Daqian Martial Saint

"Welcome back to the city, Lord Commander!"

A thunderous roar of voices echoed before the gates of White Stone City, welcoming Chen Ping’an’s return.

In addition to the men from the Garrison Commandant’s Office, the leading figures of every major power within White Stone City were all present to greet him.

By now, everyone of any standing in White Stone City knew of Chen Ping’an’s methods. He might look harmless, but he was a true god of slaughter. When he first arrived in White Stone City, the local powers had underestimated him due to his youth, attempting to give him the runaround. And the consequences?

Those families and gangs that had dominated the city for years—the Quicksand Gang, the Crocodile Gang, the Iron Fist Gang, the Blood Oath Alliance... where were they now?

One family, foolish enough to provoke him, was slaughtered until heads rolled.

He had been like that from the start. And just recently, while patrolling the outskirts of the Trade Route, he had reportedly wiped out a stronghold of the Celestial Net Sect. He had even personally killed a Profound Light Realm expert!

The Profound Light Realm! That was the Profound Light Realm!

Who would dare treat such a god of slaughter with disrespect? Forget giving him the runaround; no one dared to show even a sliver of irreverence.

His combat prowess, his political cunning, his sheer audacity—any one of these was enough to leave them trembling in fear.

So when news of Chen Ping’an’s return arrived, all the powers in the city, large and small, reacted instantly. They dropped whatever they were doing, no matter how important, and rushed out to welcome him.

On an occasion like this, any family that failed to show up was destined to be made an example of. Perhaps Commander Chen, with his high status and immense power, wouldn’t bother himself with it. But the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau was not to be trifled with!

’How dare you be so disrespectful to the chief official? There would be no place for you in White Stone City!’

"My Lord, we have eagerly awaited your return and are overjoyed to see you! We have come to welcome you and wish you long-lasting fortune and success in all your endeavors!"

Shan Qiwang, Chief of the Patrol Office for the Central District, approached with a wide smile plastered on his face and a slight bow.

The officials of the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau system followed close behind him, all there to welcome Chen Ping’an’s return.

"Hmph." Chen Ping’an nodded slightly from his horse. He glanced around, noting the massive crowd gathered to welcome him. It wasn’t just the Garrison Commandant’s Office; every major power in the city had sent representatives. And judging by their cultivation levels, they were all leading figures.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.

He still remembered when he had first arrived. The Garrison Commandant’s Office had hosted a welcoming banquet for him, inviting all the city’s major powers. Back then, they had looked down on him for his youth and inexperience, hoping to put him in his place with a show of force. Not a single leading figure had attended. They hadn’t even sent anyone from their core echelons.

At such an important banquet in his honor, this was how every power had behaved. Their disdain had been palpable.

But now? This wasn’t even a banquet, just a sudden, impromptu welcome. And yet, every power in the city had mobilized their top people, not daring to be the least bit negligent.

How times have changed. It was enough to make one lament.

’In the end, the treatment you receive truly depends on your own strength!’

"You are all too kind. You may dispense with the formalities," Chen Ping’an said, a faint smile touching his lips.

That faint smile made many people in the crowd breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank you, My Lord."

Amid the crowd’s reception, Chen Ping’an rode his horse into White Stone City. The entourage now surrounding him was no longer the cavalrymen who had returned with him, but Shan Qiwang, Cheng Renjing, and the other officials of the Garrison Commandant’s Office.

These were his old acquaintances, his trusted inner circle.

Chen Ping’an exchanged pleasantries with a faint smile. The men crowded around him, their faces full of reverence, lowering their heads slightly to show respect whenever they spoke.

The commotion at the city gates drew a great deal of attention. As it wasn’t being kept secret, news of Commander Chen’s return radiated out from the gates, spreading like wildfire through the city.

Old Man Hao was making flatbreads at his stall, his expression peaceful. The public order in the city had been improving day by day. There were still gangs collecting protection fees, but they no longer charged whatever they pleased. Life was really starting to look up.

SIZZLE!

A wisp of white smoke rose, and Old Man Hao expertly worked the dough with his spatula.

"What? The Lord Commander is back? When? Oh, right now!"

"Let’s go, hurry, let’s go see!"

"Go, go, go!"

Old Man Hao kept himself busy, but he suddenly noticed the surrounding noise level rising. He was puzzled. ’What’s going on?’

He didn’t think too much of it, deciding it was better to finish the flatbread he was working on first.

By the time he looked up again, he saw people on the street rushing about as if something urgent was happening. Even the customers at his own stall were coming over to pay and leave.

’What’s happening?’

Old Man Hao was confused.

As he took his payment, he stopped one of the customers to ask.

"Sir, what’s going on? Why is everyone in such a rush to pay and leave?"

The customer hastily pulled out his money and gave him a look.

"You don’t know? The Lord Commander is back in the city!"

"What?" Old Man Hao was startled. "The Lord Commander is back! Where is he?"

"He was just at the city gates, he should be inside the walls by now!" With that, the customer said no more to Old Man Hao and trotted off, clearly eager to catch a glimpse of the Lord Commander’s heroic figure himself.

Although the Lord Commander hadn’t been in his post for long, everything he had done was worthy of praise. He held a very high place in the people’s hearts.

Old Man Hao watched the customer jog away and remembered the last time the Lord Commander had left the city. He hadn’t even managed to see his face, just a glimpse of his back in the distance.

’To hell with it, I’m going to take a look!’ Old Man Hao slapped his thigh. Forgetting all about his stall, he immediately set off to follow the crowd.

"Hey, old man, you haven’t taken our money yet!" a customer ready to pay shouted after him.

But Old Man Hao couldn’t hear them. Without a backward glance, he followed the flow of people. With his bad leg, by the time he got there, both sides of the street were already packed with crowds.

He was surrounded by a bustling throng of people and tried his best to push his way to the front. But for an old man with a bad leg, it was an incredibly difficult task.

After struggling for a long time, he hadn’t made any progress. In fact, the crush of bodies had pushed him even further back.

Just as Old Man Hao’s forehead was beaded with sweat, a wave of cheers erupted in the distance.

"Look, it’s the Lord Commander!"

"The Lord Commander is here!"

"Welcome back to the city, Lord Commander!"

"..."

As waves of cheers rolled through the crowd, Old Man Hao, unable to push through, could only crane his neck and try to peer toward the middle of the street.

Fortunately, the Lord Commander was mounted on a tall horse, so even without getting to the front, Old Man Hao could still get a general view by craning his neck.

’He’s here! He’s here!’ Old Man Hao thought, his heart pounding with excitement as he watched the Lord Commander draw closer down the street.

He was still too far away for Old Man Hao to see clearly. He could only vaguely make out a young man in plain clothes, surrounded by a large crowd. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on this young man, following his every move. Each of his gestures was met with a perfectly fitting response from those around him.

As the Commander-in-Chief rode steadily forward, the distance between them shrank, and Old Man Hao’s view became clearer and clearer.

"The Lord Commander... he’s so young!"

Old Man Hao heard someone beside him exclaim in amazement.

A shove from the crowd jostled Old Man Hao. He struggled to regain his balance, and just then, through a gap between people, he saw the Commander-in-Chief’s face.

Huh?

Old Man Hao froze.

"Obviously! The Lord Commander is a prodigy from the Rising Star Chart! Of course he’s young!"

"The Rising Star Chart? What’s that?"

"You live under a rock or something? All you need to know is that not long ago, the Lord Commander killed a Profound Light Realm expert!"

"What!"

Old Man Hao was oblivious to the chatter around him. His mind was reeling.

’He’s... the Lord Commander?’

...

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