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

As soon as Chen Zhan finished speaking, the air in the room froze instantly, and even the crackling sound of the burning candlelight became exceptionally jarring.

Yan Jiu's gaze suddenly sharpened, the mockery in his eyes vanished, replaced by a fierce and menacing light.

The two men behind him, without being told, stepped forward simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, surrounding Chen Zhan from the flanks, their bodies low, already in a fighting stance.

"Friend, you can't just say that."

Yan Jiu spoke in a deep voice, his tone icy, "The money from Yuchang Inn isn't something you can just take as you please. Do you really think my three great thugs are just for show?"

Before he could finish speaking, the men on either side of Chen Zhan launched an attack simultaneously.

On the left, a man with his back arched, crouching like a leopard poised to strike, his arms moving up and down in a grappling stance, lunged at Chen Zhan's waist and abdomen, trying to pin him to the ground and lock his joints.

The person on the right was completely different; his hands had five fingers spread out and knuckles protruding, clearly demonstrating authentic Eagle Claw Kung Fu.

He lunged forward in a lunge stance, his body steady, and grabbed Chen Zhan's wrist with one hand, his fingertips carrying a strong wind, determined to crush his wrist bones.

With his other hand clenched into a fist, concealing a burst of power, he aimed straight for Chen Zhan's ribs. Combining grabbing and striking, each move was ruthless and desperate.

Both of them have already mastered the basics of martial arts.

He had just begun to develop his Ming Jin skill, and was not much different from Qin Ming, who was hiding behind Chen Zhan.

In the streets and alleys, he could easily take down a few thugs, and even against an ordinary martial arts master, he could put up a good fight.

But he was up against Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan stood still, barely moving, as if the two attacks in front of him had nothing to do with him.

Just as their fists and feet were about to touch his body, he struck out with both hands simultaneously, extending a finger from each hand. The movement was swift and unpredictable, without any unnecessary flourishes.

With a flick of the finger, he aimed precisely at the wrist of the man on the left.

With a single finger, he lifted the sea, his fingertip pointing straight forward and firmly poking the elbow of the man on the right.

Immediately afterwards, he slightly flipped his wrist, and with one hand he gently brushed across his chest, two subtle yet concentrated bursts of energy, like needles, precisely pierced the Ren meridian's Yutang acupoint on the chests of the two men.

The two felt a sudden stab to their chests, and a strange force drilled into their bodies through the Yutang acupoint.

The pure energy that was originally concentrated in his fists and feet was released wildly through the Yutang acupoint like a flood bursting its banks.

Their bodies went limp, all their strength drained away instantly. They stumbled and took a step back before collapsing to the ground with a thud. They struggled to get up, but their bodies were too weak to move.

As the two fell to the ground, Chen Zhan had already withdrawn his movements.

A cultivator at the Core Formation Realm is simply not in the same league as a martial artist who has just entered the Ming Jin Realm; it's easier for them than an adult bullying a three-year-old child.

Yan Jiu reacted extremely quickly. Seeing his two subordinates fall instantly without even touching Chen Zhan, he leaped forward, his steps heavy. With each step, the blue bricks dented slightly, emitting a soft thud.

Immediately afterwards, he unleashed the Eight Extremes Opening Gate technique, thrusting his knee and elbow forward, his right knee slamming into Chen Zhan's waist and abdomen, while his left elbow, carrying fierce force, struck straight at Chen Zhan's face.

Knees and elbows struck simultaneously, with the force of thunder, creating a howling wind that caused the surrounding candlelight to tilt.

This move fully demonstrates the fierce and domineering nature of Bajiquan, no wonder he can dominate the area around Nanshi and protect the pawnshop business.

Yan Jiu's Bajiquan is indeed well-practiced. His Ming Jin (manifest strength) has reached its peak, and he is only one step away from entering the An Jin (hidden strength) realm. He cultivates both internal and external strength, and his skills are remarkable.

Chen Zhan remained expressionless. As Yan Jiu's knee and elbow were about to touch his face, he slightly raised his eyebrows and crossed his hands.

With his right hand, he gently pressed down on Yan Jiu's knee, and with his left hand, he pushed Yan Jiu's elbow.

The movement was calm and unhurried, seemingly just a casual block, without any sign of exerting force.

Upon seeing this, Yan Jiu grinned, his eyes full of disdain.

In his mind, his hard skills were so formidable that even if he wasn't the best in Tianjin, he was certainly not someone that ordinary experts could withstand.

Especially this combined knee and elbow strike, the force is fierce and devastating, no one can do it so effortlessly, and you can block it with a simple press.

Even the cunning Liu had to concentrate his strength to withstand this attack.

But the smile on Yan Jiu's face froze the next moment.

The moment his knee and elbow struck Chen Zhan's palm, the sensation was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had expected to hit a hard barrier or feel strong resistance, but Chen Zhan's palm was soft, elastic, tender, and delicate, like cotton, yet it contained an irresistible force.

Yan Jiu was only surprised for a moment, and didn't have time to think much about it.

The next instant, he felt a strange force emanating from Chen Zhan's palm, spreading along his knees and elbows throughout his body. Then, his body was pulled and flung by an invisible force.

The two-meter-tall, two-hundred-pound burly body was like a light, floating ball in the face of this force, and was thrown away violently.

"Bam—!"

With a loud crash, Yan Jiu's body slammed into the table and chairs behind him, instantly shattering the solid wood table and chairs, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

His body didn't stop, continuing to fly backward, finally crashing heavily into the corner of the wall at the "Dang" sign. The sign shattered with a crack, scattering wooden pieces all over the ground. Yan Jiu also groaned and fell to the ground.

Chen Zhan stood still and spoke softly, with a touch of emotion: "Baziquan, also known as Paziquan, is the ancient name for Bajiquan. It was first mentioned in Qi Jiguang's 'Jixiao Xinshu Quanjing Jieyao Pian' in the Ming Dynasty."

"The name 'Baziquan' comes from its unique way of clenching the fist."

He walked slowly forward, his gaze falling on Yan Jiu, and continued, "Only the thumb and index finger are bent tightly, while the other three fingers are clenched into a fist in a wheel shape, resembling a farm tool rake, hence it is also called the rake fist."

"After improvements, the Taoist priest passed it on to the world. Wu Zhong studied under the wandering Taoist priest, Master Lai, and learned the Ba Zi Quan. He later became the first ancestor of the Northern Bajiquan."

Yan Jiu struggled to get up from the ground, covered in sawdust and dust, but he wasn't seriously injured.

Bajiquan is a martial art that cultivates both internal and external strength, training the muscles, bones, and skin. He has trained his body for many years, and his physical fitness far exceeds that of ordinary people. This collision only caused his blood and qi to surge, but he was not seriously injured.

"Does my friend have any connection with my Bajiquan sect?"

Yan Jiu straightened up abruptly, quickly retreated several meters to distance himself from Chen Zhan, and respectfully clasped his hands in a salute, completely suppressing the arrogance in his tone.

He thought Chen Zhan was also from the Bajiquan lineage, just from a different master.

The next moment, Chen Zhan stomped his foot hard.

"Snapped--!"

A loud bang, like a thunderclap, rang out.

The blue bricks beneath their feet shattered instantly, cracks spreading out like a spider web. The entire house seemed to tremble from the impact of that stomp, causing a buzzing in the ears of everyone inside, and even extinguishing the candlelight.

Yan Jiu's eyes widened in horror, his body stiffened, and his face turned deathly pale.

Others might not be able to see the trick to this kick, but he is a genuine Bajiquan disciple, how could he not understand it?

This kick is a stomping kick from Bajiquan. Chen Zhan's kick has the power to "shake the sky and shake the land."

The power was restrained yet domineering; the force exerted by the feet transmitted to the earth, even causing the air to tremble.

Even renowned Bajiquan masters in Tianjin might not be able to reach such a level of skill in stomping their feet.

Moreover, the stomping foot is just a prelude; the next move will inevitably be a thunderous strike, without holding back.

Yan Jiu didn't have time to think much. He quickly focused his mind and gathered his strength, assuming a defensive stance in Bajiquan, his whole body tensing up.

After stamping his foot, Chen Zhan took a step forward, his figure appearing before Yan Jiu in an instant, like a ghost.

"Eight Extremes Palm Support!"

Chen Zhan gave a soft shout and slowly pushed out his right hand. The move was simple and unremarkable. 'Supporting Palm' is the most basic and introductory palm technique in Bajiquan.

Without any frills, yet in his hands, it displayed the might of thunder and heaven, as if to sweep away all sins in the world.

The palm strike was powerful and concentrated, and the air was pushed by the palm strike, making a piercing sound. Yan Jiu felt an immense pressure coming towards him, and even breathing became difficult.

"boom!"

Yan Jiu reacted extremely quickly, immediately crossing his arms in front of his chest to try and block the palm strike.

However, the force of Chen Zhan's palm strike far exceeded his tolerance. As soon as his hands touched Chen Zhan's palm, he felt an irresistible force coming from him. His hands were instantly numb from the shock, and his defensive stance collapsed instantly.

Immediately afterwards, his body was propelled into the air again by this force, like a kite with a broken string, and crashed hard into the wall of the cubicle behind him.

"Boom—!"

With a loud crash, the entire wall of the cubicle collapsed as he slammed into it, sending bricks flying and dust billowing everywhere.

This time, Yan Jiu could no longer hold on. Blood flowed from his mouth and nose, his face became a blur, and a mouthful of blood gushed out, splattering onto the bricks and stones. He was clearly seriously injured, his blood and qi were churning, and he couldn't even stand up.

Chen Zhan slowly stepped forward two steps: "Speaking of Wu Zhong, it's not that I have any past relationship with your Bajiquan lineage's ancestor, but I'm just lamenting that even if Wu Zhong were alive, he might not be able to withstand a few of my punches, right?"

After saying that, he ignored Yan Jiu, who was lying on the ground and barely breathing, and turned around to walk into the broken cubicle. Among the scattered bricks and wood chips, he found the white jade pendant.

This jade pendant was a token given to him by Zhao Qingtan. He didn't have many valuables on him, and since this jade pendant carried the woman's feelings, he naturally couldn't just throw it away.

He raised his hand and wiped the jade pendant, which regained its lustrous shine, and the dragon pattern was clearly visible.

He then walked to the center of the room, his gaze falling on the two men he had previously injured with a single finger, who were now barely able to stand: "You two take him away, there should still be hope. Also, inform Yinmian Liu and have him come to see me."

The two men were taken aback, clearly not expecting Chen Zhan to let them go so easily.

They exchanged a glance, not daring to hesitate for a moment, and quickly ran to Yan Jiu's side. One of them took one of his arms and helped him stagger out.

They had to take Yan Jiu to the clinic to treat his injuries first, and then rush to find Yinmian Liu to report the situation here.

After the three left, the commotion inside the pawnshop also alerted other people in the dark market.

Many burly men on patrol and stall owners from nearby shops peered into the pawnshop, but no one dared to go in.

Everyone knows that this black and white pawnshop is the territory of Yinmian Liu. In the Tianjin underworld, Yinmian Liu's name is a talisman.

Whether the pawnshop was vandalized or someone was being disciplined internally, they dared not disturb it easily, lest they get burned.

At this moment, the most restless person in the room was Qin Ming.

He knew all too well that even a mighty dragon crossing a river had to cross a river of its own. Tianjin was not a small ditch, but a vast ocean, a bottomless abyss.

"Sir, you've gotten yourself into big trouble."

Qin Ming sighed, his voice trembling, his tone full of anxiety, "I... sigh."

Even if he wanted to leave now, he wouldn't dare.

He followed Chen Zhan and witnessed Chen Zhan smash up Yinmian Liu's pawnshop and injure Yan Jiu, one of the three Vajras. Yinmian Liu would definitely hold him accountable for this.

Even if Chen Zhan lets him go, he will not escape Yinmian Liu's grasp, and in the end, he will only die a more miserable death.

Chen Zhan slowly pulled out wooden boxes from the small compartments on the wall, opened them, and checked the contents of the slips of paper inside.

Without even looking up, he asked, "You can afford to mess with me, but you can't afford to mess with the shady Liu?"

Qin Ming sighed again, his face full of bitterness.

Chen Zhan's martial arts skills were indeed ridiculously high; he could defeat the three Vajra Warriors with a mere wave of his hand.

In Tianjin, however, high martial arts skills may not be of any use.

He knew from the beginning that Chen Zhan was a master, but he didn't expect Chen Zhan to be so ruthless. He also didn't expect that Chen Zhan would dare to directly raid Yinmian Liu's territory and show him no respect whatsoever.

Besides the three Great Vajras, Yinmian Liu had nearly a hundred henchmen under his command, each with some skill. Moreover, he had collected all sorts of strange and unusual gadgets, including quite a few muskets.

Is Chen Zhan going to take on the top five gangs in Tianjin all by himself?

This isn't a question of whether it can succeed; it's pure suicide.

Tianjin, with its coastal location, numerous rivers, and proximity to Beijing, has been a prosperous place since ancient times and a strategic location fought over by military strategists.

As a result, countless experts from all over the country have gathered here, hoping to establish themselves and make a name for themselves here.

Over the years, very few people have managed to build a successful career on their own.

Back then, Yang Luchan and Dong Haichuan were among the best.

However, their ability to establish themselves in the capital and open a martial arts school was not solely due to their martial arts skills.

More importantly, they gained the favor of high-ranking officials in the Qing court, and with their help, they were able to avoid those underhanded tricks and compete and establish their careers openly and honestly.

No matter how skilled you are in martial arts, you can't escape underhanded tactics.

Shooting in the back, poisoning, spreading sleeping powder, ganging up on each other, assassinating in the dead of night—these underhanded tactics are hard to defend against.

Even a fierce tiger has its moments of weakness; how can a person remain vigilant at all times without making the slightest mistake?
Therefore, those who venture into Tianjin alone must pass three tests, find a sect to affiliate with, and have someone protect them before they can truly succeed in the fair competition.

People like Chen Zhan, who immediately disrupt others' activities and confront local bullies head-on.

Several people died under mysterious circumstances decades ago.

Chen Zhan ignored Qin Ming's anxiety and continued to slowly examine the note in his hand.

There were two cabinets inside the room. One cabinet contained some antiques and rare items, which were obviously pawned items collected by the pawnshop.

On the other side of the cabinet, there were countless small compartments. In each compartment was a small wooden box, and in each box was a slip of paper with a message written on it.

He read them slowly and carefully, examining each piece of paper one by one. Before long, he had finished reading more than a dozen slips of paper and learned a lot of secret information about Tianjin.

After reading the note, he flipped through the ledger.

As he looked at it, his brows gradually furrowed.

At this moment, he gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of Tianjin and understood why Qin Ming was so afraid of Yinmian Liu.

The most terrifying person in Tianjin is not the powerful and all-powerful Weibei Canal Gang, nor is it the notorious hoodlum Tie Zui Ma Liu, who roams the streets and has countless underlings.

It was not the Qing Dynasty, which was already in decline.

They were foreigners, foreign musketeers.

In Tianjin, foreigners have the final say.

Missionaries from foreign churches, relying on the power of foreigners, committed all sorts of crimes in Tianjin. They could shoot and kill a gang member at will, and the gang member could only swallow his anger and not dare to utter a word.

Once the foreigners deployed their musket teams, no matter how skilled you were in martial arts, even if you were known to be invulnerable to swords and spears, you couldn't withstand the power of the muskets; even sheet metal could be riddled with holes.

Those martial artists who had practiced hard skills their whole lives could only become sitting ducks in the face of firearms.

The reason why Yinmian Liu was able to operate in both the legitimate and underworld circles in Tianjin, establish a firm foothold, and even dare to confront major gangs was because he colluded with foreigners.

He helped foreigners dispose of stolen goods and gather information, while the foreigners provided him with personnel, weapons, and protection for his business. (End of Chapter)