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

He Ze's guards stood in neat rows on both sides of the street, numbering at least thirty or forty, all holding rifles.

"If this continues, we're all going to be doomed here." Jiang Yunhe changed the magazine, his brows furrowed.

The city garrison's heavy machine guns blocked the road; if anyone tried to charge, they would be sitting ducks.

Lin Ji didn't speak, his gaze quickly sweeping over his surroundings.

Across the street stood a two-story archway with thick wooden beams that could support a person standing on.

With a thought, he flipped his wrist, and the hook slid out of his sleeve.

"bass"

A sharp sound.

The grappling hook shot out with a strong gust of wind, its curved hook precisely catching the crossbeam of the archway. Lin Ji tugged at it, confirming that it was firmly in place.

"Go! Let the brothers bring the servants!" He spotted Lin Yueru in the crowd, put his arm around her waist, and used the hook and chain to swing over.

While he was still in mid-air, he swept his spear down two soldiers who were charging at him from the side.

Upon landing, he immediately stepped on the rope and secured the grappling hook: "Come here quickly!"

Gu Yanzhao gritted his teeth and helped Gu Feng closer.

He grabbed the rope and swung across with Gu Feng.

Gu Feng's arm wound was pulled, and he groaned softly, his face turning pale, but he stubbornly kept quiet.

The two stumbled slightly upon landing, but quickly regained their balance.

Gu Xuan followed, hoisting the iron box onto his back and swinging it violently with the rope.

The iron box struck the pillar in mid-air with a dull thud. He used the momentum to push off the crossbeam, adjusted his direction, and landed steadily. He turned around, unloaded the iron box, and took out the detonator, holding it in his hand.

"You two go first, I'll cover your retreat."

Jiang Yunhe called out.

He retreated to the base of the wall, raised his musket, and fired three shots in the direction of the machine gun, sending dust flying from the sandbags. The machine gunner temporarily ducked back.

Taking advantage of the gap, he grabbed the rope, swung his body, and slid across at lightning speed.

While still in mid-air, he raised his hand and fired another shot, accurately blasting the ammunition box next to the machine gun.

"boom!"

A loud explosion rang out, and the machine gun position was thrown into chaos.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lin Ji gave a low shout:

"Walk!"

Gu Xuan immediately pressed the detonator.

A deafening roar came from the direction of the street corner, flames shot into the sky, and rubble and machine gun parts were blown into the air, instantly silencing the heavy machine gun.

He Ze's guards screamed and retreated in chaos.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the group slipped into a nearby alley and made their way west of the city.

The footsteps of the pursuers followed in the distance, and stray bullets flew past their ears from time to time. The group dared not stop and ran faster and faster.

……

When the group entered the dilapidated temple in the west of the city, it was already dawn.

The Buddha statue in the dilapidated temple was missing half its head, the altar was covered with a thick layer of dust, and half-dried thatch was piled up in the corner. The wind blew in through the broken window, swirling up coal dust.

Gu Yanzhao helped Gu Feng sit down, and the butler quickly tore off his undergarment to bandage the penetrating wound on the master's arm.

Madam Gu squeezed in with the crowd, her hair disheveled, her silver hairpin askew. She plopped down on a pile of hay, her eyes red-rimmed, and immediately opened her mouth to Gu Yanzhao:

"Look at you! Why did you have to join some ridiculous rebel group and show off like that? Now look what's happened! Our house is surrounded, our shops are shut down, and the Gu family's legacy built over generations is ruined in your hands!"

Gu Yanzhao's lips moved, but he did not refute.

Gu Feng frowned and reprimanded in a deep voice:

"That's a woman's view! He Ze has been eyeing the Gu family for more than just a day or two. Even without Yan Zhao's affair, he would have made his move sooner or later. What do you think he's up to? He won't be satisfied until he swallows up our ironworks and mines."

Madam Gu was taken aback, wiped away her tears, and wanted to mutter something, but seeing Gu Feng's ashen face, she ultimately didn't dare to say anything more.

Gu Feng took a breath, his gaze sweeping over Lin Ji, who was cleaning his gun, and then over Lin Yueru, who was standing in the corner, before suddenly stopping.

Lin Yueru stood in the shadows without speaking, her face smudged with dust, her eyes cold and aloof.

Lin Ji leaned against the pillar, his fingertips slowly tracing the mountain and river patterns on the gun barrel. The profile of his face bore a striking resemblance to Lin Yueru.

Especially the cold and aloof look in their eyes and brows, it's like they were made from the same mold.

Gu Feng paused for a moment, then asked, "Sister-in-law, this old gentleman... doesn't he look somewhat like you?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then followed his gaze, looking at Lin Ji and then at Lin Yueru.

Absolutely. Not only the contours of their eyebrows and eyes, but even the curve of their pursed lips and the way their eyes are lowered are similar.

Lin Yueru raised her head, glanced at Lin Ji, then looked at Gu Feng, her voice as calm as a deep pool: "This is my own grandfather."

"What?"

Gu Hu spat out a mouthful of cold water and stared wide-eyed.

Gu Yanzhao suddenly looked up, his face filled with disbelief.

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

Everyone knows that Lin Yueru is Gu Feng's sister-in-law. Her husband died early, and she only recently returned from Jiangcheng. She rarely even leaves the courtyard.

No one expected that the old man in front of her, who didn't look that old, was actually her grandfather.

Gu Feng frowned slightly, looked at Lin Yunru, and pondered before speaking:

"Your sister-in-law is almost sixty, and the old man must be over a hundred, right? But he doesn't look like it."

"I can testify, although... I didn't know that Grandpa Lin was indeed a hundred years old..." Su Wanning stepped forward. She had personally witnessed Lin Ji becoming younger and had also heard the rumors of Lin Ji being a hundred years old.

Li Shuwen raised an eyebrow. He had worked with Lin Ji for so long, all the way from Jiangcheng to Guanghua, and he really didn't know about this relationship.

Lin Ji paused in wiping his gun, but didn't look up, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The wind outside the temple carried the morning dew in, making it feel cool and refreshing.

Jiang Yunhe, squatting on the threshold with a cigarette dangling from his lips, chuckled upon hearing this:

"What's there to argue about? First, think about where to run. In my opinion, just follow me south. Once you leave Guanghua, you'll be in the territory of the National Salvation Association. He Ze can't reach there. Once you get there, you'll have food, drink, and guns, and you can even go against him."

"No way." Li Shuwen immediately shook his head: "Guanghua is also in the south. If He Ze also chooses the National Salvation Association, the Gu family could very well become a bargaining chip for He Ze to defect!"

Jiang Yunhe frowned and threw his cigarette on the ground: "Then where do you suggest we go? We can't just stay in this dilapidated temple and wait for He Ze to search us, can we?"

Everyone looked at Li Shuwen.

Li Shuwen pondered for a moment, tapping the gun barrel lightly with his fingers, without saying a word.

Lin Ji spoke at this moment, his voice low but each word clear: "Return to Jiangcheng."

"Jiangcheng?" Gu Yanzhao was taken aback.

"Jiangcheng is a port city with both land and water routes, where various forces are deeply intertwined and gangs check and balance each other. No matter how far He Ze's influence extends, it can't reach Jiangcheng," Lin Ji said calmly. "If you go there, you can go into hiding and lay low for a while."

Madam Gu immediately looked up, her tone sharp: "Easy for you to say! In such a rush, how are we supposed to find a boat? We've lost all our business connections in Jiangcheng, and we don't even have anyone to send a message. Are we just going to starve?"

Lin Ji didn't reply, but slightly raised his fingertip and touched the almost invisible communication plug by his ear.