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

The sound of drums and music came with the procession of sedan chair bearers, so loud it hurt people's eardrums.

Xie An looked back and saw a large group of people approaching from the muddy road in the distance, all dressed in the uniforms of the Dragon King Gang and carrying large knives at their waists. Leading the way were several local elders and gentry from Wuqiao Town.

Although Xie An didn't recognize them very well, he could tell from their clothes and age that they were respected elders in the town.

Behind the wealthy and powerful elders were several other distinguished individuals.

Among them was a middle-aged man dressed as a constable, with a broadsword at his waist, exuding an imposing presence. Pang Tong was standing beside this man.

Clearly, this man was Pang Hu, the head constable of the town's small government office.

Liu Wei clicked his tongue in amazement. "The Dragon King Gang is really making a big show of themselves. Even Pang Hu, the head constable of the town's small government office, is following them. This is really giving the Dragon King Gang a lot of face."

Xie An agreed wholeheartedly, staring intently at the large group as they slowly approached the dock.

Standing next to Pang Hu was Mai Qiuyan, and next to her stood a burly middle-aged man in black, Mai Long, the leader of the Cao Gang. Next to Mai Long stood Liu Jiang, and beside Liu Jiang stood a strong middle-aged man, Liu Wenfang, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of Zhenwei镖局 (escort agency).

A minor constable, the chief镖头 of Zhenwei镖局, the leader of the Cao Gang... all these big shots are actually endorsing the Dragon King Gang.

Even though Xie An knew that the Dragon King's Gang was powerful, he didn't realize its strength was this great.

No wonder they dare to exploit the people so brazenly and collect donations.

As the procession moved forward, Xie An saw the large red sedan chair carried by eight men.

This large sedan chair was a full three meters square, larger than Xie An's bedroom. It was carried by eight burly porters, swaying as it approached. Suanpan Chen was standing on the left side of the sedan chair, while on the right stood a young man in a blue brocade robe with a sword at his side, who occasionally spoke to the person inside.

Through the red, semi-transparent sedan curtain, one could vaguely see a slender man sitting dignifiedly inside, but his face was not clearly visible.

Is that the leader of the Dragon King Gang inside?

The number one person in Wuqiao Town?

Xie An couldn't help but look on with curiosity.

Next came the deafening sound of drums and the chilling suona music that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

The eight-bearer sedan chair swayed and wobbled to the center of the dock, where the porters all stopped and the chair was gently lowered to the ground.

"The Dragon King Gang has a lot of heads to take!"

A shrill-voiced member of the gang shouted at the top of his lungs, the sound piercing through the drums and echoing over the Huai River.

The large crowd on the dock immediately stirred.

The fishermen knelt down, the shop assistants bent over, and even the Dragon King Gang members who were maintaining order knelt on one knee.

"Greetings, Master!"

May you be well, sir!

Xie An, watching this scene from afar, felt a slight heaviness in his heart.

Hundreds of people knelt down in unison, like wheat blown down by the wind.

This kind of pomp and circumstance doesn't resemble that of a martial arts gang; it's more like a high-ranking government official on an inspection tour.

Before long, the sedan curtain was lifted.

A hand emerged from within—dry, pale, like a withered branch in autumn, with protruding knuckles and skin so thin that the veins underneath were visible.

A moment later, the person inside the sedan chair slowly stood up, bent over, and stepped out of the sedan chair.

It's a man.

He was wearing a black brocade robe, which looked like it was hanging on a clothes rack because of his thin frame.

His face was so thin it was just skin and bones, his cheekbones were high and prominent, his eyes were sunken, and his chin was as sharp as a cone. His lips were bloodless, and he looked like a dried-up corpse that had crawled out of a coffin, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

Is this Liu Yueshan, who has mastered the hidden strength and swept through Wuqiao Town?

Xie An could hardly believe his eyes.

Some members of the group were sobbing quietly, muttering to themselves:

"Big Head lost his lifespan because of the Dragon King for the sake of our Wuqiao Town, which is why he looks like this."

"The head of the gang is a great philanthropist, a living bodhisattva to us."

Countless villagers followed suit, chanting "Living Bodhisattva."

Having lived two lives, Xie An had long been familiar with this kind of "pseudo-master" packaging, so he didn't find it anything special. He just stared intently at the emaciated figure.

Just then, an old Taoist priest dressed in a yellow robe stepped out from behind the sedan chair.

He wore a purple-gold crown, held a copper coin sword in his left hand, had a Bagua mirror hanging at his waist, and held a stack of yellow paper talismans in his right hand.

The old Taoist priest walked to the altar, slammed the copper coin sword onto the table, lit three incense sticks, and as the smoke curled upwards, he formed hand seals and chanted incantations:

"The Supreme Decree shakes the thunder. Heaven and Earth, the Mysterious Ancestor, the Root of All Qi. Through countless eons of cultivation, I will attain my divine powers."

After saying this, the old Taoist grabbed a handful of talismans, scattered them into the sky, and continued chanting:

"This land and water nurtures all people. The Huai River flows mightily, and the dragon god is divine. In the past, floods caused people to be displaced. Liu Gong, the head of the village, offered his body to the dragon to convey the divine message, and thus the weather became favorable and the crops abundant."

The old Taoist's voice rose and fell, sounding like singing and reciting, with each word drawn out, echoing across the dock.

"Today, on the occasion of the grand river god worship ceremony, people from all directions gather here. We prepare three kinds of sacrificial animals and offer five kinds of grains, burn incense and pray, begging the Dragon King to grant us, the common people, a full meal and peace to our land."

After saying this, the old Taoist picked up the copper coin sword, picked up a talisman, and lit it on the candle. The talisman burst into flames with a "whoosh".

"The Dragon King is fierce and capricious. Years ago, he flooded seven villages, swallowed up fertile fields, displaced people, and left corpses strewn across the land. Fortunately, there was a mortal man named Liu Gong, who, despite his mortal body, carried on the Dragon King's will and willingly served as a messenger to deliver a message to the human world. Since then, the Huai River has been peaceful and free from floods. Fishing boats set out to sea and returned fully loaded. Merchant ships traveled safely and without worry."

"Now, we invite the Dragon King's messenger—Liu Yueshan! To ascend the platform to offer sacrifices to the river and kowtow to the Dragon King!"

The drums and music started again, like a downpour hitting roof tiles.

Liu Qing and Suanpan Chen helped Liu Yueshan walk step by step toward the sacrificial altar.

Xie An stared at that figure from behind, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

It's hard to imagine that the leader of the Dragon King Gang would look like such a dried-up corpse.

Could it be the result of the Money Gang's evil magic?

Yet this seemingly mummy-like person could still rule and control the entire Dragon King Gang, which shows that his methods were extraordinary.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liu Yueshan finally stepped onto the sacrificial altar.

He released his hands, gripped the table, and slowly turned around to face the ten-meter-tall statue of the Dragon King.

The statue stood behind the altar, with a dragon's head and a human body, wearing a red robe, holding a jade tablet, its eyes wide open in anger, and its lacquered surface gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The next moment, Liu Yueshan cut his palm, sprinkled the blood on the image of the Dragon King, and knelt down.

"Believer Liu Yueshan humbly beseeches the Dragon King—to send down a breath of dragon's breath!"

His voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper grinding on an iron plate.

The words had barely left his mouth—

"Buzz!"

The image of the Dragon King suddenly trembled.

Countless people outside the stadium stared wide-eyed, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the audience.

Xie An clearly saw that Fa Xiang lowered his head slightly, his wide-open, angry eyes staring at Liu Yueshan.

Li Shengnan gripped the axe tightly in her hand. Liu Wei dropped his melon seeds on the ground, his mouth agape, forgetting to close it.

next moment--

The mouth of the Dragon King's image slowly opened.

A puff of white mist emerged from Faxiang's mouth, condensing into a white snake that meandered towards Liu Yueshan.

The mist seeped into Liu Yueshan's nostrils, mouth, ears... seeping into his body through every pore.

Then Xie An witnessed an unbelievable scene:

Liu Yueshan's skin looked like an inflated balloon; his withered arms became plump; his twig-like fingers grew flesh; and his nails regained their color.

The flesh on my cheeks has also grown back, my cheekbones are no longer prominent, and my eye sockets are no longer sunken.

His back straightened, and his robe was no longer loose but stretched out, revealing his broad shoulders and thick chest.

In just a few breaths, a dried corpse transformed into a majestic and powerful man.

Xie An, who had been traveling for more than two months, was completely dumbfounded.

This isn't magic.

It's true...

The Dragon King unleashed a breath of dragon fire that could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded!

This chaotic world...does it really harbor demons?!

Amidst the shocked gazes of countless people, Liu Yueshan slowly raised his head.

hum!

An invisible aura emanated from him, causing the incense ash on the altar to fly.

The drumming and music on the dock stopped.

Hundreds of people knelt on the ground, their foreheads touching the ground, shouting things like "Living Bodhisattva" and "Dragon King".

Liu Yueshan raised his hand, exhaled, and spoke:

"Everyone, please rise."

"The Dragon King has already accepted the offerings, and this year the weather will be favorable, and the Huai River will be peaceful."

Only then did the crowd dare to stand up, chanting "Big boss!" and "May the Dragon King protect us!" The voices rose and fell, blending together into a cacophony.

Liu Yueshan smiled broadly: "The Money Gang previously tried to seize this place and even cast a curse on me. I was sincere to the Dragon King, and with a breath of his dragon breath, the curse was broken. Everyone witnessed the scene of bringing the dead back to life and healing the wounded. From now on, everyone in and around Wuqiao Town should worship the Dragon King. And my Dragon King Gang will also pass on the Dragon King's message for generations to come, forever protecting this land of Wuqiao."

Xie An stood at a distance, his hands clenched so tightly in his sleeves that his knuckles turned white.

He almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Dragon King's gang keeps increasing the incense money every month, leaving no way for people to live, and they want to suppress this place forever. How are people supposed to survive...?

But what's with this dragon's breath?

That's terrifying.

He turned to look at Li Shengnan beside him and found that she was equally shocked. "Senior Sister, is there really a Dragon King in this world?"

Li Shengnan shook her head: "I don't know, I've never seen him. But Liu Yueshan was clearly a dried corpse, and the Dragon King's breath brought him back to life... that's a fact. In our martial arts school, only our senior brother travels all over the country with the school master, so just ask him."

Xie An nodded and asked no further questions.

But I always felt like something was off.

Since Liu Yueshan was afflicted by the Money Gang's evil spell two months ago, why didn't he come earlier to ask the Dragon King to send down a breath of dragon fire?

Moreover, he could have come in private.

Why bother with such a large-scale battle?

The more ostentatious the display, the more it suggests an intention to show off, and the underlying reason is often a sense of insecurity.

It's the same principle as Chen Lutang leaving a handprint on the bronze monument in front of Yong Sheng Martial Arts School.

Xie An had a feeling that this big boss was probably not as strong as he seemed. Perhaps he had some hidden injuries, or some other secrets that no one knew about.

Just then, a deafening roar of laughter echoed from afar:

"Hahaha, what ability do I have as the leader of the Dragon King Gang? All I do is play tricks to fool the people."