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

In the valley of Xishan Mountain.

A wisp of smoke still drifted from the chimney of the mud-brick shack.

Su Wanning squatted by the stove, adding firewood and cooking millet porridge. She didn't even notice the black ash on the tip of her nose.

Along the way.

The little girl has grown up a lot.

She is no longer just the refined young lady whom her sister entrusted to Shen Jinluan.

On the open ground in the courtyard.

Lin Ji stood with his eyes closed, holding a gun.

Suddenly.

He twisted his wrist, flipped the gun in his hand, and used hidden energy to probe the half-yellow weeds in the corner of the yard.

"bass!"

The tip of the gun made a faint sound as it sliced ​​through the weeds.

A blade of grass fell to the ground with a thud, shaking the morning dew on it into fine mist.

However, the remaining weeds nearby remained completely still, and even the autumn insects crawling on them seemed oblivious.

Lin Ji sheathed his gun, put his hands behind his back, and stared directly at the severed grass roots.

After breaking through to the peak of Dark Force.

His aura became increasingly controlled and effortless.

After the Heavenly Evolution Notes were spread out, his perception could cover half a mountain, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the weeds could be clearly reflected in his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Grandpa Lin, time for your porridge!"

Su Wanning came over carrying two bowls of millet porridge.

She had barely uttered a sound when she saw Lin Ji's spear stiffen, his brows furrowing slightly:

"Don't make a sound yet."

The girl was startled and immediately fell silent.

Lin Ji narrowed his eyes slightly, and his senses spread outwards, extending up the hillside.

On the mountain path ten miles away, a dense sound of footsteps echoed.

The direction their footsteps were heading was towards the western mountain valley where they were.

"There are at least several hundred people searching the mountain. I heard the sound of Japanese samurai swords. At least half of them are soldiers from the provincial government."

Lin Ji opened his eyes, his gaze intense, staring into the distance:

"They're coming for us."

"Sir! Something terrible has happened! There are people everywhere outside the mountain; they've surrounded us!"

Outside the courtyard, a young member of the Gu family, who was on lookout duty, stumbled in:

"With the young master absent, what should we do next?"

As soon as the Gu family disciple finished speaking, chaos erupted in the courtyard. The Gu family disciples grabbed their weapons, looking as if a formidable enemy was imminent.

"Don't panic." Lin Ji squinted again, thoroughly surveying the enemy on the mountain: "The frontal attack is a feint, the main force is on the western ridge. They haven't figured out our strength yet, so they dare not charge rashly."

After Lin Ji finished speaking, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Before leaving, Gu Yanzhao had already arranged for his disciples to follow Lin Ji's orders, but when things actually happened, it seemed they didn't trust the old man in front of them.

"Cough cough..." A cough sounded, and Li Shuwen, leaning against the door frame, weakly said, "Listen to him."

The name of Bei Haojie proved effective; the chaotic courtyard instantly quieted down.

"I'll guard the west side. This will be a good opportunity to test if my peak cultivation level is sufficient." Lin Ji nodded to Li Shuwen, picked up his spear, and walked towards the most open western side of the valley: "You guys guard the courtyard and clear out any stray fish that have wandered in."

In less than half a quarter of an hour.

The sound of light footsteps echoed on the hillside.

Someone poked their head out on the hillside.

Soldiers in gray-blue uniforms rushed down the hillside into the valley.

"It's the provincial capital's garrison!"

Someone in the courtyard shouted something, and the next second someone rushed out.

The soldiers on the hillside also had red eyes.

"kill!"

It charged down, screaming.

Just as they rushed to the outside of the courtyard wall, the Gu family's sword and shield bearers were knocked away.

After Lin Ji reminded them to hide the improved mechanical daggers behind their shields, the daggers suddenly changed when the garrison soldiers got close. The blades sprang out three feet away and "plop" pierced into the enemy's body, splattering blood all over the ground.

"Holy crap! This knife is fucking smooth!"

A disciple of the Gu family cleaved down a garrison soldier and couldn't help but let out a low shout. The feel of the knife was so natural, it was as if it were an extension of his hand.

But the troops stationed on the hillside were just an appetizer.

On the western ridge, more than twenty Japanese ronin crept over under the cover of bushes, each carrying a samurai sword that gleamed coldly. These Japanese were short in stature, but this also gave them a strange and unpredictable movement. They twisted and pounced on Lin Ji on the ridge.

"Kill! Leave no one alive!" the ronin leader roared, and the group leaped towards the courtyard wall, about to break in.

Just then, a gray figure darted out from behind the courtyard.

The spear, like a dragon, slashed out from the side.

Before the ronin at the front could react, the spear tip, gleaming with a cold light, pierced his throat with a "thud," and blood spurted out, staining the wild grass on the ground red.

Lin Ji stood on the slope, gun in hand, the morning light falling on him. His cold eyes swept over the group of Japanese men before him, and he spoke indifferently, "Want to go in? Try my gun first!"

Upon seeing this, the ronin roared and charged forward.

The Japanese sword slashed out, its blade energy crisscrossing, carrying the chilling aura unique to the Japanese.

Lin Ji's steps were neither too far forward nor too backward. With a flick of his spear, he unleashed the newly comprehended "Combination" spear technique.

The tip of the Mountain and River Stabilizing Spear swayed, creating a series of spear shadows. It was both fierce and agile. Each strike followed the movement of Lin Ji's waist and hips, sending the internal energy to the tip of the spear.

The energy flowed through the spear, and the spearhead clanged continuously against the samurai sword in the hands of the Japanese ronin.

With each sound, a ronin fell to the ground.

After breaking through to the peak of Dark Force, Lin Ji's movement speed increased by nearly half, and his perception covered the entire arena.

He didn't even need to turn around to look at the ronin surrounding him; he simply swung his spear back and precisely struck the ronin's wrist as he prepared to launch a sneak attack.

He then sidestepped the incoming blade energy, twisted the tip of his spear, and slid it along the blade toward his opponent's heart.

In just over ten moves, seven or eight ronin corpses lay on the ground.

The remaining ronin were both shocked and frightened, and dared not go forward. They simply circled around him, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Lin Ji's breathing was steady, and he was about to sheathe his spear and charge again when a familiar heat suddenly surged from deep within his dantian.

As his blood and qi surged, the legacy of the Hehuan Ancestor spread along his meridians. The sounds of battle suddenly faded into the distance, replaced by Bai Yu'er's charming laughter:

"You old codger, don't be so rigid when you fight. Remember to use some tricks!"

This was followed by Shen Jinluan's gentle words of advice:

"My sister is right, don't force it, use your brain."

The two voices sang in harmony, so clear it was as if they were speaking right next to your ear.

Lin Ji's eyes flickered.

In that half-second of distraction, a ronin seized the opening, leaped forward, and thrust his katana straight at his shoulder!

"Grandpa Lin, be careful!" Su Wanning cried out from afar.

The blade grazed my shoulder, tearing the fabric, and the cold edge scraped my skin, drawing blood.

The excruciating pain brought Lin Ji back to his senses instantly.

He bit his tongue, his mouth filled with a metallic sweetness, forcibly suppressing the heat in his lower abdomen. His left hand slid forward along the shaft of the spear, while his right hand exerted force, and the spear swept out horizontally.

"Bang!"

The gun barrel slammed into the ronin's chest, the crisp sound of his sternum shattering clearly audible. He flew backward and crashed into a tree trunk, dying instantly.

"You're courting death." Lin Ji's eyes turned cold, and he no longer held back.

He took a step forward, and the tip of his spear flickered out three cold stars.

The remaining ronin couldn't even see his attack pattern clearly; they only felt a cold glint in their eyes and fell to the ground one after another.

In a short while, there were no more enemies standing on the western ridge.