A dark and stormy night.
At some unknown point, the sky over Longxing County had already been blanketed by a layer of dark clouds. Gusts of cold wind blew, and the night grew increasingly profound. This was a sign of an impending heavy downpour.
Wang Ping almost held his breath.
The County Magistrate standing before him—whether it was his breathing, heartbeat, or the flow of his qi and blood—all external manifestations of his life force had completely transcended the realm of mortals.
For an instant, he even experienced a hallucination. It was as if the entity standing in the veil of night was not a person, but a golden-winged Great Peng bird with burning eyes, spreading wings that blotted out the sky, ready to pounce and kill him at any moment. Facing him felt like a rabbit encountering a famished, ferocious tiger.
This was a disparity in the level of life.
Every single cell in his body was howling at this moment. His biological instincts urged him to quickly turn around and flee for his life—to run as far away as possible!
“……Phew!”
The next second, Wang Ping abandoned his martial artist’s senses and circulated his spiritual sense. Only then did he finally pierce through that inexplicable hallucination and see the other party’s appearance clearly again.
“Hmm?”
Almost simultaneously, the Longxing County Magistrate, Xu Bingzheng, seemed to realize something as well. He revealed a look of surprise and said, “Interesting. Is this also the White Lotus Cult’s evil sorcery?”
“A Lesser Heavenly Circulation body, an Internal Force Master at minor attainment. Your cultivation is not even a match for Chen Haoyan when he was alive, yet you can break through my divine intent suppression. It seems the White Lotus Cult having swept through various counties and made such a huge name for themselves in Changle Commandery isn’t without reason.” Xu Bingzheng’s tone was very calm.
“Speak.”
His gaze fell upon Wang Ping as he said indifferently, “Regarding the White Lotus Cult and the elixirs you snatched that night, you have at least three sentences to speak.”
After a moment of silence, Wang Ping raised his head: “…..How did you find me?”
“Not that sentence.”
As soon as he spoke, Wang Ping felt an intense pain radiating from his body. When he snapped back to reality, he discovered a new gash had shockingly appeared on his chest.
Blood instantly surged out wildly.
Wang Ping immediately took a step back, circulating his internal force to stem the blood loss from the injury. Consequently, the blood-red color on his face faded, replaced by a touch of pallor.
So this is a Titled Martial Master?
It’s still internal force, perhaps more abundant and refined than mine, with higher intensity… but that’s all there is to it. It doesn’t seem to be a qualitative leap.
The intense pain didn’t overwhelm Wang Ping’s thoughts. From the moment he killed Chen Haoyan and risked returning to the county yamen, he was prepared to be exposed one day.
Although he didn’t expect to be exposed so quickly, it didn’t matter. With the 【Otherworldly Heavenly Demon】 present, it was merely a matter of trying again for him.
Therefore, compared to his injuries, he was more concerned about another matter.
What exactly was a “Titled Martial Master,” this further step in martial arts? If he wanted to reach it, what conditions must he fulfill?
At this thought, he spoke again:
“How did you find me?”
The exact same response, the exact same unyielding attitude. This time, Xu Bingzheng didn’t sever Wang Ping’s other arm, but instead frowned in confusion.
“You’re not afraid of dying?”
Xu Bingzheng considered himself a seasoned judge of character; he wouldn’t misjudge someone’s demeanor and state of mind. He could tell that the young constable before him truly did not fear death.
“I’m certain you won’t kill me.”
Wang Ping said indifferently, “You want that batch of elixirs, but to you, they are practically useless, except for one whose purpose I don’t know.”
“Where is it?” Xu Bingzheng emphasized his tone.
Wang Ping didn’t answer, continuing instead: “How did you find me?”
A brief silence fell between the two. Rain began to drift down from the sky, pitter-pattering against the ground. The ensuing chill added a severe, murderous edge to the atmosphere.
“…..It wasn’t that difficult.”
Finally, Xu Bingzheng spoke first: “I planted the 【Thrall Dragon Force】 into all the veteran constables of the county yamen. They are my eyes and ears.”
“Anyone capable of intercepting and killing Chen Haoyan on his way back to the county town must possess a profound understanding of it. Therefore, I was certain the killer was a martial artist within the city. Moreover, having taken so many elixirs, the killer would definitely need to enter seclusion to digest them. Thus, whoever chose to enter seclusion and refused visitors was a likely suspect.”
Hearing this, Wang Ping instantly understood:
“So that’s why there was a yamen martial tournament, to get the constables to mobilize their networks… It was just a front. The real intention was for them to investigate on your behalf!”
The constables of the county yamen almost all hailed from prominent clans and prominent families within the county.
Especially those veteran constables with deep seniority—they were the local tyrants of the county town. Mobilizing their networks was essentially an alternative, city-wide search!
And having been implanted with the 【Thrall Dragon Force】, everything they saw, heard, and learned, whether they concealed it or not, would be known to Xu Bingzheng.
So the problem didn’t lie in him practicing the 【Heavenly Roc Capturing the Dragon Cultivation Diagram】. Even if he hadn’t, as long as he appeared in the line of sight of any constable, it was equivalent to being exposed to Xu Bingzheng’s vision. And his progress in martial arts obviously couldn’t be hidden from this County Magistrate.
“Exactly.”
Xu Bingzheng nodded: “I am the County Magistrate of Longxing County. As county yamen constables serving the Imperial Court, they ought to become extensions of my hands.”
“However, I didn’t expect that the mastermind behind all this would be a young constable who only recently joined, and who almost slipped through the net because his martial arts were too weak.” Xu Bingzheng’s voice grew increasingly dark and deep. “Surprising. How did you kill Chen Haoyan?”
“Perhaps I’m just exceptionally gifted.”
Wang Ping replied casually perfunctorily. After all, it was difficult to explain such things to someone without a cheat. Moreover, rather than answering questions, he had more pressing concerns.
Rumble!
A clap of thunder sounded from the firmament above.
In an instant, heaven and earth were illuminated, turning stark white. At this exact moment, Wang Ping’s spiritual sense accurately captured a massive, densely woven, translucent net spreading open.
This reminded him of Xu Bingzheng’s title.
【Weapon Register】, Rank 342: 【Immortal Thread】 Xu Bingzheng.
This title, on one hand, praised his supreme lightness skill, and on the other hand, described his weapon—a massive net woven from the celestial silkworm silk of the Western Regions.
Clang! Clang!
A saber hummed, King Yama claimed a life. The phantom-like, demonic saber light slashed directly at the descending net, erupting into a cluster of scorching sparks under the night sky.
Yet, it was useless.
The saber light couldn’t cut open the massive net at all, nor could it stop its descent. Wang Ping, whose mind was linked to the weapon, felt an acutely indescribable sting.
Not good!
Wang Ping took a step back, his expression changing slightly. He saw that the normally well-maintained ox-tail saber now bore a chip the size of a grain of rice.
It’s clearly just a light, thin net, yet it’s incredibly heavy. More importantly, it’s completely silent. If I didn’t have my spiritual sense to assist me, relying solely on my martial artist’s senses, I would probably already be tightly bound by this massive net, captured alive without the slightest resistance!
Wang Ping’s thoughts raced, and he reached a conclusion in his heart:
A 【Fine Weapon】… No, it’s a 【Renowned Treasure】!
A weapon listed on the 【Weapon Register】, widely known across the land, having accumulated massive amounts of fame and karmic luck, clearly exceeded the realm of ordinary weapons.
It possessed divine anomalies!
Even as he pondered, Wang Ping’s movements didn’t pause. He immediately sheathed his saber, then drew the Black Hornless Dragon Bow. He nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring, pouring all his internal force into the arrowhead.
“Roar—!!!”
In an instant, the bow shuddered violently. The two hornless dragons coiled around it seemed to come alive, erupting with a sound like a dragon’s roar the moment the arrow left the string.
As soon as the arrow was fired, Wang Ping forcefully stamped his foot and charged forward, following the flying arrow. The instant the arrow struck the invisible massive net, he drew his saber again and delivered a full-powered slash. Only then did he finally force the seemingly weightless net up into an arc, creating a gap that lasted for a mere fraction of a second.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Wang Ping’s figure vanished in the blink of an eye. Trailing a streak of bloody light, he drilled his way out from under the invisible massive net’s coverage, leaving behind lacerations across half his body from where the silk threads brushed past.
These lacerations were clearly highly unusual. At this moment, they continuously emitted white smoke, expanding frantically as they attempted to corrode his muscles, bones, and even his entire meridian network.
“Phew!”
Seeing this, Wang Ping didn’t panic. He immediately circulated 【Qi Ward】. Surging true qi generated by the spell flowed into his flesh, quickly suppressing the corrosion of the wounds.
“You really do harbor secrets.” With a flick of his wrist, Xu Bingzheng withdrew the massive net. The gaze he directed at Wang Ping grew increasingly astonished. “You clearly haven’t cultivated divine intent, yet you can see my 【Immortal Thread】. You are clearly only at minor attainment of internal force, yet you can suppress my 【Heavenly Roc Force】 and prevent it from corroding your entire body.”
“You truly are a talent.”
After saying this, he surprisingly didn’t press the attack. Instead, with a solemn expression, he said, “If you haven’t eaten the Heaven’s Will Soul-Returning Pill yet, hand it over.”
“You truly are exceptionally gifted.”
“Give me the elixir, and from now on, you will be the Head Constable of the county yamen. Chen Haoyan is dead; I can also transfer his position in the Divine Constable Bureau of the capital to you.”
“I can also credit you with his recent achievements in measuring land and registering households. As for the intercepted portion of the autumn taxes, I’ll give you five percent.”
“How about it?”
Hearing this, even Wang Ping was somewhat surprised.
He wants to recruit me?
In all fairness, the terms were extremely good. It included the official position of Head Constable, political achievements, massive amounts of wealth, and even future prospects.
He just so happened to want to explore further on the martial path. If he could take the official route and proceed to the Divine Constable Bureau in the capital for advanced study, this step would be firmly secured. A foreseeable, bright future was waiting for him right ahead. Compared to all this, the price he had to pay was incredibly low.
“But I refuse!”
Wang Ping raised his head and flashed a kindly smile at Xu Bingzheng. He then enunciated clearly, giving his answer without hesitation.
“……Why?” Xu Bingzheng couldn’t comprehend it.
“Compared to what I’m giving you, all you have to give up is a single elixir.”
Wang Ping shook his head: “It’s not just an elixir.”
Beyond that, he would also have to replace Chen Haoyan and become another blazing sun over Longxing County, continuing to ride on the backs of the common people and eagerly drink their blood.
The former was merely an elixir.
The latter was his conscience.
“Unfortunately, my conscience weighs a bit more than yours.” Wang Ping stood with saber in hand.
Xu Bingzheng clearly didn’t understand. He merely advised him with greater sincerity, “The White Lotus Cult is just a bunch of grass-roots bandits. With your talents, what kind of future could you possibly have following them?”
“Joining the Imperial Court is the righteous path.”
“My master is a great Confucian scholar of the Imperial Court. With my recommendation, you will definitely be heavily relied upon if you join the Imperial Court. Wouldn’t such talent go to waste if it isn’t used to benefit the common people?”
“……Benefit the common people?”
Wang Ping raised an eyebrow. “Which common people?”
Hearing this, Xu Bingzheng was taken aback. He then replied without thinking, “The common people of the world, naturally. We study literature and practice martial arts precisely to bring great righteousness to the world.”
“……Ha!”
Wang Ping laughed. “Refugees are everywhere outside the city. The commoners are either dead from starvation or currently starving to death. The words ‘common people of the world’ have no place coming from your mouth.”
“Refugees? Impossible!”
Xu Bingzheng was even more surprised, his frown deepening as he couldn’t help but retort, “Where are there any refugees outside the city? There are only a bunch of grain-producing black-heads…”
The next second, he finally realized what Wang Ping meant. His mouth gaped slightly before unleashing a torrential fury: “You bastard, you actually treat those black-heads as people?”
“Black-heads… can they even be considered people?”
“They are nothing more than the remnants of the previous dynasty, weeds that need to be cleared out every season. Treating them as people is a blasphemy against actual humans.”
Xu Bingzheng spoke with such certainty, as if this wasn’t some cold-blooded and ruthless matter, but an undeniable law of heaven. He was clearly completely unwavering in his ideology.
“Especially the White Lotus Cult. When they swept through the commanderies and counties earlier, they spread these ideologies everywhere, bewitching many ignorant scholars and instigating those black-heads to rebel, ruining the originally stable and peaceful world. Who knows how many upstanding citizens died because of this? They are truly unforgivable criminals…”
Xu Bingzheng’s tone was filled with extreme hatred.
Following that, he looked at Wang Ping again, his expression now carrying an added layer of wariness and profundity. “I initially thought you had only recently joined the White Lotus Cult…”
“Now it seems you’ve already been deeply poisoned by them.”
“Since that’s the case, I can only capture you first, and then slowly search for that elixir. It’s just that the commotion will be too big; I won’t be able to hide it from everyone.”
Xu Bingzheng sighed, “Therefore, I must first manipulate you into killing Liu Ye, then killing Madam Su, and finally massacring the entire Su family. In the end, I will punish you as the criminal and have you take the fall. The outcome will be the same, except more people will have to die, and a family of upstanding citizens in the city will be exterminated because of this.”
“You forced my hand on all this.”
“The White Lotus bandit mob… their lingering poison runs deep indeed!”
Saying this, a look of sorrow surfaced on Xu Bingzheng’s face: “This official failed to investigate thoroughly and allowing a bandit to wreak havoc in the county town. Afterwards, I must definitely beg for forgiveness from the commandery…”
Before his voice had even faded, Wang Ping had already moved.
Because within his Spiritual Sense, the instant Xu Bingzheng let out that sigh, the invisible, massive net had already spread open once more and was descending upon him.
That dog official…
Wang Ping’s movements were like lightning. With the Black Hornless Dragon Bow in hand, he shot three arrows in the blink of an eye, then rapidly retreated. However, the sense of crisis in his heart never diminished.
“It seems your knowledge is shallow; you’ve never encountered a Titled Martial Master.”
Xu Bingzheng’s voice followed him like a shadow, drifting over faintly. At the same time, the invisible massive net in the air changed direction, pursuing Wang Ping with precision.
The massive net didn’t move fast.
However, for some reason, no matter how Wang Ping dodged, it could accurately cut off his escape routes, always hovering less than three feet above him.
And as time passed, this distance was continually shrinking.
How is he doing this?
Is this a Titled Martial Master’s 【Divine Intent】? Could it possess foresight? If it weren’t for my spiritual sense detection, I’d probably have died a hundred times over by now!