Chapter 55: The Secret Manual Appears, Strife Suddenly Erupts

I was holding the manual titled The Sunflower Classic (Wait, is there seriously nothing wrong with that title?), while Yunsheng held the box of herbs suspected of having "resurrection" properties. The three of us stood there like we were holding a red-hot potato, completely at a loss as to what to do.

"I think this martial arts manual should be entrusted to someone of high moral standing for safekeeping," Yunsheng said with a deadpan earnestness, looking like a precocious child worried about the state of the nation.

I rolled my eyes, internally complaining: *My little bro, are you auditioning to be a chivalrous hero here? The two of us can barely protect our own skins right now, and you're worried about high moral standing? This manual might just be the magical key for us to settle down and make a living in this palace that eats people without spitting out their bones!*

Just as I was plotting how to dupe Yunsheng into joining my "career-building" venture, a deafening crash echoed as the front door was kicked off its hinges.

A group of fierce-looking martial artists surged into the room. The leader had a vicious scar across his face, instantly marking him as bad news.

Could this be the legendary... underworld syndicate?

The moment the scarred man entered, his eyes locked straight onto the manual in my hands, resembling a wolf starved for three days catching sight of a fat chunk of meat.

"Kid, hand over the manual!" he barked in a rough voice that made my ears ring.

I instinctively tucked the manual behind my back, mentally cursing: *What kind of vision is that?! A stunning and radiant palace maid like me is standing right here, yet all you can see is a manual! You have zero taste!*

Yunsheng pulled me behind him, watching the scarred man with intense vigilance. "What do you want?"

The scarred man sneered. "What do I want? Naturally, to take back what belongs to us!" With a wave of his hand, his subordinates immediately surrounded us in a tight circle, each brandishing glittering blades that reflected an alarming gleam in the dim light.

My heart instantly leapt to my throat. *We're done for!*

*Just as I finally managed to escape the clutches of Manager Zhao, am I now going to fall into the hands of these bandits? Are my dreams of getting rich and attaining freedom about to be shattered right here?*

I tightly grasped Yunsheng’s hand, my palms slick with sweat.

Surrounded by these fierce-looking thugs, I felt as though breathing had become difficult.

"This manual..." I swallowed hard, my voice trembling slightly, "is fake!"

Scar-face Liu looked at me as if I were an absolute idiot. "Fake? Are you playing games with me, kid?"

I forced a look of composure, thinking to myself: *Sister's acting skills are officially online!*

"Heaven and earth as my witness, this really is a fake! The real manual is hidden in a heavily guarded, ultra-secret location, and if you're even the slightest bit careless..." I made a slicing motion across my neck and adopted a mysterious tone, "You know what I mean."

Scar-face Liu was half-convinced, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Oh? Where is it?"

I flashed a deliberately enigmatic smile. "As for that... heavenly secrets cannot be revealed lightly. However, I can take you there." I glanced at Yunsheng. *Little bro, back me up on this!*

Yunsheng instantly caught my drift, clutching his chest and coughing a few coughs. "Ahem, that's right. That place is extremely dangerous; without me leading the way, you definitely won't find it." His face turned pale—his acting skills were actually better than mine!

Scar-face Liu inspected us suspiciously, hesitating and unable to make up his mind.

With a grand wave of his hand, a bulky subordinate stepped forward. "Boss, let me go scout the path!"

*What a great opportunity!*

I shot a look at Yunsheng, who understood immediately. With a sudden dash, he lunged forward and began grappling with the burly ruffian.

Don't let Yunsheng's usual appearance of a frail younger brother fool you; once he actually started fighting, he really knew what he was doing!

Though the ruffian was tall and sturdy, after just a few exchanges, he was forced back step by step by Yunsheng!

The surrounding martial artists were dumbfounded, and even Scar-face Liu furrowed his brow.

*For such a scrawny frame, he's got quite some skills!*

Right at that moment, Scholar Li, who had remained silent all this time, stepped forward and pushed up the bridge of his glasses. "Scar-face Liu, once this manual sees the light of day, the martial arts world will inevitably plunge into chaos, bringing misery to countless lives! Why don't we search together for a proper method of safekeeping instead?"

Scar-face Liu fell into deep contemplation, seemingly touched by Scholar Li's words.

Taking advantage of the moment, I reached into my...

My eyes darted around as a scheme formed in my mind.

Amidst the confusion, I pulled out from my robe...

Not the manual, but that box of "resurrection" herbs Yunsheng had found earlier!

This thing was a genuine treasure! Although I had secretly appraised it earlier and knew it couldn't actually bring the dead back to life, it was undoubtedly a rare medicinal herb of immeasurable value!

"Heroes, hold your hands!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, terrified they wouldn't hear me. "This is the real treasure!" Raising the medicine box high, I displayed it to them like an offering. "This is a divine elixir capable of prolonging life and granting eternal youth!"

Scar-face Liu froze, and his band of underlings also halted their movements, staring at the medicine box in my hands with a green glow in their eyes.

Prolong life?

Eternal youth?

For men who lived by licking blood off their blades, this held far more attraction than any martial arts manual!

Seeing that it was working, I hurriedly piled on the exaggeration. "I obtained this medicine through untold hardships and originally intended to present it to the Emperor, but now..." I sighed with feigned helplessness. "Since you heroes and I share such a fated encounter, I'll let you take advantage of it!"

With that, I popped open the medicine box, and a peculiar fragrance instantly diffused through the air.

Scar-face Liu's eyes went wide. He snatched the medicine box right out of my hands and began examining it closely.

I chuckled inwardly: *Heh, little fish, you've taken the bait!*

"This medicine... is it real?" Scar-face Liu's voice carried a hint of a tremor.

"Absolute truth!" I patted my chest in guarantee. "If you don't believe it, try one!"

Scar-face Liu hesitated for a moment, then actually plucked a pill from the box and swallowed it down.

My heart skipped a beat: *Big brother, aren't you even afraid it might be poisonous?!*

After a short while, Scar-face Liu's complexion genuinely began to flush with color. He felt a surge of boundless energy course through his body, as if he had grown ten years younger!

"Good medicine! Truly good medicine!" Scar-face Liu shouted excitedly. "Lads, let's go!" With a grand sweep of his hand, he led his subordinates away in high spirits.

I let out a long breath of relief. We had finally escaped disaster by the skin of our teeth! This move was simply top-tier!

Just as we relaxed and prepared to leave this right-and-wrong-infested place, Scholar Li suddenly spoke up: "Wait..."