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

"Grandpa Lin...this is the mess you made, isn't it?"

Su Wanning carried a teapot and poured tea for Lin Ji and Gu Xuan, who were sitting at the stone table in the courtyard.

Bai Yu'er opened the window and shouted irritably at the outside, "Who else but him?"

Lin Ji looked at Bai Yu'er's face, which was full of aggrieved expression, and couldn't help but find it amusing.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Yu'er, you can't say things like that. I'm not some kind of immortal, and I can't fly."

"Hmph." Bai Yu'er rolled her eyes, closed the window, and hid back inside, leaving behind a voice: "I'm injured today and can't walk. I need to rest in the room for a day."

Lin Ji put down his teacup and pondered for a moment:

"Wan Ning, pack your things. We're going out today to inquire about the martial arts competition. We need to know when we're going up the mountain and what the competition's rules are. Don't let anything go wrong. If we find a way in, we'll head straight up the mountain today."

"Okay, Grandpa Lin." Su Wanning covered her mouth and chuckled softly before turning and entering the main room.

The group didn't bring much.

Su Wanning tidied up neatly.

It was all done in just a few minutes.

After Su Wanning returned to the courtyard with her luggage, everyone else had also packed up and prepared for their trip.

Lin Ji glanced at the main room, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Liu Qingzhu exchanged a glance with him and then chuckled softly, "Old man, why have you become so sly and mischievous lately?"

Lin Ji didn't respond, but laughed and raised his voice:

"Since you're not feeling well, Yu'er, why don't you stay down the mountain and rest and recover while we're at it?"

"This city is a mixed bag, so remember to lock your gate and close your doors and windows. Be careful not to run into any thugs like those from yesterday."

The words fell.

There was a commotion inside the room.

A moment later, Bai Yu'er peeked out from under the door, glared at Lin Ji, and then lowered her head to stand close to Liu Qingzhu.

"Sister Qingzhu...look at this wicked old man, he's actually going to abandon me."

Liu Qingzhu chuckled and said, "I can't control that. You'll have to tell Jinluan about this."

"Hmph." Bai Yu'er snorted again.

……

The group went out onto the street.

There are more patrol teams on the streets.

It's not about checking pedestrians.

Instead, he walked and shouted:

"To maintain order in the city, visitors are hereby informed that, except for the grand competition, they are not allowed to injure others or engage in martial arts sparring at will. Violators will be expelled from the city."

"The competition will be held today. Those who wish to participate are requested to go to the city square to register and compete."

There were more pedestrians on the street than yesterday.

Lin Ji and his group followed the flow of people forward.

They made their way to the square in the city center.

It's supposed to be a square.

It's actually a large open space.

Several tables were placed in the open space, and a long line had formed in front of them, with several accountants sitting behind them making registrations.

"Damn it! What kind of rule is this?!"

"I'm here to fight foreigners, to defend martial arts! You want me to compete against my own people before I can participate in this grand competition? What kind of nonsense is this?!"

"So...the authorities really want to be foreigners' dogs? Isn't this blatantly trying to drain our resources from within?"

"Damn it! You've been kneeling for so long you've forgotten how to stand up, huh?!"

In front of the crowd.

A flurry of activity ensued.

The shouts caused a commotion.

Lin Ji looked up and saw the accountant hunched over the desk behind the registration table, saying impatiently:

"Are you going to participate or not? If you're not going to participate, then step aside. If you are going to participate, then hurry up and pay the twelve silver dollars for the entry fee."

"What? Twelve silver dollars! They're making us kill each other again, and charging us fees! Have the authorities gone mad? Are they trying to make money off us?" A burly martial artist raised his hand to overturn the table on the accountant's body.

But as soon as he raised his hand, the table remained motionless, as if it were embedded in the ground.

"Huh?" The martial artist exclaimed in surprise, looking at the tent officer with astonishment: "You...?"

The accountant spoke slowly and deliberately: "You? You think you can bring glory to the country?"

He glanced at the crowd and said, "Participants must pay twelve silver coins as a participation fee to ascend the mountain. Only those who reach the summit will have the opportunity to participate in the Martial Arts Competition."

"These are the rules set by the foreign masters. They also give you martial artists a chance to participate in the competition, based on your strength. This is to ensure the fairness of the competition."

"Why don't the officials just find a few people to fool everyone and announce that the foreigner won the competition? Why go through all this trouble? Those who are willing can step forward, and those who are unwilling should hurry up and leave."

The accountant shouted and sat back down, looking at the people crowding at the back of the line.

"What he said makes sense, but I still feel like something's not right." Gu Xuan frowned and looked at Lin Ji. He had initially been just as shocked and angry as the burly man in the front row because of the requirements for participating in the competition.

He was both shocked and furious at the requirement to participate in the competition.

But after hearing the accountant's explanation, it made sense.

"The government had to sign treasonous agreements with foreigners in order to go south and suppress bandits. Even if the national treasury wasn't empty, it was already riddled with holes. There are at least tens of thousands of people who came to participate in the competition. Perhaps they can fill this hole?" Liu Qingzhu said thoughtfully, looking at Lin Ji as if seeking confirmation.

Lin Ji nodded and said, "That's about right, but I think what the martial artist in the front row said makes sense; it really does mean we should kill each other."

"Hmm? Old sir, what do you mean by that?" Gu Xuan raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise.

The three women also looked at Lin Ji with curiosity.

Lin Ji began to explain, "What if we added rewards along the way up the mountain, or planted some of their people among the participants?"

The four of them suddenly realized the truth.

"I see. If that's the case, the government's actions are truly sinister." Gu Xuan clenched his fist.

"Be very careful on your way up the mountain."

Lin Ji reassured everyone and took the lead.

They stood at the very front of the line.

A banner stood behind the desk.

The rules for the competition were written on the banner.

The competition consists of three stages and twelve challenges.

Each checkpoint provides a place for participants to rest and replenish supplies.

Furthermore, the top ten players in each level and each card will receive special rewards.

"Grandpa Lin was right!" Su Wanning said softly, looking at the rules on the banner.

"Not just that..." Liu Qingzhu raised her jade-like finger and pointed to the bottom corner of the banner that was being blown up by the wind: "Look down..."

"Splash!"

The autumn wind blows.

The rolled-up banner was smoothed out.

The bottom of the banner reads:

"Fists and feet have no eyes; any injury or death that occurs during the match is the sole responsibility of the participant."

Lin Ji was right after all.

"These sons of bitches! They're all traitors." Gu Xuan cursed under his breath, swaying the iron box as he walked to the table. He placed the iron box on the table with a "bang," kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Splash!"

He threw a handful of silver dollars on the table and hissed in dissatisfaction:

"Enter the competition!"

"Twelve silver dollars, please keep your entry token." The accountant remained unmoved, treating the situation exactly the same as he would any other participant.

As Gu Xuan picked up the token, he casually added, "Just the peak of Dark Force... Whether I can reach the summit is still uncertain."