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

Inside the Jiangcheng Military Governor's Mansion.

"Ring ring... Ring ring!"

The phone kept ringing.

Chen Tianze, his brow furrowed with worry, sat up from the solid wood sofa upon hearing the phone ring and answered it.

"Feed?"

"Commander Chen! What the hell are you good for?!"

"Prince Jingmei has arrived in Jiangcheng, and you haven't heard a single word about it. What's going on with those damned Tongmenghui? Don't let anything happen at this critical juncture."

"If those fools really cause trouble at this time, and provoke the Japanese Empire to send troops to the entire Guanghua Province, then Chen Tianze, you'll be in deep trouble!"

Chen Tianze answered the phone, but before he could say anything, he was bombarded with a barrage of insults.

"Yes, yes, Commander, I will send someone right away... no, I will personally welcome Princess Jingmei." Chen Tianze's brows furrowed sharply, his expression filled with hostility, yet he spoke with unusual obedience.

"Hurry up! If you delay even a moment, you'll have to figure out how to provide the army's rations and martial arts resources for this month and next! Also, I've already received Chen Tianze's letter of denunciation, and I asked you to find an old man from the Tongmenghui. Haven't you found him yet?"

"I'm giving you three days to have the Tongmenghui hand over this old man, so that Prince Jingmei can have an explanation."

"Those lowly clowns from the Tongmenghui have been clamoring to sacrifice themselves for the country! Now, are they unwilling to hand over an old man for the sake of the people of this city?" A sudden "click" came from the other end of the phone, followed by a busy tone.

Chen Tianze slammed the phone down on the landline and sneered, "Food and supplies, didn't you always think Jiangcheng was self-sufficient? On the contrary, how much blood has your provincial capital sucked from Jiangcheng this past year!"

He frowned deeply. He had investigated through various means and found that none of the members of the Tongmenghui were old men.

Only... during that city-wide manhunt, there was one person who resembled this old man, the old gatekeeper of the martial arts hall.

Chen Tianze looked out the window and shouted to the guards, "Prepare the car! I want to see what this Jingmei is all about!"

Both were princes of Japan and contenders for the next emperor, but the situation in Guanghua Province was worlds apart from that of Jingren and Jingmei.

Just before leaving, Chen Tianze glanced back. When his gaze fell on the simple portrait on the table, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he had already made up his mind.

Jiangcheng South City.

Zhang Family Residence.

"Father, what are you doing!" Zhang Shijie, dressed in a plaid suit and holding a silk top hat, looking every bit the fake gentleman, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise when he saw the letter written in Japanese on the table in front of Zhang Jichuan.

"The Way of the Underworld!" Zhang Jichuan slammed his hand on the table, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Zacks is a colonel from Great Britain, and the Japanese are a prince who is very likely to inherit the throne. We can enjoy endless wealth and glory no matter which one we follow."

"But... what does Father want Jie'er to do?" Zhang Shijie instantly understood his father's meaning: invest in both sides, so that he wouldn't lose out on either side in the end.

Zhang Jichuan looked at his second son, who had become familiar with the Westerners in less than three days.

His eyes were full of satisfaction; this youngest son was so much better than his eldest son.

Zhang Jichuan pushed open the letter, revealing the portrait underneath: "I have confirmed it. This old man is Lin Ji, the gatekeeper of your martial arts school. Starting tomorrow, send someone to keep an eye on the martial arts school. Whether we hand him over to the West or Japan, it will be entirely beneficial to us."

"Yes, Father!" Zhang Shijie reached out and took the portrait from Zhang Jichuan.

……

The moon is setting in the west.

A ray of light shone through the sky.

Lin Ji and his companion returned to Xincheng.

Led by Gu Yanqiu with practiced ease, the two quickly arrived at the place where Gu Yanqiu had hidden the suitcase. The suitcase was well hidden and had not been discovered by anyone.

Picking up his suitcase, Gu Yanqiu walked straight to the end of the alley across the street.

The alley is shaped like a gourd, with a small opening and a large belly, hence its name, Gourd Alley.

Arriving at the gate of a small courtyard, Gu Yanqiu reached out and pushed the door open. The gate was unlocked, and the wooden door was slowly pushed open.

"Coo coo coo..."

In the courtyard, a woman of about sixty years old was holding a winnowing basket. She was imitating the clucking of a rooster as she chased after the free-roaming chicks to feed them.

Hearing the door open, the woman turned to look at the doorway. Her gaze fell on Gu Yanqiu's face, and she was initially delighted. Then, her gaze shifted to Lin Ji's face.

Eyes facing each other.

The winnowing basket in the woman's hand suddenly fell to the ground.

The fine chaff in the winnowing basket spilled all over the ground, and several chicks came forward to peck at it.

She remained motionless as the hazy memories in her mind gradually became clearer. She remembered this face, and she vaguely recalled getting lost in the chaos of war.

This...this is her grandfather.

How is that possible!

The old man was at most about the same age as me.

"Qiu'er, who is this...?"

Lin Ji raised his eyes slightly, and suddenly clenched his hand that had been casually hanging at his side.

This woman... seems so familiar.

It wasn't the familiar appearance, it was the bloodline. He looked at the woman standing in the distance, and for a moment, he felt that the blood flowing through her body was flowing out of his own.

Gu Yanqiu felt a tightness in her heart as she looked at her mother's absent-minded appearance. She was certain of the fact that she had never dared to admit: Lin Ji behind her was indeed her great-grandfather.

"Mom, how long has it been since you last saw your daughter? Instead of asking how your daughter is doing, you're asking about an outsider." Gu Yanqiu's throat tightened slightly. This was a family reunion spanning fifty years.

The woman stared intently at Lin Ji for a moment, her gaze lingering on Gu Yanqiu with a hint of reluctance: "What is that brat saying?"

Even with Gu Yanqiu's calm demeanor, he couldn't hold back at this moment: "Mom, you really don't remember who this person is? This is your family member."

The woman was startled again, her eyes darting around in a panic, and she choked out, "You brat, still talking nonsense."

"It's true." Gu Yanqiu turned to Lin Ji: "Uncle Lin, can I borrow your peace charm?"

A brand-new amulet landed in Gu Yanqiu's palm. Then, Gu Yanqiu took out an old amulet from a hidden pocket in his clothes and placed it next to it in his palm.

The woman was stunned again.

Two identical amulets, one new and one old.

A memory that had been dormant for who knows how long resurfaced in the woman's mind, and she remembered it.

In a small courtyard.

She sat on the rocking horse, babbling as she learned to speak, and accepted a lucky charm from an old man.

Overlapping memories.

That peace charm was exactly the same as the brand-new peace charm in Gu Yanqiu's hand.

The old man who handed over the amulet had the same angular features as the old man in front of them.

suddenly.

A sob escaped her nose.

This man is her grandfather, the grandfather who has been missing for over fifty years.

Lin Ji stepped forward, his heart tightening at the sight of the weeping woman. He reached out, imagining gently stroking his granddaughter's hair as he had done when she was a child, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

Fifty years.

A little girl who was just learning to speak has now grown old, with graying temples and wrinkles on her face.

"Knock knock knock!"

A loud knocking sounded suddenly.

The half-closed wooden door was pushed open.

"Old woman, is the chicken we ordered yesterday ready?"