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

Chapter 185 Bait, Give It Your All!
Chen Zhan appeared out of nowhere, suddenly placing himself between them, startling both of them.

Wang Xiangzhai immediately withdrew his strength. Chen Zhan was his junior and also belonged to the same Xingyi school, so he naturally did not want to hurt him.

Although he tried his best to retract his strength, he could only recover about 30-40% of it. Chen Zhan's attack was too sudden and too rapid; the force had already been released into the air, and most of it could not be withdrawn.

Wang Xiangzhai wanted to acquire it, but Ma Fengtu had no such intention.

The two had a prior feud; Chen Zhan had injured his apprentice.

Moreover, when two tigers are fighting, it is a big taboo for others to interfere. If someone attacks from behind, no matter how high Ma Fengtu's martial arts skills are, he will suffer a heavy blow in such a situation.

Although Chen Zhan stood in the middle, it was still a major taboo in the martial arts world.

When two people are fighting, it is a major taboo for outsiders to interfere, regardless of their purpose; they deserve to be beaten to death.

Therefore, Ma Fengtu swung his right foot like a steel knife, without holding back any force.

Chen Zhan's eyes flashed slightly. He lifted his knee and took a step forward, as steady as a mountain, as if he were sitting on a golden throne. He blocked with his left foot and made contact with Wang Xiangzhai. The other party immediately bounced away. Using the force of Wang Xiangzhai's foot, he twisted his waist and turned around in an instant!
"Pfft~"

The two exchanged a powerful blow.

With a loud bang, Chen Zhan turned around on the spot, his golden chariot arm as immovable as a mountain, and took the full force of Ma Fengtu's kick head-on.

"Step back, Mr. Ma!"

Chen Zhan exhaled and spoke, and the blue bricks under his feet shattered one after another with a "crack, crack, crack". He did not move, but the force he dissipated had already shattered the bricks and stones behind him by two zhang.

Looking at Ma Fengtu again, he was actually forced back five steps by Chen Zhan's kick.

With each step, a section of the blue bricks behind them shattered.

He took five steps in a row, and when he took the last step, his left foot landed, shattering not only the blue bricks but also his old cloth shoes.

Only then was the unloading of force completed.

Ma Fengtu's expression had changed. He wasn't injured, but the shock he felt was greater than any physical injury.

He kicked with all his might, unleashing his full power.

Chen Zhan, however, reacted hastily, his figure flashing between the two. His stance was also rushed, yet he still possessed such strength and power!

Upon closer inspection, Chen Zhan was still standing in the same spot.

What kind of martial art is this?
That pose!

That frame!

Chen Zhan doesn't look thirty years old, but his "Sitting on the Golden Throne" boxing stance is genuine; a fake stance wouldn't have the power he displayed just now.

This age
The realm of embracing the elixir.

Ma Fengtu wondered if he was still asleep. He had practiced martial arts for thirty years, longer than Chen Zhan, and had never seen anything like this before.

"The Founding Emperor's Long Fist, sitting on the golden throne? Are you crazy?!"

"Damn it, how old are you, and you've already reached the Core Formation stage?"

Ma Fengtu exclaimed in shock.

Now they're completely separated, neither of them injured, and it seems they don't intend to fight again.

"Master Ma, what do you think of my move, 'Sitting on the Golden Palace'?" Chen Zhan asked with a faint smile.

Ma Fengtu composed himself, took two steps forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "Are you from the Xingyi School? Are you from the same school as Wang Xiangzhai?"

Chen Zhan nodded.

"Wow, Xingyi School is producing so many talented people, it's really enviable."

"I can't defeat a master like you, so I have to admit defeat."

Ma Fengtu turned to leave, but the disciples behind him shook their heads and dared not speak. His prestige was too great; even their master admitted he couldn't defeat him. So, he must be one of the top masters in the world, and there was no point in even thinking about it.

Chen Zhan moved swiftly, blocking Ma Fengtu's path.

"What, are you going to force me to stay?" Ma Fengtu asked, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"I dare not say that we forced him to stay, but let me make this clear: it's not that we're using our skills to bully your disciples and followers. Didn't you ask why we crippled his leg?"

Ma Fengtu was straightforward; he wouldn't risk his life against Chen Zhan for the sake of his disciple's injury, so he simply left.

But Chen Zhan couldn't let him leave so easily.

Upon hearing this, Ma Fengtu turned around, his angry eyes radiating authority: "You two are talking about a conflict, how did it start?"

The two disciples exchanged a glance; Ma Fengtu's imposing presence made them afraid to lie.

He described the scene of that day in detail.

Ma Fengtu's face immediately turned black and red, "Slap! Slap!"

One of them slapped them hard across the face, sending them flying and knocking out several teeth.

"I've told you so many times, stay away from those gangs. They bully the weak and fear the strong, they prey on men and women, they're all no good."

“You, go back and tell Cheng Hai to destroy the Taiping Society. If you have any energy to spare, send them all to join the army. From now on, if anyone in my sect dares to get involved with gangs again, don’t blame me for crippling your martial arts.”

Li Chenghai was Ma Fengtu's third apprentice and was stationed in Beijing to oversee the overall situation.

He bears a great deal of responsibility for this incident.

In fact, Ma Fengtu also knew that it was difficult for martial arts practitioners to be content with their training; once they had mastered the skills, they simply couldn't stay at home.

Having skills but no opportunity to put them into practice leads to restlessness and irritability.

This is why many martial arts schools establish gangs or cooperate with gangs.

With more disciples under my command, I not only need to support them, but also train them.

However, the Taiping Society became somewhat arrogant, relying on Ma Fengtu's name to run rampant in the capital.

Other gangs and martial arts schools gave them a wide berth, which fostered a group of villains. Ma Fengtu was often away from the capital, so he was naturally furious when he learned of this.

The two screamed as they scrambled to their feet and quickly agreed.

The disciples behind him remained silent, trembling with fear.

Ma Fengtu's imposing aura was genuine; it came from killing, from a general who had truly fought on the battlefield.

In this respect, few in the martial arts world can compare.

Chen Zhan could tell from the beginning that Ma Fengtu didn't know the whole story, otherwise he wouldn't have come to him so aggressively.

"Mr. Chen, this matter was due to my oversight and lack of thorough investigation. Old Ma misjudged people and has offended me greatly." Ma Fengtu was also adept at treating people differently based on their status.

If Chen Zhan were an ordinary expert, the kind he could easily kill, he wouldn't apologize; at most, he'd spare his life.

Might makes right.

"It's alright. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, why don't you come in and have a seat? Master Ma should have already tried to achieve the Elixir of Immortality, right?"

Ma Fengtu was reluctant to agree to Chen Zhan's first statement. During their exchange, Ma Fengtu took a few steps back while Chen Zhan remained motionless, which made Ma Fengtu lose face.

But Chen Zhan's second half of the sentence immediately piqued his interest.

A little face is nothing compared to the opportunity to attain the elixir of immortality.

"Great! I've been wanting to learn from Mr. Chen. The Elixir of Immortality, a grandmaster indeed."

"Wait a moment, let me explain."

Ma Fengtu rubbed his hands together, then remembered that he had brought several disciples with him. He turned around and said, "Xiao Gao, go back and tell your third senior brother what I said. If he hears that you are colluding with the Taiping Society again when you come to the capital next time, you will all be sent to join the army."

"Yes, Master."

The group left dejectedly, and Ma Fengtu followed Chen Zhan into the house.

Wang Xiangzhai was actually somewhat displeased, as Chen Zhan seemed to be taking the initiative, but the strength Chen Zhan had just displayed prevented him from speaking.

That's how the entire martial arts world is.

Even if Sun Lutang were to visit and Wang Xiangzhai were to sit in the host's seat, he wouldn't dare.

Upon entering the hall, Chen Zhan did not sit in the main seat, but instead sat to the side with Ye Ningzhen.

Wang Xiangzhai didn't sit either; everyone else sat closer to him.

Cheng Yong went to pour tea, and the disciples of Wang's Xingyi School dispersed to continue practicing their standing meditation.

“Brother Wang, I can see you’re harboring resentment. Your skills are ruthless, but you can’t let your inner turmoil get out, so you can’t fully unleash your abilities.” Ma Fengtu saw through the situation at a glance.

Wang Xiangzhai had a long face the whole time, as if everyone owed him money; you could tell at a glance that he had something on his mind.

"Ah~"

He sighed but didn't say anything, and Chen Zhan explained.

Ma Fengtu just arrived from Gansu and certainly doesn't know what happened in Xicheng, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

These days, murder and arson are common, even in Beiping (Beijing) every now and then.

"When this bastard messes with us, what are we waiting for? Just kill him!" He grinned and said calmly.

"If we could find it, what would be the point of saying anything? Right now, we just don't know where it is."

"Well, that's tricky, isn't it?"

Chen Zhan was speechless. Ma Fengtu was a martial artist who was even less intelligent than Wang Xiangzhai. He was good at fighting on the battlefield, but don't expect him to use any schemes or tricks.

"Then let's try to lure him out?"

As everyone was talking, Ruan Zhi suddenly spoke up.

"Ok?"

Everyone looked at her, and Ye Ningzhen said, "Go play somewhere else."

Ruan Zhi stood behind Ye Ningzhen, shrank back, and gave a dry laugh, "Uh, you two talk, forget I said anything."

Turning to leave
"Wait a minute, it seems like we could give that a try too," Chen Zhan called out to Ruan Zhi.

There weren't many people in the hall, only the three Ruan sisters, Wang Xiangzhai and Cheng Yong, and Ma Fengtu.

Chen Zhan said directly:
"Uncle Wang, are there any other women in the sect? Preferably someone we know well, who lives nearby, wears red, and goes out at night."

"This must be done discreetly. Let's do it this way."

Chen Zhan's words made Wang Xiangzhai somewhat uneasy.

"Isn't this too risky? Don't lure the enemy out and end up trapping another woman."

He hesitated. If something else happened, Wang Shixingyi would be finished. Who in the entire capital would dare to come? He couldn't even protect his own daughter.

"How about I do it?" Ruan Zhi volunteered as soon as she heard this.

“I can too,” Li Qingsu replied.

"That won't do. This is a matter for our Xingyi Sect. How can we trouble two disciples from the Bagua Sect?"

He and Chen Zhan were relatively close, but they had only just met, so he felt embarrassed to ask the gossip columnists for help again.

“Uncle Wang, there’s no need to refuse. We Xingyi Bagua have always been one family, ever since our grandmaster’s generation. If I can help, I will do my duty.”

Ye Ningzhen said.

This is also true in itself. From Cheng Tinghua's generation, Bagua and Xingyi almost merged into one school, with a group of people eating and living together and discussing important matters together.

The establishment of the Martial Arts School was spearheaded by two factions, aiming to unite martial arts practitioners across the land to fight against the Qing government and foreigners.

However, their efforts ultimately failed, and they were defeated and scattered by the foreigners.

They scattered to various places, with the majority heading south, and some even seeking refuge in Hong Kong.

Over the course of more than a decade, the relationship faded.

When Ye Ningzhen spoke, Wang Xiangzhai and Ma Fengtu were both quite emotional, sighing deeply. They had lived through that era and felt it more deeply than others.

"That's true, but I can't bear to put you through that risk."

“No problem, the three of us will each keep an eye on one side, and those three won’t be in any danger!” Ma Fengtu said with eagerness.

Chen Zhan was just about to speak as well.

The three Ye sisters, who were themselves skilled in martial arts, were used as bait. With three grandmasters secretly watching over them, this gave the "Little Red Coat" a lot of prestige.

In this world, which murderer could possibly get the three most skilled martial artists in the capital to take action?

If something still happens and I get messed up by some scumbag.

Let's not open the three-person martial arts school anymore, let's not fight any more battles, and let's not unify the martial arts world.

He should just commit suicide as an apology.

(End of this chapter)