An hour later…
The train finally pulled into Guangzhou Station.
Aunt Thirteen stepped off full of energy.
Huang Feihong and Leung Foon, on the other hand…
Looked completely drained.
After enduring an hour aboard the train, both men silently made the same vow.
No matter what…
We’re not taking the train home.
Leaving the station…
The three entered Guangzhou’s bustling streets.
Vendors shouted to attract customers.
Arguments erupted from every corner.
Not far ahead, a large crowd marched through the streets waving white banners.
“Down with the Treaty of Shimonoseki!”
“Down with Li Hongzhang’s surrender to Japan!”
The protesters shouted at the top of their lungs.
Inside a nearby teahouse…
Several men leaned over the balcony to watch the procession below.
“What are they shouting about?”
“The war.”
“Taiwan’s been ceded.”
One of the men shrugged.
“Where exactly is Taiwan?”
“Is it big?”
Another scratched his head.
“It should be somewhere out at sea.”
“I mean, it’s called an island bay, isn’t it?”
“As for how big…”
“Who knows?”
“They can’t even govern a provincial capital properly.”
“What use is Taiwan anyway?”
Having satisfied their curiosity…
The men simply resumed smoking their pipes.
One of them suddenly pointed toward Aunt Thirteen.
“Look!”
“That woman…”
“Look how she’s dressed!”
The others turned immediately.
Soon…
People all along the street began staring at her Western clothing.
Nearby, several children who had been playing stopped and ran over.
One little girl disappeared for a moment…
Then returned carrying a bowl filled with fresh chicken blood.
Completely unaware of what was about to happen…
Aunt Thirteen smiled warmly at them.
“Wow…”
“Your clothes are so beautiful.”
Before she could say another word—
The little girl hurled the bowl.
Splash!
Chicken blood flew directly toward Aunt Thirteen.
“Beat the fake foreign devil!”
she shouted.
The other children immediately joined in.
Rotten vegetables…
Wilted cabbage…
Anything they could grab…
They threw at her.
Huang Feihong’s expression changed instantly.
In one swift movement, he pulled Aunt Thirteen safely aside.
Leung Foon was equally furious.
Without thinking…
He snatched a teacup from a nearby table and threw it.
Crack!
The cup struck the little girl squarely on the forehead.
Blood immediately began trickling down her face.
The other children screamed and scattered.
The injured girl clutched her forehead while crying loudly.
“Sister!”
“You’re bleeding!”
“Let’s go find Uncle Jiu!”
her younger sister shouted anxiously.
The two girls quickly ran away.
“How could you hit a child?!”
“Beat the fake foreign devils!”
“Teach them a lesson!”
The surrounding crowd surged forward angrily.
Huang Feihong immediately stepped in front of Aunt Thirteen to shield her.
Leung Foon hugged the camera tightly against his chest.
That camera was Aunt Thirteen’s greatest treasure.
He couldn’t let anything happen to it.
Just as the mob seemed ready to attack—
A loud voice rang across the street.
“Everyone!”
“The White Lotus Society has begun its ceremony outside the Telegraph Office!”
“Hurry over and pay your respects!”
The crowd instantly dispersed.
Everyone rushed toward the same destination.
Huang Feihong stood frozen.
Leung Foon and Aunt Thirteen were equally stunned.
The two martial artists couldn’t understand why the crowd had suddenly left.
Aunt Thirteen…
Had noticed something else.
In a distant alley…
She caught sight of a familiar figure.
A man dressed in flowing white robes beneath a hood.
A white-and-red cloak draped across his back.
“It’s him…”
Her expression changed.
Without hesitation…
She hurried after the mysterious figure.
But the streets were packed with people.
After following him for several minutes…
The figure vanished once again.
“How did he disappear again…?”
Aunt Thirteen murmured disappointedly.
“Aunt Thirteen!”
“What are you doing over here?”
Leung Foon’s voice called from nearby.
Only then did she look around.
She had unknowingly wandered into another crowded square.
Ahead of her…
Several soldiers stood with muskets raised, watching the area cautiously.
Beyond them…
A procession dressed entirely in white slowly approached.
“Heaven’s wind and Earth’s fire shall rise together!
Slaughter the foreigners and restore righteous justice!
Today the White Lotus descends to save the world!
Drive out all demons for generations to come!”
At the head of the procession walked a man in white robes.
He waved two burning sticks of incense through the air.
Thick white smoke curled around him, making him appear almost mystical.
The surrounding townsfolk lowered their heads.
Many even dropped to their knees in worship.
Seeing the crowd’s fervour reaching its peak…
The man suddenly stopped chanting.
He tossed the burning incense toward the entrance of the Telegraph Office.
Then shouted,
“Burn it down!”
From inside his robes…
He produced two yellow talismans.
The moment the crowd saw them…
Their excitement exploded.
“Heaven’s wind and Earth’s fire shall rise together!
Slaughter the foreigners and restore righteous justice!”
“The White Lotus descends!
The people shall rise!
Destroy foreign inventions!
Bring peace to all!”
The chants grew louder and louder.
The man holding the talismans rang a small ritual bell wildly.
His face flushed crimson.
The veins on his neck bulged.
He threw back his head and roared toward the heavens.
Then—
Pop!
A dull sound echoed through the square.
A flash of white light swept across the crowd.
In an instant…
The frenzied shouting stopped.
Everyone froze where they stood.
Their expressions turned blank…
As if something had stolen their minds.