Chapter Ten: Showing Off

"Don't underestimate my Iron Ox Skill."

Liu Ye swayed the secret manual in his hand as he explained, "Do you know what state of mind is best suited for beginners learning Yama's Three Demon Blades?"

Wang Ping fell into deep thought at once.

According to Liu Ye, the first blade of Yama's Three Demon Blades was called Greed. When practicing it, one would be struck by blade intent bearing that kind of emotion.

What state of mind could counter it?

In an instant, inspiration flashed through Wang Ping's mind. "A state of mind related to the Iron Ox Skill... Could it be the brief clarity of mind after doing that?"

"...You little brat, you really are clever."

Liu Ye nodded. "Exactly. During that period, a man could be said to be free of all desires and wants, making it the perfect bane of the blade intent of Greed."

"In other words, the more often you enter that state of clarity, the stronger your resistance to Greed, the faster your cultivation, and the lower the risk of entering the discipline... And my Iron Ox Skill lets you experience that state of clarity repeatedly without harming your body. It's a peerless divine art!"

Wang Ping was utterly tempted.

Of course, he wasn't a lecherous man. The main reason was that, as Liu Ye had said, this Iron Ox Skill would help him quickly master Yama's Three Demon Blades.

There was also an even more important reason:

"This technique might also help me cultivate the Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method!"

This secret technique came from the Heavenly Book of His Transformation, Sovereign of the Desire Realm. In truth, it was very simple to cultivate. In short, it involved exercising together with other people.

"The secret technique has 108 positions. Completing them all counts as one Lesser Celestial Circuit, and after every Lesser Celestial Circuit, you have to change partners and do it again."

"Defeating 108 people in succession counts as one Greater Celestial Circuit."

"When you can complete a Greater Celestial Circuit without stopping, you'll have mastered it. From then on, you'll be a Desire-Realm Celestial Being."

After becoming a Desire-Realm Celestial Being, one could not only sense other people's emotions and thoughts, but even manipulate them slightly. One could also condense the Spirit Sense unique to cultivators. Wang Ping had long coveted all these wondrous abilities, but the cultivation requirements were far too harsh. It simply wasn't meant for humans to learn.

Now, however, he saw hope.

"If I cultivate the Iron Ox Skill to perfection, can the martial technique Golden Spear Unyielding that I condense withstand the expenditure of the Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method?"

Perhaps it could!

At that thought, Wang Ping became determined to obtain the Iron Ox Skill. Yet he soon realized an awkward problem.

He was out of money.

Most of the salary that came with his status as a constable had just been used to curry favor with Liu Ye. No matter how he calculated it, what remained wasn't enough to buy even one martial art.

After thinking it over, Wang Ping could only give a bitter laugh. "I'm sorry for the trouble, Elder Brother Liu, but I've really been short of money lately. How about you name a price first and give me a few days? I'll find a way to gather it... Or you could sell it to me on credit, and I'll slowly repay you, principal and interest, from my monthly salary?"

Liu Ye laughed when he heard this.

"Little Wang, that's not right. Do you really think I'm the sort of person who sees money and forgets everything else?"

Aren't you?

Wang Ping grumbled inwardly. Yet in the next moment, he saw Liu Ye sweep out a large hand and stuff the Iron Ox Skill manual directly into his arms.

"Enough. Take it."

"Relax, I don't want money. We'll trade things. If you obtain any new martial arts in the future, secretly hand them over to me, and we'll be even."

"How about it?"

At these words, Wang Ping, who had been puzzling over the matter, suddenly understood. Looking at Liu Ye again, he now grasped the old constable's scheme.

"He's pretty good at judging people. He thinks I might accept Captain Chen's mission in the future and obtain that mid-grade martial art as payment, so he wants to trade the Iron Ox Skill for a future mid-grade martial art? That way, he gets the benefit without having to take any risks..."

At that thought, Wang Ping's attitude immediately changed.

"Elder Brother Liu, if that's what you mean... then this isn't the price anymore."

Liu Ye: "..."

This brat really had boundless prospects. One second he was calling him Elder Liu, and the next he was calling him Elder Brother Liu. He changed faces even faster than this old veteran of the martial world.

After a moment of silence, Liu Ye lowered his voice. "How much do you want?"

Wang Ping raised five fingers. "Five hundred taels."

"You're robbing me!"

Liu Ye became agitated at once. "Five hundred taels? Even Shouchong's reward isn't that much! How much is our monthly salary? You actually have the nerve to name that price!"

Wang Ping shook his head helplessly. "I can't help it. Your Iron Ox Skill is excellent, Elder Brother Liu, but it still needs actual combat to improve. I'm penniless right now. Even if I wanted actual combat, I can't afford it. Surely I can't go and bully respectable women, can I?"

Only then did Liu Ye let out a sigh of relief.

"Idiot, is the Iron Ox Skill really so rigid and inflexible? Who said actual combat has to involve other people? Don't you normally use your hands?"

Wang Ping: "..."

He naturally understood this level of cleverness. The problem was that although the Iron Ox Skill could be practiced this way, the Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method required a True Person.

So he held firm to his condition.

"Five hundred taels. Not a single coin less!"

"You..."

Liu Ye narrowed his eyes when he heard this, but they soon relaxed. Thinking carefully, he suddenly remembered that the young man before him seemed to be a virgin.

Young and full of vigor, it was perfectly normal for him to want to taste something new.

"...Fine, fine."

Liu Ye changed the subject. "I don't have the money, but if you only want actual combat... I have a connection at the Vermilion Phoenix Tower in town."

"When you go there, give the madam, Miss Feng, my name. Then tell her that you practice the Iron Ox Skill. She'll naturally arrange actual combat for you."

At these words, Wang Ping was stunned by his brilliance.

What did he mean? Could he get it for free?

Though Liu Ye had spoken euphemistically, how could Wang Ping fail to understand? Without a doubt, the Vermilion Phoenix Tower had a share belonging to Elder Liu; otherwise, why would he speak so confidently?

With that thought, Wang Ping immediately cupped his hands. "Thank you, Elder Liu!"

"What about those five hundred taels...?"

"I was only joking just now!"

Only then was Liu Ye satisfied. He wasn't worried that Wang Ping would go back on his word in the future. After all, an inferior martial art wouldn't cost him anything even if Wang Ping failed to master it.

But if he succeeded, it would be a huge windfall!

After all, as far as he knew, the family-inherited martial art of his own Lord Chen had been brought out from the main headquarters of the Capital Divine Constables' Bureau. Its origins were extraordinarily impressive!

Although he had obtained an opportunity to get it for free, Wang Ping didn't immediately set out.

As he had said, he wasn't a lecherous man. The reason he cultivated the Iron Ox Skill and the Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method was purely to secure a better future.

"Using your hands is enough to cultivate the mere Iron Ox Skill. Going into actual combat would be a waste. Even if I mastered it, what use would that be? The main event comes afterward!"

The Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method.

This immortal-cultivation secret technique truly required a great deal of actual combat. To put it bluntly, cultivating this technique could possibly bankrupt an entire brothel.

"Although Liu Ye made it sound nice just now, if I really go there and cultivate the Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method for free, the losses will definitely make him regret it immediately. Then all my previous efforts will be wasted... So the best method is to first quietly cultivate the Iron Ox Skill to Grand Perfection."

"Once I have the martial technique boost of Golden Spear Unyielding, I can go and get it for free."

"Before the other side has time to react, I'll strike while the iron is hot and directly master the Desire-Realm Celestial Birth Method. By then, he'll have no choice but to swallow this silent loss."

For that reason, he had to endure for now.

Of course, if he could pay, none of these problems would be problems.

At that thought, Wang Ping, who had just returned home, couldn't help rummaging through his trunks and cabinets. After carefully sorting through all his savings, he decisively shook his head.

"Whether I pay or not isn't important."

"Ultimately, I'm simply a man of clean living, absolutely no lecher. How could I go to that filthy, chaotic place and degrade myself for no reason?"

With that, Wang Ping shut the doors and windows and took out some tissues.

The night was long. He prepared to show off with his hands, bitterly practice the Iron Ox Skill through the night, and continue until the sun stood high in the sky, bringing the technique to perfection as quickly as possible!

The moon was dark and the wind fierce—a perfect night for murder.

The night wind howled, the sun was hidden, and three full moons hung high in the sky, yet dark clouds covered their light, casting down only a deep shadow too profound to measure.

"Who's there!"

With a shout, the patrolling constable inside Longxing County's yamen raised the candle-lantern in his hand and looked toward the shadowed corner. Yet beneath the lantern's glow, there was no one there.

"What happened?" another patrolling constable asked.

"Nothing. I must've seen wrong."

The constable holding the lantern gave a bitter smile. "You know things haven't been peaceful these past few years. I've become a little paranoid. Everything I see looks like one of those rebels."

The others also gave bitter smiles.

It wasn't only Longxing County. Across the entire Changle Commandery, and even throughout mighty Ji Province, rebels had sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The world had long since fallen into chaos.

"Enough. Don't let your imagination run wild."

"We're only going through the motions. If an expert really slipped in, we wouldn't be able to detect him anyway. The officials will naturally handle the pursuit when the time comes."

"True..."

As they spoke, the patrol had already gone farther and farther away. Yet none of them noticed that someone had silently appeared behind them.

That person was Xie Shi.

Unlike ordinary people, however, the breath, heartbeat, and even footsteps of this White Lotus Sect senior disciple were all infinitely close to silence.

This was clearly a martial art. He silently followed the patrol, his figure concealed in the darkness. From outside the county office to inside it, he even encountered several other patrols along the way, yet not a single person noticed his existence. Every one of them simply overlooked him.

Only after approaching the inner offices did he suddenly flash away.

The sound of wind he stirred blended with the night wind and still failed to alert anyone. Just like that, he entered the inner offices.

The first thing he saw was a main hall.

Inside the hall, dozens of artifacts, large and small, were prominently displayed. Some were sabers and spears, others clubs and staves. All of them had once been renowned Fine Weapons.

Xie Shi locked onto the center of the main hall at a glance.

There, on the largest table, rested an exquisite flying knife gleaming with silver light. Its edge flowed like moonlight, radiating a chilling aura.

The Lotus Blade!

"Found it..."

Xie Shi clenched his teeth. Though he was only one step away from his objective, he no longer dared to advance. He didn't even dare enter the main hall before him.

The pitch-black hall and its open doors now seemed, in his eyes, to have transformed into a giant beast opening its bloody maw, waiting for him to throw himself into its trap.

"That old bastard is only using me to scout the way."

"He and that Captain Chen from the county office have an understanding. Both of them are Inner Force Martial Masters, on the verge of receiving titles. How could I possibly get involved in their clash..."

At that thought, Xie Shi immediately wanted to retreat.

Learning where the Lotus Blade was stored was enough to report back to Shouchong. He hadn't earned much money in a month. Why risk his life?

Yet just as Xie Shi was retreating step by step from the inner offices—

"Trying to leave already?"

A calm voice rode the evening wind and drifted over. From the shadows of the main hall, where numerous weapons were displayed, a cold-looking man strode out.

"Chen Haoyan... This is bad!"

In an instant, Xie Shi's expression changed drastically. He didn't dare answer Chen Haoyan at all. He stamped down hard with one foot, and the small patch of ground beneath him shattered.

Terrifying vibrations spread from him toward every direction of the county office, like an earth dragon turning over. Borrowing the tremendous recoil produced by that stomp, he vanished from the spot in an instant, transforming into a black shadow that raced toward the county office's exterior.

The momentum was already astonishing.

Yet in the next moment, a hearty laugh filled with vigor suppressed every other sound, like a needle that calmed the sea, instantly pacifying the chaos.

"External Arts Perfection? That old bastard knows how to teach his disciples."

"But if he wants to take back the Lotus Blade, he should come himself."

Inside the main hall, Chen Haoyan held a great bow taut in his right hand, while his left gripped a long arrow. Endless streams of light surged from his palm and gathered at the arrowhead.

Xie Shi sensed something and looked back. His heart and gallbladder nearly split apart.

"Master said this bandit came from the Capital Divine Constables' Bureau. Not only did he receive the Divine Constables' Bureau's true teachings, but the Inner Force he cultivated is also beyond what ordinary people can reach..."

"I'm doomed!"

Rumble!

In the next moment, a thunderous boom rang out. Chen Haoyan drew his bow to a full moon, and the arrow shot through the air. A visible shockwave exploded deep within the county office.

Immediately afterward, a streak of white light tore through the night.

Like thunder smashing the darkness, the thunderclap came first and the lightning followed. In the blink of an eye, it struck Xie Shi, who had already raced away, and knocked him from midair.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a shrill scream, crimson blood sprayed through the air as Xie Shi's figure plunged straight into the county town, vanishing into the depths of the night in an instant.

"Clang, clang!"

After shooting Xie Shi down, Chen Haoyan stood tall with the bow in hand. He then drew the Ox-Tail Saber and pointed it toward the sky, his sonorous voice echoing beneath the night.

"White Lotus bandits attacked the county office at night and committed the crime of defying authority. Everyone has the right to execute them!"

"Pass down my order. Search the entire city. Anyone who provides information on this bandit will receive ten taels of silver. Anyone who kills him will receive a hundred taels. Anyone who shelters him will have their entire clan executed!"