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

Xie An stood at the entrance of the bookstore, watching the departing figures of Tong Shan and his group, his eyes gradually darkening.

Having lived two lives, Xie An keenly perceived—

This Tongshan is different from the one-eyed scarred Liu from before; he's no ordinary bandit. His sharp, steady eyes and decisive decisions reveal that Tongshan is quite cunning.

It's possible that this scoundrel has already become suspicious of me.

Although Xie An had done his killings of Scarface Liu and One-Eyed Dragon's gangs discreetly, they were not discovered.

However, I happened to rise to prominence during this period and was one of the "biggest beneficiaries".

It's inevitable that people will suspect something.

But Xie An did not think he had done anything wrong.

I am not God, how can I dispel the doubts in other people's hearts?

Are you suggesting I have to lie prone for the rest of my life just to avoid arousing suspicion?

All you need to do is leave no evidence.

Now that he's a formal disciple of the martial arts school, relying on its powerful backing, Tongshan would never dare to publicly challenge him without evidence.

But it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow.

"I need to be more cautious in my actions from now on. Also... I need to grow stronger as soon as possible. In the end, it's because I'm not strong enough. If I were strong enough, let alone killing Scarface Liu the One-Eyed, I could openly slaughter the Dragon King Gang and no one would dare to say anything."

Click.

Xie An closed the courtyard gate and returned to the living room.

Xie Yu then peeked her head out of the room. "Brother, who is that giant?"

Xie An said listlessly, "It's from the Dragon King Gang, their name is Tongshan. They came to take over from One-Eyed Dragon to collect incense money. But when they learned that I had become a formal disciple of Yongsheng Martial Arts School, they were quite polite and told us that we no longer need to pay incense money."

Xie Yu was shocked to hear this. "From now on, our family won't have to pay incense money anymore!?"

It's no wonder Xie Yu was so surprised.

She had grown up here since childhood, accustomed to the Dragon King Gang's tyranny in this area, and used to bowing and scraping to pay incense money every month. Now, the sudden abduction of the family's incense money naturally shocked her immensely.

The reason for this... is that my brother became a formal disciple of the martial arts school.

As she thought about it, Xie Yu began to sob softly.

Xie An felt sorry for her and quickly went over to comfort her, "Xiaoyu, what's wrong?"

Xie Yu wiped away her tears, "Since I was little, I've watched my parents brave wind and rain to earn money for incense every month, and our family lived a life of constant fear and hardship. Now that my brother has become successful and has relieved the family of the incense money, I'm so happy."

Xie An pulled his younger sister into his arms. "Things will get better from now on. But that Tongshan bandit group is no ordinary bandit group. I'm afraid they'll suspect me. From now on, don't go out alone."

"Yes, I know."

"You should rest early, I'm going to practice my kung fu for a while." Xie An felt that the effects of the medicine from the Qi and Blood Dispersing Powder in his body had not been fully digested, so he went to the courtyard to continue practicing the Dragon Subduing Form of Bajiquan.

With the addition of Qi and Blood Powder, the effects of practicing Qigong are doubled.

We can't waste it.

Xie An continued practicing until midnight, only stopping when the last trace of the medicine had been absorbed into his body.

【Bajiquan Subduing Dragon: 15/100】

"I've improved my progress by two points again. This Qi and Blood Powder is really a good thing. If I can take it every day, I'll be able to master the Dragon Subduing Style in less than a month. In the end, it's still because I'm poor."

"However, taking drugs has certain side effects. Taking them occasionally is fine, but you can't take them every day. Otherwise, even if it doesn't damage your bones and muscles, your body will always be in a state of forced growth, which can easily lead to an unstable foundation and damage your health."

Xie An opened the control panel.

[Martial Arts Treasury System]

[Author: Xie An]

[Treasure Vault Level: Lv0]

[Current Martial Arts Realm: Skin Membrane Realm]

[Current Martial Art: Sunflower Manual, Level 1, 100/100]

【Strength: 2.5】

【Spirit: 1.15】

【Speed: 1.2】

[Attribute Points: 0]

[The Sunflower Manual includes 3 characters (Chen Lutang, Zhang Long, Liu Wei)]

[Zhang Long's Sunflower Manual, Level 1: 31/100]

[Liu Wei's Sunflower Manual, Level 1: 19/100]

Chen Lutang's Sunflower Manual, Level 1: 98/100

[Bajiquan (Supporting Hammer: 100/100), (Dragon Subduing: 15/100)]

"Zhang Long and Liu Wei's progress in the Sunflower Manual has each increased by one point. Chen Lutang's progress has not increased. Today, Zhan Ping told me that Chen Lutang is in seclusion at the Shougong Hall, probably because the last two points are difficult to progress. I hope Chen Lutang can quickly master the first level, so that I can also unlock the second level of the Sunflower Manual."

After more than a month of practical experience, Xie An clearly felt that the Sunflower Manual's Qi cultivation method was constantly improving his physical constitution.

If one masters the second level...

Xie An simply couldn't imagine it.

The next morning, Xie An changed into the brocade robe of a formal disciple of the martial arts school and took Xie Yu to the kitchen in the backyard of the school.

Before leaving, Xie An instructed Xie Yu, "Don't go home alone tonight. Wait for me to come and pick you up."

"Yes, I'll wait for my brother here."

After bidding farewell to Xie Yu, Xie An arrived at the martial arts training ground in the front yard, where he saw Li Shengnan standing out from the crowd from afar.

Today, Li Shengnan was dressed in a gray, tight-fitting outfit, with two axes at her waist, standing in the crowd like a door god. The surrounding people made way for her, and the apprentices didn't dare approach this violent woman at all.

Many apprentices, however, watched and discussed from afar.

Li Shengnan paid no attention to the gossip of others. Upon seeing Xie An, the cold expression on her face immediately melted away, and she strode forward, saying, "Junior Brother Xie An, you've finally arrived."

Xie An cupped his hands in greeting: "I just took my younger sister to the kitchen in the backyard. I'm sorry to have kept Senior Sister Li waiting."

"It's alright, I just arrived too. Now that you've broken through your cultivation barrier, you don't need to stay in the front courtyard for martial arts lessons. I'll take you to the River and Lake Bureau to report now." Li Shengnan didn't care about the taboo of men and women touching each other and directly took Xie An's arm.

Li Shengnan, who was the same height as Xie An, walked out of the martial arts school gate arm in arm with Xie An, just like a buddy, amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd.

The apprentices behind him sighed in dismay.

"Xie An is really lucky; he's actually gained the favor of Senior Sister Li. I heard he's going to take a temporary post at the River and Lake Management Office. That's a government job, and he's bound to rise through the ranks from now on."

"That's right. Only by breaking through the skin barrier can one make a name for oneself in this world. He's only been here for a month."

"Stop being envious, focus on practicing martial arts. One day, when you break through the Pi Jian barrier, we'll have that opportunity too."

"That's true. No more rest, let's practice martial arts."

"..."

In a corner of the training ground, a fierce gaze was fixed on Xie An's departing figure.

It was Wei Dian.

Seeing Li Shengnan chatting and laughing with Xie An made him feel particularly uncomfortable.

Although he was only a minor official in the government office, his future prospects were no worse than Xie An's.

But... Pang Tong always treated him like a dog. How could that compare to the friendliness and warmth Li Shengnan showed Xie An?

The more Wei Dian thought about it, the more unbalanced he felt.

……

Stepping into the golden morning light, we walked through several streets and alleys near Wuqiao Town and arrived near the Water Lantern Wharf.

The Water Lantern Wharf is located at the confluence of the Huai River and the Grand Canal, and is exceptionally bustling.

Near the edge of the dock, in a secluded spot, stands a rather imposing building overlooking the river. Two stone lions guard the entrance, and a plaque hangs in the center of the gatehouse: Wuqiao Town River and Lake Management Office.

There was a guard at the entrance wearing a light blue robe and carrying a knife. When he saw Li Shengnan, he smiled obsequiously and said, "Inspector Li has arrived."

Li Shengnan nodded: "I've found a good candidate for a temporary post at our river management office, and I've brought him along. Is Clerk Zhou among them?"

The constable nodded repeatedly: "The boss is inside. He said there's been a problem, and he's waiting for Inspector Li to arrive."

"understood."

Li Shengnan, arm in arm with Xie An, stepped through the gate and introduced the officials as they walked towards the central courtyard: "Our Wuqiao Town River and Lake Management Office is headed by Inspector Zhou Fu, a proper ninth-rank official of the imperial court. He's one rank higher than the Clerk of Baiyun County. Besides Inspector Zhou, there's also a clerk named Zhou Wu, who is in charge of specific affairs. Zhou Wu is Inspector Zhou Fu's only son, thirty years old, and a martial artist at the Blood Crush Realm. He's a big shot in Wuqiao Town. All the major powers have to give him face."

Besides the clerks, there were ten river soldiers with official government ranks. Most of them were at the muscle-training level. Below the river soldiers were us, the auxiliary soldiers on temporary assignment. Below the auxiliary soldiers were laborers, sluice gate workers, and shallow-water workers, etc.

Xie An carefully noted down this information, wondering, "How many auxiliary soldiers are there on temporary assignments in the Hebo region?"

Li Shengnan tilted her head and thought for a moment, then stopped. "Oh dear, I can't remember the exact number, maybe ten or so. Some were from other martial arts schools. Oh right, there was one named Liu Wei who was quite lively. He was a muscle-training martial artist from the Lei Family Martial Arts School."

As they spoke, the two arrived at a secluded courtyard.

"Junior Brother Xie An, wait for me here. I'll go and report to Clerk Zhou." Li Shengnan instructed him before going inside first.

Before long, Li Shengnan returned, accompanied by a man wearing a light blue black shirt and carrying a knife. He had a buzz cut and a square face, giving off a robust yet steady vibe.

The man sized Xie An up and down, then without saying much, made his decision: "Sheng Nan's recommendation of a promising talent is certainly no mistake, so I won't test him further. He'll receive one dose of Yuan Tang, two doses of Qi Xue San, and three taels of silver per month. If he performs meritorious service in missions, there will be additional rewards. Do you have any further questions?"

"No problem," Xie An readily agreed. But in his heart, he thought to himself: Li Shengnan's influence... is still quite significant.

Zhou Wu was clearly distracted. "Shengnan, take Xie An to collect his uniform, waist token, and weapons. Meet in the front hall in a bit. I don't know what's been going on these past few days; there have been frequent reports of water monsters, and two river patrol soldiers have even died..."

After saying this, Zhou Wu hurriedly left.

Xie An's heart sank.

Water monster?