Chapter 234: No Omission in Calculation, Proceeding Step by Step, Experts in the Court!
Many martial sects held the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual in their hands, finding it useless to study but regretful to abandon it. If they didn’t practice it, their strength would not be strong enough, and they might be wiped out by enemies. However, if they practiced it, they would be restrained by the court and eventually annihilated by the court. No matter what they chose, death seemed inevitable, frustrating them to no end.
As a result, the martial world fell into a strangely calm state.
Shaolin Temple.
“Amitabha!” The old monk’s face was full of admiration. “Indeed, it’s the court. They have researched the method to crack the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual so quickly! It might lead to peace in the martial world, which can be considered a good thing!”
The abbot sighed, “Junior Brother, do you really think the court has truly managed to quickly study the method to crack the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?”
“Senior Brother, what do you mean?” The old monk was puzzled.
“Our Master Uncle, who possesses the strength of a grandmaster, still couldn’t figure out the way to crack the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual. So how could the court have such ability? The truth is, we have all been deceived; we fell into the court’s scheme!”
“Senior Brother…” The old monk remained puzzled.
The abbot’s face showed a bitter smile. “Let me tell you this, the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual was actually deliberately released by the court! They already possessed the manual and naturally had the method to crack it!”
The old monk was shocked. “What? How could that be? Why would the court do this?”
“Of course, it’s to deal with Tianmen, as well as the entire martial world!”
“Junior Brother, listen to my analysis!” The abbot continued, “Initially, the head of Tianmen was planning to hold a martial arts conference to elect the leader of the martial world. The court felt threatened by this, so they issued a decree appointing me as the leader of the martial world, ordering us to deal with Tianmen!”
The old monk nodded.
“However, the matter didn’t end there!”
The abbot held the prayer beads in his hand, took a couple of steps forward, and continued, “Although I became the leader of the martial world and blocked Tianmen’s development path, their strength didn’t weaken in the slightest! So, in order to deal with Tianmen, the court secretly handed the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, a wicked technique, to the head of Tianmen!”
“This technique is incredibly miraculous! After just a few days of cultivation, progress was swift. The head of Tianmen regarded it as a treasure and had all the disciples practice it, rapidly strengthening their power!”
“By doing so, they perfectly played into the court’s intentions! The court made this matter public, labeling the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual as a demonic art and branding Tianmen as a wicked and evil sect. They rallied all the heroes of the world to collectively attack them!”
“And now, as you can see…”
The abbot turned back with a bitter expression. “As the leader of the martial world, Shaolin Temple is a prominent figure, so we had no choice but to be used by the court, gathering all the heroes of the world to besiege Tianmen!”
“As a result, Tianmen was destroyed, and the head of Tianmen vanished without a trace! The martial world suffered heavy losses in this battle, weakening the threat to the court! However, the matter is far from over!”
“After each sect and powerful individual obtained the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, they couldn’t resist practicing it. Once they mastered it, they started attacking each other, causing chaos in the martial world again and significantly reducing their overall strength!”
“When those who cultivated the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual became a threat to the court, they were killed using the cracking method provided by the court!”
“It’s truly a perfectly woven web, with each step connecting to the next!”
The abbot sighed in admiration. “Now, we realize the court’s scheme, but it’s too late! They truly accounted for everything, proceeding step by step. There are experts within the court!”
“Amitabha!” The old monk closed his eyes.
But from his expression, it was evident that his heart was far from calm.
“Junior Brother, it seems we should be more courteous to the court from now on!” The abbot’s face was filled with a bitter smile. “Otherwise, we won’t even know when they’ll plot against us again!”
“Amitabha, Senior Brother, you are absolutely right!” the old monk agreed.
“Amitabha!”
In the region of Northern Hebei, the head of Tianmen soon learned this news. As a highly ambitious and scheming individual, he quickly grasped the whole situation and couldn’t help but exclaim in anger, “Damn it! I’ve been tricked by the court! They used only one Evil-Repelling Sword Manual to destroy Tianmen, which I worked hard to establish over thirty years! Now, I’ve become a wanted man, hunted and killed by others! I will never coexist with them!”
His eyes were filled with boundless killing intent, and he even wanted to march straight to the capital to seek revenge. However, at the critical moment, he restrained himself. The court’s strength was not weak, and if he were to face them alone, he might not get a favorable outcome. If he summoned the two experts from Shaolin and Wudang or the court’s enforcers, it would be disadvantageous for him. “Now is not the time for revenge!”
“When the Sunflower Manual is completed and the Prince of Northern Hebei rises, that will be the time for me to take revenge!”
“For now, I’ll temporarily set aside this account!”
The head of Tianmen returned and began cultivating with closed eyes. At this moment, peace descended once again upon the martial world.
In the capital city, Lin Beifan was still leading everyone in constructing the new city with great enthusiasm. After more than half a month of hard work, they had built over 30,000 houses in the new city, along with the existing cement houses, which had solved the housing problem for nearly 300,000 people.
By this time, it had been a month since the construction of the new city began. Being able to resolve the accommodation issue for 300,000 people in just one month was a miracle no matter where it was placed.
However, Lin Beifan still felt that it was not fast enough. Initially, he had promised to let all the disaster victims move into new houses within two months and build a new city within three months. The current efficiency still did not meet the requirements.
But he wasn’t worried either because the cement factory had expanded its construction, producing more and more cement. People were becoming more skilled in utilizing cement, leading to faster house construction. They would surely be able to let everyone move into new houses within two months!
Within three months, they would undoubtedly be able to build the new city!
“Everyone, let’s work hard! Strive to build the new city and move into new houses before the New Year!” Lin Beifan shouted with great effort.
“Yes, sir!” The people responded and rolled up their sleeves to work harder.
At this time, Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai arrived. Mo Rushuang whispered to Lin Beifan, “Young Master, we just received a letter from the Prince of Northern Hebei!”
Lin Beifan nodded slightly and followed the two to a secluded place.
“What new mission does the Prince of Northern Hebei have for us?” Lin Beifan asked.
Mo Rushuang shook her head. “Young Master, there’s no mission this time! His Highness said that we have worked hard for more than half a year, so he specially rewards us with a martial art technique for us to cultivate diligently.”
“What technique?” Lin Beifan became curious.
“Here it is!” Mo Rushuang took out a handwritten martial art technique and handed it to Lin Beifan.
“The Sunflower Manual?” Lin Beifan frowned. The more he looked at it, the more peculiar it seemed, as if he had seen this martial art technique somewhere before.
Wait a minute, isn’t this the same as the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual he wrote?
Although it has been altered beyond recognition, the core remains the same!
Next to him, Guo Shaoshuai danced with excitement as he said, “Young Master, His Highness said that the Sunflower Manual is an extremely rare and supreme martial art that anyone can practice! In 10 days, one can reach the ninth rank; in three months, the eighth rank; and in one year, the seventh rank! If one possesses outstanding talent, they may even be able to open up all the meridians within two or three years, becoming an unparalleled innate expert!”
“Although I dislike the character of His Highness, he is truly generous this time. He actually decided to reward us with such an excellent martial art technique! I’ve already made up my mind to diligently practice this technique and strive to break through to the innate level within three years!”
As Guo Shaoshuai spoke, he became more and more excited, as if he could already see a bright future ahead.
At this moment, Lin Beifan interjected, “If you practice that, death will be near!”
Guo Shaoshuai was startled, “Young Master, why do you say that?”
“Because it is an evil art no less than the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual!”
Lin Beifan was now completely certain that the Sunflower Manual had been derived from his Evil-Repelling Sword Manual. The core was exactly the same; it was just a different name for the same thing. Normal people might not be able to tell, but as the inventor of the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, how could he not see it?
There were not many people who had the ability to make such alterations, and the head of Tianmen was one of them. He was truly capable of doing such a selfish thing.
Two months without news, and now they found out that the other party had gone to the Prince of Northern Hebei! Moreover, they had come up with such a sinister martial art technique and handed it over to the Prince of Northern Hebei. The situation was becoming more and more intriguing!
“What is evil about this martial art? Why can’t I see it?” Guo Shaoshuai asked, confused.
“Have you heard of the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?” Lin Beifan asked with a smile. Both of them immediately nodded, and Guo Shaoshuai said, “Of course, we know. It was this evil art that caused two great calamities in the martial world, resulting in the decline of the martial arts and heavy losses for each sect! But what does it have to do with the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?”
“Because the Sunflower Manual is actually a modified version of the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual! In other words, it’s essentially the same as the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual!”
Guo Shaoshuai was astonished once again, “How could that be? The Sunflower Manual doesn’t require self-castration, so why do you say it is the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?”
“While practicing the Sunflower Manual indeed doesn’t require self-castration, it will still make you pay a heavy price!”
“What price?”
“The price of losing years of life!” Lin Beifan smiled, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world; gains always come with losses! Practicing this Sunflower Manual will undoubtedly lead to rapid progress, but it’s essentially exchanging your life for it!”
“Practicing to the ninth rank will cost you three to four years of life; reaching the eighth rank will cost you more than ten years! And even if you reach the seventh rank, you may only have three to four good years left! In other words, the faster you progress in cultivation, the faster you’ll die!”
Guo Shaoshuai was drenched in sweat, “Is it true? Is this technique really so sinister?”
“Shaoshuai, I have no grievances with you. Why would I deceive you?” Lin Beifan patted his head.
Mo Rushuang spoke up, “Although Young Master doesn’t practice martial arts, he can still discuss martial principles with two grandmasters. Obviously, he is very knowledgeable about martial arts! Junior Brother, we should listen to Young Master’s words!”
Guo Shaoshuai nodded in agreement; Lin Beifan’s understanding of martial arts had long convinced him.
Lin Beifan continued, “Furthermore, practicing this martial art will make you susceptible to manipulation!”
Both Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai were shocked, “Manipulation… by whom?”
Lin Beifan grinned mischievously, “Whoever gives you this martial art will control you!”
Mo Rushuang and Guo Shaoshuai both exclaimed in unison, “The Prince of Northern Hebei!!!”
