Chapter 61: Movie World

Nalan Yuanshu seemed to know what the three of Yin Qi were thinking, and smiled lightly: "You need not worry. In fact, this official is also a Reformist and supports the reform."

"I greatly admire the Vernacular Movement you are promoting."

"Nowadays, the foreigners are invading on a large scale. If our Qing Dynasty does not strive to become strong, I fear the country will cease to be a country."

"Only by enlightening the people, having the Imperial Court and the people work together, and gaining the support of the commoners can our Qing Dynasty rise again and drive all the foreigners out."

Speaking to this point, he paused and said: "I have read every issue of your People's Newspaper. I like the articles you write very much, and I also greatly admire your spirit of worrying about the country and the people. Therefore, coming to Shanyin this time, I specifically came to see you three heroes of the People's Newspaper."

"My Lord, you flatter us; this is all what we should do."

Yin Qi and the others said hurriedly.

While they breathed a sigh of relief, they were also filled with lingering fear.

Fortunately, their newspaper had not shown any anti-Qing sentiment so far; otherwise, with such an Admiral watching them, any slight move they made would likely have brought about a catastrophe.

Nalan Yuanshu smiled and said: "Besides coming to see your Newspaper Office this time, I also have some matters I wish to ask you about. Yin Qi, let us find a place to talk."

Although Yin Qi felt a secret tightening in his chest, he still nodded and said: "My Lord, there is a meeting room on the second floor."

Tao Chengzhang and Lu Xun were secretly worried, but they could only watch.

……

The second floor.

Nalan Yuanshu's expression was stern as he said: "I have come here to understand the situation regarding Jason and Davis, or rather, the grievances between you."

Facing Nalan Yuanshu, Yin Qi did not hide anything, nor could he, because the other party could investigate it anyway.

He said in a deep voice: "Since you ask, My Lord, I dare not hide it. My Yin Family has a deep, sea-like hatred for them, even to the point of death, but I did not expect them to be killed at the Prefecture Office. The sequence of events must start from when my eldest brother met Jason in Hangzhou..."

Next, he recounted how Jason and Davis had colluded to set a trap, killed Yin Xuan, and intended to swallow up the Yin Family.

Finally, he said: "If I had not borrowed 500,000 Silver Dollars from the Zhang Family Money Shop on short notice, I fear all of my Yin Family's assets would have already become theirs."

Nalan Yuanshu nodded slowly and said: "Do you want to kill them?"

"Of course!"

Yin Qi did not deny it, and said with anger: "They killed my eldest brother and plotted to take my Yin Family's property; they, the foreigners, have bullied us too much. If I did not want to avenge such a grudge, then I, Yin Qi, would be unworthy of being a man."

Nalan Yuanshu suddenly changed the subject: "How long have you been practicing martial arts? Looking at you, you should have stepped into the Dark Energy stage."

Yin Qi was slightly startled; this Admiral had such a viciously sharp eye.

He nodded and said: "I have been practicing martial arts for nearly two months, and I only broke through to Dark Energy two days ago."

A look of surprise flashed in Nalan Yuanshu's eyes: "To have cultivated to Dark Energy in two months, your talent for martial arts is truly rare in this world. When I cultivated to Dark Energy back then, I practiced bitterly for five years."

"May I ask what your cultivation level is now, My Lord?"

Yin Qi was shocked.

This Admiral looked to be only in his twenties, and he had originally thought the other party had become an Admiral based on his background.

He had not expected the other party to be an expert above the Dark Energy stage.

Practicing bitterly for five years, that is not considered long.

If the other party started practicing at ten, wouldn't he have been at Dark Energy by fifteen?

Nalan Yuanshu said with some pride: "Last year, I was fortunate enough to cultivate to Transformation Energy."

"My Lord is formidable!"

Yin Qi praised, thinking to himself that it was as expected.

A Transformation Energy Grandmaster in his twenties—I fear one could not find many in the whole country.

Nalan Yuanshu waved his hand, wearing a reserved smile, and turned to say: "What kind of fist technique do you practice?"

"Baji Fist!"

"Oh, have you practiced the Liuhe Saber?"

"I have, I have just begun to grasp the basics!"

Yin Qi answered truthfully.

He knew Nalan Yuanshu was suspicious of him.

However, fortunately, he had used the Imperial Pole Saber Technique when he killed them earlier.

Although both are saber techniques, the wounds left behind after killing with different saber techniques are actually different.

Nalan Yuanshu asked: "Have you practiced any other saber techniques?"

Yin Qi shook his head and said: "My Lord, my time learning martial arts is ultimately short. Most of my time is spent practicing Stance Technique, followed by fist techniques; weapons like the Liuhe Saber, Liuhe Spear, Moon Glow Sword, and Mountain-Shaking Staff are secondary."

His implication was that although his talent was high, his main time was still spent on training.

Being able to learn one saber technique was already quite good; how could he have gone to learn others?

Nalan Yuanshu nodded; he was only suspicious of Yin Qi because he had examined the wounds on the corpses, and those saber wounds were definitely not formed by the Liuhe Saber.

As a Transformation Energy Grandmaster and a prominent figure of the Manchu Qing, he was proficient in all schools of fist and weapon techniques.

Those wounds were definitely left by an extremely overbearing saber technique, and the killer's attainment in this technique was not low.

"Do you know what other formidable saber experts there are in Shanyin?"

Yin Qi shook his head and said with difficulty: "My Lord, besides practicing martial arts, I spend all my other time every day writing fiction. I rarely go out, and I know very little about the Shanyin martial arts world. You may have asked the wrong person."

Nalan Yuanshu also came back to his senses. He knew that the fiction, poetry, and common knowledge updated in the newspaper every day were all written by Yin Qi. Besides practicing martial arts, he likely truly had no time to roam outside.

Thinking of this, he stood up and said: "Regarding the case of the foreigners being killed, your Yin Family is ultimately a suspect. Therefore, during this period, no one from your Yin Family is allowed to leave Shanyin; wait for summons at any time."

Yin Qi also stood up, cupped his hands and said: "Yes, My Lord."

………

At the entrance of the Newspaper Office.

Yin Qi and the others saw Nalan Yuanshu off, and only turned to enter the house after his back disappeared.

Tao Chengzhang asked hurriedly: "Brother Yin, what did this Admiral want with you?"

Yin Qi said, "Regarding the matter of the foreigners being killed."

Lu Xun asked in confusion, "The foreigners were killed at the Prefecture Office, what does that have to do with you?"

Tao Chengzhang also nodded.

Although this had caused a huge uproar, there were very few people who knew about the foreigners going to the Yin Family to press for debt.

"It has everything to do with me. Those foreigners conspired to set a trap for my Yin Family; not only did they kill my eldest brother, but they also intended to swallow up my Yin Family's assets..."

Yin Qi recounted the matter once more.

Tao Chengzhang and Lu Xun were both greatly shocked; such a significant matter, and they were only learning of it now.

But fortunately, the matter was already in the past.

"Then..."

Tao Chengzhang couldn't help but want to ask, but Lu Xun hurriedly gave a low shout: "Brother Tao!"

How could one ask about this!

Tao Chengzhang hurriedly nodded, then changed the subject and said, "Brother Yin, now that this Admiral has come to our Shanyin, I'm afraid the time for meeting with them will have to be postponed."

A sharp glint flashed in Yin Qi's eyes, and finally, he said in a deep voice, "It cannot be postponed, otherwise wouldn't that be trying to cover something up only to make it more conspicuous? With us making such big moves, it is impossible for the government not to have noticed."

"Let's do this: we will report a seminar on the New Culture Movement and hold it openly and aboveboard."

"As long as there are no government officials present, it will actually not attract attention."

"As for the location, let's have it at my manor in South City."

"The manor is built by the lake, and the scenery is quite good."

From ancient times to the present, gatherings of scholars have always been a very normal thing.

Being timid and shrinking away would instead make people feel that there is a Ghost in one's heart.

Lu Xun nodded: "I think that works."

Tao Chengzhang also nodded and said, "Mm, then let's do it that way. Let's set the time for five days from now. In these days, Brother Yin, you should first draft the future plans and the framework for our Revival Society."

Yin Qi nodded, then suddenly asked, "By the way, what is this Admiral's name?"

Tao Chengzhang said, "Nalan Yuanshu, it is said he is a descendant of Nalan Xingde."

"Nalan Yuanshu!"

Yin Qi was shocked, his eyes widening slightly.

Isn't this the major villain from the movie Once Upon a Time in China?

No wonder the other party looks so much like the star Brother Dan from my past life; it turns out this is not a parallel world of the late Qing and early Republican era, but the Once Upon a Time in China movie world.

(End of chapter)