Daoist Yuanzheng

During the three days of waiting, Wang Ping meditated and practiced Qi Refining at the inn each night. Every morning, he completed one round of Marrow Cleansing. After feeding Yulian, he wandered Sea City, learning about the city's customs and interesting things.

Hushan Kingdom differed from Xia Kingdom. Here, Cultivators and Mortals lived together, while in Xia Kingdom, they stood as distinctly apart as the Jing and Wei rivers. Xia Kingdom's ruling class consisted jointly of the imperial family, clans, and Cultivators, whereas Hushan Kingdom's ruling class consisted solely of Cultivators.

Hushan Kingdom had ten great cities. The territories under their influence had spawned countless settlements, forming the Hushan Kingdom of today. In Sea City, its residents had no concept of a nation; the name "Hushan" was more like an alliance against outsiders.

The alliance's ten cities were led by the Yuqing Sect. Beneath the Yuqing Sect were six more cultivation sects, of which the Shangdan Sect was the most famous. The other five were all "side paths."

Hushan Kingdom governed Mortals through noninterference. So long as they paid their taxes in full and on time, there was generally no problem.

Didn't that sound great?

But it also led the lower classes into clan factions. The clans fought fiercely among themselves for more resources.

Some clans were dominated by humans, some by demons, and some had humans and demons living together. Their conflicts happened every day, yet those above turned a blind eye. Even in Sea City, one could occasionally see two groups brawling with weapons in hand. However, anyone discovered fighting in the city by City Defense Battalion soldiers would be thrown into the dungeon for no less than ten days and no more than a year.

On the morning of the Third Day.

After completing his daily Marrow Cleansing, Wang Ping walked into the inn's front courtyard and saw two groups in the street fighting with all manner of weapons. A Pig Yao charging at the very front was beaten until blood covered his entire body. He was clearly on the verge of death.

"Fucking bad luck!"

The innkeeper's wife grumbled unhappily, then called for someone to boil water.

The armed brawl lasted two quarters of an hour. The victors stood on the bloodstained street and announced something in their own language, then dragged away their dead and wounded companions.

A little while later, the City Defense Battalion soldiers finally arrived. They gave the scene a hurried inspection before leaving coldly. Once the soldiers had gone, the nearby shopkeepers all came out to clean the blood from the street, then scattered a little fragrant powder over it.

It was also from this incident that Wang Ping learned the City Defense Battalion had a habit of sleeping in. Thus, fights that broke out in Sea City in the morning were generally battles to the death. At other times, they were mostly impulsive clashes. Still, when bloodlust was stirred, even the City Guard could be beaten when they arrived—though such incidents were rare.

"These people are so strange. Every one of them is tending toward centered stillness, yet what they do is chaotic and disorderly. Why?" Yulian asked in confusion.

"You'll understand someday."

Having watched the spectacle, Wang Ping left the inn. The scent of fragrant powder on the street was overpowering. It was the smell he had noticed when entering the city; he had originally thought it was the fragrance of some flower in the city, never expecting it to be powder used to cover the smell of blood.

Today was the day he had arranged with the Shangdan Pharmacy shopkeeper. When Wang Ping left the inn, he checked out, gathered his luggage, and headed straight for the pharmacy. Upon entering, he found the same shopkeeper from three days ago—a sharp and capable Middle-aged man.

"Daoist Changqing!"

Seeing Wang Ping, the Middle-aged shopkeeper handed the customer he had been serving over to a nearby attendant. He then stepped out from behind the counter, bowed to Wang Ping, and pointed toward the Backyard entrance. "This way, Daoist Priest..."

Seeing this, Wang Ping took out a Copper Coin and lightly flipped it as though idly playing with it. Only then did he follow the Middle-aged man into the Backyard, arriving outside a Cultivator's room in the eastern courtyard that was thick with the scent of sandalwood.

"Knock, knock, knock." The Middle-aged shopkeeper knocked cautiously.

"Come in!"

A calm, impartial voice came from within. As the Middle-aged shopkeeper carefully pushed open the door, Wang Ping saw a Cultivator straight ahead, dressed in an ordinary pale-blue Daoist robe. He looked very young on the surface. One eye was closed and the other open, but the open eye had a Vertical Pupil.

"You're Yucheng's Disciple?" the Cultivator asked, with a trace of impatience in his voice, while waving the Middle-aged shopkeeper away.

"My Master is indeed Daoist Yucheng," Wang Ping answered respectfully.

"I am Yuan Zheng. Give me my letter." The Cultivator held out his hand.

"This..."

Wang Ping was somewhat dumbfounded. It was his first time delivering a letter, and he lacked experience. He had not even asked what the recipient looked like, and Daoist Yucheng had not told him on his own initiative.

"What are you dawdling for? Yucheng must have asked me to improve your Spiritual Root, right?"

"To be honest..."

"What do you mean, 'to be honest'? Is it or isn't it?"

"It is!"

"Then that's that! Hurry up. Owing him this favor has left me unable to eat well or sleep soundly for the past ten years. Give me the letter already. The sooner I finish this, the sooner you can return and report!"

He looked even more anxious than Wang Ping.

Wang Ping thought it over and stopped hesitating. He took off his luggage and prepared to retrieve the letter. Yuan Zheng grew even more impatient, rising from where he had been meditating as if intending to take it himself. But after thinking better of it, he forced himself to sit back down.

Before long, Wang Ping found Daoist Yucheng's letter. Before he could say anything, the letter vanished from his hand and appeared in Yuan Zheng's. Yuan Zheng tore it open and read it at the fastest speed possible.

After reading it, he let out a long breath. He looked Wang Ping up and down, then beckoned. "Come here. Let me examine your body."

Wang Ping did not hesitate. He first bowed, then walked over.

"So long-winded..."

Yuan Zheng muttered as he placed a hand on Wang Ping's shoulder. The next instant, Wang Ping felt himself lose control of his body. Only his useless consciousness drifted about, startling him badly. Fortunately, the sensation lasted only an instant.

"Not bad. There's no Pill Toxin in your body."

Pill Toxin was produced when Cultivators consumed too many pills. It could be eliminated through prolonged cultivation.

After Yuan Zheng finished his examination, he lowered his hand and stared at Wang Ping. "The Shangdan Sect's method of improving one's Spiritual Root was deduced by our predecessors from the principles of medicine. During the process, you will need to absorb a large amount of Spiritual Medicine, allowing your body to completely align with my technique."

"You will suffer greatly, but you must endure it. If you cannot bear it, the process may fail, and your body will be eroded by Pill Toxin." Yuan Zheng looked into Wang Ping's eyes. "Can you endure it?"

"I can!"

Wang Ping answered swiftly.

Yuan Zheng merely gave a "Heh heh" laugh and stood up. Then he pointed to the place where he had been sitting moments ago. "Go up there. Calm your mind and meditate!"

"Yes!"

Wang Ping bowed again, making Yuan Zheng somewhat impatient. Once Wang Ping settled into meditation as usual, Yuan Zheng placed a hand on his shoulder again.

"Ah!"

Wang Ping let out a scream. Then his body began rolling back and forth out of control, knocking the tea table beside him to the ground. At that moment, he felt every muscle, sinew, and bone in his body being twisted and pulled by an immense force. The pain made him forget everything.

Yulian was connected to Wang Ping's heart and mind. The instant Wang Ping felt the pain, she tightly coiled around his wrist, seeming to suffer greatly as well.

Only after a long while did Wang Ping finally recover. He looked at Daoist Yuanzheng somewhat ashamedly. Yulian also stared at him, wanting to make a fierce expression, but wary of Daoist Yuanzheng's strength, she only glared at him before fleeing back into Wang Ping's sleeve as quickly as possible.

Daoist Yuanzheng smiled at Yulian's behavior, then looked at Wang Ping with ill intent. "How was it? Do you still dare say you can endure it?"

Wang Ping remained silent.

"Improving your sinew and bone is the same as defying heaven and changing fate. The pain involved goes without saying. You didn't think it could be done with a single spell from me, did you?" Daoist Yuanzheng gave another "Heh heh" laugh. "You'll stay here from now on. Over the next half month, you must grow accustomed to this pain."