The Continuation of Old Events (Please Bookmark, Please Follow)

It had already been fifteen or sixteen years!

Years of grueling cultivation had long made Wang Ping forget about Shu County's county magistrate. Back then, he and Feng Miao had nearly plotted the man's death. By now, the fellow should have been nearly sixty, right? If he was not a Qi practitioner, then at that age, half his body would already be buried in the earth.

And he could still stir up trouble?

Though Wang Ping grumbled inwardly, the matter still needed investigating. He also wanted to know what tricks this county magistrate—no, Prefectural Judge—was playing this time.

However, his Foundation Establishment was at a critical juncture, so he could not investigate personally. After some thought, he came up with someone: his Disciple, Yang Ziping, who was currently out gaining experience.

With that in mind, Wang Ping had a Young Disciple bring him paper and brush. He wrote two letters, one to Guangxuan of Sanhe Temple and the other to his Disciple Yang Ziping, instructing Yang Ziping to go to Sanhe Prefecture and seek Guangxuan's help in pulling some strings to investigate the case.

He believed that with Sanhe Temple's reputation behind him, even if Yang Ziping encountered trouble while investigating, at worst he would be driven out of Sanhe Prefecture. His life would not be in danger.

The letters were sent out on the Second Day Morning after they were written.

The next day, just after Wang Ping finished practicing All Soldiers Are Grass and Trees and returned to the Mountain Top Courtyard, a Young Disciple came to report that a Shangdan Sect Cultivator named Cheng Ji had come to see him.

Wang Ping thought he had misheard, because Cheng Ji should have been undergoing Secluded Cultivation Foundation Building within the sect at this time.

"I failed my Foundation Establishment..."

After Cheng Ji and Wang Ping exchanged greetings, Cheng Ji immediately explained why he was here. "Master told me to come out and take a walk. There was nowhere in particular I wanted to go, so I wandered around until I reached Shang'an Prefecture."

Wang Ping had been telling someone to fetch wine from the cellar. Hearing Cheng Ji's words, he was slow to react. After a brief daze, he asked, "Did you attempt Foundation Establishment early?"

"Yes. I couldn't hold myself back. After more than a decade of bitter cultivation, my thinking changed. So I gritted my teeth and chose to attempt Foundation Establishment ahead of time." Cheng Ji gave a bitter laugh. "I thought I could succeed, because I had never failed before. But reality gave me a resounding slap across the face..."

He let out a breath and said with a wry smile, "I was only a tiny thread of spiritual energy away from success, but at that point, the spiritual energy in my Qi Sea was depleted. The spiritual energy in the Spirit Gathering Array was depleted too. I had used up the Foundation Establishment Pills, and the Qi Gathering Pills were gone as well... If my Master had not appeared in time, I might have had to start all over again."

Wang Ping was somewhat speechless. Cheng Ji had endured more than a decade of hardship, only to lose his head when he was one shiver away from the finish line. Wang Ping asked uncertainly, "And now you...?"

"I already said it—I came out to clear my head, then I'll return and continue my Foundation Establishment. I was lucky. I only lost some materials, and the Spirit Gathering Array was destroyed, but it doesn't matter. If I spend five or six years in Secluded Cultivation refining pills, I can make up for those materials!"

Upon hearing that, Wang Ping could only offer a comforting smile.

At that moment, a Young Disciple carried over a jar of Yellow Wine, making Cheng Ji drool with longing. Cheng Ji said, "Feng Miao really was right. This is truly a fine place—not only is the scenery good, there's good wine too..."

Without realizing it, the two began talking about matters around them. Wang Ping had little to discuss, so most of the time Cheng Ji did the talking. From him, Wang Ping learned that Feng Miao had also entered Secluded Cultivation for Foundation Establishment ten years ago.

Then the topic turned to their Demon extermination in Shu County. Naturally, they brought up the intelligence Wang Ping had received only yesterday. Cheng Ji immediately became interested. He asked Wang Ping for a jug of wine and a letter of introduction, then went to meet up with Yang Ziping.

Wang Ping could tell that Cheng Ji was trying to find things to do in order to forget his failed Foundation Establishment, so he did not try to keep him.

Thus, half a month passed in peace.

That day, Wang Ping was practicing All Soldiers Are Grass and Trees when a burst of hurried Footstep Sound distracted him.

He looked toward the sound...

Zhao Qing was hurrying over, his face filled with anxiety.

Wang Ping's eyelid twitched. He quickly took out the Jiaobei and cast a divination, but everything appeared perfectly normal.

Yulian noticed the change in Wang Ping's mood and rode the clouds down from beside the stream, landing at his side.

"The shrimp in the river are gone."

"Another day, I'll have the Young Disciples from the temple release some more."

"Let's do it today. Remind me when we go back."

"Fine!"

By the time the two finished conversing in the Spirit Sea, Zhao Qing had approached. He first calmed himself, then said, "A message came by carrier pigeon from Sanhe Temple..."

He handed Wang Ping an extremely thin Bamboo Slip and continued, "Nephew Disciple Ziping has gone missing in Sanhe Prefecture, and Fellow Daoist Cheng Ji has suffered a minor injury!"

Wang Ping's first reaction to the news was disbelief. He read the contents of the letter as quickly as possible, then negative emotions surged uncontrollably within him. Yulian hurriedly said in the Spirit Sea, "Stay calm. Only calmness can handle this properly."

"Are there any details?" Wang Ping exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and cast another divination, but still found nothing amiss.

"I don't know either..."

Before Zhao Qing could finish, a young Inner Sect disciple hurried over. The commotion of his running interrupted the conversation between the senior and junior brothers.

"Master, Martial Uncle..."

"What is it?" Wang Ping stopped the Disciple from saluting.

"Senior Brother Ziping has returned, but a Jianghu Guest brought him back. That person specifically requested to see you, Martial Uncle..."

Wang Ping met Yang Ziping in the main hall of the inner courtyard. There was not a single wound on his body. The Jianghu Guest who had brought him back wore fitted martial attire, and six Concealed Weapons had been found on him when he entered the hall.

After Yang Ziping broke away from the Jianghu Guest, he tried to explain something, but Wang Ping signaled for him to wait. Then he quietly waited for the guest to enter.

"Which one is Daoist Changqing?" The Jianghu Guest clasped his fists in greeting and looked around at everyone in the hall.

"I am!" Wang Ping immediately admitted it.

"Greetings, Daoist Priest..."

The Jianghu Guest clasped his fists and said, "Your beloved Disciple did something he should not have done in Sanhe Prefecture. By my lord's orders, I have returned him to you whole and unharmed. Also... my lord asked me to tell you that the matter you are investigating will bear no results."

"Your lord is Sanhe Prefecture Prefectural Judge Shen Dong, Lord Shen?" Wang Ping asked.

"Yes!"

The reply was so straightforward that Wang Ping did not know how to continue speaking.

After a brief silence, the Jianghu Guest continued, "If my guess is correct, my lord has already died by now."

"What do you mean?"

"My lord said... he had already reached a dead end. He stepped forward to handle matters for some Nobles. He could not say who those people were, and he could not afford to offend those investigating him either. Losing his head was only a matter of time, so he chose to use his own death to preserve a chance for the rest of his Lineage to live. Are you... satisfied with this outcome?"

Wang Ping swiftly digested the Jianghu Guest's words and asked, "Anything else?"

The Jianghu Guest smiled. "If there were anything more, do you think I could have reached Thousand Wood Temple safely? My task is complete now. May I leave?"

Wang Ping fell silent again, then silently waved his hand.