Chapter 124: Objective - Secret Manuals for Ten Wen Coins Each!

Chapter 124: Objective - Secret Manuals for Ten Wen Coins Each!

The sun gradually set over the horizon.

Zhao Zheng remained at the Fu Man Lou, occasionally checking his pocket watch.

As time passed, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

He was supposed to meet Song Haitang at 6 pm, and it was already close to 6:20 pm.

Any further delay would cause him to miss the train.

Yes, in this era, trains existed, but the technology was extremely backward, and they ran at a painfully slow pace.

There was a train departing at 8 pm tonight, heading to the Shanghai Bund.

According to Zhao Zheng and Song Haitang's plan, their next destination was the Shanghai Bund!

In the current Shanghai Bund, foreign concessions were everywhere, and it had almost become a foreign stronghold, with the imperial court's control over the area being extremely weak.

There, the two of them could showcase their skills.

Old Chu had also mentioned that the Shanghai Bund and Tianmen were the two places with the most martial artists.

However, Song Haitang's late arrival disrupted Zhao Zheng's plan.

Zhao Zheng was certain that Song Haitang would never be late due to negligence or forgetting the time.

Her prolonged absence must mean that something had happened, preventing her from coming!

Zhao Zheng glanced at the time once more and couldn't help but stand up.

He was about to go to the Song Manor to see what was going on.

Just then, a man wearing a straw hat entered the restaurant.

Ignoring the attentive waiter, the man scanned the surroundings and, upon spotting Zhao Zheng, approached him.

Then, he slipped an envelope into Zhao Zheng's pocket without saying a word and left the restaurant.

Watching the man's departing figure, Zhao Zheng slightly furrowed his brows.

He opened the envelope, which contained three pieces of paper, two of which were silver notes with a face value of one thousand taels of silver each.

Two thousand taels of silver was enough to make an ordinary person a wealthy man in a small town during that era.

Zhao Zheng quickly skimmed through the first two papers and then turned his attention to the third one.

The third piece of paper was a letter written by Song Haitang.

In the letter, Song Haitang explained that she was currently confined by the Song Manor's patriarch and that several powerful masters had been stationed outside her room to prevent her from escaping. Therefore, she couldn't make it tonight.

Additionally, the governor had been temporarily assigned to suppress a rebel army.

It was estimated that he wouldn't return for at least ten days.

The wedding with the Song family would have to be postponed!

So, for the time being, Song Haitang was safe.

The letter also instructed Zhao Zheng not to worry about Song Haitang for now and to prioritize the task at hand.

Song Haitang would find a way to protect herself and look for an opportunity to leave the Song Manor, after which she would seek out Zhao Zheng...

As teammates, they shared a telepathic connection and could sense each other's location, ensuring they wouldn't lose contact.

Finally, Song Haitang emphasized that Zhao Zheng must not go to the Song Manor to look for her for the time being.

Before the governor left to suppress the rebels, he had dispatched a deputy to the Song Manor, seemingly to discuss a collaboration with the Song Manor's patriarch.

Song Haitang had observed this official from a distance, and the feeling he gave her was terrifying!

...

After reading the letter, Zhao Zheng heaved a slight sigh of relief.

As long as Song Haitang was safe, that was all that mattered!

Could the letter have been written by someone else to deceive Zhao Zheng?

Zhao Zheng was certain it wasn't the case.

This letter was undoubtedly written by Song Haitang.

The content of the letter was in simplified characters, which had not yet appeared in this era, as all books were still in traditional characters.

Currently, only those who had traveled through time, the Extraordinary Beings, knew simplified characters.

Zhao Zheng remained in his spot, pondering for a moment, before quickly making a decision.

He would follow Song Haitang's instructions and set out on the task alone!

His current strength, in the eyes of true masters, was merely average.

The Dragon Roar Iron Shirt Technique was not invincible.

If he forcibly broke into the Song Manor, he might end up in a dire situation.

Song Haitang had mentioned that the deputy sent by the governor was extremely formidable! Even if he wasn't a demon or a monster, he was likely a master of the Dark Force!

Therefore, Zhao Zheng decided to undertake the task alone, challenge martial artists, and see if he could find an Internal Martial Art to enhance his strength.

Without sufficient strength, even if Song Haitang encountered danger, he would be powerless to help...

With that thought, Zhao Zheng immediately set off, leaving the restaurant with the letter and silver notes.

...

About half an hour later, Zhao Zheng arrived at the "Railway Station"!

The so-called railway station was merely a simple fence set up by foreigners, appearing rather crude.

At the entrance, foreign soldiers stood guard.

After all, the train and railway were foreign inventions.

The imperial court lacked the capability to manage them.

To board the train, one had to pay for a ticket, and even cargo required a cargo ticket, with fees determined by the value and weight of the goods.

Of course, even after paying, if the goods were lost on the train, the foreigners wouldn't offer any compensation, and one could only blame their bad luck!

These were the rules set by the foreigners!

To ride the train, one must abide by them.

At this moment, a long line formed at the entrance. Most people were carrying large and small packages, with their entire families in tow.

There were also many lone individuals like Zhao Zheng.

With more than half an hour until the train's departure, Zhao Zheng patiently waited in line to pay.

Half an hour later, Zhao Zheng finally boarded the train.

To avoid harassment from pickpockets and local thugs, he had specifically purchased a "first-class ticket" and entered a relatively cleaner carriage.

The ordinary carriages were packed with people, and the mix of odors was unbearable.

The journey to Shanghai from here was over a thousand kilometers.

At the speed of this iron train, it would take at least three days to reach the destination.

For Zhao Zheng to endure three days in such a filthy and chaotic environment was unthinkable; he couldn't even stand a single day.

Hence, he bought a first-class ticket.

Naturally, the price of a first-class ticket was ten times that of an ordinary ticket.

Most of the passengers in the first-class carriage were foreigners, with a few Orientals, all dressed elegantly and either wealthy or of noble status.

After finding his seat, Zhao Zheng sat down and closed his eyes to sleep.

In his eyes, the so-called first-class carriage was nowhere near comparable to the ordinary carriages of the later generations; it was just slightly more spacious and less crowded.

...

The journey proceeded smoothly, and no one disturbed Zhao Zheng.

Three days later, Zhao Zheng finally arrived in Shanghai.

Although this era's Shanghai lacked the numerous skyscrapers of later times, its prosperity was no less impressive.

Standing on the street, one could see all sorts of people striving for a living.

The number of rickshaws alone was several times more than in Foshan.

In the middle of the road, cable cars slowly moved along.

On both sides, men mostly wore Western suits and long gowns, while women donned figure-hugging cheongsams.

This blend of Eastern and Western styles was astonishing.

Zhao Zheng's gaze scanned the surroundings.

Suddenly, a running child bumped into him.

"I'm sorry, sir..."

The child repeatedly apologized to Zhao Zheng and then tried to leave quickly.

But Zhao Zheng grabbed him and retrieved his wallet from the child's hands.

The young thief's face turned pale with fright, thinking he was about to receive a beating.

However, Zhao Zheng didn't hit him. After retrieving his wallet, he turned and left.

A moment later, Zhao Zheng arrived at the famous Peace Hotel, currently named the Concourse Hotel, which would be renamed in a few decades.

Song Haitang had given him two thousand taels of silver, a currency accepted nationwide, leaving him with no financial worries.

Since money was not an issue, he decided to stay in a better place.

Additionally, staying in such a place would help him avoid many troubles.

After all, the owners of such a prestigious hotel in Shanghai must have deep backgrounds, and no one dared to cause trouble here.

...

Meanwhile, in FS City, after three days of intense cultivation, Ma Jun had successfully advanced to the peak of the Bright Essence realm and mastered numerous external martial arts.

He felt confident in his abilities.

Thus, he went to Treasure Herb Hall to challenge Master Huang.

However...

He was soundly defeated by Master Huang's disciple, Ghost Foot Liu.

Although Ma Jun had improved in martial arts and cultivation, his combat experience was severely lacking.

Ghost Foot Liu, a seasoned martial artist, easily dominated Ma Jun.

What upset Ma Jun the most was learning from Ghost Foot Liu that Master Huang had already conceded to a young man three days ago.

That young man was surnamed Song!!

Upon hearing this news, Ma Jun felt like spitting blood in anger!

He couldn't understand why he had fallen so far behind Song Haitang. Despite his diligent efforts over the past three days, constantly challenging martial artists and narrowly escaping death a few times...

Even with all that, he was still so far behind?

He couldn't even defeat Master Huang's disciple, yet the young man had forced Master Huang to concede?

Was the gap between him and Song Haitang truly that vast?

...

The Peace Hotel also offered accommodations, and there were quite a few rooms available.

After settling in, Zhao Zheng rested for a few hours. In the afternoon, he left the hotel to explore the city.

He hadn't walked long on the main street when he saw dozens of gang members causing a ruckus, frightening passersby into hiding.

These gang members, dressed in black suits and tall black hats, looked like sophisticated elites.

However, each of them carried a sharp axe!

This peculiar combination left many out-of-towners who saw them for the first time bewildered.

The locals, on the other time, turned pale with fear.

"It's the Axe Gang! Hide quickly!"

"Brother, may I ask, what is the origin of the Axe Gang, and why are they so brazen?"

"The Axe Gang is one of the four major gangs in Shanghai. But ever since the new gang leader took over, they've become ruthless, killing without batting an eye, even targeting the elderly and children. They're extremely vicious, so don't provoke them!"

"One of the four major gangs? The Axe Gang is about to become the leader of the four gangs. Aside from the Thunder East Gang, the other two gangs dare not challenge the Axe Gang."

Inside a shop.

Several customers watched the Axe Gang members' retreating figures and began discussing.

Zhao Zheng was nearby, clearly hearing their conversation.

He wasn't surprised to see the Axe Gang members here.

His teacher had mentioned that there were four major gangs in Shanghai, and it was best to avoid them if possible.

Especially the Axe Gang, known for their cruelty and unscrupulous methods to achieve their goals.

Once you crossed them, the best option was to leave Shanghai...

Watching the Axe Gang members strutting through the streets.

Zhao Zheng suddenly smiled.

He had spotted a familiar face among the gang members.

With this, he could now confirm some of his previous speculations.

With that in mind, Zhao Zheng left the place and continued forward.

Next.

Instead of seeking out special martial artists for sparring, he spent his days searching through the streets and alleys for something.

Finally.

On the fourth day.

Zhao Zheng found his target! It was an old beggar with messy hair and a frail body.

However, the beggar had bright eyes.

When Zhao Zheng spotted the beggar, he was trying to swindle a young boy:

"Young man, your skeletal structure is extraordinary, a rare martial arts prodigy among a million! The task of maintaining world peace rests on your shoulders. I have a secret scroll here, and I feel a connection with you. I'll sell it to you for just ten dollars, how about it?"

The boy, being naive, believed him and immediately smashed his piggy bank to gather ten dollars.

Finally.

Zhao Zheng witnessed the beggar taking away a scroll titled "Buddha Palm Technique."

Zhao Zheng was astonished.

He never expected to encounter the man of destiny here.

The beggar, having "scammed the money," prepared to pack up and leave.

Zhao Zheng hurried over.

"Wait, I'll buy all the scrolls you have!"

As he spoke, Zhao Zheng took out a large silver ingot.

He had exchanged silver notes for this at the Concourse Hotel.

The beggar, hearing this, froze.

His target audience was clear—naive children. Why would an adult believe him?

Glancing at the silver ingot in Zhao Zheng's hand, the beggar didn't hesitate and shook his head: "No, I won't sell."

Zhao Zheng frowned immediately.

"You sold it to that child, why won't you sell it to me?"

"Oh! Let me tell you the truth!" The beggar said: "These scrolls are fake, bought wholesale for fifty cents each. I can only deceive children, how dare I scam a respected sir like you?"

Zhao Zheng laughed: "It's fine! I have money, I'm not afraid of being scammed. Sell me all the scrolls!"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, the beggar was taken aback and began to examine Zhao Zheng seriously.

Seeing Zhao Zheng's ambiguous smile, the beggar" was surprised.

How did he see through my disguise?

"I won't sell!" The beggar shook his head again: "I only sell these scrolls to those with fate."

"What are the criteria for the 'fated' person you mentioned?" Zhao Zheng asked.

The beggar chuckled, revealing his missing teeth: "Of course, it's someone with a sense of justice and a rare martial arts prodigy among a million!"

Zhao Zheng decided to drop the act and said: "You sold the scroll to that boy. At best, he'll grow up to be a master. The world will remain as it is."

"If you sell the scroll to me, it will be different!"

"I can't say I'll save the world, but I can capture and kill all the monsters hiding in the halls of power!"

Hearing Zhao Zheng's words.

The beggar was shocked!

He carefully studied Zhao Zheng's face, but in the end, he couldn't read anything from his features.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end