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

Half an hour ago.

Southeast corner of Tianjin.

This area could barely be considered part of the old city, but it was actually the dirtiest and most chaotic slum and shantytown in Tianjin.

The dirt road was muddy and littered with garbage, crowded with ragged refugees. Low mud houses and dilapidated sheds were crammed together, and the air was filled with the smell of dust and poor-quality food.

The stronghold of Xiaoliang Mountain is hidden here.

It was called a stronghold, but it was actually the home of "Little Qilin" Lu Jun.

A slightly larger courtyard with rammed earth walls and a dilapidated wooden door, it was considered decent among the rows of sheds.

At this moment, an oil lamp was lit in the room. In the dim light, Lu Jun sat on a low stool in the center, with two young men standing in front of him with their hands hanging down, looking flustered.

After hearing their report, Lu Jun frowned, a look of surprise flashing across his face. He said in a deep voice, "Hiss—that person can really crush porcelain into sand? Not shatter it into pieces? You didn't see wrong?"

The young man on the left nodded quickly, his tone certain: "Brother, you're absolutely right! It wasn't just one teacup, it was several. And it wasn't magic. The cup was just used to drink water, and the next moment it was in his hand, it turned into fine sand and scattered with a gust of wind!"

Lu Junsheng was very handsome, only in his early twenties, with a tall and straight figure. He wore a faded short-sleeved shirt, but his temperament was nothing like that of a shantytown vagrant. Instead, he exuded a calm and sharp demeanor.

His Little Liangshan Mountain had no "Little Hu Baoyi".

He was only respected as "Little Qilin," and he had only a dozen or so brothers under his command, most of whom were orphans who made a living by running errands and guarding places. He was not a powerful figure.

"Where is Qin Ming?" Lu Jun changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious.

"Brother Qin went to the dark market with that man, saying he wanted to cause trouble for Yinmian Liu."

The young man on the right sighed, his face full of worry. "Sigh, I guess things are going to turn out badly. We brothers have been screwed this time. We thought we were easy targets, that we could extort some money from them and that would be enough to pay for Xiao Jiu's medical treatment."

As soon as the two finished speaking, a soft cough came from inside the room.

"cough cough"

The voice was soft and deliberately suppressed; it was clearly a girl's voice.

Lu Jun nodded slowly, remaining silent. His gaze swept towards the curtain of the inner room, and the solemnity in his eyes gradually turned into determination.

After a moment, he slowly spoke: "If someone really has the ability to turn porcelain into sand, it's hard to say who will live and who will die."

Having mastered his kung fu to this level, he had already grasped the threshold of internal strength.

I vaguely know the true value of "turning porcelain into sand".

This is something that no ordinary expert could do. In his memory, perhaps only two people in the entire Tianjin area could do it.

Of course, he could only guess.

Liu, the man with the dark side, had foreigners behind him. He didn't need to guess the power of the foreign gun team; many people had witnessed it firsthand.

"Cough-cough-!"

This time, the coughing couldn't be suppressed and became more intense, intermittent, making one's heart tighten.

Lu Jun immediately got up, quickly lifted the curtain, and went into the inner room.

"Xiao Jiu, you woke up coughing again? Do you have a fever?"

On the earthen bed, a little girl of seven or eight years old lay face down, her face pale, her lips chapped, and she was coughing violently while covering her mouth.

Lu Jun walked over and gently touched her forehead. He felt relieved when he found that her temperature was normal.

"I'll go and prepare your medicine," he said, turning to leave.

Xiao Jiu quickly raised her thin, bony hand and grabbed his clothes, her voice weak: "Brother, don't fry it anymore, it's too bitter, I don't want to drink it."

Lu Jun squatted down and gently patted her back, his tone softening: "Go to sleep, you won't cough when you're asleep. In a few days, I'll take you to the clinic."

Xiao Jiu nodded blankly, her little face still streaked with tears from her nightmare. Then, thinking for a moment, she shook her head vigorously, her eyes full of resistance.
"Brother, I'm not going to the foreigners' clinic, I'm scared."

Upon hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in Lu Jun's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and patted her head: "Don't worry, we won't go to the foreigners' clinic, we'll go to Old Lin's clinic."

Lao Lin's Clinic is the best traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Tianjin.

It has no other problems, except that it's expensive.

"Bam—!"

A sudden tremor came from the courtyard, as if someone had slammed heavily against the gate.

Lu Jun's eyes sharpened, and he darted out instantly, his movements as light as a nimble ape. Only after seeing the figure at the door did his tense nerves relax slightly.

"Mingzi, are you alright?"

Qin Ming, covered in dirt, dressed in tattered clothes, with bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, was leaning against the courtyard wall, panting heavily.

The two young men rushed over, helped him up, and led him into the house.

Qin Ming drank a whole tub of cold water before he could barely recover. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Brother Jun, I'm in big trouble this time."

Lu Jun handed him a piece of dry food, his tone calm: "I know, they both told me. I'm glad you're alright."

Qin Ming shook his head frantically, his face full of regret: "Brother Jun, you don't know how powerful that thug is! He destroyed the Black and White Pawnshop, Yan Jiu is half dead, and Yinmian Liu is probably leading his men there right now."

"He has offended Yinmian Liu to death, and I have also shown my face. Our Little Liangshan is bound to suffer as a result."

"Alas, this disaster is too great."

After Qin Ming finished speaking, Lu Jun fell silent, and the two young men beside him looked worried and at a loss.

Everyone in Tianjin knows the name of Liu the Shadow.

Compared to the Weibei Canal Gang and the Qingyi Hall, he was indeed weaker in power, but his ability to make money far surpassed both of them.

Trading in the gray market has always been far more profitable than manual labor or fighting with knives and guns.

In this chaotic world, money talks. With silver in his hands and colluding with foreigners, if Yinmian Liu is truly determined to take revenge, his dozen or so brothers are no match for him.

"Don't panic!"

Lu Jun spoke softly, his voice low but carrying a calming power.

Qin Ming and the two young men fell silent instantly, all turning their gazes toward him.

"Tell me in detail how he defeated Yan Jiu? Yan Jiu's Bajiquan is very solid; he's no ordinary fighter," Lu Jun asked.

Qin Ming nodded, trying hard to recall the scene, a hint of embarrassment on his face: "To be honest, I couldn't understand his moves."

"Yan Jiu only lasted two moves against him."

"Yan Jiu exerted all his strength, firmly established his Bajiquan stance, and launched a powerful and heavy attack with his knees and elbows. However, in his hands, it was as light as nothing. It was as if he casually flicked, stuck, and tossed Yan Jiu away like a tattered sack."

"That last move almost killed Yan Jiu. I understood it—a palm strike, a flat push. With just that gentle push, half the wooden furniture and walls of the room were shattered by Yan Jiu's body."

Fearing he wouldn't be able to explain it clearly, Qin Ming awkwardly stood up and tried to imitate the flat push move. His movements were stiff, but you could still make out the general idea.

Lu Jun understood at a glance, his brows furrowed even more, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed his palm.

"Supporting palm" is not a special move. It is a common move in Xingyi, Bagua, Taiji and Bajiquan.

But a regular "palm strike" would never have such power.
"Brother Jun, I'll turn myself in at the yamen tomorrow, fabricate a few charges against myself, and die in prison. That way, I won't implicate you and Xiao Jiu," Qin Ming said through gritted teeth, his tone resolute.

"Fuck off!"

Lu Jun shouted sternly, "If you die in prison, will Yinmian Liu still target us? You'll have died for nothing." He glared at Qin Ming, hesitated for a moment, then snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of certainty:

"Besides, Yinmian Liu might not be able to survive this ordeal."

"Keep an eye on Xiao Jiu. I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back."

After saying that, ignoring Qin Ming and the other two's attempts to stop him, Lu Jun walked straight to the side of the courtyard, lightly touched the courtyard wall with his foot, and flipped over. His movements were as nimble as a cat's, and he landed silently.

He walked through a series of low-lying alleyways lined with houses, many of which had collapsed, leaving behind only broken walls and ruins.

Some families don't even have mud houses; they just use a few wooden sticks and a tattered mat to build a shed to shelter them from the wind and rain.

We hurried along and finally entered a secluded courtyard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Lu Jun took the initiative to speak, his voice very low: "Grandma Xu, I'm Lu Jun, and I have something I'd like to ask you."

The small courtyard was only two or three zhang square, pitch black at night, and piled with miscellaneous items, so Lu Jun dared not move around carelessly.

A series of light footsteps came from inside the house, and then a little girl of about ten years old came out, carrying a small oil lamp in her hand, and said with a smile:
"Little Jun, it's you. Your great-aunt said to let you in. Follow me."

The little girl's name is Xu Xiaoxia, and she is the grandniece of the owner of the courtyard.

Lu Jun nodded and followed closely behind, walking very lightly, not daring to make a single wrong step.

The man inside was once a renowned master, but he was later ambushed and forced into retirement.

They hid in this shantytown for more than a decade.

Even if a master gets old and his skills decline, and injuries damage his foundation, no one can say for sure how much skill he still has left, and no one is willing to try.

Therefore, over the past ten years or so, all parties have given her some face, and no one has dared to provoke her.

Lu Jun also rescued Xu Xiaoxia, who was being bullied by local thugs, by chance a few years ago.

That's how I had the good fortune to meet this master, and occasionally receive a few words of guidance.

Upon entering the main room, one finds it dimly lit, with an offering table placed in the center.

Three incense sticks were lit above, their smoke curling upwards, but there were no offerings, only a memorial tablet—the tablet was clean and unmarked, without any name engraved on it.

Lu Jun kept his eyes down, not daring to look around, and stood obediently in place.

Xu Xiaoxia put down the oil lamp and said, "Grandma has gone to bed to rest and I can't see her. If you have something to say, just say it here."

Lu Jun nodded and, without wasting any words, quickly recounted Qin Ming's encounter with Chen Zhan, Yan Jiu's beating, and Yinmian Liu's desire for revenge.

The article highlights the details of Chen Zhan's ability to turn porcelain into sand and easily defeat Yan Jiu.

As soon as the words were spoken, a soft female voice came from inside the room, sounding anything but old:
"You want to ask, just how skilled is this person?"

"Yes."

Lu Jun quickly responded, "If Yinmian Liu can deal with this person, he will definitely target us. I want to know if we have any chance of survival."

A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint sound of burning incense and candles.

A moment later, the gentle voice came again, its tone resolute: "He can mold porcelain into sand, his strength concentrated yet restrained, controlled with complete ease. That Liu of the Shadows is doomed."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, a long-lost smile bloomed on his face, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

"Thank you so much for your guidance, Grandma Xu. I am deeply grateful."

He got up to leave, but someone inside the room unusually spoke a few more words, his tone carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation: "What's this person's name?"

Lu Jun shook his head: "I don't know. Qin Ming said that he seems to have the surname Chen."

"Ok?"

A slight voice of doubt came from inside the house, followed by, "Is his surname really Chen? If you have the chance, try to find out his full name. If you can find out, Grandma will teach you a real skill to help you break through the hidden strength."

There was something strange about the sounds inside the room, but Lu Jun didn't notice it.

He was filled with excitement at this moment; breaking through to the Dark Force realm was something he had always dreamed of.

"Alright! I'll do my best to find out!"

He bowed respectfully, turned and strode out of the main room. Before leaving, he couldn't help but glance back at the memorial tablet on the altar.

The candlelight inside the room flickered, casting its light on the memorial tablet, which still had no writing on it. However, even without words, the tablet seemed to be engraved with a winding, meandering pattern.

It looks like a snake, or a dragon, but it's indistinct.

Lu Jun didn't dare to get closer to take a closer look, so he quickly looked away, walked out of the courtyard, and ran towards his home.

Grandma Xu said that Yinmian Liu was doomed, so Yinmian Liu definitely wouldn't survive.

He keenly realized that this might be an opportunity.

This is an opportunity to avenge Xiao Shi, Xiao Shiyi, and all the brothers who were killed by Yinmian Liu and the foreigners.

When he returned home, Qin Ming and the other two were anxiously waiting for him. As soon as they saw him come back, they surrounded him.

His departure took less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Lu Jun waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Mingzi, come with me to the Black and White Pawnshop. You two, keep an eye on the house and Xiao Jiu, and don't run around."

Qin Ming was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and quickly nodded, "Okay!"

Before long, the two figures flashed and once again climbed over the courtyard wall, quickly heading towards the direction of Nanshi.

Upon entering Nanshi, the two immediately sensed a different atmosphere.

It was already late at night, and dawn was approaching.

At this hour, Nanshi would usually be deserted, but today it was unusually lively, with people standing along the roadside, whispering and talking about something, their expressions varied.

The two of them knew without a doubt that the commotion must have been caused by the Black and White Pawnshop.

Keep a low profile and walk quickly inside, trying not to attract attention.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Black and White Pawnshop, the area was already surrounded by onlookers, all standing on tiptoe and craning their necks, but no one dared to take a single step forward.

At the entrance of the pawnshop, dozens of men dressed in black, wielding knives and axes, with grim expressions, had completely surrounded the pawnshop.

Lu Jun pulled Qin Ming along, quietly circled around to the restaurant next door, and with a leap, jumped onto the roof.

He found a secluded corner and squatted down, his eyes fixed on the pawnshop entrance.

Just then, a commotion came from inside the pawnshop.

The two of them stared intently and saw the scene inside the house.

Chen Zhan sat calmly in his chair, facing the attack of ten black-clad swordsmen. His steps were as agile as the Bagua, and his hands moved with lightning speed. His hand blades accurately struck the wrists of the swordsmen, and in the blink of an eye, all ten swordsmen fell to the ground, their weapons scattered everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, neither of the two giants could withstand a single blow, and before they could even see clearly, a scream was heard.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Yinmian Liu turned and tried to escape through the door, but Chen Zhan caught up with him in a flash, pressed one hand against his throat, and with a gentle force, forced him back into the house.

A moment later, a gunshot rang out from inside the pawnshop, followed by a violent tremor and dust falling from the walls.

Just as the two were filled with alarm, a calm voice came from inside the pawnshop, clearly reaching their ears:

"Those who want to watch the show, come in too. I'm talking about you two." (End of Chapter)