Republic of China era: Actor? Please call me Martial Arts Master!

Chapter 63 There are only wrong names, not wrong nicknames.

The inner hall of the Simin Martial Arts Club.

Once inside the courtyard, it was truly peaceful compared to the training ground outside.

A few stalks of green bamboo, a pot of clear tea, and several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, all containing phrases like "cultivating oneself through tranquility" and "abundant martial virtue."

President Liu, holding Lu Cheng's arm, strode across the threshold, his excitement still lingering, and he kept praising.

"Brother Lu, that 'Collapse' technique you used just now was truly masterful. It not only broke Zi Ping's spinning force but also left some room for maneuver. Only you could have done that; anyone else would have shattered that kid's wrist long ago!"

Lu Cheng smiled slightly and exchanged a few polite words.

Li Sanye followed behind with a big smile on his face.

Huo Ziping, the senior disciple who had been so arrogant just moments before, now followed at the back like a defeated rooster, head down and still reeling from the blow.

As soon as the group entered the room, they saw an old man already sitting in the armchair.

The old man was wearing a dark purple silk jacket with a front opening. His hair and beard were all white, and he was holding two old walnuts that had been polished to a shiny luster by the years.

Hearing the noise at the door, he raised his eyelids, his eyes shining like an eagle's, exuding a fierce aura that commanded respect without anger.

This man was none other than Hou Zhenshan, a renowned figure in the "Tongbei Quan" style of martial arts in Beiping and an elder of the martial arts alliance. He was also known as "Hou the Quick-Handed."

"Oh, Mr. Hou, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!"

Upon seeing the old man, President Liu quickly released Lu Cheng's hand and stepped forward to apologize.

"Something interesting happened at the training ground just now, which delayed me for a while."

"It's alright."

The walnuts in Old Master Hou's hand made a "crackling" sound. His gaze passed over President Liu and landed directly on Lu Cheng, who was wearing a moon-white long robe.

young.

too young.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with clean, white hands, not a single callus in sight. He didn't look like a martial arts expert at all; he looked more like a young master who listened to music and walked his bird outside the front gate.

"Is this the Lu Cheng you mentioned before, Wen Hua?"

Old Master Hou's words were tinged with politeness but also with suspicion.

After all, the story of "dodging bullets" is so exaggerated that anyone would have doubts if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

"Exactly!"

President Liu stepped aside to introduce them, his tone full of admiration.

"Brother Lu, this is the grandmaster of the martial arts world in Beiping, Master Hou Zhenshan. Master Hou, this is the same Master Lu Cheng who recently disarmed the charioteer with a single spear thrust at Guanghe Tower and caught a bullet with his bare hands!"

Lu Cheng was not intimidated. He stepped forward and respectfully clasped his hands in a junior's greeting.

"Junior Lu Cheng greets Elder Hou."

"Um."

Grandpa Hou gave a nonchalant reply and pointed to the chair next to him.

"Please sit down."

After everyone was seated and tea was served, the atmosphere inside the room did not become more relaxed because of the liveliness outside. Instead, it quickly became heavy, like the low pressure before a thunderstorm.

President Liu's smile faded, he picked up his teacup, sighed, and looked at Lu Cheng.

"Brother Lu, to be honest, Elder Hou came here today specifically because he has a very important and thorny matter he wants to discuss with us."

"Oh?" Lu Cheng put down his teacup. "I'd like to hear more."

"Those outside the Great Wall are really serious this time."

Old Master Hou picked up the conversation, leaning forward slightly, his menacing aura pressing in.

"That kid named Nalan Yuanshu has already crossed Shanhaiguan and is heading straight for Beiping."

"He is a ruthless character among the top ten of the 'Hidden Dragon List'."

What is the "Hidden Dragon List"?

Seeing that Lu Cheng seemed somewhat puzzled, Old Master Hou explained:

"That's the 'life-or-death contract' of the martial arts world during the Republic of China era! Those on this list are all geniuses under the age of thirty, the most treasured talents of each school and sect. It's a ranking built on the blood of countless people."

"Nalan Yuanshu practiced Bajiquan, which is a powerful style characterized by 'shaking the shoulders to knock down the sky and stomping the feet to shake the nine provinces.'"

"In Tianjin, he challenged three martial arts schools in a row. His Bajiquan move, 'Fierce Tiger Climbing the Mountain,' shattered their skulls with a single palm strike!"

"Now, he's heading straight for Beiping."

At this point, the atmosphere in the room became even heavier.

President Liu looked at Lu Cheng with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Brother Lu, although the martial arts world of Beiping has a deep foundation, it has been facing a shortage of promising young talents in recent years."

"Although Ziping is quite talented, as you just saw, he's still a bit green compared to those ruthless characters who crawl out of piles of corpses."

"If we old bones were to take action, it would be bullying the weak. If we win, we won't show our faces, but if we lose... we'll have nowhere to put our old faces."

"so……"

President Liu paused for a moment, then said solemnly:

"We'd like to ask Brother Lu to lend a hand to the martial arts world of Beiping at a crucial moment!"

This is a weighty responsibility.

It's also a huge problem.

Lu Cheng picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

The tea is good; it's pre-Qingming Longjing tea with a hint of bean aroma.

"President Liu."

He put down his teacup, but instead of accepting the challenge, he shook his head and smiled, a hint of self-deprecation on his face.

"You two are too kind. I'm just an opera singer, making a living by putting on makeup. What 'Hidden Dragon List'? That's a title that great heroes fight for, it has nothing to do with someone like me who's from the lowest class."

"He sings his martial arts opera, I hum my Erhuang tune. As long as we keep to ourselves, I won't do anything."

"but……"

Lu Cheng changed the subject, gently blowing on the tea leaves floating in his cup, his tone indifferent.

"If this play goes too far and they tear down all the stages in Beijing, leaving me nowhere to stand..."

He raised his eyelids, his eyes clear and bright, revealing no trace of murderous intent.

"Then I can only be an unruly bystander and go up to... and ask him to come down."

These words were spoken in a calm tone, but the confidence behind them made Old Master Hou's eyelids twitch.

What an arrogant tone!

That's the heir of the Nalan family, a successor of Bajiquan!

"good!"

President Liu slapped his thigh, however, because what he valued most about Lu Cheng was his "master" arrogance.

"With Brother Lu's words, I can rest assured."

"By the way, Director Li just said you wanted to borrow my... painting?"

When the topic turned to business, Lu Cheng's expression became more serious.

"Exactly."

"Lu has reached a bottleneck in his cultivation. Although his internal energy is abundant, he lacks a 'spirit' to govern it."

"I heard that President Liu has a painting called 'White Tiger Carrying a Corpse,' which is the final work of a grandmaster. I have come here specifically to request a view of it."

As soon as Lu Cheng finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became a little strange.

President Liu's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air. His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

Grandpa Hou, standing nearby, immediately stopped playing with the walnuts he was carrying, his eagle eyes fixed on Lu Cheng as if trying to see something out of his face.

"Um... Brother Lu."

President Liu put down his teacup, his tone somewhat hesitant.

"You just said... that you have abundant internal energy, but lack a 'god' to govern it?"

"That's right." Lu Cheng nodded.

"This isn't right."

President Liu gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"Brother Lu, are you making fun of me?"

"Just now outside, the force you used to knock Ziping's steel spear away with that stick was truly the peak of Ming Jin, and it even had the penetrating power of An Jin."

"We practitioners of internal martial arts emphasize the 'three internal harmonies'."

"The mind and intention are in harmony, the intention and the spirit are in harmony, and the spirit and strength are in harmony."

"This 'intention' is a skill that should be cultivated even before developing internal strength! Without the guidance of 'intention,' how can 'qi' flow? How can 'power' be generated?"

Grandpa Hou chimed in from the side, his tone serious.

"Yes, young man."

"Whether it's Xingyi, Bagua, or Taiji, you always train your mind first, then your strength."

"Where the mind goes, the energy follows; where the energy goes, the strength follows."

"Now that you have mastered such a refined and domineering internal force, it means that your 'intention' should have been perfected long ago."

"How could it be the other way around, saying that you have strength but have lost your will?"

"Isn't this putting the cart before the horse, like looking for something else while already having one?"

Both of these masters were completely baffled at this moment.

In their understanding of martial arts, Lu Cheng was like someone who had already built a towering skyscraper, but suddenly came over and said that he hadn't laid the foundation.

This doesn't make sense!

Unless... this kid is hiding his true abilities, or is toying with them?