The senior officials of the Canadian Security Council had been buried in work for the past several months, so much so that even business in the red-light district and taverns had suddenly declined.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Urgent knocking sounded at the door.
“Something urgent again. I’m sick of this damn shit.”
The newly appointed Chief of Security, Davor, grabbed his forehead and cursed under his breath.
Ever since Governor General Edmund was assassinated, dignitaries in Britain, despite appeals from the royal family, had refused one after another to take up the position of Governor General of Canada.
However, the British Empire could not leave Canada without a leader.
They feared that the United States of America, that disobedient former colonial descendant, might seize the opportunity to annex this largest British overseas colony.
Because of that, after numerous consultations between the royal family and the cabinet, a letter demanding accountability and a special investigation team arrived in Canada almost at the same time.
Davor, who had not even adapted to his new surroundings yet, had to grit his teeth and take the blame, while at the same time being entrusted with the great responsibility of assisting the special investigation team.
After several months of such work, he had nearly gone insane.
Although he did not want to meet the person knocking at the door at all, he still had to get up and open it.
“Hello, Lawrence. It’s been a long time!”
“How is the investigation progressing? I remember you went to Manitoba to investigate former Deputy Governor Pierre. Edmund publicly humiliated him, so he has a very good motive.”
Lawrence held a pile of files in his hands and gave him a sharp look.
“Davor, you incompetent idiot! The false information from your Security Council has completely led the investigation team in the wrong direction. I will submit a request to the House of Lords to have you removed from your position as Chief of Security.”
Davor’s forehead was immediately covered in cold sweat.
He knew very well that the bastard in front of him truly had enough influence to do it.
“Don’t say that. Our Security Council isn’t completely useless. Those officials Edmund dismissed repeatedly said in private that they wanted someone to kill him.”
“Both you and Team Leader Michael agreed at the time that they should be investigated. Don’t dump all the responsibility on me now!”
Lawrence threw the files directly into his face and cursed angrily:
“In January 1855, Order No. 3 from the Governor General’s office increased Alberta’s tax burden by one million pounds. A month later, Document No. 4 was issued, establishing additional checkpoints along the border between Canada and the United States of America for strict inspections of trade caravans. Why didn’t you find these documents?”
Davor suppressed his anger, picked up the files that had fallen to the floor, and began reading them page by page.
The more he read, the paler his face became, and then he said with trembling lips:
“Impossible… Do those merchants and landowners really have that much courage?”
“Deputy Leader Lawrence, is there any possibility that we made a mistake?”
Lawrence pointed toward the files in his hands, then pulled out two documents and said:
“These two files concern the ten biggest businessmen in Alberta. They represent the group that suffered the greatest losses after Order No. 3 was issued.”
“From now on, the Security Council will fully cooperate with the investigation team. We will investigate the background of every one of them down to the smallest detail!”
“If my reasoning is correct, the rat hiding behind all of this is among them. We will find him soon and avenge Governor General Edmund.”
In the end, his face became frighteningly cold, as though he were squeezing every word through clenched teeth.
…
The Hawaiian Islands represented one of the few places in the Pacific where ocean-going ships could replenish their supplies.
As the trade route toward the Far East became increasingly busy, more and more ships passed through this area.
After the Western powers gradually opened the Chinese market with their warships and cannons, the enormous new market and new resource-rich regions began generating an endless flow of wealth.
Hawaii’s important strategic position attracted explorers and overseas merchants from numerous European countries, while also drawing the attention of the United States of America, which was still a relatively young nation.
After a long period of cultural and religious influence, a political system emerged on the islands in which European and American powers shared influence with the Hawaiian king.
The living space of the native Polynesians shrank day by day, while an ever-growing share of resources was taken over by white missionaries, explorers, and overseas merchants from Europe and America.
All kinds of ships from Europe and the United States of America were anchored in the harbor: enormous wooden sailing ships, as well as steamships with large smokestacks spewing black smoke.
Henry wore a local straw hat and a flower garland around his neck.
He leaned against the deck railing and watched the natives carrying supplies. Get faster updates on g.com.
“Henry, how much longer until we reach that Canada you keep talking about?”
Behind him stood a group of people from the East who curiously observed their surroundings.
The man who asked the question was an old man with completely white hair but a surprisingly youthful face.
His temples were high and pronounced, and he spun two iron balls across his broad palms.
They moved at tremendous speed, yet never collided with one another.
Henry stretched, turned his head, and cursed impatiently:
“Old Tang, you’ve already asked me that dozens of times. If you’re not tired of it, I am.”
“If you’ve changed your mind, get off the ship and find someone to take you back home!”
Old Tang’s face immediately turned red.
The fist in which he was spinning the iron balls suddenly clenched.
Crack!
After a sharp metallic sound, the iron ball in his palm had been flattened like a metal disk.
He slowly exhaled, gritted his teeth, and still gave in.
“I was just too impatient. I apologize. Brother Henry, don’t hold it against me!”
Laughter came from the gathered group, and Old Tang clenched his teeth so hard they nearly ground together.
When had the Tang Sect of Sichuan ever had to swallow its anger like this?
Even the Governor of Sichuan under Qing rule would have had to show respect before the people of the Tang Sect.
But Old Tang endured it anyway.
After apologizing, he led his people away and dejectedly withdrew into the cabin.
He had no other choice.
He could not defeat Henry.
Even the Tang Sect’s strongest poisons, which they kept as a final resort, could be forced out of Henry’s body using internal energy.
“Eh! I’m cursed because of my own mouth too. How did I manage to get all of you hanging around my neck!”
“When I return, who knows how the master will punish me. Maybe he’ll beat me with a hundred strikes, or perhaps lock me in the dark cell. If you hadn’t saved my life, I wouldn’t have brought you along even if they had beaten me to death.”
Henry had truly suffered enough during his previous time in China.
The descendants of the craftsmen who had once built imperial palaces had been carefully monitored by the authorities for generations.
Henry had not understood the situation beforehand, so he openly began asking around about them.
As a result, before he had even managed to obtain any useful information, the masters sent by the Qing Court had already arrived to kill him.
The first several groups did not pose much of a problem.
Manifest Force and Hidden Force masters were extremely powerful by ordinary human standards, but Henry had not only mastered martial arts techniques—he had also brought the Yi Jin Jing to the second level.
With a single movement of his hands, he could release several tons of force, so the first opponents were not enough even to properly warm him up.
However, the masters later sent by the Qing Court became increasingly powerful.
In the end, four Transforming Force masters arrived, and two among them practiced Dragon Elephant Prajna Kungfu.
Their physical strength was almost equal to Henry’s.
After a fierce battle, all four Transforming Force masters were killed, but Henry also suffered severe injuries.
It was precisely that battle that attracted the attention of the major sects, groups, and martial arts masters throughout the martial arts world.
People who had long been dissatisfied with the Qing Court especially respected warriors who dared openly oppose the authorities.
After secretly observing him several times and confirming that it was not a trap set by the Qing Court, the Tang Sect was the first to make contact with Henry.
The man who came at that time was none other than Old Tang.
With the help of the Tang Sect and other people from the martial arts world, Henry found the family of craftsmen whose members were known as the “Living Lu Ban.” After countless hardships and dangers, he finally completed the task.
He was so overjoyed that on one occasion he got drunk, and Old Tang and the others tricked him into carelessly revealing the real reason he had come.
The people who had previously helped him only out of a sense of righteousness now completely latched onto him.
Henry wanted to refuse them, but simply could not find a way to do so.
Even if he ignored the fact that they had saved his life, their help in finding the craftsmen’s family alone represented an enormous favor.
In the end, he could only grit his teeth and agree to bring all those martial arts masters back with him to Canada.
… This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
The Blackwood estate.
Butler Charles organized the latest news and reports on the condition of the various family businesses, then, precisely following Aron’s daily routine, waited for the master to finish his meal before taking them to him.
He placed the telegram from Hawaii at the very top.
As usual, after a hearty breakfast, Aron went to the study to deal with family affairs.
When Charles brought him the documents, he had just finished reviewing a request to expand the weapons factory.
“Master, good news! Henry sent a telegram from Hawaii, but the situation is somewhat complicated. It would be best if you read it yourself.”
Charles was somewhat worried, but outwardly he still appeared calm.
His old friend Henry had really caused a problem this time.
He had indeed completed the task, but along the way he had brought back an entire group of troublesome martial arts masters.
Charles did not know whether the master would become angry because of it.
Aron read the secret report sent by their people inside the governor’s administration with his gaze lowered and replied completely calmly without raising his head:
“If even you, Charles, think the situation is complicated, then Henry probably did something that is by no means insignificant.”
Charles did not dare plead for him in advance, so he respectfully handed over the telegram with both hands.
Aron took it, and an enormous block of text appeared before his eyes.
“That old idiot really acts as if money grows on trees. He casually sent a telegram of five hundred and sixty-eight words.”
At that time, the telegraph was still a relatively new invention, and even the governments of European and American states rarely used it for long messages.
Only when the distance was enormous would they send short telegrams of only a few words.
At the price of one pound per word at the time, Henry’s telegram cost as much as five hundred and sixty-eight pounds, enough to buy several hundred acres of land in the more remote parts of Canada.
Aron quickly read the telegram, and the corners of his lips twitched several times.
Henry was a cautious and intelligent man.
That was precisely why Aron had sent him on such a sensitive assignment.
But now that the task had finally been completed, what was he supposed to make of the fact that Henry was bringing back an entire group of people who wanted to become his disciples?
That was right.
In the telegram, Henry described those people as “seekers.”
That was not actually inaccurate.
After all, Old Tang and the others were coming because they wanted to find the true meaning and highest level of martial arts.
“Go and prepare everything. They’ll return in a few days. Send people to wait for them at the harbor.”
“The people Henry is bringing aren’t exactly calm and obedient. It would be best if you brought all of our old brothers.”
Aron thought about it carefully.
Martial arts masters were often extremely brave, proud, and hot-tempered.
It was necessary to send a sufficiently powerful group to show them from the very beginning where they were.
They had to understand that Canada was the territory of the Blackwood family.
Whoever came here, no matter how powerful they considered themselves, would have to obey the rules of the Blackwood family.
Charles happily agreed.
The master’s tone was completely calm, so he obviously did not intend to punish Henry too severely.
He was just about to turn around and leave to pass the orders on to the old comrades when he suddenly stopped.
“By the way, there is one more thing. I almost forgot to tell the master.”
He slapped his forehead with his palm and approached the writing desk again.
“Master, there is something else I forgot to mention earlier. Last Wednesday, you promised Richard that you would take his daughter as your wife. Would you like to set a date?”
Aron froze for a moment, then quickly searched his memories of last Wednesday.
He indeed remembered a wealthy merchant named Richard.
At the Alberta Agricultural Fair, he had mentioned that he had an exceptionally beautiful daughter and that he wanted her to marry Aron.
“Reply to Richard. In three days, I will take his daughter as my wife!”
“Let the preparations be the same as before, without excessive ostentation! Those bastards from the special investigation team seem to have begun directing their attention toward Alberta. Your master is surely already on their list.”
Charles nodded.
The master already had more than twenty women, so the Blackwood family had long since become extremely experienced in organizing such events.
Three days were more than enough for all the preparations.