Renowned Across the County, the Danfeng Blade

Wang Ping walked out of the inner yamen, wearing a look of troubled indecision. His pace quickened. Bypassing the training grounds altogether, he bolted along the corridors with his facial muscles clenched tight, terrified that the slightest lapse would make him burst into laughter. Chen Haoyan was indeed astute. Even with the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow offered as compensation, the martial manual was simply too voluminous for Wang Ping to carry off, forcing him to learn it on the spot by "borrowing" it for perusal. This vastly reduced the chance of the technique leaking. At the same time, Chen Haoyan likely assumed it was impossible for Wang Ping to finish reading the manual within three days, which made him generous enough to grant it without hesitation. In all fairness, that judgment was sound. Provided it was applied only to mortals. *A lot of text in the manual? To me, a single sweep of spiritual sense takes it all in. In fact, I've already memorized the entire art down to the last letter!* Not to mention, with his identity as a Fiend from Beyond backing him up, narrow escapes from death meant nothing to him. On the surface, he appeared to be the coerced party in this transaction, but in truth, he was the one making a staggering profit. At practically zero cost, he had gained an intermediate martial art—and that was not even the full extent of his haul. Amid these thoughts, Wang Ping arrived before a storehouse. This was the county armory. Approaching the entrance, Wang Ping handed over an official requisition slip stamped with the chief constable's seal. "Wang Ping, here on orders to retrieve the Black Hornless Dragon Bow from the armory." "What?" The official guarding the armory blinked in surprise. Taking the requisition slip, he verified it thoroughly before knitting his brows and opening the heavy doors. "Strange. Where on earth would anyone need a contraband weapon like the Black Hornless Dragon Bow?" Even so, an official order was as unshakeable as a mountain. With black ink on white paper, the official had no room to disobey. Before long, he brought out a colossal bow wrought entirely of dark gold. The limbs wound in graceful curves, resembling two hornless dragons coiled together, their jaws each biting down on an end of the bowstring. The string itself was pitch-black and as thick as a thumb—less like a string and more like an enormous serpent. Resting across it were three arrows the size of short spears, radiating a chilling aura. *What an exceptional bow!* Wang Ping's eyes narrowed slightly. This was Chen Haoyan's offer after he had said "you'll need to pay extra"—a weapon tailored for the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow. *With this bow, there's hope of reaching initial mastery within three days!* At this thought, the contents of the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow flashed swiftly through Wang Ping's mind. This martial art specialized in bones and blood, while also demanding the cooperation of sinews. The six external hurdles: skin, flesh, sinews, bones, blood, and marrow. Among them, bones governed resistance to stress, blood governed explosive burst, and sinews provided the raw strength. Only by combining all three could one loose the mightiest arrow. *That's why he said true dragon sinews are best suited for this art.* *After all, this art doesn't temper the sinews itself. The innate divine might of true dragon sinews perfectly covers that shortcoming, unleashing its true power.* Beyond that, as an intermediate martial art, the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow differed from the lower martial arts Wang Ping had practiced before. Initial mastery made one's blood like fire; minor accomplishment made one's bones like a tiger; major accomplishment granted the martial strategy of A Single Arrow of Frost; and perfection unlocked the martial strategy of Battle-Breaking Tiangang. Every single step yielded immense gains. Anticipation stirred in Wang Ping's chest. *As long as I can train this art to perfection, I'll have cleared half of the six external hurdles.* …… Early the next morning. This was the first day of the three-day pact. Wang Ping dared not dally. Long before dawn, he changed his clothes, picked up the Black Hornless Dragon Bow, and strode onto the training grounds. His sole purpose: practice archery! At this moment, spiritual sense demonstrated the true worth of the immortal path once more. With its aid, Wang Ping was not so much shooting arrows as guiding them. With every shot, his spiritual sense preset the trajectory and the target. All he had to do was release the string, resulting in a hundred hits out of a hundred shots, never missing once. *Thwack!* Another arrow struck dead center on the target. Yet Wang Ping frowned. A dull ache throbbed in both hands from holding and drawing the bow, and the circulation of his blood and qi felt sluggish. "My body can't keep up." The toll of an intermediate martial art was clearly on a different level compared to lower arts. After practicing for less than an hour, his stomach felt completely hollow. *Grumble!* His belly let out a low rumble. Wang Ping set down the Black Hornless Dragon Bow and found his steps unsteady. He swayed on his feet a few times before barely catching his balance. Yet he had clearly eaten breakfast. The only explanation was that the free nutritional meals provided by Yuelai Tower could no longer keep up with his current blood and qi consumption. His choices were either to spend heavily on higher-grade ingredients or balance work and rest by practicing only a little each day, taking a gradual approach. *A gradual approach is out of the question.* *I only have three days left. In three days, I have to escort that Lotus Blade for Chen Haoyan, and ten to one, I'll meet a sudden end then.* Since he was about to die anyway, now was the time to train to the brink of death! Wang Ping immediately decided to head to Yuelai Tower shortly to see if he could purchase higher-grade ingredients to replenish his depleted blood and qi. Then again, given his current state, how much would such tonics cost? He had just received a gold ingot, equivalent to a hundred taels of silver. That ought to be enough, shouldn't it? Just as Wang Ping was calculating, another person walked onto the training grounds carrying a long-stemmed pipe. Catching sight of Wang Ping, he burst into hearty laughter. "I knew I'd find you here, Brother Wang." It was Liu Ye. Before Wang Ping could speak, Liu Ye chimed in, "Congratulations, Brother Wang! Your fame has soared, and your moniker is spreading through the entire county." "Oh?" Wang Ping blinked, then nodded with composure. He had felled Xie Shi in the rain with a single stroke—how dashing was that? It was only natural for a moniker to follow. "What moniker?" Wang Ping asked curiously. A strange grin crept onto Liu Ye's face. Emphasizing each syllable, he said, "Quite a formidable title: the Danfeng Blade!" *The Danfeng Blade?* Wang Ping blinked, bewildered. "Why that? I slew a White Lotus rebel with my saber. Shouldn't it be something like the Rebel-Slaying Blade or the Dragon-Cleansing Blade?" "What's a rebel count for? These days, they're a dime a dozen!" Liu Ye shook his head. "Brother Wang, your exploits yesterday were truly legendary, and that's how the name Danfeng Blade came about. Plenty of people in the city are making discreet inquiries, hoping to see the legendary Danfeng Blade with their own eyes and exchange a few pointers with you!" Wang Ping was speechless. *So that's what Danfeng Blade means? Fuck's sake, here I thought you people finally appreciated my talent, only to find out you're just drooling over my flesh!* *Bah, shameless!* Wang Ping shook his head at once. "Old Brother Liu, you misunderstand me deeply. That's not what I want. I have no interest in women." *The brat has no shame whatsoever.* *I haven't even settled the losses at Danfeng Tower with you yet.* While muttering grievances inwardly, Liu Ye gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Brother Wang is devoted to the martial path, with ambitions reaching the skies. This old brother is humbled." "It's nothing... Oh, right." Wang Ping glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he pulled Liu Ye closer and shoved a manual into his robe. Liu Ye froze. "This is...?" In the next instant, his expression shifted drastically as he clearly saw the title on the cover: "Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow! You accepted that assignment?" Wang Ping nodded. "Rest assured, the chief granted me permission to pass it on to one person. I have neither elders above nor children below, and you've always treated me best, Old Brother Liu. I caused quite a mess at Danfeng Tower yesterday and brought you plenty of trouble, so as promised, I'm passing this art to you. "However, this manual only contains the overview and table of contents. You'll have to go to the chief to borrow the full text." Liu Ye did not answer. Staring at Wang Ping's earnest face, the veteran constable could not process it at first, standing frozen in place without speaking for a long time. Only after a while did he manage to speak, his voice slightly stiff: "Lad, are you for real?" When he had half-sold, half-given away the Iron Ox Art back then, he truly had not expected any return. After Wang Ping rose in standing, he had thought of it even less. Yet he never imagined Wang Ping would actually honor his promise. An intermediate martial art, handed over just like that! And judging by this posture, it was practically akin to entrusting his affairs on his deathbed. Remembering how he had just been fretting over the losses at Danfeng Tower, Liu Ye felt an urge to slap himself. *Others treat me with sincerity, and all I have on my mind is business.* *I've grown old. Truly old.* Looking at the youth before him, he realized Wang Ping was about the same age as his own son. And looking at his stance, he seemed feeble, his blood and qi clearly depleted... "...Hm?" Liu Ye frowned. "Brother Wang, have you already tried practicing this art? You must have pushed too hard; your blood and qi can't keep up." "Ah, it's fine." Wang Ping gave a carefree smile and produced the gold ingot. "I just received a reward. I'll head to Yuelai Tower in a bit to buy some premium ingredients and patch myself up." "Yuelai Tower? What high-grade ingredients could they possibly have?" Liu Ye shook his head. "Brother Wang, if you trust me, leave this matter to me. I guarantee it'll be enough to sustain the blood and qi toll of an intermediate martial art." "Wouldn't that be an imposition?" Wang Ping feigned modesty. Liu Ye waved his hand broadly. "Nonsense! Your old brother has scraped by in this county for decades and has connections everywhere. It's a trivial matter!" "Then... I'll trouble you, Old Brother." Wang Ping felt a wave of relief. With sufficient nutritional tonics paired with the aid of his spiritual sense, bitter training through the days and nights would surely bring him to initial mastery of the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow within three days! …… Outside Longxing County, in a remote village. "Xie Shi is dead..." An old farmer bearing a bamboo hamper on his back, covered in travel dust, had just returned from the grass market outside town. After exchanging a few pleasantries with his neighbors, he stepped back into his own courtyard. Once the doors and windows were barred, however, the old farmer's hunched spine snapped straight. The murky look in his eyes cleared, and his face and figure abruptly twisted until he shifted back into an ethereal, transcendent old Daoist. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth as he gazed toward the county seat. This man was Shouchong. Surprisingly, Shouchong showed not the slightest grief over the death of his fine disciple, Xie Shi. Instead, he gave an approving nod. "Good riddance!" To his mind, Xie Shi had tested out the most vital piece of intelligence: Chen Haoyan was indeed guarding the county yamen day and night for the sake of the Lotus Blade. "He bought it. He truly bought it!" "If I'm not mistaken, he must already be scheming to lure the snake from its hole, trying to force me to walk into his trap just to reclaim the Lotus Blade." At this thought, Shouchong sneered. Was the Lotus Blade important? Of course it was. But a wily hare had three burrows; the moment he had sent it out, he had prepared himself to abandon it if matters turned sour. How could he not leave behind a fallback? Moreover, the White Lotus Sect's fortune woven into it had already dispersed. In reality, the flying blade's value to him had diminished substantially. Admittedly, giving up the blade would severely deplete his vitality and set back his martial cultivation—no small price to pay—yet he could barely endure it, so long as he reaped a greater reward. So how was he to reap a greater reward? "He wants to lure the snake from its hole; I'll lure the tiger away from its mountain." "Youshen Temple..." With his decision made, Shouchong stepped into the inner chamber. A shrine met his eyes, its interior concealed behind heavy curtains. Reaching into his robe, Shouchong produced three long sticks of incense. Pinching the sticks, he struck a flint to light them, then performed a peculiar ritual, bowing at every step as he approached the shrine. The three incense sticks were planted before the shrine, flaring brighter at once. Billowing azure smoke rose, only to be guided by an unseen wind deep into the alcove. Then, Shouchong spoke in an ethereal voice, chanting like an incantation: "I humbly entreat Liansheng Bodhisattva to deliver all mortal beings." *Whoosh!* Inside the tightly sealed room, the sound of howling wind suddenly whipped up. The three long sticks of incense, which ought to have burned for a long while, were consumed to ash within a single breath. At the same time, the gale blew open the curtains before the shrine, revealing the sacred statue within. It was a compassionate and holy maiden of breathtaking beauty, clad in a jade-white robe, her hands forming the mudra of Planting a Lotus in Fire, seated atop a lotus pedestal. Above it was inscribed the maiden's dharma name: Liansheng Bodhisattva. This was the origin of the White Lotus Sect. A look of fanatical reverence gradually surfaced on Shouchong's face. His entire martial cultivation had been bestowed by this bodhisattva; this was a supreme fortune unique to him alone. Thinking back to the past, he had been nothing more than one among the countless subjects under the rule of the Dashun court, rising at dawn and resting at dusk, toiling in the fields yet never able to fill his stomach. Not until that fateful day, when he unearthed this bodhisattva statue from the soil, had he truly undergone a rebirth. What a marvelous thing it was. So naturally—he wanted to share this wonder with all people. This was his goodwill, and the vision of Liansheng Bodhisattva. He believed that as long as more and more people joined the White Lotus Sect and shared in Liansheng Bodhisattva's compassion, the world would surely become a better place. "Pity our mortal folk, so plagued by sorrows and woes..." With Shouchong's devout kowtow, the bodhisattva's features seemed to warp slightly beneath the swirling azure smoke, as if revealing a satisfied smile.