Chapter 217: Chapter 106: Restarting the Northern Strategy

When Wang Ping heard Zuo Xuan’s explanation, his mind subconsciously conjured a scene of a barren and ruined land. He looked at her with a serious expression and asked, "How severe is the contamination? Can it be repaired with a Five Elements Formation?"

"I’ve considered that as well, so I’ve already sent a carrier pigeon to Daoist Zi Luan. We should have a definitive answer before long." Zuo Xuan was an astute woman who understood the devastation this could wreak upon the mortal world, where common people relied on the land to grow their food.

Wang Ping thought for a moment before instructing, "Follow up on this personally. Be sure to inform me once you have a result."

"Alright!"

Zuo Xuan agreed and was about to return to her Dao Field, but Wang Ping spoke again. "You’ve advanced to the Second Realm. Don’t you want to hold a gathering to celebrate?"

"There’s no need. I’m just a minor figure. I have few friends and a fair number of enemies. The last thing I want is to attract a crowd of them." Zuo Xuan was joking. In reality, she was very well-liked in Nanlin Road.

"It’s entirely up to you." Wang Ping didn’t press the matter.

Zuo Xuan started to leave again, but she stopped at the courtyard gate as if suddenly remembering something. She took out Wang Ping’s Patrol Envoy identity token. Just as she was about to hand it back, Wang Ping smiled. "You keep it. I don’t need it, and it will make things more convenient for you."

Wang Ping was now a prominent figure in the Nanlin Road Cultivation World; he only needed to display an ordinary identity token when he flew.

"Alright, then!"

Zuo Xuan did indeed need it. It was incredibly convenient, especially when she had to travel around on business.

After Zuo Xuan left, Wang Ping took out a bamboo slip on which he had carved special Sealing Runes and recorded the matter she had described. The Purgatory Banner’s Artifact Spirit, Nether Water, floated over curiously for a look. Finding it couldn’t read a single character, it didn’t ask what was being written. Instead, it retreated to the side to whisper complaints to Tongyu Taoist.

The bamboo slip was for recording matters Wang Ping intuitively felt were important. At the very top of the list were the changes in the political situation of the Xia Country’s imperial court.

After finishing his record, Wang Ping glanced around the empty courtyard. His morning practice was already complete, so he changed into a set of loose-fitting clothes and took out a couple of books to read at his leisure.

「The next day.」

Yu Lian and Shen Xiaozhu returned, and with them was a boy of about twelve or thirteen. He wore an ill-fitting brocade robe and was very thin, but he looked healthy and was full of spirit.

"What’s your name?" Wang Ping asked, sizing up the young boy.

"Wang Yang!" the boy answered, hiding behind Shen Xiaozhu with a hint of nervousness.

"Wang Yang. It sounds like ’vast ocean.’ A good name." Wang Ping turned to Shen Xiaozhu. "For now, he will be in charge of the miscellaneous chores around the Dao Field. He can begin his cultivation when he has the entire place cleaned."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yu Lian, who understood his intentions instantly.

"Also, there’s no room for him in my courtyard at the moment. Have him stay with the attendants outside the garden for now. Go and arrange it."

This time, Wang Ping was taking a special interest in this descendant of the Wang Family.

"Yes!" Shen Xiaozhu accepted the order and led Wang Yang out of the courtyard.

Yu Lian waited until they were out of earshot before saying, "If you have him living and eating with the attendants outside, I’m afraid you’ll just end up raising a little young master."

"If that happens, he can go right back to where he came from."

"Then you’ll be searching for a long time," Yu Lian retorted. "Kids that age don’t even know what they want."

"Then we’ll find a way to make them figure it out."

A flicker of emotion crossed Yu Lian’s face at his words before she said, "That’s true, I suppose."

The story of Wang Li’s failure soon became common knowledge. Some laughed and others sighed, but no one pitied him. Liu Shuang made a special trip back to ask about the situation—after all, she had practically raised him—but in the end, all she could do was sigh.

Perhaps because of Wang Li’s cautionary tale, Wang Yang, despite his meek appearance, knew exactly why he was here. He didn’t let the Gatekeepers’ compliments go to his head.

Time passed slowly. Five more years went by in the blink of an eye.

Wang Ping’s progress in fusing the Spirit Communication Talisman and the Luck-Borrowing Talisman with his divine soul had reached 4 out of 100. He had taken the first step on a journey of ten thousand li.

In mid-March, during the height of the busy farming season, the academy at the foot of the mountain suddenly saw an influx of visitors.

After completing his daily meditation, Wang Ping looked out at the newly cleared training ground beyond his courtyard, where Shen Xiaozhu was supervising Wang Yang’s practice of the Chang Chun Technique.

Yu Lian suddenly descended from the sky. "The old Emperor died again," she announced. "The new reign title is Jianwu."

’Jianwu... This new Emperor certainly has lofty ambitions.’

Wang Ping used Wood Spirit Qi to lift himself into the air and gaze down at the bustling academy below. The students inside were engaged in lofty debates. Some would then run off to the flower boats for a good time, parading the grand theories they’d learned at the academy. Only a small fraction of them actually put their ideas into practice.

Yu Lian took in the scene and remarked with a sigh, "The road from the plaza up to the Daoist Temple seems to divide the world in two."

Wang Ping let out a soft chuckle. "You and I have been cultivating for over a hundred years, and we’ve never truly taken in the splendor of the mortal world. Since we’re in a rare mood for it today, why don’t we go down for a look?"

"Oh, yes! I’ve been wanting to try the grilled shrimp on the flower boats for ages."

"..."

...

Wang Ping found the largest flower boat. It was designed to look like a ship, but in reality, it was just a pavilion built over the river.

The entrance opened into a massive atrium with a stage constructed from huge timbers. A storyteller was currently on stage, vividly recounting the heroic deeds of Wang Kang, who had marched north to reclaim lost territory a century ago. Below, students from all over listened, completely enthralled.

"General Wang, wielding his Golden Ring Horse-Cutting Saber and clad in Golden Chain Armor, rode the Yellow Dragon Steed gifted by the Emperor himself! He personally led five hundred of his finest soldiers and was the first to set foot on the Beiguan City Wall..."

As Wang Ping listened to the tale, a madam led him to a private room on the second floor with the best view. The moment he stepped inside, he heard the light, quick melody of a woman’s singing. It blended perfectly with the story being told below, stirring the listeners’ blood until it boiled with passion.

Following the sound, he saw another stage on the eastern side of the second floor. On it were two women. One, a graceful figure in a red dress, skillfully played the guzheng. The other, her hair flowing freely, was the singer, using her beautiful voice to please the guests without overpowering the storyteller below.

"General Wang was the first to breach the wall! He carved a path through the Rebel Army on the Beiguan City Wall, creating a scene of utter chaos as a river of blood flowed in his wake..."

The storyteller’s voice grew more passionate, and shouts of approval rose from the main hall and private rooms. The woman’s song swelled to match, becoming more stirring. Even Wang Ping found himself engrossed.

"The battle raged for three days and three nights! After General Wang beheaded the rebel commander, he took a seat in the commander’s own chair. There, under the watchful eyes of his vanguard soldiers, he slowly closed his eyes for the last time..."

The song suddenly turned plaintive, casting a heavy, sorrowful mood over the entire venue.

As the story concluded, a young man in a brocade robe at the front of the hall immediately raised his cup. "Today, the Northern Country again threatens our borders! This time, we must follow General Wang Kang’s example and sweep them from the snowy plains!"

Wang Ping watched the impassioned young men below and couldn’t help but sigh. "Junior Brother Wang has become an object of worship. ’This is probably what he always wanted, wasn’t it?’"