Chapter 125: Chapter 14: Wang Kang Is Appointed Chancellor

Wang Ping couldn’t use the same method he had against the White Water Sect a second time.

The most common way for two sects to compete was to squeeze each other’s living space, which in practical terms meant suppressing their businesses.

Wufeng Temple’s situation was a special case. They were outsiders. Even if the local sects dealt a fatal blow to their disciples, as long as they didn’t violate the unspoken rules, the Daoist Scripture Hall would turn a blind eye.

Of course, it would be a different story if a Great Realm Cultivator shamelessly stepped in to protect their own.

"Your idea is good, but remember to take it slow. Don’t be too hasty. We have plenty of time."

Yu Lian was very happy. After lunch, she ran off toward Baisui Lake again, likely to discuss the specific implementation plan with Hu Qianqian.

That afternoon, Yang Hou came to the Mountain Peak Dojo.

He had come to report the specific plan to strike at Wufeng Temple’s secular businesses. He was much more cautious in his work than Zhao Qing, and his reports were more detailed.

Wufeng Temple had been established in Lou County for three years.

Wenhai had his eye on the silk business. He had converted most of the sect’s farmlands to grow mulberry leaves and had only just received his first, very lucrative returns last year, especially from maritime trade.

Yang Hou’s plan was simple and brutal: directly sever this line of business, use their own resources to block off other trade routes, and, if necessary, coordinate with the Pingdong Sect to ambush their caravans.

It was a bit ruthless, but that was the nature of competition.

Wang Ping didn’t make any changes to the plan. He merely listened as a formality before telling Yang Hou to proceed as planned.

After Yang Hou left, Wang Ping took out the Puppet Flying Bird used to contact Puppet Zi Hong and had him attempt to infiltrate Lou County to carefully gather intelligence.

...

「Spring passed and autumn came.」

By the start of spring the following year, the new Emperor, who had bided his time for four years, could finally no longer resist deploying troops to the north.

First, however, he bestowed great rewards upon his subjects in all four directions. The first to be rewarded was Xiao Shan Lord, who was ennobled as the Southern Mansion Emperor. After him, other Lords, powerful local Cultivators, and the great demons of the mountains all received titles.

Next, the Emperor appointed the Minister of Discussion from the Central Secretariat as an Imperial Envoy to inspect the various districts of the Northwest and oversee all military and political affairs there.

In the fourth month, the Emperor issued a formal edict, appointing the idle Wang Kang as the General of the Northern Expedition, bestowing upon him the additional title of Chief Minister of Discussion, and ordering him to lead an army to quell the northern rebel Liu Yue.

The edict spread throughout the land in less than a month. After receiving the news, Liu Zixiu went to the mountaintop to have a few drinks with Wang Ping. "I never thought our Little Junior Brother would be the one to become prime minister," he lamented.

He was still bitter about his own failure to attain the position, so much so that it had once affected his cultivation.

Wang Ping could only sigh at how unpredictable life was.

「A month later.」

News arrived from Wudao Prefecture that a group of demons was causing chaos in Lou County. They had even clashed briefly with the County Government’s one hundred Garrison soldiers, throwing the local populace into a panic.

When Yu Lian heard this news, she chirped excitedly in Wang Ping’s ear for a long time, and he kept praising her for her competence.

After this, Wang Ping once again entered a state of ascetic cultivation. Three months passed like this, and then, one day after a rainfall, Liu Zixiu from the foot of the mountain came to the Mountain Peak Dojo.

"I really underestimated our Little Junior Brother," Liu Zixiu said, sounding as if he had finally conceded defeat regarding the ministerial position. "He’s been taking it one step at a time since arriving in the north. Every night, he writes down everything he did that day and reports it on schedule to the Emperor in Shangjing City. He even asks for instructions on what to do next every single time."

"How can he fight a war like that?" Wang Ping asked, confused upon hearing this.

"The cautionary tale of Liu Yue is still fresh in everyone’s minds. For our Little Junior Brother, winning this war isn’t actually what’s important. What’s important is the foundation of his standing," Liu Zixiu explained with a smile. "If he’s smart enough, he’ll hand over half his military authority the moment he captures Beiguan. Otherwise, disaster will strike in the blink of an eye!"

"..."

Wang Ping didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling. The Emperor ruled the world with his Divine Technique, which made him fear nothing—except a rebellion within the Imperial Guard. That was why he almost never deployed them under normal circumstances. But this time, to quell the northern rebellion, he had no choice but to use the Imperial Guard.

Liu Zixiu continued, speaking as if to himself, "Before you enter Shangjing City, everyone envies those who are there. After you enter, you spend every moment thinking of leaving, yet you can never bring yourself to relinquish the power in your hands... Now that I’ve taken a step back, I can see the situation in the imperial court a little more clearly. With his Divine Technique, the Emperor sees his princes, dukes, and ministers as nothing more than tools."

He waved his arm lightly, conjuring a chessboard. "The ministers are these game pieces," he said, "pieces that can never leave the board. It’s only natural for them to be discarded at any time."

’Looked at this way, the Emperor himself seems to be the root of all the turmoil in the world. He plays with power, wantonly slaughters ministers who have served the country well, and leaves all the great clans and families of the realm in a state of constant fear.’

At this thought, Wang Ping quickly calmed his mind and cleared his thoughts, ceasing to view the Emperor and the people of the world in terms of right and wrong.

"Junior Brother Wang Kang chose this path himself, so let him walk it. If he truly can’t go on, we can see him off on his final journey," Wang Ping said, his tone becoming as cold and detached as Yu Cheng Taoist’s.

Hearing this, Liu Zixiu couldn’t help but look Wang Ping up and down.

Wang Ping met his Second Senior Brother’s gaze and asked, "After your foray into the imperial court, do you still hold to the Human Dao?"

"Without the moral standards of the Human Dao, without the distinction between good and evil, how are we any different from beasts? If we abandon these things, why don’t we just find a cave and meditate until we wither away and die?"

Wang Ping’s expression turned serious. "You know that’s not what I meant!"

"I know. But some aspects of our humanity should not be suppressed, otherwise what’s the point of cultivation? A state of no sorrow and no joy is a part of the practice, not the ultimate goal to be pursued."

After saying this, Liu Zixiu stood, bowed with his hands clasped to Wang Ping, and then left without a backward glance.

Wang Ping also rose and returned the gesture to Liu Zixiu’s departing back.

When Wang Ping was the only one left in the Dao Field, Yu Lian spoke in a human voice, "If Wang Kang is really sentenced to death by the Emperor, will you intervene to save him?"

The question left Wang Ping at a loss.

He walked silently to the locust tree, sat down before it, and entered a state of meditative cultivation without answering Yu Lian’s question.

He remained seated this way for several months without stirring.

...

「Winter had come.」

It was an afternoon in the early eleventh month. At the foot of Qianmu Mountain, a fast horse appeared on the official road, galloping at full speed. It charged through a bustling market. The rider was a disciple from the Martial Arts Institute. When he reached the foot of the mountain, he pulled on the reins, handed his horse to a disciple stationed there, and quickly ascended the stone steps himself.

「A quarter of an hour later.」

He entered the main hall of the Inner Courtyard, covered in dust from his journey.

"What is it?" Yang Hou asked calmly.

"At the Shang’an Prefecture port, we seized a smuggled shipment of Power Pills and identified two Inner Sect Disciples from Wufeng Temple. Unfortunately, they noticed us and detonated the Power Pills stored at the port. We lost more than half of our disciples stationed there, and a third of the port was destroyed in the explosion!"

Yang Hou took the letter the disciple handed him, but before he could read it, another disciple guarding the outside came in to report, "Master, a message arrived by carrier pigeon! It’s urgent!"

"Bring it here..."

Yang Hou held out his hand, deciding to read the carrier pigeon’s message first.

There was only one sentence inside: Yang Zhiping of the Yang Mansion in Yongshan County has been found guilty of failing to deliver military grain!