Daqian Martial Saint

The next day, as soon as he was on duty, Chen Ping’an wrote a letter and had it sent to the Weishui Garrison.

As the Deputy Commander of White Stone City, he had to file a report according to procedure if he wanted to be away for a period of time.

White Stone City was not far from the Treasure Land; the journey would only take a day or two. But the mountain roads were rugged, and it was impossible to know what he might encounter. Therefore, the leave Chen Ping’an requested for this trip was half a month.

Given his recent meritorious service in destroying two major gangs, which had brought considerable benefits to the Weishui Garrison, his request for leave was unlikely to face any major issues.

Sure enough, after waiting a few days, Chen Ping’an received the approved response from the Weishui Garrison.

Once he confirmed that the Weishui Garrison had approved his request, Chen Ping’an wasted no time. After packing his bags, he mounted a fast horse and departed from White Stone City, maintaining a very low profile throughout the process.

Before leaving the city, he instructed Shan Qiwang and the others to take good care of his little sister.

After the recent events, he could tentatively consider Shan Qiwang, Cheng Renjing, and the others his trusted confidants.

Chen Ping’an had long since compared the details on the Treasure Map with a geographical map to plan a very clear route. After leaving the city, he galloped nonstop. In just one day, he reached the foot of the Canglong Mountain Range. After stabling his horse at a nearby village, Chen Ping’an entered the mountain range alone.

Within the Canglong Mountain Range, the paths were rugged, the terrain was steep, and wild beasts were numerous. It was no simple task for an ordinary person to enter.

Furthermore, Demon Beasts occasionally appeared in the Canglong Mountain Range. Even for accomplished practitioners of the Martial Dao, a single moment of carelessness could be fatal.

This was also why the Long’an Trade Route was so difficult to establish. In addition to overcoming the challenging terrain, they also had to deal with the Demon Beasts! Fortunately, after more than a decade of work, the development of the Long’an Trade Route was now in its final stages and nearing completion.

The development process had been fraught with innumerable difficulties. The various powers in Canglong Province, including Weishui County City, had invested countless amounts of energy and expended vast manpower and material resources.

The natural barriers were actually manageable; the most difficult problem was the Demon Beasts.

So-called Demon Beasts were wild beasts with special bloodline talents. Depending on their specific talent, these Demon Beasts could absorb the essence of the sun and moon to strengthen their bodies and advance their Cultivation.

A weaker Demon Beast could be handled by an ordinary martial arts expert at the third or Fourth Layer of Qi Blood. But if one encountered a stronger specimen, even a master of the Inner Qi Realm might not be its match!

And these weren’t even the strongest. Within the Canglong Mountain Range, there were formidable Demon Beasts that had already cultivated an Inner Core! A Demon Beast of this level already possessed a degree of intelligence.

A Demon Beast like this had combat strength comparable to a Martial Arts Master of the Profound Light Realm! Some with exceptionally powerful bloodlines were difficult to suppress even for an Absolute Master of the Profound Light High Realm.

Demon Beasts with an Inner Core weren’t even the strongest in the Canglong Mountain Range. According to rumor, deep within the mountains, there were even more formidable Demon Beasts whose Inner Cores were perfectly formed and inscribed with a True Seal.

Of course, the section of the Canglong Mountain Range within Weishui County was incredibly far from these so-called deep reaches!

Besides, the Treasure Land on the map was located in the outer regions of the Canglong Mountain Range. Normally, he wouldn’t encounter any Demon Beasts. Even if he was unlucky, the strongest he might run into would be at the level of the Inner Qi Realm at most!

For these reasons, Chen Ping’an was quite confident about his trip.

...

On the second day after Chen Ping’an’s departure, a piece of news arrived at the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau completely out of the blue. It then spread like wildfire through White Stone City at an astonishing speed.

The Commander-in-Chief of the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau, Feng Shixian, was dead!

He had died while on patrol along the outskirts of the Trade Route!

Inside the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau.

Numerous constables hurried back and forth, all asking one another about the reliability of the news.

One constable, his face a mask of disbelief, exclaimed, "No, it can’t be! Lord Feng’s Cultivation was formidable; he couldn’t possibly be dead! The news has to be wrong." Others looked devastated, as if their world was collapsing.

Still more constables had blank expressions, completely at a loss for what to do.

One Constable slumped into his chair, his face deathly pale.

Another trembled as he looked to the heavens and let out a long sigh.

Panic filled the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau.

The news also reached the various powers of the city, including the Chu Family, the Song Family, the He Family, the Commerce Alliance, the Blood Oath Alliance, and the Iron Fist Gang. Their reactions to Feng Shixian’s death varied. Some were shocked and uncertain, others were ecstatic, and the more cautious factions sent men to verify the information.

"Feng Shixian is dead? For real!?"

"Feng Shixian was at the Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown Martial Arts Realm, and he’s dead? That’s impossible!"

"That’s Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown we’re talking about! Who could have done this!?"

"Investigate! Investigate at all costs! Get to the bottom of this!"

"HAHAHA... He’s dead! What a wonderful death!"

"Feng Shixian, the great mountain that weighed upon us all, has finally collapsed!"

"Excellent! Just excellent! Our time to make a move has finally come!"

"..."

Regardless of their reactions, all these factions understood one thing.

The winds of change were about to sweep through White Stone City!

The news of Feng Shixian’s death not only circulated within White Stone City but also reached the Weishui Garrison.

Although Feng Shixian was merely the Commander-in-Chief of White Stone City, he also held a concurrent post patrolling the outskirts of the Long’an Trade Route. Within the Weishui Garrison, this duty placed him at the rank of a Deputy Commander.

In the Weishui Garrison’s hierarchy, such a rank was at the very top of the mid-level positions, even close to breaking into the Garrison’s upper echelon.

The Weishui Garrison naturally took the sudden death of such a figure very seriously. At that moment, in a small building within the Weishui Garrison, a dozen or so people were fiercely debating the matter.

"How exactly did Feng Shixian die? Have you found anything out!?"

"We have! Judging from the wounds on the body, it looks like the work of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect! But..."

"But what?"

"If the Ten Thousand Demons Sect were truly responsible, the wounds wouldn’t be this obvious. I feel this matter isn’t that simple. Someone else might be pulling the strings."

"Who could it be? And what’s their motive?"

"It’s unclear at the moment. This is all just my personal speculation."

"Hmm. Keep investigating. Dig deep! Regardless, we need to get to the bottom of this. The Long’an Trade Route is nearing completion, and all sorts of monsters are crawling out of the woodwork! If we don’t hit them hard, they’ll really start to think the Weishui Garrison is a pushover!"

"The factions involved in the Trade Route are too numerous, and their conflicting interests are incredibly complex. Aside from the wounds pointing to the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, we have no other valuable clues. It’s likely unrealistic to think we can solve this quickly!"

"Do your utmost! Don’t hesitate to request any resources you need!"

"Yes, understood. Besides his patrol duties, Feng Shixian was the Commander-in-Chief in White Stone City. In addition to the conflicts over the Trade Route, the power struggles among the factions in White Stone City are also a key area for investigation."

"White Stone City... first a Deputy Commander dies, and now the Commander-in-Chief! One after the other... whoever is behind this is unbelievably audacious! They truly have no fear of the Weishui Garrison!"

"For both the Commander-in-Chief and a Deputy Commander to die in succession... it’s appalling!"

"Indeed! Investigate! A thorough investigation!"

"That’s right! It must be done!"

"Alright, everyone, quiet down! Let’s set aside the matter of Feng Shixian’s death for a moment. The most pressing issue is selecting a new Commander-in-Chief for White Stone City.

Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts!"

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