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

The sky over Tianjin these past few days has looked like a giant black pot has been turned upside down.

In the depths of that secluded mansion in Nanshi, where sunlight never shines.

The young man, dressed in a moon-white silk shirt, leaned back in the armchair, his brows slightly furrowed.

The man in the lower left, dressed in a short blue shirt, bowed and analyzed the situation.

"Senior brother, that kid hasn't gone to Juyinglou to get his medicine for three whole days."

"Moreover, Manager Zhao sent word that although Lu Guan has continued to perform at Tianqiao these past few days, the fluctuations in his qi and blood... seem to have been completely contained, as if nothing had happened."

"Completely concealed?"

The young man in the silk shirt suddenly stopped what he was doing.

"The fox spirit's seductive poison is extremely yin and evil. Once mixed with those highly nourishing century-old ginseng, if an ordinary martial artist takes it, his qi and blood will be like oil being poured on a raging fire, impossible to suppress."

"How could someone who's just entered the realm of internal energy cultivation possibly conceal his vital energy?"

The young man stood up, walked to the eaves, and looked at the snowflakes falling outside, his eyes growing colder.

"Something's fishy going on. Either he sensed something was wrong with the medicine and didn't take it at all, or..."

The young man didn't continue, but an absurd thought uncontrollably popped into his mind.

Could it be that this kid, with the help of that batch of clean old medicine, has already mastered the Ming Jin technique to a minor level, and even developed a secret method to lock in Qi and blood?

impossible!

Even if a lowly actor who can't even afford to eat has the best physique, without a master massaging his muscles and bones day and night, it would be impossible for him to break through in such a short time.

"Senior brother, what do we do now?"

The man in blue swallowed hard. "Grey Dog died under mysterious circumstances. The Canal Gang is searching for him like crazy. If Master Pan traces it back to the Fuju Gang, it will jeopardize our 'blood offerings'..."

"I'm not waiting anymore."

The young man in the silk robe suddenly turned around, his eyes revealing murderous intent.

"A long night can lead to many unforeseen events. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Since this pig refuses to eat from its trough, we might as well just pin it down and slaughter it!"

The young man took a copper bell out of his sleeve and tossed it to the man in blue.

"Let 'Iron Claw' lead the way, and you and Lao San will go together. One Ming Jin and two Zheng Jin Guan, go to the Fu Ju Ban's run-down theater."

The man in blue caught the copper bell, his hand trembling.

That "Iron Claw" is the number one ruthless person under my senior brother's command, a genuine master of Ming Jin, and he has many lives on his hands.

Sending him to lead a team to deal with a young boy who has just entered the Ming Jin realm is quite a large undertaking.

"Senior brother, what if that kid refuses?"

"Refuse?"

The young man in the silk robe sneered, "This 'Hu Men Soul-Slaying Bell' contains a trace of the fairy's innate wickedness. As long as he has taken our previous batches of medicine, his body will be tainted with karma."

"With a single ring of the bell, his vital energy will immediately reverse, turning him into a helpless shrimp at your mercy. Break his arms and legs, as long as he's still alive, bring him back for the fairy to suck his marrow!"

"Yes."

The man in blue turned and left.

……

At 3:45 PM, it was already getting dark.

In the dilapidated courtyard of Fujuban, the old blind man sat in the sheltered spot under the eaves, using his withered, red hands to slowly apply rosin to the old erhu.

"Squeak—"

The old blind man's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

He sniffed; in the air, besides the distinctive coal smoke of Tianjin, there was a faint, fishy smell.

"Bang!"

Before the old blind man could react, the already rickety wooden door was kicked away, frame and all, by someone.

Amidst the swirling sawdust and snowflakes, three tall figures strode into the courtyard.

The leader was a bald man with a sinister face, wearing steel finger guards on both hands; he was none other than the Ming Jin master, "Iron Claw".

Following behind him were the man in blue and a burly man with a face full of scars, both with prominent temples, clearly having honed their strength to the bone.

"Where's that brat Lu Guan?"

The man in blue stepped forward and kicked over the charcoal brazier in the yard, splashing sparks all over the old blind man.

The old blind man trembled, but did not retreat. Holding the erhu in his arms, he stood up shakily.

"Gentlemen, our Fuju Troupe hasn't performed opera for a long time. I'm just a blind old man here; there's no Lu Guan here."

"You blind old geezer, still trying to bluff your way through!"

The burly man with a face full of scars grinned maliciously, stepped forward, and with a burst of strength, slapped the old blind man hard across the face.

"Smack."

The old blind man's bones couldn't withstand such a heavy blow. He was sent flying and crashed into the old camphor wood opera box with a loud "boom." His mouth split open instantly, and blood mixed with two broken teeth came out.

"Why…"

The old blind man huddled on the ground, his hands protecting the hidden compartment of the opera box, afraid that these people would discover the secret inside.

"Don't waste your breath on him, search! That kid's definitely hiding in some rat hole." Iron Claw coldly glanced around the yard and said.

The man in blue grinned and walked toward the old blind man, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him into the air.

"Your old bones are pretty tough, huh? I'd like to see if your bones are tougher, or if my fists are tougher."

"Tell me, where did Lu Guan go!"

The old blind man, his face covered in blood, still shook his head and said, "Never seen him before, don't know him."

"court death!"

Enraged, the man in blue raised his fist to smash it down on the old blind man's head.

"Whoosh."

Just then, a dark figure slid down from outside the courtyard wall.

Only when the dark figure landed did a terrifying killing intent instantly envelop the entire courtyard.

"Let him go."

The icy voice seemed to drift out from the deepest hell.

The three intruders turned around abruptly and saw Lu Guan standing quietly in the center of the courtyard, wearing an old, faded cotton-padded jacket with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

He didn't release any qi or blood, but his eyes made even Iron Claw, a master of Ming Jin, involuntarily twitch his eyelids.

"Young Master, run! They are... cough cough..."

The old blind man shouted out with all his might, then coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Lu Guan looked at the bloodstains on the old blind man's face, then glanced at the overturned brazier, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"run?"

The man in blue threw the old blind man to the ground, laughing loudly, "You little brat, you chose the path to hell when there was one. Today, you can't escape!"

Iron Claw, however, was much more cautious than him.

He looked Lu Guan up and down, his brows furrowed.

This kid is so calm.

Moreover, how could a novice who has just entered the Ming Jin realm possibly possess such a subtle sense of oppression emanating from him?

"It seems the rumors were true; you have indeed broken through the barrier."

Iron Claw sneered, his fingers interlaced, the steel finger guards clanking loudly.

"However, even among those who have just entered the Ming Jin realm, there are different levels. Today, I'll teach you what it means to be outmatched."

"Why waste words with him? Just ring the bell and cripple him!"

The man in blue was clearly an impatient man. He took out the "Hu Men Dang Hun Bell" from his pocket and gave a cold smile.

"Kid, you think the tiger bone wine from Manager Zhao's place is so delicious? Today I'll let you taste what it's like to have a thousand insects gnawing at your heart!"

Having said that, the man in blue suddenly flicked his wrist.

"Ring ring—"

As soon as the bell rang, Iron Claw and the burly man immediately took a half step back, fearing they would be affected by the sinister energy in the bell.

They had personally witnessed how those martial artists who had consumed medicines imbued with the aura of the fox spirit wept bitterly and wailed like rotten mud when the bell rang.

The man in blue stared at Lu Guan, eager to see him suffer a terrible fate, his blood running cold and him kneeling down begging for mercy.