Following Mrs. Gao, the group exited the residence of the Thirteenth Maiden and moved into the adjacent house, eliciting sounds of wonder from Zhao Shengli and the others. The scene before them stunned them; no one had expected such a structure to be built here.

Alongside them ran a narrow river, nearly four meters wide, circling the courtyard walls, separating the main hall as if creating a small island.

On this islet, clusters of peonies grew in groups of five or nine, forming small flowerbeds scattered like constellations across the grounds, enveloping the central hall.

The hall, thus surrounded by blossoms, exuded an air of exquisite refinement.

People couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be to sit inside this hall, with the fragrance of the flowers drifting in—a true indulgence.

"What a marvelous place!" Zhao Shengli exclaimed in admiration.

Mrs. Gao wore a proud expression, turning to look at Li Muzhan. "Master, are you satisfied?"

"Hmph, five thousand taels of silver. You folks have made a fortune!" Young Master Gao snorted resentfully, glaring at Zhao Shengli, clearly still vexed by his words.

Zhao Shengli turned and laughed heartily. "Indeed, indeed. This hall alone is worth that price. Excellent, truly excellent!"

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled gently. "How could the Thirteenth Maiden's discerning eye be wrong? Moreover, seeing Mrs. Gao’s gentle demeanor and graceful bearing, one immediately knows she is a person of taste; naturally, her residence would be exceptional."

"Let us hurry inside and take a look! I wish to see how the interior is!"

"Master, gentlemen soldiers, please, come in one by one!" Mrs. Gao stepped aside, gesturing them in.

"Madam, please lead the way," Li Muzhan said, cupping his hands. Mrs. Gao did not refuse, gracefully walking ahead, with Young Master Gao accompanying her. The Thirteenth Maiden remained beside Li Muzhan.

Catching the faint, subtle fragrance, Li Muzhan smiled slightly. "Thirteenth Maiden, my thanks to you."

The Thirteenth Maiden offered a radiant smile. "Master, no need for ceremony. From now on, we are neighbors; no need to be so formal."

Li Muzhan smiled, saying no more. Unsolicited warmth often masks ulterior motives. This Thirteenth Maiden, possessing profound, unfathomable skills, yet treating him with such closeness, was truly unusual.

A lesser man might become smug, thinking she was taken with him, but Li Muzhan would never entertain such a thought. A talent like the Thirteenth Maiden, a jewel among the heroes of Tianlong City, would never settle for just anyone; many would vie to be her vassal.

She remained unwed to this day, which spoke volumes of her high standards, or perhaps her heart belonged elsewhere. He was certainly no better than others, nor narcissistic enough to believe every woman favored him.

On the contrary, being a monk and rather plain in appearance, those who liked him were rare indeed.

The group stepped onto the wooden bridge, crossing the water to reach the islet. All around them, the peonies bloomed in vibrant color and subtle fragrance, truly captivating. They lingered, moving agonizingly slowly.

Mrs. Gao looked around with a tinge of sorrow, also moving very slowly, taking one last look at the place that held ten years of her life, ten years of her heart’s labor, now to be passed to another.

The feeling was akin to having a piece of her heart gouged out—an empty, aching discomfort, melancholic and lost, a heavy sadness that choked her chest.

Li Muzhan stepped forward, standing beside Mrs. Gao. Young Master Gao turned and glared at him, his expression wary, a clear warning for him to retreat.

With his father gone, he was the only man left in the family, and he suddenly felt the weight of responsibility and pressure increase tenfold, reacting overly sharply.

Li Muzhan smiled at him, then turned to Mrs. Gao. "Mrs. Gao, I have a suggestion; perhaps you might consider it—"

"Master, please speak," Mrs. Gao managed, collecting her complex emotions and answering calmly.

Li Muzhan smiled. "I wish to ask Madam to stay, to remain in this residence and manage the estate!"

"Monk, what is the meaning of this!" Young Master Gao erupted in anger, his face changing color instantly. He stepped forward as if to shove Li Muzhan, but Li Muzhan sidestepped nimbly, avoiding him.

He said evenly, "I have no other motive. I merely think that since we are often away at the barracks, the residence will be empty and easily fall into disrepair."

"Hmph!" Young Master Gao grudgingly withdrew his hand, realizing Li Muzhan's sidestep was highly skilled.

Mrs. Gao appeared thoughtful, her slender eyebrows furrowing. Zhao Shengli and the others exchanged stunned glances, looking toward Li Muzhan with puzzled expressions.

Zhao Shengli looked at him, then at Mrs. Gao, then at the Thirteenth Maiden, before his gaze returned to Li Muzhan, utterly bewildered in his heart: Could it be that the monk fancied older women?!

This monk must truly be blind! While Mrs. Gao still possessed considerable charm and was quite lovely, she simply couldn't compare to the Thirteenth Maiden.

Her looks were lacking, but more crucially, her age. The Thirteenth Maiden radiated vitality, in the prime of her bloom, whereas Mrs. Gao was considerably older—women aged quickly; in a couple of years, she would be an old crone.

His mind racing, he coughed, glancing at Li Muzhan as a signal to stop fooling around.

Li Muzhan smiled. "If we hire staff to maintain it, such a grand residence might not be looked after properly... Furthermore, Madam, if you return to your hometown at this time, there might be bandits or brigands on the road. With Young Master’s current abilities, I fear you might not escape unharmed, might you?"

Mrs. Gao’s delicate eyebrows knitted together, and she remained silent.

Young Master Gao’s face darkened. "Nonsense! I have practiced martial arts too. Two or three ordinary men pose no threat!"

Li Muzhan smiled slightly. "You probably haven't encountered real brigands, have you?"

"Hmph, we have guards! They wouldn't dare approach!" Young Master Gao dismissed him loftily.

Li Muzhan shook his head and smiled dismissively. "If there were nothing valuable, those sorts, seeing guards, wouldn't invite trouble... But if there is substantial wealth, they will ignore the guards. As the saying goes, men die for wealth, and birds for food... Moreover, those guards may not truly be trustworthy!"

"Then what are we to do?" Young Master Gao huffed.

Li Muzhan smiled gently. "I cannot teach you the military arts of the camp, but I do know some foundational striking skills. Once you practice them well, you will be secure in self-defense... A real man cannot protect his own family; wouldn't that be incompetence?"

"You are willing to teach me martial arts?" Young Master Gao’s eyes widened, and he asked eagerly.

"Boy, the monk’s martial arts are superb! The Black Eagle Cavalry—" Zhao Shengli cut in with a snort, "—they don't know how formidable he is! None of those brutes could touch him, yet under the monk’s hand, over twenty of them died in one go!" He pouted. "Your ancestors must have burned great incense for this opportunity!"

Young Master Gao stared at Li Muzhan with delighted surprise, then looked pleadingly at Mrs. Gao. Mrs. Gao looked at her son, then turned to Li Muzhan. "Master, Gao Cheng is the only male heir in the family. If he joins the army and something untoward happens, this humble woman cannot answer to his late father!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "He need not join the army. I will only teach him some rudimentary skills to build a foundation. Later, he can seek instruction at some martial arts sects... After all, you possess great wealth, and people will always covet it. Learning some self-preservation skills can only be beneficial, no?"

Li Muzhan continued, "What I learned in the military are mostly horsemanship and spear techniques, which are not suitable for him... Before I joined the army, I studied at Hanshan Temple and learned some orthodox martial arts. If you learn these, you can ensure your own safety."

"Is that true?" Young Master Gao was half-believing, half-doubting.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

"Then how about demonstrating for us?" Young Master Gao stared at him intently.

Li Muzhan was about to shake his head when Zhao Shengli quickly chimed in, "Yes, Monk, give us a demonstration! Open his eyes, and let us open ours too."

The others joined in the clamor, insisting he showcase some martial arts skills for their edification. The Thirteenth Maiden pursed her lips and smiled. "Master, since everyone is so curious, why not grant their wish?"

Li Muzhan shook his head, smiled, and sighed. "Very well. I shall demonstrate... Do you have a wooden staff? I practice staff techniques."

"A wooden staff, I have one! I'll go get it!" Young Master Gao bolted away without hesitation, circling the hall and running toward the moon gate on the east side.

Zhao Shengli chuckled. "Monk, no wonder you possess such ability; you studied under masters before!"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Just some trivial, minor skills, merely for self-defense. Compared to the art of warfare, it’s a trivial path, not worth mentioning!"

"You are too modest, boy!" Everyone scoffed, calling him hypocritical.

The group gathered near the steps of the hall. Peonies clustered around them in twos and threes, leaving only the area before the steps wide enough for a fight.

Young Master Gao returned swiftly, moving like the wind, holding a yellow wooden staff which he handed to Li Muzhan breathlessly. "This is what I use for my practice!"

Li Muzhan took it and smiled. "Take it easy. This will suffice!"

Young Master Gao’s eyes widened. He found this staff quite heavy; he needed to rest after just a few moves. The staff work itself wasn't the issue, but it was very effective for building strength.

Li Muzhan lifted the long staff, giving it a gentle tremor. Instantly, he seemed transformed, as if a different person. His posture suddenly grew taller, his entire spirit surging, giving the impression of a powerful headwind blowing toward them.

The others couldn't help but take a step back. Young Master Gao was particularly astonished, his eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, blinking only occasionally, terrified of missing a single moment.

Zhao Shengli and the others were startled, unprepared for such imposing energy from Li Muzhan. This was clearly no ordinary staff work.

The Thirteenth Maiden gazed at Li Muzhan with a smiling, thoughtful expression, her bright eyes misty, her gaze shifting beautifully.

Li Muzhan laughed. "Watch closely now!"

The moment his words fell, a halo of yellow light enveloped the surroundings. A blur of staff shadows appeared, like a sheet of yellow silk pinning Li Muzhan in place, obscuring his figure entirely.

He hadn't made any dramatic preparatory movements; the moment he began to move, it became like this, creating a supremely strange impression. Their eyes were locked onto the staff shadows, unable to look away.

The staff shadows moved silently, without the rush of wind. His feet remained still; he only swung the staff, yet the earth beneath his feet swirled outwards, as if swept away by a strong gale.

After watching for a short while, the others hastily averted their gazes, unable to bear looking further. Their vision swam, they felt dizzy and nauseous, struggling against the urge to vomit—the staff shadows were simply too fast.

In the end, the only one who persisted in staring was the Thirteenth Maiden. Everyone else dared not look for long, stealing glances before quickly turning away, clearly in torment.

"How was it?" The staff shadows vanished abruptly, and Li Muzhan stood holding the staff, smiling.

Young Master Gao stared wide-eyed, pointing at him in astonishment. "You..."

He was astonished within his heart. Swinging such a heavy staff with such ferocity, yet the monk didn't gasp for breath once, as if someone else had been performing just now.

Seeing such a marvel, he instantly believed that this large monk truly possessed incredible power. If he were to learn martial arts from his own masters, even when they wielded heavy long staffs with speed and ferocity, every one of them would be left panting and drenched in sweat after practicing.

But this great monk had not drawn a single breath, nor had a drop of sweat appeared, as if he had just completed a trivial, insignificant task. Merely this bearing alone set him apart from the common run.

"Mother!" He turned and looked pleadingly at Mrs. Gao.

Mrs. Gao looked at her son, then toward Li Muzhan, and sighed softly. "Very well, Cheng’er. Since it is so, you will study martial arts properly under the Master, and don't slack off like you used to, fishing for three days and drying the nets for two, achieving nothing!"

"Mother—!" Young Master Gao was deeply embarrassed, stealing a glance at Li Muzhan.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Madam, rest assured. Since he studies under me, he cannot be lazy. He will surely mature through his efforts. By then, do not blame me if I am too severe!"

"Master, please proceed as you see fit. This humble woman will not interfere," Mrs. Gao replied solemnly.

Li Muzhan nodded, smiling warmly at Young Master Gao. "That is best! In two or three years, he will have established a basic foundation."

"Thank you, Master," Mrs. Gao managed a strained smile, then turned. "Cheng’er, why don't you hurry and greet your Master?!"

He knelt down, then rose, only to bow again, intending to kowtow further; the ceremony for formally accepting a disciple required three kowtows and nine bows—a very solemn ritual.

Li Muzhan reached out and stopped him, shaking his head with a smile. "This is sufficient for now! I have my own lineage, and I am extremely strict about accepting disciples. For now, you are only a probationary student. Whether you truly enter my school will depend on your conduct."

Young Master Gao felt greatly frustrated, yet this only ignited his fighting spirit.

"Your master has not yet asked your name," Li Muzhan said with a smile.

Young Master Gao quickly replied, "Reporting to Master, my name is Gao Tongcheng!"

"Gao Tongcheng..." Li Muzhan nodded lightly. "Tongcheng, starting tomorrow, I will teach you the methods of cultivation. It might be quite arduous; you must be prepared."

"Master, rest assured, I do not fear hardship!" Gao Tongcheng thumped his chest.

Li Muzhan smiled. "I hope so."

"Congratulations, Master, on gaining such a fine disciple!" The Thirteenth Maiden pursed her lips and smiled.

Li Muzhan replied, "When I am away, I hope the Thirteenth Maiden can offer him guidance now and then."

"Master, you jest!" The Thirteenth Maiden replied with a radiant smile.