Daqian Martial Saint

”Celestial Rain Descending Realm Perfection?”

”Perfection in the Flying Star Swordsmanship!”

Mu Tianxiong gazed at the celestial phenomenon that had already faded from the sky, his heart reeling in shock.

Chen Ping’an... His talent in the Martial Dao was even more terrifying than he had imagined! With this level of strength, aside from not possessing a Treasure Artifact, he was already on par with Weishui’s number one prodigy, Liu Ziming!

Most importantly, Chen Ping’an wasn’t even twenty-one yet!

And they had let such a prodigy slip through their fingers!

Mu Tianxiong glanced back at the others, who were still stunned, and let out a long sigh.

”Ping’an...” Staring at where the Sword Aura had faded in the night sky, Mu Wanjun seemed lost.

...

”It was a fine feast, but the company left something to be desired.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head with a faint smile and walked out of the Mu family’s main gate.

He had held nothing back in that display of his mastery over the Flying Star Swordsmanship. ’Surely, as long as Mu Feiyu isn’t a complete idiot, he’ll understand the gap between us.’

If those Mu Clan Elders had been paying closer attention, they should have noticed the fluctuations of his aura during that sword strike, placing him firmly in the Celestial Rain Descending Realm Perfection.

Celestial Rain Descending Realm Perfection and Perfection in the Flying Star Swordsmanship!

Putting everything else aside, these two achievements alone would justify his 91st rank on the Rising Star Chart, leaving no room for criticism. In fact... he could probably move up quite a few spots!

Liu Ziming of the Liu family had only managed to rank 73rd on the Rising Star Chart by achieving Perfection in a top-tier superior cultivation method and wielding the power of the Treasure Artifact, the Abyssal Rainbow Sword!

The power Chen Ping’an had just displayed, a Treasure Artifact notwithstanding, was not much inferior to Liu Ziming’s.

Chen Ping’an didn’t know what the Mu family was thinking, nor did he particularly care.

As far as he was concerned, besides Mu Wanjun, he had no connection to anyone else in the Mu family. He had only attended the banquet tonight for her sake.

It was obvious the Mu family desperately wanted to win him over. ’A pity for them, it’s too late!’

...

「The next morning.」

Early the next morning, Chen Ping’an left the inn and headed straight for the Weishui Garrison. His debriefing was complete. Based on their prior discussion, today was the day he would officially receive his Token and finalize the paperwork.

The constables guarding the Weishui Garrison’s gate had long since memorized Chen Ping’an’s face. Naturally, they didn’t dare to obstruct him in the slightest. Instead, they respectfully welcomed him inside.

Chen Ping’an navigated the Weishui Garrison with a familiar air. Zhao Lianzhi, the Bureau Chief of the Dispatching Bureau, had already given him a brief tour the other day.

Things worked very differently for those at the top versus those at the bottom.

When someone from the lower ranks wanted something done, they faced endless extortion and demands, with officials trying to squeeze every last drop from them. But for someone at the top, the process was far smoother.

Chen Ping’an barely had to open his mouth; his subordinates naturally handled everything for him. All he needed to do was sit quietly in the Bureau Chief’s office, sipping tea and waiting.

”Congratulations, Lord Chen. As of today, you are officially a Deputy Commander of our Weishui Garrison!” Zhao Lianzhi said with a smile.

”Not at all. I’m grateful for your assistance, Lord Zhao,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

His file was updated, his Waist Token was in hand, and his Merit was officially registered. Chen Ping’an was in an excellent mood. With his promotion to Deputy Commander, he would receive a substantial amount of Merit that he could use to exchange for resources from the Weishui Garrison’s Treasure Vault.

As a County Garrison Command, the Weishui Garrison’s Treasure Vault held resources that the South Town and Outer City Garrisons couldn’t hope to match.

However, considering his true Realm, he had no interest in ordinary items. Therefore, he was in no hurry to make an exchange. He would wait until he had accumulated more Merit and then trade for something more suitable.

He had lunch with Zhao Lianzhi and several other Bureau Chiefs, and the conversation was quite congenial. Everyone was happy to curry favor with Chen Ping’an, the Garrison’s rising star.

With all the paperwork settled, all that was left for Chen Ping’an was to meet with the Weishui Garrison’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Liu Yuanhua. After that, his business in Weishui County City would be concluded.

Liu Yuanhua was in charge of the various cities under the jurisdiction of Weishui County. Since Chen Ping’an concurrently held the position of Commander of White Stone City, Liu Yuanhua was his direct superior.

However, as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Weishui Garrison, Liu Yuanhua was a powerful man with many official duties, and Chen Ping’an was unable to get a meeting with him immediately.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t concerned. Since he was back already, waiting another day was no bother.

「That afternoon.」

That afternoon, he made a special trip to the South City Prison to see Xiaozeng. Zeng Jihe was thrilled to see Chen Ping’an again.

After being tempered these past few days, Xiaozeng’s Martial Arts Cultivation had also improved, and he had steadily entered the Qi Blood Second Layer.

’I have to admit, this kid has some real talent for the Martial Dao.’

After visiting Xiaozeng, Chen Ping’an returned to Pear Blossom Lane in the Nanquan Lane district. Ever since the Tiger Head Gang was wiped out, the Red Bear Gang had been put in charge of managing Pear Blossom Lane.

The courtyard Old Chen had left him was still there. In the time since Chen Ping’an had been gone, the place had been impeccably maintained. Not only did the Garrison Command take it seriously, but the Red Bear Gang also placed extreme importance on it, periodically sending men to check on it.

The Red Bear Gang’s leadership hadn’t forgotten how they’d risen to power. Nor had they forgotten how, exactly, the Tiger Head Gang had been annihilated.

To say nothing of the fact that the Chen Ping’an of today held immense power, far beyond what he had back then.

To put it bluntly, the Red Bear Gang cared more about Chen Ping’an’s little courtyard than they did their own ancestral graves.

Chen Ping’an stepped into the courtyard and looked around. He found the furnishings were basically unchanged, remaining just as they were.

The one-and-a-half-room house with its small courtyard held all his memories from that time.

’I should bring Nannan back to see this place when I get the chance,’ Chen Ping’an thought.

Gazing at the small courtyard, Chen Ping’an was reminded of when he used to practice the Iron Cloth Shirt here. On a whim, he began to practice the Great Vajra Palm right there in the courtyard.

’Use spirit, not will. Use will, not force!’

POW! POW! POW!

As the air vibrated, streams of Cultivation Experience flashed before his eyes.

+1!

+1!

+1!

...

Three Red Bear Gang ruffians were strolling down Pear Blossom Lane, chatting idly.

”The Great Guardian’s really making a big deal out of this, isn’t he? Making us run over here every single day. It’s just a run-down old courtyard, what’s gonna happen to it?”

”Exactly! We check on it every day, and it’s always the same! Besides, even if we didn’t, someone from the Garrison Command would come by. He’s one of their guys, so why are our bosses so obsessed with this place?!”

”I don’t get it!”

Listening to their exchange, the slightly stockier ruffian in the lead turned around and started cursing.

”How did the Tiger Head Gang get wiped out? How did our Red Bear Gang get its start? You idiots don’t know a damn thing! You didn’t see that lord’s power back then! If you had, you wouldn’t be running your mouths like this!”

”Heh heh, calm down, boss. Don’t be mad. We were just messing around.”

”Hmph.”

As they were talking, the men arrived near Chen Ping’an’s courtyard.

”Wait! Do you hear that?” the leader asked, his voice filled with surprise and suspicion.

”Boss, it sounds like someone’s inside,” the other two whispered.

”Son of a bitch! Who’s got the balls to do this?!” The leader’s face changed instantly. The Red Bear Gang had given the order countless times, and yet someone dared to sneak in—in broad daylight, no less. ”Stirring up trouble in this place... they must have a death wish! Let’s go, we’re checking it out!”

Just as the ruffians were about to charge into the courtyard, the gate swung open, and a young man walked out.

The group froze. One of the ruffians in the back was about to shout a curse, but before the word was even out, he saw his leader snap to attention, standing ramrod straight. His reaction was bizarre.

”Boss?”

The leader ignored them completely. His face a mask of awe, he stammered, ”L-Lord Chen... you’ve returned!”

Lord Chen?

Which Lord Chen?

The two ruffians in the back were bewildered, unable to process what was happening.

”Thank you for your trouble.”

Chen Ping’an gave them a small smile and walked past without another word.

”My lord, it is our duty!” the leader exclaimed, his body still rigid, his voice high and trembling with excitement.

”Boss, was that...?” By now, the ruffians in the back were starting to put two and two together.

They watched Chen Ping’an’s retreating figure, completely unable to connect the gentle-looking young man they’d just met with the legendary lord their bosses were always talking about.

’Wasn’t he supposed to be a ruthless killer who wouldn’t bat an eye at murder? Why did he look like a scholar?’

”Quick! Go report to the Gang Leader!” After watching Chen Ping’an disappear into the distance, the leader slapped his thigh and leaped to his feet.

They had no idea how the other leaders of the Red Bear Gang would react to the news. What they did see, however, was their own Gang Leader completely lose his usual composure upon hearing the report, dancing around with excitement.

”All our effort wasn’t for nothing! It wasn’t for nothing! That great lord, he saw it! He saw it!”