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

The roads in the north are very different from those in the south.

The official road was not smooth; it was mostly dirt road.

The carriage bumped slightly as it traveled along the road.

Even the usually aloof Liu Qingzhu frowned slightly.

Fortunately, as the sun began to set, the group finally saw the city walls in the distance.

The rammed earth city walls in the distance are already somewhat mottled.

Patches of the hardened plaster on the wall have peeled off, revealing the yellow soil underneath.

The walls of this city and Jiangcheng, which are neatly built of bluestone, are worlds apart.

The carriage swayed as it approached the city wall.

The gate in the city wall was very narrow, only wide enough for a slightly larger truck to pass through, and people were standing under the gate.

There were checkpoints set up below the city gate.

The heavy wooden barricades became the last line of defense for everyone entering the city.

The soldiers on both sides of the barricade were neatly dressed and each carried a short, black machine gun.

"This is... a carbine that Westerners just developed last month? The government has even equipped itself with this? No wonder they're in such a hurry to push for a ban on weapons." Gu Xuan opened the carriage window and looked at the soldiers behind the barricades in surprise.

Lin Ji peeked out.

It really is a carbine.

A large crowd had gathered at the city gate.

There were merchants carrying goods, weary warriors, ronin in kimonos, and Westerners in suits and ties.

Unlike ordinary martial artists who are subjected to repeated questioning.

Whether they were Japanese or Westerners, as they approached the city gate, the soldiers would quickly step forward, smiling obsequiously, to clear a path for them to enter the city.

"How much have they taken from the foreigners... to be so servile?" Su Wanning glanced at the soldiers and said irritably.

On the city wall behind the soldiers, there were densely packed wanted posters.

The origins of the names are written in detail above.

There were members of the National Salvation Association, and renowned martial artists...

Lin Ji's gaze swept over the wanted posters on the wall, and when his eyes landed on the most conspicuous one, his eyes visibly widened in shock.

Feng Zhonglin?

However, the portrait was poorly drawn and differed somewhat from the real person.

The coachman chuckled, seemingly noticing everyone's confusion: "Mr. Feng has a big reputation in the north. Considering the core members of the association, it's not surprising that he's wanted."

Lin Ji nodded.

He could understand that.

……

"Stop the car! Check it!"

The carriage is approaching the checkpoint.

Soldiers outside the barricades brandished their dark gun barrels and sternly stopped the crowd.

"Sir, we've come to watch the competition." The coachman jumped off the carriage and took out a wooden token from his person, handing it over.

The officers glanced at the patterns on the token, walked straight to the carriage and shouted, "Get down, everyone. We need to verify your identities before we can enter the city."

As they were speaking, the curtain on the carriage was lifted.

Lin Ji was the first to jump down from the carriage.

He was dressed in a black outfit, with the Mountain and River Stabilizing Spear wrapped in a velvet cover on his back.

The sergeant's eyes widened at the sight of Lin Ji, and he took two steps back.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers behind him pointed their dark gun barrels at Lin Ji.

"Bring me the booklet." The sergeant reached to the side and took a booklet filled with wanted posters. He glanced at Lin Ji out of the corner of his eye and began to flip through the booklet in his hand.

The officer had only turned two pages when he suddenly stopped and looked up at Lin Ji.

Lin Ji also saw the portraits in the booklet clearly.

It was clearly the outfit he wore when he committed the murder in Jiangcheng, with four large characters written next to it: "Jiangcheng Lin Ji".

but.

Lin Ji's appearance had already changed by this time.

Although he is still in his early forties, not quite fifty.

But it's completely different from her real face.

The portrait doesn't match.

The officers and soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, snapped the booklet shut, and looked behind Lin Ji: "Get down, all of you."

The passengers filed off the train.

The soldiers who had been staring intently at the carriage were shocked when they saw the people getting off; their eyes were practically glued to the ground.

Even the soldiers behind him and the crowds entering the city all turned their gazes toward him.

Although Liu Qingzhu, Bai Yu'er, and Su Wanning did not dress up deliberately and only applied a light layer of powder to their faces, they shone like stars the moment they landed, like fairies descended from heaven.

"Crack!"

After the three.

A huge, burly man crawled out of the carriage.

When he landed, the iron box behind him, almost as tall as a person, crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Gu Xuan suddenly straightened his chest and no longer restrained his imposing aura.

moment.

An even louder commotion erupted from the crowd than before.

"You're not here to watch the martial arts competition, are you? You're here to participate in the grand competition? Tell me, which side are you on?"

The officer swallowed hard, enduring the oppressive feeling Gu Xuan exerted on him, and continued to question him.

"Why should this competition be divided into sides? We are Chinese, so naturally we stand on the side of traditional martial arts." Gu Xuan spoke up, his imposing aura causing the soldiers to take another step back.

The officers and soldiers standing not far away quickly waved their hands, signaling their subordinates to pull back the barricades: "Alright, alright, go in. Don't cause trouble in the city before the competition. If you mess with the wrong people, you'll have to bear the consequences."

"Thank you, sir." The driver took the wooden token, and after Lin Ji and the others got into the carriage, he turned around, got into the carriage, and drove into the city.

The roads in the city were still dirt tracks, but they were quite flat.

The streets are lined with houses made of adobe bricks, which are very characteristic of northern China.

The facilities along the street are quite complete, with food vendors, general stores, blacksmiths, and many other shops.

This city doesn't look wealthy.

There were quite a few pedestrians on the street.

A few diners were also sitting in front of the stall.

"There are quite a few people gathered here..." Bai Yu'er lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the scene on the street: "Not to mention the Japanese and Westerners, there seem to be quite a few high-ranking officials and dignitaries here as well."

"This competition has brought together all sorts of forces, all hoping to win some prizes or make connections." Lin Ji squinted, his senses already set in motion the moment he entered the city.

"Sisters, I don't think now is the time to think about these things." Liu Qingzhu's cold voice rang out. She slowly opened her eyes, put away the Heavenly Evolution Note, and looked out the window, saying, "There are so many people in this city, and it's such a small city. I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to find a place to stay."

Bai Yu'er and Su Wanning raised their eyelids at the same time, exchanged a glance, and were just about to speak.

The driver outside the carriage said, "Don't worry, everyone, we've already found accommodations."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The carriage turned two streets.

It's not as lively as the main street anymore.

Only a few scattered pedestrians hurried along the street.

The car stopped in front of an adobe courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was kept very clean. There was an old locust tree inside, with golden leaves on its branches and a layer of leaves on the ground.

It does, however, seem to have a very artistic conception.

The driver followed behind the group and explained, "The inns in the city are all full, so I rented a courtyard from a local farmer. Given your special status, staying here will save you a lot of trouble."

"Thank you for your kind offer, young man." Lin Ji nodded in acknowledgment.

"Then please settle in first, I'll be leaving now." Seeing that Lin Ji seemed satisfied, the coachman said this and turned to leave.