Fists can't cross Tianjin

Chapter 27 Beast's Den

Xiguan Street shantytown, a fold on the edge of the city.

This place is right next to the railway line, and most of the residents are migrant workers from other places and local residents who haven't moved back yet. All sorts of people from all walks of life, from scavengers to porters to small traders, are crammed into this narrow, cramped corner. Although chaotic, it's also full of the vibrant, untamed energy of everyday life.

The air was filled with a complex smell—the sour smell of burning low-quality bituminous coal, the stench of fermenting garbage, the foul smell of dry toilets, and an indescribable stench of decay.

Chen Zhuo sneaked into the place at the crack of dawn.

He walked two miles along the railway and found a dilapidated shed with half of its roof collapsed in a weedy hut filled with discarded sleepers.

This might have been a temporary resting place for railway inspectors, or an abandoned illegal shack built without permission. It was filled with dust and withered grass, and a few dead rats lay in the corner.

Nobody's here, that's perfect.

It saved me money on rent and the hassle of dealing with people.

It was called a house, but it was really just a frame made of a few rotten logs, covered with a layer of tar paper and yellow mud, and topped with a few broken asbestos tiles. When the wind blew, it let in drafts from all sides, making it not much different from sleeping in the wild.

But Chen Zhuo was very satisfied.

This place is remote enough, and chaotic enough.

Chaos means no one is in charge. No one is in charge means safety.

Moreover, it's very noisy here. Every ten minutes or so, a train rumbles by, shaking the ground and causing dust to fall from the roof.

This would be torture for ordinary people, but for Chen Zhuo, it was a natural cover.

He can even practice his boxing here without any restraint, without worrying about making too much noise and attracting unnecessary trouble.

Chen Zhu tidied up a bit, threw the dead rat out, and made a nest out of dry grass. Then he put the cotton quilt cover on top.

The snowstorm outside had stopped, but the temperature had dropped even more drastically. The shack was drafty from all sides, making it almost no different from sleeping in the open air.

Chen Zhuo lay on the pile of withered grass, wrapped tightly in his cotton quilt, yet still felt the chill seeping into his bones.

"I can't sleep."

He turned over and sighed.

My body is exhausted, but my mind is unusually excited.

Especially after fighting Xie Cheng today, my blood and energy are still flowing through my body.

Since you can't sleep, then practice.

Chen Zhuo simply got up and stretched his stiff hands and feet.

He assumed a three-body stance and slowly adjusted his breathing.

As you breathe deeper, the blood and qi in your body begin to flow slowly, like a warm current that dispels the chill from your skin.

After these fierce battles, especially the one with Xie Cheng, his understanding of Xingyi Quan deepened.

Mingjin emphasizes the concept of "wholeness".

Previously, although his strength was powerful, it wasn't pure enough. Now, he could feel that all the tendons, bones, and muscles in his body were slowly integrating into a unified whole.

When one thing moves, everything else moves; when one thing is still, everything else is still.

"If only there were a bunch of sticks to hit him right now."

Chen Zhuo glanced at a discarded railway sleeper in the corner.

Striking exercises are a type of hard qigong that strengthens the skin and bones' resistance to blows by striking the body, while also aiding in the integration of internal energy.

But after hesitating for a moment, he gave up.

If a loud "bang bang bang" sound were heard in the middle of the night in this desolate wilderness, it would surely scare the nearby residents to death, and then attract the attention of the community defense team, which would be troublesome.

"Forget it, I'll just practice my boxing instead."

Chen Zhuo composed himself and began to walk around the narrow shed.

Split, collapse, drill, cannon, horizontal.

He practiced the Five Elements Fist repeatedly.

As he practiced, the image of Xie Cheng thrusting his spear at him on the icy river that night suddenly flashed into his mind.

That fierce, resolute, and indomitable spirit.

That is the essence of the Six Harmonies Spear.

Chen Zhuo subconsciously changed his moves.

His hands were loosely clenched, as if he were holding an invisible spear.

With a twist of the waist and hips, the great dragon of the spine suddenly shuddered.

"collapse!"

Although he didn't have a gun, the punch he threw had the effect of a gun piercing a line.

He learned that through cheat codes during battle.

Xie Cheng's power techniques, as well as his ruthless nature unique to seasoned veterans, were all recorded in Chen Zhuo's brain.

He then tried practicing a few wrestling techniques that he had learned from Gangzi.

Small hands in sleeves, no more, big entanglement...

He practiced these moves quite well, simulating about 40-50% of the power. After all, Gangzi's skill level was limited, and his power generation structure was relatively simple. After a few days of practice, he could already use them in actual combat with some difficulty.

But when it came to Xie Cheng's big spear, it was a completely different story.

Chen Zhuo stopped what he was doing and frowned.

Although the "Crushing Fist Turns into Spear" move just now looked fierce, Chen Zhuo knew in his heart that he had only learned one or two tenths of Xie Cheng's skill.

"Similar in form but not in spirit."

While a cheat code can analyze an opponent's power structure and replicate their moves, martial arts is not just about muscle movement; it also encompasses the user's spirit, energy, and the insights gained from years of immersion in it.

Gangzi's skills were at most barely beyond the level of street brawlers, which could be considered kung fu; while Xie Cheng's marksmanship was the result of decades of dedicated practice.

I only had a brief exchange of blows. Although I managed to replicate the key "Bengtan Jin" technique using my cheat system, I only learned the basics and am still far from truly mastering it.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Chen Zhuo shook his head and decisively gave up on continuing to struggle with those moves he hadn't fully mastered.

The right way is to first lay a solid foundation for yourself.

He returned to the stance of Xingyiquan.

This time, he practiced more slowly and more heavily.

As he moved, a strange change began to occur in his body.

On the skin's surface, it looks like there's an invisible layer of water rippling; that's the muscle fibers beneath the skin undergoing high-frequency micro-vibrations.

This vibration has an extremely high frequency, causing the surrounding air to distort slightly.

Body temperature began to rise sharply.

A wave of heat suddenly rose from the originally cold shed.

Chen Zhuo's every breath became unusually heavy and long.

"Whoosh—hiss—"

It was a deep, panting sound, like that of a large feline before a hunt, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.

Just then.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the illegal shack next door, which no one knew who had built it.

"Honey...did you hear me?"

A woman's voice trembled noticeably and was kept extremely low, "Has some wild animal gotten into that dilapidated shed next door?"

"Don't...don't talk nonsense..."

The man's voice trembled, "Where...where did these wild animals come from...could they be wolves?"

"Wolves don't make that kind of noise. This sounds...like a tiger panting..."

"Quick! Close the door! Don't make a sound!"

I heard a frantic sound of heavy objects being moved from next door, then complete silence.

Hearing the noise, Chen Zhuo ignored it but did not continue.

Making such a commotion in this dilapidated place in the middle of the night is definitely likely to cause trouble.

and……

He touched his stomach.

I'm starting to feel hungry.

And it was already past midnight.

Chen Zhuo sighed, wrapped himself tightly in the cotton quilt, and lay back down in the pile of withered grass.

I forced myself not to think about anything and fell into a deep sleep.

……

"Clang! Clang!"

A tremendous tremor, like a giant pounding the ground with a hammer, startled Chen Zhuo awake from his sleep.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and sprang up like a startled cat, his muscles tensing instantly.

An unfamiliar ceiling, drafty walls.

A few seconds later, his eyes cleared from confusion.

Oh, right.

He was no longer the rickshaw driver in that tenement courtyard; this was his new home in the shantytown of Xiguan Street.

"Waaah—"

The sound of car horns outside was deafening.

It turned out to be the early morning train.

The noise was like a thunderclap right next to your ear.

Dust fell from the roof of the shed, making it difficult to open one's eyes.

Chen Zhuo stretched his stiff neck and felt his joints cracking.

After a nap, I felt a little better, but I was even hungrier.

"Perfect timing, time for an early morning practice."

Taking advantage of his morning grumpiness from being woken up, Chen Zhuo assumed a three-body pose and then began walking in step with the rhythm of the "clattering" train.

As the train drew closer, the ground shook more and more violently.

Chen Zhuo's heartbeat and breathing gradually merged with the vibration.

Just at the very moment the train engine passed the nearest shed.

Chen Zhuo stomped his foot suddenly.

"Thump!"

The impact of that kick perfectly coincided with the vibration of the passing train.

With the help of this huge external tremor, his bones and tendons also trembled violently.

"Bang bang bang—"

A series of crisp sounds, like a bowstring being fully drawn, emanated from within his body.

As the strange tremor continued, he felt as if the bones inside his body were making subtle humming sounds, as if responding to some kind of call.

That was... the prototype of Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound.

Although he hasn't fully mastered it yet, he has already opened that door a crack.

An astonishing heat erupted from the depths of his bone marrow, instantly engulfing his entire body.

Chen Zhuo opened his mouth, inhaled sharply, and then exhaled.

"ha!"

A white arrow of air shot out from its mouth, hitting the wall with a "poof" sound.

Exhale and it becomes an arrow!

Suddenly, I felt completely refreshed.

But then, the side effects began.

"Gurgle—"

The thunder in my stomach was louder than the sound of a train.

The overwhelming hunger almost made his legs buckle and he kneel on the ground.

The stock we had last night was all gone.

Chen Zhuo glanced out through the broken window.

It was still dark outside, and the sky was gray.

Chen Zhuo licked his chapped lips, a flash of green light in his eyes disappearing in the dim morning light.

"Time to restock..."

He tightened his belt and pushed open the dilapidated wooden door.

"The early bird catches the worm... and gets to eat meat."

……