Inside the 【Black Armor Battalion】.
Wang Ping sat cross-legged, the vitality within his entire body circulating as he breathed slowly. During this process, the muscles and bones in his face subtly shifted and altered.
In the blink of an eye, he had changed to a completely different face.
His originally youthful and handsome visage abruptly transformed into the weather-beaten face of a middle-aged man, and then into the appearance of an old man with one foot in the grave.
One person, a thousand faces—changing entirely at will.
It wasn’t even limited to facial features. If Wang Ping wanted to, he could even transform into a woman, having a way to deal with even the most crucial sexual characteristics.
“Retracting Yang into the Abdomen!”
Wang Ping reached down to check. Confirming this trick actually worked, he clicked his tongue in wonder: “I didn’t expect to find a method of disguise so quickly.”
Having verified the innate disguise effect of the 【Thirteen Grand Protectors Body-Tempering Art】, Wang Ping restored his original appearance. He then circulated his spiritual sense to observe his surroundings. Compared to before, after cultivating the Spiritual Consciousness, his spiritual sense was dozens of times stronger. Everything within the 【Black Armor Battalion】 was revealed to him in microscopic detail.
There are no blind spots this time.
Wang Ping tried pushing his spiritual sense to its absolute limit, quickly spotting Xu Dog and Shen Monkey outside the 【Black Armor Battalion】. This time, they failed to evade his sight.
“Hmm?”
Just then, Wang Ping’s gaze shifted. He noticed Wu Xintai walking toward his tent, with another person following close behind him.
“…It’s her?” Wang Ping was instantly stunned.
It was a heroic-looking woman bundled up tightly from head to toe, even wearing a layer of inner armor—a stark contrast to the frail and delicate appearance he remembered.
It was Madam Su.
She’s practicing martial arts… Wait, why is she still here? I had everything arranged in my previous-previous life. She should be in the capital right now.
Wang Ping frowned slightly. Just then, Wu Xintai lifted the tent flap and strode in. “Lord Wang, I found the unorthodox martial arts you requested.”
With that, he placed three martial arts manuals in front of Wang Ping. One glance was all Wang Ping needed to tell they were mostly common goods, far inferior to the 【Thirteen Grand Protectors Body-Tempering Art】. Furthermore, the quantity was severely lacking—only three books. But you can never have too much of a good thing, so he accepted them all anyway.
“Thank you for your hard work, General.”
“It was nothing.” Wu Xintai waved his hand, not daring to claim credit. Given his sharpness, how could he not see that Wang Ping was actually somewhat dissatisfied?
At this thought, he hurriedly added:
“Actually, this subordinate has access to a few more unorthodox martial arts owned by a local merchant. He is willing to offer them up, but wishes to meet with Your Excellency…”
“Oh?”
Wang Ping lowered his eyes. He already understood Wu Xintai’s underlying purpose, yet it was difficult to refuse. He could only nod slightly: “Please invite the person waiting outside to come in.”
Hearing this, Wu Xintai let out a massive sigh of relief. He then stepped aside and held the tent flap open. Madam Su walked in with a resolute expression. Wasting no time on pleasantries, she directly pulled out a token engraved with her name and spoke in a deep voice: “Su Ya of the Su family from the capital, greets Your Excellency…”
Her voice came to an abrupt halt.
For a moment, Madam Su stood frozen in place. The token slipped unconsciously from her grasp as her beautiful eyes locked onto Wang Ping.
She had come this time intending to make one final effort.
She had learned the news of a Gilded Cavalry Guard arriving as a military supervisor yesterday. Her plan was to use the token left behind by her sworn sister.
She wanted to see if she could persuade the Gilded Cavalry Guard. If the military supervisor spoke up, she imagined Wu Xintai would be swayed and deploy troops to help her rescue the person trapped in the county town.
Other than that, she couldn’t think of a better way.
Yet at this moment, all her previous anxiety, hardship, and sorrow were thrown to the nine heavens. Only disbelief and bewilderment remained in her heart.
Seeing this, Wang Ping felt somewhat helpless.
Meanwhile, Wu Xintai eagerly leaned in, taking the initiative to speak: “Your Excellency, allow me to introduce her. This madam is…”
“There’s no need.”
Wang Ping waved his hand: “You may leave.”
Wu Xintai blanked, then carefully suggested, “Your Excellency, although this madam holds no official position, her status is not low. Perhaps it would be better to at least meet…”
“I said, leave!” Wang Ping glared at him.
“Ah?”
This time, Wu Xintai was truly stunned. He looked at Wang Ping, then at Madam Su, whose eyes had already turned red. Hesitating for a moment, he cupped his hands and departed.
He even closed the tent flap behind him.
After sending Wu Xintai away, Wang Ping turned his head to look at Madam Su, but didn’t speak. Madam Su, meanwhile, pursed her lips, also choosing not to initiate the conversation.
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
The two maintained this near-deadlock state until, finally, Madam Su couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her eyes red and brimming with tears, she asked with a trembling voice:
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Wang Ping shook his head: “Madam, have you misunderstood something?”
Up until this moment, he still harbored a sliver of hope in his heart. After all, having shed his mortal body and exchanged his bones, his temperament and appearance had undergone significant changes.
Could she really recognize him at a single glance?
Besides, he was now a Gilded Cavalry Guard, completely different from the young constable of that day. Anyone else would probably just assume he simply looked similar…
“You think I’ve misunderstood!?”
In an instant, Madam Su’s voice raised an octave. Her emotions were visibly difficult to control, and two streams of clear tears slid directly down her cheeks.
Wang Ping instantly threw away any lingering wishful thinking.
“It’s my fault,” he obediently lowered his head.
Hearing this, Madam Su trembled, biting her lip hard. Only after a moment did she speak in a low voice: “I thought you were dead.”
“And I thought Madam had gone to the capital to enjoy a life of blessing,” Wang Ping replied.
“You died in that city, murdered by that damn County Magistrate.” Madam Su’s tone was haunting. “If I didn’t avenge you, how could I possibly go to the capital?”
Wang Ping: “…”
“Come here,” Madam Su spoke again.
Only then did Wang Ping move, cautiously walking over to stand in front of her. His actions, however, were incredibly honest, displaying a perfectly well-behaved and proper demeanor.
Madam Su grew even angrier.
Seeing the man she thought had died standing before her again, the emotions in her heart overflowed like her tears, containing both joyous surprise and fury.
Why didn’t he tell her he was alive?
Why did he deliberately pretend not to recognize her?
Why was he just standing there?
Looking at Wang Ping—who was clearly standing right beside her yet doing absolutely nothing, acting like a block of wood—Madam Su’s tears flowed even faster, but she also grew stubborn:
“Do you want to sever ties with me?”
“Absolutely not.” Wang Ping rephrased: “It’s just that my situation is very dangerous. You shouldn’t be implicated by me. You should have a life of your own.”
Madam Su took a deep breath: “Do you not understand?”
“Understand what?” Wang Ping was bewildered.
As soon as he spoke, Madam Su’s heart was instantly filled with embarrassment and anger. Her face, ears, and fair neck were entirely flushed red.
This damn bastard, he was still pretending!
Did he want her to take the initiative and say it out loud? He knew he was in the wrong, so he was stringing her along, trying to make her yield so she wouldn’t pursue his mistake?
“You…”
Pulled along by Wang Ping’s feigned ignorance, the anger in Madam Su’s heart actually dissipated quite a bit, with her joyous surprise gaining the upper hand. She just wanted to ruthlessly vent her feelings.
Yet, looking at Wang Ping’s unmoved expression, she puffed up her cheeks, her pretty face blushing bright red. She truly couldn’t bring herself to swallow her pride and take the initiative to yield. Growing increasingly angry and anxious, she simply acted out of spite: “A Gilded Cavalry Guard… you definitely used some shady methods to get here. I’m going to the government office to report you!”
With that, she directly turned around, preparing to walk out of the tent.
Only then did Wang Ping finally reach out and grab her hand. Before he even applied any force, Madam Su went weak in the knees and slumped into his embrace.
They stared at each other.
Madam Su originally wanted to say something more, but looking at his handsome face so close, all her thoughts vanished, and she shyly closed her eyes.
Seeing this, Wang Ping sighed helplessly: “Madam, I actually don’t have an affinity for women…”
Madam Su opened her eyes in fury.
The atmosphere was perfect, the emotions were running high, and the arrow was on the bowstring—yet he came out with a line like that. The string of reason in her mind instantly snapped.
“Take me!” Madam Su enunciated every word clearly.
While Wang Ping reached into Madam Su’s clothes, he wore an expression of resistance: “Th-this probably isn’t a good idea… I’m really not interested in women.”
Talk is cheap.
Madam Su was so angry she laughed. Finally discarding all her reserve, she threw her head back, threw her arms around Wang Ping’s neck, and bit down with her full red lips.
Left with no choice, Wang Ping could only cater to her.
…
Outside the tent, Wu Xintai was left dumbfounded.
He never in a million years expected that the moment he stepped outside, quite a commotion would erupt from within the tent, interspersed with the sounds of conversation.
In broad daylight, under the bright sky!
A disgrace to decency!
It was simply a disgrace to decency!
Hiss!
At this moment, not a single impure thought existed in Wu Xintai’s mind, only endless shock: Madam Su is already a noblewoman with a profound background, yet she is involved with this Gilded Cavalry Guard. They are clearly old acquaintances… In that case, this Gilded Cavalry Guard’s background is likely also unfathomably deep!
But if that was the case, why would he come to Longxing County?
Since he was a noble scion from the capital, why would he run to this remote, harsh backwater with nothing better to do, and even come in the capacity of a military supervisor… Could he be here on a mission?
A Gilded Cavalry Guard, the Emperor’s personal guard.
Motherfucker, could he be carrying some secret decree?
The more Wu Xintai thought about it, the more terrified he became. He didn’t dare listen to the sounds from inside the tent any longer. Instead, he immediately gathered his men to clear the surrounding area, lest they ruin His Excellency’s elegant mood.
It wasn’t until the sun set in the west.
Only then did Madam Su’s emotions gradually stabilize. Craving the familiar warmth, she curled up greedily in Wang Ping’s embrace, resting her head on his shoulder, unwilling to get up.
“Are you still going to report me?” Wang Ping sat up straight and questioned her.
“I won’t report you, I won’t.”
Madam Su’s body tensed, and she hurriedly begged for mercy. She truly couldn’t handle it anymore. She had no idea what martial arts this nemesis of hers had practiced, but he felt like he was made of solid iron.
“Oh, right!”
Seeing that Wang Ping was showing signs of moving again, Madam Su quickly changed the subject: “Your brother, Liu Ye, is in trouble. He’s currently locked up in the county town dungeon…”
Wang Ping paused: “Old Liu?”
“He refused to leave his hometown, so he ended up going to Changle Commandery. But that dog official Xu Bingzheng has connections in the Commandery Prefecture and set a trap to arrest him.”
“As for my connections… because an emergency came up, she had to leave temporarily. Plus, since she isn’t a local of Changle Commandery, she couldn’t stop it in time.”
Madam Su finished speaking. Seeing that Wang Ping’s expression was amiss, she hurriedly added: “D-don’t worry. The connection I brought is my cousin, and she is an Extraordinary. Liu Ye was specifically placed under her protection. No matter how bold that dog official is, he would at most torture him; he wouldn’t dare to kill him…”
Wang Ping’s expression did not improve.
After all, killing someone was just a matter of a single blade strike, which was actually quite clean. In this world, there were countless methods to make a person wish they were dead and beg to be killed.
At this thought, Wang Ping immediately let Madam Su off.
A moment later, the two of them, fully dressed, stepped out of the tent. Wu Xintai, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly approached and respectfully said: “This subordinate greets Your Excellency.”
Seeing Wu Xintai, Madam Su finally realized just what kind of crazy thing she had done earlier. Her face instantly flushed scarlet, and she was overwhelmed with embarrassment.
Wang Ping, however, didn’t care in the slightest and directly asked:
“Does the General know Liu Ye?”
Upon hearing this, Wu Xintai thought to himself just as I expected, and carefully nodded: “I know a bit about him. This person is currently in the city…”
Wu Xintai’s tone was full of hesitation. Although he was certain Wang Ping had a profound background, the fact remained that he was just a lowly Commander. Under no circumstances did he want to get dragged into a power struggle between the imperial court’s big shots. Therefore, no matter what happened, it was impossible for him to mobilize troops and forcefully break into the county town.
Thinking of this, he hurriedly whispered:
“If Your Excellency is old friends with this Liu Ye, why not write a letter to the city pleading his case? This subordinate can also include a letter asking the County Magistrate to release him.”
“I imagine the County Magistrate will surely give Your Excellency face.”
He believed this was the best method.
Ultimately, the imperial court prioritized harmony. ‘Struggle but don’t break’ was the true principle of officialdom. If a problem could be solved through negotiation, it was best to negotiate.
Why resort to knives and spears?
Of course, the most important thing was that this would make things easy for him. After all, compared to deploying troops to break into the county town, merely writing a letter to the Magistrate would never result in him being held accountable.
Meanwhile, Wu Xintai had also prepared himself, If the military supervisor before him rejected his suggestion, insisted on having his own way, and even ordered him to deploy troops, what tone and phrasing should he use to politely decline the order without entirely falling out with the other party?
However, the next second, he heard an entirely unexpected reply:
“There’s no need for the trouble.”
Wang Ping’s expression was calm as he looked at Longxing County in the distance, stating flatly, “Only when asking for a favor does one need to give me face. And I only need his position.”
As his voice fell, just as Wu Xintai was about to politely decline, an object was tossed at him.
What is this?
Wu Xintai was somewhat bewildered. He saw that the object was made entirely of bronze, with a peculiar design, and appeared to be incomplete… Then his body violently shuddered.
Only at this moment did Wu Xintai vaguely recall something. The expression on his face gradually froze. A guess surfaced in his mind, yet he subconsciously tried to deny it.
Could it be… No, impossible!
This is a five-hundred-man military camp. The tally in the Changle Commandery Prefecture is kept permanently in the Commandery office. How could someone bring it out? It must be a fake meant to bluff me…
With this thought, Wu Xintai shakily reached into his clothes and pulled out a similar bronze object, then gently pressed the two pieces together.
Clank.
A perfect, seamless fit.
The next second, the Commander of the 【Black Armor Battalion】 didn’t hesitate in the slightest, dropping to one knee on the spot. Although he didn’t speak, his stance made his position unmistakably clear.
“Pass down my order,” Wang Ping commanded as he retrieved the military tally, his voice flat. “Deploy the troops, enter the city.”
(End of Chapter)