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

"Extra! Extra! New decree in the foreign concessions!"

Lin Ji paused downstairs, stopped the newsboy, and handed him two copper coins:

"One, please."

Lin Ji opened the newspaper.

The front page prominently featured the forceful wording of foreigners:

"Starting in September, the remaining Chinese residents within the concessions will be expelled. No one may enter or leave the concessions without authorization except for personnel with special mandates! Private teaching of martial arts is prohibited within the concessions."

The notice was accompanied by yesterday's news.

"Yesterday, a martial arts school in the concession was found to be colluding with rebels. Today, it is being shut down as a warning to others."

Below, several martial arts school owners were being forced to kneel on the ground by several soldiers with Japanese and Western appearances, who were pressing down on their shoulders.

Lin Ji's pupils suddenly dilated.

The two groups of people from the East and the West actually joined forces.

With this order, even without waiting for a martial arts ban, the martial arts system in Jiangcheng will completely collapse, and ordinary people will find it increasingly difficult to find places to practice martial arts.

Besides, it's already August 27th, and time is running out.

The Japanese will inevitably take advantage of the chaos to carry out that vicious human experimentation, and the people of Jiangcheng will suffer.

We can't let this new decree in the concession be implemented so easily; we have to find a way to give the people some time.

Lin Ji immediately came up with a plan.

Now that his strength has improved again and all his trump cards have returned, he is now more confident in doing things that he dared not do before.

Lin Ji quickened his pace and headed south of the city.

Shen Jinluan turned to the side and saw Liu Qingzhuo's back to her. A sly glint flashed in her peach blossom eyes.

She reached out and placed her hand on Liu Qingzhuo's slender shoulder, her voice soft and hoarse from just waking up: "Master Liu, how long have you been awake? What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about my old man?"

Liu Qingzhu froze, her ears turning bright red instantly. After a moment, she spoke in a cool voice:

"Chief Shen, be careful what you say."

"What's the point of being so cautious with your words now that things are like this?" Shen Jinluan chuckled, deliberately teasing Liu Qingzhu before softening her tone:

"Master, I know you're upset. It's up to anyone to have such a young and innocent girl get caught up in this mess."

Shen Jinluan rested her chin on her palm, twirling a strand of her hair with the tip of her other finger, and slowly said:

"But as you've seen, the foreigners are occupying the concessions and pressing forward step by step, the warlords are busy fighting amongst themselves and can't even take care of themselves, and the ban on arms hasn't even been issued yet, and the world is already in such chaos. If the ban on arms is issued in a year, will we still be able to hold on to our lives?"

"Could you have imagined that, in yesterday's incident, even members of the Green Coat Gang would betray the cause and side with the foreigners?"

Shen Jinluan's tone became more serious, and her eyes showed a hint of certainty:

"Old Lin may look unremarkable, but he's really capable. He managed to protect us in this chaotic world."

"Putting everything else aside, just look at the scene yesterday. If he hadn't come, neither of us would have escaped."

Shen Jinluan narrowed her peach blossom eyes, recalling her time with Lin Ji over the past few days, and a sweet smile appeared on her face:

"Putting that aside, he also has many secrets. You saw it yourself, just a month or two ago he was only at the stage of refining flesh and bones, and I heard he was already a hundred years old. And now? He's at the mid-stage of Inner Strength, but looking at him, he still looks like an old man? Think about it, is it difficult for him to break through to the Transcendent Realm?"

"And the Heavenly Evolution Notes and Jade Harmony Heart Sutra he possesses are all genuine trump cards for improving martial arts cultivation. I know you're not the kind of girl who only relies on men."

"With a year's time, this trump card is enough to allow you to reach the peak of Dark Force, or even half a step into the Transcendent Realm, or possibly directly reach the Transcendent Realm."

Shen Jinluan paused, then chuckled softly, her tone slightly teasing:

"Besides, this old man doesn't look old at all, and his health is even better than that of a young man. In truth, we're not at a disadvantage."

Liu Qingzhu's cheeks flushed as Shen Jinluan spoke, but she couldn't find a reason to refute her.

She knew in her heart that Shen Jinluan was telling the truth. In chaotic times, having Lin Ji by her side was more reliable than anything else.

Shen Jinluan gently lifted the thin blanket, rolled out of bed, and walked to the solid wood wardrobe. She first took out a red satin cheongsam for herself, then smiled mysteriously:

"Miss Liu, I have a cheongsam here that I bought a while ago. It would suit you perfectly. Would you like to try it on?"

……

Inside the Japanese concession in the eastern part of the city.

The heavy, deep red velvet curtains completely blocked the glass on the second floor of the consulate, making the whole room feel dim and oppressive.

Jingmei stood with his hands behind his back by the window, his fingertips pinching a corner of the curtain, his sinister triangular eyes peering out through the window crack. In his other hand, he held a brass dial telephone receiver, from which came a hoarse male voice, each word carrying an undeniable authority.

"Yes, yes!"

Jingmei's face, usually filled with arrogance, was now filled with respect. He nodded repeatedly in agreement, his posture unusually humble compared to the previous Sixth Prince of Japan.

"The situation in Jiangcheng has been temporarily stabilized, and the large-scale crackdown on martial arts inheritance has been launched. However... however, that old man is really a bit troublesome."

Then a hoarse voice came through the receiver again.

Jingmei's pupils contracted instantly, her voice filled with barely concealed surprise:

"What?"

"Are two Grandmasters of Internal Energy making a journey across the ocean to Jiangcheng?"

Jingmei held her breath, listened carefully to the instructions on the other end of the phone, and agreed to the requests in succession.

"I will definitely stabilize the situation in Jiangcheng and wait for the arrival of the two Grandmasters. I will not allow the Empire's plans to go wrong in any way."

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a sound.

"Ahem!"

A violent coughing fit rang out.

The coughing was heart-wrenching, and it took a long time before it was finally suppressed.

Jingmei's expression tightened, and she quickly asked with concern:

"Brother... Your Majesty, please take care of your health."

"Beep beep—"

A busy signal came through the receiver.

The coughing stopped and continued.

Jingmei put the receiver back on the dial pad, and the respect on his face gradually faded, replaced by barely suppressed excitement.

Brother... seems to be in poorer health again.

Moreover, they actually sent two Grandmasters at the Transcendent Realm at once.

Grandmaster of the Transcendent Realm.

Injuring people from a distance, guiding force with intention, one person can be as effective as hundreds or even thousands of masters of internal strength.

That's someone who stands at the pinnacle of martial arts!

The two of them came to Jiangcheng on one occasion.

Let alone an old man, even the entire Guanghua Province couldn't make a ripple in front of these two.

He turned and strode out of the study, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone cold:

"Give the order to return all the 30 million silver dollars worth of opium to Zacks. Jingmei wants the land in the south of the city."

afternoon.

East City Wharf.

Dozens of green trucks had their backs piled high with wooden crates.

Opium was being continuously carried out of the warehouse from behind the vehicle.

Zack stood on the high platform of the dock.

Looking at the hunched-over Chinese laborers toiling away in the warehouse, he sneered:

"These Chinese people have absolutely no backbone."

He glanced down at the documents regarding the exchange of concessions in his hand, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Black ink on white paper, bright red seal.

What the British wanted was never trade and commerce, but to use opium to completely destroy the backbone of the original inhabitants of this land.

Thus, they occupied this rich land.

Jiangcheng East City Wharf's waterway covers the entire Guanghua Province.

In the future, the entire Kwong Wah will belong to Da Ying.