Who in the world does not know you?

Chapter 44 Invulnerable to Swords and Spears

Despite Ma Ben's desperate pleas, the fat monk continued to stroll leisurely through the dilapidated temple.

He knew that Ma Ben was just a pawn.

He also knew that he was just a pawn, no different from Ma Ben.

"You were paid by your superiors to do things for you. You spent the money at brothels, and before you even got the job done, your head shouldn't be on your neck anymore. You won't become a jailer, but you'll die sooner or later anyway, it's just a matter of time. After you die, I can still help you pass on to the afterlife. No, at this point I should say that this humble monk will definitely chant sutras for you, hoping you will soon reach the Pure Land..."

Whether it was the fat monk's sarcastic remarks that chilled Ma Ben's heart, or the increasingly cold night in the drafty, dilapidated temple, facing the fat monk who gave him the opportunity to experience wealth and glory, Ma Ben pondered for a moment, gritted his teeth, and his attitude became no longer as flustered and weak as before.

In fact, Ma Ben didn't know why the fat monk would approach him and ask him to take Yunping's prison guard position, and even gave him a portion of the kickback in advance. He didn't feel any harm in this kind of good thing that fell from the sky. He also wondered if he had fallen into the other party's trap and whether he would get into trouble because of it.

But now that things had come to this point, Ma Ben was actually quite certain that his existence was necessary. Even if he didn't know the reason, judging from the current situation, only he could achieve the other party's goal and take away Yun Ping's position as jailer. Although he didn't know why the other party had to do this, he was confident.

This is his bargaining chip.

Ma Ben's eyes darted around, and a fawning smile appeared on his lips.

"Master, if you are unwilling to save me, and if I am exposed for murder and imprisoned, I will be unable to complete the task you entrusted to me. If that happens, I imagine you will be unable to return home to report back..."

Before he could finish speaking, a hand gripped his throat, rendering him unable to utter another word.

It was an extremely powerful hand covered in calluses.

Instinctively, Ma Ben tried to pry open the hand that was gripping his throat with both hands, but found that no matter how hard he tried, it was to no avail.

What chilled him to the bone even more was that the monk in front of him looked calm and collected, as if he hadn't exerted any effort at all.

The opponent's strength was just right, not enough to kill him, but enough to make him feel the fear of losing his life.

The innate survival instinct suddenly erupted at this moment. Without thinking, Ma Ben reached for the sword at his waist, swung it upwards, and pointed the blade at the arm that the fat monk had stretched out.

In this situation, the fat monk either has to release his grip on his throat, or he'll lose an arm.

Ma Ben's idea wasn't wrong; after all, if the monk in front of him really wanted to take his life, this was the last resistance he could make before he died.

Fortunately, even the jailers could carry knives...

This was the last thought in Ma Ben's mind before the sharp blade in his hand touched the fat monk's arm.

He just didn't expect that he wasn't dead, and that the fat monk hadn't let go either.

The sharp blade touched the fat monk's arm, but only managed to cut open the sleeve of his light blue monk's robe.

As the sound of tearing fabric echoed through the dilapidated temple, Ma Ben stared wide-eyed at the arm that remained intact despite the tattered monk's robe.

The fat monk laughed and released his grip on Ma Ben's throat, thoroughly enjoying the look of shock Ma Ben was showing.

"The external martial arts of Ningshan Temple have reached a high level of mastery, making them impervious to swords and spears. It is your good fortune to have the opportunity to meet them today."

This was the first time Ma Ben had heard the monk in front of him mention his origins.

Before this, he didn't even know what the monk's Dharma name was, only that the other party was highly skilled in martial arts and was definitely not an ordinary person.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have obeyed his every command.

He would never have dared to lay a hand on the monk unless his life was truly in danger.

As if sensing Ma Ben's thoughts, the fat monk with a big head and ears smiled and, for the first time ever, introduced himself to Ma Ben.

"I am a disciple of Ningshan Temple, and my former Dharma name was Shenming. Ningshan Temple's external martial arts are unparalleled in the world, as you just witnessed. It's just a pity about my monk's robes; they are my last memento of Ningshan Temple. I wonder how the abbot is doing these days..."

Shen Ming murmured to himself, his tone becoming even softer towards the end.

Seeing that Shen Ming had let him go, Ma Ben breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Shen Ming's tattered sleeve and was amazed by his invulnerable body. He quickly sheathed his sword.

"Master Shenming, there's no need to be sad. Just find a good tailor to mend it..."

Shen Ming turned around, reaching out to touch his torn sleeve, without responding to Ma Ben's words.

From the moment he left Ningshan Temple, he no longer belonged there.

Making a name for oneself in the vast martial arts world is the initial aspiration of countless martial arts practitioners, but in the end, very few become truly renowned.

"How do you want me to help you get out of danger?"

"Since Ning Qi intends to use this as leverage to blackmail me, he probably hasn't told anyone else about it yet. If I can silence him, I should be safe. However, Yun Ping has an adopted son named Yun Luobai. Before coming here, I specifically inquired about him. Since returning to Ningzhou Prefecture, Yun Luobai has been in close contact with Ning Qi. Moreover, he was exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted from a young age. Ning Qi is dull-witted, so this matter must be related to Yun Luobai... Besides, if Yun Luobai dies, Yun Ping might become disheartened and lose interest in continuing as the jailer. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

"You mean, you want me to get rid of that constable named Ning Qi and Yun Ping's adopted son, Yun Luobai?"

"That's right. Master Shen Ming's martial arts are unparalleled; killing these two would be a piece of cake for him."

"But as far as I know, Yun Luobai and Ning Qi should have grown up together in Ningzhou Prefecture. Ning Qi is the eldest brother, Yun Luobai is the second brother, and the third brother is Qingchuan, the eldest son of General Yun Que's mansion."

"this……"

Ma Ben's throat bobbed, and he couldn't speak for a moment.

He naturally knew the relationship between Qingchuan and the other two, and he also knew that Qingchuan might know that he was the real culprit who killed Mu Li.

However, Qingchuan's status was worlds apart from the other two; he couldn't be killed so easily...

"That young master Qing is not someone I can easily mess with. The steward named Lanxiang in General Yunque's mansion comes from the Liangyi Sect, one of the four great orthodox sects. He was also the last disciple of Ye Yijun, the former leader of the Liangyi Sect. I've even met him before. If I fail, I'm afraid I'll end up like the Fuling Duo. However, I can help you get rid of the other two. After all, if that young master Qing wants to kill you, he can do so regardless of whether you've killed anyone or not."

"Then thank you very much, Master Shenming..."

Ma Ben raised his hand and bowed respectfully to the figure in front of him. When he looked up again, he found the dilapidated temple deserted and he was all alone.