The Reversal of Heaven Begins with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

Once Jin Quan falls from power, the Jin family will be finished.

Jin Yanxi may seem frivolous, but he has no sense of responsibility. If it weren't for his luck in triggering a side quest, Lin Mu wouldn't have bothered to give him a second glance.

[Jin Yanxi hasn't met Leng Qingqiu yet. It seems I'll have to play matchmaker.]

As Lin Mu was thinking, he suddenly heard a commotion in the distance, which seemed to be students marching.

Upon closer listening, their slogans were actually "Down with warlord Lin Mu" and "Oppose dictatorship".

[Holy crap, I've become the villain?!]

Lin Mu recalled that although he controlled the Beiyang government, the policies he issued were basically policies that benefited the country and its people and were in line with the national conditions of the time.

Developing industry, supporting agriculture and commerce, establishing schools, improving science and technology, strictly investigating corruption, resisting foreign powers, working from dawn till dusk, yet still being slandered.

Those damn troublemakers!

Lin Mu's gaze narrowed slightly as he gently stroked the rim of the purple clay cup with his fingertips.

The slogans on the street grew clearer, and the students held up signs, their emotions running high.

"General, shall we disperse them?"

Si Teng asked, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"No need."

Lin Mu raised his hand to stop him, a flash of golden light disappearing in his eyes: "Qi Luo, go and find out who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes."

"You think you're so great at ordering people around?"

Yue Qiluo smiled sweetly, and her figure faded away like ink in a painting, leaving no trace.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she returned gracefully, her skirt spotless.

"It was the work of Japan's Special Higher Police."

She said softly, taking out a slip of paper from her sleeve: "The people are currently hiding at No. 13 Pear Blossom Lane. There are five of them in total, and the leader is a major named Nakamura Ichiro."

Yue Qiluo smiled radiantly: "Should I extract their souls? It just so happens that the paper figures I've been making recently need some fresh souls."

"In a society governed by the rule of law, we act in accordance with the rules."

(Qian Wang Zhao)

Lin Mu stood up and straightened his coat: "Notify the guard company to arrest them."

“Beat the Japanese students to death, and lock up the students from the Republic of China era in jail for two days to reflect on their actions and bring them to their senses.”

Although it was instigated by someone with ulterior motives, these students believed everything they heard, full of enthusiasm but not using their brains, and were easily manipulated. They deserve to be taught a lesson.

"Yes!"

The guards waiting outside immediately obeyed and left.

The Kyoto Guard Company acted with lightning speed, and within half an hour, the Japanese spies at No. 13 Rika Lane were cornered in the courtyard.

The dull thud of rifle butts hitting flesh and screams of agony in Japanese echoed throughout the room.

One of the traitors, whose traitorous spirit had been shattered by three blows, hurriedly shouted, "Officer, don't hit me! I'm a citizen of the Republic of China!"

"Damn it, you work for the Japanese devils and are a traitor, you deserve to be beaten even more, beaten until you're smoking."

"No! I have intelligence, important intelligence!"

"Toilet closed."

The bureau chief, wearing a black hat, chuckled, "You'd better be telling the truth, or you're in for a world of trouble."

Chapter 115: Shirakawa Haruaki

Hearing the bureau chief's chilling threat, the traitor was terrified. He scrambled to his knees again, trembling, and stammered, "Bureau...Bureau Chief, spare my life! Nakamura Ichiro isn't just here to incite the students; they...they've also specially invited Shirakawa Seimei, Japan's most powerful Onmyoji, who is said to be planning to assassinate the Grand Marshal!"

Upon hearing this, Police Chief Zhao Dezhu's expression changed drastically. He immediately waved his hand and dispatched a trusted confidant to ride at top speed to the Marshal's Mansion to report the news.

Inside the Marshal's Mansion, after listening to the report, Lin Mu raised the corners of his lips and toyed with a jade thumb ring with a half-smile: "Shirakawa Seimei? The name sounds quite impressive."

Si Teng, who was brewing tea nearby, frowned slightly, and paused for a moment in his celadon teapot: "Japanese Yin-Yang techniques are indeed quite unique, and we should not underestimate them."

Sitting by the window, Yue Qiluo was playing with a paper crane. Hearing this, she scoffed, her red skirt fluttering even without wind: "What Yin-Yang Master? He's just learned the superficial aspects of my Dragon Kingdom's Taoist arts. How dare he make a fool of himself? Let me go and meet him."

The paper crane suddenly transformed into a flame at her fingertips, then instantly went out, leaving only a wisp of smoke rising.

Lin Mu waved his hand to stop the two from talking, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Since they want to play, then let's play along."

He turned to Gu Xuanwu and said, "Notify the guard company to inspect the arsenal as usual in three days."

"In addition, have the research institute install the newly arrived German equipment ahead of schedule. I want to personally check the production efficiency."

Gu Xuanwu looked worried: "But Commander, this is too dangerous..."

Lin Mu chuckled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and amidst the fragrant tea, his eyes were as deep as a pool: "You always have to use bait when fishing."

……

Three days later, the arsenal on the outskirts of Beijing was under heavy guard.

Every five steps there was a guard post, every ten steps a sentry post; the soldiers stood with their guns at the ready, their eyes scanning the surroundings with the vigilance of hawks.

Special operations team members were also lying in ambush, armed with specially made ammunition, just in case.

Surrounded by a crowd, Lin Mu inspected the production line of the new rifle.

He was dressed in military uniform, wearing a black cloak, and his military boots made a steady sound as they stepped on the cement ground. He seemed completely unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows, but in reality, he had a clear understanding of the situation around him.

"General, please take a look. This is a production line that was just imported from Germany. It can produce three thousand rifles per month."

The factory manager explained, his voice slightly tense, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

He knew that today was no small matter, and any misstep could lead to utter destruction.

Lin Mu picked up a new gun and examined it closely, his fingers gently stroking the cold barrel: "How's the accuracy?"

He is actually fully capable of manufacturing more sophisticated machine tools himself, but time is of the essence right now, and problems that can be solved with money are not problems.

With slight modifications, these German devices could be used to create even more powerful weapons, allowing them to recoup their costs and profits from the enemy.

The factory manager said respectfully, "It can hit a coin within 100 meters. It has been tested repeatedly and its performance is stable..."

Just then, all the lights in the workshop suddenly went out, plunging the entire space into darkness.

The temperature around them plummeted, a chilling wind blew, and a faint, nauseating stench filled the air.

"Protect the commander!"

The guard company commander shouted, and the soldiers quickly formed a human wall to protect Lin Mu in the middle, with the sound of guns being cocked ringing out incessantly.

An eerie chanting sound came from the darkness, sounding like Japanese or some kind of ancient incantation. The sound seemed to come from near and far, echoing throughout the large workshop.

Dozens of bizarre shikigami emerged from the shadows, each with a different form: some were hideous like demons, some were formless like ghosts, and others had the characteristics of wild beasts, with fangs and claws gleaming coldly, rushing straight at Lin Mu.

"You can do a small job even if you're a master of a skill."

Lin Mu chuckled, his eyes blazing with golden light, and his aura suddenly changed.

"Heaven and Earth are the origin of all things; through countless eons of cultivation, I will attain divine power."

In an instant, a dazzling golden barrier appeared around him, its radiance flowing as if it were a tangible substance.

When those ghost-like shikigami collided with the barrier formed by the Golden Light Mantra, they were like moths drawn to a flame, spontaneously combusting and letting out shrill screams before turning into ashes and dissipating into the air.

Those yokai-type shikigami, possessing flesh and blood and relatively high resistance, were still blasted away by the golden light, crashing into the workshop wall and letting out painful howls.

"Golden light takes form!"

Lin Mu raised his hands to form a hand seal, his movements flowing smoothly.

The golden light instantly transformed into countless flying swords, shooting out and accurately piercing the vital points of those demonic shikigami, pinning them to the ground.

"The Golden Light Mantra, you've actually cultivated it to this level! Are you a Celestial Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain?!"

A gasp of surprise came from the shadows, filled with disbelief and trembling.

A figure dressed in white hunting robes was forced to reveal himself, clearly shaken by the powerful golden light spell.

The lights came back on, and a Japanese Onmyoji was being pointed at by the guards' guns, his face filled with disbelief.

He was about forty years old, with a pale face and deep lines at the corners of his eyes. He held a simple bronze mirror tightly in his hand.

"Shirakawa Seimei?"

Lin Mu strode forward, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Is that all you've got?"

Shirakawa Seimei gritted his teeth, a venomous glint in his eyes: "Baka! Take this again!"

He suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a hideous ghost face tattooed on his chest.

The demonic tattoo seemed to come alive, detaching from his body and transforming into thick black smoke. It then condensed in the air into a gigantic monster three meters tall, with a blue face and fangs, extremely ferocious. The saliva dripping from its mouth corroded small holes in the cement ground, making a "sizzling" sound.

The workers scattered in terror, and the bullets fired by the guard company hit the monsters as if they had vanished into thin air.

"interesting."

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow, but remained standing still, as if he were enjoying some novel performance.

Just as the ghostly claw was about to strike, a green figure suddenly appeared.

As Si Teng raised his hand, countless vines surged from the ground, instantly binding the ghost's limbs. Tiny white flowers bloomed on the vines, emitting a refreshing scent that contrasted sharply with the terrifying atmosphere of the scene.

At the same time, Yue Qiluo appeared from the other side, her paper figure transforming into a sharp blade that pierced the ghost's heart.

The monster, in pain, let out a deafening roar that sent dust flying from the workshop ceiling.

"Who gave you permission to interfere?"

Si Teng glared at Yue Qiluo with displeasure, but the vines did not stop, wrapping around the ghost's body like a snake and spreading towards its eyes, ears, nose and mouth, trying to completely restrict its movements.

"My sister is too slow, I can't stand watching her."

Yue Qiluo responded with a charming laugh, and the paper figures in her hand multiplied from one to ten, then from ten to a hundred, shooting towards the ghost's vital points like a torrential rain. Each paper figure precisely sought out the ghost's weakness.

The two enchanting women joined forces, and in just a few moves, the powerful monster was torn to pieces and turned into black smoke that dissipated into the air.

"A dignified Grand Marshal actually keeps a demoness as his ally!"

Shirakawa Seimei suffered a backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and raised the ancient bronze mirror with a ferocious expression.

The bronze mirror was engraved with Bagua patterns on its edge, but the surface was blurry, as if covered by a layer of blood mist.

He bit his finger and drew a complex incantation on the mirror, muttering incantations in a hoarse and frantic voice.

"Geng metal is the vessel, and Ding fire is the spirit!"

As the incantation was chanted, the bronze mirror suddenly burst forth with a blinding blood-red light, its surface rippling like water. A nauseating smell of alcohol and blood filled the air, and dark red dew began to condense on the metal walls of the workshop, as if the entire space was seeping blood.

"With the blood of a hundred children, summon the soul of the great demon!"

Shirakawa Seimei screamed hoarsely, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot.

Clearly, the summoned monster was not something he could control at will; with each word he uttered, his face grew paler.

A pale hand slowly emerged from the bronze mirror, its nails sharp as knives, gleaming with a cold light.

Then, a red-haired man dressed in Heian period noble attire stepped out of the mirror. He had two horns on his head, a handsome face but a terrifyingly evil aura, and a huge gourd of sake hanging from his waist.

Those scarlet eyes slowly scanned the entire room, finally landing on Lin Mu, revealing an expression of interest.

"Shuten Doji?"

Lin Mu raised an eyebrow: "They're a bit better than those pieces of trash from before."

Shuten-dōji lazily glanced around, his gaze sharpening slightly when it landed on Lin Mu: "Oh? The Dragon Kingdom of this era actually has such a figure?"

Its voice was deep and magnetic, yet carried an indescribable eeriness and greed.

It could sense that if it could devour the person in front of it, it would definitely be able to break through its original realm and go a step further, becoming a true Ghost King.

Si Teng and Yue Qiluo took a step forward at the same time, their expressions solemn.

This powerful demon exerted far more pressure on them than the previous shikigami; the demonic aura permeating the air was almost suffocating.

"let me."

With a wave of his hand, Si Teng unleashed thousands of vines that surged from the ground, attacking Shuten-dōji like a swarm of snakes.

Shuten-dōji chuckled and casually patted the sake gourd at his waist, spilling sake everywhere. The vines that touched the sake immediately withered and rotted, emitting a pungent stench, and the white flowers instantly fell apart.