Inside the county yamen's inner hall.
Chen Haoyan sat upright in a grand armchair. He had been resting with his eyes closed when an intuitive prickle stirred him. Looking up, he watched the young constable push open the door and step inside.
"You... broke through?"
Chen Haoyan could hardly conceal his astonishment. Wang Ping stood before him fully armed, the Black Hornless Dragon Bow strapped across his back and an oxtail saber slung at his waist, his breathing radiating like a stoked furnace.
As Wang Ping approached, a distinct wave of heat washed over Chen Haoyan, causing his expression to shift slightly. *Blood like fire, and supreme yang blood at that, the highest grade possible... Can the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow really produce something like this? Or is he not only born with divine strength, but also possesses blood that completely diverges from that of ordinary mortals?*
If that were true, it would be nothing short of monstrous.
*In an ordinary county seat, producing a martial artist with a single miraculous trait like mine is already a once-in-decades occurrence, let alone someone possessing two.*
After all, how could shallow waters breed a flood dragon? Breeding softshell turtles was more like it.
With Chen Haoyan's breadth of experience, one would have to scour the entirety of Changle Commandery to pick out even a handful of martial prodigies possessing two miraculous traits, and even then, such talents did not appear every year.
How could a mere petty constable boast such aptitude?
At the thought, he could not help harboring a fleeting twinge of reluctance, hesitant to send such an extraordinary genius off on the upcoming mission.
Yet his composure returned almost immediately.
*Even though recommending exceptional martial talent yields imperial rewards from above, those rewards are utterly useless to me. No matter how magnificent his talent is, what good does it do me if it isn't mine?*
To him, talent possessed no intrinsic value; what carried worth was human material.
In a flash of thought, Chen Haoyan had already regained his calm and poise. He said evenly, "Not bad. True dragon sinews and supreme yang blood. If you survive this venture, I shall recommend you for further training at the Divine Constabulary in the capital. Once you return from your studies, your starting point will be an internal strength martial master, with an excellent prospect of securing an official imperial title."
*Dangling empty promises again?*
Wang Ping sneered inwardly, yet nodded respectfully with absolute conviction. "Your subordinate will gladly brave fire and water, and I will never forget your kind patronage, Commander."
Wang Ping stressed the words *never forget* with heavy emphasis.
Although taking on this assignment had earned him immense profits, Chen Haoyan's original intentions were thoroughly malicious. Wang Ping had merely executed things well because Chen Haoyan had no idea he was playing with cheats.
Therefore, this grudge was firmly etched into his ledger!
Chen Haoyan, for his part, paid no mind to the nuance in Wang Ping's tone. No matter how immense a person's aptitude was, until it translated into genuine strength, it remained unworthy of consideration.
What was more—in his view, Wang Ping would never have the chance to cash in on that promise anyway.
"Set off."
A moment later, Chen Haoyan patted the armrest of his chair. Promptly, several servants carried a massive wooden chest and placed it before Wang Ping.
When the chest was opened, Wang Ping caught sight of the item inside: an exceptionally thick and heavy saber stand. Shouchong's Lotus Blade rested upon it like a crescent moon. As sunlight struck the blade, it immediately reflected a moonlight-like gleam that radiated a chilling, bone-piercing frost.
Seeing this, Wang Ping was about to step forward and take the blade.
Yet Chen Haoyan extended a hand to stop him, declaring in a deep voice, "Leave the blade where it is. Escort it to Youshen Temple together with the stand."
"...Oh?"
At those words, Wang Ping immediately sensed something amiss. He looked down at the stand holding the Lotus Blade, his gaze ultimately settling on its base.
*Delivering a saber is one thing, but what's with carting along the saber stand?*
*Could there be a trick to it?*
Wang Ping glanced up at Chen Haoyan, whose expression remained entirely natural, and realized, *Looks like this is his backup plan.*
*Is something hidden inside the stand?*
*A pity the material of this stand is exceptionally fine. It feels frighteningly hard to the touch—far beyond my ability to shatter. Nor can mortal flesh see through solid barriers...*
*Wait, I'm not bound by mortal eyes.*
*Then there's no problem at all!*
Wang Ping withdrew his gaze, feigning complete indifference to any secrets, while quietly mobilizing his spiritual sense to peer down into the base of the saber stand.
*It really is hollow!*
In the next instant, the scene within was reflected directly into Wang Ping's mind.
Then he froze—for resting inside was a bronze seal, adorned with carved jade embellishments and inscribed with two archaic seal-script characters.
*Longxing.*
*This is... the Longxing County seal? The imperial government's official seal of authority in Longxing County, a symbol of power without which no official document issued by the county yamen can take effect.*
How had Chen Haoyan gotten his hands on it?
No matter how formidable Chen Haoyan was, as a head constable he was ultimately nothing more than an executioner's blade. How could he have obtained the county seal from the magistrate?
And why place it here?
While mulling this over, Wang Ping hoisted the stand onto his shoulder and strode out of the inner yamen, where a horse-drawn carriage had already been waiting for a long time.
Surrounding the carriage were the yamen's constables.
Wang Ping spotted Liu Ye among the crowd, his expression deeply conflicted, as though he wanted to say something. But the moment Chen Haoyan walked out, Liu Ye closed his mouth.
Suddenly, Wang Ping tilted his head, feeling moisture brush his cheek.
"...It's raining again?"
The weather had been fickle lately. Only a few days had passed since the last torrential downpour, yet Longxing County was once again greeted by a misty drizzle.
* * *
"This rain comes at just the right time."
Within a secluded courtyard, Shouchong gazed up at the sky with a slight smile on his lips. Behind him stood dozens of White Lotus Sect believers whom Wang Ping had seen previously in the Daoist temple.
"I heard that Xie Shi was slain in the rain by the county yamen's constables. Now that another downpour has arrived, I shall also go slaughter a few of their constables, counting it as vengeance on his behalf while fulfilling the bond of master and disciple between us. I imagine that when his spirit learns of this in the netherworld, he will surely feel at peace."
"You jest, Sect Master."
A few sect members stepped forward, smiling. "We all know that you, Sect Master, are practically the most cold-hearted, unscrupulous man under heaven."
Shouchong shook his head at the remark.
"Your master is an upright, stalwart man who has always valued loyalty and righteousness. Do not listen to the mud slung by the imperial court; those are all malicious slanders."
"As for Xie Shi's death, our White Lotus Sect is in the business of rebellion. How can rebellion happen without shedding blood? Sometimes one ought to reflect on one's own shortcomings—after all these years, has one's martial arts improved? Has one been training diligently? If that fellow had been able to take another step forward and develop internal strength, how could he have lost his life?"
"..."
The disciples parted their mouths slightly, yet swallowed their words before speaking. Seeing that no one replied, Shouchong turned around and cast a smiling glance over his followers.
"What, struck dumb?"
The believers lowered their heads. "We dare not speak."
Shouchong smiled. "Rest assured, your master has always welcomed honest criticism."
"Then we shall speak." Only then did someone look up and whisper, "Senior Brother Xie Shi didn't develop internal strength... wasn't that because you refused to impart the true art, Master?"
Shouchong's expression froze instantly.
After a brief silence, his face darkened, and he said in an eerie, chilling tone, "Rebellious disciple, dare you tarnish my reputation?... And the rest of you, do you all think the same?"
The remaining believers shook their heads in a frantic hurry.
"Hmph, utter fools."
Shouchong shook his head. "The true art... Do you think I was unwilling to pass it down? It wasn't that I refused to transmit it, but that it couldn't be transmitted—or rather, even if I taught it, you wouldn't be able to learn it!"
A disciple said unconvinced, "Master, if you never taught it, how do you know we couldn't learn it?"
"Because I already taught it."
Shouchong sneered. "To Xie Shi, and to every single one of you—to everyone who joined my White Lotus Sect, I imparted the true art on the very day of your initiation."
"Yet you, just like Xie Shi, only pay lip service, claiming to revere Liansheng Bodhisattva and follow me in rebellion. In reality, you don't believe in Liansheng Bodhisattva at all, nor do you believe in the doctrines I taught you. That is why no matter how you try, you can never master our White Lotus Sect's true art."
"The doctrines...?"
The disciples looked at one another in bewilderment. Liansheng Bodhisattva? The whole nonsense about the Void Homeland? Everyone had assumed it was merely a trick to fool outsiders. *Master, you actually believe that stuff?*
"Isn't that just a banner to rally under?"
The disciples could not understand. Similar slogans were scattered all across Dashun, yet hardly anyone took them seriously, treating them merely as pretexts and excuses for rebellion.
"That is why I said you do not understand."
Shouchong let out a sigh, then promptly shifted the topic. "Enough of that. Let us speak of the matter at hand... Do you think this might be a trap set by Chen Haoyan?"
Shouchong's gaze penetrated the veil of rain, quickly settling on the carriage rolling slowly out of the county yamen. He could sense that his bound weapon, the Lotus Blade, was inside, yet he could detect no trace of Chen Haoyan's presence. Such a bizarre situation left even him somewhat perplexed.
"Willingly sending the item out, yet not personally guarding it."
"What is he playing at?"
Soon enough, Shouchong found his answer, for the carriage made no attempt to conceal its destination; it followed a main road leading straight toward Youshen Temple.
"So that's how it is..."
Upon discerning this, Shouchong's countenance abruptly changed. "What bargaining chip did he offer to convince the thaumaturge of Youshen Temple to actually intervene?"
"Master, this is an open ploy by the county yamen!"
Beside him, someone whispered, "If the Lotus Blade enters Youshen Temple, it will never come out. He is forcing your hand, Master."
"Not necessarily."
Another disciple shook his head and argued, "If that were truly the case, Chen Haoyan ought to be escorting it in person. Yet the person inside that carriage isn't him."
"You must know that while the imperial court's thaumaturges and fangshi are formidable, they almost never step beyond their respective sanctuaries. As long as we intercept the carriage halfway, the thaumaturge at Youshen Temple in all likelihood won't intervene. Wouldn't that render this so-called open ploy a complete laughingstock, devoid of any purpose?"
"If you ask me, this is a scheme to swap the pillar for a rotten beam!"
A disciple clapped his hands, stating with absolute certainty, "The Lotus Blade inside the carriage is definitely a fake, a decoy meant to mask the real blade's true whereabouts."
"That makes sense..."
For a time, the courtyard buzzed with chatter as various theories were proposed, until Shouchong raised his eyelids and said in a heavy voice, "Enough. Your master has his own plans."
Only then did the clamor subside into silence.
Immediately after, Shouchong fixed a burning gaze upon the carriage heading toward Youshen Temple, then turned his head to glance back in the direction of the county yamen.
"Could it be... his thoughts aligned with mine?"
* * *
Inside the carriage.
Wang Ping sat cross-legged. The Black Hornless Dragon Bow lay to his right, the oxtail saber to his left, and the Lotus Blade alongside its hollow stand rested before him. His eyes were narrowed into slits.
*A mortal crisis...*
The space between his brows twitched faintly. His potent spiritual sense continuously sounded alarms: within a hundred paces, there was at least one presence capable of killing him in an instant.
Shouchong? Chen Haoyan?
Whatever the case, it made no difference. From the moment he stepped into this carriage, he was already as good as dead; the carriage itself was his coffin.
Yet this did not matter. Wang Ping was fully prepared to start over. In truth, from the moment he acquired the Cloud-Piercing Sky-Shaking Bow, he could have ended his own life; there had been no strict need to wade into these muddy waters. The primary reason he had chosen to board the carriage in the end was that he had spotted an opportunity.
At the thought, Wang Ping lifted his eyes and stared straight ahead.
*The Lotus Blade... That old bastard Shouchong's weapon was indeed forged from top-tier materials: the exotic iron Emperor's Dew, with quality surpassing even hundred-refined primordial copper.*
*This is truly marvelous!*
In Wang Ping's eyes, this so-called Lotus Blade was nothing more than an exceptional slab of high-grade exotic iron. Such precious material was destined to be sacrificed to the Classic of Great Peace!
*Not to mention there's an unexpected surprise.*
Although he had no idea why Chen Haoyan had hidden a Longxing County seal inside the hollow stand, since it was already here, he would gladly accept this buy-one-get-one-free gift.
Besides that, there were the Black Hornless Dragon Bow and the oxtail saber. Since he couldn't take them with him anyway, he might as well sacrifice them all to the Classic of Great Peace, leaving not a single scrap for Chen Haoyan!
Wang Ping had no interest in mere slaughter.
Yet he was more than happy to reap a massive haul before dying!
That said, Wang Ping did not act immediately. Many eyes were bound to be fixed on him inside the carriage right now, making any premature move fraught with risk.
Moreover, unless forced to the absolute limit, Wang Ping had no desire to reveal the wonders of the Classic of Great Peace in broad daylight.
After all, his rebirth was not a clean slate reset—it could not rewind time itself. Once exposed, his future steps in this world would become fraught with hardship.
*From this perspective, the Classic of Great Peace still isn't quite gold standard enough!*
*Sigh, if only my cheat could not only rewind time and start from scratch, but also bring whatever items I'm holding back with me, that would be wonderful.*
Wang Ping sighed inwardly, feeling in no hurry at all; instead, he grew increasingly patient.
*The arrow is already notched on the string. They're bound to clash sooner or later.*
*That will be my opportunity.*
Wang Ping pondered with absolute composure. Yet right at that moment, his spiritual sense blared a sudden warning, prompting him to instinctively glance toward one side.
Toward the flank of the carriage.
At this moment, the carriage happened to be rolling past an alleyway, its door and window facing directly into the mouth of the lane. Through the window, Wang Ping faintly made out a figure amidst the curtain of rain.
It was a man wearing a bamboo conical hat. He strode out from the heavy downpour, his gait seemingly slow yet impossibly swift. One second he was deep in the alley, and the next he stood right at its mouth, as though the ground beneath his feet was actively shrinking. Clearly carrying no umbrella, not a single drop of water clung to his body.
"To think it was you who killed Xie Shi."
The man's voice was not loud, yet it strangely drowned out the sound of the rain, ringing clearly in Wang Ping's ears: "My good disciple, you're actually still alive."
Rumble!
In the instant lightning flashed and thunder roared, the hat-wearing man lifted his head.
With just a single glance, Wang Ping recognized his countenance. That appearance of white hair and a youthful complexion, exuding an air of transcendent Daoist grace, belonged to none other than the Sect Master of the White Lotus Sect, Shouchong!
Chapter 17