Republic of China era: Actor? Please call me Martial Arts Master!

Chapter 171 Commander Shi and Yao Hong

Spring in Beiping has always had a precious yet languid feel to it.

The news of the missionary work at the Temple of Heaven was like a bombshell dropped into a century-old well in Beijing.

It's not just those who are skilled in martial arts.

Even the old folks with caged birds, the poor rickshaw pullers, and the people chewing grain on the streets all talked about the three words "Master Lu".

The thresholds of all the martial arts schools were almost worn down by the crowds, and all the inns and roadside shops in Beiping were booked out long ago by heroes from all over the country.

On the market, a bag of good quality flour originally cost two silver dollars, but this surge of people drove the price up to two and a half dollars.

Even the vendors selling cut cakes outside Qianmen can earn an extra hundred or so coins a day.

But at the eye of the storm, the Lu residence on Qianmen Street remained tightly shut.

Outside the two vermilion doors hangs an inconspicuous wooden sign.

"He closed the door to visitors and devoted himself to rehearsing the play."

Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, was squatting behind the threshold, his hands tucked into his sleeves, holding a pipe of tobacco in his hand.

Whether it was a warlord's adjutant or a merchant guild's comprador, no matter how heavy the gifts they carried, they were all turned away by his smiling old face.

"My master Lu said that he will not receive guests if his mind is not at peace. Please leave now."

While the outside was in complete chaos, the backyard of the Lu residence was so quiet that one could hear the buds sprouting on the old locust tree.

In the early morning, the morning star was still hanging in the sky, and the wind carried the smell of ice shards.

Lu Cheng didn't wear that eye-catching moon-white long gown, but instead changed into a faded gray cloth overcoat.

Wearing a pair of round-toed black cloth shoes with thick soles, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, he led Shunzi, Lu Feng, and the newly adopted little monkey Lu Ling out the back door.

They didn't go to any fancy restaurants, but instead followed the alley and turned onto a breakfast stall with a tattered cloth shed on the street corner.

"Shopkeeper, four bowls of douzhi (fermented mung bean juice), eight jiaoquan (deep-fried dough rings), and a generous handful of spicy pickled vegetable shreds."

Lu Cheng sat down familiarly at a greasy eight-immortal table, took out a dozen or so warm copper coins from his sleeve, and arranged them on the table.

These days, a bowl of soy milk for two copper coins, or a fried dough ring for one copper coin, is the cheapest and most filling way to make a living.

"Alright, Mr. Lu, please wait a moment."

The shopkeeper, with his sharp eyes, quickly wiped the table twice more with a rag and brought over the steaming hot food.

The grayish-green soy milk was steaming hot and had a pungent, sour smell.

Lu Cheng picked up the large, rough porcelain bowl, slurped a mouthful along the rim, and ate a crunchy fried dough ring with it. He looked content, just like an ordinary schoolteacher in a hutong.

But the three apprentices opposite him had already lost their minds.

Lu Feng, that wolf cub, had eyes that were filled with barely suppressed fervor.

Ever since he returned from Tianjin, he has stood taller than anyone else, and when he walks down the street, he looks down on everyone with an air of superiority.

"Master,"

Lu Feng swallowed hard, lowered his voice, and couldn't hide his excitement.

"Everyone outside says you are the best in the world, the leader of the martial arts world."

"Once the pilgrimage begins at the Temple of Heaven, our Qingyun Clan will become the ancestral home of the northern martial arts world! At that time—"

"Bang."

Lu Cheng didn't speak, but simply tapped the unoiled bamboo chopstick in his hand lightly on the broken porcelain bowl in front of Lu Feng.

The sound wasn't loud, but it sent a shiver down Lu Feng's spine.

That surge of madness from the depths of his heart was instantly extinguished as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

"Drink your soy milk."

Lu Cheng didn't even lift his eyelids, slowly chewing the pickled vegetables.

"Is it sour? Is it rancid?"

Lu Feng paused for a moment, picked up the bowl and took a sip, his face scrunched up in a frown.

"It's sour—and it even tastes a bit like swill."

"This is called 'earth energy'."

Lu Cheng put down his chopsticks and quietly looked at his three apprentices.

"Do you think that just because you came with me to Tianjin and killed a few Japanese, you're some kind of big shot in Beijing?"

"People outside flatter you because they don't dare mess with me. That's called leveraging influence, not real ability."

Lu Cheng pointed to the noisy alley entrance and then to the breakfast stall owner with a wrinkled face, busy in the cold wind for a few copper coins.

"The title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader, the Number One Under Heaven, is an illusion, a death warrant."

"Do you really think you're gods?"

"Without this bowl of sour, fermented soy milk, without the warmth of human connection, your very essence would have no foundation!"

Lu Cheng's words contained no harsh reprimand, nor did he exert any of the pressure of a Grandmaster of Internal Energy; it was as if he were simply chatting about the weather.

These few simple words, however, were like a dull knife, slowly and thoroughly erasing the nascent restlessness and arrogance in Lu Feng and Shunzi's hearts.

"Master, I understand."

Shunzi, being the most honest, blushed and gulped down the bowl of soy milk.

"We're just actors and martial artists, living a tough life. We're not arrogant."

Beside them, Lu Ling, that little monkey, was darting around with his eyes wide open.

While Lu Cheng was speaking, his naturally "all-arm" arm, as if boneless, reached under the table to pinch the half-fried dough ring in Shunzi's bowl.

"Smack."

Lu Cheng didn't even turn his head, nor did he open the folding fan in his hand. He simply tapped the fan bone in mid-air.

It struck the acupoint on Lu Ling's wrist, which darted out like a snake.

"Ouch."

Lu Ling's wrist went sore, and her limp arm instantly lost its strength, causing her to awkwardly pull it back.

"The monkey form trains thievery, focusing on agility and cunning, not base theft."

Lu Cheng picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea, the sound of the water clear and crisp.

"When you're actually on stage, or when it's a life-or-death struggle, you have to hide that cunning in the most upright and honorable way."

"When you reach out your hand, people should think you're picking peaches, not tearing someone's heart out."

"Make the empty appear full, and the full appear empty. This is called concealment."

Lu Ling was stunned. A flash of understanding appeared in her bright eyes. Ignoring the soreness and numbness in her wrist, she nodded repeatedly.

In the dim light of dawn.

The master, dressed in a gray robe, sat with three disciples in coarse cloth shorts in front of a small stall covered in grease.

This scene was witnessed by those martial arts travelers who happened to pass by and wanted to catch a glimpse of the "Living Martial Saint." They all gasped in astonishment, then lowered their heads and quickened their pace.

What is a grandmaster?

They do not flaunt their talents, but remain hidden among the common people.

This is truly unfathomable.

Life flowed by like water amidst the cries of vendors in the alley and the sounds of martial arts practice in the backyard.

Until late at night seven days later.

The night was deep and dark.

There was no moon, and the wind howled through the bare tree branches, making a mournful, ghostly sound.

The Deyun Tea Garden outside Qianmen has just finished its nighttime performance.

The men yawned as they tidied up the benches and sunflower seed shells scattered on the floor, preparing to close the door and put it on.

"Squeak"

A black Ford sedan with military license plates, without its headlights on, silently pulled up in the dead-end alley behind the tea plantation.

The car door opened, and a man wearing a black trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat stepped out.

-

He didn't bring any guards, nor did he have the usual entourage.

He was even slightly hunched over, his steps were heavy, and he exuded a sense of weariness and desolation.

This man was none other than Commander Shi, the young and promising general who had openly ordered artillery to be pointed at Japanese warships at the Haihe River wharf in Tianjin a few days ago in order to protect Lu Cheng and his party, thus intimidating the people of the lower reaches of the nine rivers!

What happened that night caused a huge uproar.

The Japanese and the French Concession joined forces to put pressure on Nanjing.

In an effort to quell the diplomatic incident, Nanjing issued several urgent decrees overnight, stripping Commander Shi of his military power and imposing a "suspension from duty pending investigation" punishment.

His fierce and powerful independent brigade was also forcibly dismantled and reorganized.

The "Stone" who once used any means necessary to climb the social ladder, even giving away his beloved woman, was instantly brought down to earth by this messed-up world after he truly stood up for himself and became a Chinese.

He was escorted out of Tianjin overnight by several trusted adjutants, and fled to Beiping City incognito.

The vast city of Beiping was ablaze with lights.

But Commander Shi stood in the cold wind, looking at the bustling city, and felt he had nowhere to go.

He did not go to Shichahai to find Commander Ma, nor did he seek refuge with his former comrades.

He knew that he was now a troublesome person who would die if he got involved with him.

He stood in the back alley of Deyun Tea Garden for a long time, like a wandering ghost.

Listening to the few teenagers from the Qingyun Troupe singing "Fighting Taiping" on stage, their voices tender yet full of passion, and hearing the thunderous cheers from the people below the stage.

A smile, more painful than a grimace, appeared on his usually cold and hard face.

"In the end, it's still these opera singers who live a carefree life."

He tightened the collar of his trench coat, turned around, pulled his hat brim even lower, and disappeared into the night.

Half an hour later.

The heavy back door of the Lu residence was knocked on three times very lightly.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The sound was so soft that it was inaudible to anyone who wasn't a trained martial artist.

Shunzi is on night watch tonight. He holds a single-edged sword upside down in his hand and sticks to the door like a nimble cat.

"Who?" Shunzi asked in a low voice.

"An old friend came to visit, asking for a bowl of hot soup noodles."

A hoarse, weary voice came from outside the door.

Shunzi frowned. Where did this madman come from in the middle of the night?

He was just about to send him away when he heard footsteps behind him.

Lu Cheng, wearing a padded jacket and carrying only a dim kerosene lamp, walked over slowly without a folding fan in his hand.

"Open the door and welcome our guests."

Lu Cheng's voice was calm, as if he already knew who was standing outside the door.

The door opened.

Brigade Commander Shi, carrying a chill and the smell of wind and snow, stepped across the threshold.

He took off his top hat, looked up, and saw Lu Cheng carrying a lantern.

The once arrogant and domineering brigade commander at the Tianjin docks now has sunken eyes and a scruffy beard.

The expensive trench coat even had mud spots on it.

Lu Cheng looked at him, neither bowing nor asking why he had fallen into such a state of destitution.

With his [Exquisite Heart] in operation, he saw through the "will to die" and "relief" in the person in front of him.

"Shunzi, go to the kitchen and check if the fire in the stove is still burning brightly."

Lu Cheng turned around, his voice gentle, as if greeting an old friend who had come from afar.

"It's late at night, and the wind is cold."

"I'll cook for you myself, poach two eggs, and make you a bowl of clear soup noodles."

In the backyard, under that old locust tree.

Although it was a cold snap in early spring, the courtyard wasn't actually that cold and damp because people practiced martial arts and purified their qi and blood year-round.

A small, weathered square wooden table sits under the tree, and a lantern hangs on a branch, its dim yellow light swaying gently in the night breeze.

On the table were two large bowls of steaming hot plain noodles.

The noodles are white, the soup is clear as water, and two fried eggs with crispy edges and runny yolks sit on top, sprinkled with a small handful of bright green scallions.

-

Beside it was a chipped, coarse porcelain wine jug, filled with the cheapest and most pungent "shao dao zi" (a type of strong liquor).

Lu Cheng sat on the long bench, picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks, and ate it slowly.

Commander Shi sat opposite him, looking at the bowl of noodles, and his eyes inexplicably felt hot.

In his life, he has eaten at the grand banquets of warlords and at Western restaurants.

But in this desolate late night, this bowl of steaming hot clear soup noodles seemed to have grown hands, gripping his heart tightly.

"Snoring, snoring—"

Commander Shi didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up the large bowl and gulped it down.

The piping hot noodles slid down my esophagus, warming my stomach, and seemingly warming the heart that had long been chilled by the entanglements of power and lust.

After finishing the bowl of noodles, not a drop of soup was left.

"happy."

Commander Shi put down his bowl and exhaled a long breath.

He picked up the rough porcelain wine pot on the table, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp of strong liquor directly from the spout.

"Cough cough cough."

The pungent smell of the cheap alcohol made him cough violently, and tears streamed down his face. He didn't know if it was from the choking or something else.

"What, are you reluctant to part with your officer's uniform, or with the thousands of guns you hold?"

Lu Cheng put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and spoke in a calm tone, yet it was like a needle piercing his vitals.

"Reluctant to part with it?"

Commander Shi gave a stern laugh and shook his head.

"Master Lu, I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me."

"Back when I, Shi, fled famine, what dirty things didn't I do to survive and make a name for myself?"

Fueled by alcohol, his bloodshot eyes stared at the flickering lamplight on the table.

"I risked my life, serving as a dog for a warlord. In exchange for Ma Linyuan's support of military power, I even..." His voice choked, and his hands, which had never trembled even in the midst of gunfire, gripped the edge of the table tightly.

"I even personally sent my most beloved woman into his harem to be his concubine."

"I thought that as long as I climbed high enough, had a gun, and had power, I could take everything back."

"But when I actually became a brigade commander, a powerful figure on the Beijing-Tianjin railway line—I realized that I had lost everything."

.

"I have become a mad dog in this chaotic world, only knowing how to bite."

Commander Shi looked up at the dark night sky.

"That day at the Tianjin dock, I saw you all alone, facing the foreigners' cannons."

"I suddenly realize that my life has been incredibly frustrating!"

"I don't regret losing my military power and being suspended from my duties for investigation. I just feel that—this shackle has finally been removed."

77

Lu Cheng listened quietly without interrupting.

He picked up the wine jug, poured himself a cup of that cheap liquor, and then raised his cup to Commander Shi.

Just as their glasses were about to clink together.

"Squeak!"

The small side gate in the backyard that led to the alley was gently pushed open.

A rustling sound of footsteps came from behind.

Commander Shi instinctively tensed up and reached for his waist.

But when he saw who it was, he was struck dumb, frozen on the spot, his pupils contracted violently, and his breathing stopped completely.

The person who arrived had no entourage or his signature expensive mink coat.

She was wearing only a very plain dark blue cheongsam with a subtle floral pattern, her hair casually tied back, and she wore no makeup.

That face, which usually carried a bit of the fiery and alluring charm of a "fierce tiger," now showed a weariness and simplicity born of hardship, stripped of all makeup.

Yao Hong.

Or rather, it was that boy, many years ago, in the snow, who was protected behind him by a silly boy named "Stone"—

Er Ya.

It was Lu Cheng who had secretly sent Shunzi to the Marshal's Mansion long ago to deliver a message and quietly bring her over.

Yao Hong stood under the old locust tree, a few steps away, looking at the man sitting on the long bench, with a stubble beard and a disheveled face.

A few withered leaves were blown down by the wind and landed between the two of them.

There was no hysterical weeping and wailing like in the movies, nor any shouting and blaming.

The sorrows of this world, when endured to their extreme, leave one with no tears to shed.

Yao Hong just stared at him quietly for a long, long time.

After a while, Brigade Commander Shi's hands, which were used to holding guns, didn't know where to put them, and could only grip the rough porcelain wine cup tightly.

"You've lost weight."

Finally, it was Yao Hong who spoke first.

Her voice was a little hoarse, lacking its usual sweetness, and only had an indescribable calmness.

"Er---Er-Ya--"

Commander Shi's throat felt like it was stuffed with a wad of cotton. He opened his mouth, and it took all his strength to squeeze out those two words that had been sealed away for many years.

Yao Hong did not respond to him.

She walked over slowly, pulled out the bench next to Lu Cheng without any hesitation, and sat down.

She glanced at the clear soup noodles and liquor on the table, and suddenly chuckled softly.

"Boss Lu, your hospitality is really stingy. You're going to treat us to this cheap liquor?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng smiled faintly.

He personally picked up the wine pot and filled an empty bowl in front of Yao Hong with strong liquor.

"It's cheap wine, but it's the best remedy for colds."

"The broth is too greasy and doesn't satisfy my taste buds. This wine burns my throat, but it can burn away all the mess in my heart."

Yao Hong picked up the wine bowl and, without the slightest hesitation, tilted her head back and downed it in one gulp.

"Cough cough————"

Spicy. Really spicy.

The spiciness made her tears well up instantly, swirling in her eyes.

She put down her wine bowl, raised her head, and looked directly at Commander Shi across from her.

"Stone."

Yao Hong's voice was soft, but every word struck Commander Shi's heart.

"I used to hate you."

"I hate you for treating me like a toy and giving me away for your own advancement. I thought I would spend my whole life as a bloodthirsty tiger in the Marshal's Mansion, rotting inside those high walls and courtyards."

She turned her head and glanced at Lu Cheng, who remained calm and composed beside her, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes.

"Later, I met Boss Lu."

"I thought I was captivated by his domineering aura, and I thought he could pull me out of that quagmire."

"But later I realized that what I was infatuated with was just a continuation of the image of that person who dared to protect me with a wooden stick in the snow."

Yao Hong looked at Commander Shi again, and the hatred in her eyes miraculously and slowly dissipated.

"When I heard the news in Tianjin that you had ordered artillery to be pointed at Japanese warships and were dismissed for disobeying orders—"

Suddenly, I no longer hate you.

Yao Hong's tears finally slid down her cheeks and dripped onto her plain cheongsam.

"Because I know that the 'Stone' that died many years ago—he has come back to life."

"Although he has nothing now, like a stray dog, that's how he should be."

"Bang!"

Brigade Commander Shi could no longer control himself. He suddenly stood up, and because of the force, he kicked the long bench to the ground.

This dignified seven-foot-tall man, this man who sheds blood but not tears on the battlefield, suddenly covered his face with his hands, squatted on the ground, and let out a suppressed cry like that of a wounded wild beast.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—"

Power, status, and money—at this moment, before these two bowls of clear noodle soup and a pot of strong liquor, they were shattered.

The times swept them along, twisting them into monsters.

But in this small courtyard, under Lu Cheng's seemingly casual arrangements, they finally shed all their pretenses and masks.

Lu Cheng did not disturb them.

He picked up his teacup, stood up, and walked to the other side of the old locust tree.

The night sky was deep, with a few cold stars twinkling.

With his "exquisite mind," he saw through the emptiness of the five aggregates and the ignorance, anger, greed, and resentment of the human world.

The martial world is not just about sword fights.

It is this tangled web of human relationships, this coldness and warmth, that occasionally shines a glimmer of light in this chaotic world.

I don't know how much time passed.

The crying behind me gradually subsided.

Commander Shi stood up, supporting himself on the long bench, and wiped away the tears on his face.

That desolate, lifeless atmosphere vanished.

Instead, there was an unprecedented sense of steadfastness and determination.

He walked behind Lu Cheng, and instead of saluting, he bowed deeply with his hands clasped together, like an ordinary江湖汉人 (jianghu man, a person from the martial arts world).

"Master Lu".

Brigade Commander Shi's voice regained its composure.

"I, Shi, am now a useless man without military status. The enemies outside who want to take my head could stretch from Qianmen to Xizhimen."

"If I leave like this, I won't be able to protect her."

He glanced at Yao Hong, who was sitting at the table, looking at him with gentle eyes.

"I have a request for Master Lu."

"Speak," Lu Cheng said without turning around.

"I want to stay in the Qingyun Class."

Commander Shi spoke each word slowly and deliberately, his voice ringing with conviction.

"I don't want wages, and I don't want any official status."

"I've spent my life fighting and killing. Although I've never practiced internal martial arts, I'm confident that my gun skills and battlefield tactics in troop deployment are still up to par."

"I'm willing to be an ordinary 'instructor' for the Qingyun Class."

"Teach those teenagers how to fire a gun and how to survive in chaotic times."

"I just want to find a quiet corner in this city of Beiping where I can live and quietly protect her."

Lu Cheng turned around.

He looked at Brigade Commander Shi, then at Yao Hong.

He knew that Yao Hong would still have to return to the Marshal's Mansion tomorrow. She was Marshal Ma's fourth concubine, and in this chaotic world, losing that identity would be tantamount to suicide.

Commander Shi was willing to hide under the big tree of the Qingyun Squad as a humble bodyguard, just so he could catch a glimpse of her from afar and protect her.

This is what it truly means to let go of obsessions and find one's way home.

Lu Cheng smiled slightly.

He walked back to the table, picked up the Xiangfei bamboo folding fan, and unfolded it with a "snap".

"The martial arts students of Qingyun Troupe practice with cold weapons."

"But times have changed, and the foreigners' machine guns and cannons are indiscriminate."

"My apprentices are in dire need of an instructor who understands real combat and the rules of the battlefield."

Lu Cheng looked at Brigade Commander Shi, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"Stay."

"From now on, the defense of the front and back yards of the Lu residence, as well as the firearms training of those wolf cubs, will be entrusted to you."

"but----"

Lu Cheng closed his folding fan and tapped the table.

"I don't support idlers here."

95

"Tomorrow morning at 3 AM, you'll be doing morning exercises with everyone. If your body gets rusty, I won't keep you around."

"7

Commander Shi was stunned for a moment, and then the most hearty smile he had shown in the past few months appeared on his stern face.

"Alright!"