Chapter 50: Departure
After hearing his master’s words, Wang Ping wasn’t too worried about his own safety. After all, he carried the Armor Talisman and Soldier Talisman that Yu Cheng Taoist had given him. These two Talismans could help him fight against a First Realm Cultivator.
What he was truly worried about were the disciples of his sect. If it really came to blows with the White Water Sect, his disciples would surely suffer casualties.
Three days passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. The stream of people coming to the temple to have their injuries treated remained endless. Some were even from other prefectures. For many of these people, so much time had passed that their wounds had become infected.
On top of that, the south was rife with mosquitos and miasma, and a small-scale epidemic nearly broke out. In the end, it was Wang Ping who took action, using the Cyan Wood Technique to purge the infection and save some patients who were on the brink of death.
He was busy until the afternoon. Just as Wang Ping was about to return to the Mountain Peak Dojo to rest, a young acolyte came running over to report, "Senior Uncle, an emissary from the Daoist Scripture Hall has arrived. He is waiting for you in the main hall of the Inner Courtyard."
’They’re here.’
A glint flashed in Wang Ping’s eyes. He formed a hand seal and cast a Cleansing Spell on himself. As the Magic’s True Essence flowed, Yu Lian awoke from his wrist. She swayed her body on his arm, seemingly very happy, then fixed her vertical pupils on the young acolyte, making his skin crawl.
Inner Courtyard, Main Hall.
The moment Wang Ping walked in, he heard Zhao Qing’s hearty laughter. His gaze then fell upon a middle-aged man sitting in the seat of honor to the left, directly beneath a portrait of the Great Celestial Venerable Taichu. The man had a thick beard and wore a gray, short tunic suitable for riding. His hair wasn’t bound in a crown but was tied back casually with a hemp rope.
"Brother!"
Seeing Wang Ping, Zhao Qing immediately stood up to greet him.
The waiting guest also turned his head. The moment he saw Wang Ping, he stood up and cupped his fist. As he rose, the wooden identity token at his waist immediately caught Wang Ping’s eye.
After Zhao Qing made the introduction, the guest cupped his fist again and said, "Daoist Changqing..." As he spoke, he took out a grayish-white bamboo slip from his robes. "This is the Summoning Document from the Daoist Scripture Hall. Please have a look..."
Wang Ping did not take it immediately.
The guest paused for a moment, then removed his identity token and offered it. "This is my identity token!"
"Mm."
Wang Ping first took the identity token. After infusing a trace of True Essence into it, he sensed the mark of the Daoist Scripture Hall inside, as well as a simple projection of the man before him.
Only after confirming there were no issues did Wang Ping accept the so-called "Summoning Document."
The contents were just as Yu Cheng Taoist had told him a few days ago: he was to rush to the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office in Sanwen County, Ning’an Prefecture, within five days, and he was to bring at least fifteen Qi Cultivators with him.
"My task is complete. I will take my leave!"
"Safe travels, Daoist..."
Zhao Qing enthusiastically escorted the guest out of the main hall, saw him all the way to the main gate, and finally gave him some loose silver as a tip for tea money. By the time he returned to the hall, Wang Ping had not yet left.
"Trouble?" Zhao Qing asked.
"See for yourself." Wang Ping handed the bamboo slip to Zhao Qing, then turned and casually sat down in a chair.
Zhao Qing took a seat near Wang Ping. A moment later, he looked up and asked, "Is this about what happened at Yongming Port?"
After all this time, everyone who was meant to know about the Yongming Port incident already knew, except for the common folk. In two days at most, word would even reach Shangjing City.
"Yes," Wang Ping nodded.
"Is it serious?"
"No. Compared to a decision by the Daoist Scripture Hall, a small undead outbreak is as insignificant as the glow of a firefly."
"Then this is a good thing!"
Wang Ping studied Zhao Qing for a moment. "What are you thinking?"
"If it’s a mission we’re destined to win, isn’t everyone who goes just padding their resumes?" Zhao Qing met Wang Ping’s gaze. "Of course, I know that this ’resume padding’ will be anything but ordinary. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of unknown Corpse Soldiers. If a real fight breaks out, casualties will be unavoidable, and other sects will be scrambling to claim the credit..."
At this, Zhao Qing suddenly stood up. "I need to go make arrangements right away. Qianmu Temple surely isn’t the only sect being summoned. If we’re too slow, we might not even have a place to sleep by the time we get to Sanwen County... I’ll be right back."
Zhao Qing left in a hurry and returned just as quickly.
Wang Ping had Zhao Qing sit down and explained some matters concerning the White Water Sect.
After hearing this, Zhao Qing slapped the table and said, "So that’s why the White Water Sect is always interfering with our business! I thought it was just competition, but I never expected this connection. In that case... we really need to plan this operation carefully."
Qianmu Temple currently had sixty-two accomplished Qi Cultivators, and just over ten at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm. Most of them were third-generation disciples. Some of the fourth-generation disciples hadn’t even mastered basic Magic.
The two brothers discussed for nearly Half an Hour and finally selected twenty-five people. Twenty of them were Qi Cultivators skilled in combat, and the other five were chosen from the Pill Hall, specializing in treating internal injuries and knowledgeable about corpse poison.
"These are just the ones on the surface. I’ll secretly pick another dozen or so skilled fighters and also arrange for some Jianghu Travelers... Don’t worry. I’ve been in charge of the Inner Courtyard for years. I can’t say I’m good at much else, but I have learned a thing or two about schemes and plots."
Zhao Qing said with a chuckle, "It might not be enough to cause any real harm to the White Water Sect, but it will certainly be enough to preserve our own strength!"
"Jianghu Travelers? Can they be trusted?" Wang Ping asked.
"We won’t tell them the specifics. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!"
Once the matter was decided, Wang Ping ordered Liang Tao, the Steward of the Martial Arts Institute, to take his disciples and head to Sanwen County first as the vanguard. Wang Ping himself would lead the main group early the next morning according to the plan, while Zhao Qing would be in charge of directing their forces in the shadows.
Before departing, Wang Ping went to Yu Cheng Taoist’s small courtyard to report on the plan. When he returned to the Mountain Peak Dojo, Liu Shuang had been waiting for a long time. As expected, she requested to accompany Wang Ping to Sanwen County.
Liu Shuang said, "Master, for this mission, several of the senior uncles are sending their disciples. But our lineage has made no contribution. No matter how you look at it, it’s unjustifiable. From now on, my junior brother and I won’t be able to hold our heads high in the temple!"
"Your junior brother is getting married next month..."
"He can ask Grandmaster for help with anything he needs."
The Daoist Scripture Hall had tasked Yu Cheng Taoist with guarding Shang’an Prefecture to prevent any unforeseen incidents. This arrangement showed that the higher-ups were treating this matter with more caution than Wang Ping had imagined.
In the end, Wang Ping agreed to Liu Shuang’s request.
Liu Shuang had a point. If neither she nor Yang Zhiping went this time, they wouldn’t be able to hold their heads high in the temple for a long time to come.
After descending the mountain, just as they walked out of the market, Wang Ping saw a huge, dark pit on the main road outside. It was a remnant from the battle between two Third Realm Cultivators a few days ago. Laborers conscripted by the county were in the process of clearing it.
This sudden incident had damaged many of Yongshan County’s typhoon defenses, forcing the County Magistrate’s Office to conscript labor during the busy farming season. As a result, the year-end harvest would surely decrease, but the taxes owed to the Court would not.
"Master, when can I become a Third Realm Cultivator?" Liu Shuang asked softly. Her concerns were different from Wang Ping’s.
"As long as you devote yourself to your cultivation, you will get there one day."
"Oh." Liu Shuang sounded slightly disappointed. Her dark eyes stared at the pit for a long time, and even after they had walked quite a distance away, she still turned back to gaze at it a few more times.
"Her emotions are sometimes low, sometimes high!" Yu Lian said, coiling around Wang Ping’s arm. Her head rested against Wang Ping’s cheek, her eyes unblinkingly studying Liu Shuang.
Wang Ping’s quick pace faltered. He turned to look at Liu Shuang, then sensed the emotions of the other disciples and said, "Each of you has your own Dao. As long as you focus on your cultivation and succeed in Foundation Establishment before you are a hundred years old, you will one day have the chance to become a Secret Technique Cultivator. Take that step, and even the Third Realm is not impossible!"
Hearing this, the young fourth-generation disciples were filled with motivation. Most of the third-generation disciples, however, remained expressionless. Some even glanced back at the dark pit, now blurry in the distance.
Time changes many people’s perspectives. A person will think about the same thing differently as a youth, a young adult, a middle-aged person, and an elder, each time with different conclusions and feelings. Reaching Foundation Establishment within a century sounds simple, but how many can truly persevere?
Besides... there was also the limitation of one’s innate talent.