"...The world of Jianghu has a long history. Speaking of my Li family's Monkey Fist, its earliest form can be traced back to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. But the most important figure in integrating the strengths of various schools and mastering them was General Yuan Dingtian, the founding general of our Wu Dynasty. Two hundred years ago, it was this General Pingdong who, combining the methods of warfare, clarified the essence of Monkey Fist's leaping, dodging, flashing, and turning, and defined the distinction between the Greater and Lesser Monkey Fists. The Greater Monkey Fist's stance is fierce, its steps are rapid, its advance is like a mad demon, and its retreat contains murderous intent. In between, it combines staff and stick techniques, reflecting the iron tail and steel whip of the Monkey King..."

The afternoon sun of autumn was warm and comfortable. Under the eaves of the auditorium in front of the Li family's Wubao training ground, the old man Li Ruoyao spoke about the Monkey Fist, occasionally waving his arms and raising a wooden staff. Although the movements were not large, those who knew the art could see the hidden power of his years of practice, like restrained wind and thunder, not to be taken lightly. Yan Tiehe, Yan Yunzhi, and others around him were solemn and respectful, their expressions becoming serious.

"I didn't expect it to be the legacy of Yuan Pingdong. Respect, respect," Yan Tiehe praised with cupped hands.

"...As for the Lesser Monkey Fist," the old man smiled, pleased by the respect. "The Lesser Monkey Fist is nimble and insidious. The key to the skill lies mainly in the lower body and eyesight. The feet may seem to run like the wind, but the center of gravity is rooted. Leaping, dodging, and flashing may seem fancy to outsiders, but it tests true skill. Think about it, if you were jumping around on a steep mountain and your footwork was poor, you'd injure yourself before the enemy could hit you. Wouldn't that be embarrassing? So, the more nimble it seems, the more stable the lower body must be. With a stable lower body, the body shape becomes difficult to capture, and then comes the hand skill..."

"...When I say the Lesser Monkey Fist is insidious, I don't mean it in a bad way. Our Li family's Lesser Monkey Fist aims at the vital points everywhere." The old man put his fingers together and struck out like lightning, pointing a few times in the air. The wind from his fingertips whistled. "Eyeballs! Throat! Kidneys! Groin! These are the essentials of the Lesser Monkey Fist. You must know that General Pingdong came from the battlefield. Battlefield killing is originally unscrupulous. Therefore, these skills are killing moves for war and defense, and they are the single combat methods of battlefield scouts. This is the origin of the Lesser Monkey Fist."

Rows of chairs had already been placed under the eaves above the training ground. Everyone spoke while sitting down. Yan Yunzhi, having already put away her frivolous thoughts after seeing the old man's moves, was even more secretly startled when she saw him waving and pointing in the air. This was where the layman saw the excitement, and the expert saw the key.

To those who did not understand martial arts, the old man's wave was just an old man waving his arms a few times. However, in Yan Yunzhi's eyes, who had practiced swordsmanship for many years, the old man's fingers were like iron hooks. There was no sign of his attack. His upper body did not move, but his arm had already reached out. If she were standing in front, her eyeball might have been gouged out by that move.

"The study of warfare is originally the most ferocious path in martial arts," Yan Tiehe said with a smile. "Many of the practice methods of martial arts that have been passed down in our martial arts world for so many years are upright and proper. It doesn't matter even if thousands of people practice them, but the reason why the fighting methods are often only passed down to three or five people is because of this. After all, we martial artists are brave and aggressive. If this kind of fighting method is passed on to people with evil intentions, I am afraid that the harm will be endless. This is the reason for the past two hundred years. However, that is not so applicable now."

Hearing him say this, the people around him also echoed. Shi Shuifang of the "Miao Sword" said, "The world is in chaos. The Jurchens are ferocious. Now is not the time for any family to practice martial arts behind closed doors. Therefore, the Li family has opened its doors wide, allowing the surrounding villagers and young people who have a bit of strength to come here to practice martial arts. The Li family is teaching the Greater and Lesser Monkey Fists without any selfish motives. This is what I, Shi Shuifang, admire most about the Li family's boss!"

"The Li family's righteousness is admirable, admirable."

"The Yan family is doing the same thing. Duke Taiwei's assassination of the enemy chieftain has been successful several times, which is truly admirable."

Since the Jingping era, the Wu Dynasty's world has been in chaos for more than ten years. Martial artists have migrated and passed on their skills from the north to the south. The slogans and actions of large clans like the Yan family and the Li family that have risen with the trend are actually very similar. At this time, they admired each other and complimented each other, and both the host and guests were happy.

On the square below, Yan Yunzhi could see Monkey Fist practice facilities everywhere, such as sheds with pottery pots hanging like gourd racks, wooden stakes of various sizes for practicing leaping, and so on, all showing the characteristics of Monkey Fist. At this time, several disciples who practiced the Li family's Monkey Fist had gathered and prepared to perform martial arts. After exchanging a few words, they began to demonstrate the Greater Monkey Fist routine to the Yan family under Li Ruoyao's signal.

After the Jurchens occupied the Central Plains, various green forest heroes were driven to the south, bringing about a wave of mutual exchange and integration. After forces like the Li family and the Yan family met, mutual demonstrations and sparring were extremely normal. If the relationship was not close, they might just demonstrate the practice routines. If the relationship was good, they would show off a few "unique skills" or even pass on skills to each other and grow together. The routine demonstration was just a warm-up. Yan Yunzhi watched and listened to Li Ruoyao and her second uncle talk about Jianghu anecdotes.

"...After the Greater and Lesser Monkey Fists were sorted out and passed down by Yuan Pingdong, another hundred years passed before they were passed on to Wang Hao, a legendary figure in the Jianghu. Many juniors may not have heard of this predecessor's name, but he was very famous back then..."

Li Ruoyao said here, Yan Tiehe, who had read many storybooks and had extensive knowledge, said, "Could it be that he was one of the 'Three Wonders of Jianghu'? I accidentally saw this statement in a record."

Yan Yunzhi looked over and listened carefully. Li Ruoyao stroked his beard and smiled.

"That's right, Second Master is indeed knowledgeable. As for what kind of people these Three Wonders of Jianghu are, you may know if I tell you about the other two. A hundred years ago, there was a master in the Green Forest who was a master of swordsmanship and wrote the *Dao Jing* (Sword Manual), which has been passed down to later generations. His surname was Zuo, and his name was Chuanshu. The lineage of his swordsmanship that has flowed out today is in the southwest, in Miaojiang. It is the Tyrant Blade (Ba Dao) that everyone is familiar with. Liu Dabiao back then was said to be the direct descendant of Zuo's *Dao Jing*."

Yan Yunzhi widened her eyes, only to realize that these Three Wonders of Jianghu were such powerful figures. Shi Shuifang of the "Miao Sword" snorted, "This is true. Although I have had a feud with the Tyrant Blade before, I am very impressed by the Zuo family's sword."

Li Ruoyao smiled: "As for the other one of the Three Wonders of Jianghu, he is even more famous than Zuo Chuanshu. His surname is Tan, and his name is Zhengfang. The lineage he has passed down today is known to everyone in the world. I believe Cloud Water Heroine has heard of him too."

He smiled and looked at Yan Yunzhi, and Yan Yunzhi nodded and said solemnly: "'Iron Arm' Zhou Tong, the great hero, is his closed-door disciple."

"That's right," Li Ruoyao said, "Among the Three Wonders of Jianghu, Zuo Chuanshu passed on the sword, Tan Zhengfang was skilled in spears and sticks, and Zhou Tong's side added Fanzi Boxing, Chuojiao and other routines, branching out. And on Wang Hao's side, he integrated the Greater and Lesser Monkey Fists and the White Ape Tongbi, truly making Monkey Fist a great fist style of a generation. Senior Wang Hao passed on a total of thirteen disciples. He was the first generation 'Monkey King'. As for Ruoque here, he is the third generation 'Monkey King', and Yanfeng will be the fourth generation... In fact, the name of this Monkey King is contested in every generation, but others in the Jianghu don't know it. Qiu Tianhai, a fierce man of the time, has always coveted this title..."

The martial arts performance continued below. Yan Yunzhi listened to Li Ruoyao's侃侃而谈 (kankan er tan, eloquent talk). At first, she felt a little bored by the part where he praised his own family, but now she found it very interesting.

In fact, although there have been many Wuxia novels, there are not many elders who are so knowledgeable about various anecdotes in the Green Forest and can侃侃而谈 (kankan er tan, eloquently talk) about them. In the past, she had visited the martial arts master Liu Tong in JiaYu with her father. She was impressed by his vast knowledge and graceful demeanor. She was somewhat dismissive of the seemingly comical Monkey Fist, but she did not expect that this old man, whose fame had always been overshadowed by his elder brother Li Ruoque, would also have such a demeanor.

When she looked at the martial arts performance below again, she saw many wonderful things.

After the Monkey Fist routine demonstration, the Yan family also sent someone to demonstrate the essence of their Tan Gong Sword, followed by a sparring session between the Monkey Fist disciples and the Yan family disciples. In fact, by this time, both sides had given each other a lot of face, and they had already exchanged real moves in private.

The Yan family's trip to Jiangning to visit Tongshan County originally had several meanings. The most important intention was to open up a road running east-west—after all, once the marriage between Yan Yunzhi of the Yan family and Shi Baofeng was established, the two sides could have close economic ties. With such a road, it would be possible to get rich in the future, and the Li family could also benefit as a key link.

Of course, such complex intentions could not be finalized at this point. It was likely that Li Yanfeng himself would have to make the decision in Jiangning.

Under this highest intention, it was natural to establish goodwill first through mutual exchanges and martial arts exchanges as martial arts families. If the major matter of opening the road could not be negotiated, the Li family would obviously not be stingy in other minor aspects, such as exchanging a few Monkey Fist stunts. After all, even if the matter of buying the road was complicated, how could the Li family not give some face to Yan Yunzhi as Shi Baofeng's future daughter-in-law in other areas?

The disciples' exchanges on the training ground were only to the point, and it was somewhat boring. At the end of the martial arts performance, the Cixin monk came down and performed a few stunts of internal palm power. He cracked wood and shattered rocks on the training ground, which was truly terrifying. Everyone watched in secret awe, feeling that if the monk's palm power were imprinted on their bodies, how could they survive?

After the Cixin monk's performance, the Yan family also sent a retainer to demonstrate the stunts of the Mandarin Duck Continuous Legs. At this time, everyone was in a good mood, and there was no fire to fight out. Wu Cheng, the steward of the Li family "Lightning Whip", smiled and came down. The two fought leg against leg, inextricably, and after a while, it ended in a draw.

Yan Yunzhi had always known the martial arts of this retainer on her side. In the current competition, although both sides had held back, it was enough to prove the opponent's leg skills were powerful. She watched with a restless and eager heart. After a while, Shi Shuifang of the "Miao Sword" also smiled and got up: "Several brothers have all performed, it seems that it is Shi's turn to show off? I wonder if any brother is itchy and willing to exchange blows with Shi?"

Yan Yunzhi glanced at her second uncle, then pursed her lips and stood up: "I have long admired the name of Miao Sword. I wonder if Great Hero Shi can condescend to give this little girl a few pointers."

Everyone was immediately a little surprised by her words, and Shi Shuifang frowned slightly, even more puzzled. If it was a performance, that was all well and good. But in a sparring session between peers, Shi Shuifang was also a great hero. What did it mean to send out a junior, and a woman at that? If it were any other occasion, they might have started fighting immediately.

After a while, Yan Tiehe smiled and got up: "Great Hero Shi, don't be offended. Yan apologizes to everyone first. Everyone, don't look at my niece Yunzhi as gentle and quiet, but she has actually loved martial arts since she was a child. She is a martial arts fanatic. In the past, everyone fought together, and she was never willing if we didn't include her. It's also Yan's fault. I told her about the magic of the Yuan Sword Art on the way here, and she said that after going up the mountain, she would definitely ask Great Hero Shi for advice sincerely. Great Hero Shi, what do you think..."

He said here, Yan Yunzhi also said: "Great Hero Shi, Yunzhi is a junior, and I dare not mention sparring. I only hope that Great Hero Shi can give me a few pointers."

With these words said to this extent, Shi Shuifang laughed, and everyone laughed, and nodded in agreement. Wu Cheng said with a smile: "Great Hero Shi, don't lose."

The old man Li Ruoyao at the top also smiled: "If you hurt Cloud Water Heroine, none of us present will agree."

Shi Shuifang smiled wryly and frowned: "This is difficult."

After saying this, Yan Yunzhi twisted her body and stepped down the steps. Her steps were light, and she brushed up the staggered and uneven Monkey Fist wooden stakes on the side of the training ground like a swallow. She stretched out her hands, and a short sword suddenly appeared in her hand, and then disappeared behind her. In the afternoon sun, she stood steadily on the highest wooden stake, like a fairy Ling Bo, showing a awe-inspiring aura.

Everyone was stunned. Shi Shuifang shook his head and said again: "This is difficult." He picked up the Miao Sword beside him and walked towards the wooden stake.

******************

This was July 20th of this year, and the setting sun began to descend on the horizon.

Yan Yunzhi and the others walked out of the Li family's Wubao and watched the surrounding scenery on a mountainside nearby. The old man Li Ruoyao was pointing out to everyone where the Jin soldiers had attacked and where Li Yanfeng had led everyone to hide in the mountains. In Yan Yunzhi's heart, she was chewing and reviewing the battle just now.

Earlier, in the Li family's training ground, Yan Yunzhi and Shi Shuifang's competition stopped at the eleventh move. There was not much suspense about the outcome, but everyone watched with fear.

The Yan family's Tan Gong swordsmanship was proficient in assassination, the swordsmanship was sharp, and there were many dangerous places; and the Yuan Sword Art in Shi Shuifang's hand was even more ferocious and treacherous, and each knife was like a group of snakes scattered in all directions. Yan Yunzhi could see that each knife was aimed at the vital points of the person, and as long as any one of these snakes bit, it could be fatal. And the fact that Shi Shuifang was able to defeat her on the eleventh move, and even stop at the point, was enough to prove that his cultivation was indeed far above her own.

On the other hand, after this exchange, when others talked about her "Cloud Water Heroine", there was no longer any hint of contempt. Li Ruoyao, Wu Cheng, the Cixin monk, and others all nodded solemnly, saying that it was really not easy to practice swordsmanship to this level at the age of seventeen, and there was probably no doubt about her saying that she had killed Jurchens. On Yan Yunzhi's side, she knew that one day in the near future, she would indeed surpass this "Miao Sword" Shi Shuifang in martial arts.

Everyone was on the mountainside, watching the setting sun. Yan Yunzhi was thinking about martial arts in her heart—apart from martial arts, she didn't really have much to think about. The upcoming marriage was not something she could decide. She did not know what kind of person Shi Baofeng's son was, what kind of person he was, and most of her future life was not something she could control. But only this martial art in her hand, she could truly grasp clearly.

A group of Jianghu heroes were talking and laughing, but she did not participate. She knew in her heart that such a Jianghu life was very far away from her.

This was not her future.

But even if she got married and had children, she could still practice martial arts, and one day in the future, she would become very, very powerful. Maybe Shi Baofeng's son, her future husband, was a person who cared about the world. Her future might also become like the great hero and general Tyrant Blade Liu Xigua, traversing the world and being invincible.

This was a place outside the Li family's Wubao. There were also Li family's peasants walking around in the distance. She did not pay attention to these ordinary people, but was thinking about martial arts in her heart, paying attention to the heroes with high martial arts around her. It was also at this time that there was a sudden movement in the distance.

"Hey, Steward Wu."

Someone shouted like this.

The voice was childish, with the adolescent voice of a young man, and the tone was not good, which was very unpleasant. The people who were watching the scenery here did not react, and Yan Yunzhi did not react for a while as to who "Steward Wu" was. But the long-robed man standing near the Li family's village had heard it, and he replied, "Who is it?"

It was Wu Cheng of the "Lightning Whip".

Someone dared to talk to him like this? And still a child? Yan Yunzhi was slightly confused and squinted her eyes to look over there.

In the setting sun, the person walking towards here was indeed a young man who did not look very old. He seemed to have been sitting at a tea table by the roadside outside the village just now, drinking tea, and now he was walking towards Wu Cheng over there. He said in his mouth: "I'm here to seek revenge." The words had the sound of "ah", and were plain and innocent, with a sense that everything was taken for granted and he had no idea how big things were, but as Jianghu people, everyone was unusually sensitive to the word "revenge", and now they had all turned their eyes over.

In the silhouette of the setting sun, the young man walking forward was dragging a long bench in his hand, and his steps were very ordinary. No one knew what had happened. A Li family disciple on the periphery reached out to stop the person: "What are you..." He pushed, but for some reason, the young man's figure had walked straight past him, picked up the long bench, and seemed to be beating the "Steward Wu" in his mouth.

This was the fighting action of a city gangster.

Wu Cheng was able to make the name "Lightning Whip" in the Jianghu. How many bloody battles had he experienced more than once or twice? Someone holding a long bench to smash him was simply one of the most ridiculous enemies he had ever encountered. He sneered something in his mouth, and his right leg roared out, kicking upwards diagonally.

The long bench in the young man's hand would be kicked off, and even he himself would be kicked out with blood spurting out—this was what everyone who was watching the sunset thought. Then, everyone heard a loud bang.

In the autumn sun, which was like orange and yellow ink splashing down, the young man's long bench was raised and smashed down with force. Wu Cheng adopted a stance and kicked fiercely, and what flew into the sky was grass stems and dirt. Theoretically, he would kick the bench, along with the young man who was leaning forward because of waving the bench, but for some reason, the young man's entire action seemed to be half a breath slower. So he waved it up and dropped it, and Wu Cheng's right leg had already kicked into the air.

With a bang, grass stems and dirt splashed everywhere, followed by a tragic scream that seemed to scrape out people's hearts and lungs. The scream went from low to high, and in a blink of an eye, it spread to the top of the entire mountainside. Wu Cheng fell to the ground. His left leg, which he had just used as a fulcrum to stand on, now formed a backward protrusion that no normal human could do. His entire knee, along with his leg bone, had been broken off completely by that blow.

"Ah...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh—" Only then did everyone realize that he was shouting.

The long bench in the young man's hand did not break. After smashing Wu Cheng out, he followed up and smashed Wu Cheng with the second blow, this time breaking his fingers, and then the third blow.

"I'll let you! Damn it! Kick the bench! You kick the bench..."

In the setting sun, he was holding that long bench and frantically beating Wu Cheng...