Inside the 【Morgue】, Wang Ping opened his eyes.
Immediately after, he forcefully clutched his head. His pupils trembled violently as segments of demonic scripture continuously surfaced in his mind.
【Scripture of Paranirmitavaśavartin Governing the Desire Realm】!
Merely reading its title, Wang Ping found himself faintly hallucinating a bizarre, androgynous Bodhisattva seated upon a lotus throne, chanting the scriptures.
The scripture proclaimed that the mortal world was a boundless sea of desire, where all living beings struggled, forever drowning in the pursuit of pleasure.
To indulge in desire was the natural order of existence. Yet mortal desire had its limits. Once every worldly pleasure had been tasted, one would naturally transcend desire itself, no longer allowing it to linger in the heart.
This was Emptiness.
Thus, the scripture taught that “the indulgence of desire is itself the path to Emptiness.” Rather than suppressing desire, it acknowledged every longing and even encouraged its fulfillment, believing that only by exhausting every worldly attachment could one ultimately become free—
The scripture abruptly cut off.
The chanting in his mind vanished instantly, leaving Wang Ping standing there in a daze, drooling slightly. A moment later, he snapped back to reality.
“…Why is it gone!”
Indeed, this 【Scripture of Paranirmitavaśavartin Governing the Desire Realm】 only had a beginning. It barely finished describing its philosophical concept before ending abruptly.
If the goal of this scripture was to guide a cultivator from 【Indulgence】 to 【Detachment】, the actual content only covered the 【Indulgence】 part… No, it didn’t even cover that fully. After filtering out the fluff, Wang Ping barely managed to extract a single secret technique from the text.
【Desire Realm Innate Method】.
“This is a secret art used to modify one’s own body. Once mastered, the body will transform into a special cultivation physique known as the 【Desire Realm Deva (Heavenly Being)】.”
This physique not only allows one to sense the thoughts and emotions of others, but it also enables the user to condense spiritual sense—an ability typically reserved for actual cultivators—without formally cultivating.
“Good stuff!”
Wang Ping pumped his fist in excitement. He never expected that after assuming his stint as human livestock in the immortal sect would yield nothing, he would actually stumble upon a massive stroke of fortune right before his death.
And Nun You forced it upon him, no less.
She truly was a good person.
For such profound kindness, he definitely had to find a good opportunity next time to repay her wholeheartedly.
“It’s a pity the scripture is incomplete. There is only a secret art to modify the physique, but no true method to let me formally cultivate immortality. Otherwise, that would have been a massive profit.”
Thinking of this, Wang Ping hastily took a deep breath.
“Calm down. I cannot be greedy.”
“Besides, cultivating immortality isn’t my only path. Don’t I still have the Great Shun Dynasty, which is at least a mid-level martial arts world? If I train to the absolute peak, my prospects might not be bad at all.”
Wang Ping had always let his circumstances dictate his thoughts; his bottom line was incredibly flexible.
Although he previously wanted to return to Great Shun to crush rookies, since the path to immortality was currently closed, he instantly became a staunch supporter of the Martial Dao. A good martial artist is in no way inferior to an immortal!
With this thought, Wang Ping immediately set a plan.
“I will return to the Great Shun Dynasty first and master the 【Desire Realm Innate Method】. Ideally, I’ll train in a few more martial arts as well. Once I have enough strength, I will return to explore the immortal sect world!”
He then turned to 【The Taiping Classic】.
Just as he did, Wang Ping discovered that fresh text had suddenly surfaced on the 【Otherworldly Heavenly Demon】 title page of the towering tome:
【Current Identity: Vagrant (Commoner).】
【Current Destiny: One (White Lotus Cult Branch Leader)】
【Consume Destiny to exchange for a new identity?】
“This is…?”
Looking at the words on the scroll, Wang Ping instantly recalled the other function of the 【Otherworldly Heavenly Demon】: consuming Destiny to acquire a new identity!
However, the description stated it could only be used in specific worlds.
“Does this specific world refer to the Great Shun Dynasty?”
After all, the 【White Lotus Cult Branch Leader】 was his identity when he first died, but there was no prompt to choose a new identity when he headed to the immortal sect world.
“Identities have six tiers.”
“Commoner, Black Robe, Green Scholar, Crimson Garb, Purple Minister, Golden Noble… For every level my Destiny rises, I can exchange it for an identity of the corresponding tier.”
This was fantastic!
He was using the White Lotus Cult’s Destiny anyway; if it was gone, it was gone. Besides, that old fogey Shou Chong gave him that position. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it?
Thinking of this, Wang Ping nodded immediately. “Exchange!”
The moment he spoke, the text on 【The Taiping Classic】 began to shift. His Destiny instantly dropped to zero, while the identity section gradually erupted with light.
It was a profound radiance.
Subsequently, Wang Ping watched as the description in the brackets under his identity column changed from 【Commoner】 to 【Black Robe】, and his identity shifted along with it.
Merchant, Noble Family, Scholar… various identities flashed by one by one. Ultimately, it locked onto an identity that even caught Wang Ping slightly off guard:
【Constable】.
The next second, Wang Ping took a deep breath and confidently strode into the gateway of the 【Otherworldly Heavenly Demon】. His vision was slowly consumed by light during the process.
……………
Wang Ping opened his eyes.
A small room greeted his sight.
He stood in the room, facing a bronze mirror. The mirror clearly reflected a face in its twenties, looking slightly fatigued.
This… is me?
Wang Ping immediately realized something: he hadn’t possessed anyone this time. The face was identical to his own from before, just younger.
At this moment, Wang Ping’s feelings were somewhat complicated.
This is fine. Instead of possessing a stranger, it directly arranged a new identity for me. I am still me, a firework of a different color…
Soon, memories surfaced.
Rather than memories, it was more like a background introduction. Wang Ping quickly grasped his situation, and his relaxed expression grew solemn once more.
This is… Longxing County!
In my last life, I was slaughtered by the constables of the Longxing County yamen. In this life, I became a yamen constable? And a newly recruited rookie at that?
According to my background, my family has served as constables for three generations. We have a register in the yamen, so we’re considered a constable family. This time, a position opened up because my father died a heroic death. Thus, I was recruited into the yamen to fill the vacancy. My appointment letter and all the necessary equipment have already been prepared for me.
Thinking of this, Wang Ping shifted his gaze.
He then spotted the constable appointment letter placed on a nearby table, alongside an ox-tail saber, a constable uniform, and a martial arts manual.
…Wait, a martial arts manual!?
In an instant, Wang Ping’s previously somewhat casual demeanor vanished. He quickly stepped up to the table and picked up the manual.
【Three Demonic Sabers of Yama】
“This is the standard martial art for the constables of Longxing County… No, for all the yamen constables across the Great Shun Dynasty. It’s a ruthless martial art solely dedicated to killing!”
Wang Ping opened the manual and read it word by word.
Next, he reached for the ox-tail saber on the table. With a sharp clang, the long blade left its sheath, immediately illuminating the room with a cold, white gleam.
“This saber technique… has its pros and cons.”
Wang Ping frowned in thought as he casually swung the ox-tail saber.
The pro was that this technique only had combat methods and breathing methods; it lacked a forging method. This was because the Imperial Court had already forged standardized ox-tail sabers for all constables.
Therefore, constables didn’t need a forging method at all. With the ox-tail saber in hand, mastering the technique was only a matter of time.
This was much simpler than the 【Pale Moon Lotus Blade】 passed down by the old geezer Shou Chong. The latter required a degree of comprehension and spending money on blacksmithing, whereas the Imperial Court had everything arranged for the constables with the former.
However, the con also lay here.
“Without the forging method, a martial artist essentially loses their foundation. The moment the ox-tail saber breaks or is confiscated, this martial art is practically useless.”
“The Imperial Court truly calculated well,” Wang Ping couldn’t help but praise in a low voice.
“Using this method firmly ties the constables to the yamen. It also ensures that even if the manual is leaked, no one else can truly master it.”
Just as Wang Ping was engrossed in his martial arts study, a sudden knock on the door broke his concentration.
“…Who is it?”
Wang Ping raised an eyebrow. Keeping his grip on the saber, he cautiously pushed the door open, only to find a servant boy holding a food box standing outside.
“My Lord, this lowly one has brought your meal.”
The servant boy bowed obsequiously, respectfully offering the food box. He asked softly, “Please take a look, My Lord. Is there anything that doesn’t suit your taste?”
Only then did Wang Ping remember that he was now a constable.
And the meal before him was one of his “benefits” as a constable. All three daily meals were provided free of charge by Yuelai Restaurant, the largest restaurant in Longxing County.
They called it free, but it was actually protection money.
After all, constables held significant power in Longxing County; otherwise, they wouldn’t be called ‘neighborhood tyrants’. This power could help merchants make money.
It could also bankrupt them.
It was common knowledge that collusion between officials and merchants raked in money faster than robbery. Yuelai Restaurant only reached its current scale because of this daily food supply arrangement.
After sending the servant boy away, Wang Ping carried the food box into the room.
The moment he lifted the lid, a mouthwatering aroma wafted out. The rice grains were plump and translucent, and the vegetables and meat were of the highest quality. Eating this before practicing martial arts would yield twice the result with half the effort.
“Is this… Wojiao Rice?”
Wang Ping gaped, recognizing the rice in the box. It was an exotic strain cultivated using secret methods, countless times more precious than ordinary polished rice.
In addition, the meat seemed to belong to some kind of monster beast, and the vegetables were specifically harvested from a medicinal field, possessing the properties to nourish blood and boost qi.
Forget eating it; just standing next to it and taking a whiff made Wang Ping feel the qi and blood in his body boiling, circulating ever more smoothly.
“These parasites…”
Looking at this scene, Wang Ping couldn’t help but recall his past rural life. Back then, he thought having rice and meat to eat was already a pretty good life.
Compared to the people in the county town, wasn’t he basically eating shit?
And this was merely for the lowest-ranking constables in the yamen. What on earth did the true noble officials eat? Wang Ping couldn’t even begin to imagine.
In an instant, a wave of profound sorrow washed over him.
He remembered his greatest dream from years ago: to finish his undercover mission, enter the yamen with meritorious deeds, and openly eat the imperial grain.
He put in so much effort for that goal, only to suffer brutal betrayal and sudden death.
Thinking of this, Wang Ping looked at 【The Taiping Classic】, which had effortlessly planted him into the yamen with a 【Constable】 identity, and let out a heartfelt sigh:
As expected… While personal effort is important, ultimately, nothing beats having a cheat!
Suddenly, anger surged from Wang Ping’s heart, fueling his audacity. He grabbed a spoon, dug a massive chunk out of the food box, and shoved it into his mouth.
Hiss… so delicious!
…………
Longxing County, a certain residence in the eastern district. At the exact moment Wang Ping resurrected with his new identity, a pair of tightly shut eyes snapped open.
“What’s going on…!?”
Accompanied by a voice filled with shock and fury, lightning seemed to flash within the room. The depths of the opened eyes were brimming with confusion and resentment.
Immediately after, another voice rang out.
“Master? What happened?”
If Wang Ping were here, he would instantly recognize the speaker—his good senior brother, Xie Shi.
As for the one filled with shock and fury, it was naturally the Cult Master of the White Lotus Cult, the old Daoist Shou Chong.
At this moment, Shou Chong’s eye twitched frantically. His previously rosy complexion turned a furious crimson, and his tightly clenched jaw trembled slightly.
The next second.
Pfft!
He threw his head back and spat out a mouthful of hot blood. His crimson face instantly blanched, faintly revealing a deathly pallor.
Following that, a hoarse, owl-like voice echoed eerily through the room:
“The Destiny… is gone.”
“The Destiny of my White Lotus Cult! I traveled far and wide, engaged in three bloody battles with government troops, and painstakingly built up our reputation and Destiny, only for nearly half of it to suddenly vanish!”
Thinking of this, Shou Chong felt as if his heart was bleeding.
After all, with the Destiny gone, his plans had to be entirely revised from scratch. Moreover, this added numerous variables, making the hope of advancing his martial arts further extremely slim.
“Who is it? Who is plotting against this old man?”
Rumble!
Rolling thunder echoed within the room, yet not a single sound leaked outside. This displayed his profound cultivation while also proving that Shou Chong hadn’t lost his reason.
A long while later, Shou Chong’s voice sounded again:
“Someone must have tampered with the 【Lotus Blade】, otherwise this wouldn’t have happened. We must retrieve the blade; we cannot allow it to remain with the authorities any longer.”
Hearing this, Xie Shi immediately showed concern.
“Master, the county yamen is a vital location for the Imperial Court, guarded by those black-robed hounds from the Divine Constable Bureau. It’s truly too dangerous. A single misstep could spell disaster.”
Shou Chong looked at Xie Shi and tilted his head.
“This principle… your Master naturally understands. Rest assured, my good disciple, your Master has already prepared a foolproof plan. A mere county yamen cannot trap your Master.”
Hearing this, Xie Shi immediately looked impressed. “Master, you plan to storm the county yamen?”
“No, you are going to storm the county yamen.”
Xie Shi: “…….???”