Make the Immortal Sect Great Again

"Don't look down on my Iron Ox Art," Liu Ye explained, waving the manual in his hand. "Do you know what state of mind is best for initiating Yama's Three Demon Sabers?"

Wang Ping fell into deep thought at those words.

According to Liu Ye, the first strike of Yama's Three Demon Sabers was named "Greed." When practicing it, one would be struck by the saber intent of that very emotion.

What state of mind could resist that?

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Wang Ping. "A state of mind... and it's related to the Iron Ox Art... Could it be the brief moment of clarity right after doing that deed?"

"...You really are a smart kid."

Liu Ye nodded. "Exactly. During that window, a man desires absolutely nothing. It is the perfect counter to the saber intent of Greed."

"In other words, the more times you enter that state of lucid clarity, the stronger your resistance to Greed becomes. Your cultivation speed increases, and the risk of initiating the technique drops... And my Iron Ox Art is a peerless marvel that lets you experience that clarity over and over again without harming your body!"

Wang Ping was incredibly tempted.

But there was an even more important reason.

'This cultivation method might also help me practice the Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method!'

This secret art, derived from the Other-Transformation Freedom Control Desire Realm Celestial Manual, was actually very simple to practice. Simply put, it required doing physical exercises with a partner.

'The secret art consists of 108 positions. Completing all of them counts as one minor circulation. And after every minor circulation, you have to swap to a new partner and start again.'

'Defeating one hundred and eight people in succession like this completes one major circulation.'

'The moment you can complete a major circulation without stopping, you have mastered the technique and will become a Desire Realm Deva.'

Once you became a Desire Realm Deva, not only could you sense the emotions and thoughts of others, but you could even manipulate them slightly. You could even condense the 'spiritual perception' that only true cultivators possessed. Wang Ping had been salivating over these myriad divine wonders for a long time, but the cultivation requirements were just too harsh. It simply wasn't meant for humans to practice.

But now, he saw hope.

'If I cultivate the Iron Ox Art to perfection, would the resulting Art of War—Golden Spear Standing Tall—be able to withstand the exhaustion of the Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method?'

It just might!

At this thought, Wang Ping became absolutely determined to get his hands on the Iron Ox Art. But he quickly realized a rather awkward problem.

He was out of money.

He had just used more than half of the stipend that came with his bailiff position to pay respects to Liu Ye. No matter how he stretched it, the remaining silver wasn't enough to buy a martial arts manual.

After turning it over in his mind, Wang Ping could only force a bitter smile. "I'm afraid Master Liu will have to laugh at me, but my pockets are truly empty lately. How about you set a price and give me a few days to gather the money? ...Or perhaps you could sell it to me on credit, and I'll slowly pay you back, principal and interest, from my monthly stipend?"

Liu Ye laughed.

"Little Wang, that's just wrong of you. Am I the kind of person who only cares about money?"

Weren't you?

Wang Ping grumbled inwardly. In the next second, however, Liu Ye waved a large hand and shoved the Iron Ox Art manual directly into his chest.

"Alright, just take it."

"Don't worry, I don't want money. Let's barter. If you acquire any new cultivation methods in the future, just pass them to me secretly, and we'll call it even."

"How does that sound?"

With those words, Wang Ping, who had been completely baffled a moment ago, suddenly saw the light. Looking at Liu Ye, he now understood the old bailiff's schemes.

'He's a good judge of character. He figures I might take on Constable Chen's missions in the future and earn that mid-tier martial art as a reward. So he wants to use the Iron Ox Art to trade for that future mid-tier manual? This way, he reaps the benefits without taking any risks...'

Realizing this, Wang Ping's attitude changed immediately.

"Brother Liu, if you put it that way... the price isn't the same anymore."

Liu Ye was speechless.

What a little brat. He really did have a boundless future. One second it was 'Master Liu,' the next it was 'Brother Liu.' The speed at which he flipped his stance was faster than an old veteran like himself.

After a moment of silence, Liu Ye lowered his voice. "How much do you want?"

Wang Ping held up five fingers. "Five hundred liang."

"Are you robbing me?!"

Liu Ye was instantly agitated. "Five hundred liang? The bounty on Shouchong isn't even that high! How much do you think our monthly stipend is? You've got some nerve asking for that much!"

Wang Ping shook his head helplessly. "I have no choice. After all, Brother Liu, your Iron Ox Art might be good, but it requires real combat to improve. Right now, I'm penniless. Even if I wanted to gain some practical experience, I simply can't afford it. I can't exactly go around violating decent women, can I?"

Liu Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Idiot, do you think the Iron Ox Art is that rigid and inflexible? Who said real combat has to involve another person? Don't you normally use your hands?"

Wang Ping fell silent.

Of course he understood this level of ingenuity. The problem was that while the Iron Ox Art could be practiced that way, the Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method absolutely required a real person.

So he stubbornly held to his condition.

"Five hundred liang, not a single copper less!"

"You..."

Liu Ye's eyes narrowed dangerously, but they quickly relaxed as he thought it over. He had just remembered that the kid in front of him seemed to be a virgin, right?

Young and full of vigor, it was perfectly normal for him to want a taste of something fresh.

"...Fine, fine."

With that in mind, Liu Ye changed his tune. "I don't have the money. But if you're just looking for practical combat... I have a connection at the Red Phoenix Tower in the city."

"When you get there, report my name to the madam, Miss Feng. Tell her you practice the Iron Ox Art, and she will naturally arrange some real combat experience for you."

At those words, Wang Ping was utterly astounded.

Did that mean he could go whoring for free?

Although Liu Ye phrased it cryptically, how could Wang Ping not understand? Without a doubt, this Master Liu definitely had a stake in the Red Phoenix Tower, otherwise why would he offer this?

Realizing this, Wang Ping immediately cupped his fists. "Many thanks, Master Liu!"

"And the five hundred liang...?"

"I was merely joking earlier!"

Only then did Liu Ye nod in satisfaction. He wasn't worried about Wang Ping backing out in the future. After all, it was just an unranked martial art; even if the deal fell through, he wouldn't lose anything.

But if it succeeded, he'd make a massive profit!

After all, from what he knew, Lord Chen's family martial art was brought straight from the Divine Constabulary headquarters in the Capital. The cultivation method had a massive background!

...........

Despite securing the chance for a free visit, Wang Ping did not set off immediately.

It went back to the same point: he wasn't a lustful man. His sole reason for practicing the Iron Ox Art and the Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method was purely for a better future.

"A trifling Iron Ox Art that can be practiced by hand is a waste to use in real combat. Even if I master it, what's the point? The real prize comes later!"

The Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method.

This secret cultivation method really had a massive demand for practical combat. To put it bluntly, attempting to master this method could very well run an entire brothel into the ground.

"Although Liu Ye made it sound nice just now, if I actually went to exploit this free pass to practice the Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method, the sheer damage would definitely make him go back on his word instantly. All my efforts would be wasted... So the best approach is to quietly cultivate the Iron Ox Art to the grand perfection stage first."

"Once I have the blessing of the Golden Spear Standing Tall Art of War, I'll go take my free rides."

"I'll push through in one go and master the Desire Realm Heavenly Birth Method before they even realize what's happening. By then, he'll have no choice but to swallow the loss in silence."

Therefore, he needed to be patient for now.

Of course, if he could just pay for it, none of these problems would be problems at all.

Thinking of this, Wang Ping, who had just returned home, couldn't help but rummage through his chests and cabinets. After carefully tallying up all his savings, he decisively shook his head.

"Paying or not paying isn't actually important."

"In the end, I am a man who keeps himself clean. I am absolutely not a lecher. How could I degrade myself by going to such a foul and murky place for no reason?"

With that said, Wang Ping closed his doors and windows, and took out some tissues.

The night was long. He prepared to use his hand to "fake it," bitterly practicing the Iron Ox Art throughout the night until the sun was high in the sky, aiming to reach perfection at the fastest possible speed!

............

The moon was dark and the wind blew high—the perfect night for murder.

The night wind howled. The great sun was hidden, and though three bright moons hung high, their light was veiled by dark clouds, casting down an unfathomably deep shadow.

"Who's there!"

With a sharp shout, a patrolling bailiff inside the Longxing County Yamen raised the lantern in his hand and peered into the shadowy corner. But illuminated by the flickering light, there was absolutely no one there.

"What's wrong?" another patrolling bailiff asked.

"Nothing. I must have seen wrong."

The bailiff holding the lantern forced a bitter smile. "You know how it is. It hasn't been peaceful these past few years. I'm getting paranoid, seeing those rebels in every shadow."

The others also smiled bitterly at his words.

It wasn't just Longxing County. Looking across the entire Changle Commandery, and even the towering expanse of Jizhou, rebel factions were springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. The world had long since fallen into chaos.

"Alright, stop letting your imagination run wild."

"We're just going through the motions. If a true master actually snuck in, we wouldn't be able to spot them anyway. The higher-ups would naturally take charge of hunting them down."

"True..."

As they spoke, the patrol squad walked further away. However, none of them noticed that an extra person had quietly materialized behind them.

This person was none other than Xie Shi.

Yet unlike an ordinary person, the breathing, heartbeat, and even the footsteps of this White Lotus Sect senior disciple were infinitely close to zero.

This was clearly a martial art. He silently trailed the patrol squad, his figure concealed in the darkness. He followed them from outside the County Yamen all the way into the interior. Along the way, he passed face-to-face with several squads of patrolling bailiffs, yet surprisingly, not a single person sensed his presence. They all completely ignored him.

It wasn't until he neared the Inner Yamen that he finally flashed away.

The rustle of wind he stirred up blended perfectly with the night breeze, failing to alert anyone to anything amiss as he walked right into the Inner Yamen.

Before his eyes was a main hall.

Inside the entrance of the hall sat dozens of assorted items on display. Whether sabers, spears, staffs, or cudgels, all were once Sharp Weapons that had enjoyed renowned reputations in the region.

Xie Shi's gaze immediately locked onto the center of the main hall.

There, resting on the largest desk, sat an exquisite, silver-gleaming flying knife. The blade's aura flowed like moonlight, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

The Lotus Blade!

'Found it...'

Xie Shi gritted his teeth. Even though he was only one step away from the goal of his trip, he didn't dare advance any further. He didn't even dare step fully into the hall before him.

The pitch-black hall and its wide-open doors seemed to transform in his eyes into a gargantuan beast, its bloody maw gaping wide, waiting for him to willingly throw himself into the net.

'That old geezer was just using me to scout the path.'

'He and that Constable Chen from the County Yamen have a tacit understanding. Both of them are Internal Force Martial Masters, on the verge of being titled. How could I possibly have any part in their battle...'

At this thought, the urge to retreat swelled in Xie Shi's heart.

Finding out where the Lotus Blade was kept was enough to report back to Shouchong. He didn't even earn that much silver a month; why risk his life?

However, just as Xie Shi backed out of the Inner Yamen step by step...

"Leaving so soon?"

The calm voice drifted over on the evening breeze. From the shadows of the main hall, right among the display of weapons, a cold-looking man strolled out.

"Chen Haoyan... Crap!"

In an instant, Xie Shi's expression drastically changed. Not daring to respond to Chen Haoyan, he raised his foot and stomped down heavily, instantly pulverizing the square inch of ground beneath him.

A terrifying shockwave spread out in all directions from him, shaking the County Yamen like an earth dragon rolling over. Using the immense recoil generated by the stomp, his body vanished from the spot, turning into a blur of black shadow as he sprinted madly toward the outside of the compound.

Such momentum was already incredibly astonishing.

Yet in the next second, a resonant, hearty laugh overpowered all the noise. Like a divine pillar calming the seas, it instantly quelled all the chaos.

"External Arts Perfection? That old geezer sure knows how to teach his disciples."

"But if he wants to take back the Lotus Blade, he'd better come himself."

Inside the main hall, Chen Haoyan held a massive bow steady in his right hand and tightly gripped a long arrow in his left. Boundless streams of light surged from his palm, converging on the arrowhead.

Sensing something amiss, Xie Shi glanced back, and his soul nearly shattered in terror.

'Master said this dog originated from the Divine Constabulary in the Capital. Not only did his physique receive the True Transmission of the Divine Constabulary, but the Internal Force he cultivated is beyond the reach of ordinary men...'

'I'm doomed!'

Boom!

In the next second, a massive boom echoed out. Chen Haoyan drew the bow to a full moon, and the arrow tore through the air, detonating a visible shockwave deep within the County Yamen.

Immediately following, a streak of white light ripped through the veil of night.

Like a thunderbolt shattering the darkness, the roar of thunder led the way with lightning trailing behind. It flashed and vanished, instantly striking the fleeing Xie Shi right out of midair.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream, crimson blood splashed out. Xie Shi's figure plummeted straight into the county town, abruptly disappearing into the depths of the night.

Clang!

Having shot down Xie Shi with a single arrow, Chen Haoyan stood tall and imposing with his bow. He immediately drew his Oxtail Saber, pointing it straight at the heavens as his powerful voice echoed under the night sky:

"White Lotus rebel scum! Launching a night raid on the County Yamen, committing treason against your superiors—everyone has the right to execute you!"

"Pass down my orders! Search the entire city! Anyone who provides clues about this rebel will be rewarded with ten liang of silver! Anyone who slays this rebel will be rewarded with one hundred liang! Anyone who harbors this rebel will have their entire clan executed!"

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