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

Lu Guan pushed the wheelbarrow and, under the cover of night, transported the "filthy goods" to a mass grave on the outskirts of the no-man's-land. He pushed the tarpaulin along with the goods into a deep ditch and then hastily buried them with snow water and mud.

In these chaotic times of war, countless people froze to death, starved to death, or were killed and their bodies dumped every day. Wild dogs could gnaw bones clean in one night. Who could care about three missing gang thugs?

By the time they finished cleaning up the bloodstains in the yard and returned backstage, it was already 9 PM.

The charcoal brazier was rekindled, its flames flickering.

The old blind man leaned against the opera box, half of his face swollen high, with blood scabs on the corner of his mouth, and he was gasping for breath in pain.

Lu Guan took out a delicate white porcelain medicine bottle from his pocket.

This was something Su Ruoxue insisted on giving him before she left, saying it was "Seven-Point Powder," a secret recipe from the Liuhe Martial Arts School. It was said to be a special remedy for sprains and bruises, and to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis; you couldn't even buy a bottle for two silver dollars on the market.

"Blind man, bear with it."

Lu Guan uncorked the bottle, and a strong musky scent mixed with the medicinal aroma of Panax notoginseng wafted out.

He poured out some of the powder, dissolved it in warm water, and carefully applied it to the old blind man's swollen cheeks and neck.

As soon as the cool ointment was applied, the old blind man's tightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed a bit.

The two looked at each other. Lu Guan watched the old man in front of him who was almost beaten to death for protecting the opera box, and felt a pang of sadness for no reason.

"You've suffered so much. You've never enjoyed a single day of happiness with me, only been beaten." Lu Guan gave a bitter smile.

The old blind man blinked his cloudy one eye, and his cracked, leaky mouth also chuckled.

"Young Master, why are you speaking such unorthodox language? It's nothing."

The old blind man raised his withered hand and touched the plaster on his face.

"Although my bones are old and decaying, they can still take a beating."

"In my younger days, I followed the old troupe leader all over the country. In those cannibalistic places beyond the Great Wall, the bandits and outlaws we encountered were far more ruthless than these underworld bastards. Every time, we were on the verge of death."

"Consider this minor injury as a way to loosen up your muscles and bones."

Lu Guan didn't say anything, but silently tucked the corner of the tattered quilt around the old blind man.

He knew that in this chaotic world, weakness would not earn sympathy, only killing could bring awe.

night, deeper.

As the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) approaches, the cold wind howls.

The old blind man lay on the wooden bed, his breathing gradually becoming steady, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Lu Guan sat cross-legged in the darkness, reaching into his robes. The shadow puppet "Rat Shadow," made of gray squirrel skin, was pressed quietly against his heart.

"Buzz—"

With a slight surge of his inner energy, Ming Jin brought the shadow puppet to life.

[Possessing another's image!]

In an instant, Lu Guan felt a strange aura coursing through his body, and his pupils glowed with a faint green light in the darkness, making the night seem like day.

The surging, fiery energy within him was forcibly suppressed by this shadowy force in an instant, and he seemed to turn into a mass of cold air.

Lu Guan rolled out of bed, and just as he pushed open the back window, preparing to leap into the wind and snow, the old blind man on the bed suddenly rolled over.

"Young Master... the road outside is slippery, so make sure to clear away the grass roots before you go back."

The old blind man was not asleep.

Although he was blind, he had spent his entire life in this opera troupe, and his mind was clearer than anyone else's.

The chilling aura emanating from Lu Guan just now did not escape his ears.

He knew that this kid wasn't one to suffer in silence.

Tonight, I'm going to make a scene for myself and for the Fuju Class.

Lu Guan paused slightly and said.

"Don't worry, Mr. Blind, I'll definitely get an explanation tonight."

Before he could finish speaking, he had already disappeared into the swirling snow.

……

Nanshi, a two-courtyard siheyuan on the edge of the Japanese concession.

This is the private residence of Manager Zhao of Juyinglou Restaurant.

The fact that Manager Zhao was able to acquire such a large business in Nanshi, where land is incredibly valuable, shows just how well he has connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles and how much money he makes.

The courtyard wall was extremely high, and broken glass shards were stuck on top of it to deter thieves.

Inside and outside the courtyard, they hired skilled guards at great expense.

Lu Guan was like an upside-down gecko, clinging to the eaves of the main house of the Zhao residence.

Using the supernatural ability of "Rat Concealment," he could clearly sense the hidden sentries in the courtyard.

In the left and right wing rooms of the front yard, a man sat cross-legged, breathing heavily.

At the peak of whole-force, about to step into the realm of manifest-force.

In the shadows of the long corridor leading to the hanging flower gate in the backyard, stood a burly figure.

Although the man's eyes were closed, there was a faint flow of qi and blood beneath his skin, indicating that he was a master of the Ming Jin (明劲) stage.

"The defenses are quite strong."

Lu Guan sneered inwardly.

For an ordinary martial artist, even one who has reached the Great Perfection of Ming Jin, sneaking into the inner courtyard without alerting the guard would be an impossible task.

However, these defenses are rendered useless by the stealth and keen sense of smell of the [Mouse Hideout].

Lu Guan held his breath, his figure like a wisp of smoke, and slid directly over the roof beam three feet above the head of the Ming Jin master.

The expert only felt a cold wind blowing down his neck, and he shrank back, completely unaware that a living person had passed overhead.

They sneaked into the main house in the inner courtyard.

Inside, the floor was burning hot, warm as spring, and even had a strong scent of cosmetics and Western perfume.

On the fine, carved canopy bed, the brocade quilt was rolled up.

"Oh dear, husband, what's wrong with you today?"

"It's been half an hour, and you're still looking like a wilted eggplant..."

From inside the bed came a woman's charming yet somewhat resentful voice complaining.

The speaker was Manager Zhao's second wife, whom he had married less than half a year ago. She was voluptuous and at the prime of her life.

Manager Zhao, exasperated, rolled over, grabbed the blanket to cover his bald head, and growled in a low voice.

"Stop with the sissy talk. I haven't been eating or sleeping well these past few days, so I haven't been thinking about this kind of thing."

"What's wrong now? Isn't business at Juyinglou pretty good?" The daughter-in-law persisted, clinging to him relentlessly.

"Business? I'm barely keeping my life up now!"

Manager Zhao sat up abruptly, rubbing his sparse hair with a worried expression, and let out a long sigh.

"You don't know anything. That brat Lu Guan from the Fuju Class is a complete monster."

"I, Zhao, have been working in Tianjin for twenty years and have never seen anyone climb this fast."

"Just two weeks ago, he was a novice begging for a living by performing shadow puppetry under an overpass."

"But look at him now? He was able to cripple a Red Stick of the Canal Gang right there in the street when he first entered the Ming Jin realm. Now he's changing every few days, his energy and blood are as vigorous as a furnace."

"This kind of person has extraordinary talent; as long as they don't die young, they'll become a martial arts grandmaster sooner or later!"

"I originally intended to invest in him as a potential success story, hoping to build a good relationship. But who knew..."

Manager Zhao gritted his teeth, his face full of bitterness.

"Who knew that it was those 'living gods' from beyond the Great Wall who would target him?"

"Those evil cultivators from the Fox Clan are like dragons crossing the river. They forced me to put the fox spirit's aphrodisiac in this kid's medicine, wanting to use him as food to replenish their essence."

"I, Zhao, cannot afford to offend either of these two sides!"

"If the people of the Fox Clan find out that I have failed in my mission, they can make my entire family be drained dry by evil spirits in my dreams."

"But if that ruthless Lu Guan finds out that I poisoned his medicine... with his decisive and ruthless nature, he could tear me to pieces."

The more Manager Zhao spoke, the more desperate he became, and he slapped himself hard across the face.

"I'm just a restaurant owner, how did I get involved in this deadly situation?"

The wife was stunned. Although she didn't understand anything about the Mingjin Fox Fairy, she could hear the fear in her husband's voice. She was so frightened that she shrank into the quilt and dared not make a sound.

Just as Manager Zhao was worrying so much he was pulling his hair out.

"Oh……"

A light laugh, tinged with amusement, suddenly rang out in the warm bedroom.