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

The group hurried towards the port in the east of the city. The closer they got to the river, the more chaotic the streets became.

The vendors carrying their loads ran as fast as they could towards the city, spilling vegetables all the way without bothering to pick them up.

The woman holding the child staggered, muttering, "The warships are coming."

Shop doors slammed shut on the street as shop assistants hurriedly carried things inside.

When they arrived at the port, the river wind hit them, carrying a salty and fishy smell. Lin Ji and his companion were clearly stunned by the sight in the distance.

Three dark gray gunboats were steadily moored in the middle of the river. The ships were large and had a deep draft.

The British flag fluttered in the wind on the mast.

The cannons on the ship's side were dark and menacing, their muzzles coldly pointing towards the dock.

The deck was full of soldiers, but they were wearing the gray cloth uniforms of the National Salvation Association. Each of them carried a rifle with an air of arrogance and pointed at the dock while laughing and talking.

Several foreigners in suits were leaning against the ship's side, smoking cigars and wearing top hats, pointing and gesturing as if they were looking at some rare object.

The docks were already in chaos.

The dockworkers abandoned their cargo containers and ran into the city. The port authority clerk was frantic, wanting to go up and negotiate, but dared not get close to the gunboat's firing range.

Several daring boat owners stood behind the cargo pile, craning their necks to look into the middle of the river, their faces extremely grim.

"As expected." Lin Ji stood behind the pile of goods, his eyes as cold as ice: "These people have also latched onto the foreigners' coattails."

Using British gunboats and soldiers from the National Salvation Association, they claimed to be "defending and suppressing the rebellion," but their real intention was to seize the port of Jiangcheng.

He Ze's plan was shrewd. He used the foreigners as a shield, knowing that the authorities would have reservations and wouldn't dare to actually fire on the foreigners' ships. If they did, it would be a diplomatic incident, and even the governor-general couldn't bear that responsibility.

"He Ze is quite arrogant." Li Shuwen frowned and looked at the three gunboats, letting out a cold snort.

"He Ze is also a skilled warrior. He managed to capture the southern part of Jiangcheng before the three naval forces of the authorities, which shows that he has real talent. The authorities are probably in trouble now." Lin Ji looked at the gunboats and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

As he was speaking, Li Shuwen suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Let's put these things aside for now. Our people have arrived."

Lin Ji raised an eyebrow slightly.

Li Shuwen continued, "The advance team arrived first, with a total of twelve people, all of whom are key members of the association."

"They sneaked ashore last night, disguised themselves as peddlers, and dispersed into the city. There's a large group behind them, and it will probably take another half a month for them to arrive. That's what I'm worried about. In half a month, perhaps everything will be settled."

"What are your thoughts?" Lin Ji asked, turning his head.

"The higher-ups said we need to recruit people locally," Li Shuwen responded.

Lin Ji nodded, not asking any further questions. He glanced at the gunboats on the river and said in a deep voice, "When will we make contact?"

"Tonight at midnight, at the dilapidated temple in the west of the city," Li Shuwen said. "The code is the same as before: three long and two short. The leader is called Liang Yanqing. He used to be a student leader in the north, and later joined the gang. He's quick-witted and methodical."

……

For the remainder of the day, Jiangcheng was in complete chaos.

Rumors travel faster than the wind.

Some say He Ze is going to bomb Jiangcheng to the ground, some say the government's troops have already arrived, and others say the foreigners are going to open a concession and drive all the people of Jiangcheng out.

People flocked to rice shops to hoard grain, and the price of rice rose three times in one day, but they still couldn't get any.

Several grocery stores in the south of the city were vandalized by refugees, who looted everything. The owners sat on the ground crying, but no one cared.

Du Qingyi sent someone to the Haijiao Gang to ask if they should close their shops in the south of the city to avoid trouble.

Shen Jinluan replied directly:

"Don't close it, keep it open as usual. The more chaotic things get, the more we need to stay calm. If we close it, the people will panic even more. Not only will we not care, but we'll also have to send a few more brothers to the street corner to maintain order and prevent the vagrants from taking advantage of the chaos to smash the shops."

……

Lin Ji and Li Shuwen changed into dark short-sleeved shirts, covered their faces with blue cloth, and, under the cover of night, quietly made their way to the dilapidated temple in the west of the city.

This temple has been abandoned for so many years. The Buddha statues are missing half of their heads, and the courtyard is overgrown with weeds that are half a person tall. The wind rustles through the weeds, as if someone is hiding in the grass.

The temple gate was half broken and leaned to one side.

Lin Ji stepped forward, gently knocked on the door three times, paused, and then knocked twice more.

Three long and two short

The door creaked open a crack, and a young man poked his head out. His sharp eyes swept over the two of them, and when he saw Li Shuwen, he stepped aside.

A half-burnt candle was lit in the temple, its flickering flame illuminating several faces.

The leader was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a gray cloth long gown and round-framed glasses. He looked refined and scholarly, like a schoolteacher.

But his fingers were thick and calloused, clearly indicating that he was not just a pen-wielder.

His eyes were bright and sharp, radiating a sense of competence.

"Mr. Lin, Senior Li." The young man stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a clear but not loud voice, "My name is Liang Yanqing. I am the temporary head of the Guangnan branch of the Xinghua Society. I have long admired Mr. Lin's name. It is an honor to meet you today."

Several people sat down around the dilapidated offering table and discussed the situation by the dim candlelight.

Liang Yanqing's thinking was extremely clear. From He Ze's collusion with foreigners to the port defense, and then to the problem of refugees in Jiangcheng, he explained everything clearly.

"He Ze's plan is very clear." Liang Yanqing pointed to the simple map drawn on the offering table:

"First, seize the port, then infiltrate the city, bribe gangs, incite refugees, and completely disrupt Jiangcheng. Even if the north really occupies Jiangcheng, it won't be able to effectively organize a solid advance point for a while. Jiangcheng is the throat of the waterway; if we can't take it, the north and south won't be able to communicate."

"Our initial plan is to use the name of the Sea Dragon Gang's water patrol team to secretly recruit young men with good swimming skills and build a waterborne team." He looked up at Lin Ji:

"We must keep control of the river, otherwise we won't even have a place to land when the large army from the south comes."

"In addition, we must find a way to appease the displaced people in the city, and we cannot let the National Salvation Association incite them all."

Lin Ji nodded and praised, "Young heroes emerge, Brother Liang. This plan is indeed the only way to get the organization involved for the time being."

Despite his young age, he remains calm and composed in the face of adversity, demonstrating thorough consideration; he has the potential to accomplish great things.

Liang Yanqing stood up, his gaze fixed intently on the distance: "We were all young students, full of vigor and vitality. This chaotic world is precisely the time for us to make our moves. The fate of Jiangcheng rests on our shoulders!"

Lin Ji was taken aback and began to scrutinize the young man in front of him again.

Lin Ji was lost in thought.

"boom--!"

A sudden, loud explosion erupted from the direction of the port!

The firelight instantly illuminated half the sky, even turning the dilapidated temple a bright red.

Then two more cannon shots rang out, booming and shaking the roof beams, causing dust to fall from them and cover people's faces and heads.

The candle flames on the offering table suddenly jumped up and almost went out.

The group suddenly turned their heads and looked in the direction of the port.

Li Shuwen's expression changed:

"Oh no! They've opened fire!"

"Boom! Boom!"

The cannon fire continued, one after another, crashing onto the river and striking the hearts of everyone.

The cries of the people could be heard outside the temple, and some people ran past like madmen, shouting:

"The city has been bombarded!"