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

The three traveled until noon on the third day.

The majestic city walls of Guanghua, the provincial capital, finally came into view at the edge of the three's field of vision.

The bluish-gray city wall was nearly ten zhang high, and it stretched out to both sides, with no end in sight.

Neatly arranged, black cannons lined the crenellations of the city wall, their muzzles gleaming coldly, pointing directly at the official road outside the city.

Beneath the city wall, the city gate, which is at least three zhang high, was wide open.

The flow of vehicles and people coming and going was endless.

The soldiers guarding the city gate, carrying long spears, stood tall and straight, their eyes scanning the passing crowd like hawks. Their spirit and morale were several times stronger than those of the soldiers in Jiangcheng and Qingyuan County.

Su Wanning stood by the official road, craning her neck and staring in disbelief:

"Wow... such high city walls, and so many cannons... much more impressive than Jiangcheng."

Although Jiangcheng is located on a major commercial route and has a riverside wharf, and its annual financial revenue accounts for a large portion of Guanghua Province's capital, none of the successive military governors and county magistrates have made great efforts to develop the city's defenses.

The city wall of the provincial capital in front of me exudes an oppressive sense of weight and solidity, as if it were cast from copper and iron.

Naturally, it was far superior to the city walls of Jiangcheng supported by a few old, outdated cannons.

Su Mingyuan stood to the side, leaning on a cane. When he looked up at the city wall, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes.

He adjusted his glasses, which had a broken corner, and explained with a smile, "This city wall was renovated during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. The outer wall is made entirely of whole pieces of bluestone transported from the north, and the soil inside is compacted so that ordinary cannonballs cannot break through it."

He pointed to the cannons on the city wall:

"Those are new cannons that have been improved from the Krupp camp cannons. They have a long range and great power. Not to mention ordinary bandits, even if foreigners come to attack properly, they will not be able to return."

Su Mingyuan's tone carried an undeniable air of arrogance.

"It is indeed a fortified city." Lin Ji leaned on his "wooden stick" with an extremely calm expression, but his gaze fell directly on the city gate.

The aura that he sensed following the three people had finally disappeared.

It hasn't disappeared.

Instead, this aura mingled with the crowd and squeezed into the city gate of the provincial capital.

"Let's go, let's enter the city." Su Mingyuan withdrew his gaze and led the two toward the city gate.

Lin Ji turned his gaze back, nodded, and followed Su Mingyuan toward the city gate.

"stop!"

The three had barely reached the city gate when the soldiers guarding the city, carrying guns, blocked their way.

Su Wanning was naturally intelligent and quick-witted. She took out a small booklet with a red seal from her bundle and handed it over:

"Officer, we are the Su family from Jiangcheng. We came to the provincial capital to look for some cheap raw materials. This is the pass that the provincial capital issued to us. Please take a look."

"The Su family of Jiangcheng, who weave cloth and make clothes?" The soldier scrutinized the three men before him again.

One was as frail as an accountant, an old man who looked experienced, and a pretty young girl who seemed to have just started her training.

He then glanced at the stamp on the pass again, making sure there were no problems, before waving his hand.

"Go in."

Su Wanning took the pass, handed over two silver dollars, and said with a smile:

"Thank you, officer."

Sanfoshunshun sang sang as he entered the city.

Upon entering the city gate, Su Wanning took the initiative to explain:

"I asked my sister for it before I left that day, and you, sir,..."

Halfway through her sentence, Su Wanning covered the corner of her mouth, her eyes gleaming slyly as she glanced at Su Mingyuan. Realizing she had almost let something slip, she quickly changed the subject:

"It's just for convenience, so we have a legitimate reason to be questioned. That's why we ran into Mr. Su. Otherwise, our trip into the city would have been a bit troublesome."

Su Mingyuan nodded and responded with a smile:

"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to Miss Su."

Lin Ji tilted his head and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He happened to be standing between Su Wanning and Su Mingyuan. Su Wanning smiled slyly and secretly made a face at him.

As soon as the three of them stepped into the city gate, a cacophony of noise rushed towards them.

"Ring... Ring..."

The rickshaws were several times faster than those in Jiangcheng; they rang their bells and squeezed through the crowd to get out.

"Excuse me, excuse me, miss and sir, please make way."

The shops along the roadside are lined up one after another, including foreign firms, silk shops, pharmacies, and teahouses. The wooden signs are decorated with Chinese characters on the top and a row of foreign characters raised on the bottom, making them very eye-catching.

In the distance, one can still see several-story Western-style buildings with domes and arched windows, interspersed with traditional eaves and tiled houses, giving the entire provincial capital a strange and prosperous atmosphere where the old and the new blend together.

Su Wanning couldn't take it all in.

In all her life, she had only traveled to a few surrounding counties with her family's caravan. These cities were nowhere near as prosperous as Jiangcheng. She had always thought Jiangcheng was quite bustling, but now that she saw it, she understood what it meant to be a small fry compared to a big fish.

The trams constantly rushing by on the street, the new cars whose horns sound even more pleasant than my own luxury car...

Everything that fell into her eyes was so new and novel.

"This is the provincial capital..." Su Wanning murmured softly, looking like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden.

Lin Ji walked beside her, his expression remaining calm.

He continued to use the Yin-Yang jade pendant to expand his senses, not missing a single movement around him.

The three walked along the street for about half an hour.

After hopping and skipping around, Su Wanning finally said she was tired. She drooped her little head and nestled beside Lin Ji, blinking her big eyes as she said:

"Grandpa Lin, let's find a place to rest. We haven't had a good night's sleep in ages."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but yawn.

Lin Ji's gaze swept across the streets and alleys, finally settling on the entrances of several hotels.

Lin Jizheng was considering how to choose.

Su Mingyuan stopped ahead and turned to look at the two of them:

"You two are probably looking for a place to stay, aren't you?"

He paused, then adjusted his glasses:

"I have a small courtyard in front of me that I have never lived in. Before I was captured by the Japanese, no one else knew that I owned this property. If you don't mind, you can stay here for now. It's not a big place, but it's relatively safer."

Su Mingyuan was appreciated by the Su family and Su Wanqing entrusted her younger sister to him, which naturally shows that he had his own extraordinary qualities, and his ability to read people was also quite remarkable.

Although he couldn't figure out Lin Ji's identity or the purpose of their trip, he could still discern some things that the two had deliberately hidden.

"How could I possibly accept this..." Su Wanning hesitated.

"Miss Su is too kind," Su Mingyuan smiled and looked at Lin Ji.

"The old gentleman saved my life. It would be only right for you to stay here for a few days, or even to give this house to him."

He withdrew his gaze and fixed it on Su Wanning, his tone tinged with apology:

"But Miss Su, the matter that your sister asked me to arrange for you to attend school or learn martial arts is probably impossible to fulfill now. The Japanese have their eyes on me, and if I show my face again, I'm afraid..."

Su Wanning knew Su Mingyuan's current situation, and she could naturally understand his difficulties:

"Mr. Su, please don't take this matter to heart. The world is in chaos right now; it's good enough if you can protect yourself. There's still time to learn from you after things have calmed down."

The three of them turned into the alley, and after walking a few steps, Lin Ji's gaze suddenly stopped.

On the main street diagonally opposite the alley entrance, in front of an imposing iron shop, hangs a black sign with gold lettering on a black background. In the center of the sign is a seal script character "顾" (Gu), which is particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.