Only Got My Martial Arts Modifier in My Old Age

To the slight surprise of Captain Fang and Captain Ren, Lu Yun did not grow angry after hearing their response. Instead, he gave a slight nod and uttered two words: "Very well."

This ready agreement, however, made both Fang and Ren even more vigilant.

’Something this strange must be a trap!’

Sure enough, Lu Yun’s next words instantly put them on high alert.

"However, before you continue your search, there is something I must take with me."

"It’s just some local specialties shipped from Yanjing City."

Lu Yun spoke as if he were discussing the most ordinary of matters. "Pickled vegetables from the Six-Heart Residence."

"Once, by the grace of the Emperor, I was fortunate enough to be gifted some pickled vegetables from the Six-Heart Residence. After trying them, I found them quite to my taste."

"So, for years now, I’ve asked a few of my nephews on the ship to bring some back for me whenever they pass through, just for a taste."

"These are personal items, unrelated to any business, and they certainly aren’t artifacts. I trust... you two won’t mind, will you?"

’Pickled vegetables from the Six-Heart Residence? Local specialties from Yanjing City brought back by his nephews?’

Hearing this far-fetched excuse, Captain Fang and Captain Ren exchanged a silent glance.

Lu Yun’s story was plausible and seamless. The Six-Heart Residence was indeed a time-honored brand in Yanjing City, famous for its pickled vegetables.

It was also common for emperors of the previous dynasty to bestow specialties from the court or famous shops upon their subjects.

And it was only human for an old man, feeling nostalgic, to ask a relative to bring back some gourmet delicacies from Yanjing City.

But why now? On this cargo ship, under intense scrutiny and suspected of hiding "artifacts from a previous dynasty," Lu Yun himself had come aboard to specifically ask to take away "some local specialties"?

’Are these "local specialties" really just pickled vegetables?’

’Could they be the very Zulong Dynasty artifacts they had been searching for in vain?’

’If they agreed to let Lu Yun take them, and what was hidden inside turned out to be the Zulong Dynasty artifacts, there would be no way for them to explain this to their superiors!’

Although Captain Fang had already rejected Lu Yun’s request in his mind without hesitation, he maintained a respectful smile. "Lord Lu, you may not be aware of this, sir."

"According to the regulations of our department, during an investigation, all cargo on the ship, including personal luggage, must be temporarily sealed for inspection, just in case."

"Lord Lu, as you can see, this puts me in a very difficult position."

However, the faint smile on Lu Yun’s face slowly vanished, and his gaze grew increasingly calm—a calm that sent a chill down one’s spine.

"Difficult?"

"So, there’s no room for discussion?"

This one simple sentence instantly made the hair on Captain Fang and Captain Ren’s bodies stand on end.

The two were elites from the department’s operations team, with lightning-fast reflexes and a perfect rapport.

SHING! SHING!

Two black shapes flashed from their waists almost simultaneously—a pair of jet-black, gleaming, and excellently maintained pistols.

And they ruthlessly aimed the muzzles at Lu Yun, who stood no more than three meters away.

Only then did the auras they had deliberately suppressed suddenly transform, becoming sharp and formidable. They were, in fact, two experts at the late-stage of Anjin!

It turned out that the Special Investigation Department of the Daxia Ancient Dynasty’s Mysterious Artifacts had internal divisions.

One part consisted of "ordinary civil servants" who often appeared in public, handled regular artifact affairs, and might even include some who were merely occupying their posts without contributing.

The other part consisted of special operations members like Captain Fang and Deputy Captain Ren, who were specifically responsible for investigating historical secrets, Martial Arts legacies, or relics with special powers related to the Zulong Dynasty and even more ancient dynasties.

Therefore, every one of them possessed extraordinary skills, almost all of them experts at the Dark Force level. They just usually remained hidden behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, the "tough nut" they encountered today was clearly beyond the capabilities of those at the "late-stage Anjin" level.

Facing a Grandmaster of Huajin, they didn’t dare to be the least bit overconfident, immediately resorting to the most direct and effective deterrent.

Firearms! "Beyond seven steps, the gun is fast. Within seven steps, the gun is both fast and accurate!"

"Lord Lu, please, calm your anger! Hear us out!"

Captain Fang’s gun hand was steady as a rock. He pleaded, "This is not a matter our Yun Port City department wanted to pursue! The order came directly from the Yanjing City headquarters! They specifically named this ship and this cargo!"

"The people sent from Yanjing are arriving in Yun Port City tomorrow! If we let you take anything today, even if it’s just a jar of ’pickled vegetables,’..."

...the two of us, and indeed the entire Yun Port City department, will be unable to bear the consequences. We won’t be able to answer for it!"

"I found it!!!"

Just at that tense standoff, a voice filled with excitement, even getting a little carried away, rang out from over the side of the ship.

"Captain Fang! Deputy Captain Ren! HAHAHAHA! With my, Lei Yaoyang’s, brilliant mind, of course I’d find it here! It was hidden so damn well!"

Following the voice, a wet, chubby hand shot up from below the ship’s rail, gripping the edge of the deck tightly.

Immediately after, another hand struggled to lift a small, ordinary-looking but tightly sealed wooden box, about a foot square.

The head of a chubby man with a fleshy face, dripping hair, and looking to be in his mid-twenties, struggled to pop up over the rail.

He was another member of the department’s operations team, "Little Fatty" Lei Yaoyang.

Lei Yaoyang’s face was purplish-blue from soaking in the cold river water for a long time. He was still muttering curses. "Made me soak in the water down there for half the day. Shit, I’m about to freeze to death..."

But the moment he saw the scene on the deck, his stream of curses came to an abrupt halt.

Little Fatty Lei Yaoyang’s smile froze on his face. He saw the standoff between Captain Fang and Deputy Captain Ren.

He also saw the guns in their hands aimed at a mysterious old man, and even more, he saw that old man’s terrifyingly calm eyes.

Time seemed to stretch on forever in that moment....

The instant Captain Fang and Captain Ren heard Lei Yaoyang’s voice, their hearts sank. ’This is bad!’ they thought.

And when they saw the small wooden box the fatty was holding up, their pupils constricted.

’That’s probably what we’ve been looking for!’

Immediately after, alarm bells screamed in the minds of both Captain Fang and Captain Ren.

’Danger! Extreme danger!!!’

Sure enough! In that split second, Lu Yun moved!

A fierce wind howled past! That was no ordinary gust from a fist, but a terrifying Qi condensed to its absolute limit!

Captain Fang and Captain Ren’s vision blurred, and it felt as if their wrists, the ones holding the guns, had been violently struck by an invisible hammer.

An utterly irresistible force slammed into them, accompanied by bone-piercing pain and numbness!

"Ah!"

The two grunted simultaneously, their fingers instantly losing all control, unable to hold on any longer.

CLATTER! CLATTER!

The two pistols flew from their grasp and fell directly onto the hard deck.

Before they could even react, Lu Yun had closed the distance, appearing before them like a phantom!

The old man’s majestic face was reflected in their wide, horrified eyes.

GULP...

The two instinctively swallowed, their Adam’s apples bobbing. In the face of such absolute speed and power, everything else seemed pale and futile.

They only had time to follow their most basic defensive instincts, yanking their arms up to cross them in front of their chests.

BOOM!!!

An incredibly muffled but immense boom exploded across the deck!

Lu Yun’s fists, striking almost as one, landed squarely on the crossed arms of Captain Fang and Captain Ren.

The two men felt an indescribable, savage force slam into them, instantly shattering the defense of their arms.

Then they both spat out a mouthful of blood, their bodies flying backward like kites with their strings cut.

CRASH! CLATTER!

Their bodies smashed through simple wooden racks stacked with cargo, sent mooring posts flying, and finally came to a stop after slamming heavily into the thick wooden wall of the ship’s cabin.

On the deck, Lu Yun tilted his head slightly, his eyes turning to the dumbfounded Little Fatty Lei Yaoyang, who was frozen in place holding the wooden box.

"Little Fatty, you’ve taken something of mine."

"Now, would you mind... giving it back to me?"

Little Fatty Lei Yaoyang was scared out of his wits by that gaze and those words. He instantly squeezed out a sycophantic smile that was uglier than a crying face and began to nod and bow obsequiously.

"Ahahaha... My apologies! Truly, my apologies! Sorry, sorry!"

"Grandpa! Grandpa! It was my fault for being nosy! I was blind and didn’t recognize a great man! I’ll give it back to you right now! Right now!"

As he spoke, he cautiously lifted the small, sealed wooden box high with both hands. Then, he scurried over to Lu Yun in a series of quick, mincing steps and presented the box with the utmost respect.

"Grandpa, your property is returned to its rightful owner! Please, whatever you do, don’t hit me! I might look fleshy, but I can’t take a hit. I’m really scared of pain!"