As autumn deepened, a green train slowly pulled into Tianjin Station.
Amid the long blast of the whistle and the screech of wheels against the rails, Li Qingshan stepped off the train with his modest luggage.
The ordinary gray tracksuit he wore looked unusually neat and well fitted on him,
as though every cut followed the contours of his body, which held terrifying explosive power.
On the busy platform, travelers streaming past all took it upon themselves to walk around him,
as though his own radiance had woven a barrier around him, obeying a paradoxical law:
the more brilliant it shone, the more completely it was erased from everyone's sight.
The sky over Jinmen seemed higher and more expansive than the one over City C.
The air carried the dampness of the Hai River and the smoky dust of an industrial city,
along with a faint, elusive air of martial arts that lifted Li Qingshan's spirits.
People came and went on the platform.
The cries of vendors selling jianbing guozi,
the calls of taxi drivers soliciting passengers,
and the clamor of travelers intertwined,
forming a unique symphony for this northern city famed for its martial arts.
Li Qingshan noticed that practitioners with steady steps and slightly bulging temples passed through the crowd from time to time.
They were clearly martial artists with a certain level of cultivation.
This city, with more than six hundred years of history, had once been a major grain-shipping hub at the lower reaches of the nine rivers.
Now, it was also an important gathering place for northern martial arts, concealing countless experts and mysteries.
Li Qingshan took a deep breath, sensing the martial arts heritage that had accumulated in the city.
He strolled out of the station and walked along the Hai River, observing the city's martial arts scene.
Martial arts school signs lined both sides of the streets.
"Xingyi Fist,"
"Bajiquan,"
"Baguazhang"-
such names could be seen everywhere. More striking still, disciples were practicing outside many of the schools, their shouts rising and falling.
But a closer look also revealed flashy recruitment advertisements posted outside some schools, which looked a little comical.
After several days of observation, he took notice of a place called the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School.
The school was quite large, with heavy traffic at its gates and many disciples.
He had also heard that its master, Zhao Tianxiong, was quite formidable and had extensive connections in both the legitimate world and the underworld.
He was something of a local tyrant in the area, a good opponent.
I'll start here.
Li Qingshan made up his mind.
Early the next morning, as the sun rose, Li Qingshan arrived at the gates of the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School.
The school occupied a large area, its buildings of blue brick and gray tile looking quite imposing.
Two enormous stone lions stood majestically before the gates, and the four gilded characters for "Might-Shaking Martial Arts School" gleamed on the plaque in the morning light.
"Stop! What do you want?"
Seeing Li Qingshan walking straight toward the gates, a burly man stepped forward to block him and shouted.
Li Qingshan did not break stride. He said calmly,
"Li Qingshan. I've come to seek instruction in the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School's superior techniques."
Four burly men exchanged glances and burst out laughing. One of them sneered,
"You? You haven't even grown all your hair yet, and you think you're worthy of seeking instruction from our Might-Shaking Martial Arts School? Get lost, get lost!"
Unmoved, Li Qingshan continued forward, his voice still calm.
"Age makes no difference in a martial arts exchange.
If your school doesn't dare accept the challenge, just say so."
At those words, the expressions of the four men changed.
One of them said sharply,
"What a brat who doesn't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is! Since you're courting death, come on in!"
With that, he shoved open the heavy redwood gates, revealing the interior of the school.
The inside was extraordinarily luxurious, in stark contrast to its traditional exterior.
The flagstone floor had an antique simplicity, but paintings and calligraphy by famous masters and all manner of martial arts weapons hung on the walls.
The training ground was as large as a standard basketball court, fully equipped with every kind of training apparatus.
Nearly a hundred disciples were practicing, their shouts deafening and full of force.
When they saw a stranger enter, the disciples all stopped and turned their gazes toward him in unison, curious and appraising.
The burly man leading the way hurried over to a middle-aged man and reported a few words in a low voice.
The man was powerfully built and stood a full 1.85 meters tall. His temples bulged prominently, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. His kung fu was clearly no small thing.
He sized Li Qingshan up and down and sneered.
"Brat, who sent you here to die? State your name!"
"Li Qingshan. I've come to seek instruction."
Li Qingshan answered indifferently. His voice was quiet, yet it carried clearly across the entire training ground, demonstrating his exquisite control over his breath.
"Good! Good! Good!"
The middle-aged man said the word three times in succession, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
"Since you're courting death, don't blame the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School for disregarding martial virtue! A Qiang, go and test this 'expert'!"
A young man in his early twenties stepped out in response. His muscles were knotted, his steps steady, and he assumed the Mountain-Shaking Stance, an opening posture unique to the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School.
The stance was as solid as a mountain, clearly suited to defensive counterattacks and showing a good foundation in external martial arts.
Li Qingshan stood quietly, without even assuming a stance.
Yet every practitioner present could feel an invisible pressure radiating from the young man,
as if he were a crouching tiger, ready to spring up and strike at any moment.
His eyes were as calm as water, yet held a depth that seemed to see through everything.
Intimidated by his bearing, A Qiang actually did not dare strike first.
The two faced each other for a moment. Then Li Qingshan suddenly took a step forward.
With that single step, the atmosphere in the training ground abruptly tightened, like a pebble cast into a still lake, stirring ripple after ripple.
"Playing tricks!"
A Qiang finally lost his patience and drove a straight punch at Li Qingshan's face.
It was powerful and heavy, whistling through the air and displaying solid fundamentals.
Li Qingshan neither dodged nor retreated. Only when the fist was about to hit him did he gently raise his right hand.
No one saw how he moved. All they heard was a crisp smack.
A Qiang's entire body flew backward and slammed hard against the wall. He slid limply to the floor, already unconscious.
The Xingyi Crushing Fist looked simple, but it contained astonishing penetrating force that directly shook A Qiang's Qi and blood apart.
The entire room fell silent; a pin could have been heard dropping.
No one had expected the fight to end so quickly.
More terrifying still, no one had seen how Li Qingshan struck.
A few sharp-eyed disciples vaguely recognized the method of exerting force as Xingyi Crushing Fist,
but its power and speed were far beyond their understanding.
"Xingyi Crushing Fist? No, that force..."
A knowledgeable instructor muttered to himself, disbelief written across his face.
Li Qingshan remained standing quietly, as though nothing had happened.
But his gaze swept across the room as though it had substance.
Everyone it passed over involuntarily lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
It was a mental pressure born of the absolute gap between their cultivation realms.
"I didn't expect you to conceal your abilities so well!"
The middle-aged man's face turned livid as he stepped forward.
"I am Liu Gang, head instructor of the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School. I would like to test your skills!"
Liu Gang assumed the opening stance of Might-Shaking Fist, and his bearing abruptly intensified.
Li Qingshan could sense that Liu Gang's cultivation was far above A Qiang's.
He had already touched the threshold of Hidden Jin, making him a rare expert in an ordinary martial arts school.
The two faced off. Liu Gang's entire body was tense, as though facing a formidable enemy, his Qi and blood circulating at their utmost.
Li Qingshan, meanwhile, remained relaxed and natural, as though he were taking a stroll rather than fighting. His manner of making something difficult look effortless was even more alarming.
Suddenly, Liu Gang moved!
His feet traced an unusual pattern, his body flashed like lightning, and a Mountain-Shaking Palm shot straight toward Li Qingshan's face.
The palm strike was powerful and heavy, carrying a vibrating force. He clearly intended to defeat skill with strength and suppress his opponent with absolute power.
Li Qingshan remained unhurried. Using Bagua Step, he slipped aside like a swimming fish,
while using Taijiquan's Apparent Close-Up to neutralize the palm's force.
Seeing his strike miss, Liu Gang immediately changed moves. His palms struck out in succession, the wind from them howling,
enveloping the vital points all over Li Qingshan's body and displaying his rich combat experience.
Li Qingshan still did not meet him head-on. He used Baguazhang's circling steps to evade the attack's edge, while seeking an opening with Xingyi Fist's Drilling Fist.
The two moved around the training ground, the sound of fists and palms meeting ringing out incessantly. Gusts of force swept in every direction, making the spectators' clothes flap.
Liu Gang's Might-Shaking Fist was fierce and explosive, every move powerful and heavy.
Li Qingshan, on the other hand, combined hardness and softness. At times, he met force with force using Xingyi Fist's penetrating power.
At times, he used Taijiquan's neutralizing force to dissolve the power.
At other times, he used Baguazhang's rotational force to change the direction of an attack,
displaying a profound understanding of multiple styles.
After twenty exchanges, Liu Gang gradually began to tire. Sweat appeared on his forehead, and his breathing grew heavy.
Although his Might-Shaking Fist was fierce, it consumed a great deal of strength. If he kept attacking without success, he was bound to run out of steam.
Li Qingshan seized the opportunity and suddenly switched to Bajiquan's Leaning Against the Mountain, crashing toward Liu Gang like a charging bull.
Liu Gang hurriedly defended with Mountain-Shaking Stance,
only to feel an irresistible force strike him. With a crack, his defensive stance was forcibly smashed apart.
His whole body flew backward and hit the ground hard. He struggled several times but could not get up.
Silence fell over the room again, this time tinged with fear.
No one had expected even head instructor Liu Gang to lose, much less in the head-on clash at which he was most skilled.
Just who was this young man?
"Good! Good! Good!"
Suddenly, applause came from the second floor.
A middle-aged man in a brocade robe slowly descended the stairs. His face was pale and clean-shaven, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, and his steps as steady as a mountain.
"I didn't expect such a young hero to come to Jinmen and defeat two of my Might-Shaking Martial Arts School's top experts in succession."
The school master, Zhao Tianxiong, had finally appeared.
Li Qingshan could sense that Zhao Tianxiong's cultivation was far above Liu Gang's.
He had reached the peak of Hidden Jin and was only one step away from Transformation Jin, making him a top expert among ordinary martial arts schools.
"I am Zhao Tianxiong, master of the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School,"
the man in brocade said with a faint smile, though there was a chill in it.
"I would like to experience Master Li's superior techniques!"
Zhao Tianxiong assumed a peculiar opening stance, and the presence around him abruptly became strange and inscrutable.
Li Qingshan immediately grew wary. He could sense that Zhao Tianxiong's martial arts were exceedingly strange.
They seemed to combine the characteristics of several schools and carried a sinister, vicious air. He was clearly experienced in actual combat and no easy opponent.
The two faced each other.
Zhao Tianxiong's bearing continued to rise until he seemed to have become a ferocious beast choosing someone to devour, exuding a bloody killing aura.
Li Qingshan remained as calm as water, but the pressure radiating from him made everyone present feel as though they were suffocating.
This was a contest on a mental level.
"Please!"
Zhao Tianxiong attacked first.
His movements were strange and unpredictable,
now as slippery as a swimming snake,
now as fierce as a tiger.
His fist techniques were even more varied,
one moment advancing and retreating in straight lines like Xingyi Fist,
the next turning fluidly in circles like Baguazhang.
He even mixed in a few fierce external fist techniques from time to time, making his attacks impossible to guard against.
Li Qingshan moved.
Using Bagua Step, he darted around the training ground like a swimming dragon, each movement perfectly evading Zhao Tianxiong's attacks.
The two exchanged blows as fast as lightning, the sound of fists and palms meeting ringing out incessantly.
Fierce gusts swept out in all directions, setting the spectators' robes flapping. Some disciples with weaker cultivation were even forced to retreat step after step.
After ten exchanges, Li Qingshan suddenly changed his approach.
He first used the yielding force of Taijiquan to neutralize Zhao Tianxiong's attack, then switched to the Crushing Fist of Xingyi Fist, striking straight for his center,
and when Zhao Tianxiong moved to defend, he changed again to Baguazhang's Turning Palm, striking at the center of his back.
The chain of changes flowed like clouds and water. The essence of all three martial arts had been perfectly fused, displaying astonishing martial skill.
Unable to neutralize the attack in time, Zhao Tianxiong took the palm strike to the center of his back and staggered forward several steps,
a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as his face turned pale in an instant.
"You let me win."
Li Qingshan lowered his hands and stood at rest, his breathing as steady as ever, as though the fierce battle had been nothing more than a warm-up.
Zhao Tianxiong's expression shifted, his face turning first ashen, then pale. At last, he let out a long sigh:
"Heroes truly do emerge young! I, Zhao, admit defeat wholeheartedly." He paused, then added in a complicated tone:
"But Master Li, be careful. The waters of Jinmen run deep, and some people cannot afford to lose."
Li Qingshan heard the warning in his words and cupped his fists.
"Thank you for the warning, School Master Zhao."
With that, he turned and left, his steps unhurried and composed. The people of the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School were left staring at one another, none daring to stop him.
Sunlight fell on his retreating figure, casting a long shadow as though heralding the arrival of a new era.
News of Li Qingshan's single-handed defeat of the Might-Shaking Martial Arts School in this battle soon spread throughout Jinmen's martial arts world.
The fame of the "young grandmaster" traveled without legs. Some admired his martial skills and courage, while others secretly refused to accept him and wanted to challenge him.
But whatever the case, Li Qingshan had already planted his first step in Jinmen on firm ground.