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

"Damn it! You're asking for it! What makes you think you, a peasant, dare to talk to me like that?"

Si Tianhu stood in the center of the crowd, hands on his hips, his face full of arrogance.

"When we wanted to recruit you at the beginning of the semester, it was a favor, but not only did you refuse me, you're now taking advantage of my kindness, aren't you?"

Behind Si Tianhu, three strong young men stood to support him.

The sleeves of the three boys' training uniforms were all embroidered with silver thread decorations representing the skin-refining level of junior high school students, indicating that they were all accomplished young martial artists!

Students watching the commotion whispered among themselves.

"Si Tianhu's father suddenly died last night, and this news spread like wildfire in Jiangcheng this morning. He's taking out all his anger over his father's death on Bai Xiaonian."

"By the way, I heard there was a fire in Dog Tail Alley last night?"

"Yes, it was a huge fire; it killed quite a few people."

"Could it be that Si Tianhu ordered them to be released? What grudge could they possibly have? We were classmates, is it really necessary to..."

"What?!"

Bai Xiaonian's eyelids twitched as he listened to the surrounding conversation.

"Heh, I remember your house is in Dog Tail Alley, right?" Si Tianhu's face revealed a wicked smile of triumph.

"Did you set the fire?" Bai Xiaonian asked in a cold voice, his eyes wide with fury.

Si Tianhu sneered, his face full of contempt: "—Guess."

"...You're asking for it!"

Bai Xiaonian could no longer contain his anger and instantly threw a punch at Si Tianhu's face.

Si Tianhu was startled and staggered back two steps, his eyes blazing with anger, but he didn't expect Bai Xiaonian to just be feinting.

The next moment, Bai Xiaonian moved.

It did not rush towards Si Tianhu.

He was like a projectile launched into the air, hurtling straight at the leather-clad youth on the left.

The boy only had time to cross his arms to protect his face before Bai Xiaonian's knee struck him.

With a snap, the arm bone bent at an unnatural angle, and the boy screamed as he flew sideways.

The other two young martial artists, who were practicing skin-refining techniques, then reacted. One threw a punch, and the other swept his leg, attacking from both sides.

Bai Xiaonian neither dodged nor avoided the punch to his back. The dull thud was like a drumbeat. He didn't even flinch. He then retaliated by elbowing the boy who threw the punch to the temple.

The boy couldn't dodge in time and was grazed by the force of the punch, immediately collapsing to the ground.

The third boy's whip kick was still in mid-air when Bai Xiaonian twisted his body, using his waist and back to withstand the kick.

With a muffled thud and the boy's terrified eyes, Bai Xiaonian grabbed his ankle and, with a burst of strength, swung the boy through the air, slamming him towards Si Tianhu.

Si Tianhu dodged to the side, but was knocked to the ground by the boy's leg. He rolled half a circle on the ground in a sorry state. When he raised his head, the playfulness on his face had vanished, leaving only a ferocious expression of anger and embarrassment.

"You've gone too far! You peasant, you actually dare to lay a hand on me?!"

"I'll show you today, in this martial arts hall, family background is what truly matters!"

"Don't say I didn't order the fire. Even if I did, so what? You lot, stop pretending to be dead and beat him to a pulp!"

"Alright!"

"Please, have a good talk with me!"

The three skin-refining youths moved again upon hearing the sound, their coordination impeccable.

Ultimately, two fists can't fight six hands. Bai Xiaonian was pounced on from behind, his arms wrapped around his waist, and he was lifted up into the air.

"Young Master Si! Do it now!"

Si Tianhu grinned and stepped forward, punching Bai Xiaonian in the lower abdomen.

Bai Xiaonian's stomach churned, and his face turned deathly pale. However, he did not struggle. Using the strength of the boy holding him from behind, he raised his knee and slammed it into Si Tianhu's chin with a "crack".

With a sharp crack, Si Tianhu covered his mouth and cried out in pain as blood gushed out. He looked up and roared angrily.

"I've changed my mind. I'm going to kill you right now!"

……

Upon seeing this, Lin Ji couldn't help but frown slightly.

Is he planning to kill me?

Don't junior high schools care about this?

"Don't just stand there, hurry up! There's still work to do." The goatee urged him in a low voice, displeased that he was standing still.

Just then, Lin Ji's gaze sharpened—

Two figures were walking towards them from the east side of the training ground.

The woman on the left is wearing a champagne-colored fitted dress, with shoulder-length short hair that is slightly curled, and a cool and aloof expression.

Suspicion flickered in Lin Ji's eyes. It was actually Liu Qingzhu! What was she doing here?

The woman on the right is wearing a light-colored training uniform with a black belt around her waist. Her long hair is tied up, and she looks very heroic.

It was Instructor Gu from the Martial Arts Hall whom I met at the entrance of the management office that day.

"Instructor Gu is here... They're in trouble this time with another fight!"

"Let's hurry up! Be careful, or we'll all get reprimanded too."

The crowd dispersed, leaving only the group of teenagers fighting.

Gu, looking like an instructor, frowned slightly but did not reprimand him. Instead, he darted into the crowd.

With light taps of his fists and elbows and swift movements of his hands, Instructor Gu's fists and palms landed on the crowd like dragonflies skimming the water. In just a few breaths, several纨绔 (sons of wealthy families), including Si Tianhu, staggered and staggered backward.

"Disperse! The martial arts hall is a place for practicing martial arts. What kind of behavior is this, gathering in groups to fight!" Instructor Gu shouted sternly, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.

"The martial arts school has its own rules. Sparring is limited to a point, and group fights are strictly forbidden."

"I will let bygones be bygones for today. Remember to behave yourself and avoid trouble in the future."

"Yes!" Si Tianhu and the others dared not be presumptuous and bowed in greeting.

"Get out!"

The group of spoiled brats were both shocked and frightened, but they dared not argue with them. They sullenly brushed the dust off their bodies and scattered.

In a corner of the training ground, only a few people remained in an instant.

Bai Xiaonian's cheeks and the corners of his eyes were covered in bruises, and his clothes were covered in dust, making him look extremely disheveled.

But his spine remained ramrod straight, showing no sign of dejection, and his eyes still burned with an indomitable spirit.

After straightening his clothes, which had been torn and askew, Bai Xiaonian bowed to the two of them, saying, "Instructor Gu, Miss Liu."

Instructor Gu glanced at Bai Xiaonian's face and asked in a deep voice:

"How badly are you injured? Are you still able to walk?"

The sharpness in Bai Xiaonian's eyes gradually faded, and he gritted his teeth and shook his head with difficulty: "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Instructor Gu."

"It's good that you're alright."

Instructor Gu turned her gaze to Lin Ji, and the two locked eyes. Instructor Gu nodded slightly to Lin Ji as a greeting, and then turned and walked toward the center of the training ground.

Liu Qingzhu calmly stood up and looked at Lin Ji, her usual coldness lessened in her eyes:

"Old sir, we meet again. That little fellow Yuanbao has been thinking about your story. If you have the chance to bring him to the martial arts hall in the future, I'll trouble you to take the time to tell him about it."

Lin Ji nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face, his deep wrinkles creased together: "It's no trouble at all, Miss Liu, please bring him."

"Then thank you in advance, sir." Liu Qingzhu nodded slightly and quickly caught up with Instructor Gu ahead.

The two figures walked side by side, whispering to each other, clearly indicating that they had a close relationship.

Lin Ji watched the two figures disappear into the distance, lost in thought.

Miss Liu was highly skilled in martial arts, and Lin Ji originally thought she was backed by some powerful martial arts force or a prestigious sect.

Looking back now, she and Instructor Gu were very close, so she must have quite a bit of influence in the martial arts academy.

Liu Qingzhu's identity was far more complicated than he had imagined, and he even had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

"This is our martial arts instructor, Gu Yanqiu," Bai Xiaonian explained, following Lin Ji's gaze.

Lin Ji withdrew his gaze and looked at the bruises on Bai Xiaonian's cheek: "Are you alright? Apply a hot towel to it several times tonight when you get home."

Bai Xiaonian was visibly taken aback, a hint of warmth appearing in his eyes: "Thank you, Grandpa Lin. This injury is nothing serious; I'll be fine tomorrow."

"Old Lin!" The goatee had already walked away, but he called out impatiently again.

Lin Ji didn't say anything more. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and slowly walked towards the gatehouse.

The food at the martial arts school was indeed far superior to that of ordinary families. The mixed grain rice was soft, sticky, and sweet, and the stewed cabbage was covered with oil.

However, Lin Ji, now an ordinary old man working as a gatekeeper, only ate a small bowl of mixed grain rice and a spoonful of stewed cabbage in order not to reveal his unusual appetite.

After lunch and a short rest, Lin Ji, following the instructions given by the steward, picked up a broom from the corner and began sweeping the front yard of the martial arts hall.

The broom made a soft "rustling" sound as it landed on the ground, and Lin Ji's gaze remained impassive as he focused on the center of the training ground.

"Drink! Ha!"

"Sink your waist and stance, let your power rise from the ground! Your fist is as strong as Mount Tai! Power flows through your fist!"

Dozens of students practiced Chuishanquan (垂山拳) under the guidance of their instructor.

The instructor yelled at the top of his lungs and stomped his foot, kicking up dust in the training ground.

The instructor lowered his waist and assumed a horse stance, twisted his hips, and thrust his right fist out close to his ribs.

Suddenly! A strong wind howled!

He slammed hard onto the wooden dummy, which was about half a person's thickness, in front of him.

"Thump—"

The dull thud was like the beating of a drum, and the wooden stake shook violently and continuously.

The force of the punch even lifted the hem of the clothes of the students in the front row.

"Hanging Mountain Fist! The fist rises from the ground, its power penetrating the very tip..."

Lin Ji's dormant martial spirit trembled slightly, imprinting the boxing stances, power techniques, and body coordination before him into his mind.

The instructor supervising the training noticed an old man sweeping in front of the martial arts hall in the distance, watching. He raised an eyebrow but did not reprimand the old man.

It was assumed that the hunchbacked old man was merely acting out of curiosity.

The broom in Lin Ji's hand made a "swish" sound.

Time flies, and the sun sets in the west.

The afterglow of the setting sun painted the glazed tile roof of the martial arts hall red.

The students left the martial arts hall one after another after class.

The huge training ground gradually quieted down, with only a few students staying at the school dormitory still studying diligently.

Lin Ji closed the vermilion gate of the martial arts hall according to the rules and returned to his own small gatehouse.

He opened the cloth bag, took out the medicinal herbs for brewing the blood-nourishing soup, and placed the clay pot on the earthen stove in the corner of the room.

Add water! Start a fire!

Start decocting the medicinal soup.

Entering the flesh-refining stage requires even greater consumption of qi and blood. Only by continuously taking blood-replenishing medicine can Lin Ji replenish the qi and blood that he has lost for a hundred years and steadily progress towards bone refining.

The firewood crackled and burned.

The medicinal liquid inside the pot was bubbling and bubbling.

Lin Ji stood by the stove, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

The breathing method derived from the Primordial Tai Chi harmonizes the Qi and blood in the body.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached Lin Ji's ears from the courtyard wall outside the house.

Lin Ji listened intently.

A series of rustling footsteps, accompanied by the rattling of the door latch,

Lin Ji suddenly opened his eyes.

On his first day as a gatekeeper, a thief came to his door.

Lin Ji held his breath, moved quietly out of the room, hid behind the door, and looked toward the vermilion gate of the martial arts hall.

In the deep darkness of the night, a slender figure was crouching in front of the door, his fingers trembling as he carefully fiddled with the latch, afraid of making the slightest sound.

Lin Ji had excellent eyesight and could see the bruises on the figure's face even in the darkness.

Bai Xiaonian?

Shouldn't this kid be resting in the martial arts school's student dormitory?

How did you sneak over here, and are you even planning to open the door?

Lin Ji was filled with doubts, so he reached out and pulled on the door of the gatekeeper, deliberately making a noise.

"Squeak—"

The sound of the wooden door rattling was particularly jarring in the still night.

Bai Xiaonian froze in front of the vermilion gate, abruptly withdrawing his hand from the latch and turning his head to look at the gatekeeper.

I saw Lin Ji.

The boy's face was filled with panic, his eyes instinctively darted away, and his hands were at a loss, unsure of where to put them.

Lin Ji watched him walk forward calmly, lowering his voice so as not to break the tranquility of the night: "Is it urgent?"

Bai Xiaonian pursed her lips, a struggle hidden in her eyes, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "I heard... my house caught fire, and I... want to go see my sister."

A hint of relief flashed across Lin Ji's face: "Your sister is fine. She's staying with me for now. Focus on your martial arts training at the martial arts hall. I'll take you back to see your sister during your break."

Bai Xiaonian raised an eyebrow, a hint of delight in his eyes: "Really?"

"real!"

……

In Dog Tail Alley.

Lin Ji's Courtyard.

With redness and swelling still in the corners of her eyes, Bai Yu'er fell into a deep sleep in the side room under the cover of night.

inside the house.

The moonlight fell on the windowpane, casting a graceful silhouette on the plain paper window.