Transcendent

Outside Longxing County.

Not far from the former village lay a peach grove. A babbling stream ran through the woods, and the scenery before the eye was breathtakingly beautiful, utterly devoid of the dust and smoke of the mortal world.

Madam Su sat sideways atop a large bluestone beside the stream, her skirt hitched up to reveal her fair, jade-like feet, which she lightly dipped into the water.

Several petals floated atop the clear stream, rippling with the water and reflecting an exquisite face. A gentle breeze brushed her cheeks and lifted the dark strands at her brow. Madam Su simply stared blankly at her reflection in the water. She had fled in such haste that she had not even had time to change out of her dress.

Suddenly, footsteps approached.

Though only seven short days had passed, she had already grown familiar with the person drawing near. Without turning around, she could not help but say softly:

"Sorry, I want some peace and quiet."

"Sure."

The newcomer smiled and nodded, then reached out to embrace her from behind. He lightly sniffed at her neck. "You can have peace and quiet for as long as you want."

How was this letting her have peace and quiet?

Madam Su wanted to scold him, but she could not turn around. Feeling the scorching breath flowing over her neck, before she could even speak, half her body had already gone weak.

That only made her want to cry more.

How had she become like this? She clearly knew that the person behind her was the one who had caused her to fall into this predicament, yet she felt nothing much about it.

They had known each other for less than half a month.

Yet when she looked back now, she only felt that her days imprisoned by Chen Haoyan in the residence of the capital's main household had been far less pleasant than these past seven days.

"You... you bullied me..."

The little golden canary curled up and said weakly, "You shameless scoundrel. You had ill intentions from the very beginning, didn't you?"

"How could that be?" Wang Ping looked utterly righteous.

"To be honest, I am not fond of women."

As Wang Ping soothed the lightly struggling little golden canary, he said softly, "Madam, do not turn black into white. Search your heart—was it really my fault?"

Madam Su lightly bit her crimson lip. Memories from before suddenly flooded into her mind, and her fair cheeks gradually flushed red. In truth, she understood what had happened that day. Rather than saying someone had harbored improper designs, it was more accurate to say she had been unable to restrain her feelings. But how could she possibly admit such a thing when the words reached her lips?

"You forced me..."

Madam Su's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Wang Ping did not argue. He merely said with a smile, "Fine, fine, it was my fault. Madam, do not blame me. I shall make amends at once."

"That is more like it..."

The little golden canary whimpered. She wanted to struggle a few more times, but the warm embrace gave her a sense of security she had never felt before, even making her drowsy.

It was as though, as long as he was there, she did not need to think about anything.

Her household's wealth being coveted, being powerless enough to not even tie up a chicken, being implicated in the attempted assassination of the county magistrate, then being forced to flee the city overnight in the end... she no longer wanted to dwell on any of it.

It was just like last night, when Wang Ping had extended his hand and told her to leave with him. She had agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Perhaps from that moment on, she had stopped overthinking things.

Thinking of this, she relaxed even further.

"My lord..." she murmured dreamily. "Back then... did you truly have feelings for me and play hard to get, or did you only want those martial arts manuals?"

"Of course I wanted the martial arts."

Wang Ping answered without hesitation. The beauty in his arms was clearly dissatisfied with that answer and immediately began struggling, only for him to hold her down more firmly.

"Though I originally intended to be irresponsible, take the martial arts and sneak away, I ultimately could not bear it. That was why I had no choice but to bring along an extra burden this time."

"Who is the extra burden?"

Madam Su puffed out her cheeks. Though she had long since ripened, she now revealed a touch of girlish petulance. "Clearly, I was the one dragged down by you, you disaster star."

"My fault, my fault."

Wang Ping promptly apologized. "For now, Madam, you should find a way to return to the capital's main household. Otherwise, alone out here, nowhere can truly be considered safe."

"Also, I really did kill Chen Haoyan."

The sudden words made Madam Su's body stiffen sharply. Wang Ping also let out a muffled groan, yet he still said, word by word:

"He deserved to die. If Madam harbors resentment..."

"Good kill!"

For some reason, Madam Su angrily turned around to face Wang Ping. Biting her lower lip tightly, she said, "I only hate that I could not personally cut this thief down with my own hand!"

"...I see." Wang Ping nodded and did not ask further.

Instead, Madam Su suddenly asked curiously, "You thought I would harbor resentment... then if I had just said I wanted revenge, what would you have done?"

"What else could I do?"

Wang Ping said seriously, "If Madam truly intended to seek revenge, I would have had no choice but to destroy the flower with ruthless hands."

Madam Su: "..."

This man was another tactless scoundrel. Why did he have to say such blunt truths? The atmosphere had already reached this point, yet he did not know how to say something sweet to coax her.

But unlike Chen Haoyan, she liked this kind of badness.

Just as Madam Su was thinking this, the sudden sensation of her feet leaving the ground jolted her awake, and she involuntarily let out a panicked cry.

"You... wait, wait a moment!"

Madam Su still wanted to speak, but the little golden canary soaring into the sky had already begun singing at the top of her lungs, interrupting her thoughts until she could no longer say anything.

This enemy of hers—she had clearly not said she wanted revenge, so why was he still destroying the flower with ruthless hands?

The imagined pursuit never came, though that was only natural. Xu Bingzheng had been gravely wounded, so his first reaction would surely be to seal off the news and avoid revealing weakness.

Even if he intended to issue wanted notices and send pursuers, he would likely wait until he had stabilized his injuries.

By evening, Liu Ye woke from unconsciousness. Feeling that the Inner Force in his body had been completely cleared away, he could not help but reveal a bitter smile.

"This time, I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude."

A puppet controlled by [Wraith Dragon Force] did not lack self-awareness; it merely could not control its own body. Thus, he remembered everything from last night.

Precisely because of that, he understood how perilous his situation had been last night. It had nearly been a certain death trap. Xu Bingzheng would never have spared him as a witness. Had Wang Ping not driven Xu Bingzheng back and taken him along before leaving, this old life of his would certainly have been lost.

The grace of saving his life could never be repaid.

Thinking of this, Liu Ye struggled to his feet, intending to thank Wang Ping in person. Yet when he entered the peach grove, he saw only a man and a woman.

Liu Ye froze, then focused his eyes.

As far as he could see, the man appeared to be teaching the woman martial arts. He had her assume a stance, then moved both hands across her body to help correct her posture.

"Is that... Madam Su?"

Liu Ye's mouth fell slightly open. As a longstanding member of the county office, he had seen Madam Su before. When Chen Haoyan had hosted a banquet at the Su Household in the past, she had appeared.

Yet compared to the Madam Su in his memories—the woman from the capital, graceful and poised, mature and steady, elegant and noble—she now displayed nothing but charming innocence. Halfway through her training, she seemed to grow tired, simply let her body go slack, and fell directly into the man's embrace. Then she simply nestled against him.

Liu Ye was dumbfounded.

Am I seeing things? Is this still the Madam Su from my memories, the one who would rather die than submit before Chen Haoyan? How had she become like this?

A noble young lady of a great household... this was truly an insult to refinement!

For a moment, Liu Ye looked at Wang Ping as though seeing a god. He only felt that the Great Dragon Spear, famed throughout the county, had truly not been given that name for nothing.

On the other side, Wang Ping also noticed Liu Ye.

"Brother Liu, you're awake?"

At those words, Madam Su beside him also looked over. The moment she saw Liu Ye, her pretty face stiffened slightly, but she quickly returned to being composed and dignified.

Instead, Liu Ye became somewhat at a loss.

Wang Ping did not care and continued, "I have already cleared out all that poisonous Inner Force for you. Rest for another three or four days, and you should recover."

"However, Brother Liu, you saw what happened last night as well. Though that dog official fled after being seriously wounded, he is still a Titled Martial Master, and he likely has no small backing in the imperial court. Once he catches his breath, there will surely be wanted notices across the land and endless pursuers. But when all is said and done, the cause lies with me."

Liu Ye nodded with a complicated expression.

"That pill... forget it. Even if we handed it over now, reconciliation would be impossible. The county magistrate is ruthless and vicious. He will certainly want to silence us."

"Exactly."

Wang Ping chuckled. "But Brother Liu, you need not worry. The pill is in my hands, and that dog official's main target is me. You are actually safe."

"As long as you do not stay with me."

Before his words had even faded, Wang Ping felt Madam Su tighten her grip on his hand. When he turned back, he saw that her exquisite face was already filled with tension.

"Be good."

Wang Ping gently patted Madam Su's hand.

Then he turned to Liu Ye again and said gravely, "At this point, I will not hide it from you, Brother Liu... that dog official is seriously injured. I intend to take a gamble."

Liu Ye immediately understood. "You... want to kill your way back?"

"That's right, I'm going all in this time."

Wang Ping smiled casually. "This is killing two birds with one stone. If I kill that dog official, all trouble will vanish like smoke in the wind, and Brother Liu, you will be able to return safely to the county seat."

"Even if I fail and am killed by that dog official, I will certainly worsen his injuries. I have also prepared a backup plan, so he definitely will not fare well afterward. At the very least, he will have no mind to trouble you again. With Brother Liu's abilities, changing your name and living elsewhere should not be much of a problem."

"I can even point Brother Liu toward wealth and fortune."

At this point, Wang Ping pointed in the direction of the capital. "Brother Liu, you should know of the Su Household in the capital. I hope you can go there and deliver a message for me."

"Madam is a noble daughter of the Su Household."

"Though she has fallen into misfortune and left home, she still has trustworthy people in the capital. If Brother Liu goes to deliver the news, it will be a service worthy of credit, and wealth and fortune will not be lacking."

Wang Ping said this word by word.

Clearly, this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the most suitable plan he had reached after serious consideration. Both Liu Ye and Madam Su could be properly settled.

Of course, that alone was not enough.

In fact, though Liu Ye had not noticed, after Wang Ping helped him expel the [Wraith Dragon Force] Xu Bingzheng had left inside him last night, he had also left behind a small safeguard.

Simply put, he had transformed a portion of his own Inner Force, replacing Xu Bingzheng's and injecting it into Liu Ye's body. It could be used to control Liu Ye's actions when necessary, ensuring that Liu Ye acted according to his plans instead of harboring other intentions, or even turning around and selling them out.

One must not have the heart to harm others, but one must always guard against the hearts of others...

Wang Ping sighed inwardly. Though based on what he knew of Liu Ye, he believed the man would not betray him, who could guarantee that he had not misjudged him?

Liu Ye left.

He was also an old fox who had grown shrewd with age. After trying to persuade Wang Ping a few times and discovering that Wang Ping's mind was made up, he spoke no more. Instead, he headed toward the capital, traveling day and night without pause.

Wang Ping felt rather gratified by this. At the very least, it proved that he had not misjudged the man.

The moment Liu Ye left, Madam Su immediately moved closer.

"Madam, please behave with propriety..."

Wang Ping reached out to stop her, but she uncharacteristically forced his hands apart, then fiercely embraced him, as though she wanted to knead his entire body into her own.

"It has already been a whole day. Let's eat first."

Wang Ping was somewhat helpless and hurriedly said, "Since we are out in the wilderness for once, let me make you a chicken wrap from my family's secret recipe. My dad was the one who taught me how to make it back then..."

His voice abruptly cut off.

The expression on Wang Ping's face darkened as well.

When he had first transmigrated here, he had missed his parents too, but had not felt much emotion. Yet at this moment, the feelings suddenly surged forth like a tide.

He could not stop them at all.

For a moment, Wang Ping even choked up.

Only after a while did he regain control of his emotions. He took out the jade hairpin that had previously concealed the [Sky Roc Dragon-Seizing Physique Diagram] and deliberately changed the subject.

"Right, there is something important I want to ask Madam... do you know precisely what material this hairpin is made from?"

At the same time, he did not forget to prepare the meal. He piled up some firewood, took out the wild chicken he had caught, then set up a grill and began working on it.

Madam Su said softly, "It is Clearheart Jade."

"Wearing this jade can calm one's thoughts. It is not rare in the capital. As long as a household has produced a Transcendent, it will have at least a few pieces in its collection."

"Transcendent?"

Hearing the term again, Wang Ping raised his brows slightly. "Like the one at [Spirit Wandering Temple]? Where do all these Transcendents come from?"

"They come from the [Way of Fangxian]."

Madam Su explained, "Every year during the imperial examinations, the court selects a group from among the participating scholars. Rather than granting them official posts, it sends them into the [Way of Fangxian]."

"After several years, or perhaps more than ten years, these people reappear as Transcendent alchemists and are dispatched by the court to establish branches in various places."

"They are called Transcendents because they have mastered strange secret arts different from martial arts." At this point, Madam Su's pretty face suddenly reddened. "For example, my Su Household's Transcendent ancestor once passed down a secret art... one that can help people break through bottlenecks in martial arts."

"...Is that true?"

Wang Ping immediately sat upright. Madam Su let out a muffled groan and said softly, "Of course it is true. Nearly everyone in the household has learned that secret art."

"Everyone has learned it? Then it must not be difficult?"

Wang Ping worked the grill. With Inner Force speeding things along, it was finished in no time. He wrapped a long chicken roll and handed it before Madam Su.

"This art is called [Knocking on the Immortal Sect], and it truly is not difficult."

"Simply put, it has a martial artist gather and restrain their essence, energy, and spirit, then unleash them all in one breath when needed." Madam Su accepted the chicken wrap Wang Ping handed her.

"At that instant, the martial artist's essence, energy, and spirit reach their utmost limit. Their comprehension rises sharply, and martial arts they could not understand before can be easily grasped. The duration depends on the martial artist's physical strength, and it can be used repeatedly. If there is any flaw at all, it is that it places too much strain on the body..."

There was such an extraordinary technique?

Seeing Wang Ping's awestruck expression, Madam Su somehow felt a little proud. "That is precisely why the women of my Su Household have never had to worry about marriage."

"Could Madam teach me?" Wang Ping asked with great curiosity.

Hearing this, Madam Su immediately blushed and said softly, "I can, but this secret art is rather special. It is generally passed down by word of mouth..."

Wang Ping hurriedly leaned closer. "Please tell me, Madam."

Madam Su rolled her eyes at him. Then, with a graceful hand, she swept the dark hair at her temples behind her head. While eating the chicken wrap, she imparted the secret art to Wang Ping.

The main content was roughly one word:

[What].

"...Hiss!"

After hearing it, Wang Ping immediately sucked in a breath at the profoundness of this secret art.

"Hold it in!"

Seeing this, Madam Su hurriedly made her tone sterner. "This secret art is very arduous to cultivate. You need to concentrate. Do not relax ahead of time..."