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

"Crackling, crackling, crackling..."

The cracking sounds of bones popping echoed backstage, like a string of firecrackers on New Year's Eve.

Lu Guan's entire body was trembling.

The energy that came from the dream traveled down my spine, drilling into every part of my body.

The qi and blood surged, but they were no longer the scattered sand of the past. Starting from the dantian, passing through the waist, going to the shoulder well, and finally converging on the fist.

This is the source of Ming Jin's power.

Power originates from the ground, is transmitted through the legs and hips, is controlled by the waist, and is generated at the extremities.

The old master only threw one punch in his dream, but the meaning contained in that punch was more profound than any martial arts master could impart knowledge orally for three to five years.

Because that's not "teaching," it's "indoctrination."

The stage of creation directly imprinted the master's lifelong experience in exerting force into Lu Guan's soul, like branding skin with a hot iron.

Now, when he closes his eyes, he can clearly "see" that path.

From the soles of your feet to the tips of your fists, how should every muscle be twisted, how should every tendon be stretched, and how should every vertebra be springy?

Clear and distinct, down to the smallest detail.

"This is... the power of the whole body."

Lu Guan slowly withdrew his fist and exhaled a long breath.

The Zhengjin Pass is not considered a particularly significant threshold in the martial arts world of Tianjin.

There are dozens of martial arts schools of all sizes in Nanshi, and there are at least several hundred boxers who have mastered the whole-body strength.

However, the whole-body strength is the foundation of the visible strength.

Once you get past this hurdle, the road ahead feels like walking from muddy ground onto cobblestones, every step feels solid and grounded.

At that very moment, the stage of creation in his mind also changed.

The yellowed play script, originally covered in ink, turned to a new page, and the handwriting seemed to come alive, slowly emerging.

[Script: The Warrior of Cangzhou]

[True Transmission: Bajiquan Mingjin (20%)]

[Current Realm: Integrated Strength Stage (Beginning)]

[Note: Cultivating Ming Jin requires a large amount of Qi and blood to nourish the muscles and bones. The host's appetite will increase significantly in the near future. Do not suppress it, otherwise the foundation will be unstable.]

20%.

In other words, he has only inherited one-fifth of the terrifying power that the old master possessed to shatter the physical body of the evil spirit with a single punch.

But even just one-fifth of that was enough to make his fist explode with a sonic boom.

The remaining 80% will likely require continuous acting and "nurturing" of the shadow puppet to unlock little by little.

"Gurgle..."

My stomach suddenly growled.

Lu Guan looked down at his belt and paused for a moment.

He clearly remembered that yesterday the cloth strip needed to be wrapped twice to tighten it, but now it was taut after just one wrap.

"Young Master, you're awake?"

The old blind man's voice came from next door, accompanied by his signature dry cough.

"Yes, she's awake."

Lu Guan rolled out of bed, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he realized something was wrong.

Hungry. So hungry my stomach was practically sticking to my back.

It wasn't craving; it was as if my internal organs were screaming, as if a furnace had just been lit inside me and desperately needed firewood to sustain it.

This is a normal reaction after breaking through to the point of full strength.

The simultaneous resonating of tendons and bones signifies that the fascia, bones, and muscles throughout the body are being reforged, which requires a large amount of flesh and blood to fill the gap.

There's an old saying in the military: "Practicing martial arts without internal strength training is a waste of time in old age; practicing internal strength training without eating meat is like getting beaten up for nothing."

From the moment a martial artist enters the stage of mastering internal strength, their appetite will increase dramatically.

Ordinary farmers can manage on two ounces of cornmeal a day, but a martial artist at the Zhengjin Pass cannot sustain the demands of training without a pound of meat and half a pound of wheat flour per meal.

This is also the fundamental reason why it is difficult for children from poor families to succeed in martial arts.

It's not that I lack talent, it's that I can't afford it.

"Hey, let's go to Juyinglou today and have some meat."

Lu Guan pulled out the money bag he had saved up at the overpass yesterday from under his pillow, weighed it in his hand, and did some mental calculations.

Including what he had swindled from those gangsters, he had a total of about ten silver dollars and a pile of loose silver coins and copper coins in his hands.

In Tianjin in 1925, one silver dollar could buy thirty catties of good white flour or twelve catties of pork.

A good meal of four dishes and a soup in a restaurant costs only three or four cents.

Ten silver dollars, if spent sparingly, would be enough for the father and son to eat for a month or two.

But if you can eat meat freely, that's a different story.

The daily food intake of a fully-fledged martial artist is equivalent to that of three or four strong laborers.

This amount of money probably won't last long.

"But that's for later. Let's fill our stomachs first."

Lu Guan helped the old blind man out the door and headed towards Juying Tower.

……

Just after 9:00 AM, Juyinglou opened its doors to welcome guests.

Manager Zhao was wiping the counter with a feather duster when he looked up and saw the young man, whom he both feared and respected, helping the blind old man walk in.

"Manager Zhao, give me four bowls of mutton soup, three catties of white flour buns, one and a half catties of braised beef, and half a catty of sliced ​​pig's head meat."

"Do you also have any braised pig's trotters? I'd like two."

Manager Zhao was stunned. Was this enough for two people?

"Young man, can you... really finish this?"

"You think the money I gave you isn't enough?" Lu Guan pulled out two silver dollars from his pocket, which he had seized from the gangsters, and slammed them on the table.

"Enough, enough, not at all. Zhu Zi, hurry up and bring up that pot of mutton soup from the stove first."

Manager Zhao was calling out to the kitchen staff, secretly marveling at the situation.

Two silver dollars—in the current climate, a pound of fine braised beef costs only three cents, a bowl of mutton soup costs two copper coins, and three pounds of white flour buns are even cheaper.

This young man is quite generous, but his appetite is truly astonishing.

The dishes were served one after another.

Lu Guan didn't stand on ceremony and rolled up his sleeves to get started.

After drinking a bowl of mutton soup, the heat rushed from my stomach to the top of my head, and every pore on my body opened up, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.

The steamed buns were broken open and soaked in mutton soup, then eaten one bite at a time with braised beef, leaving a mouthful of oily goodness.

The old blind man listened to Lu Guan's voracious eating, like a tiger pouncing on its prey, feeling both heartache and relief. He also enjoyed two bowls of mutton soup.

"Young Master, judging from your actions, it seems you're trying to make up for all the previous losses."

Although the old blind man didn't understand anything about the stage of destiny, he had spent his whole life in theatrical troupes and had seen many martial arts masters, knowing that those who practiced martial arts had an astonishing appetite.

Lu Guan devoured four bowls of mutton soup, three catties of steamed buns, one and a half catties of braised beef, plus pig's head meat and braised pig's trotters all by himself.

My stomach was bulging, but strangely enough, the feeling of hunger only subsided slightly and did not completely disappear.

It's as if there's a bottomless pit inside your body, greedily devouring everything and transforming it into stronger bones and muscles, and more abundant blood and energy.

"Manager Zhao, please give me another bowl of mutton soup."

"Alright..." Manager Zhao's lips twitched.

Just as Lu Guan picked up his fifth bowl of mutton soup, footsteps came from the stairs.

"Ruoxue, it's a sure thing that you'll get the top score in this year's exam. Everyone at the Liuhe Martial Arts School has high hopes for you."

A strong, resonant male voice came from the second floor.

"Senior Brother Linchuan, don't flatter me, it's just baseless."

Another voice, clear and crisp, belonged to Su Ruoxue, who had thrown three silver dollars on the overpass that day.

Lu Guan turned his head slightly and saw two people walking down the stairs side by side at the corner.

Su Ruoxue was still dressed in her black outfit, but today she wore a dark blue cotton robe over it, revealing a section of her fair neck at the neckline.

The man beside her looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket with a front opening, made of good quality material, and with brass buttons. He looked like someone of some standing in the martial arts school.

This man was of medium build, with a square face and a calm demeanor between his brows. When he walked, his feet subtly coordinated their steps, clearly indicating that he was a trained martial artist.

"The annual examination is still half a month away,"

As the man descended the stairs, he said solemnly, "This time, the Military Affairs Department of the Governor's Mansion has sent someone to be the examiner. If you can get a top grade, your monthly medical allowance will increase from twenty dollars to forty dollars, and your training progress will be much faster."

Just as Su Ruoxue was about to reply, her eyes suddenly caught sight of the table by the window in the hall.

She paused in her steps.

The boy came again.

Last time, under the overpass, she broke through her bottleneck after watching his shadow puppet show, and she still finds it incredible.

"Senior Brother Linchuan, please have a seat. I'll go fetch someone."

Before the man could answer, Su Ruoxue strode over.

The man addressed as "Senior Brother Linchuan" paused slightly, following her gaze.

A thin boy wearing a faded old cotton-padded jacket was eating and drinking with his head down, while a blind old man holding a erhu squatted next to him.

He frowned almost imperceptibly for a moment, but quickly recovered and followed with a calm smile.