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

Seeing that Lu Guan's expression remained calm, Su Ruoxue assumed that he hadn't taken her words to heart and couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Lu Guan, it's true that you have extraordinary talent."

"But the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. When you go to Xishan this time, you must keep a low profile."

She paused, then took out a sandalwood plaque from her bosom and gently pushed it in front of Lu Guan.

The wooden plaque is carved with a lifelike ginseng root, and the back has the character "Su".

"This is……"

Lu Guan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Our Su's Pharmacy just received a batch of high-quality goods from beyond the Great Wall via waterway last night."

Su Ruoxue lowered her voice.

"Inside is an ancient 'Blood Jade Mushroom.' This is different from ordinary tonics; its medicinal properties are extremely potent, and it's specifically used to refine a martial artist's 'Inner Three Harmonies'!"

"Now that you have achieved mastery of the Ming Jin technique, your Qi and blood are like a furnace. It is the time to refine your mind, intention, and Qi. You will find this great medicine useful."

Lu Guan's gaze sharpened.

How to refine the three internal medicines?

This is a strategic resource that money can't necessarily buy.

Which martial arts school or warlord didn't keep such top-quality natural treasures tightly guarded, reserving them for their own direct descendants?

"Such a potent medicine must be quite expensive, right?" Lu Guan didn't rush to take the wooden plaque.

Su Ruoxue gave a bitter smile.

"The market price is at least eight hundred silver dollars. And there's no market for it."

Eight hundred silver dollars!

In Tianjin in 1925, one silver dollar could buy thirty catties of good white flour, and an average family of five could eat their fill for about ten silver dollars a month.

Eight hundred dollars is enough to buy a small villa with a courtyard on the edge of the French Concession!

Even though Lu Guan had just made a few fortunes off the dead, he couldn't help but secretly marvel at the price.

"But don't worry."

Su Ruoxue pushed the sandalwood plaque forward.

"This plaque is my personal keepsake. Take it to Su's Restaurant, and the manager will give you a 20% discount. As for the remaining shortfall, I... I'll try to find a way to cover it."

Lu Guan looked at the woman in front of him, whose face was cold but whose stubbornness was evident.

In chaotic times, human life is as cheap as grass, and human relationships are as thin as paper.

He killed members of the Fox Clan, angered the Canal Gang, and is now burdened with a blood debt.

In this world, people are trying to avoid him, yet this woman is willing to use her family's resources for him.

Not wanting to offend her, Lu Guan agreed to everything she said. He also clenched the sandalwood plaque in his palm and tucked it into his pocket.

"Miss Su, I will remember this favor."

"I'll figure out the money for the medicine myself. You just need to help me keep that Blood Jade Mushroom."

"As for Senior Brother Han Feng, if there is an opportunity, I would be grateful if you could introduce me to him."

Lu Guan stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Goodbye.

Watching Lu Guan stride away, Su Ruoxue opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only let out a helpless sigh.

……

It was already getting dark when we came out of the Liuhe Martial Arts School.

On winter nights in Tianjin, the wind is as sharp as a knife, piercing right into the bones.

On the street, rickshaw pullers carrying passengers at dusk hunched over. A street vendor selling roasted sweet potatoes and frozen pears, wrapped in a tattered quilt, tended a charcoal fire.

This is the Republic of China era.

Some people spend a fortune to buy a large medicinal herb, while others freeze to death in the snow for half a dry, hard cornbread.

Lu Guan, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his black cotton-padded coat, trudged through the snow toward the four alleys of Nanshi.

"Eight hundred silver dollars..."

Lu Guan was making plans in his mind.

He still had a dozen or so small yellow croakers in his hand, which, when converted to cash, was barely enough.

But this money was his livelihood; everyone in Fuju Class still needed to make a living.

"It seems that before entering the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum, I'll have to go to Bai Dangtou to accept a few bounties, or... find another clueless gang to raid their property."

As Lu Guan thought this, he turned into the four alleys.

A brand-new courtyard made of blue bricks, with a three-zhang-tall old elm flagpole standing tall in the cold wind.

I had just reached the front door when I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

Although the shadow puppet did not possess his body, the keen senses of the Great Perfection of Ming Jin, as well as the "spiritual smell" that had been baptized by the demonic energy of the Fox Clan, detected a trace of unusual energy in the air.

It smells like a high-end Western perfume.

And... a hint of chilling resentment hidden beneath the smell of cheap tobacco!

"We have guests at home."

Lu Guan sneered.

Instead of pushing the door open, he stomped his foot down hard.

The Thirteen Styles of Shadow Walking: "Leaving No Trace"!

His figure moved like a ghost, tapping twice on the wall before vaulting over the three-foot-thick brick wall and landing in his own courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet.

The three hundred-year-old corpse demons that he had subdued using the secret method of the "Remnant Scroll of Zhu You Resurrection"... Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San, blocked the moon gate in the backyard, exuding a terrifying and ferocious aura.

Meanwhile, in the main room of the front yard, the floor heating system was blazing hot.

Lu Guan lifted the heavy cotton curtain and strode into the main room.

Inside the house, neither the old blind man nor the dog were there; they had obviously been deliberately sent away.

Two people were sitting around the octagonal table.

The one on the left is wearing a purple velvet cheongsam with a white fox fur shawl over it, and is holding a slender, gold-plated opium pipe in her hand.

With a glance, she exudes charm and allure, like a poppy in full bloom.

It was Shen Man, the supervisor of the Geomancy Section of the Military Equipment Department of the Governor's Office!

But sitting next to Shen Man was someone who surprised Lu Guan.

This is a middle-aged man wearing a black silk gown.

He had a fair and slightly plump face, looking like a wealthy businessman who made his fortune through kindness. However, his triangular eyes were bloodshot, making him look like he hadn't slept for days and nights and was very tired.

The head of the Caobang Nanshi branch, a master of the Ming Jin (Ming Jin) skill... Master Pan Jiu!

Lu Guan stood at the doorway, not going in, but simply keeping his hands tucked into his sleeves, watching the two people.

The overwhelming pressure of the "blood and qi like a furnace" of Dacheng Mingjin, combined with the fierce tiger fist intent of "heart and mind in harmony," was released in an instant!

"boom!"

The warmth in the main room seemed to have been instantly drained away.

Shen Man's expression changed slightly. She hadn't expected Lu Guan to react so strongly, and the gold-inlaid pipe in her hand froze in mid-air.

Master Pan was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

He was a martial artist who had achieved the highest level of Ming Jin (a martial arts technique), and his perception of Qi and blood was extremely acute.

At this moment, in his eyes, the person standing at the door was not a skinny teenager.

That was clearly an ancient ferocious tiger that had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, its blood-red maw wide open, ready to devour anyone it could.

"Clatter".

The two old walnuts that Master Pan was holding slipped from his grasp and rolled far away on the ground.

"Brother Lu... Brother Lu." Master Pan swallowed hard.

"Call him Captain Lu."

Lu Guan coldly corrected him, his gaze passing over Master Pan and landing on Shen Man.

"Supervisor Shen, instead of listening to music in the French Concession late at night, you've come to my shabby theater, and you've even brought along a gang leader from the underworld."

"What, is the Geomancy Department planning to switch to collecting protection money from the Canal Gang?"

Lu Guan's tone was sarcastic and merciless.

He knew that Shen Man wouldn't dare to touch him before the spring hunt.

Shen Man took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort of being stared at by a tiger, and giggled.

"Captain Lu, what a menacing aura!"

"Sister, I wouldn't be here today without a reason."

"Knowing that you've been in seclusion these past few days because of the Spring Hunt in Xishan, I specially brought someone to apologize and clear up the karmic debt for you."

"apologize?"

Lu Guan glanced at Master Pan.

In fact, the moment Lu Guan saw Master Pan and Shen Man sitting together, he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the story.

The two factions in Tianjin's underworld and legitimate society have always been in cahoots.

The fact that the canal gangs could run rampant in a lucrative place like Nanshi is only possible if they didn't have a warlord backing them; otherwise, they would have been swallowed whole long ago.

It seems that the protector behind Master Pan, or rather, the real mastermind behind the Nanshi Canal Gang, is none other than the charming and charismatic Supervisor of the Geomancy Department, Shen Man!

"Captain Lu, it's all my fault, Pan Jiu's fault!"

At this moment, Master Pan no longer cared about the dignity of a hall master. He suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Guan, his waist almost touching the ground.

"Previously, that blind bastard 'Greyhound' under my command, relying on his knowledge of some unorthodox and evil arts, dared to meddle in the land deeds of your Fuju Ban, and even harmed your master's life..."

"I, Pan Jiu, swear to God, I truly hadn't heard a single word about this beforehand!"

Master Pan was trembling.

He had no choice but to be afraid!

Just a few days ago, the "Yellow Immortal" he worshipped, with its profound Taoist cultivation, finally pieced together fragments of Greyhound's remnant soul's memories in the incense burner.

Pure Yang Fist Intent, Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain!

A single blow shattered the Gray Immortal's life essence!

When Huang Xian conveyed the terrifying scene to Master Pan, the master of the Ming Jin Great Perfection was so frightened that he didn't dare to close his eyes for two whole days.

Only then did he realize that the one who killed the greyhound was not the "Insect King" from Baoding Prefecture at all.

That little actress from the Fuju Troupe who was driven to desperation by them!

What made him even more desperate was that when he tried to inquire at the governor's mansion through connections, the news he received was like a bolt from the blue.

This kid not only killed He Fei, the prodigy of the Iron Sand Sect, with a single punch in front of hundreds of people during the annual examination at Changqing Temple.

He was personally recommended by Feng Tiezhang, the supervisor of the Bureau of Investigation and Explanation, and was cultivated by Director Shen of the Armed Forces Department as a potential "Hidden Force Killing God". He was even given a three-hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom.

A monster who has the backing of the warlord's mansion, has mastered the Ming Jin (a martial arts technique), and has comprehended the killing intent of the fist.

Crushing a gang leader like him would be easier than crushing a bug!

Terrified, Master Pan rushed to see his master, Shen Man, with a large sum of money, hoping to save his life.

"Oh?"

Lu Guan walked into the main room and sat down in the main seat with an air of authority.

"Greyhound is dead, and I've also crippled all of Greyhound's paper craftsmen and Scarface."

"Since Ninth Master says this matter has nothing to do with you, why bother condescending to come here to apologize tonight?"

Lu Guan's knuckles tapped lightly on the table.

"Da...da...da..."

With each tap, Master Pan's heart would clench.

This kid has too much bloodlust!

If they can't reach an agreement today, he has no doubt that this tiger coming down the mountain will suddenly attack and smash his head in with a single punch!

"Alright, Lu Guan."

Shen Man spoke up at the right moment to smooth things over.

She exhaled a long, thin smoke ring.

"After all, Pan Jiu is one of my undercover agents. I still have to rely on him to find out a lot of information about all sorts of people in Nanshi."

"Regarding Greyhound, it's true that he wasn't strict with his subordinates. But he came today with utmost sincerity."

Shen Man took out a thick stack of HSBC bank drafts from her leather bag and pushed them in front of Lu Guan.

"Here is a thousand silver dollars!"

"Consider it Pan Jiu's apology to Fu Ju Class and to Captain Lu to calm your nerves."

"A thousand silver dollars to buy his life, to ensure the safety of the Cao Gang's Nanshi branch. Captain Lu, can I, as his sister, possibly get this favor?"

One thousand silver dollars!

Even the brigade commanders and division commanders of those warlords would be green with envy if they saw this money.

To survive, Master Pan practically emptied out the Nanshi branch of his business for half a year!

Lu Guan stared at the stack of promissory notes on the table without even blinking.

With his current strength, one move, "Tiger Climbing the Mountain," would definitely be enough to instantly kill Master Pan in this room.

but.

Master Pan is Shen Man's dog.

Shen Man is the adopted daughter of Director Shen, the head of the Armed Forces Department.

With the spring hunt at the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum imminent, he still needs to use his official position in the Governor's Mansion to amass merit points and rare treasures within the mausoleum.

Now, in order to satisfy a moment's urgency, we've offended Shen Man terribly and made an enemy within the Armed Forces Department. This is truly a poor strategy.

Let's keep this fat pig for now, squeeze out all its remaining value, and we'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with it later.

Thinking of this, Lu Guan's lips curled into a cold smile.

"I, Lu Guan, will naturally give Governor Shen face."

"A thousand silver dollars, what a generous gesture."

Upon hearing this, Master Pan finally breathed a long sigh of relief and was about to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

However, Lu Guan's next words plunged his heart into an ice cellar once again.

"I'll take the money."

Lu Guan casually stuffed the stack of promissory notes into his pocket, but his gaze was fixed on Master Pan's face.

"But Lu Guan is from a lowly background, a performer of operas. Besides practicing martial arts, he likes to study some obscure folk customs."

"I've heard that Master Pan Jiu has a powerful 'Yellow Immortal' spirit enshrined on him?"

"Moreover, the Yellow Immortal's 'soul-binding' technique is extremely mysterious; it can even bind and interrogate the remnant souls of the dead?"

Lu Guan leaned forward slightly, and the oppressive feeling of the fierce tiger fist descended once again.

"I'm very interested in this method."

"I wonder if Master Pan would be willing to lend me a copy?"

Upon hearing this, the air in the main room instantly froze.

Shen Man's smile vanished instantly, and her delicate brows furrowed tightly.

This kid is really disrespectful to her!

Not content with taking a thousand silver dollars to save his life, he actually wanted to dig out other people's secret techniques?

In the unorthodox sects of Tianjin, each household worships the secret methods of immortals, which are secrets passed down from generation to generation.

Giving up the "soul-binding" technique is like exposing your own guardian spirit's secrets to others.

"Lu Guan, aren't you pushing your luck a bit?"

Shen Man's tone turned cold.

"Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future. Pan Jiu has already shown enough sincerity, so why are you being so aggressive?"

Lu Guan completely ignored Shen Man's anger.

He just kept staring at Master Pan.

"I've always believed in 'cutting the weeds out of the roots'."

"If Master Pan considers this method more precious than his life, then he doesn't have to lend it to me."

"However, I, Lu Guan, haven't been sleeping well lately. What if I sleepwalk one night and accidentally wander into the headquarters of the Canal Gang..."

Threat!

A blatant threat!

Master Pan's face twitched.

He turned his head and looked at Shen Man with pleading eyes.

Shen Man's chest heaved, clearly indicating she was genuinely angry. But she gritted her teeth and ultimately refrained from retaliating.

Two weeks later, the geomancy department will also need to send people to the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum.

It's extremely dangerous inside.

Lu Guan, the killing god who possesses the "Three Talents Corpse Array" and the "Fierce Tiger Fist Intent," is definitely the biggest variable and ally in this spring hunt.

It's not worth it to completely break ties with Lu Guan at this critical juncture just for the sake of Master Pan.

Shen Man took a deep breath, turned her head, and said coldly to Master Pan.

"Give it to him."

Master Pan was as if he had lost his parents, and he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

With trembling hands, he pulled a yellowed leather scroll from the inner lining of his undergarment.

"Captain Lu... this is the incomplete secret technique of Huang Xian's Soul Binding."

Master Pan gritted his teeth and handed over the scroll.

"This method requires offering one's own life essence to the immortals in order to capture wandering ghosts within a hundred feet radius and use their memories from their previous lives to gather information. Captain Lu... please use it with caution."

"Thank you for your generosity, Ninth Master."

Lu Guan grabbed the fox fur scroll and unceremoniously put it into his sleeve.

This Yellow Immortal's Soul-Binding Technique might damage the vital energy of ordinary martial artists due to their worship of evil spirits.

But what is Lu Guan afraid of?

Previously, in the [Creation Stage], he used the remnant skin of a three-hundred-year-old Yellow Immortal and the spiritual chapter of "Yellow Immortal Seeking a Title" to carve out a superior-grade extraordinary appearance... [Yellow Immortal]!

He doesn't need to worship any great demons; he only needs the shadow puppet of the "Yellow Immortal" to possess him.

This "soul-binding" secret technique can unleash its full power in his hands!

After killing the witnesses, they immediately detained the wandering spirits and subjected them to severe torture.

This is simply an amazing skill for gathering intelligence and tracking the enemy!

"Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Pan Jiu will not disturb Captain Lu's meditation any longer."

Master Pan didn't want to stay there a moment longer, fearing that Lu Guan would change his mind. He cupped his hands in greeting and fled the main room as if in a panic.