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

Everyone turned their heads to look at the entrance of the martial arts hall.

At this moment, students throughout Jiangcheng were restless, marching through the streets and alleys in protest.

The military governor's office and the foreigners were trying every means to suppress the restless students.

The entire city of Jiangcheng was in complete chaos. Shops on the streets were closed, and vendors were staying indoors. Who had time to make a grand entrance at this critical juncture?

"Knock knock knock!"

"The Governor's Mansion is here to check on participants in the march. Please open the door immediately for inspection!"

A knock came from the vermilion door.

Everyone then realized what was happening and looked at Xiao Jinglan, who was standing in the center of the training ground.

Xiao Jinglan narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly, staring at the entrance of the martial arts hall, and said in a deep voice:

Go open the door.

Lin Ji nodded and slowly stepped forward.

"Squeak!"

The heavy vermilion doors of the martial arts hall were pulled open slowly by Lin Ji.

As soon as the door was opened a crack, a group of soldiers with short swords at their waists and muskets on their backs filed in with a "whoosh".

A squad of twenty soldiers stood on either side of the main gate of the martial arts hall, chests out and heads held high.

"This is a military-style event; all unauthorized personnel must stand back!"

After the soldier stood in position, three figures walked in from outside the martial arts hall.

One of them was wearing a dark gray military uniform with a solemn expression. Behind him was an adjutant, who was dragging behind a man dressed in tattered clothes, with a thin face and constantly shifting eyes.

The man in the lead entered the martial arts hall and nodded slightly in acknowledgment. His adjutant stepped forward and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"By order of the Military Governor's Office, a thorough investigation is underway into the students who participated in the march. To ensure that Wutang Junior High School truly did not participate, please provide a list of students. The Military Governor's Office will verify each one!"

"Oh? The Governor's Mansion has such great power now? Unauthorized trespassing at Wutang Junior High School and thoroughly investigating our students?"

Xiao Jinglan slowly walked out of the crowd and stood not far from the officer.

The officer's pupils contracted sharply when he saw Xiao Jinglan:

"Principal Xiao... what are you doing in the martial arts hall?"

The officer shrugged off his adjutant, smiled ingratiatingly, and hurried forward, bowing slightly as he extended his hand.

Xiao Jinglan glanced at the officer's outstretched hand, made no move in response, but instead raised his voice and asked:

"As the headmaster of the martial arts academy, where else should I be if not there? Or is my presence at the academy getting in your way?"

The officer quickly withdrew his hand, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face.

"This humble servant...this humble servant dares not."

"It's good that you dare not. Since that's the case, then let's go back. No one in Wutang Kingdom participated in the parade." After saying that, Xiao Jinglan withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

Looking at the officer's terrified expression from a distance, Lin Ji couldn't help but feel surprised.

This woman is just the headmaster of the martial arts hall.

It doesn't look like it!

"Principal Xiao... Principal Xiao! I have another matter to attend to, which is a routine matter. I would appreciate it if the Principal could grant me this favor." The officer looked troubled, and Xiao Jinglan took several steps before speaking with difficulty.

Xiao Jinglan stopped in his tracks, slowly turned around, and asked calmly, "What is it?"

The officer quickly bowed and saluted again, then hurriedly recounted the events:

"As you should know, the Zhang family warehouse was attacked last night, and the Westerners lost a large quantity of important goods. Under pressure, the military governor's office was ordered to investigate. You see..."

"How do we investigate?" Xiao Jinglan turned around again, her gaze already fixed on the laborer next to the adjutant.

The officer waved.

The adjutant behind him casually pulled the laborer to the officer's side.

"Principal Xiao, I brought the laborer who was on duty at the Zhang family's warehouse last night. He can come and identify him." The officer quickly explained with a forced smile, then added, "It's just a formality."

"Okay, investigate."

Xiao Jinglan waved his hand casually to indicate his agreement.

"Yes, sir." The officer readily agreed and quickly waved his hand.

The adjutant tugged at the laborer again, hissing under his breath:

"hurry up!"

Lin Ji, who was not far away, saw the appearance of the laborers and his eyelids lifted slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He recognized the laborer; he was the one who had been knocked unconscious by a karate chop last night.

The laborer opened his cloudy eyes and glanced at the center of the crowd. When his gaze passed over Lin Ji, his eyes opened slightly, and their eyes met.

Their eyes had barely met when the laborer, without pausing, turned his head to the side, then uttered a trembling voice:

"My lord, there was none."

"Since there was no such thing, please leave, everyone." Xiao Jinglan raised his hand to politely see the guests off.

however.

The officer's expression suddenly changed, his eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Principal Xiao... wait a moment."

"What else is there?" Xiao Jinglan's tone finally wavered, revealing a hint of impatience.

The officer reached behind him, and his adjutant handed him a piece of paper. The officer unfolded the paper with a rustling sound, revealing a portrait that was even more detailed than the newspaper illustrations.

His white hair flowed freely, and his eyes were sharp.

He bears a striking resemblance to Lin Ji.

Behind the officer, the adjutant kicked the laborer and shouted angrily:

"have no idea?"

"You think I can't see your little tricks?"

The officer unfolded the portrait and pointed to Lin Ji not far away:

"This person bears a striking resemblance to the person in the painting; he must be an accomplice of the rebels! Seize him!"

With a whoosh, the muskets of more than twenty soldiers present were pointed directly at Lin Ji.

Lin Ji raised an eyebrow.

Is it about to be exposed?

The body's vital energy and blood are surging and circulating rapidly, ready to unleash the Hidden Dragon Abyss and strike with deadly force at any moment.

Just as Lin Ji's qi and blood were about to reach their peak...

A valiant figure stood in front of Lin Ji, Gu Yanqiu remained calm and spoke in a composed manner:

"Uncle Lin is the gatekeeper of my martial arts hall. He is over a hundred years old this year. Although he is in good health, he usually just guards the gate and sweeps the floor. He rarely even leaves the courtyard of the martial arts hall. How could he be a member of the Tongmenghui rebels?"

"Although the military governor's office is acting on orders, it cannot arrest people arbitrarily based solely on a portrait."

"Hmph! You say it's not, so it's not? The Tongmenghui rebels in the portrait also have white hair. Besides, this old man looks full of energy and has a rosy complexion; he doesn't look like a centenarian."

The officer's face was contorted with rage, his tone fierce, and he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Take it down for me."

Xiao Jinglan took a step forward, his hidden strength and energy spreading out, causing the charging soldier to abruptly halt in his movements. He spoke indifferently:

"Let's see who dares!"

"Li Kun".

Xiao Jinglan addressed the officer by his full name, and those two words seemed to carry the sound of thunder, making everyone present's ears ring.

"My martial arts school has been open for so many years, and your warlord's mansion wants to arrest people without any real evidence? Are you disrespecting me, Xiao Jinglan, or do you not respect the entire martial arts world of Jiangcheng?"

Li Kun was stunned by Xiao Jinglan's shout, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly put away his fierce look:

"This humble servant... dares not!"

Xiao Jinglan glanced at Lin Ji out of the corner of her eye, and a guess was already forming in her mind:

"This old man might actually be someone extraordinary!"

From her angle, she could see the portrait clearly, and the eyes depicted in the portrait were almost identical to Lin Ji's.

"Go back and tell your Commander Zhou that the Martial Arts Academy hasn't reached that point yet, and it's not time for him to act recklessly."

Li Kun finally managed to squeeze out two words after a long pause:

"Yes, I've got it."

"Let's go!"

Li Kun slammed the drawing paper shut and left dejectedly with the soldiers.

At the back of the crowd, Zhang Shijie stared at Lin Ji's retreating figure, having witnessed the entire commotion, and cursed inwardly.

"That old man, he's definitely up to something!"