Republican Era: From Street Performer to Martial God of a Chaotic Age

In the fourteenth year of the Republic, strange things plagued Jinmen, and human lives were cheap. That year, Lu Guan, young master of the Fuju Opera Troupe, was driven to the brink of ruin by the Cao Gang. To stay alive, he pawned his master’s keepsake for eight silver dollars. In this chaotic age of warlord fighting and evil spirits running rampant, surviving meant either having hard fists or being hard to kill. Then, on a night when heavy snow sealed the doors, Lu Guan’s blood dripped into an old opera trunk, awakening a [Fortune-Bestowing Stage] in his mind. Carve shadow puppets, and you can improve your physique! Put on a show, and you can gain a legacy! [Carving complete. Fortune gained: Qi and blood cleanse the marrow!] [The performance wins thunderous applause. True inheritance gained: Bajiquan, Mingjin!] From then on, beneath the bridge, one bullied little opera performer disappeared, and a martial arts colossus who would punch his way through the chaos emerged. From [Cangzhou Martial Artist] to [Peerless Hero], from [Bajiquan Mingjin] to [Earthly Immortal]. Years later, when foreign invaders breached the gates and the martial artists of Jinmen were powerless to respond, Lu Guan stood atop the stage, three bamboo rods in hand, stirring the winds of fate. “I, Lu Guan, ask nothing of immortals or Buddhas in this life. All I want is a house full of applause. Anyone who stands in my way will become a ghost on my stage!”