White Ape Through-Arm Fist and Shattered Jade Hand (Seeking Recommendations and Collections)

The next morning.

Ma Gui's small courtyard was packed with members of the Three Harmonies Gang.

A middle-aged man in a black brocade robe, with a thin mustache, was examining Wang Xiong's corpse.

His knuckles were thick and large, a full size bigger than an ordinary person's.

But the skin on the backs of his hands was flawless and smooth, so delicate that the blue veins beneath were visible—enough to make countless women envious.

He was the Second Gang Leader of the Three Harmonies Gang, Gao Kaiyuan, known as the Shattered Jade Hand.

"Wang Xiong was killed by a single punch that shattered his skull.

The fist technique was heavy and broad, smashing his head as if crushed by a Vajra Pestle. It had to be the Vajra Fist."

Gao Kaiyuan was seasoned in the ways of the jianghu. A single look at Wang Xiong's body was enough for him to deduce the circumstances and the martial art used to kill him.

A subordinate walked over and reported, "Gang Leader, the other guy was nothing special. His leg was broken, and he was finally strangled to death."

"What was his background?"

"That guy was called Ma Gui, just a lowlife thug. He'd done a few jobs for Wang Xiong but hadn't officially joined our Three Harmonies Gang yet.

Could it be the Black Tiger Gang or the Sky Eagle Gang? They can't beat us in turf wars, so they killed Brother Xiong in secret."

Gao Kaiyuan narrowed his eyes. "No. If it were them, they'd be bragging about it by now.

Whoever did this broke Ma Gui's leg first, then killed Wang Xiong, and finally strangled Ma Gui. It's clear they were after Ma Gui.

Focus your investigation on Ma Gui. See if he had any enemies."

The subordinate nodded.

"So we let this go for now?"

"Let it go? How could I possibly let it go!"

Gao Kaiyuan snorted coldly. "Wang Xiong was a headman of my Three Harmonies Gang. Now he's dead without explanation. If I let this slide, where do I, Gao Kaiyuan, and the Three Harmonies Gang put our faces?

Plenty of people practice the Vajra Fist, but in all of Black Stone County, there's only one place where someone could train it to this level—the Zhenwei Martial Arts School!

Let's go. Take the men and pay Li Jingzhong a visit!"

Inside the Zhenwei Martial Arts School, Han Zheng acted as if nothing had happened, showing up for class early in the morning.

During a break, Li Sancheng came over to Han Zheng.

He glanced around and lowered his voice. "Did you hear? Ma Gui was killed last night, and even Wang Xiong of the Three Harmonies Gang died! The whole south side of town is in an uproar!"

Han Zheng's expression didn't change. "You don't think this has anything to do with me, do you?"

"Of course not. Wang Xiong was a headman of the Three Harmonies Gang, with several lives on his hands.

But you should be careful these days. Don't get tangled up with Ma Gui. I heard the Three Harmonies Gang is investigating everyone connected to him."

Li Sancheng had never once considered that Han Zheng might be involved in Ma Gui and Wang Xiong's deaths.

They were just apprentices at the martial arts school—rookies. How could they kill a gang headman like Wang Xiong, who had blood on his hands?

Still, it was too much of a coincidence that Han Zheng had asked about Ma Gui just yesterday, and today Ma Gui was dead.

Han Zheng patted Li Sancheng on the shoulder. "Thanks."

"We're brothers. No need to say that."

Even if Han Zheng had killed Ma Gui, Li Sancheng would have cheered. Ma Gui and his father were both jailers, but Ma Gui's father was greedier and crueler, often bullying Li Sancheng's father at the County Yamen.

Ma Gui was older too. When they were kids, he'd always bully Li Sancheng and steal his pocket money.

That's why Li Sancheng had called Ma Gui a bastard before—he hated him to the bone.

Just then, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the martial arts school.

Gao Kaiyuan strode into the Zhenwei Martial Arts School with over a dozen burly, fierce-looking members of the Three Harmonies Gang.

Li Jingzhong parted the gathered disciples expressionlessly and stepped forward to face Gao Kaiyuan. In a deep voice, he said, "Gang Leader Gao, what business do you have at my school?"

"Just asking for an explanation, Schoolmaster Li."

Gao Kaiyuan's smile didn't reach his eyes. "My subordinate Wang Xiong was killed last night, done in by the Vajra Fist.

You were once a lay disciple of the Vajra Prajna Temple, Schoolmaster Li, and your school's most famous technique is the Vajra Fist. Don't you owe me an explanation?"

"That's absurd!"

Li Jingzhong laughed in anger. "The Vajra Prajna Temple once allowed all lay disciples to teach the Vajra Fist to outsiders to spread its influence.

There are tens of thousands of people in this world who practice the Vajra Fist! Besides, I have no grudge against your Three Harmonies Gang. Why would I go out of my way to kill one of your headmen?"

Gao Kaiyuan said slowly, "Don't get worked up, Schoolmaster Li. I'm not saying you killed my man.

But you have plenty of disciples here who practice the Vajra Fist. What about them?"

"Let me check them one by one. If none of them are the culprit, I'll leave. How about that?"

Li Jingzhong said coldly, "These disciples of mine have only been at the martial arts school for half a year. How could they have gone out to kill someone?"

"You want to investigate whoever you please, Gao Kaiyuan? Don't you think you're being a bit too overbearing?"

"If you want to investigate the school, you'll have to get through me first!"

"Fine then. Let me sample your White Ape Through-Arm Fist, School Master Li!"

As his words fell, Gao Kaiyuan struck without warning. His form flickered, and in an instant, he was before Li Jingzhong.

His hands, pale as jade and enough to make any woman envious, suddenly swelled with surging blood and bulging veins.

In the blink of an eye, they turned a livid black, fingers thickening like carrots, resembling demonic claws.

Shattered Jade Hand!

Li Jingzhong twisted his waist and hips, and his arms abruptly lengthened by a span, like a white ape in the mountain forests.

His arms lashed out like two iron whips, and a sharp explosion tore through the air.

"Boom!"

White Ape Through-Arm Fist and Shattered Jade Hand collided with a thunderous roar that left everyone present's eardrums aching.

The floor tiles beneath their feet shattered into fragments, and both men retreated a single step.

Gao Kaiyuan dispersed his Shattered Jade Hand and laughed heartily. "School Master Li's White Ape Through-Arm Fist truly lives up to its reputation. I won't investigate the Zhenwei Martial Arts School today."

"But if I find out that the one who killed my man really came from this school, the next time I come, it won't be just me alone."

With that, Gao Kaiyuan turned and left.

He only had some suspicions about the Zhenwei Martial Arts School, with no evidence at all.

So his visit today had only two purposes.

One was to beat the grass and startle the snake—the real killer might slip up upon hearing the news.

The other was to flaunt his might. If his own subordinate was killed and he didn't even make a peep, they'd think he was easy to bully.

Whether Wang Xiong's death had anything to do with Li Jingzhong or not, he had to make this trip.

In terms of strength, the two were evenly matched.

Without enough evidence, he exchanged one move to save face and then left.

If he had had solid proof, Li Jingzhong would have faced all three leaders of the Three Harmonies Gang today.

"Close the gates! Continue training!"

Li Jingzhong returned to the school with a dark face.

He felt he had run into rotten luck.

Why did that damned killer have to use the Vajra Fist of all martial skills?

And the Three Harmonies Gang was far too overbearing—daring to barge in without any evidence.

In the training ground, Li Sancheng stared at the footprints left by the two after their single exchange. They had sunk half a foot deep into the bluestone tiles. He couldn't help but click his tongue in awe.

"Damn! So this is the might of a Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm martial artist? If they went all out, wouldn't they tear the whole building down?"

"Don't forget, the school master said that the Houtian and Xiantian realms are just the start of the martial path. There are plenty more realms waiting for us ahead."

Li Sancheng shook his head. "Forget it. If we can reach the Innate Realm in this lifetime, that's already good enough."

"Once you achieve Innate, you're a top figure in all of Black Stone County. Even the County Magistrate would treat you with respect."

Han Zheng said nothing, but his eyes burned with a thirst for power.

Li Sancheng thought the Innate Realm was the limit, but after witnessing the might of the Xiantian Mortal Transformation Realm today, Han Zheng only grew more eager to see what the martial path beyond Innate truly looked like.

But now was not the time to aim too high.

He hadn't expected Gao Kaiyuan to track him down through Wang Xiong's corpse.

These martial artists who had roamed the jianghu for decades were no simpletons.

From now on, he had to be extremely careful in everything he did.

For the next half month, perhaps angered by Gao Kaiyuan's domineering behavior, Li Jingzhong remained in a foul mood. Even his reprimands were harsher than usual.

The school's disciples all walked on eggshells, terrified that one mistake would earn them a scolding from Li Jingzhong.

Han Zheng, however, was unfazed. He had never made a single error.

During these fifteen days, Han Zheng opened another ten acupoints, bringing his total to eighty.

As his proficiency with the Iron Elephant Skill grew higher and higher, his cultivation speed also increased rapidly, even in the outside world.

The greatest benefit of cultivating within the Gluttonous Crucible wasn't actually saving time—it was being able to observe true Martial Intent.

Mastering the Martial Intent of a cultivation method allowed for faster accumulation of proficiency.

For martial skills, higher proficiency meant greater power in combat.

For internal cultivation techniques, higher proficiency meant faster cultivation speed.

In the morning class, Li Jingzhong didn't have everyone continue practicing their fist techniques. Instead, he led them to the weapon rack.

"Today, I'm going to teach you about weapons!"

Li Jingzhong held a heavy iron whip in his hand and suddenly swung it down through the air, producing a piercing shriek.

"For a martial artist, weapons are an extension of fist and foot.

Learning martial arts and practicing boxing is the foundation; weapons allow you to unleash far more terrifying killing power in combat.

That said, I don't know any sword techniques or blade arts. I'll only teach you the basic usage of weapons.

The heirloom martial art of my Li family, the 'White Ape Through-Arm Fist,' pairs with the iron whip. This weapon is relatively niche, and I don't recommend you choose it.

The sword is the gentleman of a hundred weapons—flexible and versatile, with countless sword techniques. If you plan to walk the jianghu in the future, you can choose the sword.

The blade walks with weight and substance, dominating through ruthless slaughter. If you pursue extreme killing power, choose the blade.

The spear is a weapon of the battlefield—piercing formations, unstoppable and sharp. If any of you aspire to join the military, you can choose the spear.

Now, you may go to the weapon rack and select your own weapon."

Although the tuition at Zhenwei Martial Arts School was expensive, the treatment was genuinely good.

The world was chaotic now, and weapons had gone up in price. A fine steel longsword cost over ten taels of silver.

"Han Zheng, what are you picking?" Li Sancheng asked.

"I'll take a blade."

Han Zheng didn't hesitate much.

In chaotic times, self-preservation demanded the pursuit of extreme killing power.

With that, Han Zheng directly picked a saber with a long, straight blade shaped like a wild goose feather—a Wild Goose Feather Saber.

Li Sancheng scratched his head and followed suit by picking a blade, though his was a heavier Golden Ring Cleaver.

With his build, a sword definitely wouldn't suit him.

A spear wasn't a good fit either—he had no plans to join the military.

With the world so chaotic now, if he got sent to fight rebels after enlisting, that would be disastrous.

So the blade was the most suitable choice.

Thanks to fellow reader Jiangbei Little Red Star for the 10,000 Qidian coins tip (^ω^)