Daqian Martial Saint

"Dismount!"

After entering the valley, Chen Ping’an barked the order at his men before vaulting off his horse first.

"Yes, sir!"

The elites behind him all dismounted.

The several Standard-Bearers exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of confusion in the other’s eyes.

After dismounting, they tethered their horses where they stood.

"Lord Chen, where are we going?" One Standard-Bearer worked up the courage to ask while tethering his horse.

They had already arrived, yet they still had no idea about the mission’s specifics.

If the memory of Niu Lianggong’s death wasn’t still fresh in their minds, they would have probably erupted into an uproar long ago.

"You’ll know soon enough!" Chen Ping’an didn’t answer directly, merely leading his men forward.

They hadn’t walked more than a few steps when a person emerged from a nearby pile of jagged rocks.

The newcomer had a well-proportioned build, wore a bamboo hat and coarse linen clothes, and had a broadsaber slung across his body. His attire was identical to when they had first met.

The Qiankun Bureau’s Three-Seal Qiankun Guard, Zhao Zhiteng!

"Commander Chen, it’s been a while!" Zhao Zhiteng greeted him with a cupped-fist salute.

"Lord Zhao." Chen Ping’an returned the salute with a smile.

"Commander Chen, you certainly made me wait."

"Hahaha, good things come to those who wait!"

When Zhao Zhiteng first appeared, the Standard-Bearers on site had all gone on alert, their hands already on the hilts of their sabers. But then they saw he seemed to be an acquaintance of Lord Chen.

’What’s going on?’

The men were deeply confused.

With a light raise of his hand, the man in the bamboo hat summoned a dozen more figures, who leaped out from behind the jagged rocks.

’Hmm!?’

Sensing the imposing presence of these newcomers, You Yongming’s eyelid twitched. The other Standard-Bearers’ reactions weren’t much better.

Compared to his own large, sprawling contingent, Zhao Zhiteng had only brought a dozen or so men. Yet every single one of them had a profound aura; their Cultivation Realms had all reached the Inner Qi Realm, and there were even a few at the Third Stage of Inner Qi! What astonished You Yongming most was a brawny, bald-headed man among them who was shamelessly flaunting the martial aura of the Profound Light Realm!

’The Profound Light Realm!’

’The Qiankun Bureau actually dispatched a Profound Light Realm Martial Arts Master for this operation!?’

’How did Lord Chen convince them?’

’And... this Profound Light Realm master isn’t even the one in charge for the Qiankun Bureau. Doesn’t that mean...’

You Yongming and the other Standard-Bearers didn’t dare to think any further.

"Commander Chen, let me introduce you. My right-hand man, a Two-Seal Qiankun Guard, Chu Long!" Zhao Zhiteng said, pointing to the Profound Light Realm Martial Arts Master in the group.

"A pleasure, Lord Chu!" Chen Ping’an said with a smile and a cupped-fist salute.

"Commander Chen." Chu Long returned the salute.

After they exchanged greetings, Zhao Zhiteng pointed to another person behind him. "This is my other right-hand man, also a Two-Seal Qiankun Guard, Sheng Tingshan!"

"Lord Sheng." Chen Ping’an greeted him in the same manner.

’This Zhao Zhiteng is really something else, bringing two Profound Light Realm masters!’ Chen Ping’an thought. ’On our Trade Route perimeter patrol, only Guan Yu Ping is officially at the Profound Light Realm. For Zhao Zhiteng to bring two shows just how seriously he’s taking this mission!’

"Commander Chen is truly young and promising." Sheng Tingshan’s weapon caught Chen Ping’an’s attention. He was actually using the infamous Blood Drop, and it seemed to be a modified version.

Its edges were as sharp as blades, and it concealed a hidden mechanism that, once activated, could shatter metal and jade!

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Ping’an noticed the confusion among his men from the Garrison Commandant’s Office. He looked around at them and announced with a smile, "This is Lord Zhao of the Qiankun Bureau! And this is Lord Chu! The rest are also our colleagues from the Qiankun Bureau. Today, they will be carrying out this mission with us!"

"The Qiankun Bureau?" Everyone present was stunned!

’What is happening? How did we get involved with the Qiankun Bureau?!’

Having served in the Garrison Commandant’s Office for so many years, the name of the Qiankun Bureau was legendary to them. Every single person who could join the Qiankun Bureau was an elite.

Even the most common Qiankun Guard was no weaker than a Standard-Bearer like them!

’What kind of mission requires the Qiankun Bureau’s intervention!?’

’And...’

The Standard-Bearers looked at Chen Ping’an, their hearts trembling slightly.

’Lord Chen... when did he establish this connection!?’

Chen Ping’an didn’t let their confusion linger, immediately beginning to brief them on the operation.

"According to reliable intelligence, the Celestial Net Sect has established a secret stronghold here. Our mission today is to annihilate every member of the Celestial Net Sect within this stronghold! Because the enemy’s strength is unknown, I have specially invited our colleagues from the Qiankun Bureau to assist us!"

"Any success today will be a great merit!"

’What? A Celestial Net Sect stronghold!’

Before Chen Ping’an had even finished speaking, the eyes of the Standard-Bearers and the many elite constables present began to shine.

Every encirclement mission, while incredibly dangerous, was also filled with opportunity.

Even if they did nothing but participate, it would still count as a minor merit. And if they actually scored a kill during the siege, it would be merit piled upon merit! The benefits were immense.

There was once an elite constable who performed a miraculous deed during an operation against the Demon Sect and was promoted several ranks in a row, becoming a Candidate for Deputy.

"Alright, time is of the essence. We move out now!" Chen Ping’an ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, sir!" the men responded in a low, unified voice. Their morale was now a world apart from what it had been moments before.

Their large procession had made it difficult to ensure the Celestial Net Sect stronghold hadn’t already spotted them.

Speed is paramount in war. The group began to move quickly.

Even the weakest among them were elites of the constabulary, so their execution of orders was naturally superb.

Chen Ping’an and Zhao Zhiteng quickly conferred. A small group, including the Inner Qi Realm experts, would head to White Cloud Temple first. The rest would be split into two forces: one to block the escape routes and prevent any Celestial Net Sect remnants from fleeing, and the other to act as reinforcements and follow them to White Cloud Temple.

...

Beneath White Cloud Temple, in an underground hall.

As a Hall of the Celestial Net Sect, they were responsible for liaising with and managing the strongholds below them. This included matters like passing on messages, analyzing intelligence, and accumulating assets.

The Hall didn’t have many members, but all of them were elites.

The Celestial Net Sect’s White Cloud Hall had a total of three Profound Light Realm masters. Today, however, only two were present in the Hall.

Hall Master Xing Rongzi, and the Soul-Breaking Spear, Gu Wu.

If Wei Zhixing of the Wei Family were here, he would have recognized Hall Master Xing Rongzi at a glance as the man who had been hounding him.

Xing Rongzi was a Profound Light Middle Realm master! Of the three Profound Light Realm masters stationed at the Hall, his cultivation was the highest!

At this moment, Xing Rongzi and Gu Wu were discussing matters in a stone chamber. Normally, they each had their own duties and were not often at the Hall. They were only here now to coordinate matters regarding the Trade Route.

"We’re making progress on the matter we entrusted to the Wei Family! With the Trade Route about to open, we’ve successfully hammered another nail into Long’an Town!" Xing Rongzi’s voice was low and hoarse. He glanced at the young man before him and asked, "Gu Wu, any movement on your end?"

The Soul-Breaking Spear, Gu Wu, was a young man with a chiseled face, a cold demeanor, and a hint of untamable arrogance in his eyes.

As a prodigy on the Rising Star Chart, Gu Wu had earned the right to be arrogant. He had entered the Profound Light Realm at a young age, ranking twenty-eighth on the Rising Star Chart. As a prodigy, he was highly valued by the Branch and held a high status within the Celestial Net Sect, being groomed as a future Elder!

Only an Absolute Master was qualified to be an Elder of the Celestial Net Sect!

"Guan Yu Ping is still hiding in Five Peaks Mountain City, so I haven’t found a suitable opportunity. However, he doesn’t seem to care about the Trade Route. Instead, he’s completely focused on suppressing the new Vice Envoy, Chen Ping’an. Killing him or not won’t make much of a difference!"

"Hmm, it’s true that killing him won’t have a major impact. But it would still be best if we could. It would draw more attention away, keep those people from staring at the inner workings of the Trade Route all day." Xing Rongzi’s gaze turned sinister. "Speaking of which, this new Vice Envoy, Chen Ping’an, is a prodigy on the Rising Star Chart, just like you. He has some title... Mang Blade. Find a chance and kill him! As a prodigy from the Rising Star Chart, if he dies, the commotion it causes should be no less than killing Guan Yu Ping!"

"Alright," Gu Wu nodded. "I’ll head to their garrison in the next few days and see if an opportunity presents itself."

"When his Mang Blade meets your Soul-Breaking Spear, I’m afraid that blade is going to break!" A playful look appeared on Xing Rongzi’s face. "Gu Wu, does killing a fellow prodigy from the Rising Star Chart feel any different?"

Gu Wu replied, his face devoid of expression, "No different at all. They’re nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs—they crumble at the slightest touch."

In his eyes, apart from the few ranked at the very top of the Rising Star Chart, he didn’t give a damn about anyone else.

"You really are arrogant," Xing Rongzi laughed. "But you’ve earned the right to be!"

Others might not know the extent of Gu Wu’s abilities, but he knew them perfectly well. He knew Gu Wu wasn’t just boasting.

The Divine Skill passed down by the Celestial Net Sect, the Seven Extremes Soul-Breaking Spear. Gu Wu had already cultivated it to an extremely profound level.

The outside world was unaware of his true strength. Years ago, even before he had entered the Profound Light Realm, he had possessed the power to contend with and even defeat Profound Light Realm experts.

Now that he had entered the Profound Light Realm, the might of his Spear Technique was enough for him to fight a Profound Light Middle Realm master head-on without being at a disadvantage.

If he were to disregard the consequences and fully unleash the intent of the Seven Extremes Soul-Breaking Spear, even a veteran Profound Light Middle Realm master would likely have to avoid the brunt of the attack! A moment of carelessness could lead to a great loss, or even severe injury!

It could be said that Gu Wu’s true combat power was enough to rank him in the top ten of the Rising Star Chart!

Just as the two were talking, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the stone chamber.

"Hall Master, Vice Hall Master, this is bad! A small number of Garrison Commandant’s Office personnel are approaching White Cloud Temple. It’s suspected they’ve discovered the stronghold’s location!"

"What!?"

Xing Rongzi’s expression changed drastically, and he shot up from his seat.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!