Side Step Shoulder Shift and Heart Piercing Elbow

Someone was picking a fight!

Li Yan was somewhat surprised.

In the martial world, what mattered was what lay beneath the surface, but what people cared about was face.

Sometimes, face was more important than life.

Thus, unless there was a grudge, no one would cause trouble for no reason. Regardless of whether they would stab you in the back or how mercilessly they would turn on you, at the very least, their words would always sound pleasant.

Those with filthy mouths usually did not live many years, either.

He was only a boy in his early teens. He rarely left the village, and every person seated here was his senior.

Could this guy have something wrong with his head? He actually said such sarcastic things.

The speaker was also a young man, around twenty years old. His features were fairly square and proper, but his eyebrows were sparse, giving him a fierce air.

Li Yan's expression did not change. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Do we know each other?"

He had a pair of Phoenix Eyes and Dragon Eyes. He had no need to train his eyesight; a naturally icy radiance already shot from them, carrying a cold, imposing authority that he normally had to restrain as much as possible.

When those eyes narrowed, his aura rose involuntarily. Everyone nearby felt their hearts tighten and inexplicably dared not look down on him anymore.

"You bastard, why are you talking in such a snide tone?"

Seeing this, Sha LiFei hurriedly rose and retorted before smiling at Li Yan. "This fellow isn't an outsider, either. He's Meng HaiCheng, a disciple of Chairman Zhou of the Xianyang Divine Fist Society."

The moment Li Yan heard this, he understood the reason.

The Divine Fist Society was not a gang, but an organization recognized by the imperial court.

During the Former Dynasty Da Xing era, although it had faced the Golden Horde Khanate across the north and south, those warriors from the grasslands were all ruthless men. They were powerfully built and fiercely tempered.

In every war between the two sides, the Da Xing Dynasty lost more than it won.

When the nation faced ruin, every common man bore responsibility.

With the court's support, several Martial Arts grandmasters of the Da Xing Dynasty cast aside sectarian prejudice and established the super-organization known as the Divine Fist Society. Martial sects of every size and from every region joined one after another.

People of the martial world could not tolerate the military laws and regulations of the imperial court, but within the Divine Fist Society, they thrived. They repeatedly infiltrated the north, assassinated targets, set fires, and gathered intelligence, rendering outstanding service.

Later, when the founding emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty seized power, he relied on them even more heavily. In the end, he unified the Divine Land and swallowed the entire great grassland.

Once the realm was pacified, the Divine Fist Society gradually changed in nature.

It was not exactly a case of "when the crafty hare dies, the hounds are cooked," but how could the imperial court allow such a massive force to remain beyond its control? Thus, it employed every means available to strengthen its oversight, and the Divine Fist Society gradually declined.

Now, the Divine Fist Society was a semi-official organization.

Its leader, the grandmaster Huo Yin, was even a martial instructor to members of the imperial family.

They served as intermediaries between the imperial court and the martial world. They were also one of the Great Xuan imperial clan's hands reaching into the martial world, often cooperating with the local authorities to quell bandit rebellions, especially when dealing with forces such as the Maitreya Sect.

Some martial artists could not stand them and called them the court's hounds and hawks.

On the other hand, the leaders of the Divine Fist Society in various regions could obtain considerable benefits. They straddled both the black and white worlds, had numerous disciples, and wielded considerable influence.

There were inevitably disputes in the martial world.

His father, Li Hu, was known as Sick Tiger. He had intended to compete for the position of Chairman of the Xianyang Divine Fist Society and carve out a future for his family, but unfortunately, he later met with disaster.

The Chairman Zhou mentioned by Sha LiFei was actually named Zhou Pan. He excelled at Red Fist and Form and Will Monkey Fist and was one of the competitors. It was precisely because Li Yan's father had met with disaster that Zhou Pan had been able to rise to the position.

He was narrow-minded and vindictive. It was said that over the past two years, not only had his martial arts grown increasingly profound, he had also raised two large macaques and taught them Monkey Fist.

Those who came to challenge him were required to defeat the monkeys before they qualified to fight him.

There were people on Guanzhong Road who disliked this and mockingly said, "With no tiger in the mountains, the monkey becomes king." They were referring to Zhou Pan and Li Yan's father.

Given Zhou Pan's temperament, he naturally would not bully the weak or come looking for trouble, but he could not help feeling stifled inside.

At this point, Li Yan already understood the situation.

The fact that Meng HaiCheng served as the Wheat Harvester Leader showed that he was doing only so-so.

He had clearly learned of Li Yan's identity and wanted to viciously trample him before claiming credit with his master, Zhou Pan. That was why he had spoken mockingly.

Li Yan was naturally not the sort to accept a loss. He nodded. "I understand. You want to step on this junior of yours to rise, seeking fame and profit. It's understandable."

As soon as he said this, everyone's expressions turned strange.

They were all old hands of the martial world. The moment Meng HaiCheng stuck out his rear, they knew what kind of filth he intended to dump, and they all looked down on him.

Clearly, Li Hu's son was no soft persimmon, either.

Meng HaiCheng had provoked him but still needed to find an excuse. This boy, however, had exposed him outright.

Sometimes, the truth hurt more than lies.

Sure enough, Meng HaiCheng's face immediately flushed red, but he could not refute him. He could only roar, "You're so young, yet you have no idea about the rules! If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll properly teach you how to conduct yourself today!"

Unexpectedly, Li Yan did not grow angry. He merely shook his head slightly. "You have no shame and no grace. I imagine your martial arts are mediocre, too. I don't want to fight you."

That was a devastating blow.

"Sharp tongue! Take this!"

Meng HaiCheng could no longer hold back. With a whoosh, he sprang forward.

This leap was called Monkey Leap.

Monkey Fist emphasized five essentials: the form had to resemble the monkey, the intent had to be genuine, the steps had to be light, the techniques had to be tight, and the body had to remain nimble. Without Monkey Intent, it would not do.

A monkey sat upright in a tree. When startled, it would suddenly spring out. Sometimes, even fierce beasts in the mountains, caught off guard, would be clawed until their faces ran with blood.

The key was to strike unexpectedly—fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Meng HaiCheng's move already had the right flavor. He seemed like a large macaque startled into motion. Though he was five or six meters away, in the blink of an eye he pounced toward Li Yan.

Everyone frowned, their eyes holding a trace of contempt.

This Meng HaiCheng was actually launching a sneak attack even against a junior. He truly had no shame.

That was why, although he had shouted, "Take this!" beforehand, he had still used Monkey Leap. What difference was there between saying it and not saying it?

Fortunately, he knew how to control himself. His hands were curled into claws, but he did not claw at Li Yan's throat. Instead, he reached for Li Yan's right shoulder, showing that he had not intended to kill him.

Even so, the move was sinister enough.

If nothing went wrong, his opponent would follow up with Silk-Winding Shrinking Seizure, using techniques that separated the tendons and dislocated the bones to wrench Li Hu's son's arm out of its socket before humiliating him.

Young people were often proud and arrogant, but excessive hardness was easily broken. After suffering such a blow upon first entering the martial world, one might never recover and be ruined for life.

Destroying someone's heart was sometimes more vicious than killing them.

Of course, although they saw through it, they would not expose it.

After all, Zhou Pan was narrow-minded, and they were unwilling to provoke him. At most, they would discuss it afterward and let people know what kind of creatures this master and disciple were.

Li Yan, however, had been prepared long ago.

The instant Meng HaiCheng used Monkey Leap to spring toward him, Li Yan shuddered from head to toe, every hair standing on end. He tapped the ground with his right toe, and his body suddenly shot two meters backward. At the same time, he used Side Step Shoulder Shift, slightly raising his left hand while his right hand crossed behind him in a probing motion.

The move immediately opened up the distance.

"Huh..."

The old saber wielder in the sheepskin vest from Longyou looked at him with a strange glint in his eyes.

He had the highest seniority and was the oldest among them.

Although he had never amounted to much in his life, he had nevertheless traveled far and wide. With his wealth of experience, he had trained a pair of sharp eyes.

Li Yan's move had already grasped the subtle essence of Red Fist.

The Red Fist Sixteen Character Secret was: support and supplement as the mother, hook and hang as ability, transform the body as marvel, and cunning strikes as method.

This body technique in particular emphasized that the body was a line, not a plane. When shifting sideways, the shoulder had to remain nimble; when the shoulder was nimble, the step came first. This was the transformation of the body.

The left was not left, the right was not right; retreat was also advance, and advance was also retreat. The sudden emergence of change embodied the character "marvel"—that was what it meant for transforming the body to create marvels.

As the saying went, if one mastered Side Step Shoulder Shift to perfection, even an immortal would be unable to withstand it.

Li Yan's Side Step Shoulder Shift had not only avoided Meng HaiCheng's sneak attack, it had also controlled the distance with exquisite precision. Combined with alternating his palms left and right, using support for defense and supplement for offense, he moved with ease whether attacking or defending.

Not good. This boy has some skill!

Meng HaiCheng, who was in the middle of the exchange, felt his heart jolt.

An expert needed only to make one move to reveal whether he had true ability.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

He was still in midair and had yet to land. His new strength had not been generated, while his old strength had already been spent. If he reached out forcibly, he would not be able to touch Li Yan and would instead leave an opening for him to seize.

Meng HaiCheng had roamed the martial world for several years. He immediately withdrew his claws to protect his head and chest, twisted his body, and tried to turn and kick sideways.

He did not seek to injure his enemy, only to create distance and prevent Li Yan from following up.

However, Li Yan had already assumed his stance, and his change of technique was even faster.

As he retreated and shifted sideways, he used support and supplement to build momentum. At the same time, he lowered his body, shifting his center of gravity onto his right leg. His muscles stood out in sharp relief, and his spine curved slightly, like a compressed spring.

The instant Meng HaiCheng changed his move, Li Yan suddenly sprang forward with a Heart Piercing Elbow.

Bang!

With a muffled thud, Meng HaiCheng flew straight back, hit the ground, and rolled twice. He clutched his chest, his face pale as he gasped for breath.

Li Yan's elbow had broken straight through his center gate, landing solidly.

"Good!"

Everyone looked astonished, but Sha LiFei was the first to shout his praise.

The others exchanged glances, finding it almost unbelievable.

In the instant Li Yan had struck, the explosive crack of his sinews and bones had already revealed that he was at the Peak of Manifested Strength.

There was nothing too surprising about his exquisite technique. Li Hu had been a famous figure, after all, and the Li family possessed an inheritance. Perhaps they had even found an expert to spar with him and feed him moves.

In this world, Manifested Strength was the beginning of Martial Arts. Martial artists trained their bodies and tempered their sinews and bones, making their strength manifest so that every move carried power.

The sign of successful cultivation was the trembling of the major tendons and the simultaneous ringing of sinews and bones.

The body's major tendons were attached to the skeleton, and they were interconnected. When the major tendons trembled, they could set the entire body's bones and muscles into motion, gathering the strength at one point before striking.

For someone so young to have already reached the Peak of Manifested Strength was truly rare.

Meng HaiCheng, on the other side, was suffering immensely.

He had taken a solid Heart Piercing Elbow. His qi gate was sealed, and he could not draw breath for a long while. He rubbed his chest, trying to ease the pain.

Fortunately, Li Yan had only reached Manifested Strength. If he had cultivated Hidden Strength and intended to injure him, that single strike would have damaged Meng HaiCheng's lung meridian and made him vomit blood without end.

Even if he recuperated for several years, he would be ruined.

Moreover, Meng HaiCheng had eaten plenty of assorted mutton offal and steamed buns earlier. His stomach was now turning like a river and overturning like a sea, and he could hold back no longer. With a loud retch, he vomited.

In an instant, the sour stench traveled ten li downwind, making the surrounding wheat harvesters snicker and retreat.

Although it was humiliating, the pent-up breath in his chest had finally been released.

Seeing the looks on the others' faces, Meng HaiCheng's own face shifted from green to white. He no longer dared to utter any harsh threats. He staggered to his feet and ran outside.

He could tell that Li Yan was young, but ruthless and merciless.

He had already suffered a crushing defeat today. If he did not leave quickly, he feared he would not even have a chance to save face.

Li Yan merely glanced at him indifferently and paid him no attention.

This was no longer a time of chaos, after all. Sparring and killing were entirely different matters, especially under broad daylight. The Great Xuan Dynasty's laws showed no leniency to martial artists, either.

Moreover, this battle had given him a realization.

What he lacked while stuck at the Peak of Manifested Strength was still experience. If he wanted to break through, he would probably need to fight others.

With the Substitute Divine Statue, ordinary injuries were nothing to fear.

As long as he did not die, he dared to take on as many opponents as came.

"A tiger father has no dog for a son..."

Several saber wielders nearby voiced their praise one after another.

They were old hands of the martial world, and they had never been shy about adding flowers to brocade.

Besides, this young tiger had only just emerged from the mountains and had already displayed such might. His future was likely to be extraordinary.

"You seniors are too kind."

After perfunctorily responding to them, Li Yan pulled Sha LiFei aside to a secluded spot. His eyes turned cold and sinister. "Uncle Sha, you set a trap for me. What are you playing at?!"

He had dealt with plenty of people in his previous life, and in this life his father had taught him all kinds of martial-world ways. How could he fail to see that Sha LiFei had dug a pit for him?

Knowing full well that Xianyang was Zhou Pan's territory and that one of his disciples was present, Sha LiFei had deliberately exposed Li Yan's identity. It was obvious that he had set a trap.

"You boy, what nonsense are you spouting..."

Sha LiFei put on a cheeky grin and was just about to refute him when his expression suddenly stiffened.

At some point, a short knife had appeared in Li Yan's hand. Though he seemed to be speaking with Sha LiFei, the blade had already slid from his sleeve and was pressed against Sha LiFei's heart.

Sha LiFei swallowed. "Let's talk this out. Let's talk this out."

Looking at the cold radiance flickering in Li Yan's eyes, he felt panic rising inside. For some inexplicable reason, he felt that this boy had no scruples whatsoever and truly dared to strike.

How could he still hesitate? He lowered his voice and said something that left Li Yan stunned.

"Don't you want to know... how your father died?"