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

On the rosewood altar, statues of Guan Yu, Zhong Kui (the demon-quelling deity), and Zhang Tianshi (the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain) are lined up, surrounded by swirling incense and flickering eternal lamps.

What's even more chilling is that the mottled blue brick wall is covered with specimens of all sorts of strange creatures nailed on with thick iron nails!

It has a foot-long, green-furred water monkey claw.

It has a yellowish-brown tail that emits a faint, foul odor.

There was even a rope soaked in black blood, tied in a tight knot, used for hanging.

The air was filled with the smells of cheap tobacco, musty paper, and a lingering, faint stench of corpses.

"This place is pretty eerie, isn't it?"

Feng Changshan sneered, took off his heavy military overcoat and threw it to the guard, "Those who deal with us dirty bastards are more likely to die young if they're too clean."

After passing through the office hall, Feng Changshan led Lu Guan through the wooden door of an inner room.

The room was dimly lit, with only a kerosene lamp flickering on the table.

Behind the table sat an old man who was as thin as a rake.

He wore a faded long gown, his left eye was covered with a black cloth, but his right eye shone as brightly as an owl in the dark, so sharp that no one dared to look directly at it.

"White-collar worker, I've brought the man."

In front of this old man, Feng Changshan actually toned down his arrogance and spoke quite politely.

This white-haired old man was the head of the Bureau of Mysteries, responsible for the files and logistics distribution of strange cases.

The white-clad leader's shrewd and terrifying right eye was fixed on Lu Guan.

That gaze seemed to pierce through flesh and skin, looking directly into the soul and spirit.

Lu Guan felt a slight chill, and the Ming Jin Qi and blood in his body instinctively accelerated their circulation.

A moment later, the white-haired man grinned, revealing his yellow and black broken teeth.

"My child, the path you've chosen may be unconventional, but it will lead to success."

Lu Guan's heart skipped a beat.

Bai Dangtou stood up, walked around Lu Guan, and said in a low voice.

"You're a character in a play."

"People only know that shadow puppetry is a lowly pastime, but they don't know that in the former Qing Dynasty's Yin-Yang Bureau, shadow puppetry was once a respectable form of execution. Using shadow puppets to represent the body, they slayed demons and evil spirits."

"It's a pity that with the change of dynasties, the tradition was broken, and the magical artifacts were scattered among the people. I never thought that with half of my body buried, I would be able to see such a sight again today."

A storm raged in Lu Guan's heart.

The old man actually saw through his deep connection with the shadow puppetry at a glance, and even knew the secrets of the former Qing Dynasty's Yin-Yang Bureau.

Lu Guan bowed respectfully, saying, "Senior has excellent judgment."

Bai patted him on the shoulder and sat back down at the table.

"Do a good job. The waters of Tianjin are murky. The government's tiger skin may be powerful, but in the end, only your own hands can protect you."

After the two finished their charade, Feng Changshan gave them a few instructions and then went to the front hall to handle military affairs.

Shortly after, a stern-faced instructor pushed open the door and entered, carrying a stack of rosters.

He glanced at everyone in the room and loudly read out the rules of the Armed Forces Department.

"Now that we've received the black iron waist token, we're brothers who will serve the Governor's Mansion from now on."

"The Bureau of Unusual Activities does not tolerate idlers. Now, begin assigning teams; form your own groups!"

"The rules are simple: those who have achieved the Great Perfection of Ming Jin automatically become team leaders. Lu Guan has been specially promoted to team leader by Governor Feng!"

The instructor tapped the blackboard.

"Performance evaluation is of paramount importance. Each team must resolve one mysterious case every month. Failure to do so will result in a 50% pay cut for the month."

"Submitting blank papers for three consecutive months: Your military badge is revoked, and you're out of the Armed Forces Department!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the martial arts disciples in the hall immediately sprang into action.

This is a job where you risk your life. Facing those invulnerable monsters, teamwork is undoubtedly the only guarantee of survival.

Soon, the disciples of various martial arts schools quickly banded together according to their respective schools and personal relationships, forming four or five full-strength teams.

Zhao Linchuan naturally became the core of the Liuhe Martial Arts School team, surrounded by five or six shrewd and capable fighters.

On the other hand, Lu Guan's place seemed deserted.

He defeated He Fei with a single punch on the training ground, demonstrating his terrifying strength.

But in the eyes of those martial arts school disciples, no matter how strong Lu Guan was, he was just a lone wolf.

Faced with endless, unpredictable evil spirits, what good can one person do?

Team formation and cooperation are the mainstream of Jiyijie's case handling.

Therefore, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, there was no one behind Lu Guan.

Just then, a dark red figure stepped over the crowd and walked straight up to Lu Guan.

"Lu Guan, I'd like to join your team."

Su Ruoxue's beautiful eyes were clear, and she paid no attention to Zhao Linchuan's anxious calls behind her.

Lu Guan glanced at her, then at Zhao Linchuan, whose face was ashen in the distance, and slowly shook his head.

"I appreciate Miss Su's kindness."

"I'm used to being easygoing and don't like to be bound by rules when doing things. I also don't like to rely on others. I'm actually better at doing things on my own."

He possesses the secrets of the "Creation Stage" and the "Rat Shadow" shadow puppet, which must never be exposed to others.

Being a lone wolf is his safest and most efficient way of hunting.

Su Ruoxue was taken aback upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. However, being a free-spirited person, she did not insist, nodded, and turned to rejoin her team.

Seeing that Lu Guan was all alone, the stern instructor assumed that the young man was losing face and, unusually, softened his tone to comfort him.

"It's alright, don't worry. Our Department of Extraordinary Skills has always valued ability."

"You can work independently for now. If any new people join during the next annual assessment, I'll let you have priority in choosing people."

Lu Guan smiled but neither agreed nor disagreed.

With the teams assigned, it was time to collect the rewards.

Bai Dangtou pulled an oil paper package from a worn-out drawer and pushed it in front of Lu Guan.

Lu Guan unwrapped the oil paper.

The first item was a heavy, genuine badge from the Jiyike (稽异科).

With a copper base and iron core, it exudes a more somber and imposing aura compared to temporary plates. The reverse side is engraved with the serial number "津字玖捌零" in small seal script.

The second item was a roll of banknotes and vouchers tied with red string.

"This is your monthly salary, fifteen silver dollars. You also have a medicine allowance slip. Take it to Su's Pharmacy, which is designated by the Governor's Office in the Chinese-controlled area, and you can get a good supply of medicinal herbs."

Bai Dangtou pointed to the last item on the table.

It was a slightly yellowed list of kraft paper.

"These are a few unsolved mysterious cases that the Bureau of Investigation and Explanation has been monitoring for over half a month but hasn't had time to deal with. Since you're not in a team, why don't you pick one below the third rank and practice on your own?"

Lu Guan picked up the list and quickly scanned it with his eyes.

[A coffin shop in the north of the city is chiseling wood at midnight—suspected to be the work of a vengeful ghost, danger rating: 3.]

[The case of the woman in red who became a mourner in a French Concession mansion—Hallucination and psychosis, danger rating: Level 3.]

……

Lu Guan showed little interest in these seemingly dangerous cases.

His gaze traveled downwards, finally settling at the very end of the list, on what seemed to be the most insignificant bizarre case.

[Nanshi Ghost Market Weasel Stall—Recently, several tomb raiders died mysteriously after trading at the ghost market. Their bodies were shriveled and their internal organs removed. Weasel hair and a strange odor were found at the scene.]