Make the Immortal Sect Great Again

Outside Longxing County City.

This place was not far from Front Village. It was a peach grove with a babbling brook winding through the trees. The scenery was breathtaking, completely untouched by the dust of the mundane world.

Madam Su sat sideways on a large bluestone beside the stream. Her skirt was hitched up, revealing fair, delicate feet resting gently in the water.

A few petals drifted along the stream’s clear, rippling surface, which reflected her exquisite face. A warm breeze caressed her cheeks and fluttered the loose strands of dark hair across her forehead. Madam Su simply stared blankly at her own reflection. She had fled in such a hurry that she hadn’t even had time to change her dress.

Suddenly, footsteps approached.

Although they had known each other for only seven days, she was already deeply familiar with the person approaching. Without looking back, she murmured, ”Sorry, I’d like some quiet.”

”Sure.”

The newcomer smiled and nodded, then reached out and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He sniffed lightly at the nape of her neck. ”You can have all the quiet you want.”

How was this letting her have some quiet?

Madam Su wanted to scold him, but he held her tight, preventing her from turning around. Feeling his hot breath against her neck, her body went weak before she could even utter a word.This only made her want to cry more.

How had she ended up like this? She knew full well that the man holding her was the very reason she was in such dire straits, yet she couldn’t muster any real resentment.

They had barely known each other for half a month.

Looking back now, the days she had spent trapped in her mansion in the Capital, locked away by Chen Haoyan, actually paled in comparison to the joy she had found in these past seven days.

”You... you’re bullying me...”

The pampered canary curled into herself, her voice lacking any real bite. ”You shameless scoundrel. You’ve harbored ill intentions from the very beginning, haven’t you?”

”How could I?” Wang Ping replied, his face a picture of righteous indignation.

”To tell you the truth, I actually have no interest in women.”

Wang Ping gently soothed the slightly struggling woman in his arms and whispered, ”Madam, let’s not twist the truth. Ask your own conscience—was it really my fault?”

Madam Su lightly bit her lower lip. Memories of that day suddenly flooded her mind, and a deep blush crept across her fair cheeks. She knew perfectly well what had happened. Rather than him harboring ill intentions, it was more accurate to say that she had been unable to control her own passions. But how could she possibly admit something like that out loud?

”You forced me...”

Madam Su’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum.

Seeing this, Wang Ping didn’t argue. He simply smiled and said, ”Alright, alright, it’s my fault. Please don’t blame me, Madam. I’ll make it up to you right now.”

”That’s more like it...”

The canary whimpered, wanting to struggle a bit more, but the warmth of his embrace brought her an unprecedented sense of peace. A wave of exhaustion washed over her.

It felt as if, as long as he was here, she didn’t need to worry about anything.

Her family property being coveted by others, her complete lack of martial strength, being implicated in the assassination of the magistrate, and finally being forced to flee the city under the cover of night—she no longer wanted to dwell on any of it.

Just like last night, when Wang Ping had reached out his hand to take her away, she had agreed without a single shred of hesitation.

Perhaps from that very moment, she had stopped overthinking.

At this thought, she relaxed even further.

”My love...” she murmured, her voice dreamy. ”Back then... did you truly have feelings for me and were just playing hard to get, or did you only want those martial arts manuals?”

”For the martial arts, of course.”

Wang Ping replied without a second of hesitation. The beauty in his arms was clearly displeased with this answer and immediately began to struggle, but he held her down even tighter.

”I originally planned to avoid responsibility, take the martial arts, and slip away quietly. But I couldn’t resist in the end, which is why I’m stuck dragging dead weight around this time.”

”Who’s dead weight?”

Madam Su puffed out her cheeks. Despite being a fully matured woman, she now showed the petulance of a young girl. ”It’s obvious that I was dragged into this mess by you, you jinx.”

”My fault, my fault.”

Wang Ping offered a prompt apology. ”As things stand, it would be best for you to find a way back to the Capital Su Family. Otherwise, wandering around out here by yourself won’t be safe anywhere.”

”Also, I really am the one who killed Chen Haoyan.”

This sudden confession made Madam Su’s body go completely rigid. Wang Ping let out a muffled grunt but still enunciated every word clearly.

”His crimes deserved death. If you harbor any resentment in your heart...”

”Good that you killed him!”

Hearing this, Madam Su inexplicably turned around to face Wang Ping with an indignant look. She bit her lower lip fiercely. ”My only regret is that I couldn’t slaughter that bastard with my own two hands!”

”...I see.” Wang Ping nodded, not asking any further questions.

Instead, it was Madam Su who suddenly grew curious. ”You thought I’d hold a grudge... What would you have done if I told you I wanted revenge?”

”Do you even have to ask?”

Wang Ping looked dead serious. ”If you really planned to get revenge, Madam, I would have had no choice but to ruthlessly crush a beautiful flower.”

Madam Su: ”...”

This man was an absolute blockhead. Why did he have to be so brutally honest? The mood had been perfect, yet he didn’t know the first thing about whispering sweet nothings to make her happy.

Still, unlike Chen Haoyan, she actually quite liked... this kind of badness.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a sudden lurch shocked her out of her daze as her feet left the ground. She let out a panicked yelp.

”You... wait, wait a minute!”

Madam Su wanted to say more, but the canary, now launched into the sky, began to sing at the top of its lungs, completely scattering her thoughts. She couldn’t form another word.

This wretched man. She clearly hadn’t asked for revenge, yet here he was, ruthlessly crushing the flower anyway.

...

The expected pursuit never arrived. This made sense; with Xu Bingzheng so gravely injured, his first priority would undoubtedly be locking down the flow of information so as not to expose his weakness.

Even if he wanted to issue arrest warrants and hunt them down, it would have to wait until he stabilized his own wounds.

As dusk fell, Liu Ye finally awoke from his stupor. Feeling that the hostile Internal Force had been completely purged from his body, a bitter smile tugged at his lips.

”I really owe a massive favor this time.”

A puppet manipulated by the Enslaved Dragon Force didn’t lose its consciousness; it simply lost control over its own body. Therefore, he remembered every detail of what had happened last night.

Because of this, he understood exactly how perilous his situation had been. It was an almost certain death sentence. Xu Bingzheng never would have left him alive as a witness. If Wang Ping hadn’t driven Xu Bingzheng back at the final moment and dragged Liu Ye along when he fled, his old life would have been forfeit.

This life-saving grace was a debt he was unable to repay in words.

At this thought, Liu Ye struggled to his feet, planning to thank Wang Ping in person. However, as he walked into the peach grove, he saw only a man and a woman.

Liu Ye blinked in surprise and looked closer.

Before him, it seemed the man was teaching the woman martial arts. He had her hold a specific stance, his hands roaming freely over her body as he helped correct her posture.

’Is that... Madam Su?’

Liu Ye’s jaw dropped. As a veteran of the County Yamen, he had seen Madam Su before. She had made an appearance back when Chen Haoyan hosted a banquet at the Su Family estate.

Yet, in stark contrast to his memory of the elegant, mature, and extraordinarily noble Madam Su of the Capital, the woman before him was currently putting on a display of charming coquettishness. Seemingly tired halfway through her martial arts practice, she simply let her body go limp, collapsing straight into the man’s arms and snuggling comfortably against his chest.

Liu Ye was dumbfounded.

Was he seeing things? Was this really the same Madam Su who had preferred death over submitting to Chen Haoyan? How had she ended up like this?

The noble lady of a great house... this was simply indecent!

For a moment, Liu Ye gazed at Wang Ping as if looking at a god among men. It seemed the man’s renowned moniker throughout the county city, the Great Dragon Spear, truly hadn’t been given in vain.

On the other side, Wang Ping had also noticed Liu Ye.

”You’re awake, old brother?”

At this, Madam Su glanced over. Her beautiful face stiffened slightly upon seeing Liu Ye, but she quickly regained her dignified composure.

It was Liu Ye who suddenly found himself at a loss for what to do.

Wang Ping didn’t seem to mind the awkwardness. He continued, ”I’ve already purged the venomous Internal Force from your body. You should be back to normal after another three or four days of rest.”

”But you saw what happened last night. Even though that dog official fled with severe injuries, he’s still a Titled Martial Master. His backing in the imperial court is likely substantial. Once he catches his breath, he’ll definitely put out a nationwide warrant for my arrest, and the pursuit won’t stop. The root of all this trouble lies with me, though.”

Liu Ye nodded, his expression complicated.

”That pill... never mind. Even if we handed it back now, there’s no chance of a peaceful resolution. The county magistrate is absolutely ruthless. He’s bound to try and silence us permanently.”

”Exactly.”

Wang Ping let out a soft chuckle. ”But you don’t need to worry about that. I have the pill, which means that dog official will be focusing all his attention on me. The two of you are actually perfectly safe.”

”As long as you aren’t traveling with me, that is.”

Before he even finished speaking, Wang Ping felt Madam Su’s grip tighten around his hand. He looked back to see sheer panic written across her delicate features.

”Be good.”

Wang Ping gently patted her hand.

He then turned back to Liu Ye, his expression turning serious. ”Since things have come to this, I won’t hide anything from you. With that dog official heavily injured, I plan to risk it all on one decisive strike.”

Liu Ye caught his meaning instantly. ”You... you’re going back to kill him?!”

”That’s right. I’m going all in this time.”

Wang Ping smiled casually. ”It’s two birds with one stone. If I kill that dog official, all our troubles will vanish like smoke. You’d be able to return to the county city safely, too.”

”Even if I fail and he manages to kill me, I’ll definitely leave him with even worse injuries. I’ve prepared a backup plan too. He won’t walk away unscathed. At the very least, he won’t have the time or energy to come looking for you. Given your skills, you shouldn’t have any trouble changing your name and starting over somewhere else.”

”I can even point you toward a golden opportunity.”

Wang Ping pointed in the direction of the Capital. ”You surely know of the Capital Su Family. I want you to go there and deliver a message for me.”

”Madam Su is a noble daughter of the Su Family.”

”Although she’s fallen on hard times and left home, she still has trusted connections in the Capital. If you deliver this message, they will reward your merit handsomely. You won’t lack for wealth.”

Wang Ping spoke clearly, emphasizing every word.

It was obvious he hadn’t just come up with this on the fly. It was a carefully considered plan, one that provided the safest possible arrangement for both Liu Ye and Madam Su.

Of course, this alone was not enough.

In truth, though Liu Ye hadn’t noticed, Wang Ping had left a little surprise behind when he purged Xu Bingzheng’s Enslaved Dragon Force from the man’s body last night.

Simply put, he had converted a fraction of his own Internal Force to replace Xu Bingzheng’s, planting it deep inside Liu Ye. Should the need arise, Wang Ping could use it to completely dominate the man’s actions. It was an insurance policy to guarantee Liu Ye followed the plan, rather than getting any bright ideas or turning around and selling them out.

’One can never be too careful...’

Wang Ping sighed inwardly. Based on what he knew of Liu Ye, the man was unlikely to betray him, but who could guarantee they would never misjudge someone?

...

Liu Ye departed.

The old veteran was as astute as they came. After trying to dissuade Wang Ping a few times, he realized the young man’s mind was made up and dropped the subject. He immediately set off toward the Capital, prepared to travel day and night.

Wang Ping was quite pleased to see this. At the very least, it proved he hadn’t misjudged the man.

The moment he was gone, Madam Su immediately pressed herself against Wang Ping.

”Please conduct yourself with dignity, Madam...”

Wang Ping reached out to gently push her away, but in an uncharacteristic display of strength, she pried his hands apart and threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace, as if trying to melt him directly into her own body.

”It’s been a whole day. Let’s eat something first.”

Wang Ping felt a bit helpless and hurriedly deflected. ”Since we’re out in the wilderness, I’ll let you try my family’s secret recipe for grilled chicken wraps. My dad was the one who taught me how to make them...”

His voice abruptly cut off.

A desolate look washed over Wang Ping’s face.

Back when he first transmigrated into this world, he had missed his parents, but the feeling hadn’t been overwhelming. Yet, at this exact moment, the grief suddenly hit him like a tidal wave.

He couldn’t hold it back no matter how hard he tried.

For a brief moment, Wang Ping actually choked up.

It took a while before he finally managed to collect himself. Taking out the Jade Hairpin that had concealed the Heavenly Roc Dragon Capture Physique Diagram, he deliberately changed the subject.

”Right, I still have some serious business to ask you about... Do you know exactly what kind of material this hairpin is made from?”

At the same time, he set about preparing their meal. He gathered some firewood, brought out the wild pheasant he had hunted earlier, set up a simple spit, and got to work roasting it.

Madam Su watched him work and answered softly, ”It’s Mind-Clearing Jade.”

”Wearing this jade helps calm the mind and soothe the emotions. It isn’t particularly rare in the Capital. Any family that has produced an extraordinary person will usually have a few pieces in their collection.”

”Extraordinary person?”

Hearing that term again, Wang Ping raised a brow. ”Like the one at Youren Temple? Where do all these extraordinary people even come from?”

”They come from the Fangxian Dao.”

Madam Su explained, ”During the imperial examinations every year, the court selects a handful of scholars. Instead of assigning them official posts, they are sent to the Fangxian Dao.”

”Years later—sometimes a few, sometimes over a decade—these individuals reappear as extraordinary alchemists. The court then dispatches them across the country to establish local branches.”

”They are called extraordinary people because they have all mastered bizarre, arcane arts that are entirely separate from martial arts.” Here, a deep blush painted Madam Su’s pretty face. ”For example, the extraordinary ancestor of my Su Family once passed down a secret art... one that can help a martial artist break through a bottleneck.”

”...Is that true?”

Wang Ping immediately sat up straight. Madam Su offered a soft hum and murmured, ”Of course it’s true. Practically everyone in the clan learns that secret art.”

”If everyone learns it, it can’t be too difficult, right?”

Wang Ping turned back to the roasting pheasant. Using his Internal Force to speed up the cooking, he was finished in no time. He wrapped up a long chicken wrap and offered it to Madam Su.

”The art is called Knocking on the Immortal Gate. It truly isn’t difficult.”

”Put simply, it allows a martial artist to stockpile their essence, energy, and spirit, holding it back until they need it, at which point it can be unleashed all at once.” Madam Su accepted the chicken wrap Wang Ping offered her.

”In that instant, the martial artist’s essence, energy, and spirit are pushed to their absolute limits, vastly increasing their comprehension. Martial arts that were previously incomprehensible can be mastered with ease. The duration depends entirely on the martial artist’s stamina, and the art can be used repeatedly. If there is a drawback, it’s that it places an immense, draining strain on the body...”

There was such a miraculous skill?!

Seeing Wang Ping’s utter shock, Madam Su felt an inexplicable surge of pride. ”Because of this, the daughters of the Su Family have never had to worry about finding husbands.”

”Could you teach me, Madam?” Wang Ping asked, thoroughly intrigued.

Hearing this, Madam Su’s face turned bright red. She lowered her voice and said, ”I can, but... this extraordinary art is quite unique. It’s generally passed on mouth-to-mouth...”

Wang Ping eagerly leaned in. ”Please, enlighten me, Madam.”

Madam Su rolled her eyes at him. Raising a slender hand, she brushed the loose dark hair at her temples behind her ear. Then, between bites of the chicken wrap, she began to impart the secret art to Wang Ping.

The crux of it all came down to a single word:

[Suck].

”...Hiss!”

Having received this instruction, Wang Ping gasped, utterly stunned by the sheer profundity of this secret art.

”Hold it!”

Seeing his reaction, Madam Su quickly spoke in a heavier tone. ”Practicing this secret art is very demanding. You need to focus completely. Whatever you do, don’t let your guard down too early...”