Li Ping's Melancholy
In the afternoon.
Lin Qing was practicing martial arts in the courtyard. He currently had three martial arts techniques to practice on his own: the Tathagata Fist Manual, the Three Lives Tathagata Visualization Method, and the newly acquired Passing Glimpse.
Among them, the Passing Glimpse was Rebirth Record as a Fourth Tier quality martial art, which is the core inheritance of a state-level sect or a renowned family's unique skill. Its difficulty is slightly lower Tathagata Fist Manual, but it is still not something that ordinary people can learn.
As stated above, if Talent is average, it is very likely that even after forty or fifty years of arduous practice, it will still be difficult to master the basics.
Previously, Lin Qing felt that even with his martial arts Talent, it would be impossible for him to learn this Lightness Skill; he could only rely on luck and try to copy it from the Rebirth Record.
But now, with his Exceptional martial arts Talent, his training progress is not slow.
He leaped and landed in the courtyard from time to time, adjusting his breathing rhythm and repeating seemingly simple movements.
Just as he was getting into his practice, there was a knock on the door.
Is Brother Lin here?
Lin Qing's heart skipped a beat; it was Li Ping's voice.
He slowly finished his practice, stepped forward to open the door, and saw Li Ping standing at the door carrying a jar of wine, looking somewhat forlorn. Behind her stood another person, wearing a bamboo hat, her face veiled, and carrying a long sword on her back. At first glance, she had the air of a chivalrous woman from the martial arts world. Who else could it be but Ma Ziye?
"Brother Lin, I've come to have a couple of drinks with you," Li Ping said.
"Alright, come in and sit down," Lin Qing replied.
Ma Ziye entered first, then approached Lin Qing and whispered, "Brother Li went out on a mission today, and I don't know what happened, but he came back feeling down. Can you try to comfort him?"
Lin Qing nodded slightly, glancing at the straw hat on his head. "Could you take off that hat? We're all family here."
"No, this young lady wants to be a chivalrous woman of the martial world, and I need to be mindful of my image at all times," Ma Ziye exclaimed.
Lin Qing shook his head and didn't say much. Even after arriving in the Prefectural City, this girl, who had been well protected by Master Ma since childhood, had not lost her adorable and amusing innocence, which made him quite glad.
Before long, the three sat down, and Li Ping poured a bowl of wine for each of them.
"Come on, let's drink to our hearts' content today! I'll start!" Li Ping said, and drank the wine in his bowl in one gulp.
Lin Qing and the other man also drank a large bowl of wine. Li Ping wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth and said in a deep voice, "Today, the teacher of Chen Family School was beheaded, and more than ten children went missing. As a member of the Soul-Calming Office Evil-Exorcism Team, I only feel a deep sense of powerlessness and self-blame."
"Master Chen is dead?" Lin Qing frowned. Master Chen was a highly respected old scholar in the Prefectural City, and he had heard about him from others before.
"Indeed, the Yinyuan Sect in the prefectural Prefectural City is too powerful. They've been attacking everywhere lately, and the Soul-Calming Office's Constable are simply not enough. Although Lord Wang led us to kill many Yinyuan Sect Fiend, it's still not enough. There are too many civilians we couldn't rescue in time. It's a pity that I'm not strong enough; otherwise, I would have definitely slaughtered these beasts to the last drop." Li Ping said, slamming his hand hard on the stone table, his eyes filled with anger.
"Brother Li, don't blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you. Your Evil-Exorcism Team only has two hundred people at most. You are already short-handed to guard Prefectural City with more than two million people. Moreover, the Yinyuan Sect is in the dark, while you are in the light. The Yinyuan Sect kills people, while you save people. The former is much simpler than the latter. It is normal to have some oversights," Lin Qing comforted him.
Li Ping is a kind and generous person who always takes the blame for any mistakes.
"Ah, you're right. It's just that the thought of so many innocent children suffering every day makes my heart ache." Li Ping said, pouring himself another large bowl of wine, then tilting his head back and drinking it all in one gulp.
"Since you're so short-handed, why not recruit more helpers? Or ask for assistance from other Soul-Calming Office?" Ma Ziye asked.
"The Soul-Calming Office is rapidly expanding its manpower. For example, the number of Constable recruited this year is several times that of previous years, but it is still not enough. As for seeking help, each Soul-Calming Office has its own troubles to solve. Who has the time to care about other people's business? In the end, we still have to rely on ourselves." Li Ping sighed.
Lin Qing nodded slightly, took a big gulp of wine, and wholeheartedly agreed with the statement.
The three chatted and drank, and before long, the large jar of wine was completely empty, with Li Ping alone drinking two-thirds of it.
"I feel much better now that I've said it. I'm leaving now. By the way, Brother Lin, Ziye, if you two have any information about Song Heilong, be sure to report it to us immediately."
"This man has committed numerous evil deeds recently. With the support of the Yinyuan Sect Yuan Sect, he has been roaming around and has killed at least a hundred people. If we can kill him, the person who provides the information will also receive a great reward. Especially Lin Qing, if you want to protect the Gold Token, it's not enough to be strong; you also need to have enough merit," Li Ping said.
"Okay." Lin Qing and Ma Ziye both nodded in agreement.
Wanghai Tower)
In a private room on the top floor, the light was still dim, and Deng Qianyu was still lying on the bed, her posture alluring and seductive.
"Well done, Song Heilong. I'm very satisfied. Now, tell me, what do you want?" Deng Qianyu looked Song Heilong up and down with a provocative gaze, then suddenly stretched out a fair, beautiful leg and put it on his shoulder.
Song Heilong remained calm, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He understood that this didn't mean Deng Qianyu had taken a liking to him, but rather that this vixen was always like this—seducing him one second and turning on him to kill the next, causing many deaths.
She can be sexy, but if you dare to touch or look at her inappropriately, you're definitely doomed!
"Please keep your promise, sir, and grant me the Thousand Evils Visualization Method!"
"Take it, take it. It's boring. Is my esteemed self not as good as a broken cultivation technique?" Deng Qianyu retracted her long leg and said irritably.
"Your Excellency is a woman of unparalleled beauty, and I, knowing my own lowliness, dare not harbor any improper thoughts." Song Heilong lowered his head and reached out to put the martial arts manual that Deng Qianyu had thrown on the ground into his robes.
"Hmph, men's words are deceitful. My next target is you to kill Lin Qing!" Deng Qianyu suddenly said.
"Lin Qing? This man is a newly Gold Token Constable; killing him won't be easy," Song Heilong said.
He harbored a deep resentment towards Lin Qing. The Black Dragon Gang was destroyed because of Lin Qing. If Lin Qing had been killed by the Old Man Hundred Poisons, there wouldn't have been so much trouble afterwards. Lin Qing deserved to die, but he didn't. Therefore, Lin Qing was guilty.
"That madman Wang Ling injured me at the Red Leaf Tower today, which is bad enough, but lately he's been attacking far too frequently, cruelly killing no less than a hundred of my Yinyuan Sect disciples. If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll truly become lawless." Deng Qianyu's words were filled with barely concealed anger.
"This man is indeed hateful. If we could kill Lin Qing, it would be a heavy blow to him. However, this will not be easy," Song Heilong said in a deep voice.
"So you're just going to do it because it's difficult? Go and find a solution. I only care about the results. As long as you can kill him, I will immediately recommend you to worship the Evil Spirit!" Deng Qianyu said coldly.
"Yes, I will do my utmost!" Song Heilong said in a deep voice.
A surge of excitement welled up within him. Although he had accomplished much, he remained an outer member of the Yinyuan Sect. Only by truly worshipping Evil Spirit and Evil-Incorporation into the Soul could he become an Inner Sect disciple of the Yinyuan Sect, gain access to its core secrets, and reap greater benefits.