Daqian Martial Saint

”You silly girl!” Chen Ping’an quickly grabbed Gu Qingchan’s shoulders to stop her from leaning forward. ”You’ll eat anything, won’t you!”

After finally getting Gu Qingchan under control, Chen Ping’an extended a finger. Cyan light swirled at its tip as he pointed it from a distance toward the spot between her eyebrows.

”Go!”

VMMMM—

Within Chen Ping’an’s Spirit Platform, his Spiritual Energy flickered and emerged from between his brows. Using his finger as a conduit, it sank into Gu Qingchan’s body.

The scene within Gu Qingchan’s Spirit Platform wasn’t much different from Chen Ping’an’s. The only real distinction was that the Spirit Fruit Embryo on her Spirit Platform was more perfectly round and emanated a faint blue halo.

Using Spiritual Traction, Chen Ping’an swiftly gathered Gu Qingchan’s residual Spiritual Energy, took command of her body, and began to force out the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Fiend within her.

The attempt went even more smoothly than Chen Ping’an had anticipated. Empowered by his Spiritual Energy, the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Fiend in Gu Qingchan’s body began to rapidly dissipate, continuously being forced out.

Chen Ping’an’s eyes were shut tight, his eyeballs darting frantically beneath his lids. It was obvious that using Spiritual Traction to expel the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Fiend was putting a much greater strain on him than one might think.

...

Chen Ping’an’s consciousness perceived the last trace of the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Fiend being successfully forced out of Gu Qingchan’s body.

VMMMM—

The Spiritual Light flickered, then gradually dimmed.

’It’s done!’ Chen Ping’an’s mind relaxed as he withdrew his Spiritual Energy back into himself.

Hmm!?

As his consciousness returned to his own body, Chen Ping’an sensed that something was wrong.

’What is this?’

He snapped his eyes open, only to see a delicate, lovely face with its mouth open, pearly teeth gently biting down, holding his finger inside. He could still feel a warm, wet, and slick sensation at his fingertip.

’I’ve been... ambushed!?’

Chen Ping’an’s brow furrowed, and a headache instantly set in.

’What is she doing!?’

’Gu Qingchan, I saved you out of the goodness of my heart, and this is how you repay me?’

Chen Ping’an considered just jolting her away and pulling his finger back, but seeing her eyes tightly shut and her innocent-looking expression, his heart ultimately softened. He held her shoulder with one hand, shook her gently, and withdrew his finger.

It was completely soaked.

”Honestly,” Chen Ping’an was at a loss for words.

’I was just trying to save you, and you pull something like this. Anyone who didn’t know better would think I was trying to take advantage of you.’

By now, the blush had faded from Gu Qingchan’s cheeks. Her eyes were closed, and her expression had calmed. Clearly, her condition had stabilized.

Chen Ping’an glanced at her a few times, still feeling a bit miffed. He reached out and pinched her cheek.

”Next time, remember to properly repay your savior! Don’t pull these kinds of stunts. If it were anyone else, you wouldn’t be resting so comfortably right now.”

With the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Fiend gone, although Gu Qingchan’s injuries were still serious, the most dangerous moment had clearly passed.

’Her life is saved, more or less. Now I should think about how to wrap things up.’

Chen Ping’an supported Gu Qingchan and gently laid her flat on the ground. Looking at her tattered dress, he thought for a moment before finally taking a gray linen shirt from his Hundred Treasures Pouch and covering her with it.

This linen shirt was one he kept for his alternate persona; he had many more of the same style in his Hundred Treasures Pouch. Chen Ping’an had carefully considered the fabric, style, and source of these clothes to ensure they wouldn’t leave any clues.

’There’s still the loot from two Grandmasters outside!’ Chen Ping’an glanced at Gu Qingchan. The thought of the spoils waiting for him made him flash out of the stone chamber in an instant.

When Chen Ping’an returned, he had two more items in his hands.

A Thousand Mechanism Bag and a heavy long-bladed saber.

These were items he had taken from Situ Ba. Just like the gray-robed elder’s, Situ Ba’s Thousand Mechanism Bag was protected by a Spiritual Restriction. It wouldn’t be easy to deal with right away; it would require a slow, patient effort to crack it later.

As for the other item, the heavy long-bladed saber, its Spiritual Energy had been diminished after the series of fierce battles and being stained with blood, but it wasn’t severely damaged overall.

This saber might have looked ordinary, but it was a genuine Divine Weapon.

A Divine Weapon was immensely valuable.

Chen Ping’an still remembered the auction back in Beicang Town, where the final item, the Ruyi Linglong Ring, was bought by Gu Qingchan for 3,600 Yuan Crystals.

He hadn’t yet compared the quality of Situ Ba’s saber to the Ruyi Linglong Ring, but since they were both Divine Weapons, their values were likely comparable.

’Speaking of which, I didn’t see Gu Qingchan use that Ruyi Linglong Ring during this battle. Could it be that the Divine Weapon is already...?’

Chen Ping’an’s thoughts turned, and he made a reasonable guess.

’During the battle at Beicang, the Celestial Net Saintess appeared. Gu Qingchan’s Ruyi Linglong Ring was probably lost back then.’

As he thought this, Chen Ping’an’s gaze fell on Gu Qingchan’s serene face. She was sleeping peacefully now, her breathing soft and even, as if the entire world had grown quiet in time with her rhythm. The current Gu Qingchan was like a completely different person from before, more like that peerless and elegant Fairy, possessing an indescribable aura.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, but ultimately let go of the thought that had crossed his mind.

He had just searched the area outside thoroughly but hadn’t found any of the Blood Robe Man’s belongings, only the two items from Situ Ba. It was obvious that Gu Qingchan had already taken whatever the Blood Robe Man had on him.

As a Mid-Jade Balance Stage Grandmaster, the Blood Robe Man would have certainly carried many valuable items. Even if she only managed to get some of them, their value would be beyond an ordinary person’s imagination.

For a fleeting moment, Chen Ping’an had considered making a move on Gu Qingchan—not on her person, but on the items she possessed. Besides the Blood Robe Man’s things, as a Gu Family Elder, she was bound to have plenty of valuables on her. If Chen Ping’an could get his hands on everything, the haul would be unimaginable.

But after some hesitation, he finally dismissed the idea.

Firstly, Gu Qingchan was a good person, and he found her agreeable. She didn’t put on the airs of a Grandmaster when she was with him.

Secondly, he had seen how Gu Qingchan had come to his aid during the fierce battle. While it might not have been her absolute all, she had done everything that could be expected of her. Considering their relationship, for her to do that much was extremely decent. Whether he needed it or not, he had to acknowledge the favor.

Thirdly, he owed Gu Qingchan several debts of gratitude. The first was when he killed Tong Jin of the Qiankun Bureau in front of the Five Peaks Mountain Town Pacification Bureau. This had led to an impeachment by Feng Chengxiu, which was submitted to the Weishui Garrison for review. It was Gu Qingchan who stepped in and settled the matter for him.

The second was the dispute over the credit for the Red Maple Mountain incident with the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. Gu Qingchan had stepped in, not hesitating to have a falling out with Tong Guan of the Qiankun Bureau, to secure half the credit for him.

The third was the favor of her support. Without her backing, his promotion to Deputy Commander-in-Chief would not have gone so smoothly.

The fourth was the matter of Erya entering the State City, which Gu Qingchan took full responsibility for. Although her own interests were a factor, he still had to acknowledge the favor.

Er...

Thinking about it this way, he realized he owed Gu Qingchan quite a lot.

She had treated him so well. While he didn’t necessarily have to repay every single favor, he couldn’t repay her kindness with enmity. As long as his core interests weren’t affected, he could repay her in some small ways.

”Every sip, every bite—all is determined by fate,” Chen Ping’an murmured to himself, giving Gu Qingchan a deep look.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

After adjusting his mindset, a series of loud cracks echoed from Chen Ping’an’s bones and tendons as his body began to elongate. In just a few moments, he had grown taller by a good half. After changing his clothes and putting on the Transparent Mask, his appearance was completely transformed.

...

”Ugh... It hurts so much.”

Gu Qingchan slowly stirred, her consciousness gradually returning. Her body ached with excruciating pain; every inch of it screamed with discomfort and exhaustion.

”You’re awake?” a strange man’s voice sounded.

Gu Qingchan’s eyes flew open, her gaze instantly filled with vigilance and alarm. She tried to get up but felt a wave of weakness, unable to muster even a shred of strength.

Not far from her sat a man. He had a burly build and a powerful physique, as robust as a giant bear. From her angle, she could only see his back.

”Who are you?”