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

The Clippers came to a stop beside Lin Ji with a "whoosh," and the boat rocked slightly.

Shen Jinluan grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the boat with a little force.

Her fingertips touched Lin Ji's wrist, feeling only its icy coldness. Her heart tightened, but she only asked, "How are you? Can you still hold on?"

"I can still hold on." Lin Ji took a breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and recovered a little. "Let's go to the lead boat and take off the fuse on the bed."

Without saying a word, Shen Jinluan turned the boat around and charged towards the convoy of explosives against the gentle current.

The speedboat, like a swimming fish, cut through the waves and quickly caught up with the side of the lead boat.

Lin Ji lightly touched the boat plank with his toes and leaped onto the bow, his body as steady as Mount Tai.

Upon seeing this, the several guards on the ship roared, drew their swords, and rushed over, each with a fierce look on their face, clearly determined to die.

Before they even got close, Lin Ji flicked his fingertips, and several streams of energy shot out, accurately striking the Jianjing acupoints on their shoulders.

The men felt a numbness in half of their bodies, and their knives clattered onto the boat. They were thrown backward and crashed heavily onto the deck, unable to get up.

The main fuse at the bow of the ship was hissing and sparks were flying everywhere. It was less than half a foot away from the medicine tank, and the smell of burning fuse was already wafting over.

Lin Ji squatted down, pinched the burning fuse with his fingertips, and channeled his inner force through them, forcefully stopping the fire.

"Sizzle—"

The spark suddenly dimmed and went out completely at his fingertips.

He casually removed the detonator, threw it at his feet and stomped it out, then looked up and shouted to those behind him:

"Board the ship separately! Remove the fuses one by one! Be careful not to let the medicine tank come into contact with any sparks!"

"clear!"

The patrolmen responded readily, approaching the merchant ships and nimbly climbing aboard.

They all make a living on the river year-round, walking on the boat planks as if on flat ground.

"Fuse removed from Ship Number One! Safe!"

"Ship number five is sorted!"

"Ship number nine is fine!"

The sounds rose and fell, carried by the river breeze, each one more steady than the last.

On the bridge, Zhang Zhengting held up his binoculars, watching this scene, nodding repeatedly, his lips curling into undisguised admiration.

He turned to his adjutant beside him and said, "See that? That's what you call skill. Staying calm in a crisis. He's got the makings of someone who can do great things. It's just a pity he's a bit old."

Upstream on the river, on the flagship of the National Salvation Association.

Zhou Biao stared at the explosives-laden ships anchored on the river, watching as men boarded them one by one to remove the fuses. Enraged, he slammed his hand on the gunwale: "Damn it!"

"Useless! All of you are useless!" His face was ashen, his eyes filled with malice. "Lin Ji? Is this the Lin Ji He Ze was talking about?!"

The staff member next to him kept his head down, not daring to breathe.

No one can answer this question.

No one expected that a perfectly good plan to bomb the ship would be ruined by one person.

"Commander, the Jing Group is eyeing us covetously. Our plan has been exposed. If we don't leave now, it will be too late!" The commander next to him whispered, "As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild."

He Ze gritted his teeth, staring intently at the speedboat on the river. After a long while, he finally cursed angrily, "Retreat!"

The three old ships slowly turned their bows and, following the remaining escort ships upstream, slunk away downstream.

"Admiral, the National Salvation Association's ship has escaped! Should we give chase?" the lookout shouted.

Zhang Zhengting put down his binoculars and shook his head: "Don't pursue a cornered enemy. We've already secured the southward route; annihilating the rebels is only a matter of time. Report this to the higher-ups and see what their decision is!"

He turned and walked towards the gangway, just in time to meet Lin Ji returning.

Lin Ji's long robe was mostly soaked, and his face was a little pale, clearly indicating that he had overexerted his internal energy.

Zhang Zhengting stepped forward and patted his shoulder heavily, with great force: "Brother Lin, well done! I, Zhang, will remember your merit today. You not only saved my brothers on this ship, but also the people on both sides of Jiangcheng."

Zhang Zhengting lowered his voice, his tone sincere: "I'll pretend I didn't see what happened with the Xinghua Association in Jiangcheng. Although I work for the Commander-in-Chief, I love our country!"

Lin Ji was slightly taken aback and looked up at him.

So this person already knew about the Xinghua Society's plan?

He gave a slight bow and said, "Thank you, Admiral."

"Don't be so polite." Zhang Zhengting laughed and said, "We're all Chinese, and we're all guarding our own territory."

When Lin Ji returned by small boat, the river had gradually returned to calm.

Back at the dock, Li Shuwen was waiting for him. Upon meeting, he reported on the situation in the city: "The city is temporarily stabilized. Chen Tianze has almost finished calculating the losses in the city. With the spoils from the bandit suppression on the river a few days ago, it's about enough for repairs."

Li Shuwen smiled and said, "Du Qingyi... came to the dock to see me before and asked me to pass on a message to you."

"What did you say?" Lin Ji asked.

"He said he was also doing it for the people of Jiangcheng, and that he had been a bit blinded by greed before." Li Shuwen's tone was a little strange, but he changed the subject with a smile and said, "That old fox! I just passed by the west side of the city and saw them helping to relocate people, set up tents, and distribute porridge."

Lin Ji smiled but didn't say anything.

In chaotic times, there aren't so many black-and-white things.

"And this..." Li Shuwen handed something to him.

He looked down and saw it was half a piece of scrap paper.

The outline of the National Salvation Association's retreat route was drawn in charcoal, crooked and uneven, and several of the National Salvation Association's riverside strongholds were also marked.

The last character is a hastily written "crane".

Was it left behind by Jiang Yunhe?

Is this person actually a member of the National Salvation Association, or does he have ulterior motives?

The explosives ship served as a warning to itself.

This time, did they leave behind a route for the National Salvation Association to retreat?

Lin Ji couldn't figure it out.

He crumpled up the scraps of paper and threw them into the river.

The shredded paper drifted away with the current and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

He walked along the dock toward the city, and the streets gradually became more lively.

The people cautiously peeked out of the alley, and only dared to slowly emerge when they saw that the river was calm and the cannons of the ironclad warships were at rest.

An elderly person carried a basket to deliver food to the street guards, and the children, being bolder, chased after them, running and playing, but still keeping their voices low.

Sunlight spilled onto the bluestone path, reflecting the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, creating a warm feeling of relief after a catastrophe.

When he returned to the Sea Dragon Gang's stronghold, Shen Jinluan had already gone back. Bai Yu'er greeted him tearfully, handing him a wet towel.

"You old geezer, are you out of your mind?! How are we supposed to live if you die?!"

"He's perfectly fine!" Lin Ji wiped the dust off his face, following Bai Yu'er's hand that was wiping his face.

"Hmph!" Bai Yu'er snorted softly, but still carefully wiped Lin Ji's face.

"Shall we just leave the government's navy anchored on the river?" Shen Jinluan asked as she walked beside him.

Lin Ji walked to the window, looked at the people coming and going on the street, and gazed at the distant river, and slowly said:

"Zhang Zhengting is a soldier, and he keeps his word. But he is ultimately a member of the imperial court. Once an order is issued from above, who knows what will happen in the future? Also, He Ze suffered a great loss this time, and he will definitely not let it go."

"We've made a significant contribution to the city's defenses this time. Chen Tianze is likely to be isolated from both sides. Send someone to deliver a message to Liang Yanqing and the others to quickly replenish their forces and expand their ranks!"