A Life of Attributes Starting as a Nobleman in the Republic of China Era

Chen Che felt a tremendous suction force pulling him toward the lizard.

He tried to resist, but found himself completely unable to move. The two beams of light drew closer and closer, until finally—

They merged together.

In an instant, Chen Che felt a massive influx of information flood his mind. It was neither text nor images, but a deeper, almost instinctive inheritance.

He "saw" the ancient times.

In the beginning, when heaven and earth were first created, chaos reigned. There was a divine beast named Xuanwu, born before heaven and earth, growing within the chaos. Its body was as large as a mountain, bearing the secrets of heaven and earth. Its tortoise shell was etched with the patterns of the universe. Its serpentine tail could stir the stars.

Later, after the creation of heaven and earth, Xuanwu hid in the north and became a divine beast that guarded the region.

Lizards are descendants of a branch of the Black Tortoise. They inherited a trace of the Black Tortoise's bloodline, but over the long years, this trace of bloodline became increasingly diluted, eventually leading them to become ordinary mortals.

But the source of our bloodline has never been severed.

Chen Che felt the lizard inside him undergoing a transformation. Its body began to swell, its scales became thicker, and its limbs became more robust. The scales on its back gradually bulged, forming thick plates, like a tortoise shell.

The most amazing thing is its tail—the originally long and flexible tail has now begun to fork, gradually forming two tips, vaguely showing signs of turning into a double tail.

This is not the real Xuanwu, but a half-Xuanwu evolving in the direction of Xuanwu.

Chen Che's consciousness and life soul were completely merged. He felt the lizard's every heartbeat, every breath, and every pulse of its blood. It was an ancient and powerful force awakening within him.

After an unknown amount of time, the transformation stopped.

The lizard—no, it can no longer be called a lizard—half a Xuanwu lay there, its body a full size larger than before. Its back was covered in layers of thick armor plates, like a natural shield. Its limbs were muscular and powerful, brimming with explosive strength. Its two tails swayed gently, each movement stirring the surrounding chaos.

But what's most striking is its eyes.

Those eyes, no longer cloudy, had become deep and ancient, as if they held wisdom accumulated over millennia. They looked at Chen Che, and Chen Che looked back at them.

This time, they were truly one.

The chaos gradually dissipated.

Chen Che opened his eyes and found himself still in the training room. Outside the window, it was already dark; he didn't know how much time had passed.

......

In December, the sky over Shanghai was gloomy, as if it were about to snow, but it never did.

The calendar of 1937 turned to December 12th.

At six o'clock in the morning, before dawn, martial law was imposed around People's Square. Soldiers from the garrison command were stationed every three steps and sentries every five steps, their dark gun barrels pointed at the crowds of onlookers. In the center of the square, a newly erected gallows stood in the cold wind, the wooden frame painted with glaring black paint, the noose hanging down, swaying slightly in the wind.

Just after seven o'clock, the prison van drove out of the garrison command headquarters, escorted by two trucks in front and behind, each equipped with machine guns, their dark muzzles pointed at both sides of the street. The shops along the road had closed early, and pedestrians walked close to the walls, not daring to even lift their heads.

The prison van stopped at the edge of the square.

When Su Yanqing was brought down, a commotion arose among the onlookers. She wore a faded blue cotton robe, her hair was somewhat disheveled, but her back was ramrod straight. The wounds on her face had scabbed over, but her eyes remained bright, scanning the crowd with an indescribable composure.

"Nightingale! Nightingale!" someone whispered, then was struck down by the butt of a soldier's rifle.

Su Yanqing heard this, turned her head slightly, glanced in that direction, and even curved her lips into a smile. Then she looked away and walked step by step toward the gallows.

The ground beneath my feet was a cold stone path, soldiers with guns were standing on both sides, and the sky above was gloomy.

She remembered the willow trees along the Suzhou River when she was a child, the osmanthus cakes her mother made, and the first character her father taught her—"人" (person).

A stroke to the left and a stroke to the right, standing tall and upright.

Su Yanqing was led to the gallows, her hands bound behind her back, and a noose was placed around her neck. The rough hemp rope chafed her skin, carrying the chill of death.

Below the stage, a young man wearing a gray cotton robe lowered his head and mingled in the crowd.

It's Li Yu.

He slightly raised his eyes, glanced at Su Yanqing on the gallows, then lowered his eyelids and gently moved his fingers inside his sleeve.

In the alley to the east, more than thirty rickshaws were crammed together. The drivers squatted in twos and threes, smoking, seemingly no different from usual. But if you looked closely, you would notice their eyes glancing towards the square from time to time.

The lead driver was a lean, middle-aged man surnamed Zhou, nicknamed "Zhou the Quick-Hand." He stubbed out his cigarette on the ground and nodded to the drivers behind him.

On the second floor of the teahouse to the west, a window was slightly ajar.

A gun barrel peeked out from the gap, then retracted.

Yu Banlou sat by the window, a pot of tea in front of him, the teacups steaming. He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and his gaze fell on Su Yanqing on the gallows, his face expressionless.

Nine o'clock sharp.

A man dressed in a black Zhongshan suit walked up to the platform next to the gallows, unfolded a piece of paper, and began to read the verdict.

"Revolutionary Su Yanqing was found guilty of colluding with rebels, inciting riots, and plotting treason. In accordance with the Emergency Criminal Law for Endangering the Republic of China, he is sentenced to death and to be executed immediately."

His voice echoed in the cold wind; some people in the crowd sobbed softly, while others turned their heads away, unable to bear the sight.

Su Yanqing raised her head, looking at the gloomy sky, then at the crowd below the stage. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but the noose was too tight, and she couldn't utter a word.

She just smiled.

The smile was faint, as if it were a farewell, or as if it were saying: It's okay.

Below the stage, Li Yu clenched his fists.

In the teahouse, Yu Banlou's finger rested on the trigger.

In the alley, Zhou Kuaishou stood up.

9:05.

The executioner raised his hand, about to give the order—

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out.

It's not the direction of Yu Banlou, but the east side of the square.

Everyone was stunned, including the soldiers under the gallows.

"Damn it! Why did you hit me?!" A gruff voice boomed like thunder.

"I hit you? You're the one blocking my way!" another voice shouted even louder.

Two groups of rickshaw pullers somehow ended up at the edge of the square, pushing and shoving each other, cursing and swearing, and soon they were fighting. Rickshaws were blocking the intersection haphazardly, some people were swinging the handlebars, others were grabbing wooden sticks, and they were playing ping-pong like they were on a ping-pong table.

"Kill him!"

"You little bastard, where do you think you're going!"

The sudden brawl threw the crowd into disarray; some retreated, while others pushed forward, eager to see what was happening. Before the soldiers could react, the chaos had already spread into the square.

The executioner's expression changed: "Quickly, execute him—"

"Bang!"

Another gunshot rang out.

This time, it's the direction of the teahouse.

The bullet pierced the cold wind and struck the ropes on the gallows with perfect accuracy.