20demayo Chapter 91 The weasel pays New Year's greetings to the chicken, but the plaque is too hot to ha
Chapter 91 The weasel pays New Year's greetings to the chicken, but the plaque is too hot to ha
Chapter 92 The weasel pays New Year's greetings to the chicken, but the plaque is too hot to handle! (3k)
The next morning.
The fog on Qianmen Street had not yet dissipated, the breakfast stalls had just set up their tents, and the oil pans for frying the fried dough rings were just starting to smoke.
Last night, the delivery of the coffin in Daying, Fengtai was a matter of great importance. Although the common people heard rumors about it, no one dared to gossip about it on the street.
Everyone thought that machine guns might be set up in front of the Lu residence today, and that it would be a bloodbath.
Even the surrounding shops put up boards, for fear of getting splattered with blood.
The gates of the Lu residence were tightly shut.
Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, hid behind the crack in the door, clutching a whistle stick in his hand, his calves twitching.
In the courtyard, Lu Feng and several of his junior brothers stood ready, their swords and spears drawn, awaiting battle.
Shunzi even tucked the gleaming single-edged sword he had polished the night before into his waistband, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.
Only Lu Cheng.
He sat in a grand chair in the main hall, holding a covered teacup in his hand, gently skimming off the foam.
His moon-white robe was spotless, and his expression was as calm as if he were waiting for an insignificant rain.
"Master, do you think Commander Zhang might really bring cannons?" Little Bean asked from the side, his voice trembling slightly.
Lu Cheng blew out a puff of tea, and said calmly, "A barking dog doesn't bite. If we were really going to resort to force, we should have done it last night."
Before he could finish speaking...
"Thump! Thump! Thump—choke!"
Suddenly, a deafening sound of gongs and drums came from outside, followed by the suona playing "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," which was so festive that it sounded like a wedding.
"this----"
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.
This isn't shouting for battle; it's joy.
"Open the door." Lu Cheng put down his teacup, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
The door creaked open.
The scene outside the door left everyone dumbfounded.
Instead of soldiers carrying guns, a red-clad honor guard appeared on the street.
Leading the procession were two emcees dressed in long gowns, holding large red silk umbrellas that were only used on the Emperor's birthday.
Behind them, eight strong men carried a huge plaque covered with red silk.
The plaque was three meters long, made of golden nanmu wood, and felt heavy in the hand.
The adjutant Wang, who had been threatening Lu Cheng with a murderous look just a few days ago, has changed his tune today.
His face was full of smiles, as wide as the Maitreya Buddha's, and he bowed deeply from afar, his waist bent lower than a shrimp.
"Oh my, Master Lu, great joy, great joy!"
Lieutenant Wang rushed up the steps, ignoring the gleaming knife in Lu Feng's hand, and bowed deeply to Lu Cheng.
"What the heck is this?" Zhou Daikui popped out from behind, looking completely bewildered.
"Master Zhou, Grandmaster Lu!"
Lieutenant Wang straightened up, cleared his throat, and spoke in a loud voice that seemed to be heard throughout half of Beiping.
"What happened yesterday was a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding."
"Our division commander has investigated and found out that those two bastards from the Black Wolf Gang acted on their own and dared to offend Master Lu's might. They deserve to die."
"Master Lu cleaned up our mess, and our teacher was extremely grateful."
"This is to express our apology and to commend Master Lu's unparalleled martial arts skills."
Lieutenant Wang waved his hand.
"Open it."
With a "whoosh," the red silk fell to the ground.
The golden light was dazzling.
The plaque made of Phoebe zhennan wood bears four large gilded characters, written with vigorous strokes and even outlined with paint, which gleam in the morning light.
The Light of Chinese Martial Arts!
The inscription was clearly written by Zhang, Commander of the Third Mixed Brigade of the National Revolutionary Army.
"hiss"
The neighbors who were watching the spectacle all gasped in surprise.
This title is too big!
During the Republican era, there were countless martial arts schools. Those that displayed "Martial Spirit" were considered quite good, let alone those that displayed "Grandmaster."
That's just him bragging.
But this "glory of Chinese martial arts" is an official stamp, which puts Lu Cheng in a very difficult position!
"This is—praise to death."
Ah Bing stood under the eaves, holding his erhu. Although he couldn't see, he knew everything perfectly well, and he snorted coldly.
Lieutenant Wang looked at Lu Cheng with a smile, but his eyes held a hidden glint.
"Master Lu, this was personally inscribed by our master overnight. He said you are the backbone of the martial arts world in Beiping and the face of Chinese martial arts."
"You must hang this plaque high up so that all the people of the city can admire it!"
That's a vicious move.
If you don't accept, that's disrespecting the military and showing a lack of appreciation.
If you accept the offer, it means you're admitting you're the "shining light of Chinese martial arts."
From now on, in this city of Beiping, whoever wants to become famous, whoever wants to climb to the top by stepping on others, will be looking for you, Lu Cheng, first.
This is to make you a target, so that all the martial artists in the world can beat you!
Moreover, he killed someone last night and sent a plaque today.
This shrewd maneuver completely erased the bloodshed of last night, turning it into a mere misunderstanding.
If Lu Cheng were to shout for war again at this point, it would make him seem petty and unreasonable.
"Good tactic."
Lu Cheng looked at the plaque and smiled.
His smile, like a spring breeze, sent a chill down the spine of Lieutenant Wang.
Lu Cheng slowly walked down the steps and extended a hand.
That hand was long and slender, fair and clean, and didn't look very strong.
He gently patted the heavy golden nanmu plaque.
"Thump."
A dull thud.
"Since Commander Zhang is so kind, I'll accept this plaque."
Lu Cheng turned around and said calmly.
"Shunzi" (a type of Chinese character)
"exist!"
"Hang it up."
"It's hanging on the beam of the main hall. But—"
Lu Cheng paused, his gaze sweeping over the smug face of Lieutenant Wang.
"Don't hang it too upright."
"Just a little bit off-center."
"what?"
Lieutenant Wang was taken aback. "Master Lu, this is an imperial gift—no, this is the commander's calligraphy! How can it be dignified if it's hung crooked?"
A cold sneer appeared on Lu Cheng's lips.
"If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will also be crooked."
"Since this plaque was written by Commander Zhang, we must follow Commander Zhang's wishes."
"Hanging it a little crooked makes it look authentic."
"puff-
—
Someone in the surrounding crowd couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Immediately following was a burst of laughter.
This is how you insult someone without using dirty words.
So what if you're a powerful warlord? If your heart is crooked, your plaque will have to be hung crookedly!
Wang's face instantly turned a deep liver color, a mixture of anger and frustration, yet he couldn't vent it.
They accepted the plaque and gave us face, but the way they hung it was a bit "refined," so what can you do about it?
"Well done—well done, Master Lu."
Lieutenant Wang gritted his teeth and gave a forced, insincere bow.
"Now that the plaque has been delivered, there's one more thing I need to inform you about."
See the picture poorly.
This is the real topic.
Lieutenant Wang pulled a newspaper from his pocket; it was the Shuntian Times, freshly printed that morning, the ink still smelling of it.
He shook the newspaper and raised his voice a few decibels.
"Given that Grandmaster Lu is a shining example of Chinese martial arts," our Commander Zhang, in order to promote this national treasure, specially joined forces with the Japanese Consulate and renowned figures in the Beijing martial arts community.
"The first Sino-Japanese Martial Arts and Opera Exchange Conference is scheduled to be held at the Tianqiao Theater in three days."
"At that time, there will be judo and karate masters from Japan, as well as heroes from all walks of life in China, competing on the same stage and making friends through martial arts."
"Commander Zhang said that since Master Lu is worthy of this plaque, then the grand finale of this conference is none other than you."
"If you don't go—"
Lieutenant Wang sneered and pointed to the plaque.
"Then the words 'the glory of Chinese martial arts' will likely become 'a cowardly shell'."
"At that time, not only will your reputation be ruined, but the Qingyun Troupe will probably also be too ashamed to stay in Beiping City, right?"
This is Yang Conspiracy.
They hoisted you up high, then removed the ladder, leaving the space underneath filled with sharp knives.
Going there would mean fighting the Japanese to the death, with no certainty of life or death.
If I don't go, I will be disgraced and despised by the people.
The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.
All eyes were on Lu Cheng.
"A China-Japan exchange conference?"
Lu Cheng took the newspaper, glanced at the eye-catching headline on the front page, and a golden glint flashed in his eyes.
He could smell a strong stench of blood between the lines.
What kind of exchange conference is this?
This was a trap set for him by these warlords and the Japanese—a banquet of treachery!
The winds of Beiping (Beijing) can change in an instant.
Just two days ago, there were rumors about how incredibly brave Lu Cheng was, how he killed the chariot with his spear.
The winds have completely changed in the last couple of days.
In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, even the rickshaw pullers were all talking about the upcoming "Sino-Japanese martial arts competition".
It was all over the newspapers.
"The Sick Man of East Asia? Japanese Samurai Boasts of Sweeping Away the Martial Arts World of Beiping!"
Who is the backbone of China? Commander Zhang strongly recommends Lu Cheng for the battle!
The Black Dragon Society's Top Master: Chinese Kung Fu - All Show and No Action!
These headlines, each like a poisonous hook, ignited a fire in people's hearts and left Lu Cheng in a difficult predicament.
Juxian Teahouse on Qianmen Street.
The teahouse was packed with people today. The storyteller struck his gavel and began to talk not about the Three Kingdoms, but about the current political situation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, those Japanese ronin are incredibly arrogant."
"They set up a fighting ring on the overpass and injured seven or eight of our heroes. That guy, what was his name—Kame-da—even broke Master Liu's leg with a single kick."
"Those bastards!"
Someone below cursed, smashing a teacup with a loud crash, "Is there no one left in Beiping?"
"There's someone there!"
The storyteller pointed with his folding fan toward Qianmen Street.
"Don't we still have a national martial arts master here? That Grandmaster Lu Cheng, he's a god who can dodge bullets. If he just shows up, won't those little devils be so scared they'll wet their pants?"
"But—I heard that Master Lu hasn't agreed yet?"
"He didn't agree? That's because the time isn't right yet. Master Lu is a highly accomplished person; he has to maintain his dignity. But I reckon that for the sake of our Chinese pride, he'll definitely have to go."
This is called creating public opinion momentum.
Commander Zhang's move was even more ruthless than directly sending troops to encircle and suppress them.
He exploited the people's simple patriotism, forcibly binding Lu Cheng to the war machine.
If you win, that's to be expected, after all, you are the "shining light of Chinese martial arts".
If you lose, or don't go, then you are a traitor to the nation, a collaborator, and a coward.
The Lu residence, study.
Lu Cheng sat at his desk, which was piled with petitions of all colors, including some stained with blood.
Those were radical students, and also the families of martial arts instructors who had been injured by the Japanese.
"Master."
Shunzi pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup, his face looking rather unpleasant.
"Outside—another group of people has arrived."
"This time they are students from Yenching University, as well as several disciples of martial arts masters who were crippled."
"They—they knelt down at the door."
"They said if you didn't agree to fight, they would kneel to death at the door."
"1
Lu Cheng paused for a moment, and a drop of ink fell onto the rice paper, spreading out like a black blood flower.
"You knelt down?"
"1