Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

early morning.

In the living room of the hotel suite, Li Su and Wang Chuang had moved the furniture to the wall, clearing out a 10-square-meter open space.

Yang Zhan stood by the window with his hands behind his back.

Jiang Nian was in a wheelchair when Su Qing pushed her out.

The brace on his right leg has been replaced with a lighter model, and his arms are still fixed in front of his chest, but his fingers can now move slightly.

"How did you sleep?" Yang Zhan turned around.

"It's alright," Jiang Nian said honestly. "The wound woke me up twice during the night because of the pain, but I could bear it."

Yang Zhan nodded and walked to the center of the open space: "Today we'll practice in a different way. Li Su, Wang Chuang, you two demonstrate the first three moves of the Silk Reeling Hand."

Li Su and Wang Chuang exchanged a glance, walked to the opposite side of Yang Zhan, and got into position.

"Watch closely," Yang Zhan said. "The Silk Entangling Hand isn't a killing move; it's a control move. It targets joints and acupoints to restrict the opponent's movements and create opportunities for subsequent attacks."

He slowly raised his hand, his movements as slow as if he were practicing Tai Chi.

But Li Su and Wang Chuang looked unusually solemn.

Yang Zhan's palm touched Li Su's wrist, and Li Su immediately changed his move to block. However, Yang Zhan's wrist slid as if it were boneless, bypassing the defense, and his fingertips pointed at Li Su's elbow joint.

"The first move is to tuck the wrist and wrap the elbow." Yang Zhan said as he demonstrated. "The force from the fingertips should be light, and you should pull back as soon as you touch it. It's not a strike, but a distraction."

Wang Chuang cut in from the side and threw a punch straight at Yang Zhan's ribs.

Yang Zhan didn't even look at him. With his other hand, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he grabbed and pulled Wang Chuang, causing Wang Chuang to lean forward and almost fall.

"The second technique is to use the opponent's force to deflect their attack. The fiercer the opponent's attack, the greater their opening."

Li Su steadied himself and attacked simultaneously with Wang Chuang, flanking him from the left and right.

Instead of retreating, Yang Zhan advanced, his body slipping through the gaps in their attacks like a fish, his hands simultaneously pressing down on the back of their necks.

"The third move is 'Two Dragons Fighting for a Pearl.' The key to defeating a larger force with fewer troops lies in finding the rhythm difference."

After the demonstration, Li Su and Wang Chuang stepped aside, their foreheads covered in sweat.

Even though it was just a demonstration, every move Yang Zhan made made them feel suffocated by the pressure.

"Did you understand?" Yang Zhan asked Jiang Nian.

"understood."

Jiang Nian stared at Yang Zhan's hands. "The point of force is in the fingertips and the edge of the palm. The movement is small, but precise."

“Just understanding it isn’t enough.” Yang Zhan walked to Jiang Nian’s wheelchair.

"You can't use your hands or move your legs right now, but you can move your neck, head, and shoulders. Use the parts of your body that you can move to perform the first three movements of the Silk Reeling Hand technique."

Jiang Nian was taken aback.

Li Su and Wang Chuang also showed expressions of surprise.

"Instructor Yang," Wang Chuang couldn't help but ask, "Advisor Jiang's injury..."

"What happened to your injury?" Yang Zhan interrupted him. "Would the enemy show mercy on the battlefield just because you're injured? Would Shen Qianshan let you go just because you're in a wheelchair now?"

He stared at Jiang Nian.

“If the organization comes again, it will definitely be a killing blow. You have to learn to use everything you can to save your life. Headbutts, shoulder strikes, even your teeth are weapons.”

The room fell silent.

Jiang Nian took a deep breath: "Please demonstrate, instructor."

Yang Zhan laughed: "Good lad, you're interesting."

He pushed Jiang Nian's wheelchair to the center of the open space, and then walked two meters away and stood still.

"I'm now simulating an attack. You respond using your head, shoulders, and upper body. Li Su, count."

Li Su immediately pulled out a stopwatch: "Ready to start!"

Yang Zhan made a move.

There were no fancy moves, just a simple straight punch aimed directly at Jiang Nian's face.

Jiang Nian's pupils contracted, his body leaned back, and at the same time, his left shoulder thrust forward sharply!
Instead of a head-on collision, the attacker used the side of his shoulder to strike Yang Zhan's wrist just as the fist was about to hit.

"Snapped!"

A soft sound.

Yang Zhan's punch was deflected, grazing past Jiang Nian's ear.

"Not bad!"

Yang Zhan praised, "But the price is too high. With that one thrust, your entire upper body was exposed."

Before he finished speaking, his other hand had already reached out and grabbed Jiang Nian's throat!
The distance was too close; there was no way to avoid it!
In a flash, Jiang Niantou rammed forward!
It didn't hit Yang Zhan's hand, but rather his chest.

Surround Wei and rescue Zhao!

Yang Zhan had no choice but to stop and block.

Jiang Nian's forehead slammed heavily into Yang Zhan's arm, producing a dull thud.

They both retreated at the same time.

Jiang Nian felt a burning pain on her forehead, and her vision blurred with stars. Yang Zhan rubbed his arm, but a smile remained on his face.

"The second attack was an improvement over the first. He knew to attack where the enemy would have to defend."

He said, "But that's not hard enough. If you're going to hit me, you should aim for my nose or eyes. What's the point of hitting my arm?"

"Come again."

The training lasted forty minutes.

Jiang Nian was soaked in sweat, had a bruise on his forehead, and his left shoulder was red and swollen from frequent impacts.

But his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Li Su and Wang Chuang watched in horror.

They had never seen this kind of training before.

It's not about practicing techniques, it's about training instincts—the instinct to survive in dire situations.

"stop."

When Yang Zhan called a halt, Jiang Nian was almost completely exhausted.

Lin Wei and Chen Lu immediately stepped forward, one handing over water and the other checking the injuries.

"Slight bruising on the forehead, soft tissue contusion on the shoulder, no bone or tendon damage," Chen Lu quickly reported.

Yang Zhan nodded: "We'll continue this afternoon. Now, Jiang Nian, try out your new ability."

Everyone looked at Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian closed her eyes and adjusted her breathing.

He could feel that the markers in his body had become unusually active after the intense training.

Like a wild beast awakened by shaking, it slowly roams through the veins.

“Guide them,” Yang Zhan said. “No specific actions are needed; just let them circulate within your body.”

Jiang Nian tried to concentrate.

This time, things went much more smoothly than last night.

Those active markings, like soldiers summoned by a call, began to flow along a predetermined path. Not the meridians through which internal energy circulates, but deeper, more hidden channels.

Five minutes later, Jiang Nian opened her eyes.

"How is it?" Su Qing asked nervously.

“I can feel the path now,” Jiang Nian said. “It’s like there’s an underground river flowing through my body. But it’s very difficult to control, like rowing against the current.”

Yang Zhan reached out and placed his hand on Jiang Nian's wrist, closing his eyes to feel it for a moment.

"The blood and qi flow has accelerated." He opened his eyes. "The tissue activity at the wound site is increasing. Kid, if you can fully control this ability, the recovery speed can be twice as fast."

Just then, Chen Meng walked in from outside, holding an encrypted tablet in his hand.

"Advisor Jiang, urgent news from the base."

Jiang Nian took the tablet, and an encrypted video popped up on the screen.

Bai Yongxu appeared, with the base command center in the background. Bai Yongxu got straight to the point, "We intercepted the organization's encrypted communications. Shen Qianshan will not show up in the short term."

"Furthermore, the activity frequency of the South China Sea base has tripled in the past 24 hours. They have deployed at least four underwater transport vehicles to deliver a large amount of supplies to the base."

The video switched to a satellite thermal image of the South China Sea.

Four moving heat sources have appeared around the original hemispherical structure, approaching from different directions.

"They are hoarding supplies."

Commander Zhao's voice came from off-screen, "It's very likely preparation for a large-scale operation. It won't take long, at most a week."

Jiang Nian stared at the screen: "Targeting me?"

“It’s highly likely,” Bai Yongxu said. “Qin’s team analyzed your new data and believes that the value of your evolved marker activity may far exceed expectations for the organization.”

"That's why they're willing to go to any lengths to catch you," Yang Zhan said coldly.

In the video, Bai Yongxu remained silent for a few seconds.

"Jiang Nian, your security level is raised to the highest level. Yang Zhan, I need you to stay by Jiang Nian's side 24 hours a day. Li Su and the other six will work in three shifts to ensure that at least two people are with Jiang Nian at all times."

"What about the film crew?" Jiang Nian asked.

"As usual," Bai Yongxu said.

"clear."

The video ends.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy.

"One week."

Yang Zhan murmured, "In other words, the organization will take action again in a week at the latest."

“This time it won’t be like Shen Qianshan going it alone,” Li Su said in a deep voice. “It might be a team, and there might even be firearms.”

Wang Chuang looked at Jiang Nian: "Advisor Jiang, is your trick still usable?"

Everyone looked at Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian felt the marker activity slowly flowing within her body and shook her head: "I don't know. Last time it was an instinctive outburst in a moment of desperation. Now, I'm asked to use it voluntarily, and I haven't quite figured it out yet."

"Then hurry up and touch it."

Yang Zhan stood up. "Training will continue this afternoon. Li Su, go contact the film crew and confirm today's shooting schedule. Wang Chuang, check all the hotel entrances and exits and the surveillance cameras. Zhao Qing and Zhou Yan, you two go to the film set to set up surveillance in advance."

"Lin Wei and Chen Lu, prepare Jiang Nian's nutritional meals and medicine. Su Qing and Chen Meng, you two coordinate information from all parties."

Orders were issued one by one, and everyone immediately took action.

Yang Zhan looked at Jiang Nian: "Are you scared?"

Jiang Nian shook his head: "I'm afraid it won't work."

"Correct."

Yang Zhan patted him on the shoulder, "Being afraid is useless. But being careful can be useful."

“From today onwards, every bite of food you eat and every sip of water you drink will be inspected. Every time you go out, at least four people must accompany you. When you sleep, there must be two people guarding outside your door.”

“This is imprisonment,” Jiang Nian said.

"This is to save your life."

Yang Zhan corrected, "I understand the organization's style. If they fail once, they'll only be more ruthless next time. If Shen Qianshan makes a mistake, the next wave might not be martial artists."

Jiang Nian's heart skipped a beat: "You mean..."

"science and technology."

Yang Zhan uttered two words, "The most terrifying thing about Guixu is not its martial artists, but its technology."

"Underwater vehicles that can detect genetic markers, beam weapons that can melt through metal instantly, and perhaps even things we can't even imagine."

He walked to the window, pulled back a corner of the curtain, and looked down at the street that was gradually becoming lively.

"In this era, no matter how high your martial arts skills are, you're still afraid of guns and cannons. The organization's technology may be even more terrifying than guns and cannons."

At nine o'clock in the morning, the film crew sent a car to pick us up.

The convoy consisted of three vehicles. Jiang Nian sat in the middle, a reinforced SUV, with a guard car in front and behind him. Yang Zhan sat in the passenger seat, with Li Su and Wang Chuang flanking Jiang Nian on either side.

The car windows are made of specially made bulletproof glass, so you can't see inside from the outside.

"The film set has been cleared."

Li Su reported, "Today's filming is a dialogue scene in the doctor's office. Only Director Zhang, Lin Wan, Chen Xiao, and necessary crew members are present. All personnel have undergone background checks at the production base."

Jiang Nian nodded and looked out the window.

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians hurrying by.

Twenty minutes later, the convoy entered the film and television base.

Police tape was put up outside the film set, and several people in security uniforms were guarding the entrance.

Jiang Nian recognized at a glance that it was someone from the base in disguise.

The car drove directly to the entrance of the photography studio.

Director Zhang Yi was already waiting there. When he saw Jiang Nian get out of the car, he quickly went to greet her.

"Jiang Nian, you..." He watched Jiang Nian being pushed out of the wheelchair, his eyes reddening again. "Why don't we stop filming today and rest for another day?"

"It's really nothing, Director."

Jiang Nian smiled and said, "Let's hurry up and finish filming so I can go back and rest."

Zhang Yi sighed and stopped trying to persuade him: "The scene is all set up in Dr. Lin's office. Lin Wan and Chen Xiao are rehearsing their lines, just waiting for you."

Yang Zhan pushed Jiang Nian into the photography studio.

The studio had indeed been cleared out, with only a few essential staff members remaining. Lin Wan and Chen Xiao were sitting on the sofa in the office set. When they saw Jiang Nian enter, they immediately stood up.

"Teacher Jiang!" Chen Xiao jogged over. "Why are you in a wheelchair?"

"My leg injury makes it difficult to walk," Jiang said casually. "It won't affect filming."

Lin Wan walked over, her eyes full of worry: "Teacher Jiang, if you're feeling unwell, just say so, and we can stop."

"It's really nothing." Jiang Nian gestured to Su Qing to push him to the designated position. "Let's begin, don't waste everyone's time."

Director Zhang Yi walked behind the monitor and picked up the walkie-talkie: "All departments, prepare! Scene 95 of 'Lifeline,' shot one, action!"

Field recorder.

The camera is pointed at the office.

“Dr. Lu, the patient in bed 3 insists on being discharged.” Lin Wan’s tone was helpless. “He said the medical expenses are too high and his family can’t afford it.”

Jiang Nian looked down at the test report in his hand without raising his head: "His coronary arteries are blocked by more than 70 percent. If he is discharged now, he could have a heart attack at any time."

“I talked to him about it, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Lin Wan sighed, "His son came yesterday and said that the family is indeed in financial difficulty. He asked if we could prescribe some medicine for conservative treatment at home."

Jiang Nian raised her head.

The camera zooms in, focusing on his eyes.

There was the doctor's determination in his eyes, but also a sense of helplessness in the face of reality.

“Su Mian, do you know what conservative treatment means for him?” Jiang Nian’s voice was very soft. “It means entrusting his life to probability. Maybe three months, maybe six months, or maybe he’ll collapse at home tomorrow.”

“I know.” Lin Wan lowered her head. “But he said that even if he were to die, he would rather die at home than in a hospital and add to the family’s debts.”

The office fell silent.

Only the ticking sound simulated by the instrument.

A few seconds later, Jiang Nian slowly said, "Let his son come to see me."

"Cut!" Zhang Yi shouted. "Good! That take is perfect! Jiang Nian, that look in your eyes just now was amazing! That sense of struggle was perfect!"

Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in her wheelchair.

In that scene, he was completely immersed in the role. The wound was still throbbing, but the pain seemed to lessen when he focused on the performance.

"Ten-minute break!" Zhang Yi said. "Let's get ready for the next shot!"

Lin Wan walked over and handed Jiang Nian a bottle of water: "Teacher Jiang, your performance was so wonderful. I almost cried." (End of Chapter)