Daqian Martial Saint

After a moment of thought, Cao Yingxiong turned his gaze back to Chen Ping’an.

"Commander Chen, you truly are a man of remarkable talent for your age!"

Cao Yingxiong praised Chen Ping’an with a beaming smile, the fat on his face bunching up.

"Without your help, Commander Chen, I’m afraid dispatching this villain would have taken much more effort! I will certainly report this matter to the Qiankun Bureau and have a commendation issued!"

’Hm?’

Cao Yingxiong’s words were pleasant, but Chen Ping’an immediately understood the implication behind them.

’Report it to the Qiankun Bureau? Issue a commendation?!’

’What does he mean?’

’Is he trying to steal the credit!?’

’You think you can steal my credit with just a few empty words?’

Given how things had just played out, even if Cao Yingxiong hadn’t intervened, the gray-robed old man wouldn’t have escaped. The credit would have belonged to Chen Ping’an alone!

Even taking a step back, while Cao Yingxiong did contribute to dealing with the gray-robed elder, Chen Ping’an was still the one who did the most work.

So why report it to the Qiankun Bureau, and not the Garrison Commandant’s Office?

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Lord Cao. However, there’s no need to trouble you with this matter. Now that this villain is dead, it is my duty to report it to the Garrison Commandant’s Office. Rest assured, Lord Cao, I will be sure to detail your contributions, and the Garrison Commandant’s Office will certainly issue a commendation."

Chen Ping’an spoke calmly, his expression serene.

His words were respectful enough on the surface, but the underlying meaning spared Cao Yingxiong no face.

’You want to steal my credit with empty words? Fine. I’ll just play your game and use a verbal promise of my own to take it right back. What’s wrong with that?’

As Chen Ping’an’s voice fell, Cao Yingxiong’s expression changed instantly, becoming incredibly grim. His gaze fell upon Chen Ping’an, now carrying a hint of a threat.

"Commander Chen, since I was the one who killed him, what gives you the right to take him back to the Garrison Commandant’s Office?"

Chen Ping’an remained perfectly composed, looking at Cao Yingxiong without backing down.

"Lord Cao, please see reason. As an outer patrol for the trade route, I was investigating the movements of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect near Red Maple Market. After many twists and turns, I finally saw through this villain’s disguise, and only after a fierce battle did I achieve this result! Even without you, Lord Cao, this fiend was already grievously wounded and would have died regardless! By intending to report this to the Qiankun Bureau, are you not, in fact, trying to claim all the credit for yourself?"

Their sharp exchange made the atmosphere in the area grow heavy. A trace of coldness had already appeared on Cao Yingxiong’s corpulent face.

To be honest, Chen Ping’an’s reaction was completely unexpected.

As a Silver Gong Qiankun Envoy of the Qiankun Bureau, he oversaw a territory, holding a high position and significant power.

Moments ago, his willingness to mention Chen Ping’an’s name when reporting the achievement was already a concession on his part. Who would have thought that this Chen Ping’an would be so tactless and utterly ungrateful?

’He would have died regardless, even without me?’

’Hmph, ridiculous!’

Cao Yingxiong scoffed. With a flick of his hand, he snatched the serrated short blade from the gray-robed old man’s grasp through the air!

Profound Light High Realm—Profound Light Penetrating Objects! Using Profound Light Divine Intent to interfere with reality and retrieve objects from a distance!

As an absolute master renowned in his region, Cao Yingxiong naturally possessed such an ability!

Cao Yingxiong offered no reply, but his action was the best reply he could have given Chen Ping’an!

Chen Ping’an’s expression didn’t change, but a trace of killing intent had already bloomed in his heart!

"A fine weapon!" Cao Yingxiong declared with an appreciative look after gripping the serrated short blade and examining it closely.

The craftsmanship of this serrated short blade was exquisite, its quality bordering on that of a Fine Treasure Artifact! For Cao Yingxiong, this was a considerable prize!

"Commander Chen, you’re still young and don’t understand many things. In this world, there are some things you can ask for! But there are other things that, if they aren’t given to you, you shouldn’t even think about wanting, let alone asking for!" Cao Yingxiong said with a smirk, his chubby face looking exceptionally greasy.

Chen Ping’an’s face darkened, and the killing intent in his heart intensified. His gaze fell upon Cao Yingxiong’s massive, corpulent body as he calculated how to strike to secure victory as quickly as possible, suppressing him on the spot and leaving no chance for escape.

Cao Yingxiong was the established power in this region, his fame widespread. Besides his Divine Skill, the Tiger Roar Dragon Cry Technique, and a few other publicly known abilities, he likely had many hidden trump cards.

Until those trump cards were revealed, no one could know what they would truly face in a real fight. Against such a figure, Chen Ping’an naturally had to make a thorough assessment and formulate a plan before making a move.

Intelligence reports on Cao Yingxiong constantly surfaced in his mind.

Cao Yingxiong was bloated and obese. But this fat was no mere burden; it completely concealed several of his weak points. Coupled with a Cultivation Technique he practiced that was similar to the Eighteen Falls of Clothing, ordinary methods could not break through his defense at all.

Furthermore, when Cao Yingxiong executed the Tiger’s Roar and Dragon’s Chant, a special technique caused the fat all over his body to tremble in a specific rhythm, which provided an extraordinary boost to this Sound Wave Divine Skill.

Cao Yingxiong was proficient in palm, leg, and fist techniques, and was extremely skilled at direct frontal assaults. His attacks were known for being both ferocious and swift. Beyond that, his publicly documented killing moves included techniques like Mount Tai Pressing Down and the Thousand-Catty Fall.

His immense power and Tyrant Dao aura were said to be enough to crush the Protective True Qi of any absolute master below the Dragon and Tiger Chart.

Of course, that last part was only a rumor, and it was unknown how much of it was an exaggeration.

But no matter what, Cao Yingxiong was an exceptionally well-rounded fighter among the top-level absolute masters. The rumor that he possessed the combat power to rank at the bottom of the Dragon and Tiger Chart was not baseless!