Daqian Martial Saint

Five Peaks Mountain was an extension of a branch of the Canglong Mountain Range, not far from the entrance to the Long’an Trade Route. Of course, ”not far” was only relative to other locations; in reality, there was still some distance to cover.

Five Peaks Mountain City was less than fifty li from Five Peaks Mountain, making it the small city in all of Weishui County closest to the entrance of the Long’an Trade Route. By comparison, White Stone City was much farther away.

Inside an incredibly lavish courtyard in Five Peaks Mountain City.

”So, that new Vice Envoy... where is he now?”

Guan Yu Ping asked casually, reclining on a Leisurely Armchair.

”My Lord Commander, Chen Ping’an arrived at the Five Peaks Mountain Residence today,” a man in dark Fish Scale Armor replied respectfully, standing before him.

”He certainly is fast!” Guan Yu Ping raised a hand, and a nearby maid placed a peeled grape into his mouth. ”What a pity. I’m not there, so all that speed is useless!”

Hearing this, the man in dark Fish Scale Armor bowed slightly. ”My lord, shall I have a carriage prepared for you to return to the residence?”

”Return to the residence?” Guan Yu Ping sneered. ”The higher-ups gave him three months to investigate Feng Shixian’s death! He’s the one who should be in a hurry, not me! Why would I return to the residence? Let him wait!”

”Yes, my lord. I understand,” the man replied.

Just as he lowered his head to leave, Guan Yu Ping’s voice sounded again. ”Yuanze! Pass on my orders: all handover matters are to be postponed until I return. Also, report any news to me immediately.”

”Yes, my lord.”

Wan Yuanze bowed slightly, and after this salute, he backed away and left. Before long, only Guan Yu Ping and the attending maid remained in the room.

Reclining on the Leisurely Armchair, Guan Yu Ping narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind turning to the letter he had recently received from Liu Yuanhua, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Weishui Garrison.

He owed Liu Yuanhua a favor. Since the man had gone to the trouble of sending a letter to make a request, there was no reason for him not to agree.

Besides, he was also aware of Chen Ping’an’s methods in White Stone City. He had no desire for such an assertive Vice Envoy under his command.

”A prodigy from the Rising Star Chart?” Guan Yu Ping sneered. ”Without my approval, you’re less than a dog!”

”What a real shame...”

...

Patrolling the outskirts of the trade route involved numerous factions, so news of Vice Envoy Chen Ping’an’s arrival naturally spread among them.

”The Vice Envoy has arrived?”

”And a prodigy from the Rising Star Chart, no less. The Weishui Garrison is really sparing no expense!”

”I’d like to see if this prodigy is all show and no substance, or if he actually has what it takes!”

”So what if his Martial Dao talent is extraordinary? Some things can’t be solved with talent alone. Among his generation, he might be outstanding. But to sit in this position... I’m afraid he’s not up to the task!”

”Guan Yu Ping is still in Five Peaks Mountain City? Haha, looks like we’re in for a good show!”

”Let them fight, let them fight! The more chaotic it gets, the better. The more chaos, the more we can profit from it!”

”...”

...

「Five Peaks Mountain Residence.」

In the morning, someone was assigned to bring Chen Ping’an his breakfast. After finishing his meal, he stepped out of his wooden cabin.

Any constables he encountered on the path would greet him with a respectful salute.

As he neared the constables’ office, he happened to run into You Yongming.

”My lord!” You Yongming greeted him respectfully.

”Has Lord Guan returned?” Chen Ping’an asked.

”My lord, I’m not clear on the matter. Perhaps he heard of your arrival and is on his way back now,” You Yongming responded deferentially.

”Mm.” Chen Ping’an waved his hand dismissively.

He had already been at the Five Peaks Mountain Residence for several days, but in all that time, there was still no news of Guan Yu Ping’s return.

According to standard procedure, as the newly arrived Vice Envoy, his direct superior, Guan Yu Ping, was supposed to formally define his duties within the system. Once his responsibilities were clarified, the corresponding reporting lines would naturally fall into place.

But now, Guan Yu Ping was still nowhere to be seen. Although Chen Ping’an was the Vice Envoy, he was a newcomer with a title but no real authority.

The men at the residence were all exceedingly polite to him. But whenever he inquired about specific duties, they would all claim they couldn’t give him details, citing the incomplete handover and his undefined responsibilities as the reason.

They were all acting within the rules of the system, and their reasoning was perfectly legitimate. With his duties undefined, even though he was a superior officer, he wasn’t the one in charge and couldn’t interfere in everything. Coupled with their extremely polite attitudes, Chen Ping’an found it difficult to lose his temper.

So for the past few days, aside from having someone send three letters for him, Chen Ping’an had been completely idle.

There were three letters. The first was to Chen Erya, explaining why he might not be able to return to White Stone City for a while and telling the little girl to take good care of herself. He also expressed some concern for her studies. If she missed him, she could have someone send a letter to him at the Five Peaks Mountain Residence.

The second letter was for Shan Qiwang, Cheng Renjing, and the others at the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau. It instructed them to assign more men to protect Chen Erya well during his absence, reminding them that they must not be careless or perfunctory.

He still held the concurrent post of Commander-in-Chief of White Stone City, and this new assignment patrolling the trade route outskirts was, in effect, a promotion. Furthermore, the methods and audacity he had displayed when suppressing the various factions in White Stone City were still fresh in everyone’s minds. He wasn’t worried that they would merely feign compliance after receiving his letter.

The third letter was to Mu Wanjun. In it, he mainly explained his situation, telling her he had arrived and reported for duty smoothly. He assured her everything was fine and that she shouldn’t worry.

Chen Ping’an was strolling aimlessly through the residence when the sound of hooves suddenly rang out. He looked into the distance and saw another team of men on horseback leaving the residence.

They held the duty of patrolling the outskirts of the trade route, so their most important official business was, naturally, routine patrols. Their patrol area radiated outwards from the entrance of the Long’an Trade Route, covering all the various checkpoints and mountain passes.

In addition, the main roads, side paths, and mountain trails all required regular patrols to crack down on smuggling and prevent it from becoming rampant along the trade route.

Beyond that, the large markets and fairs in the surrounding towns and villages were also under their jurisdiction, at least in name.

One shouldn’t underestimate the markets and fairs of these towns. Compared to the cities, supervision in these large markets was extremely weak, so one could often find things there that hadn’t even appeared in a city’s Treasure Pavilion.

Some large-scale Black Markets even operated hidden behind the scenes of these fairs and markets.

Chen Ping’an walked around the residence for a while longer but found nothing out of the ordinary, so he returned to his wooden cabin behind the barracks.

At noon, someone would bring him his meal. If he wasn’t satisfied, he could even have the kitchen remake it. His subordinates granted his every request, so long as it didn’t involve official business.

This was how his days would be until his duties were clearly defined. As long as he didn’t interfere with official business, everything else was negotiable.

To be honest, if it weren’t for the three-month deadline, Chen Ping’an would have been more than happy with days like this; he would have been delighted to take it easy.

All this free time was perfect for diligently cultivating the Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill.

The people at the top bore the responsibility while the people at the bottom did the work. A life like that couldn’t have been more comfortable.

But unfortunately...

He had a time-limited mission, so he wasn’t allowed the luxury of being comfortable.

”Liu Yuanhua!”

The image of Liu Yuanhua surfaced in Chen Ping’an’s mind, and a glint flashed in his eyes.