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

Facing Director Shen's extremely oppressive gaze, Lu Guan sneered inwardly.

Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum: A century-old corpse with hairy skin and blood?

Others might be terrified to hear this, but to Lu Guan, it was a super treasure trove overflowing with "spiritual skin" and "creation materials"!

"Since the section chief is willing to invest the resources, I, Lu Guan, am naturally willing to risk my life."

Lu Guan tucked the box under his arm and said.

"I'll take the spot for the spring hunt."

……

When we came out of the red brick building, it was already bright outside.

Feng Changshan patted Lu Guan on the shoulder and said with a wry smile.

"You little brat, you've got some nerve, daring to talk business with Director Shen to his face."

"However, I admire your fearless, wolf-like nature. In the Bureau of Exorcism, as long as you can kill monsters and settle disputes, the Governor's Mansion will be your biggest backer."

Feng Changshan paused, pointed to the most secluded corner on the first floor of the red brick building, and lowered his voice.

"Alright, the spring hunt will take another half a month, there's no rush."

"You single-handedly took down one of the Fox Clan's ancestral halls tonight; that's an incredible achievement."

"Go find Old Bai and record this merit."

"Our 'merit points' in the Bureau of Exorcism can be exchanged for real gold, silver, and rare treasures in the Imperial Treasury. You're about to wade into the muddy waters of the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum, so you might as well go to Old Bai and try to get some life-saving trump cards."

"Thank you for your guidance, Inspector Feng."

Lu Guan cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

He certainly hadn't forgotten the white-haired man who was blind in one eye but could see through the "acting" on his body.

Pushing open the wooden door, the archives room was dimly lit, with only a kerosene lamp flickering on the table.

Bai Dangtou was leaning back in his recliner, puffing on his pipe.

Upon hearing footsteps, Bai Dangtou's eyelids twitched.

"Hey, isn't this our newly promoted 'Captain Lu' from the Investigation Department? You're covered in blood. What's up? Where have you been eating alone so late at night?"

"We went to Qinglong Village on the outskirts of the city and slaughtered a few beasts that were wearing human skin."

"Inspector Feng asked me to come see you, sir, to record your merit."

Lu Guan walked to the table and placed the black iron waist tag engraved with "津字九捌零" on it.

Upon hearing this, Bai Dangtou paused abruptly, holding his pipe, and looked him up and down.

"Azure Dragon Manor? Back so quickly... Did the news about that branch of the Fox Clan come from you?!"

The old man gasped.

"You little brat, you've only been in this business a short time and you dared to go to the Fox Clan's lair to pull their teeth? Not only did you come back alive, but you also wiped out that entire gang?!"

As Bai Dangtou sighed, he opened the drawer.

He pulled out a thick kraft paper ledger and his fingers flew across the abacus.

"Killing Bai Qi, the leader of the Fox Clan, counts as a major achievement, 300 points. Destroying a branch of the incense-burning sect and rescuing innocents, 200 points. And that doesn't even include the fox demon puppets you killed..."

"Wow, you've racked up eight hundred merit points in just one night's business!"

"Eight hundred points?"

Lu Guan raised an eyebrow slightly. "What can I exchange it for?"

"There are plenty of things you can exchange them for."

Bai slapped his thigh.

"One hundred points can buy a German-made 20-shot Mauser C96 pistol, and two hundred points can buy a hundred-year-old wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain. With your eight hundred points, you could easily buy a small villa with a garden in the concession!"

Lu Guan remained unmoved.

"Senior Bai, mansions and firearms are all external things to me. All I want is the 'Yinmo Ling Chapter'."

The smile on Bai Dangtou's face froze, and he gave Lu Guan a deep look.

"You little brat, are you really going to go down this dead-end path of unorthodox methods?"

Seeing Lu Guan's resolute gaze, leaving no room for negotiation, Bai Dangtou let out a long sigh.

"Very well, good advice is useless to a damned devil. Since you have done such a great deed, this old man will grant your wish."

After saying that, Bai turned around and pulled out a tin box covered with yellowed talismans from the depths of the rows of filing cabinets that stretched all the way to the ceiling.

"Click".

The rusty copper lock was opened, and a chilling aura rushed out.

"The things in here are all top-secret scripts left behind by the former Qing Dynasty's Yin-Yang Bureau. Each one was filled with human lives and demon blood."

The white-clad man put on a pair of gloves stained with cinnabar, carefully took out three tattered thread-bound books from the tin box, and laid them out in a row on the table.

"The first book, 'The Impermanent Reaper,' is written using the skins of seven vengeful ghosts dressed in red who hanged themselves, mixed with their resentment. To exchange for this book, you need four hundred merit points."

"The second book is called 'The Five-Power Evil God.' It's a lewd and evil shrine from the south of the previous dynasty, containing a fragment of the Five-Power God's soul."

"This book is extremely volatile; if one's birth chart is not strong, opening it will drive one mad. To exchange for this book, you need 500 merit points."

The white-haired man's finger finally landed on the third play script.

The third book is "Huang Xian Asks for a Title".

"Back then, a prominent figure from the Yin-Yang Bureau captured a weasel demon that had cultivated for three hundred years in the Changbai Mountains outside the Great Wall."

"Taking advantage of its moment of 'seeking a title' and taking human form, we skinned it alive and used its heart's blood and resentment to write the Yin Ink Spirit Scroll."

"This weasel spirit's obsession runs too deep; on the day the book was completed, it killed three imperial guards. This book is the most dangerous, requiring eight hundred merit points!"

Lu Guan's gaze swept over the three tattered scrolls that exuded an evil aura.

When his gaze fell on "Huang Xian Asks for a Title", the half-piece of "Huang Weasel Skin" that he had seized in the Fox Gate cellar, hidden in his wide sleeve, faintly emanated a heat.

"The Yellow Immortal..."

Lu Guan went through the thoughts in his mind in an instant.

Fox spirits are primarily associated with allure and bewitching.

In the legends beyond the Great Wall, the weasel is not only known for its possession abilities, but also for its unpredictable hallucination and spell-casting techniques.

Once blinded by it, one will be trapped in an endless cycle of illusions, eventually dying from the depletion of one's vital energy.

If we could combine this remnant of the weasel's skin with this book, "The Weasel's Quest for a Title," and create a completely new and wondrous appearance...

In the upcoming "Spring Hunt" at the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum, it will definitely be a trump card that can achieve unexpected victory against the unpredictable corpse demons and the experts from various warlords!

"That's it."

Without hesitation, Lu Guan reached out and pointed his index finger at the withered yellow cover of "Huang Xian Asks for a Title".

"I'll spend all 800 merit points to buy this book, 'Huang Xian Asks for a Title'."

Bai Dangtou's eyelids twitched, but he didn't say anything.

He deftly crossed out Lu Guan's merit points in the ledger and pushed the script that reeked of foul odor over to him.

"Kid, take your stuff. This old man's giving you one last piece of advice: don't let the beasts in this book bewitch you. Weasels are the most petty and vengeful!"

"Thank you for your kind words, senior. If it dares to hold a grudge, I'll peel off its skin again."

Lu Guan tucked "Huang Xian Asks for a Title" into his pocket, turned around, and strode out of the archives.