In a Brief Talk, Life and Death Were Shared; a Promise Weighed a Thousand Gold

The instant Wang Ping aimed his arrow at the county yamen, Xu Bingzheng sensed an icy killing intent locking onto him. His face turned green, then red.

"Damn hillbilly soldiers... truly cannot be trusted!"

He glared through gritted teeth at Wang Ping outside the yamen. Everything in Wang Ping's bearing filled him with an intense sense of humiliation and rage.

What status did he possess? And yet a mere mud-legged peasant dared point an arrow at him...

But he quickly suppressed his anger.

With his martial arts, he believed he could block Wang Ping's arrow. Yet he was already in poor condition; forcibly stopping it would only worsen his injuries.

That was unacceptable to him.

Thus, in the next instant, he decisively made his choice. Enduring the piercing agony of his worsening injuries, he circulated his Inner Force.

Almost at the same moment, Wang Ping released the bowstring. Like a stone falling into a lake, the arrow shot from the string, rippling with rings of visible airwaves.

Soundlessly, the entire hall fell silent.

Or rather, even sound had been flung behind this arrow. Its dragon-like radiance closed in on the county yamen through a soundless world.

Yet at that very moment, four figures moved first and blocked the arrow. Shock and disbelief still lingered on their faces, but their bodies did not hesitate in the slightest. With the flesh-and-blood bodies of External Arts Perfection, they served as shields and forcibly ground away the blazing bloody radiance on that arrow!

Other than Wang Ping, no one had reacted.

That included the four veteran constables at External Arts Perfection. Even as they died, their faces remained full of bewilderment, unable to understand why they had suddenly stepped forward.

Only Wang Ping knew why.

"[Heavenly Roc Dragon-Seizing Art Body Diagram]... That dog official had not lied after all. He really did secretly turn these veteran constables into puppets with [Tiger-Dragon Force]."

Rumble!

The arrow's radiance tore through the formation, frost spreading across the ground wherever it passed. After ripping through the bodies of the four veteran constables, it did not slow, still plunging into the deepest part of the county yamen.

Yet Wang Ping soon seemed to sense something and sighed.

"What a pity. I failed to kill the thief."

Before his words had faded, the flesh all over his body began bursting open one after another. His vision swiftly darkened, and the intense dizziness and weakness left him unable even to stand steadily.

Then the yamen gates slowly opened. Xu Bingzheng stepped out in his imposing official robes, an arrow clutched in his hand. Blood dripped from the web between his thumb and forefinger, apparently from an injury, but judging by his still-composed expression, that seemed to be all it was.

"Fine archery. Has your [Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Shaking Bow] reached perfection?"

Xu Bingzheng stared at Wang Ping, surrounded on all sides and bathed in blood, and said in a deep voice, "You were fine timber, yet you chose to follow bandits. This is truly the bitter fruit of your own making."

"Sorry, my ears do not work very well."

Holding the hilt of his saber, Wang Ping chuckled. "If County Magistrate Xu has something to say, please come closer. Otherwise, I really cannot hear you."

Xu Bingzheng: "..."

"A wealthy man's son does not sit beneath a crumbling wall." Xu Bingzheng sneered. "If you cannot reach this official, it is because your skills are lacking. This official has no need to accommodate you."

Though he spoke thus, he was far less composed than he appeared.

That arrow had pierced four External Arts Perfection martial artists clad in heavy armor and still possessed enough power to make him bleed. If he alone had been there to stop it...

After many years, Xu Bingzheng once again felt a chill.

What enraged him even more was Wang Ping's expression. His life was clearly like a candle flickering in the wind, his death imminent, yet not a trace of fear showed on his face.

Could he still have some desperate trump card?

With that thought, Xu Bingzheng, who had always acted cautiously, not only refused to advance but even took a step back, placing the constables before him.

Although this battle had reduced the yamen's constables by nearly half, and all four veteran constables had died, making the court's position in Longxing County even more precarious amid wind and rain, Xu Bingzheng did not care in the slightest. Compared with those matters, his personal safety was the foremost matter concerning the court and the realm.

After all, his visit to Longxing County had been ordered by a secret imperial decree from the palace.

Bearing such a grave duty, his shoulders carried the hopes of all under heaven. If he truly died at the hands of a boor who knew nothing of the greater good, what sin would the common people have committed?

Therefore, nothing outweighed his own safety.

Besides, these damned hillbilly soldiers had at least died where they ought to by saving him.

After all, everyone knew that although books always claimed the noble and lowly were no different, in this world, some people's lives were simply more precious than others'.

"What are you standing around for? Kill him!"

At Xu Bingzheng's command, the constables who had previously opened a path surrounded Wang Ping again. Yet they remained cautious, afraid that he might suddenly erupt and kill someone.

Seeing this, Wang Ping suddenly laughed.

"Ha ha ha!"

There was not the slightest panic of impending death in his laughter, only unrestrained exhilaration.

For one thing, he had already settled the two karmic debts of Old Liu and Madam Su in this lifetime. If he died here before everyone's eyes, they would not be implicated.

"On the other hand, the tale of one man breaking an army is quite heroic. If I use the [Peace Scripture] to settle my corpse after death, I should be able to draw a decent scripture scroll, right?" Wang Ping happily imagined it. This would satisfy his conscience without leaving him empty-handed. It could truly be called a perfect fulfillment of merit.

Beyond that, there was one thing he anticipated most of all.

"Hey, dog official."

In the next instant, Wang Ping suddenly reached into his robes and drew out a porcelain bottle. On its label were five wildly dancing characters:

[Heaven's Will Soul-Returning Pill].

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Everyone stop!" Xu Bingzheng abruptly raised a hand, halting the constables. His eyes shone brightly. "Give this official the pill, and this official will spare your life."

"...Sure."

Wang Ping grinned, then casually tossed the porcelain bottle into Xu Bingzheng's hands. With a light laugh, he said, "The pill is yours. Now let us see whether you dare eat it."

At those words, Xu Bingzheng's expression shifted repeatedly. Naturally, he understood Wang Ping's implication. Just because a label said something did not mean it truly was that thing. The martial world was fraught with danger; who knew what the porcelain bottle contained? What if it was some lethal poison pill?

But he soon regained his composure.

"What would I not dare? This official can find someone to test the medicine. Whether the pill is real or fake will become clear with one test. If it is real, so be it. If it is fake..."

At this point, Xu Bingzheng's gaze turned cold.

"...Then it can only mean you have already eaten it."

"When that time comes, I will throw your corpse into a pill furnace and refine it again as material. Believe me, you will not be able to digest that pill's medicinal power."

After speaking, he stared fixedly at Wang Ping, wanting to see even the tiniest trace of fear on his face. Yet in the end, all he saw was disdain.

"You think you can still obtain my corpse?"

"What?"

Xu Bingzheng's heart jolted. He urged them once more, "Get him! Whoever kills this man shall become the new chief constable and receive a thousand taels of silver—"

Thud!

Before he could finish, Wang Ping completely lost his breath. He fell to his knees on the spot, every sinew and bone shattered, blood streaming forth. Then, before everyone's eyes—

He vanished.

The blood he had spilled remained, yet his flesh, skin, sinews, and bones were all gone. Only bloodstained clothing lay spread across the ground. His corpse had vanished without warning!

Xu Bingzheng could no longer sit still. He immediately stepped forward and inspected the scene, his face livid. All his smugness vanished, replaced by deep wariness. "The corpse disappeared. Such a strange occurrence... Could it be that the evil entity on Shouchong also took a liking to this man?"

With that thought, he lost all interest in pursuing the matter.

Or rather, it was not something he should concern himself with.

Turning his gaze, he casually pointed to the most skilled martial artist among the remaining constables and said solemnly, "From today onward, you are the county yamen's new chief constable."

"...Yes."

The chosen constable lowered his head and responded respectfully. His tone seemed somewhat excited, yet Xu Bingzheng heard several traces of words spoken against his true feelings.

This darkened his expression even further.

The impact Wang Ping had left upon him in this battle went far beyond that single arrow. Or rather... that arrow had not truly been meant to kill him.

"More than killing, he was attacking the heart."

Xu Bingzheng understood. To block Wang Ping's life-risking arrow, he had not only exposed his ability to control puppets but also revealed his own conduct.

Put simply—his subordinates' merits were their superior's merits, while their superior's faults were their subordinates' faults.

Everyone now knew that in a critical moment, he would force his subordinates to block arrows for him. How could such a person earn anyone's loyalty?

"Forget it. It does not matter."

"In any case, I will not remain stationed here long. Madmen like Wang Ping, who disregard life and death to storm the county yamen alone, are ultimately rare. There will not be a second one."

With that thought, Xu Bingzheng no longer cared. Carrying the pill, he swiftly returned to the yamen study. He took out the pill from the bottle and looked at it. It was a crystal-clear round bead. Merely exposing it to the air caused a medicinal fragrance to spread around it.

"It looks genuine."

Xu Bingzheng's gaze was greedy. He could not help swallowing, but he forcibly suppressed his impulse. Carefully, he extended a stand and gently scraped off a layer of medicinal powder.

Then he directly summoned a yamen servant inside.

"Eat it."

In the past, the servant would certainly have swallowed it without hesitation. Yet this time, after Xu Bingzheng spoke, the servant revealed a hesitant expression.

That change instantly enraged Xu Bingzheng.

"Bastard!"

Before his words had faded, he swung a slap across the servant's face. Too lazy to say anything more, he forcibly poured the medicinal powder into the man's mouth.

Then, beneath Xu Bingzheng's expectant gaze, the yamen servant first dry-heaved in place for a while, then fell tremblingly to his knees. A full quarter-hour passed, yet his body showed no changes at all... Seeing this, Xu Bingzheng's eyes brightened ever further.

"It is genuine!"

Wang Ping had previously researched the exact effects of the Heaven's Will Soul-Returning Pill, yet found nothing, simply because there would not be the slightest change after taking it.

In truth, he had simply failed to grasp the key.

"If my teacher had not instructed me beforehand, I too would probably have been at a loss. Within the court, the so-called Heaven's Will Soul-Returning Pill actually has another name."

[Elixir of Immortality].

The reason no change occurred after taking it was because its medicinal effect acted upon the future. Put simply, one pill could add ten years to one's lifespan!

"To be safe, cut off a small piece and see."

After considering it, Xu Bingzheng dug another small piece from the edge of the pill and once again gave it to the servant. Yet this time, the servant suddenly clutched his throat.

Before long, the servant collapsed to the floor.

The poison had taken effect, killing him.

"As expected, there was deceit... It is a Gut-Wrenching Pill."

Xu Bingzheng's face turned livid as he began studying it carefully again. In the end, he stripped the original pill, the size of a longan, layer by layer, forcibly scraping off a thick outer coating.

During this process, he poisoned another three servants one after another to test the medicine. Only then did he finally obtain a pill the size of a fingernail. Tests showed it was entirely nonpoisonous, and its medicinal effects matched the description of the Heaven's Will Soul-Returning Pill. Only then did Xu Bingzheng breathe a sigh of relief and reverently transfer it into another container.

"This medicine is exceedingly precious. It should still be sent to Teacher."

Though he also greatly coveted those ten years of life, he was in the prime of his life. Compared with longevity, he wanted advancement more, so that he could continue contributing to the common people.

With that thought, he immediately beckoned.

"Someone, bring my golden-eyed eagle. Send this item by urgent delivery to the Imperial Academy in the capital. Have Teacher Cheng take it as soon as possible. Say it is a token of filial devotion from his disciple..."

By dawn the next day, the scent of blood had finally dispersed.

The doors of every household reopened. Countless people discussed only one topic: the great battle the previous night that had swept across most of the county town.

News soon spread from within the city to beyond its walls.

Seven days later, in the peach grove outside the city.

Madam Su had shed her dress and changed into mourning clothes. She sat blankly upon a bluestone beside the stream.

Beside her, a young woman with a high ponytail and long slender legs quietly recounted what she had learned from inquiries both inside and outside the city during these past days.

"I have to admit, that man was fiercely brave."

"His arrow before death may not have slain that dog official, but it severely wounded the hearts of Longxing County's people, plunging the county town into even greater chaos."

"Even the county yamen constables now hold many grievances against the county magistrate."

"As for him, although his corpse cannot be found, he must surely be dead..."

Before she could finish, Madam Su, who had been sitting as if stunned and utterly lost, suddenly turned her head. A glimmer abruptly appeared in her previously vacant beautiful eyes.

"No... corpse?"

"Uh, indeed, there is none. But Cousin, you should not dwell on it too much. Strange matters often involve grave consequences. It would be best to assume that he is already dead..."

Madam Su shook her head forcefully.

The tall woman could only sigh at the sight and softly urged, "Cousin, do not forget that although he saved your life, the danger also arose because of him."

"If he had not killed that county yamen chief constable, you would not have fallen into danger, Cousin. Even your final escape from the county town was largely due to him. Though he did all this and was certainly responsible, you did not owe him anything. Now that he is dead, the karma between you has been settled..."

"You do not understand. He was different." Madam Su shook her head again.

After saying that, she fell into a daze once more.

She suddenly remembered that absurd night. The young constable had taken her waist in his arms and softly whispered a sentence into her ear.

He had said that in this life, he would surely keep her safe.

He had truly done it.

In their brief half-month together, scene after scene surged through her mind. At last, they froze upon the young constable's fearless smile before he departed.

"In a brief talk, life and death were shared; a promise weighed a thousand gold..."

At that moment, Madam Su, who had not shed a tear when she heard of Chen Haoyan's death and had instead laughed aloud, suddenly choked with sobs. Two trails of clear tears rolled down her cheeks.