Daqian Martial Saint

Chen Ping’an’s biggest worry was that by the time he arrived, people from the Garrison Commandant’s Office or the Qiankun Bureau would already be here.

If that happened, the alibi he wanted to create would be difficult to establish.

The deaths of Guan Yu Ping, Wan Yuanze, and even Xing Rongzi would all be linked to him. Although it seemed unlikely based on his cultivation level, there would still be no shortage of suspicious gazes falling upon him!

But now...

This place had not yet been discovered. For him, this was the best possible outcome!

He could perfectly stage a scene where he had a grueling battle with Soul-Breaking Spear. After the fight, he would be severely injured, meditating on the spot to recover his strength.

As for the deaths of Guan Yu Ping, Wan Yuanze, and Xing Rongzi, they had nothing to do with him.

He would know nothing about events that transpired elsewhere.

Although a careful investigation afterward would still draw some suspicion, it would undoubtedly be far less. After all, the premise required for all these events to be true was a bit too shocking.

He would have had to first kill Soul-Breaking Spear Gu Wu, then race to eliminate Guan Yu Ping and Wan Yuanze in an extremely short amount of time. Then, without stopping, he would have had to precisely pinpoint Xing Rongzi’s location and strike him down.

And finally, return to this very spot!

Chen Ping’an glanced around, casually found a spot, and sat down cross-legged.

He would wait here for someone from the Garrison Commandant’s Office or the Qiankun Bureau to arrive!

...

Aside from chasing away a few wild beasts drawn by the scent of blood while he waited, the events that followed unfolded exactly as Chen Ping’an had predicted.

A Qiankun Guard from the Qiankun Bureau, at the Inner Qi Realm, discovered his tracks.

His body flickered as his gaze swept the area, and he spotted Chen Ping’an sitting cross-legged beside a broken log. The traces of battle left in the surroundings made the Qiankun Guard’s expression turn grim.

"Commander Chen." He had been operating with Zhao Zhiteng, so he naturally recognized Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an’s face was a little pale. He slowly opened his eyes. "Cough, cough... You are?"

"Commander Chen, I am Zhong Zhengjiang of the Qiankun Bureau. I am under orders to search for the escaped Celestial Net Sect remnants. You are..." Zhong Zhengjiang quickly moved in front of Chen Ping’an.

"The Celestial Net Sect remnant, Soul-Breaking Spear Gu Wu, has been slain, killed by my blade!" Chen Ping’an struggled to his feet, clutching his chest with one hand, appearing extremely weak. "But Lord Sheng of the Qiankun Bureau... he..."

"Lord Sheng?" Zhong Zhengjiang’s expression faltered.

His gaze shot to the corpse lying not far away. He had noticed the body when he started talking to Chen Ping’an, but he hadn’t yet had a chance to inspect it.

Now that Chen Ping’an mentioned Lord Sheng, he suddenly realized something.

WHOOSH!

Zhong Zhengjiang’s figure flashed, and he was beside the corpse. Even before he came to a complete stop, he recognized the person’s identity at a glance.

"Lord Sheng!" Zhong Zhengjiang’s voice was filled with grief as he abruptly bent down to examine the body.

At this point, Sheng Yanshan had long since lost all signs of life. His internal organs were completely pulverized, and his entire body was like a pile of mud.

His Exotic Weapon, the Blood Drop, which should have been so devastating, lay askew not far away.

The surroundings—broken trees, shattered rocks, dust, and sand—were a scene of utter devastation!

One could imagine what a brutal battle had erupted here not long ago.

...

Led by Zhong Zhengjiang, Chen Ping’an smoothly met with Zhao Zhiteng, Chu Long, and the others. Thanks to the Golden Finger Panel, the aura Chen Ping’an exuded was that of weakness after a great battle. No matter who inspected him, they would find no flaws.

"Yanshan is dead?" Listening to Zhong Zhengjiang’s report, Zhao Zhiteng’s expression was one of utter astonishment, finding the news hard to believe.

Beside him, Chu Long was visibly shaken, reacting in the same way.

Only after confirming with Zhong Zhengjiang several times did the two men reluctantly accept this outcome.

"How did he die? That Soul-Breaking Spear was just a newly advanced Profound Light. How could he have killed Yanshan?" Zhao Zhiteng stared intently at Chen Ping’an, his eyes burning. He was clearly doubtful of this result. He even harbored a faint suspicion toward Chen Ping’an.

Zhao Zhiteng’s reaction was within Chen Ping’an’s expectations.

"After we split into two groups, Lord Sheng and I pursued Soul-Breaking Spear. Everything was going smoothly at first, but during the chase, Soul-Breaking Spear feigned an opening, intentionally revealing a flaw. Since he was a newly advanced Profound Light, it’s inevitable there would be some oversight during a high-intensity burst of power. Lord Sheng didn’t expect this trick and wanted to seize the opportunity to kill him. But who would have thought..."

"It was all Soul-Breaking Spear’s scheme. I don’t know what Secret Technique he unleashed, but he turned and pierced Lord Sheng’s body with his spear!"

This explanation from Chen Ping’an was based entirely on what had actually happened, with no falsehoods.

"Have the traces at the scene been checked?" Zhao Zhiteng turned to look at Zhong Zhengjiang. Compared to Chen Ping’an, he trusted his own man more.

"My lord, they have been checked carefully. The traces of battle left at the scene are basically consistent with what Commander Chen said," Zhong Zhengjiang replied respectfully.

"Mm." Zhao Zhiteng nodded slightly, his gaze landing on Chen Ping’an, his expression somewhat stern. "If that’s the case, and according to your account, Soul-Breaking Spear used a Secret Technique and was able to kill Yanshan, then what I’m rather curious about is, how did you, Commander Chen, manage to kill Soul-Breaking Spear?"

As Zhao Zhiteng’s voice fell, the surrounding atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

"Hm?" Chen Ping’an frowned. "Lord Zhao, are you suspecting me?"

"No, I just want to understand the situation," Zhao Zhiteng said, his expression unchanging.

"How did I kill Soul-Breaking Spear? I don’t think I have any obligation to tell you, Lord Zhao!" Chen Ping’an’s face turned cold.

If he were to explain in detail at this moment, the other party would likely become even more suspicious of him.

"This matter concerns the death of a Celestial Net Sect remnant. I believe my Qiankun Bureau has the right to ask!" The aura around Zhao Zhiteng began to stir, weaving a great net that seemed ready to ensnare Chen Ping’an.

"If there are orders from above for me to assist in the investigation, I will naturally cooperate. But right now, Lord Zhao is speaking to me with the tone of someone interrogating a criminal, and it makes me very uncomfortable! I also regret Lord Sheng’s death, but that is no reason for you to act like this, Lord Zhao!" Although Chen Ping’an’s aura was weak, his words were resolute and unyielding.

...

The negotiation with Zhao Zhiteng and Chu Long ended on an unpleasant note.

However, Chen Ping’an didn’t care.

The adult world is about interests. No matter how fiercely they argued or how unpleasant the atmosphere became, when it came to encircling and annihilating the Celestial Net Sect, if they were required to cooperate, they would have to hold their noses and do it, no matter how unwilling they were.

"Lord Zhao, Lord Chu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave. See you around!"

Chen Ping’an raised his hand, gave a brief farewell to the two men, and left.

"Commander Chen, take care!" Zhao Zhiteng raised his hand in a parting gesture.

Those in high positions cultivate calmness and control their qi; they would not lose their decorum over a small argument. Before all pretenses were dropped, the necessary courtesies would still be observed.

Take some of those old schemers who have been in the system for years; they’ll try to ruin you behind your back, but to your face, they’ll act like old friends.

Chu Long, on the other hand, didn’t have Zhao Zhiteng’s level of Qi Cultivation Skill. Seeing Chen Ping’an leave, he just snorted coldly, not even bothering to give a perfunctory wave.

Not everyone is suited to be a Commander, or a Commander-in-Chief. Some experts, despite their immense cultivation, are only fit to be lone wolves or Tributors.

"Chu Long, what do you make of what he said?" Zhao Zhiteng asked, turning to Chu Long.

"I don’t know! But, even though his attitude really pisses me off, his expression didn’t seem fake! Hmph, I’m still getting angry just thinking about it. He’s just a junior in the Inner Qi Realm, yet he dares to speak to us like that. If this were in the Qiankun Bureau, I’d skin him alive!"

Chu Long spoke with a furious look on his face. However, despite his anger, his words were still relatively objective. Having reached the Profound Light Realm, he was naturally no fool and would not be easily swayed by his emotions. His blunt display was simply a part of his character.

"Mm. The aura on his body is indeed one of weakness and exhaustion after a hard-fought battle! Although there are still some suspicious points, I believe about seventy or eighty percent of what he said!" Zhao Zhiteng watched the direction Chen Ping’an had left, his face now devoid of its earlier anger, showing only calm.

They were all shrewd individuals; how could they be so easily swayed by emotion!

Those fabricated biographies popular on the market, which often depict powerful figures flying into a rage and losing their minds over a few cross words, are truly a common misunderstanding of those in power.

Unless their core interests are threatened, those in power will never fly into a rage easily. So-called rage is, in fact, a sign of incompetence.

Easy anger signifies weakness in a person of power.

A person who cannot control their emotions would find it extremely difficult, if not fundamentally impossible, to become a person of power!

For those great Noble Families, the first lesson in training a successor is to learn to control, hide, and dissipate their emotions!

"Also... back in the main hall, I don’t know if you noticed. That slash he delivered was genuine Profound Light Battle Power! To execute such a strike from his Celestial Rain Descending Realm Perfection... this Chen Ping’an is not as simple as we imagined! When he said he had a way to kill Soul-Breaking Spear, it might not have been a lie!"

Putting aside everything else, that single slash Chen Ping’an delivered in the underground hall was enough to qualify him for the top fifty on the Rising Star Chart!

"Mm." Speaking of which, Chu Long’s expression also turned solemn. "As much as I hate to say it, I have to admit, that kid is something else! Mang Blade, Mang Blade... I’m afraid his blade is reckless, but his mind is not!"

"Mm, if this Chen Ping’an really isn’t as we guessed—that he opportunistically used Yanshan’s life to kill Soul-Breaking Spear—but instead relied on his own power to face Soul-Breaking Spear head-on, overwhelm him, and ultimately kill him... then he..." Zhao Zhiteng took a few steps forward, clasped his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sky.

Under the azure sky, dotted with white clouds, a large, thick cluster of clouds on the distant horizon was slowly parting under the caress of a gentle breeze, revealing the brilliant radiance of the sun.

"He is probably far more terrifying than any of us imagined! And hiding much, much deeper!"

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