Transcendents

Outside Longxing County.

Not far from Former Village stood a peach grove, with a stream murmuring through it. The scenery was breathtaking, utterly untouched by the dust of the mortal world.

On a large blue-gray rock beside the stream, Madam Su sat sideways with her skirt gathered up, revealing pale, delicate feet that rested lightly in the water.

A few petals floated on the clear stream. Its rippling surface reflected an exquisite face, while a gentle breeze brushed her cheeks and lifted the dark strands over her forehead. Madam Su simply stared blankly at her reflection. She had fled in such haste that she had not even had time to change her dress.

Suddenly, footsteps approached.

It had only been seven short days, but she was already intimately familiar with the person approaching. Without looking back, she could not help murmuring:

"Sorry. I want some peace and quiet."

"Of course."

The newcomer smiled and nodded, then reached around her from behind and drew her into his arms, breathing in her scent at her neck. "You can have as much quiet as you want."

How was this supposed to give her any peace and quiet?

Madam Su wanted to scold him, but could not turn around. Feeling his hot breath flow over her neck, she had gone mostly limp before she could even speak.

That only made her want to cry more.

How had she ended up like this? She knew perfectly well that the man behind her was responsible for her predicament, yet she felt no particular resentment.

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

Yet looking back now, she felt that her days imprisoned by Chen Haoyan in the capital's family residence had been nowhere near as happy as these past seven days.

"You... you're bullying me..."

The canary curled up, speaking weakly. "You shameless scoundrel. You had wicked intentions from the very beginning, didn't you?"

"How could I possibly!" Wang Ping looked the very picture of righteousness.

"To tell you the truth, I'm actually not interested in women."

As Wang Ping soothed the feebly struggling canary, he said softly, "Madam, don't turn black into white. Search your conscience. Was it really my fault?"

Madam Su gently bit her crimson lip. Those earlier memories flooded her mind, and a blush slowly spread across her pale cheeks. Deep down, she understood what had happened that day. Rather than someone harboring wicked intentions, she had been unable to restrain her own feelings. But with the words on her lips, how could she possibly admit such a thing?

"You were the one who forced me..."

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

Wang Ping did not argue. He merely smiled and said, "All right, all right, it was my fault. Please don't blame me, madam. I'll make it up to you right now."

"That's more like it..."

The canary whimpered, wanting to flutter a little more, yet the warmth of his embrace gave her a peace she had never known before. She even began to feel sleepy.

It was as though, so long as he was there, she no longer needed to think.

Others coveted her family's property, she lacked even the strength to truss a chicken, she was implicated in an attempt on the county magistrate's life, and in the end she had been forced to flee the city by night... She no longer wanted to dwell on any of it.

Just as last night, when Wang Ping had held out his hand and offered to take her away, she had agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Perhaps from that moment onward, she had stopped overthinking.

At that thought, she relaxed even further.

"My love..." she murmured as though dreaming. "Back then... did you truly want me and deliberately hold back to draw me in, 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 and immediately began struggling, only for him to hold her down more firmly.

"But I originally intended to shirk all responsibility, take the manuals, and slip away. In the end, I couldn't resist, so this time I had no choice but to bring a burden along."

"Who are you calling a burden?"

Madam Su puffed out her cheeks. Though she was already a fully ripened beauty, she now showed a hint of girlish petulance. "You're clearly the ill-starred wretch who dragged me into this."

"My fault, my fault."

Wang Ping apologized without hesitation. "As things stand, madam, you'd best find a way back to your family in the capital. Otherwise, alone out here, nowhere can truly be called safe."

"Also, I really did kill Chen Haoyan."

The sudden remark made Madam Su's body tense sharply. Wang Ping let out a muffled grunt as well, but continued, enunciating each word:

"He deserved to die. If you resent me for it, madam..."

"Good riddance!"

For some reason, Madam Su turned around indignantly to face Wang Ping, biting her lower lip. "My only regret is that I couldn't kill that villain with my own hands!"

"...I see." Wang Ping nodded without asking further.

Instead, Madam Su suddenly asked curiously, "You thought I might resent you... If I'd just said I wanted revenge, what would you have done?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Wang Ping said earnestly, "If you truly intended to seek revenge, madam, I'd have no choice but to crush the flower with a ruthless hand."

Madam Su: "..."

This man was an insensitive scoundrel too. Why tell such blunt truths? With the mood already like this, couldn't he say something sweet to make me happy?

But unlike Chen Haoyan, this kind of wickedness... she liked very much.

Just as Madam Su was thinking this, the sudden swaying as her feet left the ground jolted her awake, and a startled cry escaped her.

"You... w-wait!"

Madam Su wanted to say more, but the canary soaring into the sky had already begun singing at the top of her voice, interrupting her thoughts and leaving her unable to speak.

This tormentor! I never said I wanted revenge, yet he still started crushing the flower with a ruthless hand!

The pursuit they had imagined never came. That was only natural. With Xu Bingzheng so badly wounded, his first reaction would surely be to suppress the news lest he reveal his weakness.

Even if he intended to issue a warrant and hunt them down, he would presumably have to stabilize his injuries first.

Toward evening, Liu Ye woke from his coma. Feeling that the Inner Force within him had been completely purged, he could not help smiling bitterly.

"Now I owe him an enormous favor."

A puppet controlled by [Wraith Dragon Force] did not lose self-awareness; he merely lost control of his body. Thus, Liu Ye remembered everything from the previous night.

Precisely because of that, he understood how dangerous his situation had been. He had all but faced certain death. Xu Bingzheng would never have left him alive as a witness. Had Wang Ping not driven Xu Bingzheng back at the end and taken him along before leaving, his old life would certainly have been lost.

Words could not repay the saving of his life.

With that thought, Liu Ye struggled to his feet, intending to thank Wang Ping in person. But when he entered the peach grove, he saw only a man and a woman.

Liu Ye froze and looked closely.

From what he could see, the man seemed to be teaching the woman martial arts, having her assume a stance before moving his hands over her body to correct her posture.

"Is that... Madam Su?"

Liu Ye's mouth fell slightly open. As a longtime veteran of the county office, he had met Madam Su before. She had appeared when Chen Haoyan hosted a banquet at the Su Household.

Yet the Madam Su he remembered had come from the capital, poised and gracious, mature and composed, elegant and noble. Now she looked utterly sweet and guileless. Seemingly tired halfway through her practice, she simply relaxed and fell straight into the man's arms, then nestled against him.

Liu Ye stared, dumbfounded.

Am I seeing things? Is this still the Madam Su I remember, who would rather die than yield to Chen Haoyan? How has she become like this?

That noble lady of an illustrious household... what an affront to decorum!

For a moment, Liu Ye looked at Wang Ping with sheer awe. He felt that the "Great Dragon Spear," renowned throughout the county town, had certainly earned his name.

Meanwhile, Wang Ping noticed Liu Ye as well.

"You're awake, old friend?"

At those words, Madam Su looked over too. Her lovely face stiffened briefly at the sight of Liu Ye, but she quickly regained her composure and dignified ease.

Liu Ye, on the other hand, felt rather at a loss.

Wang Ping paid it no mind and continued, "I've removed all that poisonous Inner Force for you. Rest another three or four days, and you should recover."

"But you saw what happened last night, old friend. That corrupt official fled badly wounded, but he's still a Titled Martial Master, and he likely has powerful connections at court. Once he catches his breath, he'll surely have warrants issued across the land and send pursuers without end. Ultimately, though, I'm the reason for it all."

Liu Ye nodded with a complicated expression.

"That pill... Forget it. Even if we returned it now, reconciliation would be impossible. The magistrate is cruel and ruthless. He'll surely insist on silencing every witness."

"Exactly."

Wang Ping chuckled. "But you needn't worry, old friend. The pill is in my hands, so that corrupt official's main target is me. You're actually safe."

"As long as you aren't with me."

Before he had finished speaking, Wang Ping felt Madam Su tighten her grip on his hand. Looking back, he saw that her exquisite face was already filled with anxiety.

"Be good."

Wang Ping gently patted Madam Su's hand.

Then he turned back to Liu Ye and said solemnly, "At this point, I won't hide it from you, old friend... That corrupt official is badly wounded. I intend to take a gamble."

Liu Ye immediately understood. "You... intend to fight your way back!?"

"That's right. I'm throwing my life away this time."

Wang Ping smiled casually. "This will kill two birds with one arrow. If I kill that corrupt official, all our troubles will vanish like smoke, and you'll be able to return safely to the county town."

"Even if I fail and he kills me, I'll certainly worsen his injuries. Besides, I've prepared a fallback. He won't have an easy time afterward either, and at the very least, he'll have no mind to trouble you again. With your abilities, old friend, you should have no difficulty concealing your identity and making a life somewhere else."

"In fact, I can even point you toward wealth and honor."

At this, Wang Ping pointed toward the capital. "You should know the Su Household in the capital, old friend. I'd like you to go there and deliver a message for me."

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

"Though misfortune drove her from home, she still has people she trusts in the capital. Deliver the message, old friend, and you'll earn their gratitude. Wealth and honor will follow."

Wang Ping spoke each word distinctly.

Clearly, this was no spur-of-the-moment idea, but the most suitable plan he had arrived at after careful consideration. Both Liu Ye and Madam Su could be properly provided for.

Of course, this alone was not enough.

In fact, though Liu Ye had not noticed, after helping him expel the [Wraith Dragon Force] Xu Bingzheng had left behind last night, Wang Ping had also put a safeguard in place.

Simply put, he had transformed some of his own Inner Force and injected it into Liu Ye's body in place of Xu Bingzheng's. It would allow him to control Liu Ye's actions if necessary, ensuring that Liu Ye followed his plan rather than pursuing some other agenda—or even turning around and selling them out.

One must never let down one's guard against others...

Wang Ping sighed inwardly. Though his understanding of Liu Ye led him to believe the man would not betray him, who could guarantee that his judgment would never be wrong?

Liu Ye left.

Age had made him shrewd as well. After trying several times to dissuade Wang Ping and finding his mind made up, he said no more and instead set out toward the capital, traveling day and night.

Wang Ping found this rather reassuring. At least it proved he had not misjudged the man.

As soon as Liu Ye left, Madam Su immediately pressed close.

"Please restrain yourself, madam..."

Wang Ping reached out to stop her, but with uncharacteristic forcefulness, she pushed his hands aside and hugged him fiercely, as though trying to knead his entire body into hers.

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

Somewhat helpless, Wang Ping hurriedly said, "Since we're out in the wild, you can try my family's secret grilled chicken wrap. My dad taught me how to make it back then..."

His voice abruptly cut off.

Wang Ping's expression grew despondent.

When he had first crossed over, he had missed his parents, but it had not stirred much emotion. Yet at this very moment, those feelings suddenly surged like a tide.

He could not stop them.

For a moment, Wang Ping even choked up.

Only after a while did he regain his composure. Taking out the jade hairpin that had previously concealed the [Sky Roc Dragon-Seizing Physique Diagram], he deliberately changed the subject:

"By the way, there's something important I wanted to ask you, madam... Do you know exactly what material this hairpin is made from?"

Meanwhile, he did not neglect their meal. He piled up some firewood, took out the wild pheasant he had hunted, then set up a grill and got to work.

Seeing this, Madam Su said softly, "It's mind-cleansing jade."

"Carrying this jade helps calm the mind. It isn't rare in the capital. Any family that has produced a Transcendent has at least a few pieces in its collection."

"A Transcendent?"

Hearing the term again, Wang Ping raised his brows slightly. "Like the one at the [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 candidates. Instead of appointing them to office, it sends them to the [Way of Fangxian]."

"Several years—or sometimes more than a decade—later, these people reappear as Transcendent adepts, and the court sends them across the country to establish branches."

"They're called Transcendents because they possess strange secret arts distinct from martial arts." At this point, Madam Su's lovely face suddenly reddened. "For example, a Transcendent ancestor of my Su Household passed down an unorthodox art... It can help people break through bottlenecks in their martial arts."

"...Is that really true?"

Wang Ping immediately sat up straight. Madam Su gave a muffled grunt and said softly, "Of course it is. Almost everyone in the family has learned that secret art."

"Everyone has learned it? Then it can't be difficult?"

Wang Ping tended the grill, speeding the process with Inner Force. Before long, everything was ready. He made a long chicken wrap and held it out before Madam Su.

"This art is called [Knocking at the Immortal Sect's Gate]. It really isn't difficult."

"Simply put, it lets a martial artist gather and contain their essence, qi, and spirit, then unleash them all at once when needed." Madam Su accepted the chicken wrap Wang Ping offered her.

"In that instant, the martial artist's essence, qi, and spirit reach their peak, and their comprehension rises dramatically. Martial arts they previously couldn't understand become easy to master. How long it lasts depends on their stamina, and it can be used repeatedly. If I had to name a drawback, it would be that it strains the body too severely..."

Such a miraculous art actually existed!?

Seeing Wang Ping's awestruck expression, Madam Su felt inexplicably pleased with herself. "That's why the women of my Su Household never have to worry about finding husbands."

"Would you teach me, madam?" Wang Ping asked curiously.

At this, Madam Su immediately blushed and said softly, "I can, but this unorthodox art is rather special. It's generally passed on mouth to mouth..."

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

Madam Su gave him a sidelong look, then delicately raised her hand and swept the dark hair at her temple behind her head. As she ate her chicken wrap, she taught Wang Ping the secret art.

Its main content could roughly be summed up in one word:

[What].

"...Hiss!"

After hearing it, Wang Ping immediately drew in a sharp breath at the profundity of the secret art.

"Hold it in!"

Seeing this, Madam Su hurriedly made her tone more emphatic. "Cultivating this secret art is very taxing. You have to concentrate. Whatever you do, don't relax too soon..."