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

"Transcendent Realm!" Gu Yanzhao's expression changed drastically the moment he saw the opponent's move.

"Good eye! You dare to come here and snatch people?" Chiyoko sneered, flicking her six fingers again. Three dark green, sinister energies swept over, carrying a putrid, bone-corroding stench.

"Form ranks!" Gu Yanzhao roared.

Several members of the Gu family squad rushed out, their greatswords spread out like shields, blocking the front of the squad.

"Bang!"

The yin energy struck the shield wall, instantly denting the thick iron shield. Several disciples coughed up blood and flew backward, their swords and shields shattering.

The gap in strength is like an insurmountable chasm.

Chiyoko's figure blurred as she lunged at Gu Yanzhao, her six fingers sharp as knives.

"I'll kill you first, you ringleader!"

Gu Yanzhao parried with his sword, only to feel a tremendous force slamming down on the blade. The long sword instantly bent into an arc, and his chest felt as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer. He flew backward and crashed into the stone wall, spitting out blood.

Chiyoko persisted, her fingertips aimed straight for his throat, a cruel smile on her face.

Gu Yanzhao was so shaken by the power of the Transcendent Realm that he couldn't move. He still had countless trump cards left, but he couldn't use them.

At the critical moment.

"clang!"

The sharp, metallic clang of metal made one's eardrums tingle.

A long spear suddenly thrust out from the side, its tip precisely striking Chiyoko's fingertips, instantly dispelling the evil power with its righteous energy.

Gu Yanzhao's pupils dilated suddenly.

The Six Harmonies Spear Intent!

The next second, a gray figure stood steadily in front of Gu Yanzhao, his back straight as a pine tree, and the spear in his hand gleamed coldly.

"Who are you?" Chiyoko was both shocked and furious, her fingertips went numb, and she took three steps back: "How do you know the Six Harmonies Spear!"

Lin Ji ignored her, glanced back at Gu Yanzhao, took out the iron plaque with the character "Gu" from his pocket, and casually tossed it over.

"Young Master Gu, do you recognize the things Gu Yanqiu asked me to bring?"

Gu Yanzhao caught the iron plate, and his fingertips touched the familiar gear pattern, causing him to shudder.

The Gu family's heirloom!

He looked up abruptly and saw Lin Ji wipe his face. His aged and loose skin tightened instantly, his eyebrows and eyes became sharp and his heroic spirit was overwhelming. There was no trace of his old age.

"You...you are Lin Ji?" Gu Yanzhao's voice trembled.

Jiangcheng Wukou, who single-handedly took down the consulates of two countries, is now wanted with a bounty of five thousand silver dollars throughout Guanghua.

He suddenly remembered his cousin Gu Yanqiu's letter, which said that there was a senior named Lin in Jiangcheng who was a master marksman and had done a great favor for the Gu family.

There's also Lin Yueru, an aunt in the clan, who mentioned Lin Ji's name when she returned to the provincial capital.

"You...you're the one Aunt Yue Ru often mentions?"

"She and I are old acquaintances," Lin Ji said casually, without further explanation.

He turned to look at Chiyoko, raised the tip of his spear, and said coldly:

"The Japanese are always up to crooked tricks. Just a few days ago, I, an old man, messed with a guy named Tetsuya, and now this thing that doesn't even look human has appeared."

"Playing tricks! You old man, you're only at the late stage of Inner Strength, yet you dare to spout nonsense about stabbing Lord Iron Bell!"

Chiyoko was both shocked and furious. She unleashed her evil power at full force, and her body surged with yin energy.

"I'll see what you're really capable of!"

She pounced, her spider-like hands unleashing vicious attacks, specifically targeting vital meridians.

Lin Ji brandished his spear, unleashing the full power of the Hidden Dragon Abyss Spear Technique. The spear shadow moved like a dragon, spreading out the Six Harmonies Spear Intent, its upright and masculine energy perfectly countering the sinister and evil techniques.

With a series of clanging sounds, Chiyoko was forced to retreat in just over ten moves, her body slashed open by the spear tip, black blood flowing freely.

"Impossible! You're only at the late stage of Dark Force, how could you possibly stop my Transcendent Realm!" Chiyoko screamed, her face filled with disbelief.

"Even a hidden force is enough to kill you."

Lin Ji's eyes turned cold, and with a flick of his spear tip, three cold stars bloomed, accurately striking three of her vital points.

"puff!"

Chiyoko coughed up a mouthful of black blood, flew backward, and crashed heavily to the ground. She convulsed twice, and her short, fleshy body curled up into a ball. In a short while, it turned into a puddle of pus, sizzling as it burned the ground.

Gu Yanzhao was dumbfounded.

Dark Force Slash Transformation Realm? What kind of monster is this?

"Don't just stand there, save them." Lin Ji holstered his gun and strode towards the dungeon deep within the stone chamber.

The iron gate was pried open, and Li Shuwen was found hanging from a stone pillar, his collarbone pierced by iron chains, his body covered in blood, his long hair disheveled and covering his face, only his chest rising and falling weakly, clinging to his last breath.

"Senior Li!" Gu Yanzhao rushed over, but dared not touch him.

Li Shuwen opened his eyes with difficulty, saw Lin Ji, his lips moved, and his voice was barely audible: "You...have come..."

"Don't speak." Lin Ji frowned as he checked his pulse, which was so weak that he could barely feel it. His meridians were also badly eroded by the evil poison.

"How is it?" Gu Yanzhao asked anxiously, sweat beading on his forehead. "Our Gu family knows about injuries, but this kind of evil poison... If only a divine doctor were here."

The divine doctor left Guanghua City several days ago; where can we find him now?

Li Shuwen coughed up a mouthful of black blood, grabbed Lin Ji's wrist with his large hand, his strength weak but firm:

"Don't worry about me... Head north... to Beiping... We must go..."

His eyes were cloudy, yet stubbornly persistent: "Martial arts... cannot end in our hands..."

Su Wanning stood to the side, her eyes red-rimmed, covering her mouth to keep from crying out loud.

The atmosphere in the stone chamber was as oppressive as a boulder, making it hard to breathe.

Just then, the communication plug in Lin Ji's ear suddenly went off. It was Bai Yu'er's incessant chatter, probably just rambling on and on out of boredom:

"Old man, remember to take the Dragon Tiger Strength Pills on time... Oh, by the way, the bottle at the bottom is the Dragon Tiger Elixir, a good medicine I secretly saved up. If you get seriously injured, remember to put one in to keep yourself alive... Don't use it recklessly..."

Lin Ji suddenly came to his senses.

Dragon Tiger Pill!

He quickly took out the cloth bag from his bosom, turned out the small porcelain bottle at the very back, and poured out a black, shiny pill with a rich, refreshing medicinal aroma.

"Open your mouth." He pinched Li Shuwen's chin and shoved the pill in.

Gu Yanzhao was taken aback: "Mr. Lin, this is...?"

"A life-saving medicine," Lin Ji said in a deep voice.

Everyone held their breath and watched.

The pill melted in the mouth and slid down the throat.

After a short while, Li Shuwen's weak pulse suddenly stabilized a bit, the ashen look on his face faded slightly, and his breathing, which had almost stopped, gradually calmed down.

Although still critically injured, he was no longer in a state of utter exhaustion.

"It's...it's really stabilized!" Gu Yanzhao exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. "What kind of miracle drug is this?!"

Lin Ji breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease.

"Take him out of here first," he said in a deep voice. "We can't stay here any longer. We'll talk about it outside."

Gu Yanzhao immediately realized what was happening, and instructed his men to carefully untie the chains, wrap Li Shuwen in clothes, and carry him out.

The tunnel was dark, and everyone hurried along.

Lin Ji walked at the back, glancing back at the empty dungeon with a deep look in his eyes.

Evil cultivators from the East, iron-clad Westerners, a ban on weapons, and turbulent organizations... the waters of Guanghua Province are more murky than one might imagine.

But no matter how difficult the road is, we must keep going step by step.