The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 620 Reporting Merit and Old Grudges (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

State Garrison Command.

Before a large black jade table, Li Wusheng sat high up with a deep voice. Beneath his ink-black hair was a pale and gloomy face.

"Chen Ping'an is back?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, they have returned. They are currently in Lord Ning's residence." A trusted subordinate respectfully replied at the large black jade table.

Li Wusheng slowly raised his head, a strange light appearing between his eyes.

"The Evil Twins!?"

Ning Zhengyue looked at the two cold, bloodless heads in front of him with a look of surprise and disbelief, and stood up from the chair.

Chen Ping'an stood calmly in front of Ning Zhengyue.

After returning to Canglong Prefecture City, it was still early, so he went straight to the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command without going anywhere else.

At this time, Er Ya is still in class, so there's no point in going back early.

As the chief inspector of the Thunderous Garrison Command, he was under the leadership of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command. It was perfectly reasonable for him to return to Canglong Prefecture and come here directly.

The key is
This matter of merit is urgent!

The sooner it's approved, the sooner it's issued, and the sooner we can exchange it for the top-tier, unparalleled divine skill, the Tai Xu Wind Control Step!
"You killed him?" Ning Zhengyue's usually dignified face was now filled with disbelief.

"On my return to Azure Dragon, I happened to encounter two people on the border of Thunderous Roar, and killed them without hesitation," Chen Ping'an replied calmly and truthfully.

"The Evil Duo have been famous for many years and entered the ranks of top grandmasters at a young age. When the two of them join forces, they are enough to threaten ordinary grandmasters. How did you manage to do that?" Ning Zhengyue stared at Chen Ping'an, waiting for his answer.

"How can I do that? Just kill him. There's no need for so many reasons." Chen Ping'an's tone was calm, but his words were anything but polite.

Ning Zhengyue was nominally his superior in the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, but that did not mean he could be manipulated at will or questioned in every matter.

"No need to be overreacting, I'm just doing my duty." Ning Zhengyue's expression softened slightly as he adjusted his tone.

"I understand." Chen Ping'an looked at Ning Zhengyue quietly, and scenes from the past flashed through his mind.

In the past, he had a dispute with Ning Zhengyue over the matter of the Azure Dragon Envoy, which ended with Ning Zhengyue getting angry.

Today, a similar situation has occurred again, but the final outcome is Ning Zhengyue's initiative to back down and ease tensions.

Their words and actions were completely different.

The astonishment that flashed in his eyes and the praise in his words made one wonder if he was actually meeting the same person.

Chen Ping'an and Ning Zhengyue chatted for about half an hour.

In the past half hour, Chen Ping'an had also finished handling the matter of reporting his merits. Now he just needed to wait quietly until the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Division completed its verification, and then the merits would be issued.

Aside from handling matters related to meritorious service, Ning Zhengyue had many words of praise for Chen Ping'an. Although they weren't particularly exaggerated, the overall evaluation was mainly positive.

Praises like "extraordinary talent" and "unparalleled genius" are commonplace.

Chen Ping'an had never seen this side of Ning Zhengyue before.

As the deputy head of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, responsible for handling all affairs of the various prefectures under his jurisdiction, Ning Zhengyue has always presented himself as meticulous and imposing. The scene he witnessed when facing Chen Ping'an was something that others had never seen before, let alone dared to imagine.

However, upon closer reflection, Chen Ping'an has come this far step by step, and now he is able to have a face-to-face conversation with the other party.

This is true on the surface, and even more so behind the scenes.

Although he has not yet reached that crucial level, his registration in the Northern Border Garrison and his inclusion in the preliminary assessment plan for deputy commanders speaks volumes.

As long as his cultivation level is high enough, Chen Ping'an could potentially reach this crucial level at any time and achieve a leap in cultivation.

Now that Chen Ping'an has killed the Evil Duo, although the specific process is unknown, the result speaks for itself.

Whether the Evil Duo were injured or completely unharmed, it demonstrated Chen Ping'an's strength to a certain extent.

Even by the most conservative estimate, Chen Ping'an has probably already firmly entered the ranks of top grandmasters, and his combat power, when unleashed, has even touched the threshold of great grandmaster.

If the Evil Duo were in perfect condition, Chen Ping'an could kill them.
Doesn't Chen Ping'an possess the power of a Grandmaster in its complete form?!
However, Ning Zhengyue subconsciously ruled out this possibility.

With the main headquarters of the Evil Extreme Path destroyed and the remaining bandits fleeing, and various squads from the State Pacification Office pursuing them, it's highly unlikely that the Evil Extreme Duo will escape unscathed.

There is a very high probability that he was injured.

He happened to run into Chen Ping'an, a man of reckless courage, and wanted to get revenge and pull off a big heist. Little did he expect that this would be the outcome.

Even so, just to be on the safe side, Ning Zhengyue still checked Chen Ping'an's martial arts level.

After the atmosphere eased, during his conversation with Ning Zhengyue, Chen Ping'an could clearly feel Ning Zhengyue's spiritual probing.

Although Ning Zhengyue felt that the investigation process was extremely secretive, it was as dazzling as a lamp in the dark to Chen Ping'an.

However, Chen Ping'an did not reveal this and proceeded according to the previously designed plan.

According to Ning Zhengyue's perception, Chen Ping'an's displayed realm was the early stage of the Jade Balance Realm, but beneath the displayed realm lay his true realm, which was extremely deeply hidden.

Mid-stage of Yuheng!

"Just as I thought!" Ning Zhengyue thought to himself, a look of understanding dawning on his face.

This brute was indeed hiding his true strength.

In the middle period of Yuheng, this makes sense.

After all, back then, Mang Dao already possessed the ability to fight across borders. He once killed a newly promoted grandmaster of the Wuying Dao Sect in full view of everyone, even though he was only at the Xuan Guang Realm.

After breaking through to the Grandmaster realm, he even used the Overlord Blade to kill the veteran Grandmaster, Blood Bat Wei Yiqi.

Crossing the Grandmaster realm in battle is not as simple as it used to be, but Mang Dao is not one to be judged by ordinary standards. As a rising star, he possesses unique talent and ability. During the battle of Long'an, he killed the top Grandmaster, Fugu Po, by relying on his early-stage Jade Balance cultivation, the Overlord Blade Secret Technique, and a bit of luck.

There were signs of this beforehand.

Now, if he seizes the opportunity to advance to the middle stage of Yuheng, with his unique talent, it is indeed possible for him to achieve this level.

However, he hadn't expected that Mang Dao would possess such a sophisticated technique for concealing his presence. If he hadn't intentionally probed, and if the two hadn't been so close, he might still be completely unaware of what was happening.

His combat prowess had reached the level of a supreme grandmaster, yet he still struggled to discern Mang Dao's true level. An ordinary grandmaster, or even a top-tier grandmaster, might not be able to decipher Mang Dao's true level.

"This brute knife"

Ning Zhengyue gave Chen Ping'an a deep look.

However, he saw through it but didn't say anything.

It's best if he knows about this himself.

As for the others, if they can see through it, then they can; if they can't, then they can guess for themselves.

At the mid-stage of the Jade Balance realm, at less than twenty-six years old, Mang Dao's true ranking is even higher than the recently updated Hidden Dragon Ranking.

With such talent, her future prospects are terrifying.

If possible, he would definitely try to win them over. Even if he couldn't establish a solid personal relationship, he absolutely couldn't afford to make them his enemy.

"Li Wusheng"

At this moment, Ning Zhengyue actually felt a desire to watch a good show.

After leaving Ning Zhengyue's public housing, Chen Ping'an had also taken care of the things he wanted to do.

Whether it was the recognition of merits or the dual display of cultivation levels, these were both Chen Ping'an's purposes for this trip. He then recounted the general course of events.

As for the details of the process, let Ning Zhengyue fill in the blanks himself.

According to Chen Ping'an's previous plan, the mid-stage Jade Balance realm could be maintained for a longer period of time.

However, after undergoing the purification of his dual cultivation techniques and the improvement of his actual combat strength, his similar thoughts softened considerably. Coupled with his thirst for information about the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord, he also considered revealing more of his cultivation level.

This opportunity is perfect; I can use this victory to showcase my mid-stage Jade Balance cultivation. As for my actual combat strength, let outsiders guess.

However, while he did reveal his level of skill, he didn't make it too obvious. He maintained a carefully crafted facade, concealing his true abilities.

This level of understanding is hidden, and ordinary grandmasters cannot see through it. To successfully probe it, one must at least possess the level of a top-tier grandmaster. In addition, there are many other limitations. For example, it requires close-range probing, repeated sensing, and a high level of spiritual perception.

While some top-tier grandmasters do meet this criterion, their numbers are not very large.

This design also reveals Chen Ping'an's own calculations.

After all, there are some things that are useless to tell him outright; he will only believe what he sees.

Ideally, what he sees is something he discovered through his own efforts and exploration.

Only then will he have unwavering faith.

With this cover-up, his true background can be hidden more firmly.

After paying his respects to Ning Zhengyue, his nominal superior, Chen Ping'an no longer had many people in the Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division to visit.

Firstly, his current status is high enough that there are not many people he would specifically visit.

Secondly, due to the impact of the Long'an turmoil, many high-ranking and core members of the Canglong Prefecture's Garrison Command have already been dispatched elsewhere. At this juncture, there are not many high-ranking officials still remaining in the Garrison Command.

Thirdly, although Chen Ping'an had been in the Canglong Prefecture Garrison for some time, he didn't have many close friends.

With all these factors combined, there weren't many people Chen Ping'an needed to visit.

Like his former superior, Lü Yuanzai, who has now been transferred to Beicang and is stationed there. Feng Wuhen, with whom he had previously crossed paths, is still at the Leiming Town Pacification Division.

Yao Guang, who gave him the Snow Spirit Leaf, was still dealing with the Long'an turmoil at the moment.

Apart from these people, the rest are all people he can visit or not visit; it doesn't matter whether he goes or not.

Since it didn't matter, Chen Ping'an decided not to bother.

However, among all these people, there is an old acquaintance worth visiting.

"Your humble servant Zhong Zeyu greets Lord Chen. May Your Excellency be well."

Before Chen Ping'an even entered the door, Zhong Zeyu, looking delighted, came out to greet him and respectfully gave him a deep bow.

"Old Zhong, no need for formalities. We're old friends, don't stand on ceremony." Chen Ping'an smiled and waved casually.

Zhong Zeyu looked respectful and smiled modestly, "Sir, you are now a senior candidate for the position of chief officer. We must not disregard etiquette. I dare not be disrespectful."

Unable to persuade Zhong Zeyu, Chen Ping'an did not force him.

He rose through the ranks rapidly, taking small steps every six months and big steps every year. He had seen such scenes not many times, but not few times either.

He already has experience with this.

Upon entering the public housing, Chen Ping'an casually sat down, waved, and beckoned to Zhong Zeyu.

"Old Zhong, have a seat."

"Yes, sir," Zhong Zeyu said respectfully.

Zhong Zeyu is tactful and handles situations appropriately, which Chen Ping'an thinks highly of him.

Previously, during the siege of the demons at Sanqi Mountain, the two had forged a bond. Although it wasn't particularly intense, it laid a solid foundation for their friendship.

Previously, when Er Ya was at Canglong Academy, Zhong Zeyu had helped her a lot.

Chen Ping'an still cherishes the old memories.

During the conversation, Chen Ping'an was quite easygoing and didn't put on any airs. Although Zhong Zeyu was initially reserved, as the conversation deepened and Chen Ping'an intentionally guided him, his speech gradually relaxed.

Chen Ping'an learned quite a bit from Zhong Zeyu. Although it wasn't exactly secret information, it saved him a lot of trouble in gathering it.

During the exchange, Chen Ping'an gained a preliminary understanding of the basic situation of the State Garrison Command. This cognitive framework had been established previously, and now, after more than half a year, the exchange allowed for the updating, replacement, adjustment, and refinement of information.

Over the years, Chen Ping'an has traveled to many places.

Whether it was the earliest Weishui County City, Baishi City, Wufeng Mountain City, or the important towns of Beicang and Long'an, Chen Ping'an had a habit of collecting intelligence wherever he went.

This intelligence is not exactly secret, and although it may not seem very useful at first glance, it can provide strong information support in his decision-making process.

With this intelligence and basic understanding, his decision-making will be more accurate, and his judgments and choices will be more powerful.

After discussing the affairs of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, Chen Ping'an's conversation became less animated than before. He casually chatted about some interesting anecdotes, engaging in a relaxed, intermittent conversation.

"I was momentarily distracted and haven't yet congratulated you, my lord, on the breakthrough of the pass and the attainment of the Jade Balance Grandmaster realm! Your love with the Jade Balance Grandmaster realm is truly admirable, and the two of you have achieved such a remarkable feat in the state."

During the conversation, Zhong Zeyu offered his congratulations with clasped hands and mentioned Gu Qingcheng's breakthrough.

Chen Ping'an smiled, said nothing, and accepted Zhong Zeyu's congratulations without hesitation.

He had heard many similar rumors along the way.

He was full of inspiration and had an amazing hearing. When he went to the city before, he heard many such rumors circulating in the streets.

But the content...
The quality varies.

To be precise, most of the rumors are just empty talk.

Some people put him and Gu Qingcheng together as opposites, comparing them and arguing endlessly.

Some people have escalated this into a debate about swords and sabers. They've argued that swords are inferior to sabers, and sabers are inferior to swords. They've also claimed that swords are stronger, sabers are inferior to anything on the roadside, sabers are more powerful, each strike is forceful, while swords are flashy but weak and ineffective.

Although Chen Ping'an was just passing by, he overheard most of the arguments.

Before coming to Canglong, he really didn't expect that Gu Qingcheng's breakthrough would lead to so many interesting developments.

Their attention shifted directly from the matter of breaking through the realm to comparing his and Gu Qingcheng's talent and combat strength.

What was clearly a fact to be seen has, with the help of some people and the encouragement of some brainless fans, turned into a heated debate.

It even escalated into a contest between the ways of the sword and the way of the knife, attracting a large crowd of onlookers and participants.

"This is quite an interesting charade, but I'm not just good with swordsmanship," Chen Ping'an chuckled to himself.

Although he earned the nickname "Brutal Blade," he was not just skilled in swordsmanship.

He also knows swordsmanship, and his skill level is quite high.

After mastering the Seven Absolute Divine Skill to perfection, his Seven Absolute Soul-Severing Sword technique naturally reached perfection as well, achieving a state of unparalleled mastery.

Given his current martial arts foundation, he can be considered a master in swordsmanship alone.

Most importantly, whether it's knife skills or sword skills, those aren't actually his forte.

His greatest strength lies in his physique, especially his physical prowess!
Suppress others with force, suppress others with power! Once the Horizontal Strike is unleashed, it is invincible!

Although I'm reluctant to admit it, it's true.

Once he has mastered the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist to perfection, and after further strengthening his physique, his fist techniques will surpass his sword techniques.

At that point, the situation will be that although he's known as the "Brutal Blade," if someone pushes him to a certain point, they'll discover that his true killing power isn't swordsmanship, but rather his fist techniques!

If the opponent is strong enough to withstand his Seven Killing Fists, they will find that his true strength is not his fist technique, but his physical body!

Especially the physique after cultivating the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique to a certain level!
Having been forged by ten thousand demons and tempered by Qingyang's blood, his physique, forged through physical prowess, possesses a terrifying power that far exceeds the imagination of ordinary people.

Every move it makes possesses unfathomable power; with a wave of its hand or a step, mountains can topple over, and its vital energy surges like dragons, as thick as pillars, and as fierce as wolf smoke, soaring straight into the sky. Such phenomena are not mere figments of imagination or legends, but real occurrences.

While Chen Ping'an was thinking about his body-strengthening project, Zhong Zeyu was thinking about something else entirely.

When he talked about the Fairy of the Gu Family, the image of Gu Qingchan, the Ice Soul Divine Needle, came to mind.

His thoughts wandered, even recalling the scene of Mangdao Chen Ping'an, who had been living off a woman. As possibly the only person in Canglong Prefecture who knew about the special relationship between Mangdao and Gu Qingchan, he was extremely cautious about it, keeping it to himself and daring not to tell anyone.

However, though I don't talk about it, a gossipy thought still pops into my mind from time to time.

Speaking of which, it seems that Gu Qingchan, the Ice Soul Needle, is amidst thunder!

Lord Chen currently holds an important position in Leiming; it's unclear whether the two have had any contact. If they have, what would the situation be like?
At that time, Lord Chen must have been heartbroken for a long time because of that black-robed old monster.

So much time has passed, I wonder if Lord Chen has emerged from that gloom.

He should have moved on by now. After all, not everyone can stubbornly cling to a woman's affections. Besides, there's still the Fairy of Allure!
Now that he has broken through to the Grandmaster realm, his prestige is unparalleled. Having such a Grandmaster as a Daoist partner should be a blessing in life.

Zhong Zeyu's thoughts wandered, drifting into random ideas.

Chen Ping'an chatted with Zhong Zeyu for a while, but he had other important matters to attend to. Seeing that it was almost time, he decided not to continue chatting with Zhong Zeyu.

Chen Ping'an got up to leave, and Zhong Zeyu respectfully saw him off.

"Old Zhong, please wait a moment," Chen Ping'an said with a faint smile.

"Please take care, Lord Chen." Zhong Zeyu said solemnly, bowing deeply in homage.

He dared not disobey Chen Ping'an's words, so he stood still and watched Chen Ping'an leave.

Looking at Chen Ping'an's back, his mind was filled with the grudges and entanglements of powerful families, as well as the poignant love stories of women who lived off their husbands.

I wonder how Master Gu, the Ice Soul Needle Master, will behave in front of his lover!
Chen Ping'an had no idea what Zhong Zeyu was thinking. Even if he did know, he would only sigh that old Zhong's pieced-together, wildly imaginative ideas had actually come close to the truth.

This time, in addition to paying a visit after not seeing each other for many days, he also invited Zhong Zeyu to participate in Er Ya's coming-of-age ceremony.

The coming-of-age ceremony varies in scale and the number of guests invited also differs.

The specifics depend entirely on the influence and status of each party.

Er Ya's coming-of-age ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and if Chen Ping'an has the ability, he should naturally do his best.

Therefore, Chen Ping'an will invite quite a few guests to his coming-of-age ceremony. However, since he has just returned to Canglong, many rules and regulations have not yet been fully clarified.

This invitation is still just a verbal gesture, serving as a preliminary announcement.

A formal invitation will only be extended after the invitation letter is received.

Zhong Zeyu was naturally extremely honored and overjoyed.

Given Chen Ping'an's current status, the fact that he still remembers him is already a stroke of good fortune. Now, he's even personally visiting to invite him to his younger sister's coming-of-age ceremony—such an honor, how many people in the entire Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division can enjoy?!
Zhong Zeyu's excitement goes without saying.

As the central authority of a prefecture, the Prefectural Garrison Command naturally had many busy tasks, including transmitting important matters, reporting confidential information, and processing various reports.

After leaving Zhong Zeyu's official residence, Chen Ping'an occasionally encountered some elite members of the State Garrison Command.

Everyone who saw him stopped and greeted him respectfully.

"Meet Master Chen."

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency."

"Wishing you good health, sir."

"."

With Chen Ping'an's current status, even in the Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division, where powerful figures emerge one after another, he can enjoy the highest level of preferential treatment.

As a powerful figure in the state who was registered under the Northern Border Garrison Command, Chen Ping'an's existence was already revered as a sacred object and treated with the utmost respect by these middle and lower-level servants and deacons.

Chen Ping'an remained calm and accepted everyone's congratulations and greetings with composure. Just as he was about to walk out of the gate of the State Garrison, he unexpectedly saw a familiar face approaching from the east.

The newcomer clearly hadn't expected to run into Chen Ping'an here. Upon seeing Chen Ping'an, a hint of unease appeared on his face, but he quickly forced a smile and braced himself to greet him.

"This humble servant, Fang Zhengyu, greets Lord Chen. May you be well."

Fang Zhengyu, Attendant of the Zhenfu Division of Canglong Prefecture.

Previously, when Chen Ping'an broke through to the Grandmaster realm, a celebratory banquet was held within the Zhenfu Division of Canglong Prefecture. What should have been a peaceful and joyous banquet was completely ruined by Fang Zhengyu's words.

At that time, he used Gu Qingcheng's matter to make a big fuss, putting Chen Ping'an and Princess Changkong of Bicang on opposite sides.

The conversation mentioned that Ji Changkong, the grandson of the Azure Prince, personally went to Azure Dragon to propose to Gu Qingcheng with a song called "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix," but failed. However, Chen Ping'an won the beauty's heart.

This statement, though seemingly simple, contains profound meaning. It is intended to incite conflict and stir up trouble, and it also brings up old events. If one is narrow-minded, one would likely find this statement extremely offensive.

Chen Ping'an did not tolerate this. He immediately lashed out, using his power to intimidate the man and humiliate him in public, leaving him limp on the ground.

Unexpectedly, I returned to Canglong today, what a coincidence, I ran into him here.

but
Chen Ping'an glanced at him indifferently, as if he hadn't heard, and left Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division without expression.

There's no point in making small moves.

If you're going to find a venue, you should find a big one.

Fang Zhengyu was just a pawn; someone else was plotting behind the scenes.

Next time.
Everything was resolved at once.

"you"

Fang Zhengyu was filled with resentment, his face turning pale and then red, but he dared not say a word, not even a hint of anger.

He glanced at the elite troops of the State Garrison who had witnessed the entire process, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.

To be honest, before he did it, he was overjoyed. A single word could bring him sixty years of accumulated wealth. Such a deal couldn't be more worthwhile.

But now, he's starting to regret it.

Who could have imagined that the momentum of the madman's attack could be so rapid!?

In such a short time, he has already ranked among the top sixty of the Hidden Dragons, with combat strength comparable to top grandmasters. He is also a giant of the State Garrison Command and has been included in the list of candidates for deputy commander. He is only half a step away from becoming a core giant!

But what's done is done, and there's no use in regretting it now. His only option is to rely on Lord Li; Lord Li will protect him!
After Fang Zhengyu left, the many constables guarding the gate of the prefectural garrison had different expressions. Although they didn't say much, their eyes met with amusement.

Today, I witnessed a good show put on by the giants.

For Fang Zhengyu, what happened in front of the prefectural garrison headquarters was like a bolt from the blue, leaving him terrified and speechless. But for Chen Ping'an, it was nothing more than a trivial matter, not even a minor incident.

He left the state garrison, boarded the carriage, gave an order, and the carriage slowly started moving towards the Gu family's residence in the core urban area.

Besides visiting the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, he also intends to visit the Gu family upon his return.

Besides
Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted as he recalled the letter Gu Qingcheng had sent not long ago.

I wish to share a drink of green plums with you under the peach tree, hang a raft on the treetop, and pledge our hearts to each other in anticipation of the future.

hum~
In a flash of inspiration, a jade-like hairpin appeared in Chen Ping'an's hand.

The hairpin is made of jade-like material, warm to the touch, like the smooth and delicate skin of a young girl. A small string of pearl and jade bells hangs from the end of the hairpin, adorned with tassels, giving it an extremely exquisite feel.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts drifted as he gently stroked the hairpin in his hand.

I wonder if Gu Qingcheng ever imagined that the two of them would meet again so soon when she wrote the letter.

Inside the carriage, the bell jingled softly, accompanying Chen Ping'an's thoughts as they drifted into the distance.

(End of this chapter)