Steam-powered martial arts: My virginity cultivation technique has been broken.

Tianlan Inn is a notorious den of iniquity in Shannan City. Located on the outskirts of the city, beside the official road, it covers an area of ​​more than 20,000 square meters and is a veritable manor with a beautiful environment.

Not only can you stay in a hotel, but you can also enjoy hot spring baths, savor delicious food, fine wine, and beautiful women. There are dishes from all over the country, snacks from all over the country, rich and light aromas, newly brewed and aged wines, and beauties of all shapes and sizes in this plain water town.

"Welcome to Tianlan Inn."

Upon entering the gate, several beautiful women dressed in flowing robes greeted guests in accordance with ancient etiquette. One of them stepped forward and led the way, saying, "Mr. An, your friend has been waiting for quite some time."

Ku Ning casually tossed a silver dollar into her chest: "Lead the way."

He's been staying here these past few days, spending the money he plundered from the escort agency: twenty gold bars and over a thousand silver dollars. Zhang Weiyuan had hoarded quite a bit, but unfortunately, real estate isn't easy to sell, so he's suffered a huge loss.

The third room in the "Heaven" section was furnished in a style reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty. A middle-aged man with a thick beard sat upright, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, his eyes closed in deep thought, like a Vajra statue.

His mechanical modifications were horrifying; from his chest to his neck, and then to his hands, everything was completely replaced by prosthetics. It looked as if he had been cut in half at the waist.

Ku Ning took off his shoes and walked in, praising, "Senior Brother, you have such a dignified bearing. You haven't changed your ways after all these years."

The middle-aged man opened his eyes, gave a wry smile, and responded in a mechanical voice like a phonograph: "Junior brother, don't tease me. This is a habit I haven't broken from spending too much time in the temple." He looked Ku Ning up and down, his gaze gradually becoming serious.

"Junior brother's energy and blood are abundant, could it be...?"

Ku Ning stepped forward and sat cross-legged opposite him: "You have had a strange encounter."

The middle-aged man nodded, not pressing further, and changed the subject: "I received your letter and bought a train ticket to come here that very day. I've investigated some information about what you mentioned last time. I've had enough of hiding and running all these years. Junior brother, if you have any thoughts, just say them, and I'll risk my life to accompany you."

Ku Ning was not in a hurry. He picked up a bell from the table, rang it, and then listened carefully to the sounds outside.

A short while later, the beautiful woman who had led the way entered: "Mr. An, what are your instructions?"

"Two plates of roasted mutton, tender ones; two bowls of knife-cut noodles, extra chili; ten steamed buns, fluffy ones; serve quickly."

The beautiful woman agreed and went out to serve the dishes.

Ku Ningchong smiled at the middle-aged man: "No rush to talk, let's fill our stomachs first."

The middle-aged man wasn't impatient at all, and joked, "No mutton is as fragrant as dog meat. Back in the day, when we went to a small restaurant down the mountain to steal some food, our master caught us. You picked up the pot and ran away, how ungrateful of you."

Ku Ning waved his hand: "I was only seven years old back then. If it weren't for you, Senior Brother, taking the lead, who would dare? I took the pot to transfer evidence. Without evidence, Master wouldn't be able to punish me."

The middle-aged man seemed lost in thought: "What's the point of taking away a pot when we're in a restaurant serving meat? You always want to eat meat, describing how delicious it is to tempt us every day."

"Our master turns a blind eye; as long as we monks don't kill animals ourselves, he won't blame us. It's a pity that now we can't even go back and get a scolding from him."

"How exactly did Master pass away? What exactly happened in Xidu? And why have you become like this?"

Ku Ning chose to remain silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat somber. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak, but rather that he couldn't.

Over the years, he has reviewed the events of that night every night, and the more he thinks about it, the more terrified he becomes. He is a cautious person, and when he is not sure, for his own good and for the good of others, he prefers not to involve innocent people.

The middle-aged man stared at Ku Ning for a long time, then sighed, "Fine, you've always been a deep thinker. I won't force you. Tell me when you want to."

Ku Ning smiled and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Senior Brother."

Several footsteps sounded outside again, and the two fell silent simultaneously. Once the food was served, Ku Ning dismissed the beauty, saying, "Everything's fine here; no need to serve me."

They ate in silence, a custom still influencing them in the temple. But the middle-aged man's mechanically modified body made a creaking sound from the gears in his throat as he swallowed.

Ku Ning glanced at him curiously. Seeing this, the middle-aged man said helplessly, "Only half of the stomach was retained. To aid digestion, a catalytic device was installed in the esophagus. He usually drinks nutrient solution."

Ku Ning recalled what happened to his senior brother back then. It was the autumn of the thirtieth year of Longyuan. Demonic scourges broke out in many areas around the capital. The Demon Suppression Division was short-handed, so the Xingwu Division asked the martial arts sects in the capital, such as Baige Temple, for help. The senior brother in front of him, Kongzhen, led his fellow disciples to subdue the demons.

He was thirteen years old that year, and his martial arts skills had already reached a certain level, placing him among the fourth or fifth rank martial artists. Although it was his first time fighting against non-human creatures, he managed to kill several minor demons without serious injury, thanks to the protection of his senior brothers.

The rest of the story is somewhat cliché: during his demon-slaying adventures, the eldest disciple, Vacuum, falls in love with a woman from another sect.

Hakuge-ji Temple was a royal temple, and most of the monks there were sons of kings, generals, and noble families. They entered the temple primarily to learn martial arts, not to become monks, and it was easy for them to return to secular life.

However, he and his senior brother belong to a small minority. He was an abandoned child who was adopted, while his senior brother was a substitute who became a monk to fulfill a vow, originally aiming to become a chanting monk. He became a martial monk because of his considerable talent in martial arts.

The warrior monks of Hakukaku-ji Temple are divided into three parts: the Arhat Hall, the Enforcement Hall, and the Prajna Room.

The Arhat Academy is the top of the three academies, and regardless of background, it is full of martial arts geniuses.

The Enforcement Hall is composed of formally ordained monks. As the name suggests, they are responsible for upholding the precepts within the temple. They can speak Buddhist teachings, and even if they don't understand Buddhist teachings, they have some knowledge of martial arts.

The Prajna Room was a place for aristocratic children who lacked talent but came through connections, hoping that they would become enlightened, awaken to Prajna wisdom, and know when to give up.

He and Zhenkong were naturally members of the Arhat Hall. He was a disciple of Elder Huiwu. Because of his senior brother's background, he wanted to return to secular life and needed to consult the layperson who had brought him there.

Things were going smoothly up to this point. The layperson had only sent Zhenkong to become a monk to fulfill a vow. Zhenkong was the son of their servant, but unexpectedly, he had become a martial monk. Now that he had returned to secular life, he could go back and work as a bodyguard.

A martial arts genius becoming a bodyguard is something others wouldn't even dare to dream of, so naturally, no one could stop him.

After the eldest disciple returned to secular life, the story instantly turned into a tragedy.

He'd been tricked.

The woman was only after the title of a disciple of Baige Temple, assuming that the senior disciple came from a noble family. She came from a merchant family, and although merchants in the Great Chen Dynasty now held a certain amount of influence, they still couldn't reach the core circle of power. Therefore, she and her family only wanted to improve their social status through marriage.

When Zhenkong told the woman about his background, she immediately turned hostile and humiliated him, saying that he was a toad trying to eat swan meat.

She completely forgot that the person in front of her was the eldest disciple of Elder Huiwu of the Arhat Hall of the Royal White Pavilion Temple, a martial arts genius, and a third-rank master who had cultivated for more than 20 years!