Chapter 133: Chapter 22: The Death of Wang Kang

CRACK-BOOM

The clap of thunder wasn’t particularly loud. A bolt of lightning, thick as a child’s wrist, flashed past in an instant, but Wang Ping’s eyes caught it. Its power was decent, capable of shattering a boulder into fragments.

However, for an Entering Cultivator, it was rather underwhelming.

Unless one spent several million taels of silver to build a Thunder Law Altar with Celestial and Earthly Treasures.

"Are you still not satisfied?"

Tongyu Taoist said, "For only fifty or sixty thousand taels of silver, you can set up a Thunder Law Altar. If you equipped your disciples with one, they would have a huge advantage in a fight."

’He has a point,’ Wang Ping thought.

Afterward, he looked at the Magical Artifact in his hand, forged from Thunder Gold. It was the key to guiding the Thunder Technique and the most expensive component of the entire setup. The Thunder Gold at the core of the Thunder Law Altar was only one-fifth of the material used to make this very artifact.

Tongyu Taoist thought Wang Ping was worried about the cost of the altar and continued, "The Cultivation Realm is a cruel and competitive place. Before the Third Realm, you might manage to advance with the help of a powerful patron. But if you want to reach the Fourth Realm, you must have a large sect to help you gather intelligence and resources."

He sighed. "Back then, I didn’t have such resources. I could only pin my hopes on elusive luck, but unfortunately, good fortune wasn’t on my side."

"I’m not worried about the money. I was just thinking... one bolt of lightning might not be powerful enough, but what if there were more? Wouldn’t that increase the power?"

Wang Ping cut off Tongyu Taoist’s rambling. He formed a series of hand seals for the Magic Formulas, circulating the True Essence from his Dantian through the spellcasting altar. After a few breaths, the Array lit up. At that moment, Wang Ping’s consciousness sensed the presence of the Thunder Technique, and he quickly used the Magical Artifact in his hand to guide it.

CRACK-BOOM

Another peal of thunder exploded, but this time it wasn’t over. Wang Ping focused his spiritual sense, and in the next moment, a continuous roar echoed as dozens of True Thunder bolts rained down, instantly blasting a large crater into the center of the small island.

"See? Quantity has a quality all its own!"

A smile touched Wang Ping’s lips. He put away the Magical Artifact and leaped to the edge of the large crater in the island’s center. Arcs of electricity still danced within the pit, accompanied by a sizzling sound.

"The consumption of Qi Sea True Essence is acceptable, but the casting time is too long. I need to find a way to shorten it, or it will never be able to catch an enemy by surprise." Wang Ping summarized, then nodded as he looked at the Magical Artifact in his hand. "Also, the wear and tear on the Magical Artifact is a bit severe. It’ll be scrap after another two or three uses."

Attracted by the commotion, Yu Lian flew over from the distant sea. Staring at the electricity in the deep crater, she said, "Nine Heavens Magic only has fundamental rules, without the properties of elemental counters. That makes it very convenient to use at times."

"I still need more practice..."

...

「In the blink of an eye, it was the Baofeng 6th Year.」

Wang Ping’s progress in fusing with the ’Spirit Communication Talisman’ reached (16/100). The conflicts between the various sects along Nanlin Road had gradually subsided, but the seeds of hatred had been sown. Occasionally, a revenge killing or two would still take place.

「Year’s end.」

While deep in his ascetic cultivation, Wang Ping received a memory fragment copied by Zi Hong’s Puppet Bird.

For over a year, Zi Hong had been infiltrating Lou County, and he had actually managed to squeeze into the local Cultivation Realm’s circles. Last month, he attended a secret gathering, sold some simple Elixirs, and earned a small sum.

What caught Wang Ping’s attention was that a member of the Demon Race had actually attended the gathering. The demon seemed to be collecting potent poisons, looking as if he were planning to assassinate some great power.

Wang Ping’s first thought was of Wenhai, but he quickly shook his head. An Entering Cultivator could not be killed by poison.

To Wang Ping, this memory was like watching a rather long documentary. After viewing it, he sent Zi Hong instructions to continue monitoring Wufeng Temple, then immersed himself once more in his tedious cultivation.

「Baofeng 7th Year.」

At the beginning of the year, Wang Ping received a thank-you letter from Xia Yao for helping Liu Chang slip away. The letter arrived very late, and she explained that she had been in seclusion.

Then, Xia Yao unexpectedly invited him to go to Shangjing City with her.

How unexpected!

After careful consideration, Wang Ping tactfully declined Xia Yao’s invitation, stating that his cultivation was at a critical juncture and he needed to enter seclusion for a while.

After sending his reply, Wang Ping had his disciple, Su Sea, personally invite Liu Zixiu from the foot of the mountain. He asked him if the war in the north was about to enter its final, decisive stage. After receiving Liu Zixiu’s affirmative answer, Wang Ping finally understood why Xia Yao had invited him to Shangjing City.

The end of the war in the north meant that Wang Kang, leading the grand army on the northern expedition, would gain a reputation even greater than that of his current rival, the old General Liu Yue.

’Is this Princess’s cultivation method about engaging with the world, or withdrawing from it?’

Wang Ping suppressed this question and continued his cultivation. After all, the current state of the world didn’t have much to do with him.

At the end of the year, Zi Hong sent back some more of his unique memories. They contained detailed records of every gathering he attended. As time passed, he had managed to enter the outer circle, and conversations were no longer limited to trade. Sometimes, they would even discuss how Wufeng Temple had been using demon flesh and blood to refine Magical Artifacts for the past two years.

From their conversations, Wang Ping learned that Wenhai had been holed up in his workshop for two whole years without taking a single step outside. The entire Wufeng Temple had descended into utter chaos, a chaos that was even beginning to affect Lou County. The ones most affected were the members of the Demon Race in Lou County, who had begun to spontaneously band together.

After viewing this memory, Wang Ping fell into a brief period of thought. From the perspective of the Demon Race, Wenhai’s current actions were absolutely heinous. But this was Zhongzhou, a region dominated by cultivators of the Human Race.

Therefore, what the Demon Race was doing was extremely dangerous. As long as Wenhai could prove that the demons in Lou County had united, he could, based on his own conjecture, launch a lethal assault against them and then simply pin the crime of rebellion on them afterward.

After a moment of thought, Wang Ping told Zi Hong not to get any more involved in this matter. He had a premonition that Wenhai was about to stir up trouble in Lou County, and it would happen within the next few months.

He just needed to prepare to watch the show. When the time came, he would use his status as a Patrol Envoy to arrange for disciples from Qianmu Temple to go clean up the aftermath. At the same time, he could openly and legitimately inspect what Wenhai was refining in Wufeng Temple.

「Several more months passed in peace.」

Wenhai had yet to make his move, but news arrived from Shangjing first.

Liu Zixiu personally came to the mountaintop to deliver the news. "The gateway to the Northern Region, the crucial fortress of Beiguan, was breached in the middle of last month. Junior Brother Wang Kang personally led the Xian Deng Camp in the assault on the city walls. After fighting a bloody battle for a full day and night, they finally succeeded in taking Beiguan... But... Junior Brother Wang Kang also died from his severe injuries!"

Wang Ping was stunned. He looked as if he was wondering if he had misheard. Yu Lian, perched on his shoulder, gently nudged his cheek with her head.

"As the commander-in-chief, did he need to be on the walls fighting a bloody battle?" Wang Ping asked.

"He did it on purpose." Liu Zixiu sighed. "I had considered countless ways to extricate myself, even intentionally sullying my own name, but I never imagined this could be a way out."

Wang Ping remained silent.

"With Junior Brother Wang Kang’s death, his descendants can become true nobility within Shangjing City, safe and sound for at least fifty years," Liu Zixiu said in a deep voice. "First, the Imperial Guard will remember him. The Emperor would not dare to conceal his achievements. And as long as his deeds are known, the Emperor, empowered by his Divine Technique, must satisfy the spiritual expectations of his subjects."

After speaking, Liu Zixiu looked at Wang Ping and asked, "Are you going to go to Shangjing City to take a look?"

Wang Ping was about to answer when a thought struck him. He asked in return, "What does Master think?"

"Hear nothing, listen to nothing!"