I'll write a manual called the Sunflower Manual, and the entire martial arts world will turn in

Great Qian Wilderness Thunder City, Wuqiao Town.

The night rain was torrential.

The distant shouts of fighting gangs could still be faintly heard. Every household in the town had long since closed their doors and turned off their lights, fearing to attract the fleeing bandits. Only the Moxiang Bookstore at the end of the red-light district was still lit.

Xie An huddled on a bench in the bookstore's living room, holding a chipped earthenware bowl. The porridge in the bowl was so thin that it reflected his pale, thin face. This was his and his sister's dinner.

"Brother, eat quickly, the porridge will get cold soon."

Xie Yu, the younger sister, stuffed the last pancake into Xie An's bowl and drank her thin porridge herself. "The Dragon King Gang's incense money has increased by 30% again. Father was forced to work on the canal gang's boats to raise money, and he hasn't come back yet. Brother Zhao Hu from town said... Father was attacked by a water monster."

Xie An took a bite of the flatbread, the dry, hard bread scraping against his throat and making it sore. He had to gulp down several mouthfuls of unsalted porridge before he could barely swallow it.

Three days ago, he was eating hot pot and singing with his friends at a roadside night market when suddenly an out-of-control Dayun heavy truck rushed over. When he opened his eyes again, he had become Xie An, a boy with the same name in Wuqiao Town.

"The old lady next door, Zhang, was sold to a brothel yesterday because she didn't pay the incense money. The old lady cried until she went blind. Li Erniu from the east of town ran away overnight to avoid paying the incense money, but he was caught by Scarface Liu, who broke his leg and forced him to beg in the next town."

Brother, Dad's gone. We won't be able to pay for the incense offerings in four days. How are we going to survive?

Xie An ate the flatbread in large bites, feeling an indescribable sense of unease.

After three days of adjustment, Xie An had a general idea of ​​his situation.

Several martial arts gangs were entrenched outside Huanglei City, while Wuqiao Town belonged to the Dragon King Gang. In addition to paying taxes to the government, the villagers were also required to pay a monthly donation to the Dragon King Gang based on the number of people.

Previously, each person received one hundred coins per month, which was enough to make ends meet.

The price has now risen to 130 coins. Although the increase may not seem like much, it has actually become the last straw that broke the camel's back for the villagers.

My father worked as a clerk in the government office in Huanglei City in his early years. He had a conflict with the clan and later opened this bookstore in Wuqiao Town, making a living by printing and selling books and writing letters. He hoped that Xie An would pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, bringing glory to the family.

Unexpectedly, the amount of money required for offerings kept increasing, leaving my father with no choice but to join the canal gangs as a merchant, hoping to make a quick buck...

The original owner of this body also died three days ago after learning of her father's "bad news" and under immense pressure.

After traveling for three days, Xie An had considered how to get out.

Not only is there chaos and turmoil outside, but the Dragon King Gang's lackeys are also watching everywhere. Running away is definitely not an option.

Without his father's income to support him, taking the imperial examinations was clearly unrealistic.

In times of chaos, the best way to change one's fate is naturally to practice martial arts.

However, the Yongsheng Martial Arts School in town charges ten taels of silver for a six-month course of training, which Xie An cannot afford. Moreover, Xie An is now seventeen years old, his physical development is complete, and he has long passed the golden age for martial arts training.

After dinner, Xie Yu took the dishes to the stove to wash them, occasionally letting out soft sobs. "I heard that the pleasure boats at the town's water lantern dock are looking for people. Madam Jin revealed that if you sign a contract of servitude, you can get ten taels of silver..."

Xie An looked at Xie Yu, who was wearing a tattered and patched plain dress, by the stove, and his heart clenched painfully.

Xie Yu is only fourteen years old.

If it weren't for Xie Yu's constant care over the past three days, Xie An wouldn't be alive today.

"Don't say that, your brother has hands and feet."

Xie An offered a word of comfort, then walked to the bookshelf beside him, stacked a loose pile of books on it, and rubbed the dust accumulated on the spines with his fingertips.

These past few days, the Dragon King Gang and the outsider "Money Gang" have been fighting fiercely, and there's not a soul to be seen on the streets. Who would be in the mood to buy books?

In times of chaos, everyone is focused on learning martial arts to protect themselves; who still cares about studying the classics?

If the bookstore had sold martial arts manuals instead of classics and historical texts, it wouldn't be in such a sorry state...

Just then, a few lines of small subtitles appeared before his eyes.

[Martial Arts Treasury System]

[Author: Xie An]

[Treasure Vault Level: Lv0]

[Introduction: You possess the names of all the martial arts techniques you've heard of in your past life. Simply write down their names, and they will materialize into a book.]

Xie An blinked, but the writing did not disappear.

This is... a cheat code.

As a seasoned bookworm, Xie An had a vast number of martial arts names in his mind.

You can write it out by selecting a name...

It's good.

But I don't have much talent for martial arts, and I'm past the age for it.

What's the use of this cheat code?

As if understanding his thoughts, the subtitles changed again:

[The martial arts techniques within this library do not belong to this realm. If you copy them and pass them down, and others master them, it will be considered as if you have mastered them, and your attribute points will be increased accordingly.]

[Given that the treasure vault's level is too low, it can only absorb feedback from the top three users.]

Current martial arts level: None

[Current Martial Arts Skill: None]

【Strength: 0.5】

【Spirit: 0.5】

【Speed: 0.5】

"This works?"

Xie An's heart skipped a beat. His gaze swept across the treasure vault, where he found a yellowed book lying all alone.

"It looks pretty good. My family owns a bookstore. I'll print a hundred or so copies and distribute them throughout the land. Surely a few lucky ones... oh no, I mean, destined ones will learn it. If I master martial arts through this, finding a job in this world won't be a problem, and I might even rise to prominence."

"Let's see what kind of martial art this is."

Xie An clicked on the page of the book with a thought, then stared in disbelief:

The Sunflower Manual

Turning to the title page, one is greeted by those sixteen shocking characters:

If you want to practice miraculous skills, you can draw a sword from the palace; you can make alchemy and take medicine, and you can understand both inside and outside.

"Holy crap... who would practice this kind of weird martial art? Are they out of their mind...?"

"Couldn't you give me something more normal? Don't you have anything like the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms or the Nine Swords of Dugu?"

Xie An cursed inwardly.

But then he thought about it again, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"I was too narrow-minded! This isn't my past life; this is a martial arts fantasy world."

First there was Uncle Dongfang, rising in the east, undefeated; then there was the Gentleman Swordsman, his fingers twirling like orchids… In this world, what kind of madman hasn't been driven to power? Perhaps there's even a desperate, ruthless character who wants to defy fate!

Besides, he has no other choice but to take this path right now.

"Xiaoyu, come and grind the ink!"

Xie An sat down at the long table, brought up the system panel, and, referring to the first part of the "Sunflower Manual," picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write with great flourish on the Xuan paper.

—To master divine skills, one must castrate oneself; to refine elixirs and take medicine, one can achieve harmony between the internal and external.

The current method of Qi cultivation is nothing more than visualization and guidance. In the vast emptiness, heaven and earth separate into pure and turbid, giving birth to humankind… Qi is the master of life, form is the function of the body. Heaven and earth can be reversed, and humans also have the way of mutual transformation between men and women. This way must not be lightly transmitted. To cultivate this skill, one must first cultivate the mind, so that the mind is free from distracting thoughts and transcends worldly concerns. If the mind is filled with distracting thoughts, not only will there be no progress, but there will also be danger to life…

As Xie An wrote, he realized that he could only manifest the first level of the Qi Refining technique at present.

At midnight and noon, calm your mind and focus your energy, visualizing a celestial maiden, guiding the energy along specific meridians, repeating this thirty-six times. After practicing this for one hundred days, you may have the complexion of an infant…

"Fine, the first level it is. Anyway, I'm not the one getting cut."

These are all mutually agreeable transactions; those who are willing will take the bait.

It was a long and fluent piece of over a thousand words, written in one go.

After finishing his writing, Xie An let out a long sigh and gently blew the ink away.

Xie Yu, who was standing nearby, came over and, upon seeing the eight large characters at the beginning, turned pale with shock: "Brother! What did you write? How can it teach people... teach people to self-harm?"

"You're too young to understand."

Xie An scoffed and then fell into deep thought.

Only one step remains.

How can we publicize this hot potato?

If it were written by an unknown person, probably no one would care, let alone practice such a devastating skill. It needs a resounding name to maintain its prestige.

"By the way, Xiaoyu, are there any powerful figures in the martial arts world who are currently making waves? Or... a great demon?"

Xie Yu grew up on the edge of the martial world, and through his experiences, he had heard all sorts of rumors: "A few days ago, I heard a storyteller in a teahouse say that a female demon has appeared in Cangzhou, known as the 'Red Serpent Fairy.' It is said that she is a master of the Great River Sword Technique, and has slaughtered half of the martial world in Cangzhou, leaving rivers of blood flowing. The government has offered a reward of ten thousand taels of silver, but they still can't catch her."

Red Serpent Fairy?

Cangzhou is four thousand miles away from here, far from the emperor's reach, and besides, they are all female demons, so they probably wouldn't care about having a few more stains on their records.

Just you!

Xie An picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote heavily at the end: "Written personally by the Red Serpent Fairy"

"Xiaoyu, go and make forty copies. Be quick, and make the handwriting look messy, showing a bit of madness."

Xie Yu looked bewildered: "Brother, what are you trying to do? This is going to get you into trouble!"

"Do as instructed! The rain is heavy tonight, a perfect time to act. I'm going to change my clothes." After giving his orders, Xie An turned and went into the inner room.

He changed into a tight-fitting black outfit, covered his face with a black cloth, and wore a straw hat with the brim pulled low, looking exactly like a night assassin.

When Xie Yu returned to the hall, he had already printed all forty-one secret manuals and stacked them into a pile.

"Guard the door, and no matter what noise you hear, do not open it."

Xie An gave a word of advice, grabbed the stack of Xuan paper still smelling of ink, and pushed open the door to go out.

"Brother! I heard that a new 'Money Gang' has arrived outside, and they're fighting the Dragon King Gang for territory. At night, it's full of bloodthirsty desperados..." Xie Yu shouted anxiously from behind.

"understood."

Xie An didn't look back and plunged headlong into the torrential rain.

Did he not know the dangers of the night? But there is never a foolproof plan to turn things around in this chaotic world.

He had barely stepped out of his house when a torrential downpour soaked him to the bone.

The streets were deserted and silent on a rainy night, with only the occasional sound of horses' hooves pounding through the puddles—the sound of patrolling gang members or traveling wanderers.

Xie An held his breath and moved like a cat along the wall, avoiding several groups of men on horseback.

He worked swiftly, stuffing copies of the "Sunflower Manual" into the cracks of doors in every household, especially at the entrances of several martial arts schools and security escort agencies, where he stuffed in extra copies, and even slapped them directly in the center of the gate.

After doing all this, Xie An opened the system panel.

[41 copies of "The Sunflower Manual" have been distributed.]

"This system can even count the number of portions in real time; it's quite thoughtful. Now, let's see which 'hero' is willing to castrate themselves in pursuit of martial arts..."

When I got home again, it was past midnight.

"Brother! You're soaked to the bone! Quick, I'll go boil some water. Don't catch a cold!"

When Xie Yu saw Xie An, who was soaked to the bone, his eyes reddened with heartache, and he hurriedly ran to the kitchen to start a fire.

Xie An followed him into the kitchen, sat down in front of the stove, took off his wet clothes, and warmed himself by the firelight.

In this world, medical care is scarce. Ordinary people can only tough it out when they catch a cold, and if they get pneumonia, they basically have one foot in the grave.

In addition, the original owner of this body was already physically weak from years of working at a desk, and Xie An didn't want to die of illness so soon after transmigrating.

While they were warming themselves by the fire, Xie An solemnly instructed, "Xiaoyu, keep what happened tonight a secret. Don't mention it to anyone, not even Brother Zhao Hu."

Children from poor families mature early. Although Xie Yu was only fourteen years old, he was very sensible and nodded emphatically: "Brother, I know what I'm doing."

Soon the water boiled, and Xie An carried the wooden bucket to the eaves in the courtyard to quickly wash himself and change into dry clothes.

Back in that cramped bedroom, I lay on the hard bed, lost in thought.

The original owner had some basic knowledge of martial arts in her memories.

In this world, people believe in rigorous training, especially during the coldest and hottest days of winter. Ordinary people start practicing martial arts from a young age, honing their stances and tempering their hands and feet. After three to five years of arduous training, combined with medicinal baths, they can develop skin as tough as old cowhide.

It is impervious to ordinary scratches, unaffected by heat or cold, and strong enough to lift a heavy weight.

This is the skin membrane realm warrior.

An average expert in martial arts could easily take down five or six strong men with his bare hands. Such a person would be in high demand, working as a bodyguard in a wealthy household or as a thug in a gang.

The scarred Liu who drove his father to his death was said to be a roughneck who had just begun to grasp the basics.

If I could use this "Martial Arts Treasury System" to become a skin-membrane martial artist, I would not only have a means of making a living, but I would also be able to stand tall in this chaotic world and no longer have to be beholden to Scarface Liu.

But I'm past the age of practicing martial arts, and I don't know if the "Sunflower Manual" is really effective...

Just as I was pondering this, the subtitles on the system panel suddenly started flashing.

[Hint: Chen Da, a lazy bum from Wuqiao Town, has developed a strong interest in the "Sunflower Manual".]

Ok?

It can sense that too?

Isn't Chen Da a notorious pickpocket in town?

A few days ago, he stole Scarface Liu's concubine's private money, was caught on the spot, had both legs broken, and was thrown into a dilapidated temple in the middle of nowhere like a dead dog.

Could it be that this fellow is desperate and has turned to the Sunflower Manual as a lifeline?

"It all depends on whether Chen Da has the ruthlessness..."

Xie An felt little remorse. In this world where human life was cheap, the Sunflower Manual was, in fact, a glimmer of hope for those in despair.

Xie An stared intently at the panel, as if he could feel the dying young man in the dilapidated temple even through the distance.

Struggle, hesitation, despair, and then madness...

About half an hour later.

The handwriting on the panel suddenly changed—

[Chen Da has already castrated himself!]

[Attribute points gained: 0.01 (can be allocated to Strength, Speed, or Spirit as desired)]

[Sunflower Manual Progress +1]

[Sunflower Manual Level 1: 1/100]

hiss--!

Even from a distance, Xie An felt a phantom pain somewhere, and involuntarily clenched his legs together.

This guy is ruthless...