Li Man'er knew the man hadn't understood, but she didn't explain it to him immediately. Instead, she changed the subject.
"There are very few pilgrims at this temple. How do you make a living?"
The man clearly hadn't expected Li Man'er to ask that. After a moment's hesitation, he replied honestly, "There aren't many people in the temple, just over a dozen mouths to feed. Apart from incense offerings, we rely on our own labor. There's a mountain behind the temple where we grow our own grain and vegetables, which is enough."
"I heard that when the abbot was here, he used to treat the people in the outskirts of the capital for free?"
"Yes, the abbot's medical skills were excellent. Poor families around here would come for treatment. The people were very honest; if they couldn't afford incense money, they would bring produce from their own fields." A hint of nostalgia flickered across the man's face. The abbot's passing had been a huge blow to him. Now that someone was there to listen, he found a catharsis and poured out everything.
"When the abbot was here, everyone lived happily. We rang the bell, performed morning and evening rituals, farmed, treated and gave medicine to the people around us. Every day was fulfilling. After the abbot left, we still ring the bell, perform morning and evening rituals, and farm, but we no longer have the ability to treat the people around us."
A look of reluctance crossed the man's face. "I had to tell people that the abbot was out on a pilgrimage. In reality, he is buried in the stone pagoda on the back mountain."
Li Man'er suddenly became interested in the stone pagoda he mentioned. "Can you take me to see it?"
"See what?" The man blinked, then realized she wanted to see the pagoda. "That's the abbot's tomb. What's there to see?"
Li Man'er rolled her eyes. "That's called a stupa! Take me."
The man then got up from the ground and led Li Man'er out of the meditation room.
Zi Yan and Lu Yi became vigilant as soon as they heard them coming out.
"Miss."
"Miss."
"You don't need to follow. We're going to the back mountain."
Zi Yan said, "Let this servant follow." After speaking, she glared fiercely at the man.
What does this have to do with me! It's your young lady who wants to see a grave in the middle of the night. Besides, I was fed a poison pill by her. Who can I reason with?
"It's alright, you two go back. I'll be back soon."
Li Man'er gestured for the man to lead the way. They circumvented the rear chambers and, under the moonlight, headed to the back mountain. It was called a mountain, but it was really just a large mound of earth. Next to a large tree stood a pile of stones...
A pagoda?
Li Man'er pointed at the extremely rudimentary stone pile, barely taller than a person, and asked, "You call this a pagoda?"
"Well, it is rather crude, but we did our best," the man said sheepishly. "The stones were all quarried from the mountain, and we painstakingly ground them down to pile them up like this."
Seeing the man lost in thought, Li Man'er couldn't help but offer a knowing smile. She suddenly reached out and grabbed the man's neck. Her movements were fast and ruthless, immediately constricting his throat.
The man froze for a moment, then felt difficulty breathing, struggling to even gasp for air. His face slowly turned purplish-blue, veins bulging on his forehead. He placed his hands on Li Man'er's, trying to pry them open.
Li Man'er showed no intention of letting go, tightening her fingers, almost crushing his neck. The man gasped repeatedly. Just as his consciousness was about to fade, he finally decided to retaliate. Infusing inner energy into his hands, he struck out at Li Man'er.
Li Man'er loosened her grip, leaned back, and somersaulted backward, effortlessly dodging his attack and landing steadily on the ground.
"I guessed correctly. You're a master."
The man clutched his throat, gasping for breath, his emotions on the verge of collapse. Only now did he realize he had been led by the nose by Li Man'er. His disguise had been peeled away layer by layer, leaving him almost bare.
"Who exactly are you?" Young ladies from noble families in the capital are all sheltered and rarely leave their homes. Someone like Li Man'er, who knows martial arts, poison, and possesses such exceptional skills, is almost unheard of.
"Why couldn't I be me?" Li Man'er retorted. "A daughter from a military family, it's only natural to learn martial arts. But I'm curious, who are you?"
The man fell silent, offering no response.
Li Man'er surveyed the man before her.
He was in his early twenties, of medium build, and slightly better looking than the average person. His martial arts must be good; though not comparable to the two beside the Ninth Prince, he was by no means ordinary.
"It doesn't matter," Li Man'er suddenly declared. "I fancy you, regardless of who you are!"
The man was stunned, then his face turned fiery red. He was a little dazed, not understanding why this girl, whom he had just met, would say such a thing...
As he was lost in thought, he heard Li Man'er continue, "You've been poisoned by the antidote I made. No one in this world can cure it but me. If you don't want to die a miserable death, you'd best obey my commands and serve me loyally. Otherwise, you'll wish you were dead."
The man was furious!
He had actually thought the other party was interested in him...
After all this, she just wanted him as a subordinate.
"Impossible! A true man cannot obey a woman's orders."
Heh heh~
"How about a bet? Or are you afraid?"
The man immediately took the bait. "Bet on what?"
"Bet that you can't last ten moves against me! We'll ask the abbot to be our witness. If you win within ten moves, I'll not only give you the antidote but also a thousand taels of silver."
The man's pupils visibly widened upon hearing "antidote" and "one thousand taels."
"What if I lose?"
"If you lose, you will obey me, this woman, and become my attendant, doing my bidding outside. Of course, you don't need to serve me for a lifetime; ten years will suffice."
The man was somewhat tempted. He had started practicing martial arts at the age of six and had been doing so for over ten years. While he wasn't a prodigy of the martial world, he had gained fame at a young age. He couldn't possibly be defeated by a mere girl, could he?
"Aren't you afraid of inviting trouble?" the man couldn't help but ask.
Li Man'er chuckled. "Wolf? I don't see any wildness in you, only timidity."
The man suppressed his anger and said, "Fine, let's fight. Don't think I'm afraid of you. But it's agreed, we must fight fair and square, no tricks."
The other party was a master of poison.
"Alright, don't worry, I won't take advantage of you." To subdue someone like this, she had to show genuine skill. Trying to trick him would only make him disbelieve and have the opposite effect.
Besides, someone from a family of profound physicians had touched the threshold of cultivation. How could she possibly lose to him?
What a joke!