’Golden Body Cross Training Skill? A superior, high-grade Cultivation Technique?’

Wu Liangchen’s heart leaped with joy when he saw the two prompts.

He hadn’t expected the stone, engraved with sutras and mantras, to hold such a wonderful surprise.

The problem was, Wu Liangchen’s Life Fire count was severely lacking. He was a long way from the required seventy-eight wisps.

’Does this mean I have to carry this thing around everywhere, just like that monk?’

Wu Liangchen frowned and circled the stone twice. It was covered in scriptures he couldn’t read, with no information about the Golden Body Cross Training Skill whatsoever.

’Is it not on the surface, but hidden inside the stone?’

But Wu Liangchen was afraid of being wrong. If he shattered the stone, he might lose the ability to deduce the technique.

With this in mind, Wu Liangchen decided not to act for the time being. He picked up the stone, hid it in a tree hollow, and camouflaged the opening, leaving a mark.

That way, he could still find it even if it snowed heavily.

As for the monk’s body, Wu Liangchen simply tossed it off a cliff and tidied up the scene.

It was unlikely there were more pursuers, but there was no harm in being cautious.

Only after finishing all this did Wu Liangchen turn and leave.

Meanwhile, on the hillside, Yang Lian’Er kept watch by Aunt Fan’s side.

Aunt Fan was leaning against a large tree, her face as white as snow, but her eyes remained clear and bright.

"Are you sure you saw Xiaowu defeat the monk?" Aunt Fan asked, her voice extremely weak.

Her five senses were fading rapidly. She couldn’t hear distant sounds and had no idea what was happening, able to piece together only a rough picture from what the others told her.

"Yes. Xiaowu cut the chains on the monk’s back, and when the stone fell, the monk went mad," Yang Lian’Er said softly, her eyes welling with tears.

The moment the situation had stabilized, she had rushed over. But faced with a gravely injured Aunt Fan, she was helpless, not even daring to touch her.

The slightest movement made Aunt Fan cough up blood, so all she could do was watch from the side, frantic with worry.

After hearing Yang Lian’Er’s account, Aunt Fan couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

"Truly, heroes are born young. I suspected the stone on the monk’s back was unusual, but I never imagined it would be his vital weakness."

This sentiment came from the bottom of Aunt Fan’s heart.

After all, she had watched Wu Liangchen grow step by step. It had been no more than half a year, but he had given Aunt Fan one shock after another.

Take this time, for instance. She hadn’t even withstood three of the monk’s moves. While it was true that women were naturally weaker than men and ill-suited for such direct clashes of strength, Wu Liangchen, who had only been practicing Martial Arts for half a year, had managed to eliminate the fiendish monk all by himself.

That alone spoke volumes.

Just then, Wu Mengchan arrived.

"How is it?" Aunt Fan asked, struggling to lift her gaze.

"My brother is still keeping watch in the woods, but I don’t think the monk will last much longer."

Even Wu Mengchan, who had no training in Martial Arts, could tell the monk’s life was ending. The reason was simple: his screams were just too wretched.

The memory still sent a chill down her spine.

And just as she’d expected, not long after she spoke, the distant screams abruptly stopped. The forest fell silent, with only snowflakes drifting down.

"Is it snowing?" Aunt Fan murmured, feeling a slight chill.

"Yes," Yang Lian’Er replied, and tears immediately streamed from her eyes.

Aunt Fan’s question proved that her vision was failing.

It was not a good sign at all.

Yang Lian’Er’s heart twisted in agony.

For as long as she could remember, she had never known her parents. She had grown up to the age of seven in a large, cold house, living a lonely and desolate life.

It wasn’t until Aunt Fan arrived that her life gained some measure of light.

In Yang Lian’Er’s eyes, Aunt Fan was her mother.

But she didn’t dare to sob aloud for fear of upsetting Aunt Fan further, so she could only force herself to stifle her cries.

Just then, a hand gently wiped her tears away.

Yang Lian’Er looked up to see Aunt Fan, fighting through the pain, offer her a difficult smile.

"Crying again."

Yang Lian’Er couldn’t hold back any longer. She grabbed Aunt Fan’s frigid hand and broke into racking sobs.

Beside them, Wu Mengchan’s eyes were also filled with tears, and she kept wiping them away.

Although they had only known each other for a short time, Aunt Fan had always cared for her like a kind elder.

Seeing her in such a state, Wu Mengchan was naturally heartbroken.

Just then, Wu Liangchen arrived.

Perhaps she had regained some of her hearing, or perhaps it was merely some faint, sixth sense, but Aunt Fan turned her head and looked at Wu Liangchen with vacant eyes.

"Is he dead?"

"He’s dead."

"Good. Come here. I have something to tell you."

Wu Liangchen walked closer and knelt, looking at Aunt Fan’s ever-paling face with a storm of emotions in his heart.

He knew very well that Aunt Fan’s life was flickering out.

Yet there was nothing he could do but watch helplessly as the person who had guided him onto the path of Martial Arts slowly faded away....

"You two, leave us for a moment," Aunt Fan said, her voice suddenly holding a trace of vitality.

After Yang Lian’Er and Wu Mengchan had left, Aunt Fan struggled to sit upright. Every movement sent blood trickling from her mouth and nose, yet she refused Wu Liangchen’s attempt to help her.

Wu Liangchen could only watch in silence. When she was finally sitting up, Aunt Fan gasped for breath, bloody froth spilling from her lips with each heave.

Strangely, however, Aunt Fan seemed much more alert, and a flush of color even returned to her cheeks.

"Xiaowu!"

"Aunt Fan."

"You know, I always suspected there was a peerless master helping you from the shadows. After all, anyone else would have died from an illness like the one you had. Yet you not only survived, you seemed to become a completely different person."

"Don’t bother explaining. I’m certain now that there’s no one helping you, because I can’t imagine any master in all of Great Yan capable of transforming you so completely in such a short time."

At this, Aunt Fan tilted her head back to look at the snowflakes swirling down from the sky and spoke softly.

"I’m about to leave now, but I have no regrets. I didn’t fail in my duty, and thanks to you, the young lady has escaped danger. For that, I must thank you."

Wu Liangchen opened his mouth to speak, but Aunt Fan waved her hand. "Let me finish while I still have the strength."

"To be honest, I never agreed with the Heartless Dao. Their intentions may have been good—wanting to overthrow the corrupt Great Yan—but I could never stomach their methods. That’s why, for all these years, I’ve tried to keep the young lady away from that vortex of conflict, to distance her from the Heartless Dao’s influence as much as possible."

"The young lady clearly understood this as well, which is why she always found some reason to replace the new guards sent by the Heartless Dao."

"Later, as the situation in Great Yan grew more chaotic, the Heartless Dao itself became embroiled in internal power struggles. The two of us were gradually forgotten, but that, in turn, granted us a rare period of peace and freedom."

A nostalgic look appeared on Aunt Fan’s face as she said this.

Wu Liangchen remained silent, listening intently.

"I’m not saying this for any particular reason, other than to tell you that Lian’Er is a good girl. The crimes the Heartless Dao has committed over the years have nothing to do with her. In fact, her own circumstances were beyond her control."

At this, Aunt Fan suddenly grabbed Wu Liangchen’s hand, her eyes pleading.

"So, Xiaowu, if you feel any gratitude for my teaching you Martial Arts, could you promise me one thing?"

"Yes!" Wu Liangchen nodded firmly.

"After I’m gone, if the young lady grows tired of this life of wandering and conflict, then take her away from Great Yan. Find a peaceful place where she can live out her days as an ordinary person."

"But if she is unwilling, then take her to Huangpu Guard. Find a nunnery there called Jingxin Courtyard. The abbess will understand everything once she sees the young lady. Do you remember?"

"I’ll remember," Wu Liangchen said with great solemnity.

Only then did Aunt Fan release his hand. She leaned back slowly against the great tree and exhaled.

As she breathed her last, the light in her eyes swiftly dimmed, and the color instantly drained from her face.

"My lady... take care..."

With one final whisper, Aunt Fan slowly closed her eyes and fell silent forever.