Chapter 1: The Entanglement of Love and Hate, Haicheng's Solitude

  Li Huqiu has recently been practicing the move that Hao Qizhen performed before his death, and he has gained a lot of insight from it. This set of techniques combined with martial arts actually has another clever use, which is to control the movement of every muscle in the body. Practicing martial arts and practicing the Void Technique are roughly the same thing, but there are also some subtle differences between them. Martial arts practice internal energy and blood as well as external tendons, bones, and skin, mainly for the purpose of withstanding impact and delivering powerful blows. The Void Technique, on the other hand, is to train the muscles throughout the body to reach their most sensitive state through rigorous training, making it possible to strike faster, and smaller muscle groups more agile. Its reverse joint training can even dislocate bones or shrink them, which are things that ordinary martial arts cannot achieve. Li Huqiu combines both techniques in his practice, and his current abilities have long surpassed those of Hao Qizhen by many times.

  That move, the "Robe Shedding Technique", has now evolved to a whole new level. It's no longer just an empty gesture or a simple escape method. Faster, more agile, and more powerful! His Robe Shedding Technique is completely devoid of any awkwardness or clumsiness. In a crowded train, Li Huqiu only needs to make a slight movement, and he can easily get his hands on the valuables that people have hidden away, no matter how secretly they've been concealed. And what's more, he can even return them without anyone noticing. Li Huqiu has given this evolved version of the Robe Shedding Technique a new name: "The Overlord's Shake"!

  In the past few months, there is another thing worth mentioning, Li Huqiu's flying knife technique has made significant progress, not in terms of accuracy, but mainly in power and concealment. In the past, he couldn't even pierce through a human body with all his might, but now he only needs to violently shake his heart according to the secret of blood circulation, and under the impetus of blood circulation, this flying knife that shoots from the heart can even be inserted into a large tree up to the hilt. This realization is thanks to Yanzi sister, it was her death that moved Li Huqiu's sorrowful heart, making him realize this secret after mastering the hidden strength.

  His hidden knife technique is reflected in the quantity, in the past he relied on hiding flying knives in leather scabbards inside his sleeves and clothes. At that time, the flying knives were made of heavy materials exceeding one catty to have enough power, so it was already a limit to carry five flying knives with him. Now his kung fu is good enough to allow him to use three two-three heavy small flying knives to achieve several times the power of the past. He can now hide three flying knives on his body, but no longer needs a scabbard! The flying knife is out of hand and there is no trace to be found, more and more mysterious and unpredictable.

  One day in 1993, it was a fine autumn October, with crisp air and a gradually cooling temperature.

  On that morning, Li Huqiu was playing jump rope with Little Swallow in the courtyard. Suddenly, someone outside the gate called out, and Zhang Manli went to open the door to find that it was Zhang Tiejun who had come to visit him. Li Huqiu asked him what brought him here. Zhang Tiejun told him that he had come about the second Huaxia Thief King Competition. As soon as Li Huqiu heard this, he became interested and told Zhang Manli to take Little Swallow inside. In the courtyard, there were many stone pedestals that Li Huqiu used for practicing his strength, and he casually picked up two of them and placed them in the middle of the courtyard. He sat down on one of them and pointed to the other, telling Zhang Tiejun to sit down, but then realized that Zhang Tiejun was staring at him with wide eyes. Li Huqiu smiled and said, "What's wrong? Are you stunned? There will be even more amazing things later, I told you to practice your skills well, but you didn't believe me. Now you see the difference, don't be too disappointed, it's too late for you to start practicing now. Just tell me about that Huaxia Thief King Competition."

  Li Huqiu has been learning his craft these days, and he rarely goes out to work. Economically, he has handed over the territory of Nan Station to Zhang Tiejun, and he just waits at home, collecting several thousand yuan every month. This amount of money was a large sum in the early 1990s. However, he earns a lot and spends a lot too. Zhang Manli likes to indulge herself, and Li Huqiu has always let her do so. At the same time, Zhang Manli also likes to let Xiaoyanzi indulge with her, dressing up the little girl like a princess every day. The two women, one big and one small, spend at least three to four thousand yuan every month on their indulgence. The remaining money is just enough for Li Huqiu's training and living expenses.

  Kung fu is useless if not used, even if practiced to the point of being as fierce as a god. Li Huqiu thought it was time for him to go out and gain experience, and this bandit king competition was a good opportunity. He had spent all his savings on buying precious medicinal materials such as tiger bone and deer antler, so before he left, he needed to take care of Zhang Manli and Xiao Yanzhi, which required another sum of money. Li Huqiu didn't want to wrong the two beauties, so he wanted to prepare more money. He shared this idea with Zhang Tiejun, who looked embarrassed, having taken over the power of Laoquezi and Daqiguan. On the surface, Zhang Tiejun was powerful in the Haicheng underworld, but in reality, he had a heavy burden, having to pay off various gods and Li Huqiu-like freeloaders every month, leaving him with little savings. When Li Huqiu asked for 100,000 yuan, Zhang Tiejun felt very troubled.

  Li Huqiu smiled and said: "Don't be embarrassed, if you don't have it, just forget about it. I'll take care of the money myself. Why don't you tell me more about that Thief King competition instead?"

  Zhang Tiejun let out a sigh of relief and said, "This matter is quite lively. Last time Hao Biaozi participated in the competition, you followed him, but this time it's different from last time. The National Thief King Competition this time is much stronger than last time, whether it's the technical skills of the participants or the organizing committee's strength, they can't be compared to the previous session." Li Huqiu chuckled and said, "You're still showing off your vocabulary, stop bragging and quickly tell me who are the people participating, how did you know about this, and what qualifications do I need to participate?"

  Zhang Tiejun asked Zhang Manli to bring him a bowl of cold water first, and Zhang Manli fetched a ladle from the well for him. This guy took it over without complaining about the chill, gulped down a mouthful, and then said, "This is a long story." Li Huqiu smiled and nodded at him, saying, "It's okay, there's plenty of cold water, you can take your time to talk."

  The world is vast and full of wonders, under the Chinese civilization that has lasted for thousands of years, there are countless sages and saints, and extraordinary people and events shine like stars. There are towering pine trees standing proudly on high cliffs, and also humble dog lichen growing luxuriantly in dark corners where sunlight cannot reach. As long as natural conditions permit, even dog lichen can grow magnificently. Every profession has its own masterpieces. Even among thieves, there have been many legendary figures throughout history. For example, during the Song Dynasty, there was the famous thief Drumming on the Top of the Mountain, and during the Ming Dynasty, there was the heroic thief I Come Also. In modern times, there is the legendary thief Li San, also known as the Great Thief. The Thieves' Competition is to publicly select the top thief of our time.

  Zhang Tiejun introduced Li Huqiu: "As for the contestants in this year's Thief King competition, there is a lot to say. After the last competition ended, Hao Cui won first place and was awarded the title of Thief King. This matter was later spread by various contestants to their respective places, and suddenly it became known throughout the country that all thieves knew about it. Hao Cui's reputation became more and more legendary, which eventually led to dissatisfaction among several big shots. Hao Cui has a unique skill, and in the circle, he is a first-class master, but if you say that there is no one in the country who can match him, that's a bit of an exaggeration. For example, the two from the Northwest Wolf Gang are not inferior to him." Zhang Tiejun stopped talking, Li Huqiu hurriedly poured a ladle of cold water in front of him and asked: "Who are they? Are they the Northwest Thief King Black Fox Hu Guangli and the Lone Wolf from outside the border, Lü Shu?"

  Zhang Tiejun nodded, swallowed the water in his mouth and said: "That's right, it's them two. Also, there's our Northeast's 'Eight-Armed Buddha' Crab Leg, whose craftsmanship is not inferior to Old Lame Man, as far as I know. And then there's Liaoning Province's Steel City's Big Dingzi, known as the Ancestor of Thieves, and Shanghai Bund's New Female Thief Black Butterfly, and Sichuan Chongqing Chaotianmen Dock's first-rate pickpocket Ba Gou'er. All these people, including those with some fame in various provinces, will participate in the competition. You think this event is going to be big or what?" Li Huqiu asked him: "Did you receive an invitation too?"

  Zhang Tiejun slightly proudly pulled out an invitation and handed it to Li Huqiu. The latter took a look and saw that it read: "I have long heard of the notorious Zhang Tiejun, who has been trained by the former thief king Hao Quzi since childhood and has honed his skills to perfection. I, Gao Longyu, was once a small-time thief on the Jianghu road, but after washing my hands and engaging in business, I made some money and now live idly at home. Whenever I think of participating in the first Thief King Competition, I am filled with emotion and nostalgia for the elegance of the various seniors. Therefore, I am willing to put up 8 million yuan to organize a national Thief King Competition, select a new generation of Chinese thief king, and reward them with 5 million yuan. If you have confidence in your skills, please bring a registration fee of 10,000 yuan and come to Shanghai to register before October 18th. Latecomers will not be accepted."

  Li Huqiu looked at him for a long time and laughed: "The notorious young master, your methods are truly impressive. I offer you my congratulations in advance."

  Zhang Tiejun smiled wryly: "Indeed, the Buddha's face is not burning incense, I was also squeezed by this invitation letter. How can my two sons be counted? Tiger Hill, haven't you counted yet? Going there would also be embarrassing, but in such a big city of Ha, he only sent me this one invitation letter. If I didn't dare to accept it, wouldn't that make everyone lose face and go back to their hometowns? At that time, I would still have no face to mix on the streets of Ha City. So, I gritted my teeth and accepted this invitation letter, but I really don't want to lose face. In the previous Thief King Competition, Old Lame Man represented Ha City and won the title of Thief King. This time, if I go, I won't even pass the first round, and when I come back, I still can't mix on the streets of Ha City. Therefore, I came to your doorstep seeking help."

  Li Huqiu saw that he was sincere and couldn't bear to tease him anymore, so he smiled and said: "Alright, I've agreed to this matter. You think of a way to pay the 10,000 yuan registration fee, and when the time comes, I'll use your name, 'Thief Lord'. Do you have any other requests?" Zhang Tiejun said there was only one request - he had no problem paying the registration fee, but Li Huqiu must not use his name. He should represent himself, as he was also a disciple of Old Lame and had the qualifications to participate in the competition. Li Huqiu nodded in agreement without being hypocritical. Zhang Tiejun excitedly clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Alright! Brother, I wish you victory!" He also said: "Thanks for helping me save face, brother. If not, my face would have been smashed to the ground, and what would I use to lead my younger brothers?"

  Zhang Tiejun came with excitement and left with satisfaction, while Li Huchu sat in the courtyard pondering how to take care of Little Swallow and Zhang Manli before he left. As someone in his line of work could be caught by Lei Zi at any time, he needed a large sum of money to settle down, and relying on temporary thefts would not be enough to accumulate this amount of money. He had to think of another way. After thinking for a while in the courtyard without getting anywhere, Li Huchu stood up and looked at the sky, which was still early. He wanted to go out and take a stroll, so after saying goodbye to Zhang Manli, Li Huchu left the house and went onto the main street, heading straight for the city center.