From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

One day later...

Qi, the bodyguard, sheathed his twin swords, beads of sweat clinging to his white beard, and his gaze toward Lin Yan changed.

It wasn't the appreciation of seeing a skilled person, but the astonishment of seeing a monster.

"Did you miss one of your meals just now?"

Lin Yan sheathed his sword and wiped his sweat: "I paused about seven times during that move just now, three fewer than yesterday."

After a long silence, Qi, the bodyguard, finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Manager Feng said you came from a humble background and had only been practicing martial arts for less than two years. I didn't believe it at the time."

"So you believe it now?"

"Believe it for nothing." Master Qi plopped down on a bench by the field. "You've only been practicing martial arts for less than two years and you're already at the mid-stage of the True Qi Realm? And you've seen through all my weaknesses. Your talent seems a bit exaggerated."

Lin Yan didn't reply. Instead, he sat down next to Qi the镖师 (bodyguard) and reviewed in his mind what he had memorized during the sparring session.

Qi the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) wielded two swords, the long sword held upright and the short sword held in reverse, one bright and one dark, specifically designed to strike where the opponent's attention was blind.

This tactic is not effective on the battlefield, as there are too many people to manage.

But in the streets and alleys of the capital, it's just right for dealing with three to five people.

"Master Qi."

Lin Yan spoke up, "Could you demonstrate that double-sword change of direction again?"

Qi the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) didn't move, but looked at him and asked, "You want to learn?"

"Well, I've seen it clearly, but I haven't fully grasped it."

Qi the镖师 stood up, drew his twin swords again, and this time deliberately slowed down.

Lin Yan stared at his hand, this time not at the knife, but at his wrist.

The key to changing direction with dual blades lies not in the blades, but in the twisting angle of the wrist joint.

When changing from a regular grip to a reverse grip, the wrist needs to be twisted ninety degrees. After twisting, the force will be interrupted for a moment. Master Qi used the swaying of his shoulder to cover up that momentary interruption, so it looks like smooth sailing.

Lin Yan drew his knife and, imitating Qi the镖师 (bodyguard/escort), changed his grip from a normal to a reverse one.

The first time I twisted my wrist too hard, I almost dropped the knife.

The angle was right the second time, but my shoulders didn't follow up, and the movement was still stiff.

The third time, it worked.

The bodyguard's mustache twitched, and he said incredulously, "You call this not fully understanding?"

"You can only truly understand something after you've practiced it thoroughly."

Lin Yan sheathed his sword, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Master Qi, and said, "Thank you, Master Qi. I have another matter I would like to ask for your help with. Could you perhaps give my brothers some pointers and teach them some martial arts?"

Qi the镖师 waved his hand, thought for a moment, and then took out a palm-sized bronze token from his pocket and tossed it to Lin Yan.

The front of the bronze plaque is engraved with the character "齐" (Qi), and the back bears the logo of Zhenyuan Escort Agency.

"Manager Feng only allowed me to spar with you. I dare not instruct your brother on his martial arts skills. However, this is easy to discuss. Martial arts practitioners in the capital are divided into different ranks. The instructors of the Imperial Guard and the military government are first-class, the masters of martial arts schools are second-class, and the street fighters who make a living are third-class. Among them, the most agile fighters are those in the third rank."

Qi the镖师 lit his pipe and took a puff:

"Your brother Sun Dayong sparred with my apprentice a couple of times this morning at the training ground. Although his foundation is not bad, he can't beat the ruthless guys on the street. Street people don't follow the rules. They gouge eyes, kick groin, throw lime, and use all sorts of underhanded tricks."

Lin Yan put the bronze medal into his pocket: "What does Master Qi mean?"

"I've been in the security escort agency for thirty years, and I know all the martial arts instructors on the streets. If you want your group of veterans to gain a foothold in the capital, training them in the Eastern Palace won't be enough. You have to let them go out and fight. Only after they've fought will they know how deep the waters are in the capital. Your fighting style is still too conventional; you're not fast or ruthless enough."

Lin Yan nodded: "That's exactly what I was planning to do."

That evening, Xiong Kuo and Sun Dayong were summoned to Lin Yan's room.

"Starting tomorrow, each of you will take two people to the arena arranged by Master Qi for sparring. This is not like the previous training ground where it was just a friendly match; you two need to be careful."

Xiong Kuo's eyes lit up. "How high can it go?"

"Just don't kill anyone," Lin Yan said.

Sun Dayong grinned: "What if you cripple him?"

"You decide what to do."

Early the next morning.

Xiong Kuo led Zhang Dabiao and two veterans who had come down from Iron Coffin Cliff to the backyard of a carriage shop in the south of the city.

The arena that Master Qi introduced was very famous in the Beijing martial arts circle. It had no fences, and the ground was covered with a layer of fine sand. Whoever fell down lost.

Xiong Kuo was facing a short, stocky man in his forties nicknamed Iron Hand Chen. He used to be a prison warden in the Ministry of Justice's prison, but was dismissed for taking bribes. Now he makes a living by fighting in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing).

When Iron Hand Chen saw Xiong Kuo carrying a thick-backed sword into the arena, he scoffed, "Big guy, this is a free-fighting match, not a war. Your crappy sword won't do you any good here."

Xiong Kuo tossed the knife to Zhang Dabiao and stood in the center of the arena empty-handed: "Come on."

Iron Hand Chen didn't hold back, lunging forward and grabbing at Xiong Kuo's groin with his claw. This move is called "Peach Picking" in freestyle fighting, and it's specifically used to break the lower body of a big guy.

Xiong Kuo didn't dodge; instead, he took a step forward, his knee slamming into Tie Shou Chen's wrist while his right elbow came crashing down from above.

This move was taught to him by Lin Yan last night. Lin Yan said that street fighters like to attack the lower body, and when dealing with such people, you should not retreat, because retreating will give them space.

We need to push forward and use our height advantage to overpower the opponent.

Iron Hand Chen's wrist was hit by a knee, and his entire right arm went numb. Before he could react, Xiong Kuo's elbow had already slammed into the back of his neck.

Iron Hand Chen's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, swallowing a mouthful of sand.

The people around the sidelines were silent for a moment, then erupted into a chorus of shouts and curses.

Iron Hand Chen's apprentices tried to rush forward, but were stopped by Escort Qi.

"In freestyle fighting, falling to the ground means you lose."

Qi, the bodyguard, said calmly, "Your master fell first. If you're not satisfied, then send someone else."

A tall, thin man emerged from the crowd, with an iron chain wrapped around his waist.

He was Iron Hand Chen's senior apprentice, nicknamed Iron Chain Liu. He managed dozens of porters at the West City Wharf and was considered a semi-gang leader.

Chain Liu unfastened the iron chain around his waist and swung it twice in his hand: "Big guy, a chain against a fist, that's not bullying you, is it?"

Just as Xiong Kuo was about to speak, a voice came from the sidelines: "I'll do it."

Sun Dayong squeezed out of the crowd, his hard bow slung over his back and a wooden stick reaching his eyebrows in his hand.

He slammed the wooden stick on the ground and said to Iron Chain Liu, "I'll fight you with a long weapon."

Iron Chain Liu squinted and swung the iron chain even faster.

Sun Dayong's wooden stick was a white waxwood pole that he had taken from the East Palace armory that morning; it was extremely flexible.

He learned the scouts' staff techniques, which weren't particularly advanced martial arts, but Lin Yan had modified them last night.

Lin Yan said that long weapons on the street like to be swung in big circles, which looks intimidating, but they are actually slow to retract.

When dealing with this kind of person, don't try to out-swipe who has the bigger swing; instead, fight in a narrower area, staying close to their weapon.

Liu, the chain-wielder, made the first move, swinging the chain in a wide arc and smashing it down.

Sun Dayong didn't back down. He pushed the wooden stick in along the side of the iron chain and slammed it into Iron Chain Liu's chest. The white waxwood stick bounced back, and Iron Chain Liu almost couldn't catch his breath from the pain in his sternum. The iron chain also slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Sun Dayong put away the wooden stick and grinned: "It's quite effective."

Iron Chain Liu clutched his chest and squatted on the ground, repeatedly admitting defeat.

The carriage and horse shop was packed with onlookers, all making a fuss, the buzzing discussions like a boiling pot.

Xiong Kuo slung the thick-backed knife over his shoulder and was about to call Sun Dayong to leave when a young man in a silk shirt suddenly walked out from the crowd, followed by seven or eight thugs, each carrying a short knife and an iron ruler.

The man clapped his hands while shaking a folding fan, and the two characters "Golden Snake" written on the fan surface shone in the sunlight.

"Impressive skills. My Golden Snake Gang is currently in dire need of a skilled instructor. Two hundred taels a month, much more than your Lin General... well, much more than the price your master is paying."