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

With a flick of her finger, Shen Jinluan revealed a thin booklet in her palm. The cover was dark red, and a scarlet Japanese military seal was stamped on the corner, gleaming coldly under the lamplight in the hall.

She raised her hand and handed it over, her peach blossom eyes curving into crescents, but her tone was unusually solemn: "Chief Du, why don't you take a look at this first?"

Du Qingyi raised an eyebrow and reached out to take it, initially with a hint of nonchalance. But as soon as his fingertips turned the first page, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he turned the pages faster and faster, his knuckles tightening with each turn, until by the last page, his fingertips had turned slightly white.

After a long silence, he abruptly slammed the booklet shut, looked up at Shen Jinluan, and said in a voice trembling with barely concealed shock: "The Guanghua Martial Arts Crackdown List... Are the Japanese going to target all the martial artists in Guanghua?"

"Chief Du is a shrewd man." Shen Jinluan's lips curled up slightly. "With this list, we can avoid the crackdown in advance and also use the list to investigate the Japanese spies. Otherwise, once the Japanese have time to deal with it, they'll first wipe out the Haijiao Gang and then swallow the Qingyi Gang, and neither of us will be able to escape it."

Liu Qingzhu walked over slowly, her gaze falling on the vermilion seal on the cover of the list, her fingertips pausing almost imperceptibly. She glanced at Lin Ji, a knowing look flashing in her eyes—Shen Jinluan had absolutely no chance of obtaining such a top-secret item except for him, who could fight his way out of the heavily armed forces of Xincheng.

She didn't spell it out, but instead spoke coolly, offering the two a way out: "The list not only contains the names of martial artists, but also marks the defenses of various strongholds in Japan. With it in hand, we can at least protect most of the martial artists in Jiangcheng, which is the key to breaking the deadlock."

Du Qingyi took a deep breath, pressed the list in his palm, and the solemnity around him slowly dissipated, replaced by the composed demeanor of a gang leader. He raised his hand in a gesture of dismissal, his tone calm: "Gang Leader Shen has delivered such a valuable treasure so late at night; I appreciate your sincerity. This matter is of great importance. Please allow me and my advisor to discuss it tonight, and we will certainly give Gang Leader Shen a definite answer first thing tomorrow morning. The road is dangerous late at night; Gang Leader Shen, please be careful on your journey."

He spoke politely but did not immediately agree to join forces, thus preserving the dignity of the Green Robe Gang while leaving room for maneuver, striking the perfect balance.

Shen Jinluan didn't press the matter further, and curtsied, saying, "Then Jinluan will await good news from Chief Du."

Lin Ji didn't say a word from beginning to end, only glancing at Du Qingyi with a half-smile as he left. That glance was calm and indifferent, but it made Du Qingyi's heart skip a beat. He had been so focused on looking at the list that he hadn't even noticed when this person had moved an inch.

The two figures disappeared outside the courtyard gate, leaving only Du Qingyi and Liu Qingzhu in the hall.

Du Qingyi tapped her fingertips on the cover of the list, her brows furrowed. "Shen Jinluan is at most at the early stage of Inner Strength; there's no way she could have obtained such a top-secret item from the Japanese. Just who is this old man behind her?"

He considered reclusive masters, secret agents of the Hongmen, and even high-ranking members of the Tongmenghui, but he never considered ordinary martial artists.

Liu Qingzhu stood by the window, moonlight falling on her cool profile, her voice soft yet firm: "His name is Lin Ji, and he's the doorman of the Jiangcheng Martial Arts Hall."

"The gatekeeper of the martial arts hall?"

Du Qingyi turned around abruptly, a look of astonishment on her face for the first time. "A gatekeeper can defeat a peak-level Dark Force cultivator and seize a top-secret list from Japan? Master Liu, are you joking?"

"When I first met him, I also thought he was just an ordinary old man." Liu Qingzhu lowered her eyes slightly, her fingertips twirling the hem of her clothes. "But from his trip to Xincheng, he brought back far more than just this list. The things he carries are probably more valuable than all the martial arts schools in Jiangcheng combined."

She didn't mention Tianyan Zhu, only hinting at it.

Du Qingyi remained silent for a long time, then let out a heavy sigh. Gazing at the deep night outside the courtyard, she sighed softly, "Jiangcheng is truly a hidden pool of dragons and crouching tigers this time. Pass down the order to transfer the first batch of martial artists tonight according to the list. The Sea Dragon Gang's alliance... approved."

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the streets of Jiangcheng were in complete chaos.

Japanese soldiers, armed with long guns, kicked down doors and searched house to house. Roadblocks were set up at alley entrances, and anyone with calluses on their hands or signs of being staked out was immediately tackled and bound. Cries and shouts mingled in the streets, and the once bustling commercial street was deserted, with only the clatter of leather boots on the ground, making it hard to breathe.

Only in the British Concession in the south of the city, foreign soldiers stood guard at the intersection with guns at their ready, and the Japanese dared not cross the line. Inside the concession, shops remained open as usual, bustling with traffic; just one street away, it was as if they were two different worlds.

Liu Qingzhu, wrapped in a plain-colored cloak, meandered along the alleys at the edge of the concession towards the martial arts hall. The wind ruffled the stray hairs at her temples, but her mind was more turbulent than the wind itself—the roster had been seized by Lin Ji, and the legendary breathing technique that could supposedly break through the barrier of Transformation Realm must also be in his hands. She had been stuck at the mid-stage of Dark Force for three years, and this was the closest she had ever come to Transformation Realm.

Upon arriving at the martial arts hall, Gu Yanqiu was instructing his disciples in boxing on the training ground. Seeing her arrive, he quickly stopped his movements and went to greet her. The two walked to a quiet spot under the corridor, and Liu Qingzhu didn't beat around the bush, directly asking about the Heavenly Evolution Records and the Register of Names.

Gu Yanqiu didn't hide it from her and sighed, "The list was indeed snatched back from Xincheng by Uncle Lin, along with a book called 'Tianyan Zhu,' which is said to be a top-secret breathing technique. Reaching the threshold of the Transformation Realm depends entirely on it. I've been studying it for two days, but I can only understand a few words. I can't even get started. It's a real pity."

Liu Qingzhu's fingers tightened slightly, and she swallowed softly: "Where is Uncle Lin now? I want to see him."

"He went out to scout out the Japanese outposts early this morning, I reckon he should be back by now." Gu Yanqiu gestured with his chin toward the gatehouse, and just as he finished speaking, a figure in a gray cloth robe hurriedly walked in through the gate of the martial arts hall.

Lin Ji had some dust on his shoulders and bits of grass on his trouser legs, clearly indicating that he had taken a detour to get back. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he looked up and bumped into Liu Qingzhu under the eaves.

Their eyes met, Lin Ji paused slightly, then a faint smile appeared on his lips as he walked straight toward her.

Lin Ji walked a few steps to the corridor, dusted off his shoulders, and first looked at Liu Qingzhu. His tone was casual and calm: "Master Liu, what brings you here? The streets are chaotic outside. You should bring two more people with you when you go out."

His breathing was steady and long as he spoke, showing no signs of fatigue from a morning's journey. His aura was warm and restrained, a stark contrast to his appearance the night before when blood flowed like a river in Xincheng. Only the bits of grass and mud clinging to his trousers hinted at the weariness of the journey.

Liu Qingzhu nodded slightly, a hint of awkwardness flashing across his cool and aloof eyes, before he quickly regained his usual composure: "I heard that Uncle Lin brought back the Heavenly Evolution Note from Xincheng. I have been stuck at the mid-stage of Dark Force for three years. Such an opportunity is rare, and I would like to take the liberty of requesting to see it. If I have been too presumptuous, I hope Uncle Lin will forgive me."

She spoke politely and considerately, but her fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of her cloak, and a hint of undisguised expectation lingered in her cool eyes.

This is the first time she has touched the threshold of mastering internal energy after being stuck at a bottleneck for three years.

Gu Yanqiu, standing to the side, chuckled and smoothed things over: "Uncle Lin, Sister Liu is also a martial arts fanatic. Why don't you give her a look? This skill is all about fate; how much one can comprehend depends entirely on the individual. You can't force it."

Lin Ji chuckled lightly, not holding back at all, and reached into his robes to pull out the yellowed silk scroll, handing it over: "What's with the presumption? Since we're both guarding the martial arts of Jiangcheng, a single manual is nothing. Whether you can master it or not depends on your own fortune, Master Liu."