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

Chapter 88 A Snowy Night, A Nobleman Leaves No Trace of Blood!

Chapter 89 A Snowy Night, A Nobleman Leaves No Trace of Blood! (3k)

Backstage at Deyun Tea Garden, the telephone receiver was gently placed down.

"Click".

Lu Cheng sat back down in the rosewood armchair.

He didn't rush to leave, but instead reached for the pot of leftover tea that had already gone cold.

The tea, slightly astringent, went down my throat, but it was just enough to suppress the slight heat rising in my chest after killing someone.

Outside the window, the north wind picked up, and snowflakes seeped in through the gaps in the torn window paper, landing on the face of the assassin whose heart had been crushed, turning into blood in no time.

About fifteen minutes later.

"Boom!"

At the end of Qianmen Street, the deep rumble of a truck could be heard, followed by the sound of hurried but not chaotic footsteps—the sound of military boots treading on the snow.

"Quickly, surround this area, don't let a single fly out."

Li Biao, the adjutant, blared his hoarse voice outside the door, revealing his exasperation.

"Splash!"

The heavy cotton curtain at the back was roughly pulled open, and a few soldiers carrying heavy armor rushed in, accompanied by a gust of cold wind.

Lieutenant Li took the lead, his Mauser pistol already drawn from his waist, his face taut with a fierce expression.

But when he saw the scene inside the room, his eyes, which had seen dead people on the battlefield, couldn't help but shrink back sharply.

Two corpses.

One neck was twisted into a pretzel shape, and the other's chest had caved in as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer—the result of the internal force of martial arts penetrating the body.

The most eye-catching thing was the German-made Mauser sniper rifle thrown on the box; its dark muzzle sent chills down one's spine.

And right in the middle of this hellish scene.

Lu Cheng, dressed in a spotless, moon-white robe, was calmly looking at the crowd at the door while holding a teacup.

His composure in that instant made it seem as if he were not sitting amidst a pile of corpses, but rather enjoying the snow in the Imperial Garden.

"Master Lu—"

Li Biao's Adam's apple bobbed, he put the gun back in its holster, took a few steps across the pool of blood on the ground, walked up to Lu Cheng, and his back bent unconsciously.

"Are you... alright?"

"I have something to do, how can I sit here drinking tea?"

Lu Cheng put down his teacup and stood up. As soon as he moved, the soldiers around him, who were holding guns, all took a half step back.

That was forced upon them by "circumstances".

"The man is here, and the gun is here too."

Lu Cheng pointed to the mess on the ground, his tone indifferent.

"Lieutenant Li, this is the generous gift Commander Zhang gave me. I don't like owing favors, so I'll have to trouble you to return this gift."

Li Biao stared at the sniper rifle, cold sweat pouring down his back. This was a weapon capable of taking a person's head from hundreds of meters away! And Lu Cheng had actually managed to kill him at close range?

Is this even human? This is a monster in human skin!

"Don't worry."

Li Biao gritted his teeth, a ruthless look on his face.

"This happened on our territory. If we don't get an explanation, the Commander-in-Chief will lose face. Tomorrow night is that old man's birthday banquet. I'll have people carry these two coffins to the entrance of his banquet hall to give him a good dressing down!"

"Um."

Lu Cheng nodded. This guy can be disgusting.

"That's a matter for you gods to fight over; I'm just an opera singer, I won't get involved."

"Also, make sure the theater floor is thoroughly cleaned. We have a show tomorrow, so we don't want the smell of blood to taint the incense offerings of our patron saint."

After saying that, Lu Cheng didn't even look at Li Biao's respectful yet complicated expression. He lifted the hem of his long robe and walked out.

The soldiers at the gate automatically parted to make way, each holding their breath as they watched the man walk into the snowstorm.

As soon as I stepped out the door, a gust of cold wind hit me.

Lu Cheng looked up at the sky.

The snow fell heavily, covering up all the grime of the city.

He tightened his mandarin jacket and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

I'm hungry.

"Killing people is also a physically demanding job."

He didn't call a rickshaw. Instead, he walked with his hands behind his back, like a leisurely opera enthusiast who had just finished watching a show, trudging through the snow, heading towards Quanjude.

That white-clad figure blended into the snowy night, exuding an indescribable air of elegance and solitude.

Outside Qianmen, in Roushi Hutong (Meat Market Alley).

-

Even at mealtimes, this place is bustling with noise and excitement.

Quanjude's golden signboard still shines brightly in the wind and snow, a testament to the confidence forged by centuries of fire.

As soon as you step through the door, a powerful aroma of roasted duck over a wood fire, mixed with the scents of scallions and sweet bean sauce, fills your nostrils and makes your mouth water.

"Hey, sir, please come in! How many of you are there?"

The waiter at the door, with his sharp eyes, noticed Lu Cheng's extraordinary demeanor and quickly lifted the heavy cotton curtain, letting in a wave of heat mixed with the clamor of voices.

"The room is occupied, the 'Magnificent Peony' private room."

Lu Cheng replied casually and stepped into the lobby.

The lobby was packed with guests, some playing drinking games, others chatting, and the shouts of waiters filling the air. This was real life, much more vibrant than the cold, impersonal backstage of a theater.

Lu Cheng walked through the lobby and went up to the second floor.

As soon as I reached the door of the private room, I heard Xiaodouzi's loud and boisterous voice coming from inside.

"Let me tell you, that somersault I did today was really close. I almost lost my footing, but luckily I managed to gather my inner strength—"

"Come on, if Master wasn't watching down there, your legs would have given way long ago!" That was Shunzi's voice, honest yet carrying a hint of the senior brother's authority.

Lu Cheng smiled and pushed the door open to enter.

"Master!"

"Master!"

The room fell silent instantly, and the teenagers all stood up.

The table was already full of cold dishes, four kinds of dried and four kinds of fresh, as well as several pots of warm Shaoxing wine, but the main dish, roast duck, had not yet been served, obviously waiting for him.

Lu Feng, that wolf cub, had sharp eyes and immediately spotted a dark red patch of mud on the sole of Lu Cheng's shoe—blood mixed with dirt.

His eyes narrowed, and he was about to speak when Lu Cheng silenced him with a faint look.

"Please sit down."

Lu Cheng walked to the head seat and sat down, placing the folding fan on the table.

"Today is a celebration banquet, let's not stand on ceremony. Shunzi, tell the waiter to start serving the dishes."

"Okay!"

A short while later, a master chef in a white coat pushed in a cart with a roasted duck that was reddish-brown, glistening with oil, and had crispy skin and tender meat.

The master chef's knife moved swiftly and skillfully, each slice containing both skin and flesh. One hundred and eight cuts, each demonstrating his mastery.

"The key to roasting this duck is controlling the heat."

Lu Cheng picked up a piece of duck meat, dipped it in some white sugar, and put it in his mouth.

The crust is crispy and melts in your mouth, and the aroma of the oil explodes on your tongue.

"The same applies to martial arts training."

Lu Cheng looked at his disciples who were wolfing down their food and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"If the fire is too strong, it's just anxiety, which can easily harm your health; if the fire is too weak, it's half-cooked and you won't be able to master anything."

"Only by simmering over a low flame and then reducing the sauce with a final burst of heat can one achieve this level of mastery."

Shunzi seemed to understand but not quite. He held a lotus leaf pancake in his hand, rolled up with scallions and cucumber strips, and ate until his cheeks were bulging.

Lu Feng listened attentively.

He kept his head down, tearing apart a duck carcass in his hand, his eyes darting around.

He knew that his master must have gone off to do something important. Although the faint killing intent had been diluted by the smoke and cooking in the room, he could still smell it.

That's the smell of a newly drawn sword.

"Master."

Lu Feng suddenly looked up and poured Lu Cheng a glass of wine.

"This glass of wine is for you."

"No matter how strong the wind and rain are outside, as long as you are here, the sky over Qingyun Class will never fall down."

Lu Cheng felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at his increasingly responsible apprentice.

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Even if the sky falls, there's always someone tall enough to hold it up."

"You just need to hone your skills and perform well."

Just then, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

"Bang!"

The loud noise startled Xiaodouzi, who was gnawing on a duck leg, and he almost dropped it.

Everyone turned around and was stunned.

The person standing at the door was neither a waiter nor a thug looking for trouble.

It was a woman.

A woman wearing a mink coat over a dark red cheongsam, her hair slightly disheveled, but her face adorned with exquisite makeup.

Yao Hong.

The fourth concubine of Marshal Ma's mansion.

But at this moment, Yao Hong was completely devoid of her usual arrogant and domineering "Rouge Tiger" persona.

Her phoenix eyes were filled with panic, even a hint of fear.

Behind him followed Manager Zhao, who always wore sunglasses but was now covered in sweat.

"Lu Cheng!"

As soon as Yao Hong entered the room, her eyes darted around, finally settling on Lu Cheng, who was leisurely eating duck.

She rushed over in a few quick steps, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor.

"Are you...you're alright?"

Yao Hong rushed to Lu Cheng, reaching out to touch him to see if he had any wounds, but then stopped in mid-air, looking somewhat helpless.

This scene left the apprentices in the room dumbfounded.

Who is this woman?

So beautiful, so elegant, why do you act like you've seen a ghost when you see your master?

Lu Cheng put down his chopsticks, picked up a damp towel and wiped his hands, his expression as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Fourth Concubine, what are you doing here so late at night instead of serving the Commander at home?"

"and----"

Lu Cheng pointed to the master chef who was so frightened that he didn't dare to use his knife for a long time.

"Your noise scared my ducks half to death."

"What time is it? You're still thinking about eating duck?!"

Yao Hong was so angry that her chest heaved violently. Her mink coat slipped halfway down, revealing her snow-white shoulders, but she didn't bother to pull it back up.

"I heard about it. Someone just informed me that there were shots fired at the Deyun Tea Garden."

"That's Commander Zhang's Black Wolf Squad," they said, adding that they went with sniper rifles!

"I—I thought you—"

Yao Hong's voice choked up, and her eyes instantly reddened.

The moment she received the news, she felt like the sky had fallen.

She didn't know why, even though the man had rejected her and made her furious, the moment she heard he might be dead, she grabbed a car and rushed out without even putting her shoes on properly.

They didn't even have time to greet the commander-in-chief.

Lu Cheng looked at the distraught woman in front of him.

With his keen eyes, he saw the genuine concern in her eyes, and the joy of having found what he had lost.

This affection, though somewhat distorted, is genuine.

"sit."

Lu Cheng pointed to the empty seat next to him.

"Shunzi, get a set of chopsticks and a bowl for Fourth Madam."