Start Training at Once!

"The knack to using a saber comes down to just six words: steady hand, true eye. Fix your eyes on the head, cleave down with one slash, and as long as the blade doesn't slip from your grip, you're halfway to winning." "Look at that clumsy saber form of yours." "Your eyes aren't true, your grip isn't steady, and not a single move looks decent." "Again!" ... By midmorning, the county yamen's drill grounds were already a scene of bustling activity, though unlike ordinary days, many of the seasoned veteran constables were nowhere to be seen. "They've all gone off to hunt down that White Lotus rebel." Puffing on his pipe, Liu Ye continued to correct Wang Ping's movements as he muttered in annoyance, "After all, it's a windfall dropped right out of the sky. Which constable wouldn't be tempted?" "That rebel broke into the county yamen last night and was shot clean through by His Honor with an arrow. In plain view of everyone, his skin, flesh, sinews, and bones were all fractured, more than half his blood was spilled, and his marrow couldn't be in any better shape. Even if he possesses external conditioning at great perfection, he likely has less than ten percent of his strength left right now. It's the prime opportunity to beat a drowning dog." Hearing this, Wang Ping couldn't resist asking, "Aren't you tempted, Master Liu?" "Of course not." Liu Ye's tone was flat. "Little Wang, I see promise in you, so today I'll teach you a lesson. Do you know what matters most when being a constable?" "What is it?" Wang Ping asked curiously. "Restraint!" Liu Ye placed heavy emphasis on the word. "No matter if heaven collapses or earth gives way, I hold back and stay put. Even if the sky falls, it crushes the tallest first; it won't land on your head or mine." "Kid, remember this: this world belongs to those powerful figures. If little nobodies like us want to survive, we must learn how to live in the cracks... To put it even more bluntly, only do things far below your capabilities. That way, not only will you succeed, but you'll also have plenty of room for error." "Take me for example." "In the entire county yamen, almost every constable collects regular kickbacks in the city, making money hand over fist. Only I go out to the grass market outside town to earn pocket money." "Why?" At this, Liu Ye wore a smug expression. "Because outside the city is safe! The truly powerful figures are inside the walls; shaking down people for protection money carries risk." "After all, that business is disgraceful—it's eating steamed buns soaked in human blood." "If you're careless and run into some hotheaded young gallant out to uphold justice, full of youthful vigor and unable to measure his strikes, he might just beat you to death!" "Don't scoff—the county yamen has precedents for it!" "The grass market outside town, however, doesn't have nearly so much trouble. There are basically no formidable characters there, and I don't demand much. Though the earnings are slim, safety is what matters." "Take this time as another example." Liu Ye seemed to have opened the floodgates of conversation, speaking without pause: "Without a doubt, what happened last night was a clash across distance between that White Lotus Sect Master and our Master Chen. Is that something we can casually get mixed up in?" "What if, while tracking down that rebel, you run into the White Lotus Sect Master coming to rescue him?" "If your luck is good, Master Chen might reach you in time to save your life, leaving you crippled for life at most. If your luck is bad, I'm afraid all they'll do is send a condolence payout to your family." Hearing this, Wang Ping understood at once. "Bait..." Liu Ye nodded slightly. "It's enough that you understand. In any case, I won't be wading into these muddy waters, so pull your head out of the clouds and practice your saber properly." Wang Ping nodded, then let out a long breath. As that breath emptied, it was as if all the restlessness in his heart were exhaled with it. His expression returned to calm, and he resumed practicing the saber form. Seeing this, Liu Ye felt quite impressed. *A promising lad indeed. He listens to advice and can rein in greed. It seems that within three days, he'll truly grasp the basics of the Three Demon Blades of Yanluo.* *Speaking of which, how is his progress with the Iron Ox Art?* *He doesn't seem to have gone to Danfeng Tower yet...* After some thought, Liu Ye believed he had grasped Wang Ping's mindset: *Most likely worried that he's still green, with no lock on his root, unable to hold out for more than a few strokes?* *So he wants to get through the basics first and bolster his ability before actual combat... Young men care about saving face, understandable!* At this thought, Liu Ye chuckled inwardly: *Naive kid. How could mastering the basics be so easy?* *Given the difficulty and intensity of the Iron Ox Art, wanting to grasp the basics in a single night would take at least seventeen or eighteen rounds of practice. Even a young man couldn't endure that.* ... "Tonight, I'll strive for another hundred rounds!" Having concluded the drill and returned home, Wang Ping finished the meal delivered from Yuelai Tower, shuttered the doors and windows once more, and sat upright on his bed, preparing to train by hand. Just as Liu Ye had anticipated, despite Wang Ping's youthful body, by the third round his face had already paled somewhat, and the hand he used for the deed was trembling slightly. Yet in the very next instant, he took a deep breath and interlaced his ten fingers, forming a bizarre mudra. A spark of starlight abruptly burst from his fingertips, flickering in the dim room before flowing through his entire body like water, restoring vitality to his frame. Spell: Qi Restriction! Although his Qi Restriction could no longer render him invulnerable to blades and spears after losing his strongman's body, stopping bleeding, generating flesh, and nourishing the body back to health were still well within its reach. Especially when applied to training. The true qi he painstakingly refined was indeed scarce in quantity, but using it to replenish deficits and swiftly restore spent essence, qi, and spirit was more than sufficient. Consequently, Wang Ping's progress in the Iron Ox Art far outstripped Liu Ye's imagination. This was only the second day, yet he had already cultivated the art to minor mastery. Conservatively estimated, he could achieve great perfection within seven days at the latest. "Continue!" Clenching his teeth, Wang Ping threw himself back into his martial training. As for the citywide search or the White Lotus rebels, all of it was cast completely to the back of his mind. A short while later, Wang Ping succeeded once more. As the technique circulated yet again, Wang Ping felt his soul abruptly detach and leave his body, shedding all stray thoughts and entering entirely into a state of tranquil non-action. "Now!" Without the slightest hesitation, seizing this rare opening, Wang Ping snatched up the oxtail saber beside him and executed the combat forms of the Three Demon Blades of Yanluo. *Clang! Clang!* The saber cleared its scabbard. In an instant, along with the ringing of the blade, an intensely powerful impulse surged into Wang Ping's mind, causing bloodshot veins to surface in his eyes. That was—Greed! Money, women, power—to possess everything in the world regardless of the cost, to vie, to seize! It was precisely this desire that embodied humanity's inherent wickedness! As Wang Ping swung the blade in accordance with the combat forms of the Three Demon Blades of Yanluo and circulated his qi and blood along with the corresponding breathing method, this emotion grew increasingly severe. It faintly resonated with the oxtail saber in his hand, spreading more and more bloodshot veins across his eyes as his sanity faced a ferocious assault. "What a demonic blade!" In the next second, Wang Ping held his breath. Relying on the relaxed state of mind that followed his training, he barely managed to suppress the desire and slid the oxtail saber back into its sheath. When he came back to his senses, he realized he was drenched in sweat. "So that's how it is... I understand." Looking at the saber in his hand, enlightenment dawned on Wang Ping. *Greed—the process of being battered by this emotion is actually the process by which the technique refashions my body.* *Only by staying clearheaded during this process...* *...and using reason to suppress desire without being swayed by it, can the transformation of the body be maximized. The better the transformation, the better the result once the saber technique's basics are mastered.* At this thought, Wang Ping immediately came to a decision. *For now... there's no rush to master the basics.* In all honesty, with the Iron Ox Art as a foundation and the rapid recovery granted by Qi Restriction, he was confident he could grasp the basics of the saber technique right now. However, mastering the basics this way would likely only form the lowest grade of dragon sinew—the viper-dragon sinew. It would be fast, but of no benefit to his future development. Had he not possessed a cheat, taking what he could get into his pocket would have been fine, but since he did have a cheat now, his sights naturally had to be set further ahead. *No rush. Take it slow.* *My Iron Ox Art has yet to reach perfection. My little brother isn't fast enough, and certainly not ruthless enough; it cannot sustain the relaxed state needed to contend with the blade intent of Greed for very long.* Wang Ping planned in his mind while continuing his training. As the saying went, a ten-thousand-zhang tower rose from level ground. If he couldn't do his best even in martial training, wouldn't cultivating immortality be pure fantasy? *Once the Iron Ox Art reaches great perfection, I can practice the Desire Realm Innate Method and undergo a complete metamorphosis. When that time comes, I'll practice martial arts with an immortal cultivator's constitution and then master the basics of the blade. The results shouldn't fall short of those geniuses blessed with superior talent—at the very least, my starting point should be a flood-dragon sinew.* In any case, this was the time to lie low and develop. Don't get reckless! ... Longxing County, outer city. At Chen Haoyan's command, Longxing County was officially sealed, allowing entry but no exit. Dozens to hundreds of constables searched house to house for the White Lotus rebel. Yet after searching for most of the day, they failed to find the rebel Xie Shi; instead, they turned up a whole slew of fugitives, throwing the county inside and out into utter turmoil. "Dammit, had I known, I never would've listened to that old bastard..." In a secluded alley in the outer city, Xie Shi concealed himself in the shadows, wrapping his ragged clothes tightly around himself, taking particular care to shield a fist-sized wound on his lower abdomen. Through the wound, his internal organs were faintly visible. "The Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow..." Xie Shi clenched his teeth. He felt stinging pain everywhere in his skin, flesh, sinews, and bones; his blood was severely depleted, and an unrelenting sense of hollow emptiness surged through his body. Skin, flesh, sinews, bones, blood, and marrow—none had been spared. The six corresponding weapons had all shattered, leaving him unable to exert even one-tenth of his martial arts. It was almost equivalent to losing half his life. *What do I do now?* Waiting for rescue... was out of the question. With that old bastard's nature, he would never risk walking into a trap to charge into the county seat and save him. He could only save himself. After turning it over in his mind, Xie Shi could think of only one path. "In the north of the city, the hall of that imperial alchemist, Perfected Youshen, should be able to shelter me right now." Although the county yamen was a colossal power in Longxing County, it was not supreme. Setting aside the White Lotus Sect outside the walls, even within the city there were entities the yamen was reluctant to provoke. Youshen Temple in the north was one of them; even amidst a full citywide manhunt, no one dared to search there. And currently, Youshen Temple was recruiting servants. "As long as I can find a way to sneak in, I can evade the pursuit of these black-skinned dogs." Xie Shi calculated, but soon furrowed his brows in worry. The problem lay in Youshen Temple's recruitment criteria: Applicants had to be beautiful women. At this thought, Xie Shi felt utter despair at this superficial, face-judging world. After all, big, burly, and with a face full of savage flesh, he could by no means pass for a beauty. Unless— Xie Shi's eyes flickered. Back when he sought great perfection in external conditioning, he had collected numerous martial arts, among which was an unorthodox art exceedingly suited to his current predicament: The Form-Altering Disguise Art. This was an unranked martial art with no corresponding weapon. Upon reaching perfection, the martial technique it condensed was called Thousand Faces in One, which allowed one to alter appearance and reshape form. It could change not only facial features, but even stature and physique at will. A woman could grow a beard, and a man could swell his chest. Aside from truly changing one's sex, there were virtually no limits to external alterations. Using this technique should allow him to meet Youshen Temple's recruitment criteria. However... what should a beauty look like? Xie Shi had a headache. Subconsciously, glimpses of beauties he had seen in the past flitted through his mind, but without a living person before his eyes, imagining it out of thin air made a flawless disguise difficult. "...I have to find a real person as a reference." Where were there the most beauties? With that thought, Xie Shi looked up, his gaze immediately falling upon the largest, most bustling, and brilliantly illuminated multi-story building in the city. ... Danfeng Tower. To describe this largest pleasure house in Longxing County, Wang Ping had only four words: Ample bosom, truly grand. Inside the brilliantly lit establishment, clamor rose incessantly as people came and went in search of pleasure—wealthy gentry, scholars, and even officials. Yet Wang Ping did not focus his attention on any of them, looking straight toward the woman seated on the highest central stage, plucking a zither and singing. Her title was one even he had heard other constables mention on the drill grounds: Longxing County's most renowned courtesan queen. Her light plucking of the strings was like a gentle breeze brushing willows; her vermilion lips parted slightly, like an oriole singing to spring. Though Wang Ping was no lecher, he was nonetheless struck with wonder at first glance. There was no denying that to become the top courtesan, she truly possessed exceptional talent. In appearance, her carefully adorned jade countenance yielded to none. In demeanor, she seemed every bit the daughter of an esteemed noble family. Yet she wore a flimsy gown, the wrapped silk gathering two snowy peaks at her chest that were half-hidden, half-revealed, a bottomless cleavage converging into a dark crease. To sum it up: *A peerless beauty of the realm, the darling of men's dreams,* *With lithe and slender waist so fine, like supple willow streams.* *Awakening from scented blinds, with wine-flushed cheeks of spring,* *Her hair and rouge like apricot blooms, soft grace in everything.* *With playful charm she loves to hold a fan of finest silk,* *And smiling hides her crimson lips, skin fair as fresh-drawn milk.* "Lady Qingfeng sings so divinely." "A pity she's still an untouched courtesan. One can't hear what marvelous sounds she makes in bed..." "Hmph, uncouth lout, how dare you utter such foul words..." Withdrawing his gaze, Wang Ping paid no more mind to the courtesan queen or the clamor surrounding her. After all, after half a month of arduous training, he had come here on serious business. In the next second, Wang Ping strode over to a corner of the building. There, an attractive mature woman was directing the staff. Though clearly past her youth, every glance and turn of her eyes still brimmed with lingering allure. "Lady Feng." Having done his homework before coming, Wang Ping called out to the woman and cut straight to the chase: "My name is Wang Ping. Master Liu sent me." As he spoke, he patted the oxtail saber at his waist. Although he was not wearing his black and red constable uniform at the moment, the distinct design of the oxtail saber was enough to verify his identity. "...So it's Little Brother Wang!" The madam of Danfeng Tower was taken aback at first, but then seemed to recall something and beamed immediately. "Master Liu did leave instructions. This way, little brother." Before long, Wang Ping followed Lady Feng into a private room. "You acquired the Iron Ox Art and plan to practice your technique, right?" Lady Feng spoke in a relaxed tone, clearly sharing a close relationship with Liu Ye. With that, she sized Wang Ping up from head to toe. Taking in Wang Ping's build—which did not look particularly burly at first glance—and his somewhat youthful face, a teasing glint surfaced in Lady Feng's eyes. "Little brother has only just begun cultivating the Iron Ox Art, so it's not wise to overexert yourself. How about this: I'll invite a girl over first to let you warm up?" "Warm up? Who are you looking down on?" Wang Ping gave a cold chuckle and immediately circulated his perfected Iron Ox Art. Empowered by the martial technique, he said earnestly, "Start the training at once!"