Republic of China: From Street Performer to War God in a Chaotic Era

Winter of the fourteenth year of the Republic of China, Tianjin.

The north wind was like a knife, swirling up the remaining snow on the rooftops of the Western-style buildings.

At the tall counter of the pawnshop "Jubaozhai", Lu Guan stood on tiptoe and handed over a fox fur coat of excellent quality.

"A pawned item, sold alive, or sold dead?"

A lazy voice came from behind the high iron fence.

"Damn it."

The clerk casually flipped through the fox fur coat, his eyelids drooping.

"The fur is a mixed color, and the lining is torn. At most, eight silver dollars."

This was Master Lu Guan's most treasured possession during his lifetime. Two years ago, it would have been worth at least thirty silver dollars.

But in these chaotic times of war, human life is cheaper than grass, so who cares about your old clothes?

"Deal. Cash now, hold on tight."

Without saying a word, Lu Guan took the eight silver dollars, still warm from his body, and turned to plunge into the swirling snow.

Half an hour later, he had spent all the money in his pocket.

Clutching an oil paper package tightly in his arms, he braved the wind and snow to return to the "Fuju Ban" theater in Nanshi.

At this time, the theater was dilapidated and deserted, with the signboard hanging askew above the entrance, teetering on the verge of collapse.

At the entrance, two thugs with their hands in their pockets were splashing red paint on the gate.

"Oh, isn't this Young Master Lu?"

One of the thugs, who had a scar on his face, turned around and gave a sarcastic smile.

"What's wrong? Going out begging in this snowy weather?"

"Your master's old bones have only been dead for three days, his body is barely cold, and you've already squandered the entire opera troupe?"

Lu Guan stopped and just stared at him coldly.

Five days ago, my master died suddenly and mysteriously backstage at the theater.

There wasn't a single wound on his body, but his bones were shattered, and he had slumped into a puddle of mud.

The patrol station took one look and said it was an emergency, without even filing a case.

But Lu Guan knew that this was the work of the "Grass Gang" in Nanshi.

The canal gangs had their eyes on the land in Fujuban and wanted to build a large opium den there.

The person in charge of this matter was "Grey Dog," a Red Stick of the Canal Gang.

This person knows some unorthodox methods and is said to have a powerful "Grey Immortal" on him, whose methods are extremely strange and ruthless.

"The deadline is in three days. Master Grey will come in person to collect the land deed."

Scarface came closer, his mouth full of yellow teeth and reeking of cigarette smoke.

"If you dare say 'no' again, your master will be your fate. Understand, little actress?"

Lu Guan didn't say anything, tightened the oil paper package in his arms, walked around them, and pushed the door open to go inside.

"Pah, you're stubborn as a mule. We'll see how you die tomorrow."

Scarface spat fiercely behind his back.

……

"Clang!"

The wooden door closed, shutting out the wind, snow, and shouts from outside.

The backstage area of ​​the theater was chilling and damp.

Lu Guan fumbled to light a kerosene lamp, illuminating the master's memorial tablet on the offering table, and also the old camphor wood opera box on the ground.

He took a deep breath, walked to the opera box, and unwrapped the oil paper package.

Inside was a piece of animal hide about the size of a palm.

Its fur was mottled, it smelled strongly of fish, and there was a charred bullet hole in the center.

This is a scrap of tiger skin with a white forehead and a gunshot mark.

The scraps left after a hunter kills a tiger are worthless, but for Lu Guan, they are his life-or-death capital!

Lu Guan closed his eyes.

Deep within my consciousness, a muffled boom resounded.

An old "shadow puppet stage" slowly rose from the depths of his consciousness.

White banners for summoning souls hung on both sides of the stage, and a faint light shone from behind the curtain.

Three days ago, he cut his finger on the opera box, and blood dripped into the hidden compartment, which is when the thing woke up.

A yellowed playbook floated in the center of the stage. He turned the page as he thought of something, and lines of ink-stained characters emerged.

[The stage of nature, where illusion is used to cultivate truth.]

[Currently included script: "The Warrior of Cangzhou"]

[Requirements for preparation: Use the hide of a fierce animal (tiger skin is preferred), and aged beef tendon as thread.]

[Prime Minister Reward: One Qi and Blood Marrow Cleansing Treatment.]

[Current materials: scraps of tiger skin with piercing eyes and a white forehead, aged beef tendon (all prepared).]

[Hint: The materials meet the minimum requirements. Shall we begin carving the "Eight Extremes Master" shadow puppet?]

"start."

Lu Guan opened his eyes, opened the opera box, and took out a complete set of carved furniture from a hidden compartment.

Wax plates, peelers, carving knives, and awls were laid out one by one on the table.

Shadow puppetry requires scraping, grinding, washing, and carving, but this tiger skin is no ordinary piece.

The tiger's aura had not yet dissipated when the blade slipped and severed his left index finger.

When the blood dripped onto the tiger skin, the skin's menacing aura suddenly subsided, and it became soft.

"You want to drink blood, right?"

With a determined heart, Lu Guan bit his tongue, spat a mouthful of blood onto the tiger skin, and picked up the carving knife.

At that moment, he saw nothing but the skin in front of him.

As the carving knife cuts, bits of skin fly.

When carving the portrait of a martial arts master, there can be no trace of literary flair.

"His head was like a lion's, his eyes wide open in anger!"

"Arms as strong as pillars, swinging wide and powerfully!"

"Body as swift as a bowstring, feet treading the eight directions!"

In his mind, a trace of the spirit of the opera stage seeped into the knife, and Lu Guan followed that force, chiseling into the tiger skin one cut at a time.

He wanted to carve into the body of that Bajiquan master who had been famous in Cangzhou fifty years ago and died fighting valiantly.

Four full hours.

It was broad daylight outside when the kerosene lamp, having burned out its last drop of oil, suddenly went out.

"call--"

Lu Guan slumped to the ground, his body drenched in cold sweat, his hands covered in dried blood, trembling uncontrollably.

But in front of him, a shadow puppet with joints strung together with cowhide lay quietly on the table.

It was an extremely rugged martial arts shadow puppet, which, even just lying there, exuded a terrifying aura of "shaking its shoulders to topple the sky and stomping its feet to shake the nine provinces."

The bullet hole in his chest couldn't be repaired. Leaving it there only added to the tragic intensity of their desperate fight to the death.

【Ding! 】

Suddenly, the stage of creation in my mind shone brightly, and a notification sound rang out.

[Phase preparation complete!]

[Item obtained: Eight Extremes Master Shadow Puppet (Low Grade)]

[Because the material was scrap and had gunshot wounds, the weight-bearing capacity of this shadow puppet was limited.]

[At the first sign of enlightenment, the very essence of life was transformed, and a divine blessing was bestowed: a cleansing of the marrow and blood!]

Before Lu Guan could react, a stream of scalding heat flowed into his forehead and rushed through his limbs and bones.

"Well--"

He clenched his teeth tightly, veins bulging on his forehead.

In an instant, the hunger, fatigue, and biting cold of the past few days were swept away by this surge of hot blood!

A mere dozen breaths later, the heat subsided beneath the skin.

Lu Guan opened his eyes and looked down, only then realizing that his collar was loose.

His neck had thickened, pushing open the topmost button.

He unbuttoned his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and looked out the window in the morning light.

The space between the skin and flesh, which was originally empty, has now been filled in, and some muscle lines are faintly visible.

Then, Lu Guan's gaze fell on the old camphor wood opera box in front of him, which was full of costumes.

This solid wood box was incredibly heavy; he usually had to use all his strength to move it even an inch.

He reached out a hand and gripped the brass ring on the edge of the box, his arm muscles tensing suddenly.

"rise!"

He lifted the large camphor wood chest, weighing over a hundred pounds, off the ground by an inch with one hand, as steady as Mount Tai.

"Bang."

The box landed again, kicking up a layer of dust.

Lu looked at his hands, a sharp glint in his eyes.

With abundant Qi and blood, the cold dissipates.

Only then did he truly have the confidence to fight for his life in this chaotic world.

Immediately afterwards, the words on the stage of creation began to roll and change again.

[Triggering the second stage: Gathering Thoughts.]

[Requirements: Set up a stage in an ordinary marketplace and perform ten acts depicting the life of the "Cangzhou Warrior".]

[Conditions: There must be at least five audience members in the audience for each performance, and the climax of the performance must excite the audience and elicit thunderous applause.]

Current progress: 0/10

[Reward: Complete ten "Full House Applause" performances to add the finishing touches to the shadow puppet. The host will then receive a personal teaching from a Bajiquan master in their dream at midnight, gaining the true essence of "Bajiquan: Mingjin"!]