Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

"Everyone, listen up! Our Green Robe Gang has a new clerk joining, and according to the rules, he'll be charged an extra monthly allowance. Those who know what's good for them will obediently pay him tribute, otherwise they'll be going against our Sea Dragon Gang!"

The once quiet alleyway suddenly erupted in chaos.

Business is scarce in Dog Tail Alley, with only two or three run-down stalls, all run by people who can't afford the share of the property and have come here to make a living.

Upon hearing the words "Haijiao Gang," the vendors hurriedly began packing up their belongings.

Even the neighbors who were cooling off by the wall quickly moved to both sides to avoid it.

Three thugs dressed in black swaggered into the alley. The one in the lead, a scarred-faced man, kicked over a vendor selling osmanthus and red bean soup not far from Lin Ji, spilling the soup all over the ground.

"Damn it! Still running away! You were the one who didn't pay your wedding gift last month, weren't you? I was wondering where you'd been, and here you were, hiding in this godforsaken place."

Scarface scanned the alleyway once more, then sneered.

"But you've brought me some money, kid. Without you, I wouldn't have known there were people setting up stalls in this godforsaken place."

Scarface raised his hand and slapped the vendor's face, making the vendor's face red and swollen. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll waive last month's payment. Just hand over this month's payment quickly."

The vendor was terrified and hurriedly pulled out a handful of loose copper coins from his pocket: "I'll pay, I'll pay right now."

Upon seeing this, the other people in the alley all took out their money.

The three thugs collected their loot along the way and arrived at Lin Ji's stall.

The scarred man sized him up and down: "You old codger? Still setting up a stall at your age? Hurry up, here's the money."

Lin Ji was slowly packing up his equipment for showing shadow puppets when he heard this. He looked up and grinned.

As the saying goes, you can't hit someone who's smiling.

"Young man, I've been running this stall in this poor alley for decades, and no one has ever asked for a donation. This corner of the place isn't even a proper shop, so why don't you do me a favor?"

"The past is the past, the present is the present!" The bald man slammed his hand on the box used for showing shadow puppets, and the old wooden box cracked open with a thud.

The children were so frightened that they hid behind the box, while the bolder ones tugged at Lin Ji's clothes and peeked out.

"I don't care what you say. Starting this month, anyone who sets up a stall in Dog Tail Alley has to pay me. It doesn't matter if you're pulling a magic trick or collecting scraps!" Scarface yelled.

"I won't go into the details of what happened before. How about this, just give me one silver dollar, and from now on, fifty copper coins every month!"

One ocean!

The surrounding neighbors couldn't help but gasp.

This isn't collecting money as a gift; it's outright robbery!

If you use it sparingly, one silver dollar is enough for a family to live on for a month.

Lin Ji glanced at the newly cracked box out of the corner of his eye, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

This box was part of the dowry that my wife brought when we got married.

If I were fifty years younger, this man's grave would have been overgrown with weeds three times over.

But then he thought about it again and suppressed his anger.

He has just entered the Skin Refining Realm and his blood and qi have not yet been fully replenished. Dealing with these three lackeys is not difficult, but if things get out of hand, he might attract the attention of the Sea Dragon Gang's Red Flower Stick, which would be difficult to handle.

Having lived for a hundred years, what storms haven't I seen?

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down; such reckless courage is utterly foolish.

He immediately grinned, his voice full of the straightforwardness of a street businessman.

"Sir, one silver dollar, right? No problem, no problem!"

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, preparing to take out a silver dollar.

"Wait a moment!"

Just then, two voices rang out simultaneously from the alley.

A clear, bright sound.

A chilly, cool breeze.

The members of the Sea Dragon Gang all looked in the direction of the sound.

Lin Ji couldn't help but glance sideways, first looking at the source of the two voices.

In the distance, Bai Xiaonian, like a strong calf, charged straight towards Bai Yu'er's low house.

He had changed into a white short-sleeved shirt, with the sleeves rolled up halfway, revealing forearms where the conspicuous scars from yesterday were no longer visible.

He strode up to Lin Ji, his back ramrod straight, blocking the three members of the Sea Dragon Gang.

However, Lin Ji's gaze mostly fell on another person.

Liu Yuanbao's older sister, Liu Qingzhu.

She was the other one to speak up.

At this moment, she was standing still, holding Liu Yuanbao's hand. The hem of her moon-white dress fluttered gently in the breeze of the alley, revealing half of her fair calves, which was quite eye-catching.

Liu Qingzhu's gaze swept over the young man, and with a single glance, he clearly saw through his background.

My muscles and bones are not yet fully stretched; I've only practiced some external martial arts techniques and have just touched the threshold of skin refining.

However, he has a good foundation and vigorous blood and energy. If he has a good teacher to guide him, he may very well become a great person in the future.

She withdrew her gaze, glanced at the scarred face in front of her, and thought to herself: He indulges in pleasure all day long, is addicted to wine and women, and has exhausted his energy. He is all show and no substance.

"Where did this brat come from, daring to interfere in your grandfathers' affairs?"

When Scarface Wang Er heard the two speak, he was first taken aback, then burst out laughing.

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing a menacing dragon tattoo on his arm.

"Open your dog eyes and take a look! I'm a member of the Sea Dragon Gang! Ever heard of the Sea Dragon Gang? Above us is the Green Robe Gang! Mess with us? We'll make your whole family regret it."

Bald Liu San, standing nearby, chimed in, "You little brat, you're still all grown up! Get lost, or I'll throw you into the river to feed the fish."

Bai Xiaonian gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

He had heard of the Green Robe Gang to some extent, but he remembered even more that the old man behind him had saved his sister's life just yesterday. Gratitude was something his sister had taught him since he was a child.

"So what if it's the Green Robe Gang? Does that give them the right to bully others and act unreasonably?" Bai Xiaonian questioned.

Lin Ji looked at the young man in front of him and smiled to himself, thinking: This kid didn't take yesterday's words to heart at all.

However, seeing the young man step forward, he couldn't help but sigh softly, "Youthful spirit, unafraid of tigers. How can one know the world's harshness without experiencing life's trials?"

Liu Qingzhu's ears twitched slightly. Upon hearing this, she glanced at Lin Ji, and when she turned back, she couldn't help but glance at Bai Xiaonian again.

"act recklessly!"

Scarface Wang Er's face darkened, and he winked at the two men behind him: "Beat him! Break his legs!"

The two thugs responded, cracking their wrists and necks, amusement on their faces, and they surrounded Bai Xiaonian from the left and right.

Bai Xiaonian's expression was tense, but he showed no fear whatsoever.

As the bald Liu San threw a punch at his face, he twisted his foot and dodged to the side. Then, using the momentum, he twisted his waist and kicked Liu San's knee.

"Ouch!" Liu San cried out in pain and knelt down on one knee.

Without hesitation, Bai Xiaonian stepped closer and delivered another punch, landing squarely on Liu San's nose.

"Bang!"

Liu San's vision went black, and warm blood immediately gushed out.

Taking advantage of the opening, another thug seized Bai Xiaonian's weakness, crouched down and crawled out from the side, grabbed Bai Xiaonian's lower back with both hands, and suddenly exerted force, trying to flip him to the ground.

But the next moment, the green-skinned man's expression changed.

The boy in front of him stood firmly on the ground, his soles gripping the bluestone slab, and no matter how hard he tried, he didn't budge.

The boy's eyes turned cold, and with a burst of strength in his back, the back of his head slammed backward, hitting the thug squarely in the face.

Green Skin cried out in pain, instinctively letting go and retreating while covering his nose.

Bai Xiaonian took the opportunity to pull away, twisted his waist, and unleashed a fierce whip kick that struck the shrew, sending him staggering back several steps before crashing into the brick wall and coming to a stop.

Bai Xiaonian fought two opponents single-handedly and held his own.

Unfortunately, they were still young and inexperienced. The two thugs suffered a great loss and, no longer acting recklessly, cooperated with each other, taking turns to fight.

Caught off guard, Bai Xiaonian was hit squarely in the face with a punch.

A burning pain shot through his mouth, and he gritted his teeth, swallowing back the groan that was about to escape his lips.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, still standing in front of Lin Ji without flinching.

Lin Ji initially just wanted to watch the show, but as he watched, he began to see the intricacies of it.

During the fight, Bai Xiaonian would take a deep breath with each punch and exhale slowly with each kick.

His breathing rhythm and body movements were perfectly coordinated. Although he was a little awkward, he was clearly not just hitting randomly.

Lin Ji's eyes narrowed, and his martial bones trembled deep within his sea of ​​consciousness. The figure of the young man in his eyes became slightly transparent, and as the young man fought, a ball of blue energy continuously moved in and out of his chest.

"This is... a method of cultivating luck?"

He quickly focused his attention, keeping a close eye on Bai Xiaonian's chest rise and fall and his hand and foot movements, trying his best to remember every movement corresponding to each breath.

Just then, Scarface Wang Er, who had been watching the fight, became impatient.

"A bunch of useless trash! Can't even handle a mere kid? It's a disgrace to our Sea Dragon Gang!"

Scarface strode forward and yanked the bald man, who was still confronting Bai Xiaonian, aside: "Get out of here."

He took a step forward, moving more than twice as fast as the two bald men.

Lin Ji saw that the scarred man's fists were bloodshot, and the blue aura in his chest was several times larger than Bai Xiaonian's. His heart suddenly tightened:

"not good."

Bai Xiaonian had barely dodged one punch when Scarface's second punch landed, sending Bai Xiaonian flying like a broken sack, crashing heavily to the ground.

Bai Xiaonian's stomach churned, and a surge of acid gushed from his abdomen.

Before he could get up, Scarface was there again, stepping on his wrist.

"You little brat, you dare to lay a hand on your grandpa? Consider this hand tuition for our sparring session; grandpa will accept it today."

As he spoke, Scarface twisted his toe, about to break Bai Xiaonian's wrist.

"stop!"

Lin Ji frowned, about to speak, when a clear, cold voice with an unquestionable tone rang out first.