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

Pan Jiuye felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled away into the snowstorm.

The door to the main room was closed again by the wind.

Inside the room, only Lu Guan and Shen Man remained.

The electric heater was burning hot, and Shen Man's purple velvet cheongsam accentuated her breathtaking curves.

He slowly tapped the gilded pipe lightly on the edge of the mahogany table, shaking off a bit of ash.

"Captain Lu, spare Pan Jiu's life, but you can take this scroll."

Shen Man raised her captivating peach blossom eyes and looked at Lu Guan, her tone languid.

"Now, let's get down to business."

Lu Guan casually tucked the secret method for rolling fox fur into his pocket and sat down in the grand chair with an air of superiority.

"Director Shen, please speak frankly. I don't like beating around the bush."

"Great, that's satisfying."

Shen Man leaned forward, her snow-white chest faintly visible, and lowered her voice.

"In two weeks, during the spring hunt at the Imperial Mausoleum in Xishan, in addition to your Jiyi Department, our Kanyu Department will also send people to explore the burial site."

"I want you to take care of my men after you enter the imperial mausoleum."

"And while you're at it... kill someone for me!"

Lu Guan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Who?"

"Ranked third on the Tianjin Hidden Dragon List, 'Paper Judge' Xie Jiucheng!"

Upon hearing this name, Lu Guan paused slightly as he tapped the table.

Third on the Hidden Dragon List!

It should be noted that Han Feng, who is ranked seventeenth, has already entered the realm of "unity of intention and qi" as a great martial artist.

How terrifying must Xie Jiucheng, who is ranked third, be?

It seems that we are only half a step away from the ultimate realm of "Qi and strength in harmony" or even the legendary "hidden strength".

"reason."

Lu Guan uttered two words calmly.

Shen Man yawned, lowered her eyes, looked at her slender fingertips under her black lace gloves, and spoke softly.

"The reason... is pretty corny."

"Xie Jiucheng intercepted my goods outside the city six months ago and killed my fiancé while he was at it."

Lu Guan raised an eyebrow. "With Governor Shen's temperament, he seems to be a man of deep affection?"

Shen Man pursed her lips. "Captain Lu is overthinking it."

"My fiancé stayed by my side for several years, rain or shine. He even brought me breakfast for a few years. The pan-fried buns from that shop were really good."

"But Xie Jiucheng, that beast, not only killed the person, but also skinned him and made him into a paper doll to burn for fun."

"Since then, no one has been bringing me breakfast, and my stomach problems have flared up for the past few days..."

"That beast is elusive, and my geomancy department is too busy. But this spring hunt is quite extensive; he'll definitely be there!"

Lu Guan was stunned for a moment.

I thought I would hear about a deep-seated feud, but the reason was that "no one brought me breakfast and I got a stomachache."

"Xie Jiucheng is ranked third on the Hidden Dragon List, and he possesses the evil art of paper effigies. He may not be easier to deal with than the Fox Clan from beyond the Great Wall."

"What benefit would I get from killing a monster of this level?" Lu Guan asked.

Shen Man smiled and leaned back in her chair.

"The benefits are so great that you can't refuse them."

"Feng Changshan won't be able to stay in the Jiyi Department for long."

Upon hearing this, Lu Guan's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped.

Shen Man lowered her voice.

"I received word from my godfather that Feng Changshan will be promoted within three months and transferred to Shanghai to take over the defense of the foreigners."

"At that time, the position of the supervisor of the Investigation Section of the Tianjin Military Equipment Bureau will be vacant."

"If you achieve great merit at the Western Hills Imperial Mausoleum this time, breaking through to the Dark Force realm will surely be just around the corner."

"But you must understand, the Governor's Mansion is not a martial arts school, and your seat is not determined solely by how strong your fist is. The Military Affairs Department has five major sections: Investigation, Surveying, Operations, Military Law, and Internal Affairs."

"After Feng Changshan left, the selection of the new supervisor not only required passing a 'major test,' but also obtaining joint nominations from various departments."

"As long as you help me get Xie Jiucheng's head, this vote for the Geomancy Department is definitely yours."

"Even with the Internal Affairs Department, my godfather, Director Shen, can pull some strings for you."

"At that time, Captain Lu will be 'Supervisor Lu'. You'll get the lion's share of the resources from the Imperial Treasury, the Marshal's rewards, and even the revenue from the major docks in Tianjin."

"Is this deal significant enough?"

Only the crackling sound of the charcoal fire in the underground heating system remained in the main room.

Lu Guan slowly turned his head and looked at Shen Man's stunningly beautiful face.

"Supervisor Shen."

"I'll take Xie Jiucheng's head for you."

……

The night was deep, and winter rain mixed with snow.

The weather in Tianjin is as unpredictable as a child's face; in the middle of the night, a light, icy rain began to fall.

Lu Guan, wearing a black raincoat and a wide-brimmed hat, walked on the way to "Su's Pharmacy" in the French Concession.

He carried in his arms the sandalwood plaque given to him by Su Ruoxue, as well as eighteen small yellow croakers.

With the spring hunt imminent, danger lurks everywhere.

Shen Man's intelligence instilled a sense of urgency in him.

The third-ranked expert on the Hidden Dragon List is no ordinary person.

He must quickly seize that "Blood Jade Mushroom" and break through the second barrier of the "Inner Three Harmonies" of "Intention and Qi Integration"!

Only by overwhelming one's realm can one dominate the entire meat grinder of the Western Hill Imperial Mausoleum.

The rain is getting heavier.

Water mist filled the narrow alley.

Ahead lay a deep alleyway stretching for a hundred meters, flanked by towering firewalls, with not even a roof to shelter from the rain.

Lu Guan's steps abruptly stopped at the alley entrance.

"Pat, pat."

Rain dripped down his wide-brimmed hat.

His eyes narrowed slightly in the darkness. Although the [Rat Concealment] shadow puppet was not on him, the sense of danger he felt made the hairs on his body stand on end.

cold.

A chill that didn't originate from the weather.

Deep in the alley, amidst the rain.

Suddenly, three figures slowly emerged.

The three men were all dressed in black Japanese-style raincoats and were holding three pale white oil-paper umbrellas.

In the dead of winter, amidst heavy snow and rain, carrying a paper umbrella already carries an inexplicable eeriness.

Under those three paper umbrellas, Lu Guan smelled an extremely familiar scent.

It smelled foul, mixed with the sweet, cloying scent of peach blossom miasma.

"Remnants of the Fox Clan?"

Lu Guan sneered.

It was expected that the Fox Clan would not let this go easily. Bai Qi died so tragically; how could this major sect, which had been entrenched outside the pass, possibly swallow this insult?

I just didn't expect the other side's retaliation to come so quickly, and on such a large scale!

"Tap, tap, tap."

Three white umbrellas stopped ten steps away from Lu Guan.

The oil-paper umbrella in the middle slowly rose.

Under the umbrella, a woman's face, still retaining its charm, was revealed, but as pale as paper.

A bright red cinnabar dot was also placed between the woman's eyebrows.

"You're that little actor named Lu Guan?"

"That good-for-nothing Bai Qi actually fell into the hands of a lowly peasant like you. He has completely disgraced the Hu family."

"I am Hu San Niang, a fellow disciple of Bai Qi."