Chapter 26: Two Years

"Who are you?"

The day after the medicinal bath, Chen Zheng felt full of energy and in unusually good physical condition. So, he woke up early and went to the training ground to practice. Around four o'clock in the morning, someone else appeared. This person wasn't Huo Yuanjia or Liu Zhensheng but a young man, about the same age as Chen Zheng, looking like another martial artist here for practice.

At the Huo family's residence, there were several disciples living here now, but the ones who got up this early to train were only Chen Zheng and a couple of others. No one else was allowed to train at this hour, so when Chen Zheng saw someone he didn't recognize, he asked curiously.

"Who are you?" Chen Zheng questioned.

The young man didn't answer but instead stared at Chen Zheng's staff in his hand, which was identical to the one he was holding. "And you?"

"I'm Chen Zheng."

"You're Huo Uncle's eldest disciple!"

"Huo Uncle? Who are you referring to?"

"Take a spear from me, and we'll talk!" The stranger suddenly raised his staff and charged at Chen Zheng.

"Come on!" Chen Zheng grinned, feeling especially energetic today and eager for a good sparring session. It was too boring to practice alone, so having someone to spar with was the perfect way to release his energy. He gripped his staff, blocking the incoming strike with a defensive move.

*Bang! Bang! Bang...*

As they clashed, Chen Zheng quickly realized that the other man's spear skills far outstripped his own. His strength and technique were superior, forcing Chen Zheng to be on the defensive, rarely able to strike back.

"Haha! Is that all you've got?" the man taunted.

"Hmph! I may not match you with a spear, but let's see how you fare in hand-to-hand combat!" Chen Zheng retorted confidently.

"Sounds good to me!" 

They discarded their staffs and began to fight with their fists. Chen Zheng immediately recognized the man's fighting style—*Bajiquan* (Eight Extremes Fist). This martial art is renowned for its power and rapid strikes, with the philosophy that its force can extend in all directions. The movements are powerful, direct, and fast.

This man clearly mastered *Bajiquan* to a high degree, and Chen Zheng could tell he was no amateur. But Chen Zheng was no slouch either. With his solid foundation and the experience he had gained from his previous escort missions, he was confident in his martial prowess. Moreover, after yesterday's medicinal bath, his physical condition was at its peak.

So, despite facing *Bajiquan*, Chen Zheng stood firm and met the strikes head-on. With a loud *bang*, their fists collided with incredible force, creating a shockwave in the air, like the sound of a tire bursting.

On the weaponry front, Chen Zheng was clearly at a disadvantage. But in hand-to-hand combat, he was confident he could prevail. After more than a hundred moves, he felt sure he would eventually overcome this man. His intuition had never failed him before.

"You two can stop now!" a voice suddenly interrupted.

"Master!" Both men stopped, surprised by the sudden appearance of Huo Yuanjia, who effortlessly intercepted their strikes with his own hands.

"Hmm, not bad. Both of you did well," Huo Yuanjia said, nodding in approval.

"Master," Chen Zheng greeted, a little out of breath.

"Ah Kan, let me introduce you to someone. This is my nephew, Huo Diange, a disciple of the *Bajiquan* master Li Shuwen."

"Diange, this is my eldest disciple, Chen Zheng, who's a year older than you."

"Hello!" Chen Zheng bowed respectfully.

"Hello, but you're actually older than me. Next year, I'll definitely surpass you in boxing!" Huo Diange raised his fists and provocatively challenged Chen Zheng.

"Hmph, even if you're given two years, you'll never beat me. As for spear skills, I'll surpass you in six months, not a year!" Chen Zheng shot back confidently.

"Well, we'll see about that! For now, I'll concede the hand-to-hand victory to you," Huo Diange replied with a smirk.

"What do you mean 'concede'? It was a win, plain and simple!" Chen Zheng retorted, suddenly feeling unusually confrontational. Normally, he wasn't so brash with people, but for some reason, he couldn't help himself around Huo Diange. Huo Yuanjia could only shake his head and wonder if it was just one of those things—"the two of them just didn't get along!"

After a bit more banter, Chen Zheng learned that Huo Diange, despite being a disciple of *Bajiquan*, was also a practitioner of the Huo family's martial art, though he specialized in the external *Ba Xiu* style, while Huo Yuanjia practiced the internal *Ba Xiu* style. Despite sharing the same family name and martial heritage, their styles were different, and this led to some rivalry between them.

Huo Diange stayed at Huo Jia Village for two more days. During this time, he and Chen Zheng sparred whenever they got the chance, constantly trying to one-up each other. The rivalry was almost comical at times, with the two of them competing in everything—who could eat faster, who could hold a horse stance longer, and of course, who could win in a fight.

Huo Yuanjia shook his head, wondering when these two would stop acting like children. But in a way, their constant challenges helped build a friendship between them.

Over the next two years, Chen Zheng frequently took on escort missions, with one to two per month, and if the distance was short, he sometimes completed up to four. These missions helped him build a reputation as a martial artist in northern China, and his name became known in the local martial arts community.

Despite his rising fame, Chen Zheng's habit of training whenever he had free time didn't change. He would still rise early to practice, whether or not he had an escort mission.

Every year around the time of the Chinese New Year, Huo Diange would visit Huo Jia Village for a few days, where he and Chen Zheng would spar, argue, and eat together. Though Chen Zheng still couldn't match Huo Diange with a spear, he remained confident in his superiority in hand-to-hand combat. This playful rivalry continued to evolve over the years.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuanjia's fame spread even further. In Tianjin, he had set a record for the highest number of consecutive wins in a martial arts ring, reaching 32—surpassing his father, Huo En, who had only managed 30. Huo Yuanjia's victories included killing seven opponents and severely injuring five others, though no one dared to challenge him due to the life-or-death nature of these matches.

As a result, the Huo family's reputation in Tianjin soared, with many calling Huo Yuanjia the "First of Tianjin." However, Huo Yuanjia knew that he hadn't yet earned the title of *true* "First of Tianjin." His family had over 300 disciples, and the only other martial arts family in Tianjin that could rival the Huo family's influence was the Qin family.