Master of Chinese Martial Arts: I Can Steal the Skills of a Grandmaster from the Republic of China E

Chapter 103 Basongkin, the Third Manager

While Zhou Xing was pondering to himself, on the edge of the Japanese concession, in the basement of an inconspicuous warehouse.

The air was filled with the fishy smell of river mud and the aroma of thread. The dim light illuminated several faces.

Seated in the main seat was Basong, the presiding master of the Yiguandao sect for this trip to Tianjin. His eyes were closed, and the bone beads in his hand remained still, as if he were waiting.

After a while, footsteps came from the stairs.

A man in a dockworker's jacket with sharp eyes strode down and whispered to Basong, "Master, the person has been brought back and settled at point number three. No trace has been left."

Basong opened his eyes a crack: "All intact?"

"Quanqiu, he wasn't severely tortured, just a bit listless after being locked up for a few days. The Annamese police officer in charge took a bribe and gave him the green light all the way."

"Um.

""

Basong responded through his nose, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

His gaze shifted to the charity manager, Mr. Jin, sitting in a grand chair across from him, slowly peeling an orange.

"all the best."

Manager Jin broke off a segment of orange and put it in his mouth. After savoring the slightly sour and sweet taste, he spoke with a half-smile, "Oh, you really let them go? A couple of days ago, Renault's men were causing quite a ruckus, arresting our people everywhere, smashing our jars, acting like they wanted to wipe us out. And now they're so easy to talk to?"

Basong's voice was low and hoarse: "Making a scene is for show. Being easy to talk to is because the price has been agreed upon."

"Oh? What price? More important than the credit you'll receive?" Manager Jin San became interested.

"Honors?"

Bassong sneered, "For him, the greatest achievement is that the Japanese concession was in big trouble, while the French concession remained calm."

""

His withered fingers drew a line on the greasy wooden table, symbolizing the Haihe River.

"The River God Festival needs a place to take place. The Tianhou Temple is for show, and the excitement is for the living. The real excitement needs to be held in a suitable place."

He pointed heavily to the right side of the downstream line, representing the area where the Japanese concession and the Chinese-controlled area met: "We promised him that when the river god awakens, the first place he will land will be here. The bigger the commotion, the stronger the malevolent energy, the better."

It would be best if one or two docks were breached and several streets were flooded.

Manager Jin's eyes gleamed as he quickly grasped the scheme: "Brilliant! It's chaos over there, while it's as steady as a rock here—a stark contrast. We can even take advantage of the chaos and use the excuse of maintaining order to sneak in and get involved."

The foreign gentlemen in the Municipal Council, seeing this, naturally felt that Renault was capable and could keep the situation under control. This made his position more secure, and he could extend his influence even further.

"This is a perfect opportunity for us to showcase our abilities and get what we need."

He clapped his hands, then remembered something else: "Tsk, what about those brothers who went in earlier?"

"Abandoned pawn".

Basong said indifferently, "This is a necessary price, and it's also a way to show him sincerity and recognition. It gives him something to show for his superiors, and it loosens the restrictions on us a bit. He hasn't touched any of the people truly in the inner circle, and he won't in the future."

"I see."

Manager Jin San understood that this was essentially a cold-blooded exchange of interests and a way to shift the blame.

If trouble breaks out in the Japanese concession and the Chinese concession, the French concession will benefit even if it does nothing.

He clicked his tongue and suddenly asked, "What about that constable Zhou Xing? That guy's a real troublemaker, he's ruined several of our plans. I mentioned him to you before. Didn't you take him with you on this deal?"

Bassun glanced at him and said indifferently, "He mentioned it. Renault said he still needs this man for the time being and wants to keep him around to handle things. Besides, he's just a dog kept by the French; no matter how fierce he is, what trouble can he cause?"

Manager Jin snorted coldly, refusing to eat the oranges: "Renault is quite possessive of his food."

"It's alright."

Basong twirled the bone beads again. "Once the river god returns to his place, the feng shui of Tianjin will change. At that time, whether it's the French Concession or that dog Zhou Xing, if they know what's good for them, they'll get their share of the benefits. If they don't—"

He didn't continue, only gave a cold laugh.

Manager Jin, remembering the important matter, became more serious: "Has the location of the River God not been determined yet?"

Basong frowned and said, "The waterways in Tianjin are too complicated to pinpoint the exact location, but there are a few suspected spots. Once the inner altar ceremony is completed, we can pinpoint the location of the river god and capture him using the river god ritual. We'll be absolutely certain of success."

"It's indispensable. But you can't skimp on your materials either."

Basong interrupted him, "And your people must strictly guard the designated area, especially avoiding the possible keyholes downstream. Disrupting the ceremony will render all our efforts futile."

"Don't worry, we know the rules."

Manager Jin patted his chest and pulled out a list from his sleeve: "Top-grade cinnabar, corpse moss, and blood from the fingertips of virgins born in the year and month of Yin—all prepared double the amount as requested by the master."

Our manpower and medicine-producing personnel have been scattered throughout the old town and the surrounding areas, keeping an eye on all sorts of small fry for you.

"We're also watching from the Japanese side. We've been cooperating with them for a long time, and we're aware of any slight movement from them immediately."

He paused, a greedy yet ruthless look appearing on his face: "Each takes what they need. We only want a portion of the materials from the river god. Once your ritual is complete and you're ready to harvest, we'll take action."

Basong said nothing more, only nodded slightly.

In the shadows behind him stood several men with similarly dark skin and a chilling aura; they were the inner altar protectors he had brought from Southeast Asia.

Outside the warehouse, a net has been cast.

There are seven pre-designated yin candle-shaped earthen nodes, each guarded by twelve disciples from both the inner and outer altars, equipped with specially made ritual implements such as the evil-attracting bell and the water-sealing curtain.

The cores of the three Kuman Thong statues brought from Southeast Asia have been buried in a key riverbed to gather and amplify the resentment of the spirits at the bottom of the water.

Within the Japanese concession, two streets and alleys were quietly cleared out under the guise of renovation, but in reality, they were pre-planned channels for dissipating negative energy.

The charity provided 36 drug-using individuals who mingled among the crowds around the Tin Hau Temple, ready to become assassins at any time and eliminate any disruptors attempting to approach the core area.

Everything proceeded smoothly and methodically in the shadows.

That is strength.

This is not empty talk or intimidation, but a real, layered, and meticulously planned arrangement.

Even if a high-ranking Taoist priest were to personally arrive, attempting to remove all the nodes at the same time would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

Even if a master boxer were to break through the formation, he would still be unable to escape the fate of dying from exhaustion when faced with this quagmire that combined exotic evil arts with the indulgence of the concession.

Everything is ready; we are just waiting for the right time.

This day marked three days until the start of the River God Festival.

Zhou Xing then went to the Yuntian Temple in the west of the city. Hans waited outside the temple, unaware of what was inside.

All I know is that when he went in, his brows were furrowed, and when he came out, the calmness between his brows remained, but something seemed to have changed.

In the afternoon, on the barren beach of the lower reaches of the Haihe River.

Zhou Xing removed his outer clothing and silently slipped into the water. He remained submerged for nearly two hours.

Hans waited on the bank until the sun began to set before the river suddenly splashed.

When Zhou Xing went ashore, his face was ashen, but his lips were pressed into a thin line.

Soaked to the bone, even from a few steps away, I could feel the biting cold emanating from the riverbed.

"Detective Zhou, have you found anything?" Hans asked.

Zhou Xing shook his head without answering, only raising his eyes to look at the Haihe River, where two sparks were quietly burning deep within his eyes.