Daqian Martial Saint

Some people, however, recalled Chen Ping’an’s earlier words—that he was injured, needed to rest, and shouldn’t fight.

’Injured and in need of rest?’

Perhaps Chen Ping’an really had been injured back then, and it wasn’t just an excuse like everyone thought.

It seemed they had all misunderstood!

Chen Ping’an hadn’t expected that by seizing the opportunity to perform a meritorious service and appropriately displaying his talent, he would also gain this benefit—it had cleared his name in a roundabout way.

When he heard about this from Yuan Zutong, he didn’t have much of a reaction, just a knowing smile.

He didn’t care what others thought, but clearing his name along the way, without compromising his principles, was a pleasant experience nonetheless.

Since Beicang Town was still under lockdown, he couldn’t return to Five Peaks Mountain City for the time being. He had been spending his days recuperating in Qingyou Garden.

With his cultivation, he could naturally sneak out without anyone noticing, but there was no need. Everyone knew he was in Beicang, and with Beicang under lockdown, even if he did get out, he wouldn’t dare reveal his identity openly. ’So what would be the point of leaving!?’

Instead of that, it was better to stay put in Beicang Town. In any case, he could practice his cultivation and recuperate daily, so nothing was being delayed.

He had made arrangements for both Five Peaks Mountain City and the Five Peaks Mountain Residence, so things wouldn’t fall into chaos for now.

Moreover, the lockdown of Beicang Town affected the operation of the Long’an Trade Route. Although the Long’an Trade Route was still in its early stages, the profits each day were immense. Every day the lockdown continued meant another day of lost profits.

The incident was certainly grave, but driven by profit and the general trend of things, the lockdown probably wouldn’t last much longer.

As his injuries gradually healed, Chen Ping’an felt at ease. With his steady recovery, he could spend more and more time on the cultivation of his Dragon Elephant Dominating Body Technique. However, he had not yet formally begun the nurturing and Sacrificial Refinement of his Quasi-Divine Weapon, the Profound Ice Silk Armor.

This matter was not urgent. It wouldn’t be too late to begin the Sacrificial Refinement after his Profound Light Spirituality was fully restored. The top priority, while recovering from his injuries, was still to break through to the Jade Balance Grandmaster Realm as soon as possible!

In the past few days, the Beicang Garrison’s investigation had never stopped. Besides hunting down the remnants of the Demon Sect and Evil Dao, they were also focusing on the internal collaborators during the turmoil. Using the evidence on hand, they were following the trail, meticulously sorting through leads, and investigating them one by one.

The successive investigations had yielded considerable results.

On this day, a dozen or so riders arrived from outside and entered Beicang Town, drawing the attention of everyone within.

"Who are they?"

"No idea!"

"They look like they’re from the Garrison Commandant’s Office!"

"Are they lifting the lockdown? Dammit, I’ve had enough of this place!"

"Who hasn’t!? Those goddamn Evil and Heterodox Dao!"

"..."

Inside Qingyou Garden, Chen Ping’an, having heard the news, told Yuan Zutong to keep an eye on things and gather the latest information. On the same day the riders entered the town, several pieces of news began to circulate wildly through Beicang Town.

"The Celestial Net Saintess was forced to retreat by several Grandmasters! If masters from the Celestial Net Sect hadn’t come to her aid, she would have been captured alive!"

"An outpost of the Extreme Evil Dao in Earth Fire County has been jointly besieged and destroyed by the local Garrison Commandant’s Office!"

"Iron Tower Demon Luo, a master from the Rising Dragon Dao’s Dragon and Tiger Chart, is dead!"

"There’s a Grandmaster stationed in Beicang Town, so it’s completely safe. You can all rest assured!"

"The Ten Thousand Demons Sect..."

"..."

The numerous rumors that spread out sparked a lot of doubt. However, two days later, the news was officially certified by the Beicang Garrison. The reports were all true, and everyone was told they could rest easy.

The Celestial Net Sect, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, the Extreme Evil Dao, the Rising Dragon Dao... any of the Evil and Heterodox Dao involved in the Beicang turmoil would face an unprecedented crackdown by the State Garrison Command. There had already been some results, but this was just the beginning; more action would follow.

The State Garrison Command’s counterattack, a Grandmaster stationed in town, the victories achieved...

Under the repeated propagandizing, this flood of news lifted many people’s spirits. The gloom that had lingered for so long seemed to dissipate somewhat.

Chen Ping’an naturally heard this news from Yuan Zutong as well. He was skeptical about a good portion of it.

’Like the news about the Celestial Net Saintess being repelled—if it were true, why wait until today to announce it?’

But no matter what he thought, Chen Ping’an certainly wasn’t going to stand up and question the Beicang Garrison. It was enough for him to just listen to the news. Other than a little curiosity about the outcome of the battles between Grandmasters, he didn’t care about the specifics of the other matters.

After many days of rest, his injuries had fully healed, and he had truly recovered his peak combat strength.

With his injuries healed, he could finally dedicate all his time to the cultivation of the Dragon Elephant Dominating Body Technique. Regardless of the outside world, inside Qingyou Garden, Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged, circulating his energy. Black qi coiled around his body, faintly forming the image of a Dragon Elephant.

+1!

+1!

+1!

...

Besides Chen Ping’an, there were plenty of other clever people in Beicang Town who saw the truth behind the rumors circulating. But knowing was one thing; no one was idle enough to openly question the Beicang Garrison.

’Some things are best kept to oneself; there’s no need to let everyone else in on them! Unless, of course, there’s a profit to be made!’

With no profit to be made, the news spread like wildfire, and the situation in Beicang Town quickly stabilized.

....

「Beicang Garrison.」

Xue Kunsheng and a group of high-ranking officials were receiving an envoy from the Canglong Province Garrison Command. The envoy had made the long, arduous journey from Canglong State City to Beicang Town. As hosts, it was their duty to provide a warm reception.

During the banquet, cups were raised and conversation was lively. This particular envoy had dealings with Xue Kunsheng at the State Garrison Command, so they were somewhat familiar with each other. After everyone else had left, the two of them spoke frankly for a long time.

When the news of the Beicang turmoil was reported to the Canglong Province Garrison Command, it caused an uproar. As one of the three major hubs on the Long’an Trade Route, Beicang Town was crucial to the trade route’s security and should have been as heavily guarded as an iron fortress. Yet, such a massive disaster had occurred during an auction. The incident involved various factions and resulted in countless deaths and injuries—it was simply appalling.

The Chief of the State Garrison Command personally took an interest in the matter and ordered a strict investigation. As the Vice Beicang Garrison Commander, Xue Kunsheng bore an undeniable responsibility for such a huge disaster.

Furthermore, Xue Kunsheng had also mishandled the aftermath, causing the town to remain in a state of panic and failing to truly calm the situation.

Xue Kunsheng felt wronged by this. Regarding the official narrative, how could he have dared to arbitrarily announce something like the Celestial Net Saintess being repelled without authorization from the State Garrison Command?

The two continued their discussion late into the night before finally parting ways.

After the envoy left, Xue Kunsheng’s face was grim. A letter he had received a few days ago came to mind. It was from an elder of the Xue Family. As a top-level Noble Family in the State City, his Xue Family naturally had elders holding positions in the State Garrison Command. In the letter, the elder told him that the turmoil’s impact was too severe; it not only affected Beicang Town but also dealt a heavy blow to the trade route’s credibility.

The repercussions of this matter were far-reaching. Even with the Xue Family working to cover for him, the responsibility he had to bear would be by no means small.

The fact that the envoy sent by the State Garrison Command this time was on good terms with him was the result of the Xue Family’s string-pulling. Otherwise, with so many potential candidates the State Garrison Command could have sent, why would they happen to choose someone he was friendly with as the envoy?

The extent of Xue Kunsheng’s final responsibility was heavily dependent on the contents of the envoy’s investigation report. A favorable report versus an unfavorable one would make a world of difference!

Having a friendly face as the envoy was, naturally, an excellent way to mitigate the blame!

But...

Xue Kunsheng gazed at the moon in the sky, immaculate and bright. For a moment, sorrow filled his heart. After a long while, he let out a long sigh.

Now that this had happened, regardless of how the responsibility was ultimately assigned, it was almost impossible for him to advance any further in this life!

His path to promotion was severed!

Unless...

Xue Kunsheng retracted his gaze and didn’t let his thoughts stray further.

....

Three days after the arrival of the State Garrison Command’s envoy, Beicang Town announced that the lockdown was lifted. Although inspections remained strict, entry and exit were now permitted.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Ping’an left Qingyou Garden immediately. Yuan Zutong and the others had already prepared a carriage long in advance.