A Scroll of Infinite Glory

On September 25th, just after midnight, Guan Luoyang and the instructor quietly got up.

They first found some unburnt firewood in the stove, rubbed off some black powder, and smeared it all over their faces, making them unrecognizable, before leaving the dilapidated inn and continuing their journey.

At this hour, the night was still deep, with a solitary moon in the high sky. The vast expanse of the sky was dotted with only a handful of stars, and the air was damp with dew and cold with the wind.

From the distant woods, the faint howls of beasts seemed to drift over, along with the occasional bark of a country dog, though the sounds were indistinct.

The instructor was the one who inquired about the surrounding paths, so naturally he walked a little faster, identifying and leading the way.

Only a seasoned veteran like him could determine the length, location, and characteristics of several routes from a few words of questioning with the locals, so as not to go astray.

It's about 30 li (about 15 kilometers) from here to Guangzhou. If you go around to the east, it will be even further. But the two of them are both exceptionally fast walkers. Even if they had to conserve their energy and walked at a leisurely pace, it only took them about an hour.

The checkpoint, lit up ahead, was already in sight. Guan Luoyang and the instructor exchanged a glance and consciously hid in the shadows of the sparse trees as they approached.

The area around Guangzhou is mountainous and has many waterways and jungles that are so dangerous that ordinary people with knives and tools cannot cross them. Under the vines and weeds, there may be swamps that can swallow a person whole, as well as wild animal attacks. The terrain is high and steep, and one wrong step could be fatal.

However, for a master boxer, these risks are not a problem at all. If they are not disturbed, people like the instructor and the Blue-Faced Demon can avoid the normal route and travel through dangerous places.

Therefore, under the advice and command of Luo Han and others, the troops mobilized by the General of Guangzhou were not only to block all roads, but also to guard all the strategic passes and passes.

Although in those dangerous places, only three to five gunmen are often needed to have a commanding view of the entire situation, the area to be defended is too wide, and the manpower is too thin.

Looking into the distance, Guan Luoyang realized that the checkpoint they were facing had fewer than fifty people at most.

A roadblock, with cross-shaped supports at both ends, is about four feet high and six meters long. It is made of a log placed directly on top, blocking the entire road.

This group of people must be working in shifts; more than twenty of them were patrolling the roadblock incessantly.

The other twenty or so people gathered on the wasteland behind the roadblock to warm themselves by a fire, all wrapped in thin blankets.

Everyone was still wearing old-fashioned military uniforms, with the words "soldier" and "brave" printed on their bodies, all of which had faded from washing. They wore old straw hats on their heads, but each of them carried a gun.

As the soldiers facing east scanned the area, they suddenly spotted what appeared to be a shadow moving in the distant woods and immediately became alert.

"Who?!"

The sound startled everyone's attention, and the soldier who had spoken first had already raised his gun and pulled the bolt.

They had already cut down all the trees within fifty paces of the area on the very first day they arrived to set up their defenses, leaving no place for cover.

Therefore, there was still at least fifty paces between Guan Luoyang and these soldiers.

Just as he noticed the soldiers making a move, Guan Luoyang ducked down, pushed off with his feet, and suddenly disappeared from the spot.

Only a sloping indentation remained on the ground, with the forefoot sinking more than seven inches into the ground and the heel sinking about three inches into the ground, along with a dull thud as the foot stomped on the ground.

Guan Luoyang used to carry out assassinations in the three cities and seven villages. He could move between those high walls and courtyards as if walking on flat ground. When he retreated after a successful assassination, he would often fly over rooftops and run on the roofs of all sizes.

His legwork speed was also intensively trained. Although it was not as good as Wang Xiongjie's, he was better able to adapt to the terrain.

Once he unleashed his full power, to the Qing soldiers he appeared as a shadow in the forest, flashing past them in a couple of quick movements.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Several gunshots rang out intermittently, but they were all aimed at the wrong spot dozens of meters away.

Two terrified screams rang out, throwing the Qing soldiers in front of the roadblock into disarray.

Guan Luoyang grabbed two Qing soldiers by the ankles, swung them around half a circle, knocking down the Qing soldiers next to him, and threw them behind the roadblock, knocking down another group.

The Qing soldiers who were standing further away all took aim. Guan Luoyang leaned forward and arched his body, pushing forward with his arms like bull horns. The entire six-meter-long roadblock was sent flying by his push.

The logs used as roadblocks were wrapped with thorns woven from wire. When Guan Luoyang pushed with both hands, he felt at least dozens of sharp spikes, but because he had mastered the art of skin-strengthening, he was able to flatten those spikes with his palms.

The roadblock was over six meters long and was designed to block the entire road. When it crashed into the roadblock from the side, the Qing soldiers behind it were almost doomed. They were all knocked down and crushed by the roadblock, coughing up blood and screaming in agony.

At this moment, the Qing soldiers who were warming themselves by the fire finally reacted. Before they could get up and grab their guns, Guan Luoyang had already leaped into the crowd and, with a sweeping leg kick, smashed the entire campfire apart.

Burning wood flew everywhere, and the overall environment suddenly brightened and then darkened again.

Just as these people's eyes were beginning to adjust, Guan Luoyang charged wildly, his spine and shoulders rising and falling, his hands striking in rapid succession.

If a gun comes, grab it; if a person comes, grab them; shoot them as you grab, throw them away as you shoot.

In an instant, four or five Qing soldiers were knocked to the ground by the butts of their own rifles, their straw hats smashed.

With Guan Luoyang's strength, a broken or deformed rifle could be thrown, and any part of the body hit would be instantly broken, bleeding, and mangled.

If someone got too close, he would even throw them like stones.

Those hands weren't particularly large, but they possessed an irresistible, surging power.

A human body weighing over 100 pounds was no different from a fist-sized rock or clod of earth in his hands.

Just as Guan Luoyang grabbed another Qing soldier by the collar with his right hand, he suddenly felt something strange.

Sizzle!!

The Qing soldier bent down even faster than Guan Luoyang grabbed him, and because he did so quickly, he tore off the entire piece of clothing from his back.

This person used a move called "White Horse Shines with Hooves," and smoothly swept his right leg backward.

Guan Luoyang quickly dodged to the side, but felt a faint glint of cold light that tore the clothes around his waist.

The man had a rope hooked to his foot, with a triangular spearhead attached to the end of the rope. The spearhead missed its target and shot several feet away before the rope taut and snapped back.

This is a rope dart, a less common weapon. The rope is usually twice the height of a person. It is difficult to learn and master, and few people choose this weapon as their specialty.

But if one can truly master it, the long rope, through the joints, combined with the force of the swinging, slashing, cutting, and striking, the triangular dart can appear and disappear unpredictably in all directions of the body, making it much harder to defend against than a regular spear, and even more lethal than a regular whip.

The person who could wield this weapon well was certainly not an ordinary soldier in faded clothes, but Bai Liaolong, the owner of the Youlong Martial Arts School in Guangzhou, who had been friends with Li Piaoling for over twenty years.

As the rope dart missed its target, Guan Luoyang felt a chill on his right rear. Without thinking, he swayed and dodged the shot.

Before he could even see who was attacking him from behind, he had already kicked the other man's pistol away with a swift, backward kick.

The man had both a gun and a knife, but the gun missed, so he swept out with his knife.

This knife is a typical Qing dynasty soldier's waist knife. Compared to Guan Luoyang's meticulously crafted hundred-refined steel knife, it is much more brittle and soft. If an ordinary person were to slash with this knife, Guan Luoyang would not even have a mark left on his skin.

However, when the blade came slashing down, Guan Luoyang clearly felt that if he were to be hit, it would definitely pierce his skin and flesh, and even damage his bones. Even though he dodged forward in time, a piece of his shoe heel was still sliced ​​off, and his heel was exposed.

That strike used the power of the Pi Gua Zhang (劈挂掌) technique. The person who delivered the strike was humming and shouting, displaying strong and powerful energy, a skill derived from the Eight-Section Brocade (八段锦) internal strength cultivation method.

—Zhu Changshou's second apprentice, Ding Youde, had already become a sixth-rank official in the Guangdong Provincial Governor's Office.

His sword spun like a wheel, dangling to the left and right. He took only half a step with each stride, allowing him to stomp his feet and push the sword forward, unleashing rapid power to chase and slash repeatedly.

The blade was pressing fast enough. Just as Guan Luoyang was about to turn around and retaliate, a Qing soldier in front of him bumped into him on the shoulder. Before the soldier even arrived, a gust of wind had already hit his face.

Three experts disguised themselves as ordinary soldiers and hid among them. They suddenly launched an attack, putting Guan Luoyang in a predicament of being attacked from three sides.

The blade was fierce, the rope dart treacherous, and the force of the impact seemed to conceal a hidden change within its ferocity.

None of these three people had reached the pinnacle of their skills, but when they joined forces, Guan Luoyang felt extremely threatened.

"Two fists can't beat four hands" is a profound saying that even great boxers can't escape.

Back in the Forbidden City, there was a renowned Baguazhang master who, when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered the city, went out and killed more than a dozen foreign soldiers. However, he was then tackled by several fierce foreign warriors who risked their lives to capture him. Unable to escape, the Maxim machine gun mounted on the cart riddled both himself and the master with bullets.

It's a pity that this old hero lost his life due to a moment of carelessness.

At the critical moment!

Guan Luoyang suddenly spread his arms wide, and with a quick opening and closing of his hands, he pulled the Qing soldier who was charging at him into his arms.

The force of that impact was so immense that even a seven-inch-thick solid brick wall would shake and break open here.

Not to mention that this Qing soldier was actually Hu Dali, the Black Hawk of the Imperial Household Department. Dali's Eagle Claw Kung Fu was superb. After the collision, his left hand grabbed the groin and his right hand swung to the back of the head to grab the enemy's face. The two hands moved at the same time, which was a move called "Iron-backed Divine Eagle Slanting Body Spreading Wings and Flipping Claws". Every part of it was a killing technique.

Although Guan Luoyang's embrace, made with the help of his mastery of skin-strengthening techniques and the backward leaning motion of his embrace, dissipated most of the impact force, he still inevitably lost some accuracy. He only managed to barely encircle the other's torso and left arm, failing to restrain the opponent from exerting force with his arm.

Hu Dali was overjoyed and unleashed his killing move. He suddenly felt his opponent's knees bend downwards and his body slide down several inches, as if he were about to kneel down.

With this change, Hu Dali's move to grab behind his head with his right hand naturally missed, and his left hand also failed to grab his groin, instead grabbing his opponent's abdomen.

Guan Luoyang's clothes on his stomach were torn apart by the claws like shredded cotton, but his skin was even tougher than cowhide. Furthermore, with a breath, his stomach contracted more than three inches backward, so that although the claw hit him, it did not cause any injury.

As the blade drew closer and the rope dart pierced the air, Guan Luoyang maintained his half-kneeling position, his knee striking Hu Dali's calf, disrupting his foundation and balance. His upper body suddenly leaned back, his waist arching like a bow, lifting Hu Dali into the air and throwing him backward.

Five grappling techniques, one Arhat technique, and a child bowing down to the Heavenly King statue!

This move was originally taken from Lu Zhishen's Drunken Fist.

When an Arhat worships the Heavenly King, he must bow down to the Heavenly King.

Hu Dali was thrown towards Ding Youde's dagger.

Ding Youde dared not harm the official of the Imperial Household Department, and quickly withdrew his strength and dodged to the side with his knife.

Hu Dali flew out, but Ding Youde felt a numbness in his feet.

Just as Hu Dali flew out, Guan Luoyang had already used his bent knees to propel his body, which was parallel to the ground, out like an arrow, skimming the ground.

As Hu Dali flew past, Guan Luoyang had already grabbed Ding Youde's ankle. He grabbed the ankle with his right hand, pressed the Huantiao acupoint on the side of the knee with his left thumb, and tapped the meniscus. He twisted and pulled Ding Youde over with his hands crossed.

Just as Ding Youde was about to swing his knife at the person on the ground, his left leg suddenly came down, causing him to lose his balance. His entire body was in mid-air, twisted and flipped over with the movement of his left leg, and he crashed face down to the ground. The knife also spun in mid-air with his body and cleaved into the empty mud.

When mud hit his face, Ding Youde was stunned. His left knee was twisted and the pain, with his lower leg almost touching his thigh from the side, finally reached his brain.

"ah!!!"

As Ding Youde screamed in agony, Guan Luoyang suddenly bent over and rolled and scrambled more than ten meters away.

Bullets and rope darts followed the path he had rolled through.

Guan Luoyang, who had grabbed a broken gun during the roll, suddenly turned around and swung it, killing the Qing soldier who was firing.

Hu Dali was hit by a stick as soon as he landed.

The instructor's short stick struck the back of his neck, breaking his cervical vertebrae.

A glimmer of rising red light appeared in the eyes of the dead Hu Dali.

With a whoosh, a red firework shot into the sky and exploded a hundred meters away.

That signal should have been sent immediately upon the checkpoint being attacked.

However, Guan Luoyang acted too quickly. By the time the person responsible for signaling heard the gunshot and the signal was ignited, the Qing soldiers at this checkpoint had already suffered heavy casualties.

Just as the signal was activated 100 meters away, about two miles away, another red firework shot up.

The relay-style signal ignition seemed to leave luminous marks in the night sky, reaching all the way into Guangzhou city.

Luo Han and his companions agreed on four-color fireworks signals, each representing a different direction. Experts at various checkpoints could identify the direction of the problem as soon as they saw a particular color signal being transmitted nearby.

Guan Luoyang rushed to Bai Liaolong's side, and the other party shot out a rope dart from his waist, but a handful of mud hit him in the face.

This is a handful of mud that Guan Luoyang pulled out of his hand when he was rolling on the ground.

The mud scattered and was thrown out of Guan Luoyang's hand with considerable force. Although Bai Liaolong leaned back to dodge, he was not able to completely avoid it and was hit on the face, his vision slightly blurred.

The coach caught up from behind and killed the man with a single blow.

Guan Luoyang snatched a waist knife, casually slit Ding Youde's throat, and then ran towards Guangzhou with the instructor.

Having already passed one hurdle and exposed their tracks, all that matters now is speed.

They stopped trying to conserve their energy and started running, their speed far surpassing that of galloping horses. Even the city wall, which was six or seven miles away, appeared to grow taller and closer at a visible speed.

But as the fireworks exploded, numerous experts and assassins were arriving from all directions, near and far, in the darkness.

The night was as dark as smoke, and the moon hung high in the sky, as if a grand hunt was about to unfold.