Chapter 18: The Escort Mission

"Doctor, how is Second Brother doing?" 

"There's no injury to the muscles or bones, just some superficial wounds. He'll be fine after resting for two days." 

"That's a relief, that's a relief!" 

"Master Brother, this time it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for you..." 

"Second Junior Brother, you don't need to say that. This is my responsibility. I'm also a part of the Huo family, and this is something I should do." Chen Zheng waved his hand, dismissing the gratitude. 

"Second Junior Brother, you need to rest well and recover. After three days, I'll be going on the escort mission. If anyone challenges us again, I'll be counting on you to keep watch!" 

"Master Brother, after I recover, I'll practice diligently and make sure such things never happen again!" Liu Zhensheng clenched his fists, his gaze determined. His injuries weren't severe, but due to his lack of a solid foundation in martial arts, the repeated hits from the iron plates had caused more pain than necessary. 

"Mm..." Chen Zheng didn't know what to say. He wasn't very good with words, so he just nodded in agreement. 

"Master Brother, with Second Brother resting, does that mean you'll be teaching us punches in the meantime?" 

"Yes, I'll supervise your training for the next few days," Chen Zheng nodded. In the past, when Huo Yuanjia wasn't around, Liu Zhensheng would handle the dojo's affairs, while Chen Zheng focused on his training. He didn't mind taking a few days off from practice to supervise the others. 

"But Second Brother, if you're not teaching punches, you'll have to take care of the other responsibilities!" 

"Seems like you've handled this before, Master Brother!" Liu Zhensheng teased with a smile, playfully rolling his eyes. 

"Ha ha ha..." Everyone laughed. 

For the next three days, Chen Zheng oversaw their basic training, focusing on the core "Three Essentials"—the horse stance, the punch, and the wooden dummy practice. Though the disciples had once mocked these simple drills, seeing Chen Zheng use them to defeat Yang Jun had changed their perspective. Now, their attitude was completely different. They took the training seriously and worked hard without complaint. 

"Your horse stance must be firm. When practicing the wooden dummy, remember to align your body in a straight line, and focus on your breathing!" Chen Zheng, wielding a teaching stick, walked around the training hall. He didn't hesitate to correct anyone who was slacking off. 

After thirty minutes of rigorous practice, Chen Zheng finally signaled them to stop. 

"How amazing! I didn't feel tired at all, in fact, I feel more energized!" 

"Of course. Standing the stance is meant to regulate your breath, strengthen your foundation, and solidify your power. If you don't experience this effect, then what's the point of practicing?" Chen Zheng explained. 

"Really?" 

"Of course!" 

Over the next few days, the disciples began to open up more to Chen Zheng, asking him questions. Though he wasn't skilled at initiating conversations, once they approached him, they found him easy to talk to. Chen Zheng had always been absorbed in his own world, which made him seem distant at first, but now that the others were closer, they realized he was quite approachable. 

After three days of teaching, Chen Zheng prepared to leave the Huo family for the first time since arriving in Tianjin. This was also his first time going on an escort mission. 

Honestly, there was a part of Chen Zheng that felt a small sense of anticipation. Everyone has a dream of becoming a hero in a martial arts world, even if that dream was something unattainable. But now, by some twist of fate, he had the chance to live out that dream, and he couldn't help but feel excited. 

However, the escort mission wasn't as thrilling as he had imagined. Chen Zheng was tasked with protecting a convoy, which included twenty Huo family disciples, including himself. 

"Boss Ma, I think we should stay here for the night. There won't be any inns past this point before dark." 

"Alright, safety first." Boss Ma, a thin man who didn't look like much of a boss at first glance, agreed. They were transporting valuable goods, so the mission required twenty people, and all but Chen Zheng were seasoned escorts. 

"Master Brother, shall we stay here for the night?" 

"Sure. Liu Zi, you're the expert in these matters. We'll follow your lead," Chen Zheng said. He knew his limits and didn't want to give instructions on things he wasn't experienced with. 

After three days on the road, Chen Zheng had begun to wonder if he would encounter any bandits or highway robbers. But so far, nothing of the sort had happened. 

"Yes!" Liu Zi, who had great respect for Chen Zheng, nodded and went inside the inn to arrange for rooms. 

Unlike most people who would relax on the journey, Chen Zheng didn't waste any time. He practiced martial arts while walking—step by step, practicing punches, palm strikes, and elbow strikes as he kept pace with the convoy. 

People along the road often stared at him in confusion, wondering if he was some sort of fool, but the Huo family disciples were used to it. For Chen Zheng, this constant training was an essential part of his mission. He hadn't forgotten his goal: to defeat two foreign martial artists. 

Though Chen Zheng could easily dominate in a small town, facing world-class fighters would be a completely different challenge. 

He carried a long staff with him, a weapon he had been practicing with for years. It was a simple staff, but Chen Zheng had mastered its techniques, recognizing its shared roots with martial arts. After all, "the art of the fist evolved from the spear," and the staff was simply a spear without a spearhead. 

But as with all martial arts, the deeper one practiced, the less important the weapon became. Eventually, as the old saying went, even without a spearhead, a skilled practitioner could still kill with a spear. 

The night at the inn passed quietly, without any of the chaos often depicted in novels. Real life wasn't like fiction—if it were, every night would be filled with anxiety, and every step would be fraught with danger. But that wasn't the case. Life was simpler and, for Chen Zheng, this night was just another quiet moment in his journey.