All Heavens: Dual Cultivation of Magic and Martial Arts Starting from the Republic of China

This is why none of the various factions are willing to submit to the others. Add to that the covert instigation and fueling by foreigners…

For the past thirteen years, there has been constant warfare among warlords, with no peace or quiet every year!

Although it was the Republic of China era, the lives of ordinary people did not seem to be much better than in the previous dynasty.

Take Fengjia Village, for example. It belongs to Sanshui Town, which is under the jurisdiction of Fuyang County. Together with four surrounding counties, it belongs to the territory of a local warlord named Dai Qi.

In these five counties, Dai Qi was the local tyrant!

Even in Nanjing, the appointed county magistrate had to be mindful of his mood when speaking.

If Dai Qi said one, the county magistrates would never dare to say another.

After all, Nanjing was far from the emperor's reach, while Dai Qi's gun was right in front of them.

For Feng Xi's children to have a stable business, they all had to pull strings and find one of Dai Qi's favorite concubines to prevent their shops from being vandalized.

Besides these major world events and worldly disputes, Feng Wencai also recounted many stories about various schools of thought, extraordinary people, and ghosts and evil spirits.

The bigger incident was that more than half a year ago, a Japanese Onmyoji and a shrine maiden stormed into Mount Luofu, showing off their power, but were all killed by the sect leader.

This greatly displeased Japan, which used diplomatic means to put pressure on several southern provinces, causing them a major headache.

Some seemingly small things can sound far more terrifying.

A zombie outbreak is rumored in a mountain outside Fuling County! It's caused widespread panic in the county; nobody dares to go out at night, and even business has plummeted…

After finishing breakfast, Fu Ze bid farewell to everyone and left Fengjia Village.

Feng hope originally wanted to prepare a carriage for him, but he refused and decided to walk slowly on his own two legs.

Firstly, he wanted to see what this other world looked like, and secondly, having just broken through to the Dark Force realm, he wanted to use walking to smooth out his Qi and blood, making his kung fu more stable.

The dirt roads in the countryside are full of potholes and muddy from the heavy rain last night.

The roadside used to be farmland, but as you walk, it turns into bamboo, banana trees, broad-leaved wild grass... The dew is so heavy that it can soak your trouser legs.

Fu Ze followed the direction Feng hope indicated and walked for about half an hour.

From afar, a large cluster of houses came into view, with mud walls, black tiles, and roofs overgrown with weeds. At the very front was a small, simple city gate, with the three large characters "Sanshui Town" on the top of the gate.

There were quite a few people coming and going.

In the Republic of China era, towns and cities were effectively open to the public, and there were no longer city gate guards like in the previous dynasty.

So the city gate was gone, leaving only the gate opening. Some refugees and beggars would huddle against the wall there, asking passersby for food or money.

As Fu Ze passed through the city gate, he couldn't help but sigh.

The nearest one to him was an old beggar, dressed in tattered burlap clothes, clutching a chipped, rough porcelain bowl in his hand, the bowl empty.

A little beggar followed beside him, who looked to be only seven or eight years old. He was as thin as a stick, with a sallow face and messy hair that looked like a chicken coop, covered with grass clippings and dirt.

His eyes darted around, watching the passersby with fear and vigilance, as if afraid of being bullied.

Where in modern society have people ever seen such a sight?

Fu Ze went to the food stall closest to the city gate and bought some food.

Then he turned back.

"Grandpa, kid, come and have something to eat."

The grandfather and grandson were stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting that someone would bring them food, especially big meat buns!

This is a rare find under normal circumstances.

The little beggar was the first to react, timidly tugging at his grandfather's clothes and moving closer, not daring to look at Fu Ze's face.

"Thank you, sir..."

The old beggar took the meat buns with trembling hands and quickly stuffed them all into the little beggar's hands.

"Kid, eat up, eat up."

The little beggar wolfed down the food, stuffing it into his mouth. He choked so much that his eyes rolled back, but he didn't stop. It was clear he had been starving for a long time.

Fu Ze quickly reminded him.

"Eat slowly, don't choke."

The old man broke off only a small piece of the bun skin, about the size of a fingernail, and slowly chewed it in his mouth.

After eating several meat buns, the little beggar finally seemed to regain some energy.

He looked up at Fu Ze, then glanced around furtively. As if gathering his courage, he suddenly leaned close to Fu Ze's ear, lowered his voice, and whispered something.

"Sir, please be careful..."

Fu Ze raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong?"

"There are five soldiers around that corner; they've been watching you the whole time."

The little beggar's voice was so soft it sounded like a mosquito's buzz.

"They seem to have been defeated and routed from the north. They've been in town for several days, looting, beating people, and committing all sorts of atrocities. Everyone in town is afraid of them. You're dressed neatly and look like a rich young master from the city. They're definitely looking to cause you trouble and rob you."

Fu Ze looked in the direction the little beggar pointed.

In the shadows at the corner of the town, there were indeed five men in tattered military uniforms, their caps askew and their shirts open, revealing the black hair on their chests.

The five men, with their burly faces and sinister eyes, stared at Fu Ze with unbridled malice, whispering among themselves and wearing malicious smiles. They were clearly no good people.

In this chaotic world, the soldiers, having lost battles and no longer under their control, became even more ruthless than mountain bandits. They committed all sorts of acts of arson, murder, and looting, and ordinary people dared not speak out against them, only able to avoid them.

"Thanks, kid." Fu Ze gently patted the little beggar's head, his tone still calm. "You and grandpa move a little further away, don't stay here, lest you get implicated."

The little beggar nodded, his face full of worry.

Fu Ze ignored the thugs and turned to enter the town.

But even though he didn't want to cause trouble, trouble still came knocking on his door.

"stop!"

A loud, gruff voice boomed out.

Fu Ze turned around and saw five thugs slowly strolling over, spreading out to block him.

The leader was a man with a scar on his face, who spat out a mouthful of phlegm and looked fierce.

"Hey kid, where did you come from?"

Fu Ze stopped, his tone indifferent.

"Just passing by."

"Just passing by?"

Scarface chuckled, his eyes fixed on the cloth bag in Fu Ze's hand.

"Just passing by? You look so delicate and fair-skinned, you must be some rich young master who's all alone. You're unlucky to run into us today!"

A tall, thin soldier next to him reached out and snatched Fu Ze's bag.

"Leave all your valuables and food behind! Otherwise, you'll walk out of here straddling a chair!"

Fu Ze frowned slightly, flicked his wrist, and casually blocked.

A muffled "bang" was heard.

The tall, thin man felt his wrist hit a lump of metal, and the pain was excruciating. He screamed and staggered backward, his wrist instantly swelling up so badly that he couldn't lift it at all.

The other four thugs' expressions changed immediately.

"Dare to fight back?" Scarface roared. "Brothers, beat them! Kill them!"

The five of them rushed forward.

In their eyes, a young, pretty boy who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, even if he had some strength, couldn't withstand the attack of five armed veterans.

But they had no idea what kind of person they had messed with.

Fu Ze sneered.

"I just mastered the hidden strength, but I never expected to be dealing with trash like you. It's a complete waste of my talents."

Lunge and elbow strike!

As a thug swung his fist at Fu Ze, Fu Ze dodged to the side and then thrust his right elbow into the opponent's chest.

"Ugh—"

The soldier seemed to have been hit by a heavy hammer; he flew backward, crashed to the ground, clutching his chest and rolling around, unable to breathe.

Horizontal punches, left and right!

Fu Ze flashed, so fast that no one could see his shadow, and his fists landed accurately on the wrists, shoulders, elbows, and knees of the other two men.

"Click, click—"

The cracking sounds of bones dislocating rang out one after another. The two screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching their arms and legs, writhing in pain, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

In just a few breaths, three of the five people collapsed.

Scarface was both shocked and furious. He never expected that this rich young master-looking pretty boy would be such a good fighter!

His eyes turned red, and he actually pulled a gun out of his pocket.

"I'll kill you!"

Fu Ze's eyes turned cold.

With a sudden stomp of his foot, he lunged forward, leaving a trail of afterimages. Before Scarface could pull the trigger, he grabbed the barrel with one hand, twisting and wrenching it with a powerful pull.

"Clang!"

The gun was snatched away, and Fu Ze casually bent it. The iron barrel was bent into a bow shape by the hidden force and fell to the ground with a clatter.

Scarface was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin and turned to run away.

Fu Ze raised his leg and kicked him in the lower back.

"thump!"

Scarface fell flat on his face, knocking out two front teeth and his mouth was full of blood. He lay on the ground trembling, all his arrogance gone.

The last soldier was so terrified that he froze on the spot, too scared to even run away.

In a short time, all five vicious soldiers were taken down.

The townspeople passing by were already too frightened to move far away, peeking out from the walls and doorframes, not daring to come any closer.

The old beggar and his grandson were also stunned!

The little beggar's mouth was agape, his eyes filled with adoration, and his little fists were clenched tightly.

Fu Ze looked down at the few people groaning on the ground, his tone as cold as ice.

"roll."

"If you dare to bully the people or rob them on the road again, I will cripple your hands and feet and make sure you can never stand up again."

He didn't kill him.

Firstly, these people don't deserve to die, and secondly, causing a death so soon after entering the town could easily attract trouble from the police station, making them needlessly embroiled in trouble.

The few thugs, as if granted a pardon, scrambled and limped away from the town.

Fu Ze then turned around and walked to the old beggar and his grandson, took out a few copper coins and handed them over.

"Here, go to town and buy something hot to eat. Don't stay at the town entrance today. Find a secluded place to hide, it'll be safer."

"Thank you, sir... thank you so much, sir..."

The old man took the money with both hands, tears streaming down his face, and was about to kneel down in front of Fu Ze.

Fu Ze quickly helped him up.

"No need for the elderly to do that, it's just a small favor."

The little beggar looked up and said in a clear, crisp voice.

"Sir, you are a very kind person!"

Fu Ze smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Only by truly venturing into the town can one truly see what this small town from the Republican era looked like.

The streets are narrow, the road surface is full of potholes, and the mud puddles left after the rain haven't dried yet, so you'll get muddy feet when you step on them.

On both sides were low mud-brick houses and wooden huts, with simple stalls set up at the door: selling vegetables, selling coarse cloth, repairing shoes, sharpening scissors, and carrying loads of sugar figurines and candied hawthorns, their shouts intermittent and weak.

Most of the shops along the roadside had old signs: "General Store," "Rice Shop," "Blacksmith Shop," and "Tea House." The paint on the doors and windows was peeling off, giving them a sense of antiquity.

The teahouse was full of men, drinking coarse tea that cost a few coins a bowl, chatting about local gossip and the war in the north. Their voices were muffled and full of the lively atmosphere of everyday life.

The people on the street were dressed in all sorts of different styles.

There were scholars in long gowns, farmers in short jackets, women with bound feet wearing blue cloth shirts, and old men with long braids wearing old mandarin jackets. Occasionally, one or two young people in new-style student uniforms could be seen, looking out of place.

Everyone looked exhausted, having struggled for a bite to eat. Their eyes lacked energy and spirit, revealing the numbness and helplessness of a chaotic world.

Occasionally, a dog wanders the street, so thin it's practically skin and bones, and it tucks its tail between its legs and runs away when it sees people.

Fu Ze found a clean little inn, paid for the room, and put down his luggage.

The inn was small, with only a few guest rooms. There was a broken potted flower in the courtyard. The owner was a middle-aged woman who spoke kindly and worked quickly. She poured Fu Ze a bowl of hot water while muttering something to herself.

"Sir, you look like you're from out of town. Things haven't been peaceful in our town lately; there are many defeated soldiers. Try not to go out at night."

Fu Ze responded, put down his things, and went out for a stroll.

After wandering around for about half an hour, Fu Ze had a pretty good grasp of the town's situation. By the time he returned to the inn, it was already afternoon.

He planned to go out for a bowl of noodles. Just as he reached the entrance of the inn, he heard a group of people gathered at the street corner, chattering about something with a tone full of regret and fear.

"What a tragedy... what a tragedy..."

"The grandfather and grandson begging in the city gate tunnel are dead!"

"That's right, he was beaten to death, it was so tragic, such a young child..."

"I heard it was those thugs who were chased away by that hero this morning! They're getting revenge, saying the grandfather and grandson informed the hero..."

Fu Ze's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition instantly enveloped him.

He walked a few steps quickly over there.

The sight before him caused Fu Ze's blood to rush to his head, and his anger flared up instantly, his eyes turning red.

Not long ago, the little beggar, who was wolfing down a meat bun with bright, sparkling eyes, was now huddled under the tree roots, his small body stiff and cold, his face filled with terror.

A large gash appeared on his head, and blood stained the soil beneath him, along with bits of grass.

His grandfather lay beside him, his tattered cotton-padded coat soaked in blood, his eyes wide open, unable to close in death, his withered hand still in the posture of protecting his grandson.

A crowd of townspeople gathered around, but no one dared to step forward to clean it up. They just whispered among themselves, their faces filled with fear and sympathy.

Someone told Fu Ze that it was those five thugs he had chased away at noon who did it.

After being taught a lesson by Fu Ze, this group of people dared not seek revenge. Instead, they vented their resentment on the powerless, weak, and easily bullied grandfather and grandson, insisting that the old man and the young boy had tipped off Fu Ze, which caused them to lose face and be beaten.

Five thugs sneaked back at noon and, without saying a word, punched and kicked the grandfather and grandson, pelted them with stones, and beat them to death!

Then, he walked away.

In chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass!

Having just transmigrated from the modern civilized world, Fu Ze is still unable to fully adapt and understand...