Daqian Martial Saint

Though Chen Ping’an hadn’t been at the Five Peaks Mountain City residence lately, You Yongming kept him frequently updated on matters concerning the Outer Trade Road and the situation at the residence. As such, everything was under his control.

"Yes, Sir!" You Yongming replied sharply and stood up. "Sir, I have important intelligence to report!"

"There’s been a vicious caravan massacre on the Outer Trade Road! A small caravan from Li Yang County was ambushed near Red Maple Mountain. Dozens of its members were brutally killed on the spot! The incident has impacted the nearby Red Maple Market. According to reliable intelligence, it was the work of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect!"

"The Ten Thousand Demons Sect?" A glint appeared in Chen Ping’an’s eyes as his gaze fell upon You Yongming.

With a respectful expression, You Yongming answered decisively, "Sir, based on an analysis of the evidence at the scene and related intelligence, we can confirm the attackers were from the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. Furthermore, the caravan was being guarded by a Profound Light Realm master. However, they were unable to escape and were also brutally killed. From the signs of battle at the scene, we suspect the Ten Thousand Demons Sect had several Profound Light Realm experts among them!"

Chen Ping’an had heard of caravan raids before, but none had ever occurred in his jurisdiction. Now, however, this massacre had happened right on the Outer Trade Road, near Red Maple Mountain. It was an exceptionally vicious attack, with dozens of caravan members all slaughtered.

If this incident wasn’t handled properly, it would have a dire impact on the surrounding area and the caravans passing through.

Technically, as the Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy, he held partial jurisdiction. But since this involved the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, the ones truly responsible for handling it should be the Weishui Garrison or the Qiankun Bureau!

He was about to depart for Beicang Town. If he took on this case, he would likely miss the Beicang Auction. But...

’The Ten Thousand Demons Sect...’

The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting mottled shadows across Chen Ping’an’s face and making his expression difficult to read. He tilted his head back slightly. For some reason, he found himself thinking of Old Chen.

After a long silence, a voice broke the stillness of the main hall.

"Pass on my orders. Pack your things. We ride for Red Maple Mountain!"

"Yes, Sir!"

...

It was late at night, and the gates of Five Peaks Mountain City were long since closed. However, they were hastily opened under an urgent order from the Garrison Commandant’s Office. A party of more than a dozen horsemen departed from Five Peaks Mountain City, riding through the night under the cover of darkness.

Chen Ping’an galloped away from Five Peaks Mountain City, racing toward Red Maple Mountain. At the same time, he sent an urgent dispatch from the city to the Five Peaks Mountain Residence, ordering the patrol constables there to increase their patrols, remain on high alert, and focus on key areas to prevent the Ten Thousand Demons Sect from stirring up more trouble.

News that members of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect had appeared near Red Maple Mountain and massacred a caravan of dozens with no survivors also spread quickly, reaching the ears of the Weishui Garrison and the Qiankun Bureau.

However, by the time they received the news, Chen Ping’an had already reached the Red Maple Mountain area on the Outer Trade Road. As the envoy responsible for the territory, he had a natural locational advantage when it came to the speed of intelligence.

The party of more than a dozen riders galloped hard, arriving near Red Maple Mountain as the sky grew bright. Astride a tall horse, You Yongming respectfully cupped his fist toward Chen Ping’an.

"Sir, this is the place."

Chen Ping’an’s gaze sharpened. He dismounted and surveyed the area. The surroundings consisted of withered mountains and barren rock. Though an official road ran through it, the place felt desolate.

The bodies of the slaughtered caravan members had already been removed, but the signs of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s attack had not been completely erased. The area was a complete wreck, with patches of dark, dried blood staining the ground everywhere.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

"Yes, Sir!" You Yongming replied respectfully.

He had already given Chen Ping’an a brief overview on the road. But the specific details would be much clearer when recounted at the scene.

From You Yongming’s account, Chen Ping’an quickly grasped the full story behind the incident.

The caravan had come from Earth Fire County, passed through Weishui County, and stopped for a short rest at the nearby Red Maple Market. Their plan was to take the Long’an Trade Route to Cyan Spirit Province to conduct business. The caravan wasn’t particularly large and was guarded by only a single Profound Light Realm master.

Normally, a caravan of this size wouldn’t have been able to undertake trade between the two states. Putting aside the length of the journey, the Demon Beasts in the Canglong Mountain Range alone would have been more than they could handle. Even if they were lucky enough to get through, they would have likely lost most of their cargo along the way.

But times had changed. The Long’an Trade Route was officially open, and the Demon Beasts along the path had been largely cleared out. Now, even an average-sized caravan was capable of trading between the two states.

The caravan’s organizer must have arrived here full of excitement, dreaming of the profits this journey would bring. They just never imagined... they would run into something like this.

To think they would run into the Ten Thousand Demons Sect here!

"Where did the Ten Thousand Demons Sect go after the attack? Did they leave a trail?" Chen Ping’an asked.

"Sir, it was too late by the time we got the news. We lost our best chance to track the members of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect," You Yongming said, his head bowed.

"I see." Chen Ping’an nodded. He had expected as much. If the Ten Thousand Demons Sect were that easy to track, they would have been wiped out long ago.

"Let’s go check out Red Maple Market," Chen Ping’an said, swinging back onto his horse and giving a slight wave of his hand.

Red Maple Market was the largest marketplace in the Red Maple Mountain area. It was also where the caravan had been resting before the massacre. Since the market wasn’t far from their current location, it was convenient to head over. ’We might discover something there.’

"Yes, Sir!" You Yongming acknowledged.

The horses galloped, and the party of more than a dozen riders made for Red Maple Market.

...

As Chen Ping’an was heading to Red Maple Market, Li Pingjiang had just arrived in Five Peaks Mountain City from the Five Peaks Mountain Residence.

’Chen Ping’an, I don’t care where you try to hide. Tonight, you die.’

Clad in black and wearing a bamboo hat, Li Pingjiang strode into Five Peaks Mountain City. He had already made up his mind: once he found out where Chen Ping’an lived, he would strike that very night and kill him. He was willing to take on any risk to see it done.

’This business has dragged on for far too long,’ he thought. ’If I delay any further, the Seven Extremes Elder will surely become displeased with me.’

’After I kill Chen Ping’an, I’ll head to the Beicang Auction.’

A glint in his eyes, Li Pingjiang stepped into the nearest tavern. He was here to gather information.

...

Red Maple Market was situated at the foot of Red Maple Mountain. Nestled against the mountainside, its surroundings were quite pleasant. Though called a market, it sprawled over a large area, nearly the size of a large village.

These large marketplaces outside the city walls might not look as refined, but the goods sold within were sometimes no worse than what you could find in a city’s Treasure Pavilion.

In fact, due to the lack of regulation, one could often find items in these places that were unavailable even in an Inner Treasure Pavilion. Furthermore, some large black markets were hidden within these marketplaces.

Of course, none of this was spoken of openly.

In short, Red Maple Market was home to people from all walks of life. Their interests were deeply intertwined, making the overall political landscape no less complex than that of a proper city.

Chen Ping’an had reviewed dedicated intelligence files on the power structure within Red Maple Market while familiarizing himself with the Outer Trade Road.

The three main powers in Red Maple Market were the Huang Family, a clan native to the Red Maple Mountain area; a merchants’ alliance that represented the collective interests of the shopkeepers; and a sizable gang called the Iron Fence Gang.

Well, Iron Fence Gang was its official name. Internally, it was actually called the Iron Cage Escort Agency. It primarily provided escort and guard services for various factions and individuals.

These three powers were entrenched in Red Maple Market, protecting their vast shared interests while drawing sustenance from the market to support themselves.

Upon receiving news that the Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy, Chen Ping’an, was about to arrive at Red Maple Market, the leaders of the market’s three major powers felt their hearts skip a beat, their faces betraying their panic.

’Why is a big shot like him coming here in person?’

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