Upgrading the Cheat, a Change of Plans

The next morning, before dawn.

Wang Ping rose before the sky had brightened, as usual, and went to the training ground to practice archery. This time, though, he had a bright red bun in his hand.

Whenever his strength ran dry, he took a bite. Heat instantly surged through his limbs and bones, washing away all fatigue and letting him plunge back into training. As the number of shots mounted, Wang Ping could clearly feel his understanding of the Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow deepening.

Boom!

He loosed another arrow. This time, it did more than strike the bull's-eye: it exploded on impact, sending out a ring of booming shockwaves.

"Phew!"

A hundred meters away, Wang Ping slowly exhaled a murky breath. The great tendons throughout his body flexed, and as he stretched his limbs, a rushing sound rose from within him.

His blood was roaring!

His archery had reached the entry level. Blood Like Fire was complete!

Wang Ping closed his eyes and turned his Spirit Sense inward. He could clearly see the blood racing through his body, gathering explosive power as it flowed.

That was his normal state. When he deliberately stirred his blood, that explosive power would pour out with its flow. It placed an immense strain on his skin, flesh, tendons, and bones, but at the instant of release, his strength far exceeded its usual limits!

"No wonder it's called Blood Like Fire."

"Put plainly, I'm setting my body alight, trading the injuries afterward for a brief blaze. Kill a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred of my own. I can't use it lightly."

Wang Ping also understood Xie Shi's bursts of strength that night.

Despite his grave wounds, Xie Shi had repeatedly shrugged off their effects and unleashed force no weaker than at his peak. That must have been Blood Like Fire at work.

"What he did, I can do too."

"And I can do it better!"

Wang Ping slowly opened and closed his hand, feeling his blood flow through his palm. His Spirit Sense probed deep into his body, helping him grasp his own condition as quickly as possible.

"Like Tendons Like Dragon, Blood Like Fire has grades. The manual describes them in detail: four levels—Blazing Fire, Blazing Flame, True Flame, and Supreme Yang... Judging by Xie Shi's explosive strength that night, he probably had Blazing Flame Blood. He was nowhere near me as I am now."

Wang Ping marveled once more at the body he now possessed.

"The Desire-Realm Celestial Body. Whatever wonders it might work in cultivation, in this world of martial arts, it's the makings of a Martial God."

All his hard work at the Vermilion Phoenix Tower had been worth it!

Wang Ping had no doubt that, with the quality of this body, each of the six external martial arts stages—skin, flesh, tendons, bones, blood, and marrow—would reach the highest grade once he mastered it!

"Sure enough, I'm a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand."

Wang Ping basked in his own brilliance for a moment. Then his Spirit Sense stirred, and he turned toward the training ground entrance. Old Liu was strolling in, pipe in hand.

"Well? That Blood Jade Bun packs a punch, doesn't it?"

As soon as Liu Ye entered the training ground, his gaze went to the bright red bun in Wang Ping's hand. He smiled. "I got it from the neighboring county."

"Thanks to you, old brother."

Wang Ping promptly praised him, then lowered his voice. "By the way, old brother, I have an awkward favor to ask... Is there anywhere in town that sells good iron?"

Iron was a commodity controlled exclusively by the imperial court.

In ordinary open trade, one could find little beyond mediocre refined iron. Exotic iron with genuinely extraordinary properties was valuable but impossible to find.

Of course, constables had their own channels for buying it.

Liu Ye immediately caught Wang Ping's implication. His eyes narrowed. "How good? The kind that can be shown in daylight, or the kind that can't?"

Wang Ping shook his head. "The kind that can't."

"Then don't buy it in town. Too many eyes there. Even with money, you can't spend it where you want, and plenty of things are inconvenient... Go to the Grass Market outside town."

"There are channels there."

Liu Ye spoke calmly. "But we'll need an excuse... Hmm. We'll say I'm taking you to the Grass Market to collect this month's regular payments. We're only a few days early anyway."

Regular payments... Wang Ping's expression shifted. He suddenly recalled seeing Liu Ye collect them at the Grass Market shortly after arriving in this world. Back then, he had thought this street-clearing tiger certainly knew how to prey on the common folk. He had never imagined he would become one of them himself.

Then again...

Although Liu Ye collected payments from the Grass Market every month, he also kept the place stable and orderly. It would be wrong to look at the matter from too extreme an angle.

What? At its heart, he's still preying on the common folk?

That's not the same thing!

Having quickly convinced himself, Wang Ping followed Liu Ye. After reporting their whereabouts to the county office, they headed out of town to the Grass Market.

"Skinflint Liu's here again!"

"Heavens, why's he early this month?"

"Quick, get the money ready..."

The Grass Market erupted in noise. Many people kept their voices down, but to martial artists' ears, they might as well have been shouting.

Liu Ye looked a little embarrassed and could not help cursing. "These damned fools don't see the bigger picture. Without me, could this market even stay open? Bandits who know martial arts would've cleaned them out ages ago. Is a little regular payment too much? Have I ever taken one coin more than I should?"

But though he cursed, he did nothing else.

Wang Ping stayed silent as he followed Liu Ye from stall to stall. Each paid the amount due, until a small hitch arose at the rice shop.

"Master Liu, here's this month's."

The rice shop owner hurriedly offered a string of copper coins, smiling ingratiatingly. "Don't worry, I've strung them together this time. Not a coin short, and I won't waste your time."

Liu Ye took the money with satisfaction, but after counting it, he looked disgusted. "Old Chen, didn't you go to school?"

"Can't you count?"

The rice shop owner panicked. "That—that's impossible. I counted it several times. It's exactly the regular payment, not one coin short..."

"Who said anything about short? There's too much!"

With an irritated look, Liu Ye pulled part of the string free and tossed it back. "Didn't I tell you last month? What I overcharged you would come off this month's payment."

"So I'm only taking sixty percent from you this time."

"Count it properly next time. Get it right before you hand it over. You waste my time every time—do you know how busy I am?"

Liu Ye seized the chance to give the rice shop owner a thorough scolding.

But as the owner looked at the returned coins, how could he feel the slightest resentment? He hurriedly bowed and nodded, nearly dropping to his knees before Liu Ye.

Once Liu Ye had finished scolding him, he walked off without looking back.

So he really does follow the rules.

Wang Ping had watched the whole exchange from behind. He felt little about it; right now, he had no power to intervene or change anything.

Before long, they had collected all the payments.

Only then did Liu Ye change course and lead Wang Ping to a secluded corner of the Grass Market. There was just one stall there, tended by a man.

At the sight of Wang Ping, the previously unruffled stallholder's expression changed. He instinctively rose.

"Master Liu, you..."

"Cut the chatter."

Liu Ye waved a hand. "I'm introducing a newcomer today. Relax, you can trust him... He wants a piece of exotic iron. Bring out the good stuff you've got tucked away."

Wang Ping said nothing throughout. He also noticed the stallholder covertly sizing him up several times before sitting down again. The man produced three chunks of iron from somewhere, tossed them onto the stall, and said quietly, "These are the only three pieces of exotic iron I've had lately."

Wang Ping looked over, and his expression shifted.

The reason was simple: he recognized two of the three pieces!

One was a plain white metal he recognized at a glance. It was the flying knife Xie Shi had used that night, though someone had reforged it into a different shape.

The other was a deep black metal he also knew well. It was exactly the same material as the Ox-Tail Saber at his waist, and there were even bloodstains on it!

One's Xie Shi's flying knife, and the other... Did they take it from a constable who died that night? They've got some nerve, getting their hands on that. No, wait. Maybe someone from the county office was involved from the start. Damn, this is a fence for stolen goods!

The waters behind this were probably deep indeed!

While Wang Ping pondered, the stallholder spoke. "Plain Rainbow Steel, Dark Cloud Iron, and Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper. That's lowest to highest quality. Which would you like, sir?"

"Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper."

Wang Ping chose the best without hesitation. His reason was simple: he wanted exotic iron chiefly to offer it up to the Peace Scripture.

Before, he had lacked even the strength to protect himself, so he had naturally been unable to spare any effort for his precious cheat. Now that he had found his footing, he wanted to upgrade the Peace Scripture and gain another empty slot for a scroll. Then, someday, he could find a way to unlock another new cheat.

"That'll be fifty taels of silver."

The stallholder held out his hand.

Wang Ping was about to pay, but Liu Ye, beside him, pressed his hand down.

"Fifty taels? Why don't you just rob us?"

Liu Ye's rebuke rang with righteous indignation. The stallholder had clearly heard it before, for he gave a rueful smile. "How much does Master Liu think it should be?"

"Five taels."

"You old dog, that's a bloody hatchet job!"

The stallholder's temper flared. He rolled up his sleeves and sprang to his feet as though ready to fight Liu Ye to the death. Liu Ye remained unruffled.

"Cut the chatter. If there were nothing wrong with this Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper and it could stand the light of day, I'd pay sixty or seventy taels, let alone fifty."

Liu Ye sneered.

"Well? Can you guarantee this iron can stand the light of day?"

The stallholder fell silent.

Wang Ping understood as well. Fifty taels was the price for an ordinary purchase, but was anything here ordinary? Looking down the row, which piece was not stolen goods?

When fencing stolen goods, there had to be a discount!

"But you can't offer just five taels! Twenty at least!" the stallholder protested.

Liu Ye sighed. "Fine. Business isn't easy for you either, and you're only pocketing a little commission. How about ten taels? That should do it."

"You beast!"

The stallholder was so furious his hands shook, as though he had suffered some monstrous injustice. Liu Ye remained unmoved. Ten taels was his final offer, not one more.

"Believe it or not, I won't sell to you!" The stallholder sprang to his feet in anger.

Liu Ye smiled. "Then, as a county constable and a most loyal supporter of the imperial court, I'll have to discuss the penalty for privately trading exotic iron with you."

The stallholder sat straight back down.

"Master Liu, you don't have to put it like that... Of course I'll sell it to you. I was only joking just now. Ten taels it is. Please keep bringing me business."

Only then did Liu Ye look at Wang Ping and signal for him to pay.

Wang Ping was deeply impressed.

That's a lesson learned!

So this street-clearing tiger's bluster does have its uses. The common folk don't fight officials—that saying really is a universal truth.

After parting from Liu Ye, Wang Ping hurried straight home.

"Let's begin!"

Wang Ping took out the Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper he had just bought. Liu Ye had warned him before they parted that it was stolen goods and he should be careful using it, but Wang Ping was not concerned.

After all, it would soon disappear.

In the next instant, Wang Ping sent his consciousness into the Morgue. A mysterious power flowed from the towering book and settled over the Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper.

[Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper (Mundane Mortal Material)]

Wang Ping watched the piece of Hundred-Forged Primordial Copper, material enough to forge a Mortal Weapon, rapidly melt into liquid copper and sink into the Morgue.

The next instant, the Morgue shuddered as it absorbed the copper, and the towering book at its center opened to its second page.

[Scroll Two: Empty]

[Awaiting Record.]

"It worked!"

Excitement lit Wang Ping's face. Those two lines meant that the Peace Scripture's second page had opened and could now hold a new scroll.

At the thought, Wang Ping's imagination soared. The Otherworldly Celestial Demon had already given him resurrection, travel between different worlds, and even an identity there. If he chose good enough material for his next scroll, surely it could give him an even stronger cheat?

The future was bright. So bright!

But just then—

"Brother Wang? Brother Wang!"

A hurried voice came from outside, jolting Wang Ping from his thoughts. He opened the door and found a constable who looked vaguely familiar.

"...What happened?"

"Lord Chen wants to see you!"

The constable who had come to deliver the message spoke rapidly. "A quarter of an hour ago, Shouchong, leader of the White Lotus Sect, forced his way into the county town. We've since lost track of him inside."

"...What?"

In an instant, Wang Ping understood.

That old bastard Shouchong's sudden appearance probably means he won't wait any longer. Chen Haoyan wants to divert the disaster elsewhere as soon as possible, before it burns him instead.

In other words, they could not wait until the third day.

Plans could not keep pace with changes.

Chen Haoyan had summoned him now because he likely wanted Wang Ping to act at once and escort the Lotus Blade to the Spirit Wandering Temple in full view of everyone!