During the Republic of China era, I achieved unparalleled success by returning to the past.

Qingchuan Tea House is a simple three-story wooden building with a plain wooden plaque above the door bearing the two characters "Qingchuan" in ink.

Two men dressed in sharp suits and leather shoes were strolling around the neighborhood.

"Why bother when someone's there to help?" The short man twisted his neck awkwardly, clearly dissatisfied with his outfit.

"I'm not as carefree as you to entrust my life to someone else," Song Beiyou said calmly. "Besides, aren't you afraid of being sold out?"

He Zheng's expression changed slightly: "Someone betrayed us?"

"I guessed. Better safe than sorry. You only have one life; once it's gone, it's gone."

"Hey... I don't have long to live." He Zheng shook his head expressionlessly. "I never planned to leave alive this time. Trading my life for a settlement fee is the last thing I can do."

Song Beiyou slowed his pace and asked, "A terminal illness? Incurable?"

"It's incurable." He Zheng shook his head, then suddenly reached out and grasped Song Beiyou's arm. "I see you're capable of great things. This time, I'll risk my life to protect you. I only ask that if you rise to prominence in the future, you take care of my family."

Song Beiyou turned to look at him seriously: "You really have a terminal illness?"

"I've already made arrangements for my funeral," He Zheng said with a calm smile.

Song Beiyou nodded and patted him on the shoulder: "Okay, I promise you." He suddenly realized that it would be strange if a person who wanted to die and a "foolish fool" could survive after being thrown into this scheme of using someone else to kill.

He Zheng revealed a rare, bright smile, and even his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit: "My home is right behind Yihe Auto Shop, you can find it with just a few inquiries."

"I've got it." He reached behind his back and pulled out a gleaming boning knife. With a flick of his wrist, the knife spun in his palm, flashed coldly, and then disappeared back into its leather sheath. He did this a few times, regaining his feel for it, and a satisfied look appeared on his face.

"Wow, impressive technique! What... you used to be a butcher?" He Zheng's eyes widened.

Song Beiyou smiled mysteriously: "Let's go, let's get things done."

……

Song Beiyou was already tall and imposing, and wearing a suit made him appear even more dashing. He lifted the noren curtain and stepped inside, almost blocking the entire doorway.

"Sir, do you have an appointment?" A Japanese waiter hurried forward, not daring to be negligent.

Song Beiyou adjusted the brim of his bowler hat, took out a green banknote from his pocket, stuffed it into the waiter's hand, and said in a British-accented European language, "We are guests of Mr. Kato Yuichi."

"Yes, sir!" The waiter hurriedly switched to European, his smile becoming even more ingratiating. "Gentlemen, Mr. Kato is in the 'Snow Cherry Blossom Room' on the third floor. Shall I take you there?"

Song Beiyou patted his arm: "No need, you go about your business."

"Hello!" The waiter bowed and watched them ascend the stairs. Song Beiyou took the lead, his long legs moving like lightning as he strode up the stairs.

Upon reaching the third floor, a quick glance reveals the entrance without much effort—on the east side, two Japanese samurai dressed in brocade and wearing wooden clogs stand guard at the door; this is the "Snow Cherry Blossom Room."

He Zheng asked quietly, "What should we do?"

A low-pitched Japanese melody could be faintly heard coming from inside the room.

"Follow me." Song Beiyou smiled and walked slowly closer, saying with a laugh, "Hello, hello."

Two samurai, hands on their sword hilts, stared at each other. One of them demanded, "Who are you?"

Before he finished speaking, Song Beiyou pushed off with both legs and leaped forward, instantly appearing in front of the two men. His arms lashed out like steel whips!

Bang! Bang! Wood chips flew everywhere as the two men crashed through the lattice door and flew inside. Song Beiyou followed closely behind, leaping into the room.

The two gatekeepers collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Beside a low table on the tatami mat, two people sat leisurely sipping tea, seemingly unfazed by the sudden turn of events.

Only the figure singing and playing music behind the screen was startled, and the music stopped abruptly.

Song Beiyou's gaze sharpened, locking onto the Japanese man with a shaved head and a mustache: "You're Kato Yuichi? The one from the Boxer Rebellion? Did you kill him?"

"Yes, it's me." Kato Yuichi put down his teacup, turned to the screen, and snapped, "Baka! Keep singing, keep playing!"

The songstress hurriedly agreed, and the music and singing resumed.

Kato Yuichi then smiled and looked at the person opposite him: "Lord Takeshiro, the prey has come to our door. Thank you for your trouble."

A young man dressed in a black Japanese school uniform knelt opposite him, nodding slightly. Almost simultaneously, he sprang up like a spring, his toes lightly tapping the scabbard of a sword lying horizontally on the low table—

While in mid-air, he reached out and grasped the spring-loaded Japanese sword, drawing it from its sheath with a clang! The sword flashed like a streak of lightning, swiftly slashing down!

This move was extremely fierce, the blade whistling as it cut through the air.

In the blink of an eye, a crisp "ding" rang out! Song Beiyou had activated "Autumn Cicada's First Awareness," and with a move called "White Ape Chopping Hanging," he struck the side of the incoming blade from an impossible angle from above.

The blade's light faltered, its aim lost, and it veered downwards. The young man in black flicked his wrist, and with a series of swift, sweeping movements, the blade flashed and cut, aiming directly at He Zheng's neck!

He Zheng raised his knife to block, but with a "clang," he was knocked back two steps and looked at his blade in horror—it had chipped!

The young Japanese man held a sword to his arm, his legs and back taut like a fully drawn bow, his eyes beneath his black-brimmed hat sharp and fierce: "I am Inoue Takenoburo, and I have studied the Shinto Munen-ryu style of the sword saint Yagyu Hirodo for thirteen years. It would be an honor for you two to die by my sword." As he spoke, he drew his sword with both hands and held it horizontally, his expression grim and murderous.

Beside him, He Zheng urgently warned, "The Munen-ryu is a famous swordsmanship school in Japan, exceptionally fierce! Watch out for his kick and his blade!"

Song Beiyou raised his hand and looked at the shocking bloodstain on his right palm—although he had struck the blade, he had still been cut by the sharp blade's energy. He pointed at Kato Yuichi, who was still drinking tea: "You go kill the main culprit. I'll hold him off."

"Arrogant and ignorant!" the black-clad youth shouted, leaping forward to thrust his katana, which transformed into a bolt of cold lightning, swiftly aiming for the throat!

Song Beiyou blocked with his left arm, the tip of the blade striking the copper wrist guard hidden in his sleeve, the penetrating force causing a sharp pain in his wrist. In that split second, he slammed his right elbow down, channeling power into his fist like a whip, striking the blade again!

The young man in black swiftly twisted his wrist, his blade moving in a circular motion as he slashed back, only to have it blocked by Song Beiyou's punch. A storm raged within him—if the first time the opponent's blade had missed was accidental, what about the second and third times? This man had managed to intercept his attacks, break his momentum, and disrupt his rhythm every single time!

With a sharp shout, the young man increased the speed of his knife by three times. The knife transformed into a silver streak, flashing through the air!

Song Beiyou immediately felt the pressure increase and was surrounded by danger. His mind raced: It's a pity Ding Qiang can only wear one mask, otherwise, with Qiu Chan's premonition combined with the exquisite state of "the senses knowing when to stop but the spirit wanting to move" from the Butcher Ding's dissection of the ox, he would definitely teach this guy a lesson!

The two were locked in a dangerous struggle, while on the other side, He Zheng, holding a sharp knife, had already pounced on Kato Yuichi.

Kato Yuichi overturned the low table, rolled over, drew his short sword from his waist, and with a clang, parried He Zheng's thrust, shouting, "Wu Xinlang! Finish him off quickly!"

"Snowflakes are falling!" Inoue Takeshiro shouted, raising his sword with both hands and spinning wildly in a flurry of slashes! The sword light flashed like streaks of white silk, whistling through the air!

Song Beiyou's eyes were calm and deep. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his tall body crashing into the circle of knives. At the same time, he reached down and pulled out the cleaver from his waist—his mask instantly switched to "Butcher Ding's Skill in Carving an Ox"!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of metal clashing was as dense as a sudden rain. The two figures crossed paths, their blades flashing for a moment, then suddenly disappearing.

Puff puff!

Five steps apart, the two suddenly stopped.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. The shards of the folding screen, now scattered by the attack, still drifted slowly in the air. The geisha behind the screen, with her white powder, delicate eyebrows, and painted lips, who had been holding a shamisen, had already lost all color in her face.

The next moment, blood splattered.

Clatter, crash... Half a little finger, along with several pieces of broken copper nail guards, fell to the ground. Song Beiyou's left hand throbbed with pain, yet he gripped the cleaver tightly, his eyes fixed on the young man opposite him.

Just as a smug smile appeared on Inoue Takeshiro's face, his crisp black clothes ripped open with a "rip," revealing a gruesome wound on his chest and abdomen where flesh tore open and black blood gushed out instantly!

He looked down in astonishment, his expression one of horror—he had never encountered such a terrifying opponent! Although his opponent was clearly inferior to him in both strength and realm, every move seemed to anticipate his opponent's moves and intercept them with precision! The "Shinto Musou-ryu" emphasizes the accumulation of power and the gradual advancement of attacks, and he was already wary, so he slowly retreated.

"What kind of swordsmanship is that?!"

"The art of butchering an ox, the cleaver of a butcher." Song Beiyou's voice was rough, like iron nails scraping against a stone slab. He had just endured two cuts, precisely using the subtle technique of a butcher dissecting an ox to penetrate the gaps in the fabric, finding an opening and finally injuring his opponent. He used the cleaver to cut along the hem of his clothes, tearing off a strip of cloth and quickly wrapping it tightly around the wound on his left hand.

"The art of dissecting an ox? Hmph..." Inoue Takeshiro retreated to the doorway, suddenly adopting the Shouyi stance. The muscles in his chest and abdomen writhed strangely, and the hideous wound instantly closed, the blood no longer flowing out.

Song Beiyou's heart sank, and his gaze swept across the other side—He Zheng had not yet defeated Kato Yuichi! This chubby guy was no pushover either.

Da da da da...

Suddenly, a torrent of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Inoue Takeshiro grinned, revealing a cold smile: "Although you've given me some surprises, you will still die."

Song Beiyou knew something was wrong, so he pushed off the ground with both feet and leaped towards Kato Yuichi like a flying ape!