Famed Throughout the County, Great Dragon Spear!

Wang Ping walked out of the inner office, "torn between gain and loss."

His steps grew faster and faster. He did not head for the training ground, instead racing all the way, his facial muscles taut, afraid that the slightest slackening would make him burst out laughing.

Chen Haoyan truly was shrewd.

Even the [Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow] offered as payment had to be learned through "borrowing," because the manual was too extensive for Wang Ping to take away.

This greatly prevented the martial art from leaking out.

At the same time, Chen Haoyan had likely been certain that Wang Ping could not finish reading the martial arts manual within three days, which was why he had been so generous, giving it away just like that.

To be fair, that judgment had been correct.

Provided it only applied to ordinary mortals.

"As far as I'm concerned, the manual is too long? One sweep of my Spirit Sense, and no matter how much there is, I can finish it all. In fact, I've already memorized the entire martial art!"

Not to mention that he had an [Otherworldly Celestial Demon] as his foundation. Nine deaths and one life meant nothing to him. He appeared to be the one coerced in this deal, but in truth, he was the one making a killing. He had paid almost nothing and gained a mid-grade martial art—and that was not even all.

As he pondered, Wang Ping arrived before a warehouse.

This was the [Armory].

Wang Ping stepped forward and directly handed over a transfer order bearing the chief constable's seal. "I am Wang Ping. By order, I have come to retrieve the Black Chi Bow from the stores."

"What?"

The official guarding the [Armory] froze for a moment. He immediately took the order and carefully checked it over before finally opening the storeroom doors with a frown.

"How strange. What place could possibly need a forbidden item like the Black Chi Bow?"

Though he said that, an order was as weighty as a mountain, written in black ink on white paper. The official could not disobey it. Before long, he retrieved an enormous bow entirely forged from dark gold.

The bow's body twisted like two hornless dragons coiling around one another. Two dragon heads each bit one end of the bowstring. The string itself was pitch-black and as thick as a thumb. Rather than a bowstring, it looked more like a giant python. Mounted upon it were three arrows the size of short spears, radiating an eerie chill.

"What a fine treasure bow!"

Wang Ping's gaze sharpened. This was Chen Haoyan's offer after he had said, "You'll have to pay more"—a weapon suited to the [Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow].

"With this bow, I have hope of reaching the beginner stage within three days!"

At that thought, the contents of the [Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow] rapidly flashed through Wang Ping's mind. This martial art specialized in bones and blood, while also requiring the support of sinews.

The six stages of external training were skin, flesh, sinews, bones, blood, and marrow.

Of these, bones represented [resistance to pressure], blood represented [explosive force], and sinews represented [strength]. Only when all three became one could the strongest arrow be fired.

"That is why it was said before that True Dragon Sinew is best suited for cultivating this martial art."

"After all, this martial art itself does not train the sinews. True Dragon Sinew, born with divine strength, can perfectly make up for the martial art's shortcomings and unleash its true power."

Furthermore, as a mid-grade martial art, the [Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow] differed from the low-grade martial arts Wang Ping had trained before. At the beginner stage, [Blood Like Fire]; at minor mastery, [Bones Like Tigers]; at major mastery, the martial technique [One Arrow Frost Chill]; and at perfection, the martial technique [Heavenly Dipper Breaks the Formation]. Every step brought immense gains.

At that thought, Wang Ping felt a trace of anticipation. "As long as I can cultivate this martial art to perfection, I'll have passed through half of the six stages of external training."

The next day, early morning.

This was the first day of the three-day agreement. Wang Ping did not dare be negligent. Before dawn had even broken, he had already changed clothes, picked up the Black Chi Bow, and strode into the training ground.

There was no other reason.

He was practicing archery!

At this moment, Spirit Sense once again displayed the sheer value of the immortal path. With its assistance, Wang Ping was less shooting arrows than controlling them.

With every arrow he fired, his Spirit Sense directly preset the trajectory and target. All he had to do was release the bowstring, and the result was a hundred shots, a hundred hits—not one missed.

Bang!

Another arrow struck the bullseye, yet Wang Ping frowned. A wave of soreness came from the hands holding the bow and drawing the string, while the circulation of his qi and blood was beginning to feel sluggish.

"My body can't keep up."

The consumption of a mid-grade martial art was clearly on a wholly different level from that of a low-grade martial art. He had practiced for less than two hours, yet already felt as though his stomach were completely empty.

Grrr!

A muffled rumble came from his belly. Wang Ping put down the Black Chi Bow and realized that even his steps had become unsteady. He swayed in place several times before barely managing to stand firm.

But he had clearly eaten breakfast. The reason could only be that the dietary supplements freely provided by Joyous Arrival Tower could no longer keep up with his current consumption of qi and blood. Either he spent heavily to buy higher-grade ingredients, or he balanced work and rest, practiced only a little each day, and proceeded step by step.

"Proceeding step by step is impossible."

"I only have three days left. In three days, I'll have to help Chen Haoyan escort that [Lotus Blade]. There's an eighty or ninety percent chance I'll die violently then."

Since he was about to die anyway, this was precisely the time to train himself to death!

At that thought, Wang Ping immediately decided to visit Joyous Arrival Tower later and see whether he could buy some higher-grade ingredients to replenish his depleted qi and blood.

But then again, given his current condition, how much would dietary supplements actually cost? He had just received a gold ingot, equivalent to one hundred taels of silver.

It should be enough, right?

Just as Wang Ping was calculating, another person entered the training ground, a smoking pipe in hand. Upon seeing Wang Ping, he immediately let out a hearty laugh.

"I knew I'd find Brother Wang here."

The newcomer was Liu Ye.

Before Wang Ping could speak, Liu Ye beat him to it. "Congratulations, Brother Wang. Your fame is booming now. Your title has spread throughout the entire county."

"Oh?"

Wang Ping was first taken aback, then calmly nodded. He had cleaved Xie Shi down with a single blade on a rainy night—how dashing was that? It was perfectly normal for him to have earned a title.

"What title?" Wang Ping asked curiously.

The next moment, Liu Ye revealed an odd smile and slowly said, word by word, "This title is no small matter. It's Great Dragon Spear!"

Great Dragon Spear?

Wang Ping blinked, somewhat puzzled. "Why is that? I slew White Lotus rebels with my blade. Shouldn't my title be something like Night-Slaying Blade or Dragon-Washing Blade?"

"What are rebels worth? There are plenty of those these days!"

Liu Ye shook his head. "Last night, Brother Wang faced a hundred alone at Vermilion Phoenix Tower and speared a whole flock of women. That was the true legend. The name Great Dragon Spear came from that. Quite a few widows in the city are secretly asking around, wanting to see the legendary Great Dragon Spear with their own eyes and exchange pointers with you!"

Wang Ping: "..."

So that was what this Great Dragon Spear meant? Fuck your mother, I thought you people had finally recognized my talent. Who would have thought you were coveting my body instead?

Pah. Shameless!

At that thought, Wang Ping immediately shook his head. "Old Brother Liu, your misunderstanding of me runs too deep. This is not what I want. I actually have no interest in women."

"What a shameless brat."

"I still haven't settled Vermilion Phoenix Tower's losses with you."

While grumbling inwardly, Liu Ye gave him a thumbs-up and praised him. "Brother Wang is devoted to the Martial Dao, with aspirations higher than the heavens. This old brother truly cannot compare."

"It's nothing... Oh, right."

As he spoke, Wang Ping suddenly looked around. After confirming that no one was nearby, he grabbed Liu Ye and stuffed a manual into his arms.

Liu Ye was stunned. "This is...?"

The next moment, his expression changed drastically. He had clearly seen the name on the manual: "[Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow]! You accepted that assignment?"

Wang Ping nodded and continued, "Don't worry. My lord has already granted me one quota to pass it on. I have no elders above me and no children below me. Before this, Old Brother Liu was the best to me. I also caused you a great deal of trouble by turning Vermilion Phoenix Tower into that state last night. As promised, I'm passing this martial art on to you."

"However, this manual is only the table of contents. For the full version afterward, you'll need to borrow it from my lord."

Liu Ye did not respond.

Looking at Wang Ping's sincere expression, the old constable could not even react at first. He stood there completely dumbfounded, unable to speak again for a long while.

Only after some time did he say somewhat stiffly:

"Kid, are you serious?"

When he had half-sold, half-gifted the [Iron Ox Skill] to Wang Ping, he truly had not expected anything in return. After Wang Ping rose to prominence, he had thought even less of it.

Yet he had never expected that Wang Ping would truly be willing to honor his promise. A mid-grade martial art—he had simply given it away. And judging by this posture, it was practically like entrusting an orphan to him. Remembering how he had just been fretting over Vermilion Phoenix Tower's losses, Liu Ye wanted nothing more than to slap himself.

Others treated me with sincerity, yet my mind is still full of business.

I'm old. Truly old.

Looking again at the young man before him, he was about the same age as Liu Ye's son. And looking at the way he stood, he seemed somewhat weak, his qi and blood clearly depleted...

"...Hm?"

At that thought, Liu Ye suddenly frowned. "Brother Wang, have you already tried cultivating this martial art? You must have overdone it. Your qi and blood can't keep up."

"Ah, it's nothing."

Wang Ping gave a hearty laugh, then took out the gold ingot. "I just received a reward. I'll go to Joyous Arrival Tower later and buy some high-grade ingredients. A little replenishment will do."

"Joyous Arrival Tower? What high-grade ingredients could that place possibly have?"

Liu Ye shook his head. "Brother Wang, if you trust me, leave this matter to me. I guarantee enough to support the qi and blood consumption of a mid-grade martial art."

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Wang Ping feigned modesty.

Liu Ye waved a large hand. "There's nothing inappropriate about it. Your old brother has struggled in this county town for decades. My connections are broad enough. It's a trivial matter!"

"Then... I'll have to trouble you, Old Brother."

Wang Ping was delighted inside. With sufficient dietary supplements, Spirit Sense's assistance, and bitter cultivation through the night, the [Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow] would definitely reach the beginner stage within three days!

Outside Longxing County, within a remote village.

"Xie Shi is dead..."

An old farmer with a bamboo basket on his back, dusty from travel, had just returned from the Grass Market outside the city. After exchanging a few pleasantries with his neighbors, he returned to his own farmyard.

Yet after shutting the doors and windows, the old farmer's originally stooped back immediately straightened. His clouded eyes also regained their clarity. Then his face and body abruptly twisted, and with a shake, he transformed back into the appearance of an old Daoist with the air of a transcendent sage. Smiling, he gazed toward the county town in the distance.

This person was Shouchong.

Unexpectedly, Shouchong not only felt no grief over the death of his good disciple Xie Shi, he even nodded in satisfaction.

"Good death!"

In his eyes, Xie Shi had already tested the most important piece of intelligence: [Chen Haoyan truly was guarding the county yamen day and night for that Lotus Blade.]

"He believed it. He truly believed it!"

"If my guess is correct, he should already be trying to lure the snake from its hole, intending to force me to step into the trap myself in order to retrieve the [Lotus Blade]."

At that thought, Shouchong immediately sneered.

Was the [Lotus Blade] important?

Of course it was important. But a cunning rabbit had three burrows. When he had sent it out in the first place, he had already prepared to abandon it if things could not be done. How could he have failed to leave himself a backup plan?

What was more, the White Lotus Sect's Destiny upon it had already dispersed. In truth, the throwing knife's value to him had greatly declined. Certainly, giving it up would severely damage his vitality, causing his martial arts to regress rather than advance. The price could not be called small, but he could barely bear it—as long as he earned back something greater.

Then how could he earn back something greater?

"He wants to play lure the snake from its hole with me, so I'll give him a tiger lured from the mountain."

"[Spirit Wandering Temple]..."

At that thought, Shouchong had already made his decision. He then entered the inner room, where a shrine came into view. The scene within the shrine was tightly concealed behind a hanging curtain.

Shouchong reached into his robes and took out three long incense sticks.

Immediately afterward, he pinched the three sticks, lit them with flint, and approached the shrine in a rather strange ritual, bowing and kowtowing at every step.

The three incense sticks were placed before the shrine, where they immediately burned more fiercely. Billows of green smoke rose, only to be stirred by an unseen wind and drift deep into the shrine.

Then Shouchong's voice drifted out, ethereal as though chanting a spell.

"I respectfully invite Liansheng Bodhisattva to save the people of this world."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Within the room, its doors and windows tightly sealed, the sound of howling wind unexpectedly arose. The three long incense sticks, which should have burned for a long time, were consumed in the space of a breath.

At the same time, the gale blew open the curtain before the shrine, revealing the statue inside.

It was a compassionate, sacred, and breathtakingly beautiful woman. She wore white robes like jade, formed the Fire-Born Lotus Seal with both hands, and sat upon a lotus dais.

Above her was this woman's dharma name:

[Liansheng Bodhisattva]

This was the origin of the White Lotus Sect.

A fanatical expression gradually surfaced on Shouchong's face. All of his martial arts had been granted by this Bodhisattva. This was a heaven-sent opportunity belonging to him alone.

Thinking back to those days, he had been nothing more than one among the countless millions living under the Great Shun Court, living each day by leaving early and returning late, tilling fields and growing grain, yet still unable to fill his stomach. Only on the day he dug up this Bodhisattva statue from the earth did he truly undergo a complete rebirth.

What a wondrous thing that had been!

Thus, naturally—he wanted to share this wonder with everyone. It was his goodwill, and it was also the wish of [Liansheng Bodhisattva].

He believed that so long as more and more people joined the White Lotus Sect and shared in [Liansheng Bodhisattva]'s compassion with him, the world would surely become a better place.

"Have pity on us people; our sorrows and troubles are truly many..."

As Shouchong kowtowed with sincere devotion, the Bodhisattva's appearance gradually twisted beneath the curling green smoke, as though a faint, satisfied smile had surfaced.