Chapter 307 - 306: Strict Order
With the issuance of Chen Ping’an’s order, the Five Peaks Mountain City Garrison Commandant’s Office sprang into swift action. Proclamations were plastered across every street and alley. Patrolling constables walked the streets, striking loud gongs and periodically shouting out a warning to the public.
CLANG!
"By order of the Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy and Commander-in-Chief of Five Peaks Mountain City, Lord Chen Ping’an! Causing disturbances and fighting are strictly forbidden within Five Peaks Mountain City! Violators will be punished with the full and severe force of Daqian Law! Arrests will be made with force, and those who resist will be dealt with on the spot!"
CLANG!
"By order of the Outer Trade Road Patrol..."
...
A round-faced, middle-aged man sat by a window in a tavern overlooking the street. As he listened to the cries from outside, a trace of disdain crossed his face.
"If you ask me, this is just what you’d expect from a young man. He sure has the gall to make such a boast! ’Arrests will be made with force, and those who resist will be dealt with on the spot!’? And what exactly is he going to use to deal with them?"
"You’re right, Elder Meng. I bet this is all just a big show. It’ll start with a roar and end with a whimper! Hahaha..."
A short, fat man with triangular eyes said in a fawning tone. He was from the Wu Family and was the Steward of this trading team.
The round-faced, middle-aged man sitting opposite him was no ordinary person. He was Meng Yude, a master the trading team had specifically hired to keep watch. Famous for many years, he had entered the Profound Light Realm long ago. Countless souls had perished at the hands of his perfected Eagle Claw Technique!
Hearing the short, fat man’s flattery, Meng Yude drew his gaze back from the window and gave him a satisfied look.
"The words of a young whelp are best ignored! He talks a big game now, but let’s see how this Chen Ping’an cleans up his own mess when he runs into someone he can’t handle!"
"Yes, yes, you’re right, Elder Meng. Forget everything else—if a Profound Light Realm master made a move, what could Chen Ping’an possibly do?" the short, fat man chimed in eagerly.
Meng Yude didn’t answer. He simply raised the cup before him and downed it in one gulp.
As a veteran of the Profound Light Realm, he couldn’t speak for other places, but here in the small city of Five Peaks Mountain, there was truly no one he feared. A ban on disturbances and fighting? To him, it was a joke. If he was in a good mood, he might play along. But if he was in a bad mood, even if he broke the rules, what could the Garrison Commandant’s Office possibly do?
...
Chen Ping’an’s strict order quickly spread throughout Five Peaks Mountain City. Some who heard the news held a healthy fear for this Chen Ping’an and took the warning to heart. But others heard it and continued to do as they pleased, completely unconcerned.
In particular, Martial Arts Masters with impressive Cultivation Realms treated Chen Ping’an’s strict order as if it were nothing but hot air. There was still plenty of time before the Beicang Auction, so they simply indulged in the carnal pleasures of Five Peaks Mountain City and enjoyed life.
Here in Five Peaks Mountain City, they could live freely and without restraint. But life in Beicang Town would not be nearly as pleasant!
This was a truth they all understood.
Once the strict order banning fights in Five Peaks Mountain City was issued, whether by good luck or for some other reason, for a while, no one was foolish enough to start trouble in the city.
It was under these circumstances that the details of the third headlining item for the Beicang Auction were announced.
It was a high-grade Burst Secret Technique: the Essence-Burning Blood Curse! Its burst effect was astounding. If cultivated to a certain degree, fully activating the Secret Technique would allow a person to fight opponents one or two minor realms above their own!
For example, if a cultivator at the Profound Light Middle Realm were to master this art, they could use its burst to contend with an expert at the Profound Light High Realm!
An effect like this naturally piqued the interest of many, and they were greatly tempted.
Before the Beicang Auction began, Chen Ping’an had hoped to quietly spend some more time in Cultivation. But unfortunately, the peaceful days in Five Peaks Mountain City following the ban did not last long. After just three days, a trading team Steward got drunk at the Red Mill and started causing trouble.
The situation was initially under control, but for some reason, he ended up in a direct confrontation with the staff at the Red Mill, and things completely spiraled out of control.
Some of the trading team’s men and the Red Mill’s guards came to blows. By the time the men from the Garrison Commandant’s Office arrived, the inside of the Red Mill was already a complete mess.
"Fighting is forbidden in Five Peaks Mountain City! Stop this at once!"
"Everyone, stop!"
"..."
A Chief Constable shouted, and while the Red Mill’s guards wanted to stop, they could only defend themselves as the other side continued their assault. In the end, no one paid the men from the Garrison Commandant’s Office any mind.
"Arrest them all!" Deputy Commander Zhong Shanyong, having arrived personally on the scene, took one look at the chaos and immediately gave the order.
"Yes, sir!"
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The constables drew their sabers and moved in to bring the situation under control.
But at that very moment, a powerful aura flared up from the middle of the brawl.
"Zhong Shanyong, I suggest you stay out of this!"
Hm?
Zhong Shanyong’s pupils contracted sharply.
’Third Stage of Inner Qi!’
His gaze instantly locked onto a short-haired man wielding a Fine Iron Long Spear.
"Wu Lin!"
He recognized the short-haired man. This was the same expert at the Third Stage of Inner Qi who had been watching from the sidelines back when they were suppressing the incident at Orchid Lane!
’How did this disturbance get tangled up with Wu Lin?’
’This is trouble!’
Zhong Shanyong looked at Wu Lin with a grave expression. But Lord Chen’s strict order was involved, so he had no choice but to intervene.
"Lord Chen has given a strict order forbidding any disturbances or fighting within Five Peaks Mountain City. Today, your Wu Family Trading Team has crossed a line with the Garrison Commandant’s Office. I advise you to stop now while you still can!"
Wu Lin stood his ground, spear in hand, but before he could answer, a voice drifted down from a private room on the second floor behind him.
"Wu Lin, ignore him! If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility! As for this Red Mill, I swear I’m tearing this place down today!"
Zhong Shanyong followed the voice with his eyes, looking up to see a short, fat, middle-aged man standing furiously at the window of the private room.
’Wu Tianqi!’
Zhong Shanyong recognized him at a glance; he was one of the main leaders of the Wu Family Trading Team for this trip.
"Zhong Shanyong, your strength may allow you to dominate others at the Second Stage of Inner Qi, but against me, you have no chance of victory! Why don’t you just stand aside and watch? It would be better for you, for me, and for everyone," Wu Lin said indifferently, spear in hand.
"Impossible!" Zhong Shanyong drew the saber from his waist, his Inner Qi surging.
"Hmph!" Wu Tianqi leaned against the window, his triangular eyes flashing with contempt.
’Wu Lin is just one of our trading team’s Tributors, but even he has cultivation at the Third Stage of Inner Qi. And yet the Garrison Commandant’s Office’s so-called Deputy Commander is only at the Second Stage.’
’If word of this got out, it would be a laughingstock!’
’With such pathetic strength, I have no idea how they dared to make all those proclamations earlier!’
VMMMM~
Their Inner Qi surged, and a fight between the two was about to erupt at any moment.
Just then, a tall, slender figure walked in from outside, followed by a large group of constables filing in behind him.
"What’s going on here?"
"Lord Chen!" Zhong Shanyong’s face lit up with relief.