Wang Ping had an epiphany.
In the peach grove, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow. His expression was serene, yet his essence, qi, and spirit erupted outward endlessly. Countless ingenious ideas and inspirations swarmed forth at this moment.
Rumble!
With a loud boom, the Black Hornless Dragon Bow shuddered. Dazzling light blossomed from the bowstring, shooting straight into the clouds and stirring up billowing waves of air, truly possessing the momentum to pierce clouds and shake the heavens.
With Madam Su’s assistance, he finally fired this arrow.
【Heaven-Shaking Cloud-Piercing Bow】, major attainment!
Bolstered by signature technique, 【Freezing Frost Arrow】!
He didn’t know how much time had passed before Wang Ping’s surging essence, qi, and spirit gradually subsided. A numb, aching sensation spread through his arms, and his body showed signs of being completely hollowed out.
“What a miraculous secret art!”
Wang Ping marveled inwardly. Given his perfect mastery of the Iron Bull Technique, practicing it just once unexpectedly produced a sense of exhaustion.
This showed that although he had only executed the secret art once, it was actually the result of an instantaneous eruption following dozens, perhaps hundreds, of accumulated attempts. No wonder this strange art severely tested one’s constitution. If an ordinary martial artist with an insufficient constitution forced themselves to practice it, they might even suffer a sudden fatal stroke.
Thinking of this, he looked at Madam Su again.
Beads of fine sweat still clung to the beautiful woman’s nose as she exhaled slowly, clearly exhausted from the exertion. She hadn’t made the chicken rolls well; they were overly salty.
Seeing Wang Ping looking her way, she finally revealed a smile:
“Congratulations, darling, on advancing further in your martial arts.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Madam.”
Wang Ping affectionately squeezed Madam Su’s shoulders and smiled, “Rest assured, Madam, given Old Brother Liu’s pace, there should be results within half a month.”
These were meant to be comforting words.
After all, once Liu Ye delivered the message to the Su family in the capital, Madam Su’s relatives and friends from her days there would immediately rush over, guaranteeing her safety.
However, there was no joy on Madam Su’s face.
In fact, the opposite was true. She grabbed Wang Ping’s hand, turned around, and whispered, “Can you not go? Let’s hide together for half a month.”
Wang Ping shook his head upon hearing this. “Half a month is too long.”
According to his estimation, it would take a week at most for Xu Bingzheng to stabilize his injuries. Even if he couldn’t fully recover, it would be enough for him to step forward and issue orders.
By then, they would be facing the entire Longxing county yamen.
And in martial arts combat, two fists are no match for four hands.
Facing the pursuit of over a hundred constables from the Longxing county yamen, no matter how profound his internal force was, it would eventually be depleted, especially when he also had to distract himself to protect Madam Su.
In other words:
“We have one week at most. If we want to extend this time to half a month, or even longer, someone must make a certain sacrifice.”
Either he abandons Madam Su and fights a guerrilla war single-handedly—which would make things simpler; he could handle not just over a hundred constables, but several times that amount with ease. Or, he sacrifices himself, has Madam Su hide, and goes to fight Xu Bingzheng to the death. Regardless of his success or failure, Madam Su would definitely survive.
It was a very simple multiple-choice question.
I have countless chances to start over, but others only have one life. Since that’s the case, how could I let someone die because of me?
His conscience wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.
Besides, he conveniently had a blank scripture scroll. If he could die a heroic death and then contain his own corpse, he might just hit the jackpot.
“Don’t worry.”
Wang Ping patted Madam Su’s shoulder and smiled, “Although my conscience is quite heavy, I’m lucky, so I barely have the strength to hold it up.”
Madam Su’s expression grew increasingly solemn.
At this moment, she even felt somewhat bewildered. She felt that the man before her completely exceeded her understanding. Why could he joke so casually about a matter of life and death?
She had bestowed no great favors upon him.
To put it bluntly, it was just her body and a few martial arts manuals. What would that count for in the eyes of an ordinary martial artist? It was even more impossible for someone to risk their life for it.
Could it be that he really fell in love with her?
But even if that were true, would it make him disregard his life like this?
Madam Su couldn’t help but imagine—if it were Chen Haoyan, the wicked thief who claimed to love her deeply, would he go this far for her?
The answer surfaced almost immediately:
He wouldn’t.
If it were Chen Haoyan, he would definitely flee overnight. He probably wouldn’t care whether she lived or died, let alone risk his life for her.
At this thought, she looked at Wang Ping again.
At this moment, without Wang Ping needing to do anything, she was already feeling somewhat hot. It was as if a fire was burning in her heart, spreading to her limbs and bones.
“Wang Ping… darling, take me.”
For the first time, she called out Wang Ping’s name. Before her voice had even faded, she impatiently bit down on him, even actively reaching out to counterattack his body.
“Eh? Wait, please respect yourself, Madam…”
………….
The clouds cleared and the rain ceased, revealing a perfect spring scene.
Wang Ping held Madam Su, leaning against a peach tree. He listened to the beauty in his arms slowly recite an incantation, enunciating clearly in a hoarse and magnetic voice.
“Is this… a martial art?” Wang Ping was somewhat surprised.
“I suppose so.”
Madam Su curled up lazily in Wang Ping’s embrace before explaining, “To be exact, it’s a martial art adapted from a strange art.”
“Because that strange art is too overbearing and the price too steep, very few even among Extraordinary can master it. Yet, its power is unimaginably immense. Therefore, the Imperial Court allocated special funds and invited three Grandmasters to jointly deduce it. They spent forty-nine days to successfully simplify it.”
After speaking, Madam Su raised a finger and wrote six large characters on the ground:
【Great Law of Heavenly Demon Disintegration】.
“This method is overbearing; only Internal Force Masters can use it.”
“This is because what it disintegrates is not the physical body, but the cultivation body of the Internal Force Master. It trades the crippling of one’s martial arts for several times, even dozens of times, their usual internal force.”
Madam Su’s voice grew softer as she spoke, and she couldn’t help but hug Wang Ping tightly.
“Darling, this journey will be perilous, and I cannot help you much. I can only impart this method to you. If your martial arts are gone, you can practice them again. I only beg that you return safely…”
Wang Ping felt a tingling on his scalp as he listened.
Oh no, I might have overplayed my hand. At this point, it was impossible to say something like, “Actually, I won’t die, I can resurrect.”
Of course, even if he could, he wouldn’t say it.
After all, he couldn’t stop in his tracks and live a peaceful life with someone. Given his style of doing things, being a lone wolf was the most suitable state for him.
Settle the matters of this life in this life; it’s best to clear all karma.
Soon, another seven days passed.
Before dawn broke, Wang Ping had packed his gear, dressed neatly, and walked out of the wooden cabin in the peach grove with his bow on his back and saber in hand, gazing toward Longxing County in the distance.
Over these seven days, Madam Su helped him practice the secret art 【Knocking on the Immortal Gate】 every day to help him push for the perfection stage of the 【Heaven-Shaking Cloud-Piercing Bow】. Unfortunately, this secret art wasn’t omnipotent.
Seven uses of 【Knocking on the Immortal Gate】 hadn’t allowed him to successfully break through the bottleneck; he merely brushed against the critical point.
Fortunately, Wang Ping wasn’t in a hurry.
He had a premonition that what he lacked for this final bit wasn’t comprehension or cultivation, but blood. As a martial art, how could it reach perfection without seeing blood?
“Darling, are you leaving?”
Wang Ping turned his head. Madam Su had woken up at some point and was leaning against the doorframe, looking at him with shining eyes, clearly looking as if she had something to say but stopped herself.
Seeing this scene, Wang Ping waved his hand briskly:
“Please remember, Madam, do not enter the city for the next few days. I have prepared dry rations and water for you. It shouldn’t be long before news gets out…”
After a final set of instructions, Wang Ping turned around without looking back.
“Alright, I’m off.”
Madam Su didn’t speak. She merely stared blankly at his back, watching with yearning eyes as he left the peach grove and vanished from her sight.
……………
Longxing County.
In the early morning, the air still carried a damp scent. It should have been a time of revival for all things, yet the county town was permeated with an indescribable, murderous aura.
This was the seventh day.
Seven days ago, nearly every martial artist with perfect external martial arts in the city heard that fight, yet none dared to investigate, pretending ignorance instead.
However, after that night, everyone realized something was wrong. This was because following Chen Haoyan’s death, the Head Constable position was vacant, yet Magistrate Xu Bingzheng, who normally appeared at the county yamen every day, suddenly disappeared without a trace. No one knew his whereabouts; he had vanished overnight.
Why was this?
Everyone keenly sensed a possibility: could it be that on that night, His Excellency the Magistrate was defeated, and even suffered injuries too severe to be seen in public?
No one dared to ask, but the secret probing gradually increased. As the seventh day passed, the entire county town had become a powder keg on the verge of explosion.
It only lacked a spark to ignite the whole city.
And now, he had arrived.
At the county town gates, the cold wind howled.
With Wang Ping’s every breath, the sinews and bones in his body resonated, sending up steaming vapors that traveled with the wind. Faintly, sounds resembling dragons and tigers emanated outward.
Soon, this sound spread from his body to his weapons. The ox-tail saber at his waist continuously hummed a metallic tune in its scabbard, while the Black Hornless Dragon Bow on his back sounded as if a real hornless dragon was roaring softly. Additionally, there was the soft armor, belt, and even the heart-protecting mirror he wore…
This was the manifestation of his martial arts.
It was also a process every Internal Force Master had to undergo—integrating the Mortal Weapons they controlled, which corresponded to their martial arts, and harmonizing them with their cultivation body.
In short, a set.
Integrating six 【Mortal Weapons】 to forge a single 【Fine Weapon】 set, then harmonizing it with the cultivation body—only this could unleash a Martial Master’s internal force to its absolute limit.
Wang Ping walked all the way from the peach grove to the county town. It wasn’t a short journey, yet he maintained a steady, unhurried pace precisely to complete this crucial step along the way.
“Who goes there!”
With wind and clouds clearing the path, accompanied by the sounds of dragons and tigers, such astonishing phenomena naturally alarmed the guards outside the county town. Instantly, a commotion arose in the rural market outside the city.
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
In an instant, the city gates closed, figures shuttled across the city walls, and crossbows were rapidly positioned, all aiming simultaneously at Wang Ping, who was still walking towards the county town.
Meanwhile, the defending general on duty this time wore an expression of sheer fury:
“Outrageous!”
“Another rebel from outside the city! Are they going to storm the county yamen like that White Lotus Cult rebel leader did last time? Lawless, truly lawless… !?”
His voice abruptly stopped.
Because as Wang Ping drew nearer, the defending general got a clear look at his face and instantly choked off his words, as if an invisible giant hand was squeezing his throat.
It… it’s him!?
If it were half a month ago, Wang Ping’s title of 【Great Dragon Spear】 would have merely been a joke in Longxing County. Now, however, things were completely different.
After all, anyone with some connections in the city knew that on that night, His Exccellency the Magistrate went to the Su family mansion, and the person present there was this very 【Great Dragon Spear】 Wang Ping! Afterwards, the Magistrate mysteriously vanished, leading to the reasonable deduction that Wang Ping was highly likely the one who severely injured him!
As time went on, Wang Ping’s reputation in the county town was even demonized.
Some said he was a spy for the northern tribes, some said he was a secret agent for the Divine Constable Bureau in the capital, and some said he was the true cult master behind the White Lotus Cult.
Why is he back? What should I do?
For a moment, the defending general was completely at a loss. He froze for a good while before almost instinctively raising his hand and forcing a voice from his throat:
“F-fire the arrows!”
Before his voice faded, the twang of crossbow strings erupted like thunderclaps. In an instant, a dense, dark cloud of shadows fell toward Wang Ping’s position.
Almost simultaneously, Wang Ping also raised his head.
The next second, the shadow of death formed by hundreds of arrows swallowed Wang Ping’s standing spot, yet not a single splash of blood was seen on the ground.
What the defending general saw next made him doubt his own eyes.
Looking out, he saw the youth carrying a bow and saber instantly and without any warning appear in a completely different location, roughly tens of zhang away.
Following that, he lifted his foot.
He clearly saw no movement, no precursor, yet as the raised foot fell, his figure seemed to skip frames.
With a single step, he advanced another three to five zhang!
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Taking three consecutive steps, the youth crossed the city gates and effortlessly arrived atop the city wall, just like the legendary “ground-shrinking” art!
These three steps, utterly defying common sense, caused the defending general who witnessed the scene to feel a shudder from the bottom of his heart.
Moreover, this shudder quickly spread from the depths of his mind to his physical body. Every step that landed felt like someone beating a drum upon his heart, making it unbearable.
Is this… Divine Intent!?
How is that possible! No, wait… this makes perfect sense. He is also a Titled Martial Master and also possesses Divine Intent. That’s why he was able to severely injure His Exellency the Magistrate…
At this thought, the defending general’s vision suddenly went dark.
Not only him, but countless commoners in the rural market outside the city, as well as the soldiers responsible for guarding the city walls around them, all grew dizzy and collapsed to the ground.
Between heaven and earth, only the howling wind remained.
Following that, the man—with wind and clouds clearing his path and accompanied by dragons and tigers—simply stepped over the city wall and walked into the county town. Shockingly, not a single person obstructed him along the way.
Of course, this wasn’t Divine Intent.
This was spiritual sense. It was a method Wang Ping simulated using his spiritual sense after summarizing his battle with Xu Bingzheng, and its efficacy was only thirty to forty percent of true Divine Intent.
There was nothing he could do; his spiritual sense was too weak. It came innately with the constitution of the 【Desire Realm Deva】. Perhaps its quality far exceeded the Divine Intent of a Titled Martial Master, but its quantity was overwhelmingly insufficient.
Therefore, he could only use it to bully mortals. If he really wanted to storm the county yamen, this move probably wouldn’t be enough.
Despite this, Wang Ping was quite satisfied.
As the saying goes, the essence of the martial path is the strong preying on the weak. Therefore, from this perspective, this move perfectly aligns with my Heart of the Martial Path.
Raising his head, Wang Ping looked toward the county yamen.
Immediately after, he experienced another hallucination. With a daze, he saw a massive Roc huddled in the depths of the county yamen, glaring at him with hatred.
“…Haha,” Wang Ping laughed loudly, rolling up his sleeves.
As expected, after only seven short days, that dog official had yet to recover from his injuries. Old, weakened, wounded, and crippled—he fit three of the four conditions. There could be no better time to kick a man when he was down and beat him without mercy.
(End of Chapter)