Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

Zhang Yourong couldn't help but smile, but the smile vanished in an instant.

She took out a pearl earring the size of a grain of rice from her sleeve. It was warm and translucent in the moonlight, and gently placed it in Li Xin's palm.

"This is a keepsake left to me by my mother. Take it with you, as if I'm always by your side."

Li Xin looked down at the small earring in his palm, then tucked it into his bosom and carefully put it away.

"I am leaving."

"Wait." Zhang Yourong quickly stepped forward, raised her hand and gently smoothed his collar, which was ruffled by the night wind. Her fingertips were extremely gentle, as if she were afraid of breaking the person in front of her.

Be careful in everything you do.

"Ah."

As Li Xin climbed out of the window, he looked back one last time.

The moonlight was bright and clear. The girl stood by the window, her black hair swaying gently, a faint smile on her lips. She waved to him quietly, her movements soft, as if afraid of being noticed by the guards outside the door.

He vaguely recalled the scene of their first meeting: Ruyi Restaurant, white fox fur coat, her gentle smile like a spring breeze on a lake, dignified and reserved.

At the Zhang Family Ancestral Hall, she held his hand with tears in her eyes, saying, "I believe in you." Hot tears fell onto the back of his hand, an unforgettable moment.

Later, she often visited, bringing snacks for Xiaoyue, cutting fabric for Hongxiu, and exchanging swordplay and chatting with Cheng Feiyan.

He didn't know when it started, but she had long since transformed from a collaborator into someone he considered one of his own.

Li Xin suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, his figure suddenly soared into the air, transforming into a black shadow, and silently disappeared into the deep night.

……

Just as Li Xin left Wanghailou, the study in the main residence of the Wang family was still brightly lit.

Wang Donghai sat upright in his armchair, toying with a pair of iron balls in his hands, slowly turning them.

He was tall and imposing, even when sitting, he was half a head taller than the average person. He had broad shoulders and a thick back, and his face was expressionless. However, the speed at which the iron gall bladder was spinning increased, and the creaking sound betrayed his inner thoughts.

"You mean Li Xin entered the city at dusk?"

"Yes." Steward Wang Fu bowed and replied, "Commander Zhao, who was guarding the city, was intimidated by his golden seal and dared not stop him."

After entering the city, he headed straight for the south side. Someone spotted him near the City God Temple, where Wang Jingya of the Yuanshun Escort Agency was also hiding.

"Wang Jingya." Wang Donghai paused slightly in the iron gall bladder in his hand. "She's still alive?"

“He’s not just not dead.” Wang Fu replied cautiously, “Our informants reported that after Li Xin entered the City God Temple, a strange light suddenly shone inside the hall, as if he were performing a healing technique. We couldn’t find out any further details.”

Wang Donghai remained silent for a moment, then the iron gall bladder began to spin again.

All sorts of rumors from the capital instantly flooded my mind.

Quan Longxiu, Monk Jinzhong, and Tang Shaofu of Taiji Sect—aren't they all top masters who have been famous for many years and are renowned in their respective regions?

They were all defeated by that young man, some even losing their lives and becoming a laughingstock in the martial arts world.

Where is the second brother?

"Second Master is still stationed at the dock." Wang Fu hesitated for a moment before replying truthfully, "Second Master said that he is just a greenhorn from the capital, and that Master is being too cautious."

He also said that those so-called masters in the capital were all just for show and not worth mentioning at all.

"act recklessly."

Wang Donghai's two gallbladders collided violently, producing a sharp, piercing sound.

"Go to the docks immediately and relay my message. Double the guard duty for the next two days, double the manpower in the warehouse, and change the shift change to once every hour."

If he makes even the slightest mistake, he can take the blame himself and won't need to come back to see me.

Wang Fu bowed and accepted the order, but did not immediately leave.

"Is there anything else?"

"Prefect Qian sent his clerk to deliver a message that a banquet will be held tomorrow at 9:00 AM to welcome the Imperial Preceptor, and he invites you, sir, to attend and accompany him."

"A welcome feast?" Wang Donghai's lips curled into a cold smile. "This old bastard is scared and wants to use my power as a shield."

"So, sir, are you going or not?"

"Go, why not go?"

Wang Donghai got up and walked to the window, looking out at the pond in the courtyard.

Moonlight spilled onto the water's surface, creating shimmering ripples. A faint, cold light emanated from the bottom of the pool, revealing the secret chamber of the Fish-Dragon Taoist.

“Not only will I go, but I will also invite Daoist Yulong to go with me.”

Qian Bojun wanted to use my knife for protection, so I used his government property to get rid of that brat openly and honestly.

Wang Fu accepted the order again, bowed, and withdrew.

The study returned to silence, broken only by the creaking of the iron mortar turning, each tick like a pendulum counting down.

……

The night wind at the dock was far more biting and violent than that inside the city.

A salty sea breeze swept in gusts, causing the lanterns at the warehouse entrance to sway wildly, casting scattered and flickering light and shadow.

Wang Zhenshan sat cross-legged on a bamboo chair, with a plate of peanuts and a pot of liquor on a small square table in front of him.

He held a wine cup in one hand and casually picked at his toes with the other, humming an off-key folk tune, nonchalant yet arrogant.

Standing beside him was a one-eyed burly man with a scar running diagonally from his brow bone to his chin, which had ruined his left eye, leaving only his right eye shining brightly with a fierce aura.

This man was none other than Duan Heng, the adjutant of the naval battalion, Wang Donghai's sworn brother, and also the exclusive protector of the Wang family's human trafficking operation.

"Second Master, the Master has sent someone to deliver a message." Duan Heng put down his wine bowl and spoke in a deep voice.

"What are you spreading?" Wang Zhenshan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

"That Lord Li from the capital has arrived in Guangping. The master has ordered us to double our vigilance, increase manpower in the warehouse, and change the shift rotation to once every hour, to guard against any breaches."

Wang Zhenshan scoffed, downed the rest of his wine in one gulp, and looked utterly disdainful.

"My older brother is just too timid and worries too much."

What kind of Li Yanluo is he? In the end, he's just a greenhorn.

Those people in the capital overhyped him, turning some young punk into a peerless master.

He came at the perfect time; I'll use him to test the power of my newly practiced "Splitting the Monument Hand."

A hint of worry flashed in Duan Heng's single eye, but he remained silent.

He knew Wang Zhenshan's personality all too well: arrogant, conceited, and disdainful of others; any advice he gave would be futile.

This man started his adventures in the martial world with Wang Donghai at the age of thirteen. In twenty years, his hands were stained with blood. After mastering the Iron Sand Palm technique, he became a figure of great influence, looking down on everyone except Wang Donghai and Yulong Daoren.

"Besides, we have foreign muskets and cannons to rely on." Wang Zhenshan poured another cup, tilted his head back and drank it all. "Even if that kid had three heads and six arms, could he be faster than a bullet?"

Let's drink our fill tonight, and tomorrow we'll take his head and enjoy it with our drinks!

Duan Heng raised his hand to clink bowls with him, but did not touch a drop of wine. He gazed into the depths of the city gate, his heart heavy with gloom.

He knew the battle situation in the capital better than Wang Zhenshan.

Quan Longxiu was his senior brother, a top expert of the Red Lotus Sect, at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and a master of the Karmic Fire Palm, whose strength was formidable for a time.

Even such a figure had his legs severed by Li Xin and ultimately perished under the fire of foreign cannons, dying a very unjust death.

He didn't say these words aloud.

Most martial arts practitioners are arrogant. Once they achieve a little success, they become conceited and look down on everyone else. They never experience a crushing defeat and never understand that there are always people better than them.

What people in this world lack most is self-awareness.

……

The moon was high in the sky, and the night was deep.

It was already late at night when Li Xin returned to the City God Temple.

Wang Jingya leaned against the offering table and fell into a deep sleep, her injured arm draped over her leg, her other hand still tightly gripping the goose-feather knife.

Her breathing was steady and deep, her complexion had improved significantly, and a thin scab had formed on the wound on her shoulder, indicating that her condition had completely stabilized.

Lin Si squinted as he stood guard at the door. When he saw Li Xin return, he immediately went to greet him.

"Master Li, my senior sister just fell asleep, so I didn't dare to disturb her."

"Let her get some sleep. Her injuries should be about 70-80% healed by noon tomorrow."

Li Xin untied the horse's reins, took out some dry rations from his bag, and handed a flatbread to Lin Si.

"Eat something to tide us over, we have a tough battle to fight tomorrow."

Lin Si took the pancake but didn't eat it immediately. He looked up at Li Xin with a nervous expression.

"Mr. Li, with just a few of us, can we really bring down the Wang family?"

"Who said it's just a few of us?" Li Xin said calmly, biting into a pancake. "There are more than three hundred people at the dock. If each of them spits at us, they could drown those bastards."

Lin Si knew he was trying to comfort himself, but seeing his calm demeanor, most of the fear in his heart gradually dissipated.

"Mr. Li, are you... really not afraid at all?"

"What are you afraid of?"

“The Wang family has more than 200 guards. The foreigners have guns and cannons, and there are also masters like the Fish-Dragon Taoist who know evil magic…” Lin Si’s voice grew softer and softer. He still felt lingering fear when he recalled the danger of that day. “I only took one look that day, and I had nightmares for several nights in a row after that.”

After finishing the last bite of the pancake, Li Xin brushed the crumbs off his hands and spoke calmly.

"So-called evil arts are nothing more than petty tricks of unorthodox methods."

Have you ever seen a loach that spends all day in the water?

Lin Si shook his head.

“I’ve seen it.” Li Xin’s lips curled up slightly. “They looked like they were invincible in the water, but in the end, they could be easily killed with a single blow.”

His words were simple and incoherent, leaving Lin Si only vaguely understanding them.

Li Xin had already stepped out of the main hall and stood under the crooked old locust tree.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, its clear light bathing the dilapidated temple, making even the broken statue of the City God seem less ferocious and menacing.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind, silently sorting through all the intelligence he had gathered overnight.

Three hundred innocent civilians at the dock were imprisoned.

Zhang Yourong is trapped alone in the jaws of a tiger, waiting for rescue.

A master from the Great Snow Mountain in the capital city enters the mortal world, while Master and Cheng Feiyan remain steadfast in Li Garden, where undercurrents are surging.

The night wind rustled through the branches.

……

Requesting monthly votes.

Chapter 190 Using a Cup as a Signal

The City God Temple was shrouded in a thin mist in the early morning.

The tips of the leaves of the crooked locust tree in the courtyard were covered with dewdrops, which fell down with a rustling sound when the wind blew, hitting the bluestone slabs.

A few sparrows hopped around on the branches, chirping incessantly, completely waking me from my lingering sleepiness.

Li Xin walked out of the main hall and stretched his limbs on the steps in front of the hall.

The morning light shone through the branches and leaves of the locust tree onto him. The night dew still clung to his blue robe, and when the sunlight shone on it, a thin layer of moisture appeared.

He took a deep breath; the air was filled with the earthy and grassy smell, and a faint hint of sea salt.

Wang Jingya has woken up.

She sat cross-legged on a straw mat next to the offering table, slowly moving her right shoulder.

The blackened, rotten wound from last night is now just a pale pink scar with smooth, even edges, like an old wound that has healed for months.

She tried raising her arm above her head and slowly making a circle, her expression as if she were dreaming.

"Brother Xin, do you still have any of these talismans? I'll pay for them."

"Ten thousand taels per sheet."