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

The dignity of a martial artist must not be trampled upon!

Without these martial artists, who would have resisted the invasion of aliens for thousands of years?

They forget the pain once the wound heals; they eat their meal, then curse their mother after putting down their chopsticks.

Zhenyuan detested these bookworms the most, especially those who gave speeches in the street, thinking themselves enlightened. Some of them were not only against martial artists, but also against the emperor and the aristocratic families.

The more timid ones openly oppose martial artists while secretly opposing aristocratic families. Or they use the pretext of opposing martial artists to actually oppose aristocratic families.

This is outrageous! He is both a martial artist and a nobleman.

The saying goes, "The poor are scholars, the rich are warriors." In the past, most high-ranking martial artists came from aristocratic families, but now some of that has been diluted by merchants. However, they have long held onto the traditional skills and knowledge.

In the past, there was a dark era when martial artists lived in clans and believed in the idea that "those who are not of our kind must have different hearts." They equated outsiders with aliens and prohibited the transmission of their martial arts techniques.

As imperial power gradually strengthened, various systems were established to weaken these aristocratic families. Martial arts sects rose to prominence, breaking their monopoly and recruiting disciples from the general public in a relatively fair manner.

There are policies and measures to counter.

If the emperor wants to consolidate power, he will inevitably weaken the aristocratic families, allow the sects to develop freely, expand the number of martial artists, and dilute the value of the aristocratic families' martial arts.

If powerful families wanted to maintain their power, they had to make changes. Anyone could play the martial arts sect game! So some powerful families began to unite, establish martial arts sects, and recruit disciples from the general public, continuing the old practice of factionalism and exclusion that had been going on for thousands of years.

Whether the martial arts world is in chaos or not is up to the powerful families.

The emperor did not want the country to descend into chaos, so he dared not directly break with the powerful families, nor could he allow them to rise above him again. Thus, the Xingwu Division, the Zhenmo Division, the Six Doors, and countless royal temples and Taoist monasteries sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

The advent of the mechanical revolution overturned the existing order, initially bringing imperial power to its zenith.

This ability to gain immense power with minimal resources shattered the myth of martial artists.

The emperor actively promoted reforms, trained alchemists, and various magical items became popular among the people. Productivity developed, merchants rose to prominence, and the mechanical revolution began to challenge imperial power.

The emperor then realized that what the powerful families wanted was power, while those who controlled machinery and money wanted his head and the chair beneath his dragon backside.

This time, the emperor is going to join forces with aristocratic families, landlords, and powerful clans.

Zhenyuan formed her hand into a claw and, with a move called "Dragon Sucking Water," snatched the musket from the middle-aged man's hand: "You think you can deal with a martial artist with this thing?"

The sudden turn of events caused a stir among the crowd. The middle-aged man was initially startled, but upon seeing that it was Zhenyuan and the others, he calmed down, stepped down from the platform, and fearlessly met Zhenyuan's gaze: "Monk, why are you stealing my things?"

Zhenyuan didn't answer, but instead threw the musket into the sky. A burst of true energy shattered it, and wood chips and iron scraps scattered in the wind: "Amitabha, this thing is more suitable for making fireworks."

"A high-level martial artist!"

The surrounding students panicked. The strength of the martial artist was undeniable. Despite their constant insults about his backwardness, few dared to confront him head-on.

The middle-aged man clearly belonged to the type who wasn't afraid of martial artists. He reached out and caught some dust, shaking it off. "Monk, if you weren't afraid, why did you destroy it?"

Zhenyuan, enraged, laughed coldly: "You think I'm afraid of your fancy tricks! Even a hundred or so muskets wouldn't be able to harm me in the slightest. You're spreading rumors and discrediting the dignity of martial arts. Is this the quality of you scholars? Is this the teaching you were given in the classics?"

The middle-aged man, still smiling, suddenly asked, "Monk, do you read Buddhist scriptures? How many have you read?"

Zhenyuan frowned slightly, not understanding what he meant by asking this. Afraid of falling into a trap, she did not answer the question she did not understand, but only gave a disdainful snort.

The middle-aged man said to himself, "The Diamond Sutra says that all sages and saints are distinguished by their practice of non-action. There are countless paths to the Great Way, but they all lead to the same destination. Your martial arts internal energy can defend against external enemies, and so can my musket; both are forms of power. I am not insulting you, but rather denying the existence of martial artists."

"Martial artists act as accomplices to evil, oppressing the good and destroying social order. Every penny of the gold and silver that the Xingwu Division uses to support you each year is the blood and sweat of the common people. Times have changed. What we want is to break the privileges of martial artists. If you want to say that you martial artists have made contributions in resisting the invasion of aliens, there are millions of martial artists in the world. Are they all going to fight in foreign lands?"

"Has the power in your hands never harmed the people? The power should belong to everyone living on this land!"

Zhenyuan was so embarrassed by the retort that she was about to teach him a lesson.

Ku Ning rushed to his side and pulled him back: "Second Senior Brother, don't argue with him, it's all sophistry. Even if this person harbors evil intentions, it's not our business. The important matter is more important, I'll go and ask about the situation."

He stopped Zhenyuan, then turned and bowed to everyone present: "Esteemed guests, we have no intention of disturbing your gathering. We simply wish to ask a question. Two days ago, a murder occurred here; a woman was killed. We wonder where the crime scene was? Was anyone a witness?"

After Ku Ning finished speaking, his gaze quickly swept over everyone.

Upon hearing Ku Ning's question, the middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, but he quickly concealed it and maintained his smile: "Little monk, are you monks from Baige Temple?"

Ku Ning smiled in response: "Indeed, how did you know, benefactor?"

The middle-aged man said, "This case has spread throughout the capital. You martial artists are fighting amongst yourselves, and the monks of Baige Temple are killing each other for love. Doesn't this prove what we said: you martial artists disregard the law and break the law with your martial arts? Even the pure land of Buddhism is no longer pure."

Ku Ning chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Forgive me, benefactor, do you have any evidence, or did you witness the murder with your own eyes? If you have no evidence and are merely reciting hearsay, please refrain from making false accusations and defaming others' innocence. If any benefactor is willing to take us to the crime scene, we would be extremely grateful."

The middle-aged man remained unfazed upon seeing him, while Ku Ning, who was refuting his words, smiled slightly: "I can take you there. However, it's been three days; the place has been bustling with people and has already been ruined. You probably won't see anything there."

Ku Ning stared at the middle-aged man, his eyes flashing with sharpness: "The deluded speak, the wise act. Thank you for leading the way, benefactor. Everything must be verified before we know it."

The crime scene was located in the northeast corner of the garden, a very quiet place with deep bamboo groves, flowers, grass, an artificial lake, and two covered bridges. The body was found on one of the bridges.

As the middle-aged man walked, he explained, "This used to be where the white elephant fetched water. Later, some bamboo was planted here, and it became a place for young masters and ladies to meet in secret. These days, because of the murder case, far fewer people come. It used to be quite lively."

Ku Ning said, "Amitabha, this humble monk is not yet an adult. Please be mindful of your words, benefactor."

The middle-aged man scoffed, "Judging from the young monk's eloquent speech and extraordinary demeanor, he must have attained the Samadhi of Buddhism, realizing that form is emptiness and there is no need to be attached to appearances."

Ku Ning remained silent, observing quietly, already having some guesses in his mind.