I used the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) to fight the Japanese.

Mancang opened both boxes one by one to inspect them. The first box was full of gold and white items, with gold hairpins, bracelets, earrings, and hair ornaments standing out prominently. There were even more silver items: silver bracelets, hair ornaments, chopsticks, and even several silver longevity locks for the children!

Damn it, they don't even spare children! They're inhuman!

The other box contained a more miscellaneous collection of items: jade Guanyin statues, jade Buddhas, jade bracelets, jade belt hooks, wooden combs, pocket watches, bronze incense burners, and a whole host of other odds and ends. A simple, antique dagger sat unnoticed in a corner. Clearly, these things were beneath the notice of the traitorous collaborators and were simply piled up haphazardly.

"Master Lü, is there anything else? Calligraphy, paintings, or larger porcelain pieces? These are all everyday items and not worth much!" Man Cang asked as he casually flipped through the items.

"That's all! That's all for now. If this collaboration goes well, I'll definitely save some good stuff for you two next time!" Lu Hongzhong noticed that the two were not satisfied with the items, so he casually said.

"Haha, good! We are the purchasing staff of Sandongnuan. If you receive any good items, please send someone over to let us know. What price are you planning to sell these two boxes for?" Mancang wanted to test the waters a bit more, lest he miss out on some treasures and regret it later!

"Well... you two are experts, why don't you name a price and let's hear it?" Lu Hongzhong, being cunning and shrewd, naturally wouldn't easily reveal his trump card.

"Since this is our first time dealing with each other, I'll be straightforward! Consider this a small fish, and any extra as a gift for the master. I hope you'll take good care of me in the future!" Mancang said, holding up one finger.

"Uh...!" Lu Hongzhong naturally knew what "a small fish" meant, and after a slight pause, he quickly recovered. He had certainly seen small yellow croakers before, but even if he included all his possessions, he only had about five. These two boxes were worth one-fifth of the price; how could he not be tempted!

"Great! You're so generous, my friend! I'll definitely save something good for you two next time!" Lü Hongzhong readily agreed.

"Does Master Lü have nothing else of value? Bronze ware is quite good; a fine bronze tripod is almost worth these two boxes of miscellaneous goods!" Mancang probed again. As he spoke, Mancang and his companion returned to their seats to drink tea.

"This... forgive my limited knowledge, but I've never heard of anyone in Qili Township possessing such a treasure as a bronze tripod. I'll have my servants keep an eye out for it, and if there's any news, I'll definitely let you two know." As he spoke, Lü Hongzhong secretly noted the man's words. He hadn't expected that these things he had looked down upon were so valuable, far more lucrative than his opium business!

"No need! A dying man can't get anything good!" Mancang decided to take action when he realized he couldn't get anything out of the frying.

"What do you mean?..." Before Lü Hongzhong could react, he felt a cup of hot tea being splashed on his face. Immediately afterward, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and his vision blurred, as if his neck had been broken!

That's right, they went all in!

He splashed a cup of hot tea on the man, then grabbed his head and twisted it with all his might. With a muffled "crack," the man's neck snapped, and this traitor bid farewell to his sinful life!

Just as swiftly and decisively as when dealing with those two bandits at the mine!

With the main culprit dealt with, Tiger quickly began searching the traitor's belongings. He found a pocket watch, keys, and a Mauser pistol. He quickly checked the ammunition in the magazine and stood guard cautiously at the door!

Man Cang rummaged through the box of odds and ends and pulled out a dagger, gripping it tightly in his hand. He gently opened the door and said to the bodyguard outside, "Hey, the master wants two people to come in and carry some things!"

"They're here!" one bodyguard called out, and another pushed the door open and entered.

Just as he was closing the door, he felt a gust of wind blow directly to the back of his head. Before he could turn around, he quickly ducked and took a step forward!

Before they could even react, they heard a soft "thump" and their comrade had collapsed to the ground! Then they felt something cold pressing against their head, and a chill ran from their head to their heels, making them afraid to move an inch.

Looking ahead, I saw my master lying on the chair with his head slumped to one side, and a long, long stream of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth!

"..."

Just as he was about to shout, an arrow rapidly enlarged in his eyes, followed by a sharp pain in his chest, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, barely breathing. It was time to say goodbye to their Master Lü!

The one who fired the arrow was naturally Mancang; that guy had their hidden darts in his pocket. At this point, using their own weapons was more appropriate—no noise, no disturbance, much better than a Mauser pistol!

He tied the hidden arrow back to his own arm and handed the other one to Hu Zi. He pulled the arrow out of the bodyguard's chest and put it back in the quiver. The two looked at each other and opened the door.

"you……"

"Shhhhhhh!"

Before the bodyguards outside could say anything, four arrows shot at them almost simultaneously. At such close range, there was no time to dodge. In one round, all four men fell to the ground and met their end. None of them understood what had happened until their deaths!

They carried the four bodies into the room and quickly looted the house. When the traitors opened the cabinets earlier, they saw rolls of silver dollars and bundles of Chinese currency! This was the people's hard-earned money; they should take it back to develop their army and protect their fellow villagers—that was the real business!

About half an hour later, the two of them came downstairs, each dragging two suitcases. The shop assistant behind the counter greeted them with a smile:

"You two are leaving now! What's this?"

The waiter was very puzzled. Why did these two take so much stuff after just taking a puff of their cigarette?

"Oh, I just finished a business deal with your Master Lü. Could you help carry it to the door, buddy?" Tiger said.

"Oh!" The waiter reluctantly agreed and came over to help carry the box.

Wow, those things are really heavy! Watching the two of them call a horse-drawn carriage, load the boxes onto it, and walk a long way before turning back to the counter, I was still wondering what kind of business required such heavy loads.

……

"Oh no! Oh no! The master has been assassinated!"

The servants in the shop didn't realize what had happened until half an hour later! A cry of alarm startled all the shop assistants and opium smokers in the courtyard. After a moment of shock, everyone immediately began searching everywhere! Opium, opium pipes, silver dollars, collateral—whatever they could grab, they stuffed into their pockets! Then they fled quickly, and in less than fifteen minutes, the entire opium den was in complete chaos, like a pot of porridge that had been robbed!

That afternoon, news of the assassination of the traitor Lü Hongzhong spread throughout the market, and many merchants set off firecrackers to celebrate! Countless couples embraced each other and wept bitterly, their shops finally theirs again!

The bathhouse was deserted; all the furniture had been moved out, and even the coffin that had been placed in the storage room had vanished. It was empty and dilapidated!