Chapter 48: The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

That Liu Zhengfeng wanted to see him was entirely within Wang Jingyuan’s expectations. How bad could an old fellow who loved music possibly be? Although his methods had been a bit underhanded, he had ultimately helped him.

Moreover, Wang Jingyuan had deliberately left a leeway. Should the Mount Song Sect ever come looking for trouble again in the future, the second volume of his pulp novel, *Resentment Born of Love*, would hit the shelves.

With such stellar customer service, could a good-natured soul like Liu Zhengfeng fail to reward him handsomely?

Accompanied by a disciple of the Mount Heng Sect, Wang Jingyuan arrived at the Liu residence once more. By this time, the estate had been mostly packed up; small valuables and household items had been stowed away into crates of various sizes, piled onto the carriages waiting outside.

Upon entering the interior, Wang Jingyuan was escorted by Liu Zhengfeng’s disciple, Xiang Daha, to the back courtyard. A pavilion stood in the center of the courtyard, where Liu Zhengfeng was currently seated. Aside from him, there were two others—an elder and a youth, who looked like a grandfather and grandchild. They appeared to be strangers he had never laid eyes on before.

However, the nameplates floating above their heads betrayed their identities.

After leading Wang Jingyuan to the back courtyard, Xiang Daha took his leave directly, giving the group some privacy. Wang Jingyuan walked into the pavilion and casually sat down. "I didn't expect you people to have such a trick up your sleeves. These skin-masks are quite lifelike, aren't they?"

Qu Feiyan frowned. "You could even tell?"

"I have a special knack for recognizing people. Unless someone is minced into fine meat paste, nobody can hide from me." Wang Jingyuan had a sudden realization at that moment: if someone were to slaughter his chicken now, even if that person wrapped themselves up like a zongzi the next time they appeared before him, he would probably still recognize them with ease. Then, he would pull out a massive cleaver and hack them into a blossoming peach tree.

*Sigh! In the end, we all grow up to become the very people we once despised.*

While Wang Jingyuan was still spacing out, something dark and heavy was pushed across the table toward him. Looking closely, he saw it was a token carved from ebony. The front of the token was engraved with an auspicious cloud supporting the sun and moon shining together.

Wang Jingyuan picked up the token and examined it carefully. "Is this the Black Wood Token?"

Qu Yang nodded. "Indeed, this is the Black Wood Token. Even within the Holy Cult, not all elders and hall masters possess one. Unfortunately, I failed the Young Mistress's trust. Upon quitting the pugilistic world this time, this Black Wood Token should have been returned to her, but the Young Mistress was unwilling to see me.

"After thinking it over, I decided to hand this token to you instead. Perhaps it will prove greatly useful to you later on. This token will not be counted among those three favors."

Wang Jingyuan tossed the token up and down in his hand, offering a composed and cynical remark: "You certainly calculate well. Once this thing falls into my hands, it will mostly be used to sabotage the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

"You are the Saintess's person, and she belongs to the opposition. No matter how I undermine the Sun Moon Holy Cult, that is a headache for the ruling party, benefiting her without a single drawback.

Before you retire from the martial world, you're still thinking of helping her one last time. However, I might as well be frank with you: my plans do indeed involve a direct confrontation with the Sun Moon Holy Cult. When the time comes and I turn things completely upside down, I hope you won't regret today's choice."

Qu Yang glanced at Qu Feiyan. The young girl took short, quick steps into a nearby side room and emerged carrying a basin. Wang Jingyuan found the basin vaguely familiar—it was the very same one used by Liu Zhengfeng on the day of his golden basin hand-washing ceremony.

Qu Feiyan placed the golden basin onto the stone table inside the pavilion, and Wang Jingyuan saw that it was already filled with water. Qu Yang placed his hands into it and began to wash them. "I don't have many friends, so let the two of you bear witness to my golden basin hand-washing ceremony.

"From now on, I am no longer an elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, merely an old man. The grudges, entanglements, and turmoils of the martial world have nothing to do with me anymore.

"Young Hero Wang, the three favors I owe you can only be repaid by this old man alone."

Wang Jingyuan understood Qu Yang's implication: the token was given before the hand-washing ceremony, and whatever crazy stunts Wang Jingyuan pulled with it would be a testament to his own ability.

As for Qu Yang, he had now washed his hands of the martial world. Afterward, no matter how wildly Wang Jingyuan utilized the token he had provided, Qu Yang would no longer intervene. However, those three favors owed to Wang Jingyuan would be repaid solely through his own personal strength, without mobilizing the resources of the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

Wang Jingyuan, however, did not mind. He had asked for those three favors in the first place to lay the groundwork for his future maneuvers against Black Wood Cliff. Now, as it turned out, Qu Yang had directly handed over the Black Wood Token. Since the token was not a one-time-use item and could be used repeatedly, Wang Jingyuan’s objective had already been achieved.

In hindsight, the three favors he had demanded earlier had actually become an extra bonus.

Fingering the Black Wood Token, Wang Jingyuan asked the question he cared about most: "Are all Black Wood Tokens identical? Are there any identifying marks to prove the user's identity?"

Qu Yang smiled and nodded. "Young Hero Wang is indeed clever. There are indeed hidden patterns engraved on this token. This token of mine belonged to the Young Mistress; all cult members recognize the Young Mistress, so she almost never has use for a token, which is why she bestowed it upon me.

"Ordinary cult members only know the general shape of the token. Only the Cult Leader, the Chief Steward, and other token holders know the hidden patterns carved upon it. In the vast majority of cases, this token is more than enough."

Wang Jingyuan understood completely. "Isn't this thing just like the F.B.I. badge of the Wen Family Twins? The local cops don't recognize it, the F.B.I. doesn't recognize it, and only people using fake credentials of their own can recognize it."

"That Wen family... never mind." Knowing that Wang Jingyuan often liked to say things others could not understand, Qu Yang chose not to press further.

Wang Jingyuan looked at Qu Yang. "As for those three favors, I want to use two of them right now."

Qu Yang nodded. "Speak your mind without hesitation."

After Wang Jingyuan stated his requirements, Qu Yang did not hold back.

[Qu Yang is imparting "Black Blood Divine Needles" to you.]

[Do you wish to learn: Yes/No]

[Yes]

[Qu Yang is imparting the "Art of Disguise" to you.]

[Do you wish to learn: Yes/No]

[Yes]

Aside from the specific methods of application, these two martial arts techniques—or rather, crafts—also came with the manufacturing formulas for the Black Blood Divine Needles and disguise masks. Once Wang Jingyuan managed to procure the materials in the future, he would be able to craft and use them himself.

With his objective achieved, Wang Jingyuan flicked his wrist, and the Black Wood Token vanished from sight. This trick made Liu Zhengfeng's eyes light up. "Is this an ancient stage magic trick?"

Too lazy to explain, Wang Jingyuan casually replied, "If you say it's a magic trick, then let's call it a magic trick."

Liu Zhengfeng clapped his hands and laughed. "Splendid! Splendid! I was just wondering how best to thank you, and now I've finally got an idea."

Wang Jingyuan had a guess forming in his mind, and he grew cheerful as well. "Could it be the legendary..."

"Exactly. It's *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, which Old Qu and I jointly composed."

"Huh?!" Wang Jingyuan's cheerfulness vanished instantly. *What the hell! I’ve been running my legs off back and forth for days for the sake of you two tone-deaf old geezers, and this is how you heavily reward me?!*