The heavy rain was still falling.
On the very street where Chen Haoyan met his end, Shouchong’s figure appeared abruptly. His gaze swept over Chen Haoyan’s remains scattered across the ground with a hint of surprise.
“Who did this?”
He was blown to pieces; what kind of deep-seated grudge could result in this?
While sighing in amazement, Shouchong began to search the street carefully, examining every single crack. His mind rapidly deduced the scene before and after the battle.
“The killer meticulously plotted and ambushed from the corner. However, their skills were lacking, and Chen Haoyan spotted them from afar. Interesting. Overcoming the strong as the weak? Chen Haoyan fired… the killer didn’t block? He forcefully endured it and charged right in front of him, and then… hmm? Chen Haoyan lost just like that?”
Shouchong’s brow suddenly furrowed.
But soon, as if discovering another crucial clue, his furrowed brow relaxed, and he even broke into a smile.
“This footwork, this qi and blood explosive technique… is it Planting the Lotus in the Fire?”
Good kid!
Shouchong looked around, clicking his tongue in wonder:
“I only used it once in front of him, just that one time, and he actually managed to glean some insights and even used it right then and there… and he executed it quite decently.”
What incredible talent!
“Aside from that… my Lotus Blade is gone. If not for that, Compassion for All Life Bodhisattva wouldn’t have been implicated by the sudden loss of connection. Also, the Longxing County Seal… was it also taken by this kid? I fought hard for most of the night, only for someone else to walk away with a massive haul.”
Thinking of this, Shouchong felt a bit helpless.
His plan for the night had actually been very simple: use his true body to draw fire while secretly having Compassion for All Life Bodhisattva go to the Wandering Spirit Temple in his stead.
But two accidents occurred.
The first accident was naturally Chen Haoyan having the exact same idea, causing Compassion for All Life Bodhisattva to be a step too slow and allowing Chen Haoyan to strike first.
The second accident was the Lotus Blade.
Just as Compassion for All Life Bodhisattva caught Chen Haoyan and was about to deal the killing blow, the Lotus Blade suddenly vanished. The backlash immediately affected Shouchong himself.
This chain reaction also caused Compassion for All Life Bodhisattva to stall.
This allowed Chen Haoyan to seize the opportunity and escape. By the time Shouchong recovered and chased him all the way here, he only saw a shattered corpse scattered across the ground.
“….. Let it be.” Shouchong shook his head and quickly adjusted his mindset. “It’s a loss that I personally didn’t manage to get the elixirs from the Wandering Spirit Temple. However, Compassion for All Life Bodhisattva’s goal was still achieved. Harvesting this season’s incense from the Wandering Spirit Temple means we didn’t return empty-handed at least.”
Besides, strictly speaking, Wang Ping was also a White Lotus Cult disciple.
All things considered, the benefits remained within the family.
“Moreover… this is also an opportunity.”
Under the rainy night, Shouchong looked up into the distance. In the center of Longxing County, the towering county yamen lay sprawled on the ground like a giant beast sleeping with its eyes closed.
Logically speaking, without Chen Haoyan—an Internal Force Master—the current yamen should no longer pose a threat to him. But reality proved otherwise.
Through Shouchong’s perception, Chen Haoyan’s death not only failed to weaken the sense of danger the yamen gave him, but actually amplified it to a life-and-death level.
He knew the reason behind this.
Thinking of this, a cold sneer tugged at the corner of Shouchong’s mouth. “The handy blade unexpectedly snapped, and with no other blade available right now, he is forced to step onto the stage himself.”
“Hmph… let’s see how long you can hide.”
Withdrawing his gaze, Shouchong rapidly concealed his aura. He then cleaned the scene once more, erasing all traces of the battle before swaggering away.
…………..
Wang Ping no longer had the heart to care about what else happened that night.
At this moment, he had returned to his small courtyard. He changed out of his soaking wet clothes and placed a bulging bundle on the table.
Even now, he was still reflecting on the battle just now.
Compared to the fight where he killed Xie Shi, this battle with Chen Haoyan was undoubtedly more perilous. In theory, he shouldn’t have been the final victor.
“Slaying Xie Shi only looked dangerous. In reality, I had the advantage in time, terrain, and circumstances. All I had to do was swing my saber; everything unfolded logically without any surprises… However, Chen Haoyan was different. Killing him actually involved seventy percent luck. For the first close-quarters slash, he chose to chop my arm.”
Thinking of this, Wang Ping rubbed his shoulder again.
The phantom pain of his severed arm hadn’t completely faded yet. Furthermore, there were the aftereffects of overexertion; intense muscle soreness made it difficult for him to even move.
This was the consequence of training the sinews but not the flesh.
Having strength and explosive power, but being unable to withstand the physical toll afterward, resulted in terrible stamina. He couldn’t even last three minutes.
“If that slash hadn’t aimed for my arm but my neck instead, I would have died on the spot. Even with [Perish with the Sun], I wouldn’t have had the chance to use it.”
“But this wasn’t him underestimating his enemy. After all, at that time, the most threatening part of my body to him was the hand holding the saber. With my whole body riddled with wounds, it was obvious I wouldn’t live long. In his view, as long as he dealt with that hand, I was certain to die. Naturally, he subconsciously made the most reliable choice.”
Wang Ping continuously reviewed the process of the life-and-death struggle in his mind.
Possessing the Desire Realm Deva physique, he could keenly sense Chen Haoyan’s emotional changes, which aided him in analyzing Chen Haoyan’s psychological shifts during the battle.
This was also invaluable combat experience.
After finishing his review, Wang Ping reached a conclusion: “With [Qi Ward] and [Perish with the Sun], trading injury for injury is the most suitable combat style for me.”
“Moreover… my martial arts are too low.”
“Punching above my weight isn’t my style; bullying the weak with overwhelming strength is more to my liking. My biggest problem this time was still that my martial arts were inferior to Chen Haoyan’s.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been discovered early.”
“I need to find a way to fix this. Fortunately, aided by my spiritual sense and the Desire Realm Deva physique, my martial arts training speed is very fast. I’m just lacking a handy weapon.”
A moment later, Wang Ping sat up again.
He formed seals with his ten fingers to cast a spell, using [Qi Ward] to circulate and convert True Qi within his body for several cycles. His previously sluggish vitality and spirit instantly recovered by more than half.
Following that, he looked at the bundle on the table.
He had noticed earlier that Chen Haoyan kept this bundle securely tucked in his robes, guarding it like a treasure. That was why he specifically snatched it before leaving.
“Let me see…”
Wang Ping stepped forward and untied the bundle.
The next second, a full twelve porcelain bottles accompanied by a rich medicinal fragrance appeared before Wang Ping’s eyes. Each bottle had a corresponding label underneath.
“Holy shit!?”
Wang Ping’s eyes instantly went wide. The contents of the labels on the twelve bottles nearly blinded him, and for a moment, his hands trembled with excitement.
“Good deeds truly are rewarded…”
Wang Ping muttered softly, then rubbed his eyes, seemingly still in disbelief as if in a dream. Only after a moment did he reveal a relieved smile.
They were all elixirs!
Regarding elixirs, Wang Ping had gained some understanding during his previous chats with Liu Ye. It was said that only those fangshi of the Imperial Court possessed the skill to refine them.
“One elixir can match a month’s worth of medicinal food supplements!”
“Did that guy Chen Haoyan force his way into the Wandering Spirit Temple just for these? Don’t tell me he ransacked the Wandering Spirit Temple’s apothecary?”
Wang Ping carefully inventoried the types of elixirs.
Intestine-Severing Pill, Gu Poison Pill, Force-Dissolving Powder.
Sinew-Cleansing Pill, Bone-Forging Pill, Marrow-Washing Pill, Qi-Replenishing Powder, Detoxification Pill, Body-Tempering Pill, Heaven-Reversing Restoration Pill, Snow Ginseng Ice Fruit Nectar, Heaven’s Will Soul-Returning Pill.
“Three poison pills, nine tonics.”
Looking at the porcelain bottles on the table, Wang Ping fell deep into thought. He suddenly thought of a problem that, while slightly paranoid, had to be guarded against.
“Do these elixirs correspond to the labels on the bottles?”
Wang Ping picked up a porcelain bottle labeled [Body-Tempering Pill], but what if it actually contained an [Intestine-Severing Pill]?
“Judging others by myself, if I were in their shoes, I would definitely use one set of labels publicly and another secretly, deliberately designed to confuse laymen.”
This was also a basic anti-theft measure.
The Wandering Spirit Temple just stood there; could the Wandering Spirit Perfected One have never considered the possibility of elixirs being stolen while refining them?
Wang Ping didn’t believe it!
“In this world, none of those who manage to get ahead act like human beings, and those who do definitely don’t live long… It’s never wrong to be a bit careful and think things through.”
Thinking of this, Wang Ping felt a slight headache.
“I don’t understand pharmacology.”
With his spiritual sense, he could analyze the components of these elixirs, but without pharmacological knowledge, even knowing the components wouldn’t let him deduce their specific effects.
“….. Looks like I need to find a test subject.”
Wang Ping thought for a moment, simply pushed the door open, walked into the stable beside the courtyard, led out the curly-maned horse the yamen assigned him, and patted it affectionately.
For the sake of safety, his horse would have to suffer a bit.
The next second, Wang Ping mobilized his spiritual sense, extracting a portion of medicinal powder from the elixirs in the bottles. He fed them to the curly-maned horse one by one and waited patiently.
Just in case, he extracted the powder separately from the surface, the core, and the middle layer of each elixir to ensure the entire pill was non-toxic. Otherwise, what if a poison pill was coated with a non-toxic layer? Better safe than sorry; he’d rather waste some than fall into a trap.
Throughout the process, he observed with his spiritual sense.
From the medicinal powder entering its stomach to it starting to take effect, which specific organs it affected, and the strength of the medicinal effect—he saw it all clearly.
Two hours later.
After feeding some Detoxification Pill powder to the curly-maned horse, which had already started foaming at the mouth and kicking its legs wildly in the air, Wang Ping returned to his room with a dark expression.
Facts proved he wasn’t being paranoid.
All the labels were jumbled up. The true way to distinguish the elixirs wasn’t these labels, but the patterns on the porcelain bottles; it was clearly a special code.
In this godforsaken place, truly no one acted human!
If his skills hadn’t been a cut above, recalling the memory of being utterly scammed by that old bastard Shouchong, and taking extra precautions, wouldn’t he have had to resurrect and start over again?
“Bastard!”
Wang Ping cursed angrily for a while, then rearranged the twelve elixir bottles. Fortunately, while the labels were jumbled, the labels themselves weren’t wrong.
There were only three bottles of poison pills and still nine types of tonics.
“Intestine-Severing Pill, Gu Poison Pill, Force-Dissolving Powder—these three go together. Lethal poisons.”
“Sinew-Cleansing Pill, Bone-Forging Pill, Marrow-Washing Pill, Qi-Replenishing Powder, Detoxification Pill, Body-Tempering Pill… these are for the physique, suitable for external martial artists.”
“Heaven-Reversing Restoration Pill, Snow Ginseng Ice Fruit Nectar… these two are used to boost internal force. After taking them, an inexplicable wisp of qi appears in the body. However, if one’s cultivation isn’t sufficient, it’s actually harmful. After the curly-maned horse ate it, it almost dropped dead on the spot. Luckily my reflexes were fast enough, and I pumped its stomach in time.”
“The last one…”
Wang Ping picked up the final porcelain bottle. This one was labeled [Body-Tempering Pill], but it actually contained the [Heaven’s Will Soul-Returning Pill].
But the problem was, he didn’t know what it was used for.
“After the curly-maned horse ingested it, there were no changes to its body, all organs remained unchanged, and it’s uncertain whether it’s toxic or not. It’s hard to judge.”
Wang Ping guessed this elixir was Chen Haoyan’s true target.
After all, while the other eleven elixirs were precious, few were actually useful to Chen Haoyan—at least not important enough to risk his life to snatch.
“In that case, this is a hot potato. If people find out I killed Chen Haoyan and took these elixirs, I might be in trouble?”
Thinking of this, Wang Ping immediately stored the Heaven’s Will Soul-Returning Pill separately, then placed the Intestine-Severing Pill into the bottle labeled [Heaven’s Will Soul-Returning Pill].
Additionally, there were the bottles for the [Heaven-Reversing Restoration Pill] and [Snow Ginseng Ice Fruit Nectar]. Wang Ping stuffed the remaining two poisons, the Gu Poison Pill and Force-Dissolving Powder, into them. He then kept these three porcelain bottles close to his body… Although it was a casual move, it might yield miraculous results.
After finishing this, Wang Ping finally returned to his bed.
“My [Heaven-Shaking Cloud-Piercing Bow] has only just crossed the threshold. To break through to small success, I must master [Bones like a Tiger]. This step primarily involves tempering the bones…”
Thinking of this, he took out the Bone-Forging Pill.
Swallowed the pill, mixed with water, and downed it in one gulp.
Initially, he didn’t feel anything. However, soon, Wang Ping felt as if a raging fire had ignited in his stomach, rapidly spreading to his limbs and bones.
Next came the itch! An unbearable itch!
An itch originating from the bones, making one want to scratch but unable to reach it. Knowing this meant the medicinal power was taking effect, Wang Ping dared not be careless and immediately grasped the Black Hornless-Dragon Bow.
“Phew!”
Circulating his spiritual sense to suppress all distracting thoughts and sensations, Wang Ping quickly sank his mind into a connection with the Black Hornless-Dragon Bow, digesting the surging medicinal power of the Bone-Forging Pill.
Feeling the warm current within his body, Wang Ping grew increasingly invigorated.
“It took me less than three days to cross the threshold of [Blood like Fire] with the aid of my spiritual sense. Now, with elixir assistance, one night is enough to achieve small success in [Bones like a Tiger]!”
………..
The next day, early morning.
The rain cleared, and under the rising morning sun, a rainbow hung high in the sky. Fresh air rode the gentle breeze, sweeping across the county town that had just endured a night of stormy weather.
Bang!
After a night passed, Wang Ping, who had been sitting cross-legged on his bed as unmoving as a stone statue, abruptly opened his eyes. A sudden explosive sound echoed out of thin air from within his body.
This sound didn’t come from his mouth, nor was it the noise of his abdominal internal organs. Instead, it was the culmination of subtle sounds produced by every bone in his body vibrating together with his muscles, skin, and internal organs. Like muffled thunder rolling across the sky or the low roar of a tiger or leopard, it contained a transformative change.
“Success!”
Once the sound faded, Wang Ping was drenched in sweat. Yesterday’s muscle soreness had vanished at some point, and a gleam seemed to reside within his eyes.
Bones like a Tiger!
Similar to sinews and blood, the grade of bones was also divided into four tiers: Civet, Striped, White-Browed, and Mountain Lord (Tiger). And Wang Ping’s bones remained at the highest tier: [Mountain Lord Bones]!
At this moment, bolstered by True Dragon sinews, Extreme Yang blood, and Mountain Lord bones, Wang Ping clearly felt his stamina surge yet again, and his pressure tolerance and endurance vastly increased. Even when twisting his whole body into a single force like when he previously executed [Planting the Lotus in the Fire], it felt much easier than before.
Especially when sinews and bones exerted force together.
True Dragon sinews and Mountain Lord bones—a single punch was accompanied by the simultaneous cries of a dragon and a tiger. The fierce wind of the punch, combined with the steaming qi, blood, and sweat, made it seem as if wind and clouds truly followed in his wake!
“Invigorating!”
Wang Ping stretched his limbs and let out a low roar. This sensation of significantly increased strength was even more exhilarating than the moment of explosive power when cultivating the [Iron Bull Technique].
After a long time, Wang Ping stopped his movements.
Next, he wrapped and sealed the remaining elixirs. Then, using his spiritual sense to assist, he made his curly-maned horse swallow them one by one, hiding them inside the horse’s stomach.
This way, they can be hidden for at least one to three days.
Wang Ping circulated his spiritual sense, adjusting the position of the elixirs in the horse’s stomach to ensure they wouldn’t be excreted. Only then did he relax, turning around and walking toward the county yamen.
Barring any surprises, the county yamen must have already received news of Chen Haoyan’s death by now.
Rebel infighting resulting in the Head Constable’s death—upon hearing such pleasing news, shouldn’t that County Magistrate, who had rarely shown his face until now, be unable to sit still?