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

What a nuisance!

Looking at Zhao Qiaosheng's blood-stained, half-ripe face, Lin Ji cursed inwardly.

With his back hunched, Lin Ji looked troubled, displaying the fear of an ordinary citizen encountering a wanted criminal.

In a flash, Lin Ji figured out how to shut this trouble out and was about to speak.

In the distance, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance of Dog Tail Alley.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Lin Ji's gaze sharpened.

The sound of foreign military boots hitting the ground.

Foreigners have always been indiscriminate; if you were trapped inside a house, you would inevitably be shot dead as an accomplice.

Lin Ji frowned slightly and stepped aside to clear the doorway.

"Come in!"

Bai Xiaonian bent down and dragged Zhao Qiaosheng into the courtyard. As they passed Lin Ji, Zhao Qiaosheng said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you, old man."

Lin Ji leaned out of the door and looked around. At the alley entrance, the clattering of leather shoes grew louder.

As he turned back and prepared to close the wooden door, Lin Ji noticed a few drops of blood on the threshold, which were smeared in the dust.

Lin Ji wiped the bloodstains away with the sole of his shoe and then closed the wooden door.

A few breaths later, the foreigners marched through the alleyway in a procession, their leather shoes clattering on the ground with a loud thud, creating a terrifying scene.

Fortunately, they didn't linger, and the sound soon faded into the distance.

Zhao Qiaosheng, leaning against the simple, rough stone steps in front of the main room, touched the gunshot wound in his chest and raised his hand to clasp his hands in a deep fist salute:

"Old man, I will never forget your life-saving grace."

Lin Ji leaned against the courtyard gate, his face pale, his eyes feigning a sense of relief at surviving a disaster. He remained silent, glancing at Bai Xiaonian beside him.

Knowing he had almost harmed everyone, Bai Xiaonian lowered his head slightly and explained in a low voice:

"I saw him covered in blood on the street, hiding in a dead-end alley. So I went up and asked him a couple of questions."

"When he told me he was being chased by foreign gunmen, I led him back through a side road."

"He's a hero who killed foreigners, I can't let him die like this!"

It was the nature of youth, full of passion, unable to bear seeing heroes meet their end.

Lin Ji withdrew his gaze from Bai Xiaonian, his eyes filled with curiosity, and asked Zhao Qiaosheng:

"If I may ask, old man, are you really like what the wanted poster says? You stormed the embassy? You killed a high-ranking foreign official?"

"That's why Jiangcheng was in such a mess. The foreigners not only issued an arrest warrant for you, but also sent a foreign-armed squad to capture you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiaosheng's gaze fell upon the three people in the courtyard one by one, and after a long while, he finally spoke:

"My father-in-law saved my life twice..."

"...It's alright to tell you about this."

Zhao Qiaosheng was shot twice, and it is already remarkable that he was able to grit his teeth and hold on until now.

At this moment, he leaned against the corner of the wall, his breath shallow and his chest heaving. He had to pause for a moment after each sentence before he could barely continue speaking.

"The day before yesterday, the British Empire delegation visited... and coerced senior government officials to implement the ban on weapons by order of the Queen of England."

"Zhao... sneaked into the embassy late at night with the intention of assassinating Ambassador Smith and two accompanying high-ranking officials, thus undermining the ban on weapons."

Lin Ji nodded in a deep voice.

To risk one's life to break the ban on weapons—in this world, that makes one a true hero!

Recalling the wanted posters on the street and the foreign-armed squad that had just passed by, Lin Ji asked:

"It seems you succeeded."

"Yes. Otherwise, how could I have ended up like this?" Zhao Qiaosheng clutched his chest, where his clothes, which had been soaked with sweat, were now dry.

Lin Ji's gaze narrowed slightly.

This person is incredibly powerful!

Lin Ji asked again, "You're willing to risk your life, won't you regret it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiaosheng's eyes sharpened, and disregarding his injuries, he spoke with fervor:

"Martial arts...the art of martial arts is the very foundation of our Chinese nation, a legacy passed down from our ancestors."

"In my opinion... cough cough... the way of martial arts cannot be severed, nor should it be severed."

"The Qing Dynasty was weak for a century... If martial arts hadn't declined, how could the warships and cannons of the great powers have entered our Chinese land and forced us to sign those humiliating treaties?"

"Now that the Republic of China has just been established, the great powers... cough cough... surround us, pressing us step by step. The foreigners prohibit weapons, which is... which is to wear down our... the spirit of resistance and defiance of the Chinese people!"

"Ahem!"

At the height of his emotions, Zhao Qiaosheng aggravated his wound, covered his mouth to stifle a light cough, and then continued:

"Foreigners talk about trade and good relations, but in reality... in reality they are afraid of our martial arts. They know that as long as the spirit of martial arts continues, the land of China... cough cough... will have countless brave young men who will take up swords and clasp their fists to protect their homes and country."

"They are afraid! They are terrified! That's why they want to implement this ban on weapons."

After hearing Zhao Qiaosheng's words, Bai Xiaonian was filled with passion and his fists clenched tightly, faintly revealing the fierce power of the Chuishan Fist.

Bai Yu'er sat in front of the side room, not quite understanding what she was hearing, but she didn't want to experience the destruction of her country and the loss of her family again.

"Brother Zhao is right. I've lived for over a hundred years, seen the country shattered, experienced displacement, and witnessed the coldness and warmth of human nature. The current situation is precarious, and China is hanging by a thread. Someone should step forward and take responsibility."

Lin Ji's gaze darkened slightly. Despite being over a hundred years old, he felt a pang of guilt at Zhao Qiaosheng's words, and his tone paused slightly:

"But the coachman Li Jinsi suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the foreigners... I wonder how many heroes will be willing to sacrifice their lives for their country in the future."

"Li Jinsi... hiss... lost?" Zhao Qiaosheng raised an eyebrow, aggravating his injury and almost choking: "It's too late."

"Old man, when you fight those foreigners... are they all red-faced, have dull eyes, and possess boundless strength?"

Lin Ji looked up, curiosity in his eyes: "You know?"

Zhao Qiaosheng nodded solemnly:

"Cough cough... The night before last, I was looking for an opportunity to make a move in the embassy when I overheard the foreigners' war plans. They said that the foreigners would inject strange drugs into their weapons before going into battle."

"The specific effects... I didn't hear the whole thing, but it's something like forcibly stimulating physical strength and eliminating the sense of pain. However, the price is extremely high; those who use it will have their lifespan shortened and won't live long."

"but……"

Zhao Qiaosheng pondered for a moment, then glanced at Lin Ji:

"However... there is one more thing. I heard it carefully. The Thirteen Protectors... have a traitor who sold the coachman's martial arts moves to the foreigners."

"There's more to this than that?" Bai Xiaonian jumped up and down in excitement, his face flushed with anger.

But Bai Yu'er grabbed him, saying, "Why are you getting so worked up? You haven't even stepped into the realm of skin refining yet, how can you get involved in this?"

Bai Yu'er's two sentences made Bai Xiaonian feel ashamed, his eyes darting back and forth on the ground, too embarrassed to speak.

Lin Ji ignored the two siblings and continued to ask:

"Is there anything else?"

"And... cough cough... Jiangcheng is divided into factions with deep roots, and foreigners can't get the slightest benefit in the flow of money and business of docks, trading companies, and security escort agencies."

"Now that the coachman has been defeated, and I have already assassinated him... the foreigners, who were already eyeing the gang with predatory intent, will next target the gang!"

……

The second floor of Jufulou.

"Boss!"

The door to the gang leader's room was hurriedly opened, and Zhou Hu leaned in, his eyes filled with anxiety.

On the armchair, Shen Jinluan, dressed in a bright red brocade cheongsam with a high slit, had her beautiful legs crossed without any attempt to conceal them, and was holding a newspaper in her hand.

"What's the panic?"

Shen Jinluan closed the newspaper and casually placed it on the table, revealing Li Jinsi's bloodied and mangled face.

Zhou Hu's eyes narrowed, his gaze sweeping across the newspaper before settling on Shen Jinluan:

"The Fengxi Gang attacked our properties in the south and west of the city last night, and many of our brothers were seriously injured. Should I take some men now and get revenge?"

"Oh?" Shen Jinluan leaned back, bringing the pipe in her hand to her lips.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Hu immediately lit a match and set it on fire.

"The Fengxi Gang? Interesting. They dare to touch our property now? I remember their leader was nothing more than a bone-refining idiot, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Zhou Hu replied in a deep voice, though sweat broke out at his temples and trickled down his cheeks.

Seeing this, Shen Jinluan asked casually, "What made you so flustered?"

"They have guns! Automatic!"

Shen Jinluan's peach blossom eyes narrowed instantly, and her red lips, which were sucking on the cigarette, stopped.

"They also said that the Sea Dragon Gang must surrender within half a month, or else... or they'll wipe them out!"