Chinese martial arts: From being shot and killed by the armed police during a mountain search to bec

The next day, just as dawn broke.

Vegetable vendors from the old town came out carrying their loads, and when they looked up, they saw that half the street was crowded with people heading there.

He followed the terrified eyes and saw a human head hanging high beneath the wooden archway of the Three Archways.

The head was grotesque, with short hair and a short beard, and an old scar under the chin.

Blood flowed down the wooden pillars of the archway, accumulating into a small pool of dark red on the stone pavement.

A white cloth was still hanging below his head, on which eight large characters were written in thick blood:

"Colluding with the Japanese invaders deserves to die."

Someone with sharp eyes exclaimed, "Director Xu! It's Xu Guoliang! The Director of the Songhu Police Department!"

The crowd erupted in chaos, their faces showing shock, and the scene immediately became a commotion.

The Chief of the Songhu Police Department, the highest-ranking police officer in the Chinese-controlled area, commands over 7,000 police officers. It is the largest armed force in the Chinese-controlled area of ​​Shanghai, and he has the final say on arrests, shop closures, and maintaining public order. He wields immense power.

It's horrifying that such an important person would have his head cut off and displayed in the middle of the city.

"Who did it?"

"This is absolutely outrageous! They even dared to kill the police chief. And the methods they used were truly terrifying. I bet the police department hasn't even reacted yet, otherwise we wouldn't be witnessing this."

This man was caught in the middle of the military and political situation in Shanghai, and nominally he was still under the command of the Beiyang Army Protector of Shanghai.

Killing Xu Guoliang would be like stirring up a hornet's nest for the Beiyang Army!

"Could it be Chen Hongwu who did it? Yesterday, it seems the police department sent people and Japanese to the Jingwu Association to demand the person back, and it appears the meeting ended on bad terms."

"That's quite possible. A conflict just happened yesterday, and he's gone today. That's fast...tsk tsk tsk!"

Many people have heard about the standoff in front of the Jingwu Association yesterday.

The Japanese, accompanied by officers from the National Police Agency, went to force the Jingwu Association to hand over its members.

Just one night later, Xu Guoliang's head was hanging in the bustling city.

They would never believe it if you said it had nothing to do with Chen Hongwu.

Looking at Shanghai today, only Chen Hongwu, who is hailed by major newspapers as "the world's number one assassin," has the strength and courage to do so.

Many people couldn't help but click their tongues in disapproval. Having just offended the Japanese, he was now provoking the Beiyang government. It seemed that everything was done according to his own will.

That courage alone is enough to earn him the title of "Number One in the World".

"Make way! Make way, everyone!"

"You want to get beaten up, huh? Standing here blocking the way?"

Several police officers squeezed over, looked up and saw the human head, their faces turned pale, and for a long time none of them dared to step forward to remove it.

The news seemed to have grown wings and traveled away on the wind.

Longhua, the Military Governor's Office of Songhu.

Lu Yongxiang was having breakfast. He was in his fifties, tall, with a long face that was slightly red, thick eyebrows like brooms, and a steady gaze.

After all, he was a powerful figure spanning both the military and political spheres, and he rarely showed his emotions on his face. But on this day, after his adjutant came in and whispered a few words in his ear, his hand holding the chopsticks paused for a moment, and then the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

"Is he really dead?" Lu Yongxiang asked again.

"Dead," the adjutant whispered. "He's hanging over at Sanpailou, his blood has congealed. The whole street is filled with the sounds of Japanese cursing, but nobody dares to go near him."

Lu Yongxiang put down his chopsticks, slowly hummed in agreement, and leaned back in his chair.

He picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and said slowly, "Serves him right for being unlucky. He has no sense of propriety and is always trying to curry favor with the Japanese."

A short while later, Lu Xiaojia strode in from outside.

He was in his early twenties, dressed in a suit and tie, with a half-smoked Luzon cigarette dangling from his mouth.

His eyes lit up, and he plopped down opposite him: "Old man, Xu Guoliang is dead? I heard it was Chen Hongwu who did it? This is damn interesting, more exciting than a play!"

"Sit down and watch your words," Lu Yongxiang said, though no anger was visible on his face.

His son was always arrogant and domineering, relying on his father's power to run rampant in Shanghai.

But this time, he also felt a sense of satisfaction. Xu Guoliang and his Lu family had never gotten along.

Xu Guoliang, courtesy name Zizheng, was a native of Danyang, Jiangsu. In his early years, he joined the Zhili clique under Qi Xieyuan and gained his deep trust.

When Qi Xieyuan became the military governor of Jiangsu, Xu Guoliang used his influence to take control of the Songhu Police Department and became its director.

He commanded thousands of armed police officers and wielded immense power in Shanghai.

Lu Yongxiang, a general of the Anhui clique, was stationed in Hangzhou as the military governor of Zhejiang. In 1919, he also served as the military governor of Songhu. He had long coveted Shanghai.

But in Shanghai, the only person who could truly restrain him was Xu Guoliang.

Xu Guoliang, who held the reins of the police department, outwardly advocated for maintaining public order, but in reality, he was a thorn in Qi Xieyuan's side in Shanghai.

In Shanghai, Lu Yongxiang was constantly restrained by him and could not act freely.

What's even more infuriating is that Xu Guoliang has never taken Lu Yongxiang seriously.

He relied on the support of the Jiangsu Zhili clique and repeatedly engaged in open and covert struggles with Lu Yongxiang.

Lu Xiaojia once toasted Xu Guoliang at a banquet, but Xu merely raised his glass without even standing up. Lu Xiaojia never forgot this.

Now that Xu Guoliang is dead, and his death was so tragic, it suits Lu Xiaojia's wishes perfectly.

"With Xu Guoliang killed, the police department will be leaderless," Lu Yongxiang said slowly, his gaze fixed on the window. "Qi Xieyuan is far away in Nanjing, beyond our reach. This whole game in Shanghai can finally get back on track."

"Old man, this is perfect timing, our people can fill in," Lu Xiaojia said, leaning closer. "Many of Xu Guoliang's men have long disliked him. With a little effort, we'll have the police department under our control."

"By then, won't the Japanese in Shanghai and the foreigners in the concessions all beg our Lu family for help?"

Lu Yongxiang waved his hand: "Don't rush to shout. Someone just died, and things are tense right now. We need to stay calm at this crucial moment."

He paused, a shrewd smile appearing on his face: "However, this Chen Hongwu is indeed a remarkable figure. He's only been in Shanghai for a few days, yet he single-handedly dealt with Huang Jinrong, Rong Shan, the Black Dragon Society, and Xu Guoliang—all seemingly impenetrable fortresses."

Lu Xiaojia's eyes lit up: "Old man, should I send someone to find him? If such a ruthless person is willing to work for us, then why should we be afraid of Qi Xieyuan?"

Lu Yongxiang hesitated for a moment before giving his answer.

After a long silence, he nodded slightly:

"Let's wait until this storm passes. It wouldn't be good to get close now. If he's willing, he'll show up; if he's not, no one will find him."

"This man is no ordinary warrior; our temple may not be able to accommodate him."

"Also, tell your subordinates to be more courteous to the Jingwu Association lately. Also, find an opportunity to promote Zhou Zhengren, the deputy director of the police department. Say he's acting director; he's obedient and can be put to use."

Lu Xiaojia smiled and agreed.

After this battle, the men and women of Shanghai were like frightened birds.

No one dared to go to the Jingwu Association to demand their people back, and the few Japanese spies left on the street corner quietly withdrew before dawn.

Even the Japanese Consul General in Shanghai quietly withdrew his official letter to the Municipal Council. The Japanese trading company employees who had previously been the most vocal in their complaints all hid in the concession, fearing they would become the next corpses hanging under the archway.

As for the "reward of 100,000 silver dollars," no one mentioned it again.

Just kidding, who can catch this guy now?

However, the Japanese did not give up. They were secretly communicating with their home country and preparing to bring in experts to deal with Chen Hongwu.