Make the Immortal Sect Great Again

A dark moon and high wind night.

At some point, a layer of dark clouds had blanketed the sky over Longxing County. Gusts of chill wind blew past, and the night grew ever deeper—the omen of a torrential downpour.

Wang Ping almost held his breath.

Before him stood the county magistrate. Whether it was his breathing, his heartbeat, or the flow of his vitality and blood—every external trait of his lifeform had completely transcended the realm of a Mortal.

For a split second, an illusion even flashed before his eyes. It was as if the figure standing in the darkness was not a man, but a golden-winged great roc with burning eyes, spreading wings that blotted out the sky, ready to swoop down and slaughter him at any moment. Facing the other party head-on felt like a rabbit stumbling upon a starving tiger.

This was a disparity in their level of life.

Every cell in his body wailed at this moment. His biological instincts urged him to turn around immediately and flee for his life—to run as far away as possible!

"...Huu!"

The next second, Wang Ping cast aside his martial artist's senses. He channeled his spiritual awareness, finally piercing through that inexplicable illusion and seeing the man's true appearance once more.

Almost simultaneously, the Longxing County magistrate, Xu Bingzheng, seemed to realize something. Surprise appeared on his face as he said, "Interesting. Is this another one of the White Lotus Sect's dark arts?"

"A Microcosmic Orbit Physique and a Martial Master at Internal Force Minor Completion. You do not even measure up to Chen Haoyan when he was alive, yet you managed to shatter the suppression of my Divine Intent. It seems the White Lotus Sect truly has some methods, given how they swept through the counties and carved out such a massive reputation in Changle Commandery." Xu Bingzheng's tone was noticeably calm.

"Speak."

His gaze landed on Wang Ping as he said lightly, "Regarding the White Lotus Sect and the pills you stole that night, you have at least three sentences to say."

After a moment of silence, Wang Ping raised his head. "...How did you find me?"

"Not that sentence."

The moment those words fell, Wang Ping felt a wave of agonizing pain rip through his body. By the time he snapped back to his senses, he discovered that a glaring gash had suddenly appeared across his chest.

Blood instantly gushed out.

Wang Ping immediately stepped back. He circulated his Internal Force to staunch the bleeding from the wound, causing the vitality to drain from his face, leaving behind a deathly pallor.

'This is a Titled Martial Master?'

'It is still Internal Force. Perhaps he has more of it, perhaps it is more refined and possesses a higher intensity... but that is all. There doesn't seem to be any qualitative elevation.'

The intense pain did not drown out Wang Ping's thoughts. Ever since he killed Chen Haoyan and risked returning to the County Yamen, he had prepared for the day his cover would blow. Though he had not expected to be exposed so quickly, it did not matter. With the Outer Heavenly Demon, it simply meant he would just have to try again.

Therefore, compared to his injuries, he cared more about another matter.

The next step on the martial path—what exactly was a Titled Martial Master? If he wanted to reach that realm, what conditions must he fulfill?

At this thought, he spoke again:

"How did you find me?"

The same response, the exact same unyielding attitude. This time, Xu Bingzheng did not sever Wang Ping's arm; instead, he frowned in slight confusion.

"You are not afraid of death?"

Xu Bingzheng considered himself a man who had read countless people. He would not misjudge a person's demeanor and state of mind, and he could tell that the young bailiff before him genuinely did not fear death.

"I am certain you will not kill me."

Wang Ping said plainly, "You want that batch of pills. But to you, those pills are practically useless, save for one whose purpose I do not know."

"Where are they?" Xu Bingzheng's tone grew heavy.

Wang Ping did not answer, instead continuing, "How did you find me?"

Both sides fell into a brief silence. Rain began to drift down from the sky, pattering against the ground. The ensuing chill added a layer of murderous tension to the atmosphere.

"...It was not difficult."

Finally, Xu Bingzheng spoke first. "I implanted the Enslaved Dragon Force into every veteran bailiff at the County Yamen. They are my eyes and ears."

"Anyone capable of intercepting and killing Chen Haoyan on his way back to the county seat must possess a profound understanding of the city. Therefore, I was certain the culprit was a martial artist within the city. Furthermore, since the killer stole so many pills, they would undoubtedly need to go into seclusion to absorb them. Whoever chose to isolate themselves and refuse guests was a likely suspect."

At these words, Wang Ping instantly understood:

"So that is why there was a major tournament at the County Yamen, making the bailiffs mobilize their networks... That was just a smokescreen. Your true intention was to have them investigate for you!"

The bailiffs of the County Yamen almost entirely hailed from prominent clans and wealthy households within the county.

This was especially true for the seasoned veteran bailiffs, who were local tyrants in the county seat. Mobilizing their networks was essentially an unorthodox, city-wide dragnet!

Since they were planted with the Enslaved Dragon Force, everything they saw, heard, and discovered would be known to Xu Bingzheng, regardless of whether they tried to hide it.

So the issue was not that he had cultivated the Heavenly Roc Dragon Capture Physique Diagram. Even if he hadn't, as long as he appeared in the line of sight of any bailiff, he was effectively exposed to Xu Bingzheng's vision. And his advancement in martial arts clearly could not be hidden from this magistrate.

"Exactly so."

Xu Bingzheng nodded. "I am the magistrate of Longxing County. As bailiffs of the County Yamen serving the imperial court, it is only proper for them to act as extensions of my own hands."

"However, I certainly did not expect a young bailiff who had recently joined to be the mastermind behind all this. And because your martial arts were so low, you nearly slipped through the net." Xu Bingzheng's voice grew deeply somber. "It is surprising. How exactly did you kill Chen Haoyan?"

"Perhaps I am just uniquely gifted."

Wang Ping offered a perfunctory reply. After all, such things were difficult to explain to someone without a cheat. And compared to answering questions, he had more pressing matters.

"Rumble!"

A clap of thunder roared across the vault of the sky.

In a flash, heaven and earth were illuminated, the world suddenly washed in blinding white. At that exact moment, Wang Ping's spiritual awareness precisely detected a dense, translucent massive net spreading open.

This reminded him of Xu Bingzheng's title.

Ranked 342nd on the Armament Manual: Divine Rope Xu Bingzheng.

This title was partly a commendation of his supreme movement techniques, and partly a description of his weapon—a massive net woven from Western region silkworm silk.

Clang!

With the ring of a blade, like Yama claiming a soul, a ghostly, demonic saber gleam slashed directly at the descending net, violently erupting into a shower of scorching sparks under the night sky.

Yet, it was entirely futile.

The saber gleam completely failed to slice open the massive net, nor could it halt its descent. Wang Ping, who was mentally connected to his weapon, suddenly felt an indescribable, piercing pain.

'Not good!'

Wang Ping retreated a step, his expression shifting slightly. He saw that his usually well-maintained Oxtail Saber now glaringly bore a notch the size of a grain of rice.

'It is merely a thin, flimsy net, yet it is unfathomably heavy. More importantly, it is completely silent. If I did not have the aid of my spiritual awareness and relied solely on a martial artist's senses, I would probably already be trussed up tight by this massive net, captured alive without the slightest chance to resist!'

Wang Ping's thoughts raced as he reached a conclusion in his heart:

'A Sharp Weapon... No, it is a Famous Treasure!'

A weapon listed on the Armament Manual, known to the entire world, having accumulated a vast amount of prestige and providence—it had clearly surpassed the boundaries of a normal weapon.

It possessed miraculous properties!

Even as he thought, Wang Ping's movements did not pause. He immediately sheathed his saber, withdrew the Black Hornless Dragon Bow, and nocked an arrow, channeling all his Internal Force into the arrowhead.

"Roar—!!!"

In an instant, the bow's body trembled violently. The two hornless dragons coiled upon it seemed to come alive, and the moment the arrow left the string, it erupted with a sound akin to a dragon's roar.

The moment the arrow flew, Wang Ping stomped his foot and lunged forward, following right behind the projectile. Just as the arrow struck the invisible massive net, he drew his saber again and delivered a full-force slash. This finally managed to lift the seemingly weightless massive net into a slight arc, creating a gap that lasted for only a split second.

"Swish!"

Wang Ping's figure vanished in the blink of an eye. Trailing a mist of blood, he slipped out from beneath the canopy of the invisible net, though half his body was left crisscrossed with gashes from the silk threads.

These wounds were clearly highly unnatural. They constantly emitted white smoke and aggressively expanded, attempting to corrode his muscles, bones, and even his entire meridian system.

"Phew!"

Seeing this, Wang Ping did not panic. He immediately activated his Qi Restriction. The surging True Qi generated by the spell flooded into his flesh, rapidly suppressing the corrosion of the wounds.

"You really do harbor secrets." With a flick of his wrist, Xu Bingzheng retracted the massive net. The look he gave Wang Ping grew increasingly astonished. "You clearly have not cultivated Divine Intent, yet you can see my Divine Rope. You are merely at Internal Force Minor Completion, yet you can suppress my Heavenly Roc Force and prevent it from corroding your entire body."

"You truly are a rare talent."

After saying this, he unexpectedly halted his pursuit. Instead, he took on a solemn expression and said, "The Heaven's Will Soul-Returning Pill. If you have not eaten it yet, hand it over."

"You are indeed extraordinarily gifted."

"Give me the pill, and from now on, you shall be the chief constable of the County Yamen. With Chen Haoyan dead, I can transfer his position in the Capital's Divine Constabulary over to you."

"The political merits he accumulated during this period for surveying the land and auditing the household registers can also be yours. As for the portion skimmed from the autumn taxes, I will give you a five-percent cut."

"What do you say?"

At these words, even Wang Ping was somewhat taken aback.

'He wants to recruit me?'

In all fairness, the terms were quite excellent. An official rank as chief constable, political achievements, massive amounts of wealth, and even future career prospects were all packaged within the offer.

It just so happened that he wanted to explore the further stages of the martial path. If he could take the official route and head to the Divine Constabulary in the Capital for advanced training, this step would be firmly secured. A predictable, bright future awaited him. Compared to all this, the price he had to pay was unbelievably low.

"But I refuse!"

Wang Ping lifted his head and flashed a genial smile at Xu Bingzheng. Then, emphasizing every syllable, he delivered his answer without a shred of hesitation.

"...Why?" Xu Bingzheng could not comprehend it.

"Compared to what I am giving you, all you need to hand over is a single pill."

Wang Ping shook his head. "It is not just a pill."

Beyond that, he would have to replace Chen Haoyan and become yet another scorching sun hanging over Longxing County, continuing to ride on the backs of the commoners and drink deep of their blood.

The former was just a pill.

The latter was his conscience.

"Unfortunately, my conscience is a bit heavier than yours." Wang Ping stood tall, saber in hand.

Xu Bingzheng clearly did not understand. He only pressed his persuasion with greater sincerity, "The White Lotus Sect is a band of mere bandits. What future does a talent like you have following them?"

"Joining the imperial court is the right path."

"My master is a great Confucian scholar of the court. With my recommendation, you will definitely be heavily relied upon when joining the imperial court. Would not such talent go to waste if it is not used to benefit the common people?"

"...Benefit the common people?"

Wang Ping raised an eyebrow. "Which common people?"

Xu Bingzheng blanked for a moment upon hearing this. Then, without a second thought, he said, "The common people of the world, naturally. Our generation practices martial arts and studies the classics precisely to administer great righteousness throughout the realm."

"...Hah!"

Wang Ping laughed. "Refugees are everywhere outside the city walls. The commoners have either starved to death or are in the process of starving to death. You have no right to speak the words 'common people of the world'."

"Refugees? Impossible!"

Xu Bingzheng was even more surprised, his frown deepening. He could not help but retort, "Where are there any refugees outside the city? There is only a horde of grain-producing black-headed commoners..."

The very next second, realization finally dawned on him. His mouth opened slightly before a surge of majestic fury radiated from him. "Bastard! You actually treat those black-headed commoners as people?"

"Can black-headed commoners even be counted as human beings?"

"They are nothing more than remnants of the previous dynasty, weeds that need to be pruned every season. Treating them as people is a blasphemy against actual human beings."

Xu Bingzheng spoke with absolute conviction, as if this were not some cold and heartless cruelty, but self-evident heavenly law. It was clear that he was entirely unshakable in his ideals.

"Especially the White Lotus Sect. When they swept through the commanderies and counties previously, they spread these ideologies everywhere, bewitching many ignorant scholars and literati, and inciting those black-headed commoners to rebel. They ruined an originally stable and peaceful world. Who knows how many upstanding citizens died because of them? Their crimes are truly unpardonable..."

Xu Bingzheng's tone dripped with absolute hatred.

Following that, he looked at Wang Ping again, his expression now laced with wariness and profound darkness. "I initially thought you had only recently joined the White Lotus Sect..."

"Now it seems you have already been deeply poisoned by them."

"Since that is the case, I have no choice but to capture you first and then slowly search for the pill. It is just that such a commotion will be too large to hide from everyone."

Xu Bingzheng sighed. "So I must first manipulate you into killing Liu Ye, and then Madam Su. After you slaughter the entire Su Family, I will execute you as the criminal, forcing you to take the fall. The end result will be the same, only more people will have to die, and a family of fine citizens in this city will be exterminated because of it."

"This is all because you forced my hand."

"The bandit scum of the White Lotus truly leave behind a toxic legacy!"

At this point, a sorrowful look surfaced on Xu Bingzheng's face. "Because this official failed to investigate thoroughly in a moment of negligence, a treacherous scoundrel was allowed to bring chaos to the county. Afterwards, I must petition the commandery and beg for punishment..."

Before his words even finished, Wang Ping was already moving.

This was because under the perception of his spiritual awareness, at the exact moment Xu Bingzheng was sighing, that invisible massive net had already unfurled once more, dropping straight down toward him!

'This dog official...'

Wang Ping moved like a bolt of lightning, the Black Hornless Dragon Bow in his hand. He fired three arrows in the blink of an eye before retreating at blinding speed. And yet, the sense of crisis in his heart refused to wane.

"It seems your horizons are narrow. You have never encountered a Titled Martial Master."

Xu Bingzheng's voice followed him like a shadow, drifting over eerily. At the same time, the invisible net in the air changed direction, pursuing Wang Ping with pinpoint accuracy.

The massive net was not moving very fast.

However, for some unknown reason, no matter how Wang Ping dodged, it managed to cut off his path of retreat perfectly, constantly hovering less than three chi above his head.

And as time trickled by, that distance continued to shrink.

'How is he doing this?'

'Is this the Divine Intent of a Titled Martial Master? Could it grant him foresight? If I did not have my spiritual awareness, I would have died a hundred times over by now!'

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