Longxing County, the county office training ground.
Early that morning, Wang Ping changed into the black-and-red uniform of a constable, strapped on his Ox-Tail Saber, ate breakfast, and came for the constables' daily morning drills.
Quite a few constables had already arrived. Some held stances, some practiced with their sabers, and others gathered in a corner to chat.
Wang Ping glanced around and joined those holding stances. He had only finished reading the manual for Yama's Three Demon Blades yesterday. With an Ox-Tail Saber ready to hand, he could easily make a start on the skill, but even a tower ten thousand feet high had to rise from level ground. Two people taking their first step in saber arts could still be as far apart as clouds and mud.
To be safe, he had not rushed into it yesterday.
I'll ask around the training ground first. Once I know how the veteran constables practice this saber art, it won't be too late to start.
As Wang Ping considered this, a voice rang out behind him.
"Stand properly!"
Wang Ping recognized the familiar voice almost at once. It was the fellow who had opened up his chest with a single arrow at the White Lotus Sect's temple!
In the next instant, the constables scattered around the grounds assembled at speed. Wang Ping hurried into the crowd and fell into line. The once-noisy training ground fell silent as over a hundred gazes settled on the man in a black-and-red official robe at its center.
"Chen Haoyan..."
Wang Ping soon found the man's details in the memories that came with his new identity. Chen Haoyan was the chief constable stationed in Longxing County by the Divine Constables Bureau, and the extent of his martial skill was hard to fathom.
"Lin Sheng has taken leave to rest."
At the front of the ranks, Chief Constable Chen Haoyan spoke calmly. "To fill his place, we've recruited a new brother. You all know him."
"When I call your name, come forward."
"Wang Ping."
Wang Ping hurried out of line. Chen Haoyan met his eyes with a smile, then called another name.
"Liu Ye."
At the sight of the second constable stepping forward, a flicker of surprise crossed Wang Ping's eyes. Another familiar face.
Old Liu from the Grass Market...
Chen Haoyan continued, "Old Liu, you patrol the Grass Market. Your duties aren't too heavy, so you have time to show Wang Ping the ropes."
"Help him master Yama's Three Demon Blades as soon as possible."
"As you command."
Liu Ye cupped his hands at once. Chen Haoyan nodded and sent them both back into line, then raised his voice to begin the morning's training.
"Today, we're talking about weapons."
"As you all know, some time ago we wiped out the White Lotus Sect members roaming the counties. We also seized the Lotus Blade from their leader Shouchong."
"But that isn't the end of it. The Lotus Blade is a Named Treasure that old wretch Shouchong has cultivated alongside his own life. I suspect he let it fall into our hands deliberately, to build its reputation and gather Destiny. He wants to use the county office's Destiny to elevate it into a true Divine Artifact."
A Named Treasure? A Divine Artifact?
Wang Ping was puzzled, but he was not alone. A constable soon asked about them, and Chen Haoyan nodded.
"Brothers from established families should know this already, but some of you don't. I'll explain it briefly."
"All weapons under heaven fall into five ranks."
"Mortal Weapons, Fine Weapons, Named Treasures, Divine Artifacts, and Heavenly Craft. Those five ranks also correspond to five kinds of martial artists. The better your martial skill, the stronger your weapon."
Chen Haoyan gestured toward the assembled constables.
"Most of you, for example, belong to the first kind. The Ox-Tail Sabers issued to you by the court are Mortal Weapons, and your martial arts go no further than tempering the body through external arts."
Wang Ping seized the chance to raise his hand. "What does tempering the body through external arts mean?"
"The skin, flesh, tendons, bones, blood, and marrow, of course!"
Chen Haoyan explained patiently, "Skin Like Oxhide, Flesh Like Elephants, Tendons Like Dragon, Bones Like Tigers, Blood Like Fire, and Marrow Like Frost. Only with all six do you reach External Arts Perfection."
"Different martial arts focus on different parts. Yama's Three Demon Blades, for example, focuses on the tendons. Once you've made a start, you can achieve Tendons Like Dragon. But dragons come in different sizes. A Worm Dragon, a Flood Dragon, a Hornless Dragon, and a True Dragon are worlds apart in strength."
"Take Yama's Three Demon Blades again."
Chen Haoyan drew his saber. In that instant, Wang Ping saw the thick tendons in the chief constable's hand snap and flex. The sound rolled on without pause, clear as a dragon's cry.
"Most people who achieve Tendons Like Dragon through Yama's Three Demon Blades develop Worm Dragon Sinews. Only when they perfect the art do those advance to Flood Dragon Sinews."
"A few with excellent Root Bone can develop Flood Dragon Sinews as soon as they begin, then advance to Hornless Dragon Sinews upon perfecting the art. Ordinary people can't compare."
"As for True Dragon Sinew, Yama's Three Demon Blades simply cannot take you that far."
"But after all that, we're still only talking about the tendons."
"To reach External Arts Perfection, you must also master five other martial arts, one each for the skin, flesh, bones, blood, and marrow."
Wang Ping's scalp prickled.
Skin, flesh, tendons, bones, blood, and marrow—one martial art for each. Six martial arts meant six weapons. So I have to assemble a full six-piece set just to reach External Arts Perfection?
The constables' faces fell. Finding six martial arts, each corresponding to a different part of the body, was hardly easy. It was beyond the reach of men like them.
Did that mean most of the people here would never attain External Arts Perfection in their lifetimes?
Chen Haoyan saw the mood sink. Unsurprised, he changed tack. "But... that isn't always the case."
"In the end, it depends on the grade of the martial art."
"Yama's Three Demon Blades is powerful, but it's still a lower-grade art that can form only one battle form. It isn't especially profound."
"More advanced middle-grade and upper-grade arts, even the legendary peerless arts, can reportedly temper several parts of the body at once—or even the whole body. With one such art, you can reach External Arts Perfection by specializing in it. Developing Inner Force afterward becomes a matter of course."
The training ground erupted into excited chatter.
Seeing the mood lift, Chen Haoyan finally revealed his purpose. "As it happens, I possess a middle-grade martial art."
"It's a secret art passed down through my family."
"Once mastered, it grants two battle forms. It focuses on the bones and blood, and rather than conflicting with Yama's Three Demon Blades, the two complement each other."
Chen Haoyan took a booklet from his robes and held it high.
"I have an extremely dangerous assignment, one that offers barely one chance in ten of survival. Whichever brother takes it will receive this martial art as his reward!"
His resonant voice echoed across the training ground.
Wang Ping's spirits soared.
One chance in ten? If anyone should take this assignment, it's me!
But he checked himself a moment later. Calm down. Otherworldly Celestial Demon is still on cooldown. I'll take the assignment once it's ready.
Silence returned to the training ground. No one answered.
Disappointment flashed in Chen Haoyan's eyes, but he said no more about it. He put away the booklet and smiled. "This is a matter of life and death. There's no need to rush."
"I'll give you brothers time to consider."
"My offer stands for three months."
"But I'll say this now: the sooner you come to me, the sooner you can start cultivating the art. That should give you a better chance of surviving."
With that, he strode away.
The constables remained where they were, exchanging glances without revealing their intentions. Then they resumed their drills around the training ground.
Wang Ping began practicing with them.
Just then, a voice called out.
"Young Wang, stop practicing."
Wang Ping turned. It was Liu Ye, the familiar face Chen Haoyan had assigned to guide him, with a smoking pipe in his hand.
"That eager to get started with the saber art?"
Liu Ye took a puff on his pipe. "Take my advice. Don't rush into it. You can wait three months and still have plenty of time."
"Three months...?"
Wang Ping raised an eyebrow. "Does this have to do with Chief Constable Chen's assignment?"
"Heh. So you're not stupid after all."
Liu Ye laughed. "Exactly. The chief didn't say it outright, but we've been at the county office long enough to know what he meant."
Understanding dawned on Wang Ping.
He caught Liu Ye's hand and slipped a small piece of silver into his palm. "Please enlighten me, Old Liu."
Liu Ye's expression changed at once.
"You lad... you've got a bright future! Since you're being so sincere..."
Liu Ye led Wang Ping to a secluded corner of the training ground before lowering his voice. "This has to do with the White Lotus Sect."
"The White Lotus Sect?" Wang Ping narrowed his eyes.
Liu Ye nodded. "The chief said it earlier. The Lotus Blade belonging to their leader Shouchong is still sitting in our county office."
"Do you know why?"
Wang Ping thought back. "The chief said that old wretch Shouchong wants to use the county office's Destiny to elevate the Lotus Blade into a Divine Artifact."
Liu Ye shook his head. "You know what he's doing, but not why it works."
"Let me put it plainly."
"Of the five ranks of weapons, Mortal Weapons and Fine Weapons are mundane things when you get down to it. But the third rank, Named Treasures, is different."
"For a Named Treasure, the important part is its name. It's usually a weapon famous across a region, one whose name many people know. Take the White Lotus Sect's Lotus Blade. In Longxing County and the surrounding counties, it's a weapon of considerable renown."
"Wielding a Named Treasure makes you somebody in the martial world."
"A Divine Artifact is a Named Treasure elevated further."
Liu Ye gestured as he explained. "Simply put, a Named Treasure earns its name by taking part in some major event."
"A Divine Artifact, on the other hand, creates a legend."
"What counts as a legend?"
A thought flashed through Wang Ping's mind. "A rebellion that overthrows a county government... Would that count as a legend in this day and age?"
"That's not for me to judge," Liu Ye said bluntly.
"But at least in Changle Commandery, rebels have never breached a county office. If you did something unprecedented like that, you'd gain tremendous renown."
Wang Ping understood.
"So that old wretch Shouchong... The White Lotus Sect plans to send the Lotus Blade into the county office, then find a way to break the court's hold on Longxing County. Such an unprecedented event would bring the Lotus Blade enormous renown. When that happens, Shouchong himself will also..."
"Most likely break through!"
Liu Ye's voice took on a wary edge. "By then, even the chief might not be a match for that old wretch."
"Wait..."
Wang Ping frowned as he spotted the flaw. "If that's true, why would the chief play along and keep the Lotus Blade in the county office...?"
His voice trailed off.
He worked it out without Liu Ye's help. "...He's using it as bait?"
"You really do have a bright future, lad."
Liu Ye laughed. "Exactly. Shouchong wants to borrow the county office's renown to advance his martial arts, while the chief wants to use this chance to wipe out the White Lotus Sect for good."
"In the end, each side has to rely on its own abilities."
"The winner takes all. That's the way of the world."
Liu Ye's voice suddenly dropped.
"But as everyone knows... fishing requires bait. Whether you catch the fish or not, the bait ends up dead."
So that's why no constable volunteered, even with Chen Haoyan offering his family art as a reward.
Wang Ping understood, but he felt no fear. If anything, he was more excited. He resolved to seek out Chen Haoyan once Otherworldly Celestial Demon came off cooldown.
Liu Ye noticed the change in Wang Ping's expression and frowned.
"You still intend to start the art as soon as you can?"
His frown deepened. "If you don't, even the sky falling won't land on you. Once you do, the chief might come looking for you."
"Accept then, and you're certain to die. Refuse and displease him, and your career is finished."
"Why put yourself through that?"
For the sake of that piece of silver, Liu Ye had given him honest advice. Wang Ping shook his head but made no attempt to explain.
After all, it was hard to explain something like this to a man without his cheat.
"Ah, all right."
Seeing Wang Ping's resolve, Liu Ye stopped trying to persuade him. "As for Yama's Three Demon Blades, you were right not to rush into it."
"As its name suggests, the saber art has only three moves."
"They're Greed, Anger, and Delusion, corresponding to the beginner, minor mastery, and major mastery stages. When you can unite all three strikes, you've perfected it."
"It's called a demon blade art because of the emotions behind its moves. Greed, anger, and delusion are the three poisons, flaws rooted deep in human nature. Try to start the art without preparation, and the saber intent of Greed may turn on you and drive you mad. More constables than I can count have died that way."
Wang Ping frowned.
That dangerous? Good thing I was careful and didn't charge in blindly...
He looked back at Liu Ye, who had stopped explaining. Taking the hint, Wang Ping produced another piece of silver and pressed it into his hand.
"Old Liu, sorry for the trouble. Could you tell me a little more?"
"Of course! Of course!"
Liu Ye broke into a delighted grin.
"To be honest, you're in luck. You came to the right man. The chief probably assigned you to me because of my specialty."
His specialty?
Liu Ye reached into his robes and pulled out a thin booklet. "This art of mine came to me through a chance encounter."
"Unlike ordinary martial arts, it has no corresponding weapon. It uses the body itself as a weapon. Strictly speaking, it doesn't even qualify for a grade."
"Ungraded?" Wang Ping looked unimpressed.
By now, he understood enough about this world's martial arts to know that an ungraded art could not properly train the skin, flesh, tendons, bones, blood, or marrow.
What use is rubbish like that?
Liu Ye saw his expression and gave a smug smile.
"Don't be so quick to judge. Hear me out first."
"My martial art is called the Iron Ox Skill. Once perfected, it produces a battle form called Golden Spear Unyielding. Its corresponding weapon is the thing between your legs..."
Then again, judging a martial art's worth by its grade alone was far too shallow. There were no useless arts, only useless people!
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