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

"Grandpa Lin, you're amazing... They walked right in front of us and didn't even see us."

A group of police officers with guns slung over their shoulders turned past the corner where the two were hiding, the butts of their guns almost scraping the hem of Su Wanning's clothes, but the group didn't stop for a second and walked straight into the alley.

"A trivial skill," Lin Ji replied softly.

The two had only taken a few dozen steps when a voice drifted into Lin Ji's ears from inside the Gu family's courtyard:

"Is there still no news about the iron spear?"

"We've got it. Our people have found out that the last place Iron Spear was spotted was near the mine in the south of the city. We've already sent people to search for him."

Su Wanning was taken aback: "Iron Spear? Is that Senior Li?"

Lin Ji paused slightly, then nodded gently: "It should be."

Sure enough, the Gu family was also looking for Li Shuwen, and they had even found out where he was.

"Grandpa Lin, since we know, why don't we go back and tell them?" Su Wanning tilted her head, looking puzzled. "Young Master Gu is a good person; wouldn't it be better if we helped save people together?"

"No rush." ​​Lin Ji slowly walked towards the west of the city. "We haven't figured out the Gu family's background yet. My identity is sensitive, and it would be hard to explain if I showed myself. Let's follow them and see. We'll only make a move if they really can't hold on any longer, so as to avoid any unnecessary complications."

Su Wanning nodded as if she understood, and obediently followed behind.

……

Gu Yanzhao returned to the front yard and bumped into Su Mingyuan coming out of the workshop, still clutching a smelting blueprint in his hand.

Remembering Lin Ji's words, he casually handed over the dagger:

"Mr. Su, you know about Western metallurgy. That old gentleman just said a few words; could you take a look and see if it's really feasible?"

He repeated Lin Ji's statement verbatim.

Su Mingyuan initially didn't care, but as he listened, his expression changed. He grabbed the dagger and examined it repeatedly, his fingers trembling.

"This idea is absolutely brilliant!"

He suddenly looked up, his eyes shining brightly: "This is not just modifying the knife. If we really modify it like this, it's equivalent to overturning the Gu family's previous knife-forging ideas."

Gu Yanzhao's pupils suddenly contracted.

Who is Su Mingyuan?

He had extremely high standards, looking down on the methods of ordinary craftsmen. So who exactly was this old man who could be described as having "a stroke of genius"?

"A master... truly a master." Gu Yanzhao murmured to himself.

As the two were talking, a commotion broke out outside.

"Young Master! Something terrible has happened! The police have been checking every house and they're already at the door!" The steward rushed in in a panic.

Gu Yanzhao snapped back to reality and made a decisive decision:

"What's the rush! Mr. Su, go to the workshop and change into your craftsman's clothes. In a moment, just say you're the casting master we've invited. Remember, talk less and work on the parts more."

"Understood." Su Mingyuan nodded and left.

Before long, the police knocked on the courtyard gate. The squad leader, aware of the Gu family's status in the provincial capital, was relatively respectful.

"Young Master Gu, I am acting on orders from above to investigate and apprehend Lin Ji, a bandit leader in Jiangcheng, and his followers. I apologize for any offense caused."

However, Gu Yanzhao didn't give him that face and responded coldly:

"Your Chief Meng certainly has quite the grand entourage. My Gu family has been in business for generations, with impeccable records. Where would we get these 'rebels' from?"

"Whether it exists or not, we'll only know after searching." The policeman bowed and waved his hand, and then a stream of policemen rushed into the courtyard behind him.

When they found the forging workshop in the backyard, Su Mingyuan was squatting by the furnace, measuring parts with calipers in his hand, his face covered in soot, looking every bit like an old craftsman.

He would occasionally give pointers to the apprentices beside him, speaking entirely in metallurgical jargon, without the slightest flaw.

The police officer glanced at it, couldn't see anything wrong, and left grumbling.

After a thorough search, they found absolutely nothing.

The police officers didn't dare to really break ties with the Gu family, so they said a few polite words and slunk away with their men.

……

The coal mine pits in the west of the city are overgrown with waist-high weeds.

Lin Ji stood on the earthen slope, closed his eyes, and focused all his energy on spreading out the Heavenly Evolution.

An invisible aura seeped into the ground along the soil layers and the tunnel, and the dampness of the soil and the musty smell of rotting wood swept through his mind.

Soon, a faint yet righteous aura rushed in.

Calm and unyielding, like a mountain, it would rather break than bend.

Lin Ji's pupils suddenly contracted.

It's Li Shuwen.

"It's thirty feet below." Lin Ji opened his eyes and pointed to the rocky slope on the northeast side: "The entrance is hidden behind the collapsed rocks."

Just as Su Wanning was about to speak, she heard light footsteps behind her.

She turned around and saw more than a dozen dark figures creeping towards her; it was Gu Yanzhao leading the Gu family squad.

"That's strange, we've searched four times already, where is the entrance hidden?" the young leader of the Gu family complained in a low voice.

Gu Yanzhao's expression was also grim: "Keep searching! Even if we have to turn this entire slope upside down, we have to find it!"

Su Wanning tugged at Lin Ji's sleeve: "Grandpa Lin, they can't find it."

Lin Ji didn't speak, but flicked his finger lightly.

A small pebble flew out silently and landed with a "thud" on the most conspicuous piece of gravel on the rocky slope.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear on the quiet, barren slope.

"Who?!" Gu Yanzhao instantly became alert and drew his sword.

The crowd rushed over to the sound, and through the rubble and weeds, a dark hole was revealed.

"Found it! There really is an entrance!" Everyone was both surprised and delighted.

Gu Yanzhao looked at the cave entrance, but his brows furrowed.

What a coincidence! I just got here and some gravel rolled down to reveal the cave entrance.

He glanced instinctively toward the earthen slope, but it was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Young Master, shall we come in?"

"Enter."

Gu Yanzhao withdrew his gaze, drew his sword, and said, "Use the mist to scout ahead first, and watch out for traps!"

The group filed in.

Behind the earthen slope, Su Wanning peeked out and whispered, "They've gone in, Grandpa Lin."

Lin Ji stood up, dusted off his long robe, and said, "Let's go in and see how skilled the Gu family's swords team really is."

The tunnel was dark and damp, and the deeper you went, the stronger the chilling and evil atmosphere became.

The Gu family team advanced extremely quickly, silently eliminating three checkpoints.

"Young Master, this newly modified sword is so useful!" The members of the Mist Team said in hushed tones, their voices filled with delight.

Gu Yanzhao was also surprised.

I only made a few samples as Lin Ji suggested, and the power has increased so much?

As the Gu family team ventured deeper into the pit, they encountered numerous traps and mechanisms. However, the Gu family members seemed exceptionally familiar with these things, and dismantling them took them no time at all.

Meanwhile, the dozen or so Japanese assassins inside the pit were easily killed with the new style of mist, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Just when everyone thought they had it all figured out, a shrill laugh came from deep within the stone chamber, like a fingernail scraping against iron, extremely piercing.

"Hehehe... You little mice are quite capable, managing to find your way here."

A short woman swayed her hips as she emerged from the darkness.

The woman was dressed in black, but she deliberately posed, and her short stature made her body appear both alluring and eerie.

The woman clenched her six dark blue fingers on her right hand, flicked her wrist, and sent six beams of energy carrying invisible flying needles toward the Gu family team.