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

The night was as dark as ink, and the city was sealed off by heavy snow.

Back in the courtyard of the Fuju Opera Troupe, Lu Guan placed the old camphor wood opera box under the altar table backstage.

The old blind man was frail and had been frightened and chilled. After drinking a bowl of ginger soup, he fell asleep on the wooden plank bed.

Lu Guan, however, was not sleepy at all.

By the light of the charcoal fire, he looked around the drafty, dilapidated temple.

"Once we've cleaned up those scumbags from the Fox Clan hiding in the gutter, it's time to give this theater a proper renovation."

Lu Guan secretly made his own calculations.

He had eighteen small yellow croakers and more than three hundred silver dollars in his pocket, enough to buy a large two-courtyard house in Tianjin.

But he doesn't plan to move.

Fuju Class is the legacy left by the master, and also an excellent place to conceal one's true intentions.

Once he gets through this impending calamity, he'll tear down all the leaky walls and replace them with blue bricks and tiles.

They laid bluestone slabs in the courtyard for practice, and then erected a three-zhang-high flagpole to re-establish the name of the Fuju Class.

In this chaotic world, with the warlord's mansion as his backing and his own formidable strength, he would ensure that no one in Nanshi would dare to kick down this door again!

Pulling himself back to reality, Lu Guan sat cross-legged beside the charcoal brazier.

Tonight on the frozen surface of the Haihe River, in order to deter the water monsters, he unleashed a powerful strike, "The Fierce Tiger Climbs the Mountain," imbued with the spirit of a fierce tiger.

Although he was very imposing, he was extremely depleted of his vital energy.

In addition, the use of the [Mouse Concealment] shadow puppet had previously exposed him to cold and damp energy, causing his meridians to ache slightly.

"It's time."

Lu Guan took out a wooden box containing large amounts of medicine.

He only used a small portion of the century-old blood ginseng and jade-transformed tiger bone ointment he had previously prepared to break through to the "Minor Completion of Ming Jin" level.

The rest of the ointment was all here. He swallowed most of the bowl of ointment.

boom!

The medicine went down my throat like swallowing a lump of lava.

The vitality sealed within the century-old blood ginseng intertwines with the domineering pure yang bone marrow from the fossilized tiger bone, exploding instantly in the stomach.

"Well……"

Lu Guan gritted his teeth, and the veins on his neck bulged.

He activated the breathing techniques of Bajiquan, guiding this violent torrent to wash over his limbs and bones.

Under the "Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones" physique, the medicinal power that was originally enough to burst the meridians of an ordinary martial artist was gradually crushed and absorbed, transforming into Ming Jin Qi and blood.

Crackling sounds...

Crackling sounds...

A series of cracking sounds came from backstage.

Beneath Lu Guan's tough, cowhide-like skin, the dark blue-black network of qi and blood became increasingly dense and robust.

Heat burst forth from his pores, condensing in the cold winter air into a white mist tiger.

As the medicinal effects continued to wash over him, Lu Guan's internal energy and blood surged to their limit.

Between the skin, flesh, and bones, there seemed to be an invisible "membrane".

This membrane prevents the flow of qi and blood outward, but it is also this membrane that locks in the vitality within his body.

"This is the final hurdle to overcome in achieving the Great Perfection of Ming Jin..."

Once this membrane is broken through, the Qi and blood can truly become like a furnace, releasing Yang Qi outwards, and preventing all evils from invading.

Lu Guan clenched his fists, and his internal energy surged towards the barrier.

The barrier was exceptionally tough; every impact sent shockwaves through the internal organs.

"No, the medicine is potent, but the timing is still a little off. Forcing it will easily damage the internal organs."

Lu Guan was naturally calm, and after realizing the barrier was strong, he decisively stopped his reckless actions.

He slowly exhaled a long breath carrying the metallic scent of blood, returning the boiling energy to his dantian.

Although he couldn't break through this barrier in one go, he could feel that he was already standing at the peak of the Lesser Completion of Ming Jin, with one foot already in the threshold of the Greater Completion.

He is only one opportunity away from reaching the realm where his blood and qi are like a furnace!

……

Meanwhile, at the border between the French Concession and the Chinese-controlled area.

The military equipment department compound of the governor's mansion was brightly lit.

This three-story red brick building was the command center of the Jiyi Ke (稽异科) in Tianjin.

Two rows of guards stood outside the building, one every three steps and one every five steps, exuding a chilling and menacing atmosphere.

Feng Changshan, wearing a military overcoat covered in frost, strode across the corridor.

He didn't even bother to give a formal announcement; he simply pushed open the door to his office deep inside the second floor.

"Director Shen, the case of the Haihe River water mystery is closed."

The office was covered with Persian carpets.

Behind the mahogany desk sat a middle-aged man in military uniform and wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

This person was none other than Shen Xiaolin, the head of the Armed Forces Department.

Director Shen, holding a cup of black coffee, raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, put down the cup, and spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

"Supervisor Feng, rushing around in the middle of the night is not like the behavior of a master of internal strength."

"The Water Monster case is closed. Did you personally go into the water and smash that beast's skull?"

"It wasn't me."

Feng Changshan walked to the table, placed his hands on the surface, and his eyes still held excitement.

"Director Shen, it was done by a young man from the countryside. He used some folk methods to fish out the water monkey."

"And then... one punch, just one punch!"

"They beat that powerful water monkey so badly that its sternum collapsed, forcing it to the surface."

Director Shen sneered, "Feng Changshan, are you telling me a myth?"

"The water monster in the Haihe River, with its green fur impenetrable even by bullets, you're telling me a common martial artist crippled it with a single punch?"

"Could he be some reclusive Grandmaster of Internal Energy who has reversed his aging process?"

"No, he only has the initial stage of Ming Jin cultivation. But he... has cultivated the intent of fist!"

Feng Changshan said, enunciating each word clearly.

Snapped!

Director Shen dropped his pen on the table, stood up, and looked on in disbelief.

"You've truly mastered the essence of Ming Jin's boxing; you're not mistaken?"

"My eyes are sharp; I could never be wrong."

Feng Changshan took a deep breath.

"When that punch was thrown, even I felt a chilling and ferocious aura. The water monkey was so intimidated by the intent of the punch that it took the fatal blow."

"Director, this kid is an exceptional talent, one in a million. I've already given him the temporary license for the Investigation Department."

"I would also like to ask you to issue a note to transfer a three-hundred-year-old ginseng or blood lingzhi from the Armed Forces Department's treasury as a reward for him."

"A powerful medicine?" Director Shen narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, this kind of monster, as long as we throw heavy money and potent medicine at him, we can completely bind him to the war chariot of the governor's mansion."

"Although he practices folk law, which only allows him to reach the level of internal strength, it's enough for him."

"Given time, our Armaments Department will have another formidable hidden-force killing god, invincible below the Transformation Force level!"

"At that time, we'll have to take care of all the unruly gangs and foreigners in the Tianjin Concession."

Director Shen was not excited; instead, he sat back down in his chair, his expression uncertain.

Having climbed to this position amidst the quagmire of warlord infighting, he was more suspicious than anyone else.

"How could a prodigy who can cultivate martial intent with just Ming Jin (a type of internal strength) possibly be hiding under an overpass in Nanshi with no background whatsoever?"

"Don't forget, in the past six months, the 'Five Great Immortal Sects' outside the pass have been very restless, frequently sending people to infiltrate Tianjin Gate."

"They came for the 'Tianjin Armory Heritage' from back then."

"Could this kid be a spy sent by those beasts from beyond the Great Wall, deliberately staging a ruse to infiltrate the governor's mansion?"

Feng Changshan was stunned, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

If that's the case, giving out the temporary license would be a capital offense, like letting a wolf into the house.

"Someone come here."

Director Shen pressed the copper bell on the table.

An undercover agent pushed open the door, stood at attention, and saluted: "Chief!"

"Go investigate, find out the background of a guy named Lu Guan from the Fuju troupe in Nanshi."

"They even found out who he's been in contact with recently, where he's been, what he's done, and even what kind of stool he poops every day."

"We especially need to investigate whether he has any connections with areas outside the Great Wall."

"Yes, sir!" The agent turned and ran off.

The office fell silent.

Feng Changshan stood there, his heart pounding with anxiety, and he had no appetite for even the now-cold tea.

Less than half an hour later, the agent returned, holding a summary of intelligence, his expression strange.

"Chief, we've investigated thoroughly. Just two weeks ago, this kid was a poor man who couldn't even afford to eat, but recently he's suddenly become rich, and..."

The agent swallowed hard and glanced at Feng Changshan.

"Speak!" Director Shen's eyes turned cold.

"Our informant in Nanshi reports that Lu Guan has indeed recently had very deep ties with the 'Hu Men' outside the pass."