"Monk, is there a secret to quickly increasing your martial arts skills?"

After the Tianmen Sect members dispersed, Shui Yuntian leaned against the door frame and asked this question seemingly unintentionally.

He hadn't expected a young monk like Xiang Wan to answer. Unexpectedly, Xiang Wan actually gave him the answer he wanted.

"Yes, it's up to you whether you're willing to give it up."

Xiang Wan spoke earnestly, but Shui Yuntian hesitated, "Monk, if such a technique truly exists, why don't you use it yourself?"

"Because, I am a monk."

"Can't monks use it?" Shui Yuntian's curiosity was piqued, and he pressed for details, "What kind of technique is it? What are the conditions?"

Xiang Wan smiled slightly and said, "The Sunflower Manual requires one to castrate oneself before practicing it."

"Monk!"

Shui Yuntian's lips twitched, and with a livid face, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

He was angry, angry at himself for having such unrealistic expectations of the monk, only to be tricked again.

Xiang Wan raised an eyebrow. It was still the familiar Shui Yuntian. Sure enough, this kind of person was easier to get along with.

Over the next few days, besides practicing their skills, they spent their time gathering information. Whether it was about the imperial court or the martial arts world, they wanted to hear anything that seemed unusual.

Sometimes, it is those seemingly insignificant little events that, when strung together, can reveal the hidden truth behind them, even if we do not know what the parties involved are thinking.

Among the numerous messages, one or two actually caught Shui Yuntian's attention.

The first thing was that the strong laborers who had built the city walls were recently re-employed and sent to a place near the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to build civilian defense housing.

The Southern Moon Kingdom and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty have maintained a peaceful coexistence agreement for many years, with no major conflicts in recent years and no significant actions from the court. Sending such a large entourage, even if not intending to wage war, would likely be met with considerable apprehension from the Eastern Zhou, who would surely send envoys to the Southern Moon Kingdom to inquire. The strange thing is that the Eastern Zhou remains indifferent to this matter.

The second thing is that there seems to be a significant increase in civilian boats on the western waterways. The people simply assume that the imperial court has opened the ferry crossings, allowing them to fish freely and increasing trade with the Western Mu Kingdom.

Anything that increases income is considered a good thing by ordinary people. Therefore, the people living near the water greatly admired the government's move.

Xiang Wan certainly knew what was going on, but it would be difficult for Shui Yuntian to understand the deeper meaning behind it. Because at this moment, in Shui Yuntian's heart, there was probably nothing more important than revenge.

A month later, Shui Yuntian had completed his arrangements. Only then did he approach Xiang Wan and ask her to meet Cong Yan.

As Yue Manan said, Congyan is indeed not old, and even looks very young, which shows that he must have taken good care of himself or cultivated himself well.

The cultivation methods in this world cannot guarantee immortality, but they can make people energetic and, if practiced properly, can even preserve their youthful appearance.

Faced with someone who looked not much older than herself, Xiang Wan simply couldn't reconcile him with the high-ranking general. However, this person was indeed Cong Yan; the system wouldn't lie to her.

"I heard you wanted to see me."

Cong Yan went straight to the point, and Shui Yuntian must have been pulling strings behind the scenes.

"General, this humble monk Liaokong has an item that I would like to have your inspection."

Xiang Wan didn't delay and placed the things Yue Manan had given her directly on the stone table in front of her.

When Congyan saw that thing, his expression changed from initial surprise and doubt to trembling with excitement in just a moment.

"Where did you get this from?"

"Amitabha! What a coincidence! General, is there anything you wish to say to this humble monk?"

Since Yue Manan didn't explain anything, it naturally falls to the person who saw it.

Seeing Xiang Wan's composure, Cong Yan, though puzzled, still asked, "Do you know what this is?"

"I would like to hear the details."

Then, Xiang Wan heard another story: how a person blinded by desire rose from an insignificant scholar to a position powerful enough to overturn the entire Southern Moon Kingdom.

"So, what are your plans next, General?"

"Please enter the urn."

"As for the king..."

"Once everything is settled, I will speak with the King."

Xiang Wan nodded, bid farewell, and left.

After that, Xiang Wan no longer cared about how Shui Yuntian plotted with Cong Yan. What she needed to do was to try her best to restore Shui Yuntian's skills to their former level, and even improve them further.

This was a calamity the original owner couldn't escape, and she couldn't avoid it either.

The night before the operation, Xiang Wan used a sleeping potion to knock Shui Yuntian unconscious and transferred all her power to him. In this way, she would no longer owe him anything. The original owner's wish would then be much easier to fulfill.

Half a month later, as dawn broke, Shui Yuntian ran to Xiang Wan's room, wanting to find out what was going on.

Xiang Wan meditated all night, and when he opened his eyes, he was still full of energy.

"Liao Sha, didn't you ask me how to improve your skills? If you can return safely today, I will tell you."

"Monk, you foresaw that I would die today, so last night you returned the cultivation you had taken from me. Why?"

“Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha said, it cannot be spoken.”

Shui Yuntian punched a pillar in the room, and the cracks spread upwards at a visible speed. With just a little more force, the house would probably collapse.

“To kill, to murder a monk who is also one’s master, would be a sin against Buddha.”

"Then let's go and apologize together."

There was a stubbornness in Shui Yuntian's eyes. In Xiang Wan's view, he wanted to drag her down with him even if it meant his own death.

"good!"

Xiang Wan's answer was crisp and clear, leaving Shui Yuntian momentarily stunned.

Let's go.

Xiang Wan left without hesitation. She got up and went to the door, flicked off non-existent dust from the hem of her clothes, and said, "Such a grand scene is perfect for this humble monk to perform a ritual to help the departed souls pass on and accumulate merit for the future. Don't worry, if it's you, considering that we've known each other for a while, this humble monk can chant the Soul-Soothing Mantra a few more times for you."

Although the words were unpleasant, Shui Yuntian's heart inexplicably calmed down.

It's so nice to have someone with me!

Along the way, everything was the same as usual. Some people were busy making a living, while others were worried about the future. When they arrived at that inconspicuous little courtyard, they found that many experts had already surrounded it.

When Xiang Wan and Shui Yuntian arrived, those people did not stop them.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, a slender figure stood in the middle of the courtyard, gazing intently at a locust tree in the corner, as if there was something priceless there that he could never get enough of looking at.

Shui Yuntian's hands trembled slightly.

Especially when that person turned around, Shui Yuntian's eyes were already bloodshot, and his uncontrollable hatred was about to burn out the last thread of his reason.

Xiang Wan rose, stepped over Shui Yuntian, holding a string of beads, and said to the man, "Amitabha, benefactor, Buddha has invited you to meet today. What do you think?"

"Ha, hahaha, you're a monk?"

A look of contempt and disdain flashed in the man's eyes. He then put his hands together and said, "I respect Buddha but do not believe in Buddha. What can Buddha do to me?"