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

Lin Ji had just emerged from the dense forest.

The campfire in the camp reflected on his deeply furrowed face.

Gu Yanzhao hurried up to greet him, and even his form of address changed when he spoke:

"Uncle Lin, how's the situation in the city? The Gu family... is everything alright?"

"Let's go to the camp first." Lin Ji looked at Su Wanning, who was looking at him from the side under the campfire. The girl's eyes showed the worry gradually fading and the joy that rose when she saw him.

"Okay." Gu Yanzhao nodded in agreement and followed Lin Ji into the camp.

"Uncle Lin... Mr. Lin is back." Everyone stood up and greeted Lin Ji.

The children of the Gu family all had eyes full of inquiry and curiosity.

Lin Ji put down the wooden box, sat by the fire, and addressed the crowd:

"The Jiang and Yan families have indeed taken action against the Gu family!"

His words resounded like thunder among the crowd.

"What?" Gu Yanzhao's expression changed instantly upon hearing this. He gripped the thin blade in his hand tightly and turned to walk into the darkness.

"I can't stay here, I have to go back and help."

"Stop." Gu Xuan slapped his shoulder, abruptly halting his steps.

"Let the old gentleman finish speaking."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ji began to recount everything that had happened during the day.

Gu Yanzhao exhaled a deep breath, his grip on the knife loosening slightly. Still unsure, he asked Lin Ji again for confirmation:

"Is what Uncle Lin said true? You're not kidding me, are you?"

"Absolutely true." Lin Ji nodded, turning to look at Li Shuwen, who was now able to stand up.

"However, there is one thing... that we all need to decide together."

"What's wrong?" Gu Yanzhao asked, as if on cue, and immediately leaned closer again.

"Does this have anything to do with my family?"

Lin Ji nodded again:

"It's related. I learned from the contact that in seven days, He Ze will join forces with the Jiang and Yan families, as well as the Japanese and Western countries, to launch an attack on the Gu family."

Lin Ji looked at Gu Yanzhao and continued, "As for the reasons, I guess one is interest, and the other is that your identity has probably been exposed."

Gu Yanzhao raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself:

"That shouldn't be the case? I haven't revealed my identity at all. Could it be that something went wrong with this rescue of Senior Li?"

Lin Ji did not respond to him; instead, he said to Li Shuwen:

"The contact also told me something else: you should head north as soon as possible, because Guanghua is no longer safe."

"Is Guanghua no longer safe?" Li Shuwen pondered and repeated Lin Ji's words. He looked at the firelight, thought about recent events, and then spoke thoughtfully:

"Right now, there are only two things in Guanghua City that deserve our attention: the ban on weapons and the two of us. These two things are probably important in the eyes of many forces in Guanghua."

He then changed the subject: "But the impact is far from enough to make people feel unsafe staying in Guanghua. There must be something else behind this old man's words."

He pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing, then suddenly turned sharply to look at Lin Ji:

"There's one more thing: war is about to break out in Guanghua!"

"What?"

"what?"

Everyone gasped in surprise.

The war had only been quelled for a few years, so why has it started again?

……

Inside the Governor's Mansion in the prefectural city.

The lavishly decorated reception room was brightly lit by the light emanating from the glass lampshades.

Several figures in military uniforms appeared on the sofa in the living room.

Even He Ze was squeezed out of the main position.

"He Ze, you've been in the south for quite a few years now, haven't you? Haven't you heard about what's going on there?"

At the head of the table, a refined-looking officer, around forty years old, with a northern face but a very elegant demeanor, placed his teacup on the table and slowly began to speak.

"This humble servant... truly does not know. Recently, Guanghua has been harassed by the Xinghua Society, and the authorities have ordered the arrest of the bandits 'Lin Ji' and 'Iron Spear.' There is also a rebellion of wealthy merchants in the city. This humble servant simply does not have the time to investigate these matters."

He Ze looked miserable and poured out his bitterness like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.

The refined-looking officer slightly lifted his eyelids, scrutinized him for a few seconds, and then spoke:

"Let's trust you for now, Shudong. Tell him about our trip south."

"Yes." A young man in his thirties sitting opposite He Ze stood up.

"Commander He, recently, the southern provinces have been expanding their military forces and setting up their own taxes. They are also half-obeying and half-delaying orders from the authorities. The governor himself said that this is because the authorities have been lax in their management in recent years and they are no longer taking the authorities seriously."

He Ze's heart skipped a beat.

How could he not have heard of this?

Just two days ago, the military governors of Yunnan, Cangwu, and South Vietnam provinces spoke with him, and they were plotting this very thing.

He was preoccupied with his troubles at the time, so he simply replied that he would talk about it later.

Looking back today, this matter, though seemingly done discreetly, was actually known to those above long ago.

Even... the threat of starting a war if they couldn't capture Lin Ji last time could very well have been a warning to him.

"What? There's such a thing!" He Ze feigned panic, leaning forward and spilling the tea he was holding all over himself.

The refined-looking officer chuckled lightly: "Since Commander He wasn't involved, there's no need to panic. Tell me, what are your thoughts on this matter? Or perhaps you could suggest a solution for the Governor-General."

"We must teach them a lesson, make them suffer, and teach them a lesson they won't forget. If they still don't listen..." He Ze made a knife with his hand and slashed his own neck.

"Very well..." The refined-looking officer nodded and continued:

"Commander He really understands the Governor-General. Before he came, the Governor-General told me about Commander He's character. I was a little wary and wanted to test the Commander, but now it seems I was overthinking it."

"In that case... I'll explain the matter to Commander He in detail." The refined-looking officer spoke after a moment's thought:

"A new organization called the National Salvation Coordination Association has emerged in the southern provinces. It wants to unite the southern provinces to confront the authorities and thus weaken the foundation of the country. Three provinces have already joined forces. The governor has given a death order: those who disobey will be beaten."

"Guangnan is a large province in the south, occupying one-third of the land south of the Yangtze River. The province has abundant military strength, and countless ports, wharves, mines, and farmland."

The refined-looking officer took a sip of tea and revealed his true purpose:

"In the first few years, Commander He single-handedly suppressed the warlords in the other provinces, preventing them from making any rash moves and solving a lot of trouble for the Governor-General. This time, according to the Governor-General's wishes, Commander He should be asked to take action again to help scare these fools."

"A new organization?" He Ze frowned; he had never heard of this before.

"Hmm..." The refined-looking officer nodded slightly, offering no explanation.

As soon as he finished speaking, a thought flashed through He Ze's mind.

If he really wanted the five provinces to unite and confront the North, perhaps he could learn from the methods of the Governor-General.

It would be perfectly acceptable to divide the land into north and south of the Yangtze River and allow each region to govern itself.

He chuckled lightly, feigning sincerity as he agreed.

"The governor has personally ordered that I fully cooperate with the suppression."