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

"Supervisor Feng, could you please go to the logistics department and ask me to borrow three taels of top-grade red cinnabar, half a catty of amber wood ash, and a pot of century-old corpse oil?"

Lu Guan thought for a moment and said.

Feng Changshan was speechless, but these things weren't worth much money, so he simply took them from his own account.

Half an hour later.

Inside the water dungeon, Lu Guan held a specially made wolf-hair brush, dipping it in the foul-smelling mixed pigment.

Using the Black-haired Demon as a giant human skin curtain, he wrote with flowing strokes, densely covering the entire body of the Black-haired Demon with the "Zhuyou Avoiding Yang Talisman" recorded in the "Zhuyou Resurrection Scroll".

From the top of his head to the soles of his feet, every inch of his skin was covered with dark red runes.

"call--"

With the final stroke, the entire black-haired demon seemed to be dressed in a dark red robe of runes and blood.

"It's done."

Lu Guan looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction.

After this "skin" was applied, the black-haired creature could move freely even during the day.

Although the runes suppress some of the Yin energy, reducing daytime combat power by about 30%, it is more than enough to serve as a tank.

In order to avoid causing panic among the residents of Nanshi.

Lu Guan found a large, worn-out black leather trench coat at a secondhand stall and put it on Hei Mao Sha.

It wore a large straw hat pulled low over its head, and its face and hands were wrapped tightly with white gauze, leaving only a pair of lifeless eyes visible.

At first glance, he looks like a tall, taciturn laborer.

"From today onwards, you are our newly recruited Fuju Class, a mute, burned, and disfigured laborer carrying boxes. Code name: 'Ah Da'."

Lu Guan patted A-Da on the shoulder.

Having tasted the benefits of having "bodyguards," Lu Guan knew that the "Spring Hunt at the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum" in half a month would be a bottomless meat grinder.

It contains not only masters from various warlords, but also countless unknown ancient demons.

He licked his lips as he looked at the remaining monstrous creatures still imprisoned deep inside the water dungeon.

"One is not enough... We need to find a way to get more merit points, exchange them all, and form a 'Corpse Fiend Squad' to ensure a smooth sweep through the Imperial Mausoleum."

……

As we left the military equipment station, it was nearly dusk.

Lu Guan led the "mute laborer" A-Da through the bustling streets of Nanshi.

Ah Da's towering two-meter-tall, imposing figure and chilling aura that kept strangers at bay caused passersby to turn their heads away and give him a wide berth.

At this moment, Lu Guan appeared to be strolling leisurely, but his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

After slaying Bai Qi of the Fox Clan and crushing the remnant soul of the three-hundred-year-old Yellow Immortal, his Ming Jin had reached its peak, achieving the beginning of the "inner three harmonies of mind and will".

However, he encountered a bottleneck.

His previous battles, whether it was instantly killing He Fei of the Iron Sand Sect at the Changqing Temple training ground or smashing Bai Qi in the Ghost Market cellar, all relied on his domineering and unparalleled one-hit kill.

A single punch can decide life or death; there is absolutely no room for negotiation.

He now lacks a "whetstone".

An opponent who allows him to avoid using his ultimate moves, instead allowing him to properly hone his skills and thus accurately assess the limits of his normal combat power.

Looking for Feng Changshan?

That old fox is a master of internal strength; a single slap from him would either kill or seriously injure me. Moreover, sparring would easily reveal too many of my trump cards, attracting unnecessary suspicion.

Looking for the canal gang?

Pan Jiuye and his gang of underworld scum should just be beaten to death. They're not worthy of being taught tricks by him.

After much thought, two figures came to mind for Lu Guan.

Su Ruoxue, Zhao Linchuan.

The true disciples of Liuhe Martial Arts School have a clean foundation and orthodox skills, making them an excellent sparring partner.

"Come on, Ah Da, let's go visit the Liuhe Martial Arts School."

Lu Guan changed direction and headed straight for the Liuhe Martial Arts School.

……

Liuhe Martial Arts School is one of the top three martial arts meccas in Nanshi.

Outside the red-lacquered gate, two majestic white marble lions stand.

As Lu Guan led A'da to the door, the gatekeeper, upon seeing Lu Guan, not only did not stop them, but instead bowed deeply in awe.

"Mr. Lu, you've arrived. Please come in!"

In the battle of the annual examination at Changqing Temple, Lu Guan smashed the water monkey with a single punch and was personally awarded a plaque by Governor Feng. Now, among the younger generation of Tianjin Guard, he is a living Yama who is at the height of his power.

Who dares to stop him?

Lu Guan stepped into the training ground, but he did not hear the usual sounds of continuous boxing practice.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat somber.

Several inner disciples gathered together, their brows furrowed, whispering amongst themselves.

"Brother Lu, what brings you here?"

Zhao Linchuan, wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket, spotted Lu Guan with sharp eyes and quickly went to greet him.

Zhao Linchuan's gaze swept over A'da behind Lu Guan, and he felt the chilling aura emanating from him. His eyes twitched slightly, but he quickly concealed it.

"Brother Zhao," Lu Guan said, bowing slightly.

"I have some free time today and would like to spar with Miss Su a few times to test my understanding of boxing principles. Is Miss Su available?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Linchuan shook his head with a wry smile.

"Brother Lu, your timing is unfortunate. Junior Sister Ruoxue... she's probably too weak to fight you right now."

"Oh, what do you mean?"

Lu Guan raised an eyebrow.

Zhao Linchuan sighed and pointed towards the quiet room in the backyard.

"On the day of the annual examination, in order to break the deadlock, Junior Sister Ruoxue took a direct hit from Master Zhao of the Iron Leg Sect's consecutive Mandarin Duck Kicks on the arena."

"Between life and death, she had a sudden realization and touched the threshold of the Ming Jin Great Perfection, 'Qi and Blood Like a Furnace'."

"But this breakthrough came too suddenly, too intensely!"

Zhao Linchuan looked solemn.

"She was born a woman, and the Liuhequan style is known for its fierce and powerful techniques. This excessive fire energy is trapped inside her internal organs and cannot be released. She is currently on the verge of going berserk."

"Master said that she urgently needs a medicinal ingredient that grows in extremely yin places to neutralize the raging fire in her body."

"If the medicinal ingredient cannot be found within three days, the foundation of my martial arts will be completely ruined, and my life may even be in danger!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Guan's heart sank.

He knew, of course, that Su Ruoxue was fighting with the determination to die that day, but he did not expect the consequences to be so severe.

"What kind of medicinal ingredient do you need? Su's Pharmacy claims to have a monopoly on most of the medicinal herbs in Tianjin, can't you even find one?"

Zhao Linchuan could only manage a wry smile.

"The Su family certainly has its own medicine storehouse, but Junior Sister is extremely averse to others mentioning it. She will never ask for it unless absolutely necessary."

"I see."

Turns out she's a little tsundere.

Thinking this through, Lu Guan asked again, "What's the name of this medicine?"

"This herb is called 'Centennial Yinlingzhi'."

"They are born only in extremely ominous places where the sun never shines and where the yin energy is extremely heavy, such as deep within ancient tombs or mass graves."

"This thing is extremely rare, and even if it exists, it's usually accompanied by extremely dangerous creatures. Ordinary herb gatherers wouldn't dare to approach it."

Zhao Linchuan paused, then looked intently at Lu Guan.

"To be honest, Brother Lu, we are having a real problem."

"I heard that this 'Centennial Yin Lingzhi' is on the list of a third-rank mystery case with a bounty within the Bureau of Mysteries."

"That place is in a former Qing Dynasty tomb deep in the mass graves west of the city."

"A reward of 500 merit points has been offered for this mysterious case, but no one has dared to take it."