Inside the Black Armor Battalion camp.
Wang Ping sat cross-legged, circulating his vital qi and blood as he drew slow, steady breaths. Throughout the process, the muscles and bones of his face shifted and adjusted in subtle motions.
In the blink of an eye, he wore a different face.
His handsome, youthful visage transformed into a weather-beaten, middle-aged countenance, then altered once more into the decrepit visage of an elderly man with one foot in the grave.
Thousand Faces in One—transforming at will.
It was not even limited to facial features; if he wished, Wang Ping could even become a woman, with ways to handle even the most essential physical characteristics.
"Retracting the yang into the abdomen!"
Wang Ping reached down and felt his crotch, clicking his tongue in marvel upon confirming that the technique truly worked. "To think I would find a disguise technique so quickly."
Having verified the disguise effects inherent to the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art, Wang Ping restored his original appearance. He then channeled his spiritual sense to survey his surroundings. Compared to before, after mastering spiritual awareness, his spiritual sense had grown dozens of times stronger; every tiny detail within the Black Armor Battalion lay exposed to his perception.
*There are no blind spots this time.*
Wang Ping pushed his spiritual sense to its absolute limit and soon spotted Xu Dog and Shen Monkey outside the camp. This time, they could no longer evade his perception.
"Hmm?"
Just then, Wang Ping's gaze shifted as he noticed Wu Xintai walking toward his tent, accompanied by another figure following closely behind.
"...It's her?" Wang Ping was momentarily stunned.
Wrapped tightly from head to toe and even clad in a layer of inner armor, she was a valiant-looking woman who bore little resemblance to the delicate, frail figure in his memories.
It was none other than Madam Su.
*She took up martial arts... Wait, why is she still here? Two lifetimes ago, I arranged everything—she should be living comfortably in the capital right now.*
Wang Ping frowned slightly. A moment later, Wu Xintai lifted the tent flap and strode inside. "Lord Wang, I've brought the unranked martial arts you requested."
With that, he laid three manuals before Wang Ping. Glancing over them, Wang Ping saw that most were ordinary fare, far inferior to the Thirteen Taipo Horizontal Training Hard Qi Art. Moreover, three was far from enough. Still, one could never have too much of a good thing, so he accepted them all.
"Thank you for your trouble, General."
"Think nothing of it." Wu Xintai waved a hand, not daring to claim credit. Given his keen eye, how could he fail to see that Wang Ping was not entirely satisfied?
With that in mind, he hurried to add, "Actually, this humble general knows of a few more unranked martial arts manuals held by a merchant family. They are willing to offer them up, but wish to meet with your lordship in person..."
"Oh?"
Lowering his gaze, Wang Ping already understood Wu Xintai's intentions. Unable to refuse outright, he nodded slightly. "Please invite the guest outside to enter."
Wu Xintai let out a long sigh of relief. Stepping aside, he pulled open the tent flap. Madam Su walked in with a resolute expression. Without wasting any breath, she produced a medallion engraved with her family name and spoke in a steady voice: "Su Ya of the capital's Su clan greets your lord—"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
Madam Su stood frozen in place, the medallion slipping from her fingers unheeded as her lovely eyes fixed squarely upon Wang Ping.
She had come today planning to make one final attempt. She had learned yesterday that a gold-bearing armed cavalry had arrived as army supervisor, and she intended to use the warrant left by her close sister to see if she could persuade him. If the army supervisor spoke, Wu Xintai would surely waver and deploy troops to help her rescue someone from the county seat. Beyond this, she could think of no better way.
Yet at this moment, all her prior anxiety, hardship, and sorrow were cast to the winds, leaving only a dazed disbelief.
Wang Ping felt a touch helpless at the sight.
Meanwhile, Wu Xintai stepped forward enthusiastically. "My lord, allow me to introduce her. This lady is—"
"No need," Wang Ping said, waving his hand. "Leave us."
Wu Xintai paused, then spoke cautiously: "My lord, although this lady holds no official post, her background is quite distinguished. Perhaps it would be best to hear her..."
"I told you to get out!" Wang Ping glared at him.
"Ah?"
Wu Xintai was genuinely taken aback. He glanced at Wang Ping, then at Madam Su, whose eyes were already reddening. After a moment of hesitation, he cupped his fists and withdrew, taking care to close the tent flap behind him.
Having sent Wu Xintai away, Wang Ping turned to look at Madam Su without saying a word. Madam Su pursed her lips and remained silent as well. The atmosphere sank into utter stillness.
The two remained locked in a near-deadlock until Madam Su finally broke. Her eyes red and brimming with light, her voice trembled: "Why aren't you speaking?"
Wang Ping shook his head. "Has Madam perhaps mistaken me for someone else?"
Even now, a sliver of hope lingered in his heart. After all, having undergone his physical metamorphosis, both his temperament and appearance had changed substantially. Could she really recognize him at a glance? Furthermore, he was now an officer of the gold-bearing armed cavalry, completely distinct from the young bailiff of back then. Anyone would normally assume he merely bore a resemblance...
"You say I mistook you?!"
Her voice pitched an octave higher in an instant. Her emotions spiraled visibly out of control, and two streams of clear tears spilled down her cheeks.
Wang Ping discarded any lingering hopes immediately.
"My mistake," he said, meekly bowing his head.
Madam Su trembled, gritting her teeth before whispering, "I thought you were dead."
"And I thought you had gone to the capital to live in comfort," Wang Ping replied.
"You died in that city, murdered by that damned magistrate," Madam Su said softly, her tone desolate. "If I had not avenged you, how could I bear to leave for the capital?"
Wang Ping was speechless.
"Come here," Madam Su said again.
Only then did Wang Ping move, cautiously walking up to her. Yet his posture remained thoroughly restrained and decorous.
Madam Su grew even angrier.
Seeing someone she believed to be dead standing before her once more, the emotions in her heart welled up and spilled over like her tears—a turbulent mix of delight and fury.
Why hadn't he told her he was alive?
Why did he pretend not to recognize her?
Why was he just standing there like that?
Looking at Wang Ping standing right beside her, doing nothing like a wooden block, her tears flowed faster, yet her stubbornness flared:
"Do you want to cut ties with me?"
"Never," Wang Ping rephrased. "It's just that my circumstances are dangerous. You shouldn't be dragged into them. You ought to live your own life."
Madam Su took a deep breath. "Don't you understand?"
"Understand what?" Wang Ping asked blankly.
At those words, shame and anger flooded her heart, tinting her cheeks, ears, and fair neck in a brilliant crimson flush.
This damned scoundrel was playing dumb!
Did he want her to say it aloud? Knowing he was in the wrong, was he stringing her along like this so she would soften and drop the matter?
"You bane of my life..."
Her anger dissipated considerably under his exasperating behavior, giving way to an overwhelming surge of joy that she longed to vent. Yet seeing his impassive expression, her cheeks puffed out, flushed red. She could not bring herself to lower her pride and yield. Frustrated and flustered, she flared up in petulance: "A gold-bearing armed cavalryman... You must have used underhanded means! I'm going to report you to the authorities!"
With that, she spun around and moved toward the tent exit.
Only then did Wang Ping finally reach out, catching Madam Su's hand. Before he could even pull, she melted into his embrace of her own accord.
They gazed at each other.
Madam Su had wanted to say something more, but looking at his handsome face so close at hand, every other thought vanished. Shyly, she shut her eyes.
Seeing this, Wang Ping sighed helplessly. "Madam, I truly have no appetite for women..."
Madam Su snapped her eyes open in fury.
The atmosphere was right, the emotions were ripe, the arrow was nocked on the bowstring—and he dared blurt out something like that? The last thread of reason snapped in her mind.
"Take me!" Madam Su demanded, enunciating every word.
Even as Wang Ping reached his hand into her robes, he wore a look of reluctant hesitation. "Th-this isn't appropriate... I really have no interest in women."
Fine words indeed.
Madam Su scoffed in exasperated amusement. Abandoning all remaining reserve, she threw her head back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her full red lips against his in a fierce bite.
Wang Ping could only comply and return the embrace.
............
Outside the tent, Wu Xintai stood dumbfounded.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that moments after stepping outside, the tent would erupt into considerable commotion, interspersed with voices.
In broad daylight! Under the open sky!
A disgrace to decency!
An utter offense to decorum!
*Hiss!*
At this moment, Wu Xintai harbored no salacious thoughts, only profound shock. *Madam Su already possesses an illustrious background, yet she is intimately involved with this cavalry officer—clearly old acquaintances... If so, this supervisor's backing must be unimaginably deep!*
But if that were the case, why come to Longxing County?
Why would a noble scion from the capital come all the way to this barren backwater as an army supervisor unless he carried a secret mission?
The gold-bearing armed cavalry was the Son of Heaven's personal guard.
*Damn it all, could he be carrying an imperial secret decree?*
The more Wu Xintai pondered, the more frightened he grew. Daring to listen no further, he immediately summoned soldiers to clear the perimeter so as not to disturb his lordship's pleasure.
Not until the sun sank behind the western hills did Madam Su's emotions finally settle. Relishing the familiar warmth, she curled contentedly in Wang Ping's arms, resting her head on his shoulder, reluctant to rise.
"Still planning to report me?" Wang Ping asked, sitting upright.
"No, no more reporting," Madam Su pleaded hastily, her body tensing. She truly could endure no more; heaven knew what martial art this wretched man had been cultivating, but his body felt as though forged from iron.
"R-right!" Seeing that Wang Ping seemed inclined to move again, Madam Su scrambled to change the subject. "Your brother Liu Ye has run into trouble—he's being held in the county jail..."
Wang Ping paused. "Old Liu?"
"He refused to leave his homeland, so in the end he went to Changle Commandery. But that dog official Xu Bingzheng had connections in the commandery government as well and schemed to have him arrested and brought back."
"As for my connections... an unexpected incident forced them to leave, and since they weren't locals of Changle Commandery, they couldn't intervene in time."
Noticing Wang Ping's darkening expression, Madam Su hurriedly added, "D-don't worry! The person I sought help from was my cousin. She is a thaumaturge and personally intervened on Liu Ye's behalf. No matter how audacious that dog official is, he might torment him at most, but he won't dare take his life..."
Wang Ping's expression did not soften.
A blade across the neck was swift and clean, but in this world, there were countless ways to make someone wish for death rather than endure life.
At that thought, Wang Ping let Madam Su go.
A moment later, fully dressed, the two stepped out of the tent. Wu Xintai, who had been waiting for some time, rushed forward and bowed respectfully. "This humble general greets your lordship."
Catching sight of Wu Xintai, Madam Su suddenly realized the sheer madness of what she had just done. A rosy blush swept across her face, overcoming her with acute embarrassment.
Wang Ping, however, remained entirely composed and asked directly:
"Does the general know Liu Ye?"
At those words, Wu Xintai thought to himself, *As expected.* He nodded cautiously. "I know of him. He is currently in the county seat..."
His tone was rife with hesitation. Although he believed Wang Ping possessed powerful backing, the fact remained that Wu was merely a humble battalion commander. Under no circumstances did he wish to be dragged into the power struggles of imperial heavyweights. No matter what happened, he could not deploy troops to storm the county seat.
With that in mind, he whispered hurriedly, "If your lordship has past ties with Liu Ye, why not send a letter into the county seat on his behalf? This humble general can append a letter as well, asking the magistrate to release him. Surely the magistrate will grant your lordship some face."
This, in his view, was the optimal approach.
When all was said and done, harmony was prized above all in the imperial court; competing without rupturing ties was the golden rule of officialdom. If a matter could be settled through negotiation, that was always best.
Why resort to swords and spears?
Most importantly, it would keep him off the hook. Compared to mobilizing troops to storm a county seat, writing a letter to a magistrate could never bring blame upon his head.
At the same time, Wu Xintai prepared himself: if the army supervisor rejected his suggestion and stubbornly demanded the deployment of troops, what tone and phrasing should he use to decline tactfully without making an open enemy of him?
Yet in the very next instant, an entirely unexpected reply reached his ears:
"No need for such trouble."
Wang Ping looked toward distant Longxing County with a calm expression, murmuring indifferently, "One only needs others to grant face when begging for favors. As for me, I only require his post."
Before Wu Xintai could offer a polite refusal, an object struck his chest.
What was it?
Baffled, Wu Xintai caught it. Cast entirely in bronze, the piece bore an odd shape and appeared to be incomplete... Then his whole body violently shuddered.
At that instant, a distant memory sparked in his mind. The expression on his face stiffened as a suspicion dawned, though he instinctively sought to deny it.
*Could it be... No, impossible!*
*This is a camp of five hundred soldiers! The half kept in Changle Commandery resides permanently in the commandery yamen—how could anyone have brought it out? It must be a fake meant to intimidate me...*
With that thought, Wu Xintai reached trembling fingers into his robes and produced a similar bronze piece. He brought the two pieces together and gently pressed them into place.
*Clink.*
A seamless, perfect fit.
In the very next second, the Black Armor Battalion commander did not hesitate in the slightest. Dropping to one knee on the spot, he spoke no words, yet his absolute obedience was unmistakable.
"Pass down my order," Wang Ping said calmly, reclaiming the military tally. "Deploy the troops. Enter the city."
Chapter 45