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

Lu Guan glanced at the mirror out of the corner of his eye, and his heart skipped a beat.

In the reflection of the ancient mirror, under the lantern with the character "Xiao" hanging at the end of the ghost market, a stall had appeared out of nowhere.

Behind the stall sat an elderly woman with white hair dressed in funeral clothes.

The old woman held a wad of ghost money in her hand and threw it into the brazier in front of her one by one.

Under the reflection of the "Heart-Reflecting Mirror," a wisp of blue smoke was slowly swirling around the old woman's neck.

Amidst the wisps of smoke, the face of a weasel vaguely appeared, staring in Lu Guan's direction.

"Such a heavy aura of resentment."

The hairs on Lu Guan's spine stood on end, and he hunched over as he slowly retreated from the shadow of the old locust tree.

Only after he walked out of the Ghost Market's archway and entered the quiet yet still somewhat lively street in the Chinese territory did the black frost on the "Heart-Reflecting" mirror in his sleeve gradually fade away.

Lu Guan exhaled a breath of stale air.

"Just how many more monsters like these lurk beneath the waters of Tianjin?"

He touched the black iron waist tag issued by the Military Affairs Department of the Governor's Mansion in his pocket, and only then did he become a little more sober.

No matter how strong an individual's fist is, it will eventually have its limits in the face of this chaotic world and the tide of demons.

Only by using someone else's strength against them and stirring up the waters can one carve out a bloody path through this predicament and climb to the top!

……

As dawn broke, Lu Guan turned around and returned to the courtyard of the Fuju Class.

The clay stove backstage was almost extinguished, with only a few embers remaining.

The old blind man turned over, mumbled something in his sleep, and then went back to sleep.

Lu Guan removed the [Rat Concealment] and released his minor supernatural power.

He walked up to the old camphor wood opera box that carried the legacy of three generations of the Fuju Opera Troupe, grabbed the copper ring at the bottom of the box with one hand, and exerted force.

With a "click".

The hidden compartment of the opera box was then pushed open.

Underneath the old scripts and shadow puppets, there was a yellowed old book.

This is the account book left behind by the old troupe leader.

It not only records the troupe's turnover, but also uses coded language to record the old troupe leader's early days in the martial arts world, including the rules of various trades and the details of the shamanistic temples.

Lu Guan slapped the dried skin with the cross mark on the table and started flipping through the old notebook by the light of the kerosene lamp.

"Outside the pass, the Yellow Gate, the Cross Heavenly Gate Seal, the List of Disciples Who Have Become Spirits."

Lu Guan pieced together the clues he had gathered that night, one by one.

The old blind man once said that anyone who could get a seasoned veteran like the yellow rat to risk their life to steal a skin was no ordinary charlatan; they must be a legitimate sect that had been worshipping a powerful demon for over a hundred years.

In the Jinmenwei area, there are very few forces that can be associated with the immortals from beyond the Great Wall.

The five major immortal families outside the pass are interconnected, and the Yellow Gate has always relied on the Hu Xian Hall to carry out its activities.

The one who can cultivate a skin that has become spiritually powerful over a hundred years and also take action to eliminate the skin thief is definitely not some rogue cultivator or wild immortal.

"Found it."

Lu Guan's finger stopped on a tattered page of the old book.

Along the edge of the page, a fox totem was drawn in vermilion, with a few lines of tiny characters written beside it.

"Qinglong Village is located 30 li outside the city of Tianjin."

"The head of the manor, Hu Dashanren, is originally from Tieling outside the pass. His family has worshipped the guardian spirit for generations. On the surface, they distribute porridge and do good deeds, but in secret, it is the largest branch of 'Hu Xiantang' in the pass."

"Hu Men, Hu Xian Tang".

A glint of light flashed in Lu Guan's eyes.

The young man from the Fox Clan, dressed in a moon-white silk robe, had poisoned the medicine given to Manager Zhao of Juyinglou with aphrodisiac, intending to use her as a vessel for sexual stimuli.

The yellow rat in the ghost market died because it was dealing with spirit skins stolen from the shrine of the immortals; its internal organs were sucked dry.

These two incidents actually point to the same force.

Humen outside the pass.

The buyer in the last few transactions of that yellow rat, or the victim who stole the fur, was most likely the Hu family from Qinglong Village on the outskirts of the city.

"It seems I'll have to make a trip to Qinglong Manor tomorrow."

……

Qinglongzhuang is located 30 li outside Tianjin. It was once an old village with a rich history.

However, years of warlord conflicts and natural and man-made disasters have left the official road outside the village littered with corpses of the starving, and even the bark of the old trees has been gnawed bare by the hungry people.

Only the Hu family mansion, located deep within Zhuangzi, still occupies a full half-street.

Vines climbed all over the towering blue brick wall. Most eerie of all, two pale white paper lanterns hung high above the peeling vermilion gate.

There was no sound of music or mourning coming from inside, nor was there any news of any old man from the Hu family passing away, yet the white lantern hung brightly in the wind and snow.

The villagers would rather take a longer route than dare to glance at the Hu family's house.

"drive--"

A dilapidated donkey cart churned through the snow and swayed into Qinglong Village.

Lu Guan thought to himself, "The world is a dangerous place."

Since Qinglong Manor is a branch of the Hu Clan from outside the Great Wall in Tianjin, it's unknown how many fox demons and their offspring who know bewitching magic are hiding there.

To charge in alone is the act of a reckless fool.

Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you deliver a fatal blow.

At this moment, he has completely changed.

He was wearing an old, greasy, twisted theatrical costume and a tattered felt hat.

On the donkey cart was a tattered wooden box with peeling paint.

This is the "running around" trade that the old blind man was talking about.

During the Republican era, amidst constant warfare, small opera troupes that had lost their theaters and signs had no choice but to travel from village to village begging for food in order to make a living.

When a family has a wedding, funeral, or festival to fulfill a vow, a makeshift stage is set up in their yard to perform a shadow play.

"Time for the opera!"

Lu Guan cleared his throat and let his voice travel along the high walls of the Hu family mansion.

"Let's hire a film troupe. They can perform for funerals, weddings, festivals, and even martial arts events—"

Lu Guan led the donkey cart and strolled around under the two white lanterns.

Sure enough, the water rippled within half an hour of the bait being cast.

"Squeak—"

The door was opened a crack from the inside.

A steward dressed in a blue silk robe, accompanied by two burly servants, approached.

The butler looked Lu Guan up and down, his gaze lingering on the broken opera box for a moment before speaking coldly.

"Little actress, are all the props for the shadow puppets in your box complete?"

"They're all together, how can they not be?"

Lu Guan immediately put on a smiling face and stepped forward.

"Grandpa, although our troupe is shabby, we have a whole box full of actors, from 'Investiture of the Gods' to 'The Cases of Judge Bao'."

"Whatever you wish to hear in your household, please feel free to order!"

The butler let out a cold snort and said quietly.

"Our master is going to fulfill a vow tonight. The troupe he hired in the city said they couldn't come because of the heavy snow blocking the roads."

"Since you've run into it, consider it your good fortune."

"Can you sing 'Hu Family Hall: Inviting the Immortals'?"