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

"Uncle Lin, watch out!"

Gu Yanqiu and Liu Qingzhu's pupils dilated sharply, and they screamed a warning at the same time.

Beneath the vermilion gate of the martial arts hall.

Zack swiftly reached to his waist with his right hand, and a multi-shot revolver with a deep muzzle appeared in his hand.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sounds of rain and gunfire erupted one after another, like thunderclaps.

Five brass bullets, glowing red from the intense heat, tore through the air and hurtled toward Lin Ji's back.

A thought arose in the minds of everyone in the martial arts hall.

Old Lin is finished.

While a martial artist with internal strength might not die from a gunshot wound, they would still be unable to defend themselves without injury.

The crowd's initial elation at Lin Ji's killing of Kane immediately subsided.

Liu Qingzhu and Gu Yanqiu were both on tenterhooks.

The bullet arrived in the blink of an eye.

Lin Ji, who had just put away his boxing stance, turned slightly to the side.

The first brass bullet grazed Lin Ji's shoulder and clothes.

"puff--"

It shot into the bluestone ground.

Lin Ji took a light step forward, moving half a step forward.

The second one!

The third one!

The fourth one!

Three bullets were fired in quick succession into the ground, sending up countless fragments of stone.

The last one.

Lin Ji tilted his head slightly.

He lightly bent two fingers of his right hand and brushed them across his face.

He managed to stop the scorching brass bullet in mid-air, wedging it between his right index and middle fingers.

"Here you go."

Lin Ji raised his large hand.

"call out--"

The brass bullet in his fingertip shot backward at an even faster speed than before.

The brass bullet grazed half of the martial arts training ground and accurately struck the muzzle of Zack's still-held revolver.

"Snap!"

The revolver in Zack's hand suddenly exploded.

"Pfft!"

The deformed brass bullet, still possessing great momentum, pierced Zack's gun-wielding arm.

In an instant, Zack's dark green shirt was stained with a touch of scarlet.

"Um!"

Zack's face turned pale, he groaned in pain, and stumbled back two steps.

His deep blue eyes cast a sinister gaze at Lin Ji's leisurely stroll, his gaze sweeping over Lin Ji's deeply lined face as if trying to memorize Lin Ji's features.

Jingmei's eyes had completely lost their previous greed, replaced by terror. He stared at Lin Ji's lingering, overwhelming aura, and was filled with dread.

"This old man is definitely more than just a mid-stage Inner Strength cultivator."

He unconsciously took several steps back, completely distancing himself from Lin Ji.

"Even the Heavenly Evolution Technique is just a breathing technique, how could it possibly make a mid-stage Dark Force cultivator this strong, unless—"

"Unless, he is at the half-step into the Transcendent Realm, or... he is a master of Transcendent Energy."

Jingmei swallowed hard, her throat tightening, and whispered to the warriors behind her:

"Walk!"

"Go back and contact your older brother."

Zack clutched his wounded arm, his heart filled with turmoil.

He does indeed have some trump cards up his sleeve.

But the old man before him was imposing and showed no signs of exhaustion, so he dared not be careless.

Zack hesitated for a long time before uttering a single word:

"Walk."

"Splash!"

The two groups of soldiers retreated in unison towards the entrance of the martial arts hall.

Jingmei and Zacks exchanged a glance but neither spoke. They both stepped towards the threshold of the martial arts hall.

"Wait!"

"Guests are always welcome. Since you two are here, wouldn't it be disrespectful to me, Xiao Jinglan, not to come in and have a seat?"

A magnetic female voice suddenly rang out.

Zack and Jingmei paused simultaneously as they raised their legs, both looking at the newcomer.

At the foot of the stone steps at the entrance of the martial arts hall.

Xiao Jinglan stood with his hands behind his back.

A deep blue indigo cheongsam accentuated her tall and straight figure, like a pine tree.

Her eyes and brows carried an inherent, dignified air, honed by the passage of time.

"Whether you're in business or investigating murder cases, since you're here, please come in and sit down. Tell me your reasons for leading troops to storm the martial arts hall and committing indiscriminate killing."

Zack clutched his bleeding arm, cold sweat beading on his forehead, yet he still stubbornly maintained his pride.

"Principal Xiao, Prince Jingmei came here because of last night's assassination attempt. The closure of the Martial Arts Hall is a routine matter; how can it be considered wanton killing?"

"Is that so?" Xiao Jinglan's gaze swept past the two of them and probed into the depths of the martial arts hall.

The training ground was littered with corpses.

The corpses of Japanese samurai lay scattered on the bluestone, Kane's massive body crashing between the cracked stone slabs, leaving the once smooth training ground riddled with potholes and in complete disarray.

She withdrew her gaze, a growing chill in her eyes:

"Routine procedure? Does it mean bringing machine-gun-wielding assassins to storm my martial arts school? Does it mean condoning your men to destroy my training grounds, injure my students, and plot to steal my martial arts manuals?"

"Prince Jingmei, Colonel Zacks, what do you two take the Jiangcheng Martial Arts Academy for, this place you've come all the way from across the ocean? A place where you can come and go as you please, killing and plundering as you please?"

Jingmei's expression tightened, and she gripped her sword sheath tightly: "Principal Xiao, the Martial Hall is accused of colluding with rebels and assassinating my brother. My sealing off the hall for investigation is perfectly justified. But what about your Martial Hall members who publicly killed my Japanese samurai and resisted arrest? How should that be accounted for?"

"Accounts?" Xiao Jinglan chuckled upon hearing this, looking at Zhou Xun and Wang Meng: "These two are secretly colluding with the enemy, framing their fellow disciples, and paving the way for you two. Your Highness's so-called 'legitimate' actions rely on bribing scum in my Martial Hall and having them work together from within?"

Xiao Jinglan's words were forceful and resounding, leaving Jingmei's face turning pale and then red.

Zack clutched his bleeding left arm, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he still forced himself to speak:

"Principal Xiao, how about we compromise and let's call it quits? The prince and I will withdraw our troops immediately and will not bother you again in the future. What do you say?"

"Should we each take a step back?" Xiao Jinglan shook her head slightly, her tone unyielding.

"The fault does not lie with my martial arts hall, so why should we retreat? If you two want to leave, you can do so, but you must agree to these three rules before you can leave through this door."

"First, immediately withdraw all troops from the area surrounding the Martial Hall. The charges against the Martial Hall for the bombing in the south of the city and its collusion with rebels should be posted in Jiangcheng within three days to clear the name of the Martial Hall."

"Secondly, Japanese soldiers and foreign police officers are not allowed to enter the territory under the jurisdiction of the Martial Hall without prior notice."

"Third, compensate the martial arts hall for the damage to its equipment with one million silver dollars each."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jingmei's face changed drastically, and the hem of her kimono trembled slightly: "Xiao Jinglan! Don't push your luck! I am a prince of the Japanese imperial family, how dare you ask me to apologize?"

"Your Highness, you have trespassed into the Martial Arts Hall on Chinese soil. Do you intend to leave unscathed?" Xiao Jinglan stood ramrod straight, his aura subtly deepening.

"If Your Highness finds this inappropriate, then we need not discuss it further. With the martial arts hall doors closed today, Your Highness and the Colonel will likely not be able to leave so easily."

Their expressions changed slightly. If they really had to tear off all pretenses and fight to the death, neither of them dared to say they could leave this martial arts hall unscathed.

Jingmei's throat bobbed; her desire to save her own life ultimately outweighed the dignity of the royal family.

He flicked his kimono sleeves, gritting his teeth, "Fine! I agree! Compensation will be sent within three days!"

Zack nodded with a gloomy face, his venomous gaze fixed on Lin Ji: "The same goes for Great Britain."

Xiao Jinglan stepped aside to make way for the doorway, his tone calm yet sharp: "Have someone remove the body. Don't dirty my martial arts hall."

The group hurriedly entered the hospital, and with great effort, they carried Kane's heavy body. They slunk through the vermilion gate and disappeared down the street without even daring to look back.

Until the sound of boots and footsteps completely disappeared at the end of the alley, the entire martial arts hall was dead silent for a moment, and then erupted into a deafening cheer.

"We won! We defended the Martial Hall!"