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

The morning breeze carried the steaming aroma of breakfast stalls from the street vendors, drifting through the streets of Jiangcheng.

"Soy milk... fried dough sticks..."

"Freshly steamed buns..."

The breakfast vendor called out his wares casually, his eyes occasionally glancing toward the crowd.

"You damn fool! What are you looking at? Just focus on selling your steamed buns! What business is it of yours to concern yourself with national affairs?"

The breakfast stall owner looked away and landed on the chubby woman next to him, who was wearing an apron covered in grease. He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

Lin Ji led his two siblings, mingling with the crowd as they walked towards the city center, the sounds of conversation filling the streets.

"Old Lin, are these Thirteen Protectors any good?" Bai Yu'er looked up at Lin Ji, her peach blossom eyes full of curiosity.

Lin Ji walked slowly forward with his hands behind his back, recalling the information he had received from the martial arts instructor:

"There is a ranking system for martial arts masters in the martial arts world."

"One unparalleled master, two heroes, a god of slaughter whose shadow is nowhere to be found across the four seas, and the Thirteen Protectors who are invincible."

Lin Ji paused, his gaze sweeping over several shops along the street that were putting up signs that read "Closed Today".

He spoke in a calm tone, as if he were chatting about ordinary gossip in the streets and alleys.

"There's also a little folk rhyme that goes around, which lists the names of these thirteen people: beggar, butcher, top scholar, clerk, coachman, child, madman, big gun, pretty courtesan, blind doctor, old general, opera singer, drunkard."

"These thirteen bodyguards are all martial arts masters in Jiangcheng. It is rumored that they all have the strength of a master of internal energy. However, they are scattered in various industries and are no different from ordinary people on weekdays."

"A master of internal strength!" Bai Xiaonian gasped. "Isn't that countless times more powerful than the head instructor of the martial arts hall?!"

"Hehe, after all, there's a difference of several realms."

As the three of them talked, they arrived at the training ground in the center of the city.

In the center of the training ground stood a blue stone arena, over ten feet high and two feet wide.

At the four corners of the arena stood wooden pillars as thick as bowls, wrapped with bright red silk cloth.

Two spacious rest areas were set up on either side of the arena, with the left side filled with blond-haired, blue-eyed Westerners.

Some were wearing dark green military uniforms, while others were dressed in sharp suits.

At the front of the rest area, several tall and muscular guards stood with their arms exposed, their short-barreled Western rifles gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The rest area on the right was quite the opposite. Several rickshaws were haphazardly parked on the side, and a dozen or so rickshaw pullers with broad backs, wearing coarse cloth short jackets, sat crookedly on the chairs.

The area around the arena was packed with people.

The two-story restaurant on the street corner was packed with people.

The country gentry and businessmen, dressed in their finest brocade, were completely stripped of their airs by the crowd and squeezed into the throng to peer at the arena.

"The coachman! Grandpa Lin! He's the coachman from the Thirteen Protectors!"

Upon seeing the men dressed as rickshaw drivers in the rest area, Bai Xiaonian quickly made a mental connection and blurted it out.

Judging from his appearance and attire, he must be a coachman.

Lin Ji glanced at the coachmen, but his eyes were fixed on the side.

In the foreigners' rest area, a man over two meters tall suddenly stood out. His back was hunched and his muscles were clearly defined.

A glint flashed in Lin Ji's eyes, and in the next instant, he quickly glanced to the side, a sense of horror washing over him.

What is this?

In Lin Ji's eyes just now, the foreigner's body was crimson, his violent blood surging and churning without any martial arts discipline.

Before Lin Ji could fully process the shock in his heart, his ears twitched slightly, and his gaze pierced through the crowd, looking into the distance.

"Miss Liu?"

On the east side of the arena, on the riverside building with the best view.

Inside the private room, Liu Qingzhu was holding a celadon teacup, her fingertips tracing the rim of the cup.

A middle-aged man wearing a black robe embroidered with gold sat opposite the octagonal table.

The man's face was hidden in the shadows of the window, his fingertips tapping absently on the table:

"The foreigners came prepared this time, clearly intending to use this competition to solidify the ban on martial arts."

"Although Li Jinsi is strong, he might not be easy to beat."

Liu Qingzhu took a sip of tea, her gaze falling on the blond, blue-eyed foreigner in the rest area:

"Could it be that they have other methods?"

Seeing that the man remained noncommittal, Liu Qingzhu put down her teacup and pondered for a moment:

"Zhao Qiaosheng caused trouble at the consulate yesterday, killing the visiting ambassador and several high-ranking officials. Once you're targeted by Zhao Qiaosheng, it's like being put on the death list by the King of Hell; you won't even survive past midnight."

"The foreigners are using this as an excuse to make trouble. If the coachman really loses, the whole of Jiangcheng will be turned upside down. What are your plans?"

The man didn't answer, but looked up and shifted his gaze to the double windows on the second floor of the Wangjiang Tower across the street.

Lin Ji followed the man's gaze.

The director of the Jiangcheng Civil Affairs Bureau, dressed in a light gray Zhongshan suit, held a wine glass, his face full of obsequiousness, and bowed to the foreign officer in sharp military uniform in front of him:

"Colonel Zack, I'd like to offer you a toast."

"Once we win this competition, we'll have to rely on you to maintain order in Jiangcheng."

The foreigner, known as Zack, was a full head taller than the Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau. His crisp military uniform was adorned with numerous medals. Upon hearing this, a smile played on his lips, and he casually clinked glasses with someone.

"Your martial arts are nothing but empty showmanship. If you win the official competition a year from now, I will not only ban martial arts, but I will also demolish all your martial arts halls."

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. He paused, then continued, "And that thug who assassinated the delegation yesterday—he must be caught. Daring to oppose the British Empire, I'll make the whole of Jiangcheng know what the consequences are."

The director took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his face, and hurriedly nodded and bowed: "Yes, yes, I have already dispatched more people to search the whole city, and I will definitely give the colonel an explanation."

……

"clang!"

A gong sounded beside the arena, attracting everyone's attention.

The master of ceremonies, dressed in a grey cloth robe, cupped his hands in greeting and spoke in a loud voice:

"Fellow elders and fellow villagers! Today's competition between Chinese and Western martial arts is a way to make friends through martial arts, to exchange skills and prove ourselves, to share techniques, to eliminate barriers, and to serve as an opening demonstration for the official competition a year from now."

He paused, then raised his voice: "Next, please welcome the martial arts representative, the Thirteen Bodyguards! And the coachman! Li Jinsi!"

The words had barely left his lips.

Lin Ji looked towards the rest area on the right.

A strong, muscular man stood up in the rest area.

He was around forty years old, wearing a blue cloth short jacket, with the trousers rolled up to his knees, and white cloth shoes with black uppers.

When Li Jinsi stood there, he looked no different from any other rickshaw driver you could see on the street.

Li Jinsi walked steadily toward the ring.

With each step he took, the heavy ground seemed to tremble slightly.

"Boss Li? Boss Li from the car dealership in the west of the city?"

"I rode in his car a few days ago! I never imagined he was one of the Thirteen Bodyguards!"

The crowd erupted in chaos.

Shouts rose and fell.

Looking at the figures on the arena, Lin Ji couldn't help but sigh.

There are truly many hidden talents among ordinary people.

He had met this man a few times; he was a very famous person.

Running a car dealership and still pulling carts is truly a rare sight in this Jiangcheng.

"Gentlemen! You may not know this."

Seeing this, the Master of Ceremonies shouted loudly and pressed his advantage, saying:

"Ten years ago, bandits from Beishan occupied the official road and robbed eighteen carts of relief grain. Master Li single-handedly stormed up the mountain, crippled twenty-seven bandits with his fists and feet, and retrieved the grain."

These words were spoken.

The entire venue erupted in cheers.

"Well done!"

"Master Li, beat those Iraqi foreign devils to a pulp!"

"We've got this in the bag! We've got this today!"

Below the ring, the cheers were deafening.

Everyone's faces were filled with excitement, as if they could already see the outcome of victory.

Bai Yu'er clenched her hands in front of her chest and prayed softly, "We must win! If we win, Xiao Nian can continue practicing martial arts."

Bai Xiaonian clenched his fists and waved them wildly, shouting at the top of his lungs until his face was red: "Beat them! Beat them!"

Lin Ji stood in the crowd, his brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping over the throng and landing on the foreigners' rest area.

The blond, blue-eyed foreigners watched Li Jinsi, who was full of vigor on the stage, and occasionally whispered among themselves, their eyes and brows revealing undisguised wicked smiles.