him, he asked in a deep voice, "Would the chief like snake soup?"

Ye Ningzhen looked at Chen Zhan, but didn't speak, her eyes showing doubt. She wondered what Chen Zhan was going to do. Even if he liked snake soup, he couldn't bring the old chef with him, could he?

Going to Fengtian isn't like opening a restaurant.
Chen Zhan spoke calmly:
"More than 20 years ago, revolutionaries took root in the grassroots in Northeast China, united forces, and intended to awaken the people and resist aggression. With the slogan of 'Expel the Manchus and restore China,' they developed members among students, merchants, and intellectuals and spread revolutionary ideas."

"The revolutionaries in Northeast China knew that 'political power grows out of the barrel of a gun,' and planned armed uprisings many times. Although most of them ended in failure, they dealt a heavy blow to the ruling foundation of the foreign powers in Northeast China."

"Later, in order to expose the ambitions of the great powers, the revolutionaries founded newspapers such as the National Daily and the Three Eastern Provinces Daily, and distributed leaflets to expose Japan's "Manchurian policy" and Russia's territorial covetousness of Northeast China. They criticized the Qing government for "using the resources of China to please foreign powers" and called on the people to "oppose imperialism and oppose the Qing government at the same time."

"Seventeen years ago, warlord Zhang was ordered to suppress the revolutionaries. He secretly released a Japanese ronin named Bo Wugui who was involved in the suppression of the revolutionaries. Bo Wugui caused trouble and provoked people in the street, killing people and committing violence with weapons. He injured many people in an attempt to lure out the revolutionaries and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"A day later, Bo Wugui died a violent death in the street, his throat, chest, and abdomen completely shattered."

Chen Zhan spoke slowly and deliberately, saying things that the crowd could understand but didn't quite grasp.

Ruan Zhi, who was behind her, was about to speak when Ye Ningzhen interrupted her.

She knew Chen Zhan would never do anything meaningless, and then she heard Chen Zhan ask the old man in front of him, "Uncle Shan, what are your thoughts?"

The old man smoking a pipe in front of him frowned more and more deeply, coughed, and said, "What do you mean, sir?"

His tone of voice had changed.

Sitting on the bench, he looked up at Chen Zhan. Before, he had the same old farmer's appearance, but now his eyes were shining brightly, showing that he was still vigorous despite his old age.

Ye Ningzhen's eyes widened, and she said in a deep voice, "All of you, get out!"

The kitchen staff had been listening intently, but when they heard Chen Zhan, whom they didn't recognize, rambling on about history, they were completely bewildered.

Ye Ningzhen spoke angrily, and no one dared to disobey. They immediately put down what they were holding and left the kitchen.

Seven or eight men left.

"Old Ding's snake soup is exceptional, and what he did was for the greater good, but it angered the Japanese and led to him being hunted down by all sides. He was forced to live in anonymity for more than ten years. I admire him."

"But Jinmen Jinlou cannot accommodate a true Buddha like you. Please find another job." Chen Zhan's eyes met Ding Lianshan's sharply, showing no sign of yielding.

From the day Ding Lianshan brought two men to deliver snake soup to Ye Ningzhen, Chen Zhan hid in the shadows. Although Ding Lianshan was cautious, he still managed to reveal a trace of his presence when he noticed him.

He was cautious his whole life, but it was precisely because he was too cautious that he thought Chen Zhan was hiding in the shadows and targeting him, which is why he revealed his true colors.

But Ye Ningzhen didn't notice at the time.

Chen Zhan, however, focused all his attention on him, realizing that this master was hiding in the kitchen of Jinlou.

Ding Lianshan put down his pipe and said, "Heroes emerge in chaotic times, and heroes emerge from among the young. You must be Chen Zhan, who caused such a stir in the city. You may have changed your bones, but you can't hide it from me."

"At your age, you're already close to reaching the Transformation Realm; it's unbelievable."

"Unfortunately, your current status is more dangerous than mine. You're not qualified to threaten me, are you?"

Chen Zhan nodded. Ding Lianshan was right. In terms of the risk of being wanted, he had only killed one Japanese, but Chen Zhan had killed countless others.

More than a decade has passed since Ding Lianshan committed the crime, and he might not be recognized even if he walked down the street.

Chen Zhan was a pariah; let alone going out, if he were ever discovered, he would be surrounded and attacked by at least several hundred people.

“Old Ding is right, but I didn’t mean to threaten you with my status. How about we have a spar? I was lucky enough to win a move or two. You can leave Jinlou.”

Chen Zhan admired Ding Lianshan's work, but their positions were different after all.

Ding Lianshan is Gong Baotian's senior brother and a direct descendant of the Yin lineage's Bagua lineage. The Yin Fu lineage is stingy with its true teachings, producing only two true disciples per generation, one in the open and one in the shadows.

Gong Baotian is the facade, while Ding Lianshan is the substance.

On the surface, one enjoys wealth and honor to pass on one's lineage; on the inside, one must do dirty and tiring work to clear obstacles for the sake of appearances.

Ding Lianshan willingly lived in anonymity for more than ten years.

Gong Baotian had the same plan, to save face for Ma Sanwei.

Unfortunately, he misjudged Ma San. Ma San was eager to make a name for himself, but Gong Baotian thought he was too eager for quick success and it was too early for him. He wanted to keep Ma San in check for a few more years.

Ma San couldn't wait and was willing to betray his sect for this.

But if it's just betraying one's master, Chen Zhan wouldn't bother with it.

But he sided with the Japanese, so he had no choice but to die!
Now that Chen Zhan is going to Fengtian to do his work, it is inevitable that he will clash with the Gong family. Moreover, the Cheng and Yin factions are mortal enemies. The two brothers have been fighting each other for thirty years. Their positions are different, so everything is different.

Yin Fu was a member of the royalist party at the time.

Ding Lianshan, this old devil from the Yin faction, hiding in the Golden Pavilion, is a ticking time bomb.

After Chen Zhan finished speaking, Ding Lianshan narrowed his eyes, his old face wrinkled, and he smiled, revealing yellow teeth: "Young man, you have ambition. What if you lose?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Ningzhen realized the other party's identity. She placed her hand on Chen Zhan's shoulder from behind and, before she could speak, heard Chen Zhan say, "Elder Ding, name your terms."

Ding Lianshan's smile deepened, and Chen Zhan immediately sensed that he had something to ask for, demonstrating his exceptional insight.

"Go to Northeast China and kill two people for me."

“Kill who?
"Hou Laowu and Zhang Laoqi, two old dogs, eat the Gong family's food and betray their master for personal gain."

Chen Zhan never expected that Ding Lianshan would actually kill Gong's allies. Both of them were prominent figures in the Fengtian martial arts world, and they had built up a considerable fortune through their relationship with Gong Baotian.

"Old Ding won't kill Ma San?"

"Kill, but that's not my business."

After Ding Lianshan finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the backyard. The two of them couldn't fight in the kitchen.

(End of this chapter)