Some things go awry, no matter how well you plan.
For instance, at this very moment, Wang Ping had thought he was only dealing with an ordinary corruption case in the county town. But when he followed Feng Miao and Cheng Ji's auras to a residence outside the Garrison City, he was met with the sight of a sky filled with fire. He quickly performed a divination.
It was manageable.
So, he quickened his pace. As he neared the residence, he concealed himself in the darkness and peered toward the flames. The first thing he saw was a group of fleeing servants, and amidst the chaos, he could hear the clash of weapons.
"There are demons!"
Yu Lian whispered a warning.
Wang Ping's gaze sharpened. After performing another divination, he leaped onto the roof of the main house. He then saw three armored Tiger Demons in the backyard below, surrounding Feng Miao and Cheng Ji. On a nearby walkway, several Crossbowmen were poised to strike at any moment.
'A fight to the death!'
Wang Ping suppressed the rage building in his chest. He flipped down, landing on the walkway. As his steel sword flashed out, he severed the tendons in one Crossbowman's wrist.
Before the first Crossbowman could even scream, Wang Ping had severed the wrist tendons of two more men nearby. Only then did their shrill cries finally echo through the night.
In a matter of seconds, the Crossbowmen on the walkway posed no further threat. Among them was a richly dressed man who had merely been watching the spectacle. Wang Ping severed the tendons in his wrists and ankles alike.
The three Tiger Demons, who had already noticed the commotion, exchanged a glance once Wang Ping had dealt with the Crossbowmen. They worked in concert to push back Feng Miao and Cheng Ji, then fled in three different directions.
As fast as he could, Wang Ping formed a hand seal with his left hand, pointed at the nearest Tiger Demon, and uttered an Imperial Decree: "Suppress!"
The targeted Tiger Demon had just leaped into the air when it was slammed down by an immense force, crashing heavily to the ground. An instant later, another wave of invisible pressure descended, causing its body and head to explode. As blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, Wang Ping roared at Feng Miao and Cheng Ji, "After them!"
Feng Miao reacted first. Her body erupted in a flash of fire as she leaped in pursuit of the Tiger Demon farthest from Wang Ping. Cheng Ji was not far behind, but as he vaulted into the air, he fired a signal flare into the sky.
Wang Ping glanced at the crushed remains of the Tiger Demon, silently reciting the Mind-Calming Formula to steady himself. He then drew upon the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian and raced in the direction Feng Miao had gone.
A few moments later, he caught sight of Feng Miao. She was swinging her long saber relentlessly, completely disregarding her dwindling Spiritual Power. She unleashed more than a dozen crescent-shaped Blazing Flames that slashed toward the fleeing Tiger Demon.
But the Tiger Demon was agile, easily dodging the Blazing Flames. Worse, the forest was only a few miles away. Once it reached the trees, it would be nearly impossible for Wang Ping and Feng Miao to catch it.
Wang Ping quickly tried to think of a countermeasure, only to realize there was nothing he could do. He abandoned the idea of continuing the chase. Up ahead, Feng Miao, though she seemed reckless, was no fool. As the forest drew ever closer, she let out a curse and gave up as well.
When they regrouped, Feng Miao cupped her hands. "Many thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist Changqing."
"Think nothing of it, Fellow Daoist."
Wang Ping returned the gesture, and the two of them hurried back to the Garrison Commander's residence. When they landed in the backyard, they saw Cheng Ji standing beside the flattened corpse of the Tiger Demon.
"Does Qianmu Temple practice Earth Vein Magic?" Cheng Ji asked.
"No, it was passed down to me by a good friend of my master," Wang Ping explained simply.
"You're really lucky, then."
"Why are you worrying about that now? Let's deal with this mess first!"
Feng Miao leaped in front of the Garrison Commander, who had fainted from pain, and quickly staunched his bleeding. She then hoisted him up, jumped onto the roof of the main house, and formed a Magic Formula. With her at its center, the massive fire that had been consuming the residence was drawn completely into her body.
This world contained the Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Five Elements Spiritual Energy. The factions that formed around them were known as the Mystic Sects. The True Yang Sect was the foremost of the fire element sects. In addition to the five major Mystic Sects, there were also two Heavenly Gates and countless minor sects.
"If there's nothing else, I'm going to head back and rest," Wang Ping said, inventing an excuse. He didn't want to deal with the inevitable trouble to come. "To be honest with you two Fellow Daoists, that was my first time in a real fight."
"Very well," Cheng Ji agreed readily, while Feng Miao sat cross-legged on the roof, meditating to recover.
「The County Town.」
When the watchman's clapper announced Midnight, Wang Ping slipped silently back into his room at the inn. The first thing he did was sit cross-legged in meditation, clearing his mind of the images of severing the Crossbowmen's tendons and slaughtering the Tiger Demon. Afterward, he slowly performed a set of the Chang Chun Technique, only then settling his mind to meditate and practice Qi Cultivation.
「Morning.」
The moment Wang Ping opened his eyes, he heard Yu Lian say, "So hungry." He had relied on Yu Lian's senses the previous night to track down Feng Miao and Cheng Ji's auras.
After feeding Yu Lian her fill, Wang Ping completed a session of marrow cleansing before opening his door. Neither Feng Miao nor Cheng Ji had returned. When he went to the front desk to check out, he saw the streets were swarming with the City Defense Army.
"What happened in town?" Wang Ping asked the Shopkeeper.
"A notice went up first thing this morning! The County Magistrate and the Garrison Commander were colluding with demons from the mountains. Just Half an Hour ago, the prison cart carrying the County Magistrate passed right by our door. The soldiers outside were dispatched overnight from two neighboring counties. I also heard an Immortal Master from the True Yang Sect arrived on a crane this morning…"
The Shopkeeper's eyes shone as he spoke, as if he could go on about it forever.
Wang Ping listened quietly. After checking out, he bought some dried meat for Yu Lian. Just as he was about to set off, Feng Miao and Cheng Ji walked into the inn.
"Are you continuing your journey, Fellow Daoist?" Cheng Ji asked, noticing Wang Ping's travel pack.
"Yes." Wang Ping had already told them he was on a mission from his master to deliver a letter to the Upper Dan Sect, but he hadn't revealed a single detail beyond that.
"We really owe you for this, Fellow Daoist. On your way back, remember to find us in the Changwen Prefecture City. My senior sister Feng Miao and I have been taking missions from the Daoist Scripture Hall there for years."
"If I have the time, I'll be sure to pay you a visit."
"Also, the reward for this operation was substantial. Here." Feng Miao produced a thumb-sized gold ingot. "This is your share, converted into gold."
Wang Ping accepted it without ceremony.
The common currency of this world was gold ingots, which were also used for trade among Cultivators. The legendary Spirit Stones did not exist here. Spirit Wood and Spirit Grass, on the other hand, were real, and could be purchased with gold ingots.
"One more thing," she added. "If you want to leave now, we'll have to escort you out. The town is under lockdown."
"Then I'll have to trouble you both."
…
After leaving Yuanning County Town, Wang Ping followed the direction Cheng Ji had indicated and soon found a main road running along the coast. As he traveled along it, gazing out at the boundless sea, his spirits lifted.
Wherever there were shallows along the coast, fishing nets had been hung. Some areas of the sea were even fenced off with bamboo partitions. Wang Ping had originally planned to walk along the coast so he could catch some fish and shrimp for Yu Lian, but it now seemed that wouldn't be possible.
Before nightfall, Wang Ping reached the outskirts of a fishing village. He bought some fresh shrimp to feed Yu Lian and was preparing to find a spot outdoors to meditate and rest. But the heavens had other plans, and it began to rain. He had no choice but to seek shelter for the night in a family's thatched shed.
Late in the night, at some unknown hour, Wang Ping's eyes snapped open. In the faint light, he saw a tabby cat standing on the low, rammed-earth courtyard wall with a mouse in its mouth. It was staring at him with curiosity.
Wang Ping smiled at the sight, then resumed his meditation and Qi Cultivation.
The tabby cat studied Wang Ping for another moment before leaping down from the wall. It took shelter from the rain under the eaves and devoured its meal. While grooming its fur, it seemed to recall something. With a few quick bounds, it was back on the wall, staring at the meditating Wang Ping for a long while. Then, it slowly crept over to sit beside him, absorbing the Spiritual Qi that was gathering in the air.