Wang Ping had already guessed Xia Yao’s plan, and he felt nothing about the outco. His only concern now was Su Hai, who was, after all, the descendant Su Dun had entrusted to him.
"Brother Su’s mission is to guard the border pass. It’s nothing major. He lost contact because the Court issued an order forbidding all border soldiers from communicating with the outside world."
After replying, Zhang Xinghuai added, "This northern expedition is very strange. Realm-entering generals like Brother Su have all been stationed at the border passes, while the ones actually sent out were... were..."
He couldn’t find the right words for a mont and could only lower his head and say, "The armies sent beyond the northern passes were extrely weak."
The current uproar across the land was inextricably linked to the previously announced victories. In the eyes of the common people and scholars of the realm, the Court had lost a war it should have won.
"Are you saying that the Emperor, the royal dukes and nobles, the Ministers of Political Affairs, the heads of the Six Ministries, and even the border soldiers all followed Fellow Daoist Xia Yao’s suggestion to sacrifice the lives of over a hundred thousand soldiers just to put on a show for us?"
Wang Ping stared at Zhang Xinghuai.
Zhang Xinghuai’s cultivation of the Path of Worldly Life was still lacking; he wasn’t as perceptive as Liu Zixiu. ’Perhaps this is what Liu Zixiu wanted to see,’ Wang Ping thought. ’He wants to use Zhang Xinghuai to remind of sothing.’
"Martial Uncle, this world has always been a stage," Zhang Xinghuai replied with a fist-and-palm salute.
"What are you trying to say?" Wang Ping asked directly.
"The way I see it, the North is the next to fall into chaos. For the True Yang Sect to have agreed to this war, they must be targeting the Sun Sect in the Northern Continent."
Zhang Xinghuai’s words sent Wang Ping into deep thought. Zhang Xinghuai kept his head lowered and continued, "How many brilliant individuals has a century of peace and prosperity produced in the vast and resource-rich Zhongzhou? They are suffocated by the rules of the mundane world, and the Northern Country will be their outlet. They will use this northern expedition to establish countless new cultivation lineages."
"No matter how dedicated the Sun Sect’s ascetic Cultivators are, surely they wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen."
Hearing this, Zhang Xinghuai suddenly began to speak faster. "For the Xia Dynasty to have made such a move, in my opinion, is no different from seeking its own doom! Martial Uncle, I dare say with certainty that sooner or later, this realm will fall under a new na!"
Wang Ping couldn’t help but look Zhang Xinghuai up and down. He had to admit he had misjudged the man. The Path of Worldly Life this fellow cultivated was far more ’radical’ than that of his Second Brother, Liu Zixiu.
"You certainly think far ahead, but you have to live long enough to see it." Wang Ping cut Zhang Xinghuai off and asked, "Have you decided how you plan to enter the realm?"
"The Wood Gathering Skill. I only need three hundred years of life," Zhang Xinghuai said with a fist-and-palm salute. "I believe the heavens will at least grant that much ti."
"Maintain this state of mind, and your breakthrough will be inevitable. Otherwise, you will fail."
"Thank you for the reminder, Martial Uncle."
...
Zhang Xinghuai’s ambition was to reshape the world and attempt to forge a new Divine Artifact, not to seize the existing one.
This piqued Wang Ping’s interest considerably, and he tacitly approved of Zhang Xinghuai’s ideas. He could provide so resources to help when the ti was right, but of course, he would also have to cut ties decisively if it beca necessary.
Yu Cheng Taoist shared Wang Ping’s attitude.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Just as Zhang Xinghuai’s intelligence had suggested, the Imperial Family pushed Xia Yao into the spotlight. Following that, Emperor Jianwu issued an edict, ordering her, in her capacity as a Princess of the Xia Dynasty, to take command of two Imperial Guard regints and a Demon Race army and head north to rally the remnants of the defeated forces.
Wang Ping simply chuckled when he heard the news and paid it no further mind. His Ten Thousand Year Spirit Wood had arrived. Besides, the current situation was a clash between titans; if he got involved, he would most likely end up as collateral damage.
「Ti flew by.」
In the blink of an eye, it was the Jianwu 15th Year. Wang Ping’s progress in fusing his divine soul with the Spirit Communication Talisman and Luck-Borrowing Talisman had reached (25/100).
In the ninth month of late autumn, Wang Ping was in his woodworking shop, crafting his fortieth Golden Armor Soldier, when Yu Lian suddenly descended from the sky. She hung by the window and said to Wang Ping, "Good news from the front lines! Xia Yao’s army has reached Heaven-Abandoned Mountain."
A map imdiately appeared in Wang Ping’s mind. "So the eight-hundred-li Yunhai Grassland belongs to the Court now!" he said.
"That’s right!"
Wang Ping put down the half-finished puppet in his hands and looked outside at Shen Xiaozhu, who was engrossed in studying scriptures of the Taoist Family. "It’s about ti Xiaozhu had her own Dao Field," he said.
"I was starting to think you’d forgotten about that," Yu Lian said, overjoyed. She was the one primarily responsible for Shen Xiaozhu’s cultivation.
"I have a feeling sothing else good is going to happen today."
As Wang Ping spoke, he looked up at the sky. A small black dot in the flawless sky grew larger and larger, finally landing on the workshop window.
It was a gray Puppet Bird.
Wang Ping picked it up and opened the chanism in its abdon that held a letter.
"It’s a reply from Yuan Zheng."
"Is it about improving Xiaozhu’s aptitude?" Yu Lian asked quickly.
"Yes!"
"Hurry and open it!"
Hearing her, Wang Ping smiled and sat down on the chair by the window. Yu Lian perched on his shoulder, and they both turned their gazes to the letter.
"He actually agreed!"
Yu Lian was ecstatic. In the Inspiration Realm, her emotions were currently brimming over.
Wang Ping, however, read on to see what he would have to give in return. The condition was the sa as the price for improving aptitude: to perform the ’Borrowing Fortune Technique’ once for one of Yuan Zheng Taoist’s Direct Disciples, to bless their promotion.
This would cost him anywhere from thirty to fifty years of his lifespan.
The cost was about what Wang Ping had expected. In the Second Realm, his lifespan was eight hundred years without the aid of Elixirs, and with the help of certain special Elixirs, it could be extended to a maximum of twelve hundred. This small amount of his lifespan was nothing.
"Well?"
"The price is worth it!"
He was planning to break through to the Third Realm next. Although he had the guidance of his luminous panel, he still intended to train a successor first. That would give him more peace of mind.
Afterward, Wang Ping wrote a letter in his own hand, and Yu Lian eagerly called Shen Xiaozhu over.
Wang Ping gave Shen Xiaozhu instructions, just as Yu Cheng Taoist had once done, then told her to take his handwritten letter back to Hu Mountain Country and find Yuan Zheng Taoist of the Upper Dan Sect to have her aptitude improved.
After taking the letter, Shen Xiaozhu perford a deep, formal kowtow to Wang Ping.
「Ten days later.」
Yu Lian shooed Shen Xiaozhu out of the Mountain Peak Dojo, telling her to set off for Hu Mountain Country at once.
After she left, Yu Lian flew around the Wood Spirit Array within the Nine Extres Array every day, searching for a suitable treasured location for Shen Xiaozhu to establish her Dao Field.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Spring Festival again. This year was a little quieter; Zuo Xuan was away on a mission, so only Hu Qianqian ca to visit Wang Ping, bringing Hu Xin with her.
「March.」
Zhang Xinghuai ca to report the Court’s intention to build a city on the Yunhai Grassland. Moreover, this city would beco Xia Yao’s personal fiefdom!
Around the middle of the month, a travel-worn Shen Xiaozhu returned to the Mountain Peak Dojo.
Her aptitude had been elevated to the superior grade!
Wang Ping imdiately summoned Yang Hou and had him arrange a grand disciple-acceptance ceremony in the front hall. He was going to formally accept Shen Xiaozhu into his tutelage.
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