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

Song Beiyou's bizarre changes were already alarming. His punch, delivered with anger, was imbued with the internal energy of Tai Chi, carrying frost and ice. Even before the punch arrived, the force of the blow was already stirring.

Inoue Sai dared not underestimate his opponent. He stomped his right straw sandal on the muddy ground, gathered his strength in his left fist, and suddenly thrust it out from the wide sleeve of his hempen robe to meet the attack.

As their fists clashed, Inoue Saitaka was struck by a swirling burst of energy, which deflected his punch. In the next instant, an unimaginable chill erupted from the opponent's fist, piercing to the bone and freezing to the marrow.

In an instant, his left fist was frozen solid, numb, stiff, and devoid of feeling, while the chill spread rapidly. Within a breath, his entire forearm was frozen.

Inoue Sai's eyes widened in horror. The energy in his entire left arm had been frozen, and the circulation of energy and blood in half of his body had slowed down. He swung his Tang sword rapidly with his right hand, trying to force Song Beiyou to dodge, while he retreated to catch his breath.

Having achieved victory in one move, Song Beiyou would not let such an opportunity slip by. If Inoue Sai were to recover, the outcome would be uncertain. He bit his tongue hard, forcing himself to concentrate. Seeing the blade flashing, he immediately changed his fist into a palm, striking out to meet the blade's light, his palm unleashing Tai Chi energy.

With a soft "pop," the swift blade was entangled by the fine, thread-like energy, immediately slowing down. Like a spider caught in a web, it was stuck by the palm force and could not break free.

"Tai Chi! External Qi release! How is that possible! You just broke through to the Transcendent Realm?" Even though Inoue Sai was knowledgeable and experienced, he exclaimed in shock, his face changed drastically, and he retreated in a panic.

Song Beiyou, as steadfast as a lone crane, leaned forward, his long arm reaching down to draw his knife with a backhand motion, the heavy butcher's knife once again unsheathed.

The path Inoue Sai had just used to wield his sword energy suddenly appeared clearly in his mind. Song Beiyou understood as if struck by a thunderbolt, and the Tai Chi energy naturally flowed along his meridians. The gleaming blade trembled with a clang, and in an instant, a foot-long blade of light burst forth from the edge.

"What!" Inoue Sai's pupils shrank suddenly.

"The art of dissecting an ox!"

With a deep shout, Song Beiyou swung his arm and brandished his sword. Swish, swish, swish! The sword light flashed like a startled swan, or like flowing wind and swirling snow, so fast that only a cold glint remained.

Clang—the blade flashed, like a sliver of cool moonlight, and steadily returned to its sheath at the waist.

Song Beiyou turned around and walked straight to the collapsed side room, ignoring Inoue Zhai, whose body was stiff.

The moonlight shone down, casting pale shadows on the ground.

"You actually used a butcher's knife to kill me... How did you learn sword energy..." Inoue Sai's face was ferocious, his throat seemed to be blocked with blood and foam, and he spoke each word with difficulty.

Hiss—blood mist suddenly shot out!

Inoue Sai's entire body collapsed like a rotten wooden frame, scattering across the ground. His head rolled on the frozen earth, into the deep crater created by the explosives, his eyes fixed on the lonely, cold moon in the sky, filled with astonishment and resentment.

The winter night was cold, the moon was bright as frost, and its clear light shone on the dilapidated Yuanben Temple. The rubble, broken wood, and bloodstains created a desolate scene.

Song Beiyou rushed into the half-collapsed house, lifted up the broken wood and tiles, and picked up Su Xiaowan, whose head and face were covered in dust.

"How are you? How are you?" Song Beiyou's voice trembled. Su Xiaowan's face was ashen, her chest was dark red, and as soon as he picked her up, his hands were covered with warm, sticky blood.

"Cough cough..." Su Xiaowan slowly opened her droopy eyelids a crack, and her bloodless lips managed a weak upward curve. "I... should still be able to live a little longer..."

"I didn't realize you had a talent for humor." Song Beiyou's lips twitched, his eyes welled up, and he said softly, "Don't worry, I won't let you die."

"Then... let's see what you're capable of..." Su Xiaowan's voice was as soft as the fluttering of a butterfly's wings, almost blown away by the night breeze.

His gaze swept across the room and quickly locked onto the four silver chests in the wooden cabinet.

"Found it. Hang in there."

Su Xiaowan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she regained her senses: "You're going to... inject me with serum?"

"Speak less, conserve your energy." Song Beiyou carried two suitcases in one hand, scooped Su Xiaowan up in his arms, and strode out of the dilapidated house.

"This old dog, who harmed his compatriots, deserves to die. You did a good job killing him, you have done a great service to the country and the people." Wen Chou, who was originally lying on the ground, now sat back on a piece of broken wood, took off his mask, and a gentle smile appeared on his square face.

"Yeah?"

A surge of rage rose within Song Beiyou, and his face darkened: "However, you should die too."

With a flick of his toe and a kick, Inoue Sai's long sword shot through Wen Chou's throat like a bolt of lightning, pinning him firmly to the broken wood he was leaning against.

Wen Chou's smile froze on his face, and just as disbelief appeared in his eyes, his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

Song Beiyou glanced around and saw that the temple was brightly lit and filled with figures approaching. The explosion had been so loud that it had alerted the surrounding area.

His vision blurred, and the combined effects of the cicada's song and the candlelight began to manifest, creating terrifying side effects. Had it not been for the Transformation Realm mask, he would have already fainted. Daring not to linger any longer, he swept Su Xiaowan into his arms and dashed off, plunging headlong into the cold, desolate winter forest.

……

After running for more than ten miles in one breath, seeing that Su Xiaowan was barely breathing and that he himself was about to give up, Song Beiyou found a secluded mountain hollow, laid Su Xiaowan flat on a blue stone, and quickly opened the silver box.

The first serum was dark brown in color and slightly heavy in the hand, with turbid particles inside that were restlessly thrashing about.

Song Beiyou's eyelids twitched, and a prompt appeared before his eyes:

【Yue-zun: It dwells in the rapids of the deep pool, its scales reflecting the sunlight, displaying dark spots. It is strong and powerful, swimming against the current, its tail sweeping the waves, shattering them like stars.】

Having gained some experience, he immediately guessed that this was a serum that increased strength. Su Xiaowan's injuries were too severe; it would be best if she could be injected with something like the Dragon Salamander serum, which could heal her injuries.

He opened another box and breathed a sigh of relief; it contained the dragon salamander serum. Unscrewing the metal canister, he found that this serum appeared to be a next-generation product, even featuring a built-in injection gun. He glanced briefly at the warning card, then quickly took out an iodine packet, tore open Su Xiaowan's sleeve, and began cleaning and disinfecting it.

Su Xiaowan, who seemed to have fallen asleep, opened her eyes and saw Song Beiyou holding a gleaming silver injection gun. She pursed her lips and weakly asked, "Won't I turn into a monster?"

"No, even if you turn into a monster, I'll turn you back." Song Beiyou touched her cold face, then with a slight squeeze, the injection needle popped out and pierced her skin.

Su Xiaowan frowned, suddenly opened her eyes wide, straightened her body, and the veins on the side of her neck immediately bulged as she reached out and grabbed Song Beiyou's arm.

Her pupils, which had been trembling with pain, suddenly widened in astonishment, reflecting a strange mask on Song Beiyou's face. Eight eyes on the mask were open, staring at her like a god or demon.

The excruciating pain seemed to be slowly subsiding, and Su Xiaowan felt at ease. "The man in front of me is mysterious, but also very reliable." Her eyelids drooped, and she slowly lost consciousness.

The night wind blew through the mountain valley, carrying the scents of grass, trees, and blood. The moon still hung in the sky, round and cold.

……

[To those who have read this far, I'm sorry! This book performed so poorly that I have to cancel it. It's not even on sale, so I can't even get the perfect attendance bonus. Two months of hard work have been wasted.]