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

The peace in Jiangcheng didn't last long before chaos returned.

First, refugees gathered in the north of the city and fought with the local people over grain shops and firewood.

Then, unrest broke out in the west and south of the city as well. Groups of refugees begged along the streets, and if they were not given anything, they were robbed. Shops closed one after another.

"Bang!"

Upon receiving the report, Chen Tianze slammed his hand on the table, causing water to spill from the teacups.

"They've gone too far!" He paced back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back.

"These out-of-towners, I've already been kind enough by taking you in, and now you want to cause trouble in my city!"

He glanced at his adjutant beside him and coldly ordered, "Send the men to put pressure on them. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, arrest them all!"

The governor's office issued an order.

The rioting gangs in the city were dispersed, and the governor's mansion took swift and decisive action, arresting more than a dozen ringleaders.

But to everyone's surprise, the next morning, the tabloids throughout the city were in an uproar.

"Extra! Extra! The warlord's mansion is suppressing refugees and killing civilians!"

Early in the morning.

Newsboys ran along the street, holding up newspapers with the ink still wet, shouting their messages.

People passing by took out their money to buy newspapers, and their faces changed when they saw the bold black characters on the front page.

The Jiangcheng military governor mistreated displaced people, treating human life like dirt!

The account was written in great detail, claiming that Chen Tianze accepted bribes from local wealthy merchants and sent troops to beat up refugees, killing three people and seriously injuring dozens.

The purpose was simply to protect the homes and property of wealthy businessmen and enrich themselves.

The newspaper's front page also featured a blurry picture.

Only a few dark shadows could be clearly seen, but based on the above, it looked somewhat like a scene of soldiers pushing and shoving refugees.

The newspapers sold out quickly, and the news spread throughout the city before noon.

Inside the Haijiao Gang's stronghold, Lin Ji held a newspaper, his brows furrowed in worry.

The newspaper, still reeking of ink, was filled with reports that were utterly scathing.

"Grandpa Lin..." Su Wanning stood to the side, leaned over for a glance, and her brows furrowed as well:

"This is written way too biasedly. It's clearly aimed at smearing the Governor's Mansion. It was the refugees who started the robbery of the shops, so how did it become the Governor's fault?"

After a moment's thought, she tentatively asked, "Is... someone pulling strings behind the scenes?"

"Hmm." Lin Ji nodded and tossed the newspaper onto the table. "It shouldn't be hard to guess who the forces behind this are."

"The National Salvation Association?" Su Wanning asked softly.

Last night, she ran away from the Shen residence to the Haijiao Gang, ostensibly to supervise whether Lin Ji was abusing the Shen family's inheritance.

Su Wanqing was afraid that she would cause some trouble.

It took a full hour to settle Shen Jinluan before they could finally return to their residence.

Before leaving, he gave Lin Ji a deep look.

"They're using the refugees to win people over." He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

"By ruining the reputation of Commander Chen Tianze and making the people distrust the government, they can then take the opportunity to play the good guy and win people's hearts. Once the people's hearts are with them, even if the south suffers a defeat, it will be useless for the government to send more troops."

Su Wanning was shocked when she heard this.

She had previously thought the National Salvation Association was an anti-government force in the south, but she never expected them to be so insidious.

"Then... Commander Chen..." Su Wanning was a little worried.

"He'll handle it himself," Lin Ji said calmly. "It just depends on whether he can withstand this wave of public opinion."

The matter is not over yet.

Over the next two days, several incidents occurred in various parts of the city.

One moment it was the refugees smashing up the rice shop, the next it was the common people surrounding the refugees' shed, and the two sides were fighting each other.

Rumors were flying everywhere. Some said that Chen Tianze was going to drive all the refugees into the river to drown them, while others said that wealthy merchants had jointly petitioned to drive all the refugees out of the city.

People were filled with anxiety, and every household closed their doors and windows, making the streets much quieter.

……

In a small courtyard in the east of the city, a cold wind swirled fallen leaves.

Zhang Shih-hao stood in the center of the courtyard, with a Tongmenghui token lying at his feet. Several characters on the corner of the token were missing, making it difficult to discern the original color.

He held a newspaper in his hand and let out a sinister laugh:

"Heh...hehe..."

He suddenly chuckled, the laughter growing louder and more manic, carrying a hint of reckless ruthlessness.

Tongmenghui (Revolutionary Alliance)?

All that talk of national righteousness and national salvation, in the end, it's all just pawns being used by him.

Father died, younger brother went mad, and home was gone.

He ran around doing everything for the Tongmenghui, but what was the result?

snort!

In the corner of the courtyard, against the wall, Zhang Shijie sat on the ground, playing with mud in his hands. His face was dirty, his eyes were blank, and he was muttering to himself, saying something incomprehensible.

He stopped screaming and going crazy.

Instead, he became completely demented and couldn't even recognize Zhang Shih-hao in front of him.

Old housekeeper Zhang Fu held Nannan's hand, carrying a blue cloth bundle, and stood to one side with red-rimmed eyes.

"Young Master..." he began in a hoarse voice.

"I still have a dozen acres of poor land and an old courtyard in the countryside. If you can't stay in the city, you can come to my place anytime. In this day and age, living a peaceful life is better than anything else."

Zhang Shih-hao didn't even turn his head, he just waved his hand, his voice terribly hoarse:

"Okay, you can go now. Be careful on the road."

Zhang Fu sighed, took Nannan's hand, and walked out, looking back every few steps.

The little girl was still young and didn't understand. She turned around and timidly called out "Brother Shihao," but received no response.

The courtyard gate creaked shut, leaving Zhang Shih-hao alone in the yard.

The wind rustled the newspapers on the ground, making a sound like someone laughing.

Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open again.

It was very light, like a leaf falling to the ground.

A dark figure walked in, dressed in a black robe. The hem of the robe swept across the ground without stirring up a speck of dust.

Zhang Shih-hao suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly turning sinister: "Who?"

The man was standing at the gate of the courtyard, backlit, so his face was not visible.

Only a small part of the chin could be seen in the light.

The newcomer spoke softly, his voice hoarse and low, like sandpaper rubbing against wood:

"Young Master Zhang, do you wish for revenge?"

Zhang Shih-hao's pupils suddenly contracted, and his fingertips clenched tightly.

A sudden gust of wind blew, and fallen leaves in the courtyard flew everywhere, blotting out the sun.

"Who are you?" Zhang Shih-hao's voice tightened, and his hand stealthily reached for the iron fan at his waist.

"Who I am is unimportant." The man in black took half a step forward, his face emerging from the sunlight, his resolute yet playful gaze fixed on Zhang Shijie.

"The important thing is that I can help you kill Lin Ji and help you get back everything your Zhang family has lost."

Zhang Shih-hao's pupils suddenly contracted.

The name "Lin Ji" was like a red-hot needle piercing his heart, scalding the last vestiges of his reason until they were steaming.

"Who exactly are you?" he asked hoarsely, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

That trembling wasn't from fear.

It was a constant surge of hatred!

The man in black didn't answer. With a flick of his sleeve, something rolled down the ground and landed with a "clink" at Zhang Shih-hao's feet.

It is a brass token.

Two words were clearly written on the token.

"Cooperation!"