Republic of China era: Actor? Please call me Martial Arts Master!

Chapter 174 The Last Martial Arts Champion

The Lu residence, study.

Several veteran boxing masters stayed up for three nights in a row, and finally managed to piece together a general outline of the mountain of fragmented and rare manuscripts.

The first draft of "The True Explanation of Chinese Martial Arts" was a thick stack, neatly piled on a large sandalwood table.

This is a genuine artifact that embodies the culmination of hundreds of years of effort in the martial arts world of the North.

Old Man Wang Tieshan put down his wolf-hair brush, rubbed his bloodshot eyes, and was about to take a sip of the long-cold Gao Sui (a type of liquor) when he heard Zhou Daikui's hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Chengzi, something terrible has happened!"

Zhou Daikui lifted the heavy cotton curtain, letting in a blast of cold air.

Clutching an official document stamped with the official seal, he was so angry that his beard stood on end.

"General Xing and those in Nanjing jointly issued a military command order," claiming that our martial arts gathering at the Temple of Heaven was an act of inciting rebellion.

"Anyone who dares to plot against us will be court-martialed and killed on the spot!"

Upon hearing this news, the faces of several old boxing masters in the study, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, turned deathly pale.

"This—this is a plan to wipe out the family line!"

Li Dayou of the Chuojiaomen was so anxious that he kept slapping his thigh.

"They dare not openly touch Master Lu, so they use this fabricated charge to pressure us."

"Military orders are absolute; who among the common people would dare to go to the Temple of Heaven with foreign guns pointed at them? This preaching rally is probably doomed!"

All eyes turned to Lu Cheng, who stood with his hands behind his back by the window.

Lu Cheng was dressed in a simple, moon-white long robe, holding a string of red coral prayer beads in his hand.

He didn't turn around, but just quietly looked out the window at the old locust tree swaying back and forth in the wind and snow.

"To incite a mass rebellion?"

Lu Cheng turned around, his eyes showing no anger whatsoever.

With his "exquisite mind," he saw through the five aggregates and knew all too well the schemes of those high-ranking officials and warlords.

What they fear is not martial arts, but the fact that these millions of ordinary people have been united as one, that their minds have been enlightened, and that they will no longer be able to arbitrarily ride roughshod over the people.

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Lu Cheng slowly walked to the desk and casually tossed aside the military governor's order stamped with the official seal.

"They said the 'Martial Arts Tournament' was a conspiracy to rebel, which is a matter for the martial arts world and violates the taboos of those in power."

"Since martial arts don't work—"

Lu Cheng raised his right hand, and the "blood jade thumb ring" on his thumb, which symbolized the highest power in the Northern Pear Garden, glowed red under the oil lamp.

"Then let's put on a play."

"Performing opera?"

Zhou Daikui was taken aback. "Chengzi, what time is it? Still performing opera? They're going to make our show a success outside."

"Tanker."

Lu Cheng's eyes were sharp and piercing.

"Take my calling card and use this blood-jade thumb ring to send invitations to all thirty-six major opera troupes and seventy-two minor ones in Beiping!"

"Announce to the public: This spring's unexpected cold snap has caused widespread hunger and hardship. Our Qingyun Troupe, in conjunction with fellow Peking Opera performers in Beiping, will set up a stage at the Temple of Heaven for three days and three nights of continuous performances—"

Lu Cheng spoke each word clearly and forcefully.

"Disaster relief, prayers, and a grand opera!"

boom!

Upon hearing this, the old boxers and Zhou Daikui in the room were all stunned into silence.

Immediately, a surge of admiration rose from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

A calculated scheme!

This is a perfectly legitimate and brilliant strategy that leaves the other party speechless.

You, Commander Xing, can say that the martial arts gathering is a mass rebellion, but do you dare to say that the Peking Opera troupe setting up a stage to perform and provide disaster relief and blessings is a rebellion?

Moreover, in this freezing weather, there are people freezing to death outside the city every day.

Under the guise of "disaster relief," Lu Cheng not only planned to perform operas, but also to distribute porridge and coal briquettes outside the Temple of Heaven.

This is a purely charitable and cultural activity, which is legally sound and morally superior.

What if Commander Xing and Song Peilun dared to send troops to smash a stage for disaster relief and prayer? What if they dared to shoot at the poor people who came to collect porridge and the unarmed actors?

Without Lu Cheng lifting a finger, the mere spittle of millions of people in Beijing would be enough to ignite a city-wide uprising and raze their governor's mansion to the ground.

Even high-ranking officials in Nanjing couldn't protect them!

"Absolutely amazing—absolutely amazing!"

Old man Wang Tieshan was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he bowed repeatedly.

"Master Lu's tactic of indirectly criticizing and using someone else's resources to his advantage is simply a stroke of genius. They can block the martial arts arena, but they can't block the stage."

"Alright."

Zhou Daikui also shook off his previous dejection, his old face turning bright red.

"I'll go post it right now."

"With this blood-jade thumb ring of yours, no one in the Peking Opera world dares disobey. In three days, we'll surround the Temple of Heaven completely!"

The news caused another sensation in Beiping.

Inside the governor's mansion, Marshal Xing was so angry that he smashed three cloisonné teacups and pulled out his pistol, pacing around the room, but he still dared not issue a military order to "seal off the Temple of Heaven".

Song Peilun from Nanjing was even more ashen-faced, gritting his teeth and swallowing his anger.

They knew that they had been outmaneuvered by the opera singer.

Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Lu residence, final preparations were being made for this earth-shattering drama.

The sun was shining brightly, and the snow was beginning to melt.

Lu Cheng stood in the center of the stage, wearing a blue cloth jacket and shorts.

"Master, which play are you planning to perform in this grand opera?" Shunzi asked respectfully from below the stage.

"Since it's meant to deter those disloyal warlords and foreigners who betray their country and bring disaster to the people—"

Lu Cheng narrowed his eyes, a faint golden light flashing in his pupils.

"Then let's sing 'Beating the Drum and Cursing Cao Cao'."

"9

"Beating the Drum and Cursing Cao Cao"

This is a play that showcases exceptional skill in the old male role.

It tells the story of Mi Heng, a madman from the Three Kingdoms period, who, naked in front of the entire court, personally beat a drum and denounced Cao Cao's treacherous and ruthless nature of holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.

This play emphasizes the word "madness," the word "scolding," and even more so, the word "drumming."

The actor must personally play the drum, channeling all his indignation, pride, and unyielding integrity into the thunderous sound of the drumsticks, which resonates deep within the hearts of the listeners.

"Raise the drum," Lu Cheng ordered.

Old Guan quickly led several servants to bring up the best cowhide drum that the opera troupe usually used.

This drum is covered with top-quality buffalo hide, and the drumhead is made of sturdy jujube wood. When it is struck, it makes a loud "thump-thump" sound that is deafening.

Lu Cheng walked to the drum stand and picked up two bamboo drumsticks.

He closed his eyes, and his inner thoughts began to stir.

He was searching for Ni Heng's "intention" and also gathering the internal energy of his body into his hands.

"rise."

Lu Cheng's eyes snapped open, like a bolt of cold lightning.

The drumstick in his hand fell seemingly lightly, striking the center of the drum.

"boom--!"

There was no crisp drumbeat.

The instant the drumstick touches the drumhead.

The terrifying blood and qi within Lu Cheng's body, representing a half-step Core Formation stage and seventy percent of Marrow Cleansing, flowed along the drumstick and transformed into an extremely domineering and condensed [Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound].

This thunderous sound is a materialized form of qi.

"Sizzle—!"

A sharp, tearing sound.

The drumhead, made of top-quality buffalo hide and said to last for ten years, was like a fragile windowpane, instantly shattered by an unparalleled spiraling force, leaving a large, transparent hole.

This is not finished.

The powerful, penetrating energy of thunder continued unabated, rushing straight into the drum cavity.

"Click-clack".

The sturdy jujube wood drum stand emitted a series of cracking sounds, and right before everyone's eyes, it shattered inch by inch, turning into a pile of burnt firewood that collapsed with a crash.

With a single blow, the drum shattered and the stand was destroyed.

"hiss""

Shunzi, Lu Feng, and all the apprentices below the stage gasped in shock, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

This isn't drumming up the music; it's sabotaging us!

Lu Cheng looked at the intact drumstick in his hand, then at the pile of wood chips on the ground, and frowned helplessly.

"no."

Lu Cheng sighed.

"My energy is too strong right now. Once I get into character, the resentment and fierce energy of 'Beating the Drum and Cursing Cao Cao' will merge together. Ordinary things simply cannot withstand the force of my hammer."

"If, at the Temple of Heaven, in front of tens of thousands of people, he were to smash the drum with a single blow, then this grand spectacle of 'cursing Cao Cao' would become a joke."

Lu Cheng threw the drumstick onto the wreckage, his brow furrowed.

That's a problem.

When you've mastered internal martial arts to this level, your body is like a nuclear reactor.

When facing an enemy, he can naturally control his actions with ease, stopping short of causing serious injury.

But this is a theatrical performance, a resonance of "divine will".

To convey the thunderous sound and divine will that shook the entire city through the drumhead, one must go all out and hold nothing back.

Ordinary musical instruments simply cannot bear the "Taoist charm" of this half-step into the realm of immortality.

"What should we do?!"

Zhou Daikui was extremely anxious.

"Even the best drum shop in Beijing can only produce drums of this quality. Where can you find a treasure that can withstand a single blow from your hammer, you living god?"

Just when everyone was at a loss.

Old Guan, who had been squatting in the corner of the stage wiping his Green Dragon Crescent Blade with a rag, suddenly stopped what he was doing.

He stood up, took two puffs of his pipe, and a complex look flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

There is reminiscence, fear, and a deep sense of sorrow.

"Master Lu."

Old Guan tapped his pipe bowl, the sound as hoarse as if it had been rubbed on sandpaper.

"Ordinary cowhide and jujube wood are naturally unable to withstand the thunderous sound of your divine realm."

"But—I know of a drum that might work."

Lu Cheng turned his head, his eyes lighting up: "Oh, does Elder Guan know where such a treasure can be found?"

Old Guan sighed and looked south, towards the direction of the Eight Great Hutongs.

"That's an item passed down from the Imperial Palace's Shengping Department during the Qing Dynasty; it's called the Kui Niu Drum."

"It is said that the drum skin is made from the hide of a mature wild boar deep in the Changbai Mountains, and is tanned using a secret method, making it impervious to water and fire. The drum frame is made from meteorite iron mixed with black iron."

"When the Empress Dowager watched opera at the Summer Palace, it was specifically for the martial arts actor Tai Kui to perform 'Ji Ji Feng' (a type of opera singer)."

"This drum is naturally strong; the harder you hit it, the louder the sound it produces, like a merchant striking a drum in a drought, its sound can be heard for ten miles."

"nice one."

Lu Cheng nodded. "Where is this drum now? I'll send someone with a large sum of money to retrieve it."

"We can't invite them, and we can't buy them."

Old Guan shook his head with a bitter smile, a deep sense of absurdity and sorrow appearing on his wrinkled face.

"This priceless imperial treasure is now—in the lowest-class opium den in the Eight Great Hutongs."

"Someone brought a small table to the kang (heated brick bed) and placed an opium pipe and a broken teacup on it every day."

"What?!"

Shunzi and Lu Feng exclaimed in unison.

"Who would waste such a precious item as the imperial Kui Niu drum and kang table? Are they insane?"

"He's not crazy."

Old Guan took a deep breath, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes.

"Because that old smoker with the big drum and the kang table—his name is Zhang Sanjia."

Zhang Sanjia?

Upon hearing this name, the young apprentices in Qingyun's class all looked blank, clearly having never heard of it before.

But Lu Cheng's "Linglong Gong" subtly shifted, revealing a shocking identity deep within his memory.

"The 24th year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, the year of Wuxu (1898) —"

Lu Cheng stared at Lao Guan and said, word by word.

"The last imperial examination champion of the Qing Dynasty—the top military scholar?!"

Old Guan nodded emphatically, the old strategist.

"It was him."

"Master Lu, your current reputation shakes the world. But in the past, this top-three title was ten times more renowned than you!"

Old Guan was lost in memories, his voice trembling.

"He was a true prodigy, born with superhuman strength and blood and energy like a dragon. He didn't need to practice those complicated breathing techniques of internal martial arts; he was born with the ability to make his bones resonate and his internal and external strengths work in unison."

"7

"Hao Nian was invincible in the capital."

"You mean Huo Yuanjia, the martial arts master from Tianjin who stood on his back at the Jingwu Gymnastics Association and was known as the 'Master of Perfected Internal Energy'?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Huo Yuanjia's name is widely known; he is an idol to countless martial arts practitioners.

Old Guan swallowed hard.

"Back then, when Zhang Sanjia went south to Tianjin, he had a closed-door sparring session with Master Huo, who was at the peak of his skill."

"No one witnessed that battle, but what the Huo family said—"

"Zhang Sanjia only threw two punches."

"Two punches, forcefully shattering Master Huo's flawless and impenetrable internal energy defense, caused that number one martial artist in the world to cough up blood and concede defeat!"

"hiss-!!!"

A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the backyard.

Two punches were enough to make Huo Yuanjia, a master of the Transformation Realm, cough up blood and admit defeat?!

Such a record even made Lu Cheng, who was usually so composed, slightly tremble.

This is equivalent to using only physical strength to crush the pinnacle of riding skills.

What a terrifying and unparalleled general this is!

"Then—how did he end up smoking opium in the Eight Great Hutongs and even using the imperial drum-shaped kang table?" Lu Feng asked incredulously.

Such an invincible martial arts champion, even if he were to become a mere instructor under a warlord, would still be above ten thousand men.

Old Guan's eyes dimmed and he lowered his head, revealing a desolate sorrow.

"Because—times have changed."

"The year he became the top martial arts scholar, it coincided with the reform movement, followed by the army's march into the capital."

"Zhang Sanjia possessed unparalleled martial arts skills, yet he wielded a 120-pound broadsword to guard the city gate."

"And the result?"

"When the foreigners fired their volleys of gunfire and their cannons roared, his martial arts skills, which he was so proud of, were so formidable that even the foreigners couldn't stand up to him."

"When the Qing Dynasty fell, the military examination system was abolished. In the era of cold weapons, they were blown to smithereens by fire."

1

Old Guan wiped his eyes.

His air of superiority, as if he were the best in the world, was completely shattered in that battle.

"He felt that martial arts were a joke, and that he himself was a joke. From then on, he became a cripple. He drifted to the Eight Great Hutongs and became addicted to opium."

"That Kui Niu drum was a gift from the Empress Dowager when he was still a nobody in the palace. Now, it's become his last fig leaf, a complete joke."

After listening to Lao Guan's story.

The entire backyard fell into a long silence.

A deep sense of sorrow and resonance lingered around the heads of these martial arts practitioners.

This is the twilight of the old-fashioned warriors, the walking dead after the collapse of faith.

Lu Cheng remained silent.

He simply turned around and walked towards his house.

"Master, where are you going?" Shunzi asked softly.

"Change your clothes."

Lu Cheng smiled calmly.

"Go to the Eight Great Hutongs."

"Let's go meet this man—the greatest in the world in the old days."

"Go and borrow that Kui Niu drum that can carry Shang-style sounds."