Daqian Martial Saint

News of the Red Mill incident—the might of Chen Ping’an’s single strike, Wu Lin’s death, and the fate of Wu Tianqi from the Wu Family Trading Team—quickly spread like wildfire throughout Five Peaks Mountain City.

"Wu Lin is dead? The one who was at the Third Stage of Inner Qi?"

"Yes, that’s him—a Tributor for the Wu Family Trading Team. I heard Commander Chen killed him with a single strike!"

"Killed with a single strike!? How is that possible? How could the power gap be so huge!?"

"I’m not sure about the details, but that’s what everyone is saying! I heard that for stirring up trouble, Wu Tianqi is facing a grim fate, too! After his interrogation is over, they’re going to hang him from the city wall to make an example of him!"

"Hang him from the city wall? No way! I heard he’s a member of the Wu Family’s direct lineage from Earth Fire County!"

"We’ll just have to wait and see."

"Yeah."

"..."

Aside from the incident with Wu Tianqi of the Wu Family Trading Team, something else happened in Five Peaks Mountain City. The Five Peaks Mountain Town Pacification Bureau took the lead, coordinating with the city’s major powers—including the Wei Family—to form a city-wide patrol team to strengthen the forces maintaining public order.

As the saying goes, the peace of Five Peaks is everyone’s responsibility! Maintaining public order is a duty every family must share!

When this was announced, many thought it would be impossible to implement. After all, asking the major powers to contribute the masters they had spent their own coin and grain to cultivate, just to maintain public order in Five Peaks Mountain City, seemed like a fool’s errand. What power in the city would willingly agree to such a raw deal?

To everyone’s surprise, however, the plan was implemented with unimaginable speed.

Some powers were initially reluctant, but the Wei Family set an example by dispatching a dozen or so Inner Qi Realm experts and dozens of Martial Dao masters at the Qi Blood Fourth Layer or higher. The scale of their contribution was staggering. With the Wei Family responding so enthusiastically, the other powers, whether willingly or not, had no choice but to send their own experts to join the effort.

This left onlookers puzzled. What had gotten into the Wei Family? Why the sudden change of heart, turning them into the great benefactors of Five Peaks Mountain City?

As curious people began to investigate, all sorts of inside stories and explanations started to surface.

Ultimately, all these stories and explanations pointed to a single source: Chen Ping’an, the Five Peaks Mountain City Commander!

Rumor had it that Lord Commander Chen hadn’t even shown his face; a single, verbally relayed message was enough to make the Wei Family do a complete one-eighty. Even the Wei Family’s old ancestor, Wei Zhixing, strongly supported the initiative. He expressed that he was both happy and honored for the Wei Family to be able to contribute to the security of Five Peaks Mountain City.

Of course, the shrewd figures within Five Peaks Mountain City didn’t believe a word of Wei Zhixing’s statement. But the incident itself was extremely revealing.

Forcing the Wei Family to contribute men and resources with just a single sentence showed that this Commander Chen, this Mang Blade Mang Vajra, was not what they had imagined. He was likely an extremely difficult figure to deal with.

「Two days later.」 The Garrison Commandant’s Office sent out a notice: Wu Tianqi, the Steward of the Wu Family Trading Team, was to be hung from the city wall. Designated personnel from the office would publicly list his crimes to make an example of him.

The news sent shockwaves through the entire city.

「On that same day.」 Meng Yude, the Grand Tributor of the Wu Family’s current trading team and a Profound Light Realm master who had been famous for years, made his move. He paid a visit to the Garrison Commandant’s Office to demand Wu Tianqi’s release.

Meng Yude was, of course, aware that Chen Ping’an had slain Wu Lin, a cultivator at the Third Stage of Inner Qi, with a single blow. Compared to others, he had a much clearer picture of the situation.

And it was precisely this clarity that gave him a sharp assessment of Chen Ping’an’s true strength.

He had been in the Profound Light Realm for many years, and his mastery of the Eagle Claw Technique was flawless. But he knew with certainty that he was incapable of killing a cultivator at the Third Stage of Inner Qi with a single move.

’To achieve that, the Initial Realm of Profound Light is likely not enough. One would need the combat power of the Profound Light Middle Realm!’

’The Profound Light Middle Realm!’

Meng Yude had long heard of Chen Ping’an’s reputation, but deep down, he’d always looked down on him. ’Even if his talent is monstrous and his aptitude stunning, he’s still just an Inner Qi Realm Martial Artist. At best, overestimated, his combat power might be comparable to an ordinary Profound Light expert, and that’s it!’

’As for that entry on the Rising Star Chart about him killing the Profound Light Realm Martial Artist, Gu Wu of the Soul-Breaking Spear, it was probably just a fluke. A lucky break, not a true reflection of his own strength.’

That was why, in the tavern that day, he had been so dismissive of the new ban Chen Ping’an had issued. He’d seen it as a young man’s idle boast and had wondered how he would eventually save face.

Who would have thought that just a few days later, the fire would be burning the Wu Family Trading Team itself!

’That idiot!’

Meng Yude couldn’t help but curse every time he thought about it.

As a veteran Profound Light expert, his relationship with Wu Tianqi was purely contractual, with no direct personal ties. But with Wu Tianqi captured, he, as the trading team’s Grand Tributor, was naturally expected to take some action.

However, the incident with Wu Lin made him deeply wary of Chen Ping’an. For a time, he didn’t dare make a move, remaining indecisive.

This hesitation lasted right up until the notice was posted that Wu Tianqi would be hung from the city wall.

He truly hadn’t expected Chen Ping’an to actually dare to go through with it.

’Doesn’t he know this will gravely offend the Wu Family!?’

Meng Yude was stunned by Chen Ping’an’s audacity. ’A man can be given the wrong name, but never the wrong moniker.’ No wonder his title was Mang Blade!

’If the Garrison Commandant’s Office had merely detained him,’ Meng Yude mused, ’given that Wu Tianqi had broken the Daqian Law and was clearly in the wrong, the Wu Family might not have stepped in. They might not even have pursued the matter if he were severely punished in private.’

’But hanging him from the city wall is a blatant, undisguised slap in the Wu Family’s face! If the Wu Family does nothing, how will they ever maintain their footing on the trade routes again?’

’The Wu Family has a legacy stretching back many years; they have more than one Absolute Master in their clan! No matter which one of them showed up, Chen Ping’an would be in for more than he could handle. He might not lose his life, thanks to the Garrison Commandant’s Office backing him, but endless trouble would be guaranteed.’

But the Wu Family’s eventual retaliation was a problem for another day. Right now, whether he liked it or not, his most urgent task was to step forward and get Wu Tianqi back.

He had been hesitant to intervene, intimidated by Chen Ping’an’s power. But once the decision was made to hang Wu Tianqi from the wall, he no longer had a choice.

If he did nothing in this situation, then when the Wu Family came asking questions later, their wrath would be directed at him.

Between offending Chen Ping’an and offending the Wu Family, Meng Yude unhesitatingly chose the former.

’What an idiot. He knew about the ban, so why did he have to cause trouble! And now I’m the one who has to clean up his mess!’

All the way to the Garrison Commandant’s Office, Meng Yude was inwardly cursing Wu Tianqi’s stupidity.

He didn’t want to offend the Wu Family, but he didn’t want to offend Chen Ping’an either. He had been forced to make a choice. But facing a man suspected of possessing the combat power of the Profound Light Middle Realm, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.

But things had come to this. Dread or no dread, as unwilling as he was, Meng Yude had to take this step.

Before setting out, he had spent days mulling it over. After analyzing the situation from every angle, he had concluded that he actually had a decent chance of succeeding in his demand.

Although Chen Ping’an seemed domineering, he was still young. Meng Yude believed he had a few cards he could play.

’First, as a Profound Light Realm Martial Artist, I am swallowing my pride and paying him a personal visit. This shows him great respect. That’s the first advantage in this negotiation.’

’Then, when I meet him, I’ll appeal to his emotions and reason with him, approaching the discussion amicably. That’s the second advantage.’

’During the conversation, at the right moment, I’ll play the Wu Family card to apply some appropriate pressure. With the Wu Family’s deep-rooted power, even someone with Chen Ping’an’s monstrous talent and divine-speed cultivation progress couldn’t possibly be unafraid.’

’That is the third advantage.’

’Finally, when Chen Ping’an is caught in a dilemma, I’ll offer him a way out—a solution that benefits both sides. That is the fourth advantage.’

’With all these factors combined, there might just be room for a turnaround.’

With this strategy in mind, Meng Yude arrived at the main gate of the Five Peaks Mountain Town Pacification Bureau.