Daqian Martial Saint

Weishui. The Fang Family.

In a garden in the Fang Family’s rear courtyard, a white-haired old man who looked like a gardener was bent over, tending to the flowers and plants.

"Are you telling me that our Weishui has produced a prodigy ranked high on the Rising Star Chart? A true prodigy!?"

"Yes, Clan Elder. Mang Blade Chen Ping’an is ranked twenty-first on the Rising Star Chart!" The middle-aged man stood before the elder, hardly daring to breathe.

"Chen Ping’an..." Hearing the name, the elder slowly straightened up, his gaze falling upon the man. "A familiar name. And speaking of which, the people in our family have such keen eyes! Of all the people to antagonize, they chose to make an enemy of a prodigy! You’ve all handled this so well!"

As the elder’s last word fell, an indescribable aura instantly began to pulse outward from him.

WHOOSH~

The wave of energy surged, terrifying the middle-aged man so much that he threw himself prostrate on the ground.

"Today you pick a fight with a prodigy. Are you planning to provoke an Absolute Master tomorrow?" The elder’s white hair stirred without a breeze. "The family was entrusted to you, and this is how you manage it!?"

"Clan Elder, please calm your anger! We wouldn’t dare!" the middle-aged man pleaded.

The elder looked at the man with his face pressed to the ground, saying nothing for a long time. He then turned his gaze to a patch of flowers in the corner of the courtyard, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’The flower buds are full, ready to bloom. It won’t be long now before they open.’

’Once they bloom, they’ll be magnificent! Just like that young man who is starting to make his name, full of limitless potential!’

Chen Ping’an was from a common family and lived in Nanquan Lane in the Weishui Outer City. His father had been grievously injured during a raid on a Ten Thousand Demons Sect stronghold. He never recovered from his long illness and passed away young. After Father Chen’s death, Chen Ping’an and his younger sister were left to fend for themselves, relying solely on each other.

He worked his shifts as a constable day in and day out, just struggling to get by. His future seemed set: marry an ordinary woman, have children, and carry on the family line. If he got a lucky break, he might last long enough to be officially registered as a constable. With that status, his family would share in the honor. For someone scraping by at the bottom, it was a very respectable position.

Originally, Chen Ping’an’s life was set to follow this perfectly ordinary path.

But who could have imagined that, by a stroke of pure chance, he would be rewarded for delivering a message and become a registered constable of the Garrison Commandant’s Office.

As a registered constable, he was bestowed with a Sword Skill and began cultivating the Public Door Thirteen Sabers. He displayed an incredible talent for the Martial Dao, and from then on, both his Martial Arts Realm and his official status advanced by leaps and bounds.

Registered constable, Preparatory Constable, Constable, South City Prison Chief...

...to his current position as an Inspection Envoy, the foremost prodigy in all of Weishui!

A prodigy like that... the Fang Family had a chance to win him over. The matter with Zuo Wumei had created ties between him and the Fang Family! He even came to the Fang Family estate to claim a treasure!

But they... ultimately missed their chance!

Later, because of the actions of the younger generation, they even made an enemy of him! Through the machinations of the Noble Family, he was forced out of Weishui County City!

After he began to show his true brilliance and appeared on the Rising Star Chart, the Fang Family did try to mend relations. But in the end, they didn’t put their full effort into it!

But life is unpredictable. Who could have foreseen that he would now break into the upper echelons of the Rising Star Chart, with the Peak Realm now a tangible possibility!

How could the Fang Family afford to be wrong about such a genius a second time!

"Spare no expense to repair our relationship with Chen Ping’an. If possible, put all our effort into recruiting him. Offer him the most favorable terms imaginable. If necessary, we can negotiate his requests on a case-by-case basis!"

The white-haired elder’s gaze shifted from the flowers and fell back upon the middle-aged man.

’Even if the Fang Family can’t recruit a prodigy like him, we absolutely cannot afford to make him an enemy!’

"Yes!" the middle-aged man answered quietly.

...

It wasn’t just the Liu and Fang Families. The other two great Noble Families also had their own reactions to Chen Ping’an’s ascent into the upper ranks of the Rising Star Chart.

The Fu Family’s stance was the same as the Fang Family’s: do everything in their power to recruit him. And even if recruitment failed, they absolutely could not afford to offend such a prodigy.

These Noble Families had survived for a thousand years not by acting on impulse, but by knowing how to read the situation. With the talent Chen Ping’an had displayed, reaching the Peak Realm in the future was a very real possibility!

There were no fundamental conflicts of interest between them and Chen Ping’an. That being the case, trying to win him over and befriend him was the most logical course of action.

The Mu Family, however, had far more complicated feelings than the others. Those who had vehemently opposed Mu Wanjun’s proposed marriage alliance were now overcome with shame.

Mu Wanjun’s words from back then seemed as if they were spoken only yesterday, echoing in their minds with a distinct "don’t say I didn’t warn you" feel.

"Honored Clan Elders, I have seen Chen Ping’an’s talent with my own eyes. He went from having no knowledge of the Martial Dao to the Qi Blood Sixth Layer in a matter of months. He is an absolute, true Martial Dao prodigy!

If he hadn’t started on his martial path so late, I dare say he would already be on the Rising Star Chart! I implore you, honored Clan Elders, to see the truth of this young prodigy!

Give him time, and once he has made a name for himself in the Martial Dao, it won’t just be our Mu Family trying to win him over! If we miss this chance, we will live to regret it!"

Mu Wanjun had spoken with earnest sincerity, but they had merely brushed her off, using the excuse that it "required long-term consideration" to repeatedly postpone any decision.

"What Wan Jun says has some merit! But he is only at the Qi Blood Sixth Layer. That’s a far cry from a true prodigy. A marriage alliance is a serious matter... We mustn’t make a rash decision!"

’If we miss this chance, we will live to regret it!’

It was more than just regret. When it came to Chen Ping’an, they were sick to their stomachs with it.

The one they had placed their hopes in, Mu Feiyu, had indeed made it onto the Rising Star Chart, but he was ranked in the hundreds, just barely scraping by. He could be knocked off the list at any moment.

Compared to Chen Ping’an, the difference was night and day.

"If only we hadn’t been so foolish!" one of the Mujia Elders sighed, staring at the heavens.

...

「Canglong State Qiankun Bureau, Weishui Branch」

Cao Yingxiong had also received the news of Chen Ping’an’s rise into the upper ranks of the Rising Star Chart.

He presided over the Qiankun Bureau Weishui Branch. He didn’t have to worry about family legacies or factional interests; at the core of it all, he only had to consider himself. Whether it was recruiting new members or earning merit, everything he did was for his own benefit.

Compared to his own advancement, the interests of the Qiankun Bureau itself came a distant second.

’High on the Rising Star Chart, with a chance to reach the Peak Realm?’

Cao Yingxiong’s bloated body was half-reclined on a reinforced lounge chair, a cold sneer spreading across his face.

’So this is the source of your confidence, why you refused the Qiankun Bureau’s offer? But potential for the Peak Realm is just that—potential. You’re not there yet! The Peak Realm is unbelievably difficult to reach. How long is the road you still have to walk!? One single misstep could lead to your eternal damnation!’

’I’ve seen too many so-called prodigies! Until they’ve fully matured, they’re nothing!’

Cao Yingxiong slapped his own gut, and his layers of fat quivered in response.

’And let’s take it a step further. So what if you do reach the Peak Realm one day? In my presence, you’ll still be less than nothing!’

Cao Yingxiong had held his position in the Peak Realm for many years. More than two decades ago, he had already established a record of killing an Absolute Master in direct combat. Rumor had it his combat prowess was approaching, or had perhaps even touched, the level of those on the Dragon and Tiger People Chart.

’So-called masters of the Peak Realm? It’s not like I haven’t killed one before! Chen Ping’an, everything you’re so proud of merely gives you the right to be taken seriously by me! Nothing more! Some day, if I’m in a good mood, I might deign to exchange a few words with you. But if we don’t hit it off, or I’m in a bad mood... hmph. You’re just another piece of trash I can crush with a flick of my wrist!’