Sometimes, Monk Jing’an would recall the afternoon he killed for the first time.

Back then, he was just a novice at Jing Shui Temple, not yet a true monk. That afternoon, after he struck down the impostor posing as Jing’an, he returned to the temple seeking help — after all, the elder abbot had always taught him that the heavens cherish life and taking it is a grave sin, and committing murder in broad daylight was undoubtedly the most heinous act.

But just as he thought he was buried in sin with nowhere to turn, the elder abbot who had taught him from the beginning, lifted him up.

"Don’t run around, go hide quickly, or else you’ll be captured and held accountable."

Monk Jing’an still remembers the elder abbot saying this to him.

In his moment of desperation, someone was willing to offer a helping hand; he was willing to remember this for a lifetime, even if it meant serving as a horse or ox for his benefactor.

So he chose to hide in the temple, went nowhere else. When the elder abbot brought dinner, he’d stated all his thoughts, no matter how the elder abbot might punish him, it didn’t matter — it was a sin he had to bear.

Yet that evening, what the elder abbot brought was not food.

But five capturer teams.

"I’ve already settled him down, he’s now in the secret compartment under the Great Hall of the Venerable. When I lower his guard, everyone can rush in and eradicate this demon!"

As for what happened next, Monk Jing’an doesn’t remember clearly, because by that time, he had given himself over to the Soul-Seizing Staff, letting it act freely.

But he will always remember how the elder abbot, who never killed, drove a dagger into his heart.

Just like now.

"Ha!"

With a thunderous shout, the evil qi about to burst from his chest twisted, forcing the invisible sword qi poised to penetrate his heart to dissipate on the spot!

"Despicable scoundrel..."

Memories surged forth, Monk Jing’an’s eyes flashed with ferocity.

He dared, he dared...

He dared to lie!

"Zheng, zheng, zheng—" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Meanwhile, six trails of invisible sword qi shot towards Monk Jing’an from various vulnerable points, all of which were sky-locked by his protective evil qi.

"Eh?"

Five steps away, the swordsman named Cui Yuan raised his head in surprise.

"You can actually see my sword?"

"I’m going to cut off your head!"

Furious, Monk Jing’an swung his staff.

Despicable scoundrel, he hated such deceitful and ruthless types the most, he’d kill every such person he met!

"Dog bastard! Come to die!"

With a thunderous roar, the staff’s shadow multiplied like wails of ghosts and wolves.

An inch longer, an inch stronger; blessed with evil qi, the Soul-Seizing Staff erupted with unparalleled power, destroying everything within three feet. The entrance to the military camp was bombed until not a blade of grass could be seen!

But Cui Yuan, holding a broken sword, had already run five feet away.

Indeed, neither three feet nor now five feet was a distance a sword could reach. The longsword, only three feet long, couldn’t touch enemies so far away — moreover, he held a broken sword without a tip, virtually no different from a dagger, a weapon useless if close combat wasn’t possible.

But in Cui Yuan’s view, it wasn’t so.

After diligently studying his master’s legacy, he understood.

Though the sword lost its tip, it also lost the shackles the tip brought. No need to adhere to length anymore, or to distance, not even to the blade itself.

Just like now.

"Hoo..."

Exhaling a puff of turbid air, Cui Yuan once again leveled the broken sword, pointing directly at Monk Jing’an afar.

In an instant, fifty-eight trails of sword qi shot forth.

Each sword qi was as thin as a needle, its shape no longer visible.

Under the cover of breathing, these sharp sword qi silently raced forward, encircling the mad monk swinging the staff in a blink.

Nobody said, swords couldn’t bend.

"Chiz—"

With a sound of flesh tearing, Monk Jing’an, who was still swinging the staff, suddenly found himself covered in cuts, drenched in crimson.

The more than twenty trails of sword qi before him were smashed to bits by the staff, but the thirty-plus trails of sword qi circling his sides and back still cut into him. Now Monk Jing’an was slashed all over by the sword qi, covered in blood, truly like a blood gourd.

But despite being severely injured, Monk Jing’an grew even more frantic.

"Just a despicable scoundrel... Ahhhhh!!!"

Gripping the ends of the staff, Monk Jing’an pulled hard!

The staff, already seven feet long, broke into a whip, a Nine-Section Long Whip, under his fierce strength!

"What is this?"

Seeing the staff turn into a Nine-Section Long Whip, even five feet away, Cui Yuan was stunned — though the swordsman’s instinct made him press the hilt.

But this time, the fifty-eight trails of sword qi were all swept away by the Nine-Section Long Whip, even those looping around were knocked down.

"You beast! Prepare to die!"

The Nine-Section Long Whip shook in the air, thrusting forward like a spear, while the skull at the head spewed fierce Evil Qi, aiming to pin Cui Yuan dead on the spot!

"Oh right! I can fight like this!"

Cui Yuan’s broken sword trembled, and thirty-six arcs of Sword Qi formed a shield, protecting his body.

Is the spear stronger? Or the shield?

"Pfft—"

Seeing the frenzied monk, as if plunged into a demonic state, drawing closer, Cui Yuan couldn’t help but spit a mouthful of fresh blood on his sword.

It’s a pity that the newly comprehended move was too immature, not yet honed.

Today he might probably die here...

"Buzz—"

Just when the final six layers of Sword Qi were about to be breached by the skull-tipped whip, a five-zhang long blazing blade pierced through the sky.

"Hmm? More external Evil Qi?"

Monk Jing’an, ready to deliver the final blow, was taken aback.

He turned and fled.

"Don’t run away! Continue fighting!"

Cui Yuan struggled to launch Sword Qi with his broken sword as he stood, but the sharp Sword Qi was shattered by the distant Nine-Section Long Whip, while the blood-covered figure disappeared with a few leaps around the corner of the street.

Cui Yuan couldn’t help feeling annoyed; he was just pushed to the brink, ready to try a breakthrough, when the frenzied monk ran away.

"Why at this exact moment... sigh."

With this thought, Cui Yuan looked towards the direction of the intense flame pillar.

Mr. Du had been secluded, testing something recently, something Cui Yuan had heard about. He came over to use the open space of the old barracks. But this timing for testing... It might also be Mr. Du giving him a hint?

"Does he mean the Sword Qi can’t break the Nine-Section Long Whip because it’s too slender?"

Grasping a bit of inspiration, Cui Yuan hurried indoors to meditate more.

As for the frenzied monk’s matter, he set it aside.

Though failing to hold the monk was somewhat regrettable, if the monk gains skills and returns for a rematch, that is indeed a good thing.

Just like what Du Chengfeng once did to him.

He was the one being harvested back then, and his painstakingly researched moves most inspired Mr. Du—yet now he finally started harvesting others, which subtly lifted Cui Yuan’s spirits.

The frenetic Monk Jing’an, who was running far away, could never know Cui Yuan’s small schemes; he only knew he was deceived again, tricked shamelessly.

Thus, despite being heavily injured, Monk Jing’an rushed immediately to the Governor’s Mansion.

"Master is back?"

Money Jin, having just finished researching the Mystical Technique with several handsome young men, was taken aback seeing Monk Jing’an covered in blood.

"Master, what happened... I’ll quickly find someone to heal you!"

"Save your false charity."

Monk Jing’an sneered.

"A monk doesn’t speak false words; how dare you deceive me?"

With that, the Nine-Section Long Whip swept through, slicing Money Jin in half!

"You beast!"

Smelling the mixed scent of powder and blood, seeing Money Jin’s elegant posture even when sliced in half, Monk Jing’an couldn’t help but recall the treacherous swordsman with a broken sword strapped to his waist.

Thus, still not relieved, Monk Jing’an combined the Nine-Section Long Whip into a staff and beat Money Jin’s corpse into bloodied pulp.

"Pah! You beast!"

Only after shattering Money Jin’s skull with the final strike did Monk Jing’an feel slightly relieved.

Then, he seized a horse and galloped out of the city.

Though easily deceived, he wasn’t foolish, and even a fool would know that he might fight against one with external Evil Qi, but against two simultaneously, there was no chance of winning—rather than dying unclear in battle here, he’d rather return to the Prime Minister’s Mansion to seek clarification, to see whether the Prime Minister was likewise deceived by this beast Money Jin.

After all, like Monk Jing’an, the Prime Minister is honest and never lies.

As for killing a local governor...

"Oh well, best not to mention it."

Monk Jing’an pondered and made a decision.

If mentioned, it’d be difficult for the Prime Minister after all, better not to explain the process, just say Money Jin is dead.

Just like when he killed someone for the first time, returning to Stillwater Temple.

Except, unlike the sly old abbot back then, the Prime Minister truly is an honest man like him.

"With such a sincere individual as Prime Minister, how could Great Chen not prosper?"

Remembering the Prime Minister, a wave of respect arose in Monk Jing’an’s heart.