Daqian Martial Saint

After leaving Laiyue Restaurant, Chen Ping'an instructed Xiaosong and his men to escort the burly man to the prison as the law required. Then, he went back to wandering the streets.

Although the burly man's Martial Arts Realm was higher than that of Xiaosong and his men, the recent strikes had completely crippled his shoulder blades and palms. He had lost seventy to eighty percent of his martial strength. Bound in chains and shackles and escorted by Xiaosong and several others, the situation was undoubtedly secure.

To be honest, seeing Xiaosong somehow reminded Chen Ping'an of Monkey Head. He was a straightforward person; no matter how goofy he might seem on a normal day, he always came through when it mattered. This personality, so similar to Monkey Head's, made Chen Ping'an pay a little more attention to the young man.

If properly nurtured, in twenty or thirty years, he could very well become a pillar of the Five Peaks Mountain City's Garrison Commandant's Office.

Having dealt with the burly man, and with the time already approaching noon, Chen Ping'an realized he hadn't eaten. He found a nearby stall and sat down.

Calling it a stall wasn't quite accurate. It was more of a proper storefront that had built an extension out onto the street.

The shop sold braised pork over rice, and by the looks of it, business was booming—the place was nearly full. To be this successful in the city's current climate, the shop must have been doing something right.

"Shopkeeper, a large bowl of braised pork over rice! As for side dishes, just pile on whatever you've got!"

Chen Ping'an took his seat with a bold flourish, his words drawing sidelong glances from everyone. Dressed in a green robe that complemented his handsome features, his appearance gave off the immediate impression of a young master from a noble family.

The other patrons were initially taken aback, but Chen Ping'an's way of speaking quickly dispelled their suspicions.

"You got it, sir!" the shopkeeper, a sturdy man, boomed in response.

Chen Ping'an took his seat and ignored the stares, lost in his own thoughts.

'According to the latest intelligence, there are no fewer than five Profound Light Realm masters currently in Five Peaks Mountain City. And as the Beicang Auction draws nearer, that number is only going to grow.'

'Their numbers will only start to decline in the final ten days or so.'

'Honestly, he couldn't care less about a few Profound Light Realm masters. Still, he had to be mindful of his 'public' combat strength.'

'Even though his Divine Skill had reached Great Success, now was not the time to get carried away.'

'Until I reach the Grandmaster Realm, I'm not truly free. I still have to walk on thin ice, acting with caution in everything I do.'

'However...'

'The number of Profound Light experts in Five Peaks Mountain City is still manageable for now. This is the time to flex a little, to display some strength. Otherwise, when their numbers grow, controlling the situation will be far from easy.'

'Land one punch to prevent a hundred from coming your way!'

'He had that three-hundred-year-old Xuan Can from Liu Yuanhua to use as a pretext. Perhaps...'

Just as Chen Ping'an was pondering, his large portion of braised pork over rice arrived at the table. In addition to the main dish, there was a considerable number of side dishes.

"This looks pretty good!" Chen Ping'an glanced down, his appetite suddenly piqued. Now that his Cultivation was so advanced, his need for food was not nearly as voracious as it had been back in the Qi Blood and Qi Realms.

What he needed now were high-quality Spiritual Objects and Major Medicines. The great Noble Families, with their millennia-long legacies, nurtured their disciples with food and drink infused with Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi—all forms of Spiritual Objects and Major Medicines.

The North Sea Mist Tea that Liu Yuanhua had served him was one such Spiritual Object. Consuming it regularly was immensely beneficial for one's Cultivation.

Chen Ping'an took a few bites of rice, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. It felt like he was back in the old days. For the him of the past, even getting a single bite of meat like this was no easy feat.

Yet now, less than two short years later, eating this same meat was just him "experiencing life."

'Interesting.' Chen Ping'an smiled and shook his head.

Just as he was about to dig back in, his eyes suddenly narrowed. His senses picked up several auras rapidly approaching his location.

Chen Ping'an's expression remained unchanged as he paused with his chopsticks raised, as if lost in thought. In the span of a single breath, he had already identified the Cultivation Realms of the approaching auras.

'Inner Qi Realm!'

Having confirmed this, Chen Ping'an relaxed. He lowered his chopsticks and went back to his meal.

PENG!

A massive shockwave reverberated through the air—the sound of Inner Qi clashing. Within a few breaths, several figures appeared in view.

"A fight's broken out!"

"Oh no! Run!"

"Run!"

The surrounding crowd erupted into chaos.

VMMMM—VMMMM—VMMMM—

Inner Qi vibrated and clashed, followed by a loud THUD! A figure was sent flying violently into the front of the shop. The immense force of the impact smashed a large hole right through the wall.

"AH!"

A scream tore through the crowd, mingled with a cry of anguish: "My shop!"

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Three figures blurred past in quick succession, charging straight into the shop.

'Hm?'

As he passed Chen Ping'an, the lead figure's pace faltered for a fraction of a second. But it was only for an instant before he leaped into the shop.

CRASH! BANG! CLATTER!

BOOM!

After a series of loud noises, the first figure was violently thrown out again.

The figure hit the ground and rolled, his eyes landing on Chen Ping'an sitting nearby. Dressed like a noble son, he looked as if he were scared stiff.

The man shot to his feet, flashed behind Chen Ping'an, and clamped three fingers on his throat, instantly taking him hostage.

At that same moment, the three pursuing figures charged out from the shop.

"Don't move! One step closer and I'll kill him!" The one holding Chen Ping'an was an old man in martial attire. A long scar ran across his face, giving him a terrifyingly ferocious appearance.

"You lot from the Garrison Commandant's Office pride yourselves on protecting the common folk. Surely you wouldn't stand by and watch an innocent man die because of you!"

The old man's voice was raspy, his eyes cold and sinister as he stared at the three men before him like a viper.

The three men standing before him wore Fish Scale Armor, marking them instantly as high-ranking officials of the Garrison Commandant's Office.

"Zhong Shanyong, I admit defeat for today. I underestimated you. I never expected you to have progressed this far in the Inner Qi Second Pass of Purity and Impurity Returning to the Origin! You're a true master among anyone below the Inner Qi Three Gates! Let me go, and I'll release him. I swear I'll never cause trouble in Five Peaks Mountain City again. Otherwise, if I die, he's coming with me!"

The scar-faced old man stared intently at Zhong Shanyong and his men, his grip on the hostage never loosening for a second.

With his Cultivation at the Inner Qi Two Gates, he was a fairly well-known Evil Master. He had planned on taking advantage of the chaos in Five Peaks Mountain City to score a big prize, but he never expected the terrible luck of running straight into Deputy Commander Zhong Shanyong.

After a brief exchange of blows, he realized he was no match for the Deputy Commander. Before long, reinforcements from the Garrison Commandant's Office had arrived. Pinned down by two other Inner Qi Realm experts, even escape was no longer a simple matter.

He'd weathered great storms in his life, only to capsize in a gutter today. Fortunately, he wasn't completely out of options; he still had the strength for one last, desperate gambit. And besides, he now had a hostage who, judging by his clothes and bearing, was no commoner.

'Please be a noble son!'

The scar-faced old man prayed silently. That would at least give Zhong Shanyong and his men some pause. Otherwise... he would have no choice but to unleash his final Life-or-Death Secret Technique.

But after the scar-faced old man finished his speech, he found that the men before him showed none of the hesitation he'd anticipated. In fact, the expressions on their faces were rather strange.

'What's going on?'

'Don't tell me he's not a noble son, but just some commoner?'

'Damn it!'

Frustration welled up in the scar-faced old man. A vicious look flashed across his face, and he couldn't help but tighten his grip on his hostage's throat.