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

Chapter 52 Foreign Dragons and Local Bullies

Just then, Huang Tianba on stage made a mistake, and the single-edged sword in his hand flew out and flew straight towards an audience member in the front row.

"what!"

The audience was terrified, watching as the gleaming blade was about to splatter blood on the spot.

Huang Tianba, however, flashed off the stage with a swift movement, his steps not those of traditional opera, but rather those of a soldier charging into battle. He caught the knife with one hand and casually patted the audience member on the face.

"Scared? You spineless coward."

The entire audience burst into laughter, a mocking and malicious laugh.

Lu Cheng saw it very clearly.

That wasn't a mistake at all.

On the stage, there's a saying: "Better to wear tattered clothes than to wear the wrong ones; better to be precise than to drop your weapon." Dropping a knife is a major taboo in Peking Opera, but this person's technique in catching the knife was too skillful; it was clearly intentional.

This is a way to humiliate the onlookers in Beiping and establish authority!

"What a formidable dragon crossing the river!"

Lu Cheng sneered and slammed the teacup down.

"Shunzi, let's go."

"This play is unwatchable. It's all banditry, not a shred of drama."

……

As soon as I returned to the Lu residence, before I even entered the door, I saw a black Ford sedan parked at the entrance.

That's a car from Marshal Ma's mansion.

Manager Zhao paced anxiously at the door, and upon seeing Lu Cheng, he looked as if he had seen a savior.

"Oh, my dear Mr. Lu, you're finally back!"

"Quickly, quickly! Fourth Concubine requests your presence; it's extremely urgent!"

Lu Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

It seems that the commotion caused by this Fengtian group has even made that "Rouge Tiger" unable to sit still.

I visited the Listening to Rain Pavilion at the Marshal's Mansion once again.

This time, there was no romantic or ambiguous atmosphere.

Yao Hong was wearing a plain-colored cheongsam. Although she was still beautiful, there was a sense of solemnity between her brows.

Besides her, Li Biao, Lieutenant Li, was also in the room.

"Instructor Lu, please sit down."

Yao Hong didn't waste any words and directly waved the servants away.

"You know about that government-run opera troupe in Fengtian recently, right?"

"I went to see, just a bunch of thugs," Lu Cheng said casually.

"Good eye."

Yao Hong gave Lu Cheng an appreciative look, then took out a coded telegram from the drawer and slammed it on the table.

"A telegram just sent back by the Commander-in-Chief."

"These people are not simple."

"They were using 'cultural exchange' as a pretext, but they were actually spies sent from Northeast China."

"The purpose is to test the bottom line of our Commander Ma, and also to create chaos in Beiping, suppress the morale of our locals, and pave the way for their subsequent actions."

Yao Hong lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and her eyes turned fierce.

"Lieutenant Li wanted to take some men and just shoot them all."

"But that won't work."

"The situation is sensitive right now. If we fire first, we'll be giving the other side an excuse to start a war. The commander-in-chief's idea is that we can't use our regular troops."

At this point, Yao Hong turned her head and stared intently at Lu Cheng.

"Lu Cheng".

"You are the chief instructor of our Big Sword Team, and also the master of Peking Opera in Beiping."

"You're the one who has to get revenge."

"Since these people came under the guise of performing and exchanging skills, then we must defeat them, cripple them, and send them crashing back to the Northeast on the stage and in the arena!"

"This is not just a matter of personal grudges between martial arts practitioners."

"This is a military order!"

"As long as you can win."

Yao Hong took a deep breath and slipped a jade bracelet, entirely emerald green, off her wrist. It was a genuine old mine glass-type jadeite, priceless.

"This bracelet is yours."

"Furthermore, the commander-in-chief said that from now on, in the South City, whether you open a martial arts school or expand your opera troupe, you can choose any land you like, and all taxes will be waived!"

Lu Cheng listened, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Sure enough, this is a political game.

They want to use him as a pawn.

It was also his pledge of loyalty in this chaotic world, allowing him to truly gain a foothold.

If he wins, he will be one of Marshal Ma's "own people," and in the future, he will have real influence in both the legal and illegal worlds of Beiping.

but……

He was willing to take on this role.

Because those barbarians from Fengtian really crossed his bottom line.

In Beijing, bullying his colleagues and humiliating his audience is a slap in the face to the men of this city.

"Fourth concubine."

Lu Cheng stood up and straightened his clothes.

"I'll take this job. Forget about the bracelet, just give me cash instead."

"However, since it's a military order..."

"What if someone dies on stage..."

"If anything goes wrong, the Marshal's Mansion will cover for you!"

Yao Hong stood up, walked over to Lu Cheng, and straightened his collar.

This time, there was no lust in her eyes, only trust and expectation.

"Lu Cheng, just go for it."

"Let them know who really calls the shots in Beiping!"

"besides……"

Yao Hong lowered her voice.

"If you win, I'll double the two thousand dollars prize!"

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Guanghe Tower was packed with people.

On one side was the stage of the Fengtian Grand Opera Troupe, and on the other side was the stage of the Qingyun Troupe.

There was only an aisle in between, which was truly "opposite to Taiwan".

In Fengtian, the one in charge was a burly man with a fierce face, wearing a mink coat, with a bulging pistol tucked into his waistband.

He was the "leader" of this group, and his name was Zhang Xiaolin.

"Hmph, what kind of bullshit grandmaster is he?"

Zhang Xiaolin spat and looked at the stage opposite Qingyun Class.

"Let the third brother go up later and beat him to a pulp."

"That's a stage. If someone dies, it's an 'accident,' and you won't have to pay with your life!"

"yes!"

A lean man stepped out, carrying a ghost-head knife in his hand, his eyes sinister; he was a true killer who had seen blood.

Meanwhile, the Qingyun Class...

Lu Cheng did not change his costume.

He was wearing a moon-white long robe, sitting in a grand chair, toying with two iron walnuts in his hands.

"Master, let me go."

Shunzi was a little nervous, but she still stepped forward.

"You can't do it."

Lu Cheng shook his head. "Your marksmanship is steady, but not ruthless enough. This play, 'Crossroads,' needs to be not only dark but also ruthless. These people are here with murderous intent."

He turned his head and looked at Lu Feng, who was wiping his knife in the corner.

This wolf cub is wearing a tight black outfit today, just like Ren Tanghui's outfit in "Crossroads".

He wore a white burlesque hat and thin-soled boots.

The knife he was holding was not a prop knife.

It was a sharpened, solid steel single-edged sword!

"Lu Feng, do you want to give it a try?"

"think."

Lu Feng raised his head, his eyes showing no fear, only a bloodthirsty excitement.

Lu Cheng smiled slightly. Although these thugs were brutal, they hadn't been properly trained yet. At best, they had only scratched the surface of the whole technique. It was really suitable for this little wolf cub to practice on.

"Alright, today's play is your 'graduation' play."

Lu Cheng said calmly.

"Remember what I said."

"The play 'The Crossroads' emphasizes 'darkness'."

"On stage, everything is bright and shining; inside, everything is dark and gloomy."

"You have to portray that kind of overwhelming power, and even more importantly, bring out the murderous intent hidden in the darkness."

"On stage, there are no distinctions of rank; off stage, rules must be observed."

"Not only do we have to win, we have to win beautifully."

Lu Feng grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Sir, just you wait and see."

"If I don't beat that brat to a pulp today, I'm not a Lu!"

"when--!"

The opening gong sounds.

A major production concerning the reputation and even the lives of Peking Opera performers in Beiping has begun!

The atmosphere inside Guanghe Restaurant was extremely tense, like a fully drawn bowstring.

On one side was the Fengtian troupe, their drums and gongs pounding deafeningly, exuding the ruggedness and ruthlessness of the region beyond the Great Wall.

On one side was the Qingyun Troupe, where Abing played his erhu with a plaintive and sorrowful tone, yet at the turning points, a metallic sound was revealed, which concealed a murderous intent.

On stage, although the lights were bright, according to the rules of the play, this was a pitch-black night.

Lu Feng has entered the game.

Today he's playing Ren Tanghui, who escorts Jiao Zan.

Dressed in all black "night clothes," with a hero's headband tied around his head and thin-soled fast boots on his feet.

"Huh? Isn't it Boss Lu from the Qingyun Class who's going on stage?" The audience was taken aback.

"Could he really be scared? That shouldn't be the case!"

But soon, those people fell silent.

Because when this wolf cub Lu Feng made his appearance, he didn't say anything, but first walked to the side.

With a slight crouch, she walks with the lightest "cat steps," her eyes darting left and right, her hands groping in the air, as if it were truly the pitch-black night before her.

"Nice figure!"

Tan Wuye's eyes lit up in the audience.

Although the child is young, he has a natural talent for acting, bringing to life the cautiousness and trepidation of sneaking around at night.

Immediately afterwards, the lean man from the Fengtian team also took the stage.

When this person came on stage, he was wearing a felt hat and a short jacket. Although he tried his best to imitate the dwarf walk in opera, experts could tell at a glance.

His shoulders were slightly hunched, his chin was tucked in, and his eyes were unfocused. Although the ghost-head knife in his hand was not yet drawn, the stench of blood was already overwhelming.

This guy is a trained fighter, and a professional killer who does dirty work!

Soon, the two met on the stage.

According to the script, at this point, neither of them can see the other.

To probe each other in the dark, the key is to be "dangerous"—the blade brushes past the tip of the nose, and one crawls under the back of the blade.