Daqian Martial Saint

At the foot of Five Peaks Mountain, a path wound through lush, dense woods.

The mountain path was rugged and winding, difficult to traverse. Even a skilled rider could only manage to lead a single horse through.

However, along one section of the path was a small clearing, with a massive boulder off to the side. This was the exact spot where Feng Shixian had died.

When Chen Ping’an arrived, he conducted a detailed investigation. Unfortunately, too much time had passed since Feng Shixian’s death, and he couldn’t find any valuable clues.

Still, faint traces of a battle remained in the area—things like broken trees, patches of scorched earth, and shattered rocks.

Chen Ping’an observed the scene carefully before finally reaching a conclusion.

’It looks like the information Zhao Zhiteng provided was correct. Compared to Feng Shixian, his killer wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many signs of a struggle left behind!’

’But even if it wasn’t a complete rout, the opponent was still clearly stronger than Feng Shixian. If not, given the terrain advantage here, Feng Shixian would have had a perfect opportunity to escape.’

’Also, the destruction caused during the fight isn’t that great. The attacker must have had Feng Shixian on the defensive from start to finish...’

Chen Ping’an correlated the evidence at the scene with the information from Zhao Zhiteng. Comparing the two, Zhao Zhiteng’s intel seemed highly reliable.

The entire area was quite remote. If it hadn’t been for Zhao Zhiteng’s tip, Chen Ping’an likely wouldn’t have found this place on his own so quickly.

This was all part of Liu Yuanhua’s blatant scheme. By delaying his response to Chen Ping’an’s request for Feng Shixian’s case file, he intended to waste Chen Ping’an’s time on pointless errands.

’Time to check the surroundings.’ After surveying the scene, Chen Ping’an looked up into the distance.

He led his horse along the winding mountain path. He didn’t find anything unusual along the way. But as he rounded a corner, he happened to glimpse a building on a distant mountain peak, visible through a gap in the lush trees.

’What is that?’ A look of confusion crossed Chen Ping’an’s face.

The path he was on was flanked by dense thickets. Due to the angle, the building on the other peak was impossible to see most of the time. Furthermore, the structure wasn’t tall and was obscured by large trees, making it even harder to spot.

’I’ll go take a look.’ The thought spurred Chen Ping’an to action, and he decided to investigate.

Based on his long-standing way of thinking, he suspected the building on that other mountain might be connected to Feng Shixian’s death.

He had no real evidence, just a gut feeling.

As the old saying goes, mountains are always farther than they appear. The neighboring peak looked reasonably close, but it was much farther than he imagined. And with the dense foliage and rugged terrain, Chen Ping’an couldn’t immediately find a path leading there.

’Nothing is ever easy,’ Chen Ping’an lamented.

He found a suitable spot and tied up his horse. Then, getting his bearings, his figure flashed as he leaped straight off the path.

As they say, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

If he couldn’t find a path, he’d just make his own way there!

Chen Ping’an’s True Qi surged, and his body grew light, like a fallen leaf swept up by the wind as he twisted and flipped through the trees. His movements were nimble, and he leveraged each landing perfectly, vaulting and leaping between the mountain’s rocks and foliage.

The two peaks were extremely far apart, with a steep ravine between them. An ordinary Inner Qi Realm cultivator wouldn’t dare attempt a crossing like this. If their Inner Qi failed midway, they would risk falling with only their physical strength to rely on.

After nearly a quarter of an hour, Chen Ping’an landed steadily on stony ground.

Hm?

Chen Ping’an frowned slightly as he finally got a clear look at the building on the peak.

It was a Daoist temple.

It looked quite old and was deserted on the outside. A mottled wooden sign hanging above the entrance read: White Cloud Temple.

’Why is there a Daoist temple here?’ Chen Ping’an’s gaze faltered for a moment before, with a flicker of thought, he stealthily vaulted inside.

The temple looked low-lying, but its grounds were surprisingly spacious. It had three courtyards and over twenty rooms. Chen Ping’an held his breath and moved silently, surveying the area. After a full circle, he hadn’t found anything other than a few Daoists in traditional robes.

However, what caught Chen Ping’an’s attention was that these Daoists were no ordinary people; without exception, they were all accomplished in the Martial Dao. The one with the highest Cultivation had already reached the Qi Blood Fifth Layer.

’The Qi Blood Fifth Layer... with the right opportunity, that’s enough to preside over a region and hold a position in the Inspectorate. Why would someone like that be content to be a Daoist in these deep mountains and old woods?’ This discovery struck Chen Ping’an as deeply suspicious, and he decided to stay and observe a while longer.

’I’m going to see what’s really going on here.’

As a Profound Light Middle Realm cultivator, with his Middle Realm Cultivation bordering on the Late Stage, Chen Ping’an’s foundation was astonishing. As long as he intended to remain hidden, there was no way these Daoists would ever discover him.

Chen Ping’an noticed that aside from sitting in meditation and performing their daily routines, the Daoists didn’t do much else out of the ordinary. After observing for some time, he counted more than ten Daoists in the entire temple.

All of them had embarked on the path of Martial Dao Cultivation, and the one with the highest Cultivation was the Qi Blood Fifth Layer cultivator he had first spotted.

As darkness fell, two Daoists finished their evening rituals and began to chat idly outside.

"I wonder when the Temple Master and the others will be back. They left this morning, and it’s almost been a full day. They’re usually back by dusk."

"Did you forget? This is the monthly supply run. It naturally takes the Temple Master and the others longer."

"Oh, right, right. The monthly run is different. I thought this was the regular ten-day trip."

"Yeah, you got them mixed up."

"..."

The two continued their small talk, and Chen Ping’an overheard every word.

’Temple Master? So there are still a few of them outside?’

Chen Ping’an used the cover of night to hide behind the eaves, concealing his presence. He had to admit, it was rather tedious to wait here for half the day without food or water, all based on a single hunch.

Never mind someone in the Profound Light Realm; even an ordinary Inner Qi Realm cultivator probably wouldn’t have this much time to spare.

The thought made Chen Ping’an chuckle inwardly.

About an hour later, he suddenly heard a noise. A few moments after that, seven or eight people walked in from outside the temple. They were all carrying goods on poles, laden with large and small bundles.

The man in the lead was a tall, thin, old Daoist who had the venerable air of a transcendent master.

’Qi Blood Sixth Layer!’ Chen Ping’an identified the man’s Realm at a glance.

"Temple Master!"

"Temple Master, you’ve returned!"

"..."

The temple grew lively as everyone began to organize the purchased supplies. The tall, thin old Daoist scanned the area, and after finding nothing out of the ordinary, he returned to his room in the rear courtyard.

’He went straight to his room as soon as he got back?’ Chen Ping’an observed secretly.

Chen Ping’an watched for a long time but noticed the old Daoist didn’t come out again after entering his room.

He waited until everyone in the temple had finished sorting the supplies and the commotion died down, with each person returning to their own room to rest. Still, there was no movement from the old Daoist’s room.

After a final scan to confirm no one was around, Chen Ping’an dropped silently to the ground and crept to the old Daoist’s door. He peered inside through the window.

The sight made Chen Ping’an freeze.

There was no one inside!

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