The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 577 Twists and Turns, Special Envoy Arrives (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

After leaving the Bixia Sect's residence, Chen Ping'an brought Du Moyuan back to Jinlan Garden.

Jinlan Garden is a high-end boutique hotel, offering not only accommodation but also a variety of fine dining options.

Chen Ping'an gave the order, and various rare delicacies were served on the table.

With Long'an under lockdown, Jinlanyuan was one of the few businesses that wasn't significantly affected, which clearly indicates that it has strong connections behind it.

"Fellow Daoist Du, come and try this fine wine made with the dew of autumn."

With a wave of his hand, Chen Ping'an conjured a small jar of wine on the table. The jar was perfectly round and made of high-quality celadon, with a delicate texture and a glaze as lustrous as jade.

Fine wine, the dew of autumn.

Possessing the ability to enhance true essence and nourish spirituality, even a small jar of this wine is worth tens of yuan crystals, making it a rare and precious spiritual wine even for grandmasters.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, thank you for your kindness." Du Moyuan thanked him, and seeing that Chen Ping'an's expression had eased a little, he no longer suppressed his doubts and eagerly asked about the reason for the forging.

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly, and after the fine wine and dishes were served, he began to recount what had happened earlier.

Rumors circulated that Sword Elder had a bad temper, but Chen Ping'an didn't get that impression during their initial interactions. He found Sword Elder to be quite easy to get along with, and the details of their interactions went very smoothly without any problems.

However, this connection soon reached a turning point.

When Chen Ping'an mentioned that he hoped the divine weapon he was forging could be hidden within his brow and spiritual platform, it prompted Sword Elder to say, "Young friend Chen, do you want to forge a top-tier divine weapon?"
Chen Pingan naturally thought about this.

If one's wealth allows, the more powerful the custom-made divine weapon, the better. Given the opportunity to obtain a top-tier divine weapon, who wouldn't want a powerful one?
His mention of this matter suggests a similar sentiment.

Seeing that Chen Ping'an had plans to customize a top-tier divine weapon, Sword Elder smiled.

"Young friend Chen, do you know how much it costs to customize a top-tier divine weapon?"

Chen Ping'an had been pondering whether Sword Elder had the ability to forge top-tier divine weapons. But seeing Sword Elder's attitude and his inquiry about the cost, Chen Ping'an felt a surge of joy.

If it weren't possible, Elder Jian probably wouldn't even mention the expense. But bringing it up now...
"Could it be."

Chen Ping'an's eyes flickered slightly, and a hint of anticipation arose deep in his heart.

If he could obtain a top-tier divine weapon, it would be an extremely significant benefit to him.

Chen Ping'an pondered in his mind as he answered Elder Jian's question.

Top-tier divine weapons are extremely precious. Even renowned aristocratic families like the Gu, Wang, and Xue families, who are famous throughout the state, do not possess many top-tier divine weapons.

Top-tier divine weapons are rare even for grandmasters; this is no exaggeration.

Normally, only those at the Grandmaster level can truly unleash the power of top-tier divine weapons. However, in reality, the vast majority of Grandmasters never have the opportunity to even touch a top-tier divine weapon.

The value lies in two aspects: the value of top-tier divine weapons and their rarity.

To possess a top-tier divine weapon, money alone is far from enough. A significant amount of effort and resources are required to find the right channels. Even after finding the channels, obtaining a truly satisfactory top-tier divine weapon is not guaranteed.

Even if a suitable divine weapon appears by chance, there are many competitors. In addition to grandmasters of the same realm, there are also second-generation scions with rich family backgrounds and strong foundations.

In addition, numerous sects and powerful families will also participate in the competition.

In such circumstances, a seasoned master blacksmith capable of forging top-tier divine weapons becomes especially crucial. Among cultivators of the same realm, such a master blacksmith often holds a transcendent position.

Someone like Sword Master, with his astonishing combat power and the ability to forge top-tier divine weapons, is considered to be among the most prominent Grandmasters.

Even though there are many forging masters in the Bixia Sect, Sword Elder's status is still quite high.

Generally speaking, the value of an ordinary divine weapon is between three thousand and six thousand yuan crystals. Occasionally, there are divine weapons that exceed this value. Such divine weapons often have unique characteristics or effects.

The value of a powerful divine weapon starts at six or seven thousand yuan crystals, and a slightly better one can be seven or eight thousand, or even eight or nine thousand.

Those high-quality ones can fetch prices of over ten thousand yuan per crystal.

As Chen Ping'an had previously calculated, the best of the powerful divine weapons would probably be worth between 12,000 and 15,000.

These prices are likely just a range. The exact price will depend on the weapon's effectiveness and type.

As for top-tier divine weapons
Generally speaking, the value of a top-tier divine weapon is no less than 20,000 crystals. Even if it just comes close to being a top-tier divine weapon, its value will exceed 20,000 crystals.

For top-tier divine weapons, a price of 20,000 to 30,000 is normal. 30,000 to 40,000 is not uncommon, and a few costing 50,000 to 60,000 are quite common. As for rare and unique divine weapons, their prices are outrageously high.

It can be said that the upper and lower limits are extremely large! Of course, the functions also vary greatly.

"Not bad." Sword Elder nodded.

Although Chen Ping'an's answer was slightly off, it was not significantly off overall.

"To customize a top-tier divine weapon, if you prepare the precious materials yourself, the total price may be much lower. If you also consider the cost of hiring a master blacksmith, the final price may not be lower than what you get at auction."

Sword Elder smiled and looked at Chen Ping'an, his eyes full of meaning: "Young friend Ping'an, asking a master blacksmith to help you is quite expensive."

"Elder Jian, I understand."

Chen Ping'an bowed respectfully, indicating that he understood.

Having a master blacksmith craft a custom-made divine weapon will give it a functional advantage over the cultivator. In battle, it will often be more suitable and able to exert a stronger effect.

While custom-made divine weapons may save on materials, the overall cost might not be much lower. In fact, there's a possibility that a custom-made divine weapon could be more expensive than one obtained through auction.

However, the latter situation is extremely rare. Unless the forging fails, generally speaking, the best that can be achieved is that the value remains the same.

After all, the auctions for top-tier divine weapons usually involve a significant premium.

Sword Elder seemed to have other ideas, and didn't mention the cost much. He simply asked Chen Ping'an, "If that's the case, I wonder if young friend Ping'an has enough wealth to support the forging of a top-tier divine weapon?"

The price of custom-made top-tier divine weapons can easily reach 20,000 to 30,000 crystals, and the cost of forging must be paid in advance. All things considered, it is not something that a top-tier grandmaster can afford.

Even with the wealth and resources of masters like the Bone-Rotting Granny and Black Mountain, Chen Ping'an could not afford such expenses.

Chen Ping'an wasn't surprised by Sword Elder's question. He already had a plan to deal with it.

"Don't worry about this, Elder Jian. I have made great progress since breaking through to the next realm. With the help of the Gu family, I think I will have no problem paying for it."

Chen Ping'an invoked the Gu family's influence to compensate for the differences in Yuanjing Mountain.

"Oh? What about the favor I owe you?!" Elder Jian asked bluntly.

"I will always remember Jian Lao's kindness. If this matter is accomplished, I will owe Jian Lao a favor. If I am ever asked to do something in the future, I will do my best without going against my principles."

Chen Ping'an's promise was full of sincerity.

With his current abilities, becoming a Grandmaster is a piece of cake for him. As long as he doesn't perish halfway, his future achievements will be immeasurable. At the very least, he will achieve something equivalent to Sword Elder.

To forge something once and receive such a promise is a considerable gain.

However, Sword Elder's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

"No need for another day, it can be done today!" Sword Elder clapped his hands and laughed: "Young friend Ping An, if you agree to one thing, I will forge a top-tier divine weapon for you for free this time, and I will also give you an extra one!"

"Um!?"

Chen Ping'an's gaze shifted slightly.

Sword Elder's offer was ridiculously high. The former alone was already an extremely high price, and if the latter were added, Chen Ping'an couldn't think of anything that would require paying such a price.

Chen Ping'an remained calm; he understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Chen Ping'an didn't understand what the other party was up to.

He composed himself, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I would like to hear more details about Ping An."

"I have lived for four hundred years, and my bloodline is thin, but Heaven has blessed me with a great-great-granddaughter who is exceptionally talented. Although her talent is not as great as yours, she is still a remarkable figure in the state. She once ranked first on the Qingling Rising Star List, and at less than a hundred years old, she has already reached the level of a top-tier Grandmaster and currently serves as an elder in the Enforcement Hall. If you marry this descendant of my bloodline, the matter of forging top-tier divine weapons will be easily discussed. In fact, my mantle will also be yours in the future."

"Young friend Ping An, what do you think?" Elder Jian looked intently at Chen Ping An.

"It's so true!"

Du Moyuan picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and said with a wry smile.

Unexpectedly, a custom forging transaction eventually escalated into a marriage proposal.

It's hard to say whether Chen Ping'an is lucky or unlucky.

You could say he was lucky, because even someone as respected as Sword Elder took the initiative to bring up the matter of marriage.

To say he was unfortunate is that this incident caused the forging of the divine weapon to come to an abrupt end.

“Why don’t you go along with it, Fellow Daoist Chen? I’m also aware of the great-granddaughter that Elder Jian mentioned. She has a great reputation and many suitors, and her fame is immense within the sect! If Fellow Daoist Chen could marry her, the two of you would be a perfect match and it would be a beautiful story!” Du Moyuan asked curiously.

The offer from Sword Elder was incredibly generous. Even setting aside the forging process, the mere gift of a top-tier divine weapon was enough to tempt most Grandmasters.

In addition, there is the legacy of Sword Master. Heaven knows just how wealthy Sword Master, as a senior master forging expert, truly is.

With such a promise, how many years of struggle could be saved?!
Why did Chen Ping'an refuse?

To be fair, Du Moyuan wouldn't have been able to do that if he were in a different situation.

"This is not appropriate," Chen Ping'an said, taking a sip of wine and waving his hand.

“Chen is already engaged; how could he do something so opportunistic and treacherous?”

When Elder Jian mentioned this matter before, Chen Ping'an refused Elder Jian's request almost without hesitation.

Everything else is negotiable, but regarding this marriage contract, he and Gu Qingcheng already have a marriage certificate, so how could he agree to this?

Seeing Chen Ping'an's reaction, Du Moyuan didn't say anything more.

Thinking of Jian Lao's request, Du Moyuan could only sigh.

As fellow elders of the Enforcement Hall, Du Moyuan knew quite well about Sword Elder's great-granddaughter. She was an absolute cold and beautiful woman.

In sects, they are the kind of people that many grandmasters dream of.

Many masters have said that if they could become Daoist partners with each other, they would be willing to live a hundred years less.

Unexpectedly, when Elder Jian offered himself up, Chen Ping'an refused.

If Chen Ping'an were to agree, this renowned genius master and aloof beauty from Bixia would be rightfully his.

Du Moyuan shook his head and downed another cup of Autumn Dew.

Such a disparity in treatment is truly heartbreaking.

Just as Jian Lao had advised Chen Ping'an, he told him not to worry about age. At Chen Ping'an's level of martial arts, a slight age difference was not a problem at all.

Whether it's Chen Ping'an or the great-granddaughter of Sword Elder, they are both destined to become Grandmasters.

The Grandmaster lived to be 500 years old.

Faced with the cycle of five hundred years, a difference of only a few decades is not as significant as one might imagine.

Just as in ordinary life, the difference between seven or eight years old might be extremely obvious in childhood, like that between a three-year-old infant and a ten-year-old child. But as one gets older, such differences become commonplace, like that between someone in their thirties and someone in their early forties.

With Chen Ping'an's current talent, very few among his generation can match him. Looking across the Great Qian territory, apart from the geniuses on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, who can say for sure that they are stronger than the Brute Chen Ping'an? Gu Qingcheng is excellent, but she is, after all, a junior, and there is a huge gap between her and Chen Ping'an.

Among his generation, it is clearly unlikely that anyone could catch up with Chen Ping'an.

Under such circumstances, if Chen Ping'an wanted to find a Daoist partner of equal strength and similar interests, it would be inevitable that the partner would be several decades older than him.

You can't exactly say that a prodigy from the Hidden Dragon Ranking will happen to become Chen Ping'an's Daoist partner, can you?

Sword Master tried to persuade him with emotion and reason, but Chen Ping'an's attitude was extremely clear.

Regardless of the reason, Elder Jian's actions can be considered as undermining the Gu family.

He wondered why Old Swordsman was being so nice; it turned out he was waiting for him here.

Initially, Chen Ping'an's refusal was somewhat tactful due to considerations regarding forging, but later his refusal became more direct.

In the end, Sword Elder's expression turned cold, and the two parted on bad terms.

"The matter of forging can wait until later. I am not in a good mood today, so please move along, young friend Chen."

Despite being told to leave by Elder Jian, Chen Ping'an didn't regret it.

If he were to betray his promise over a top-tier divine weapon, then he wouldn't be Chen Ping'an.

Even the finest weapons cannot compare to the weight of loyalty and righteousness!

At least, with the consent of the Gu family and Gu Qingcheng herself, the engagement will not be changed.

While top-tier divine weapons greatly aid him, in the long run, that's about it!
Once he has mastered the Seven Deadly Divine Skills, the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist, and the Overlord Blade to perfection, will those top-tier divine weapons still be of any use to him today?

Leaving aside the future, while he lacks top-tier divine weapons, he hasn't reached that point of lack.

Chen Pingan pursed his lips and poured himself a glass of wine.

Since it wouldn't work with Elder Jian, he would have to find another way.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, this matter was due to my lack of foresight, and I ultimately failed to achieve the desired outcome!" Du Moyuan took the initiative to take responsibility while the two were drinking.

"Fellow Daoist Du, there's no need for such formality. No one could have predicted this. I will forever remember your kindness in contacting me." Chen Ping'an poured Du Moyuan a cup of wine, then rose to raise his cup in a toast: "This cup is for you!"

"Fellow Daoist Chen." Du Moyuan quickly stood up and raised his cup to greet him.

The two raised their glasses and drank heartily, their conversation quite amusing.

After drinking the entire jar of dew from the Three Autumns jar, Chen Ping'an took out several more jars.

Although the affair did not come to fruition, the relationship between the two has taken a step further.

Du Moyuan was quite to Chen Ping'an's liking. Their values ​​and beliefs were also largely aligned.

Later on, the two even addressed each other as Brother Chen and Brother Du.

After a drinking session, the two formed a close friendship despite their age difference.

The world is full of wonders and unpredictable events.

No one could have imagined that Du Moyuan, who once criticized Chen Ping'an with sharp wit and arrogant behavior, and who seemed to be prone to breaking, would now become Chen Ping'an's close friend despite their age difference, addressing each other as Brother Chen.

In the past sixty years, it was difficult to find the words of a master; now they are a thing of the past!
After several encounters, Du Moyuan's evaluation of Chen Ping'an kept rising.

In Du Moyuan's current understanding, with another sixty years or so, Chen Ping'an, the valiant swordsman, would likely reach the late stage of the Jade Balance realm and become a Grandmaster.

At that time, Chen Ping'an, the valiant swordsman, will ascend to the top 20 of the Hidden Dragon List at the age of less than 45!

With Chen Ping'an's talent, if he could reach the Grandmaster level, he would definitely possess the power of a top-tier Grandmaster, and he could absolutely do that.

In fact, given time, Chen Ping'an might even be able to try to break into the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List before he leaves the list!

"Top ten on the Hidden Dragon List!"

Du Moyuan stroked his wine glass and laughed heartily.

"Come, Brother Chen, this cup of wine is a toast to you!"

"Alright, Brother Du, let's drink to our hearts' content today, and not leave until we're drunk!" Chen Ping'an laughed heartily, his face beaming with pride.

The slight setbacks in the customization process were all dissolved in the beverage.

A drinking session, thoroughly enjoyable.

In the end, the two were unable to part ways until they were completely drunk. They bowed and said goodbye, with Du Moyuan still slightly tipsy as he left Jinlanyuan.

During this time, in addition to Chen Ping'an's Three Autumn Dew, Du Moyuan also brought out his treasured fine wines.

But for people at their level, getting drunk is really too difficult.

Even though they drank a lot, they still couldn't get drunk.

Du Moyuan was only slightly tipsy, his mental state so stable that he couldn't even be disturbed in the slightest. As for Chen Ping'an, he wasn't even slightly tipsy; he only pretended to be slightly tipsy to avoid arousing Du Moyuan's suspicion.

Given their martial arts level, even a fine wine like the Three Autumns Dew could only achieve this much. To truly intoxicate them, only a higher-grade wine would suffice; otherwise, no matter how much, it would be useless.

However, wines of that grade are even more precious, and their value increases exponentially.

It's not surprising that a jar of spirit wine could cost several hundred crystals.

Drinking from a single jar of wine would consume the value of two or three exquisite treasures. Such a consumption would be an extremely extravagant act, even for a grandmaster.

However, such spiritual wine also has many uses, and it is of great benefit to grandmasters.

A jar of spirit wine costing a few hundred crystals isn't considered particularly expensive. I once heard of a legendary grandmaster who, in his quest for a single bout of intoxication, spent thousands of crystals to purchase a jar of Celestial Intoxication.

The "Heavenly Drunkenness" is said to be able to intoxicate even celestial beings, and even a grandmaster like Fengyun can have his wish fulfilled and get drunk.

However, such wine, comparable to a powerful divine weapon, is far too extravagant and not something an ordinary person can afford.

Drinking just a few jars of alcohol can bankrupt you; who can withstand that?!
Before parting, Chen Ping'an gave Du Moyuan a generous gift.

Previously, Chen Ping'an had said that regardless of whether the matter succeeded or failed, he would send a generous gift! He would certainly not go back on his word.

However, Du Moyuan did not accept it.

He frankly admitted that he hadn't been of much help in this matter and felt unworthy of the credit.

"Brother Du, I made a promise beforehand. If you refuse to accept it, are you trying to make me go back on my word and profit from it?"

Ultimately, due to Chen Ping'an's insistence, the matter ended with Du Moyuan accepting half of the gift.

After seeing Du Moyuan off, Chen Ping'an went straight back to his room, sat down cross-legged, and began his cultivation.

Chen Ping'an originally intended to visit Elder Cheng first, but after drinking the Three Autumn Dew, Chen Ping'an was in excellent condition, and using it for cultivation at this time was quite effective.

Although the quality of the Three Autumns Dew is not particularly high, it is still a fine wine that can enhance one's true essence and nourish one's spirit.

In addition, Du Moyuan's spirit wine also has remarkable effects.

Even for Chen Ping'an, drinking large quantities of it was quite effective.

hum~
Inside the room, Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged, his brows gleaming with spiritual light, and pale blue true essence flowing around his body.

With the help of the spirit wine, Chen Ping'an's spirituality and true essence became even more active.

During my practice, I also gained some benefits.

In terms of efficiency, it is 10% to 20% higher than usual.

This made Chen Ping'an quite happy.

It seems he didn't drink that wine for nothing.

Although the quantity was a bit large, it did at least play a role!

A ray of dawn appeared on the horizon, gradually deepening, and a golden halo followed.

hum~
Inside the room, Chen Ping'an's spiritual light dimmed, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Late Jade Balance - Spirit Pattern Spirit Fruit (Eight Patterns)
武学：七杀天罡拳入门（0/1440）、霸刀大成（0/3200）、七绝神功大成（1530/4800）、万魔铸身诀圆满、游龙身法圆满、金刚不坏神功圆满、龙象霸体诀圆满、三分人劫指圆满
"1530 points!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes narrowed, and the golden finger panel in front of him disappeared.

After a night of cultivation, Chen Ping'an's progress in the Seven Absolute Divine Skill was quite gratifying. The effects of the spirit wine had also been almost completely exhausted.

After consuming the spiritual wine, Chen Ping'an's cultivation efficiency improved to some extent.

However, considering the value of the spirit wine, if it is simply consumed for cultivation, its cost-effectiveness is extremely low.

Spending hundreds of crystals only allows for one night of cultivation, and the increase in cultivation experience is only three to four points. This deal seems like a huge loss.

Drinking spirit wine solely for cultivation is meaningless and involves too much investment, but if the opportunity arises, one might as well drink it a few times.

Being able to talk to each other, drink heartily, and also help with spiritual practice—isn't that a wonderful thing?

Chen Ping'an smiled, finding it quite amusing.

In this world, besides spiritual practice, there are still many things that people cherish.

Thinking of this, Chen Ping'an thought of the little girl who was far away in Canglong Prefecture.

Judging by the time, I should have received his letter by now!
I wonder how the little girl is doing lately.

The little girl is almost fifteen years old, and soon she will be of marriageable age.

“Time flies by so fast”

Chen Ping'an smiled, his face showing a look of reminiscence.

Almost six years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, Chen Ping'an went to the Gu family's residence to find Gu Rencheng.

Unfortunately, Gu Rencheng was not at the residence. After making some inquiries, Chen Ping'an learned that Gu Rencheng had gone to attend the joint deliberation meeting of the government.

"A month has passed, and there's still a review meeting?" Chen Ping'an's heart stirred, but he didn't think too deeply about it.

The situation in Long'an is complex and multifaceted, so it's reasonable to hold more review meetings.

With the situation in Beicang stable and Lü Yuanzai in charge, Chen Ping'an wasn't in a hurry. After leaving a message for Gu Rencheng, he returned to Jinlan Garden.

Cultivate martial arts techniques, refine divine weapons, comprehend secret manuals, and study carving.
Chen Ping'an's days were quite fulfilling.

Chen Ping'an waited at Jinlan Garden for three days, but instead of receiving a reply from Gu Rencheng, he received a special envoy from the Canglong Prefecture Garrison.

More than a month after the turmoil in Long'an, a delegation from the Canglong Prefecture Garrison arrived in the important town of Long'an.

The situation in Long'an has undergone a dramatic change!

(End of this chapter)