The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 745 The Descendant of Situ, the Academy Examination (Seeking monthly votes~)

In Canglong Prefecture, at the Situ family residence.

Inside the large main hall, everyone sat silently, the atmosphere heavy, as if shrouded in gloom.

The person sitting at the head of the table was an elderly man with sparse hair and a wrinkled face full of solemnity, a look of hardship sculpted by the years.

The Situ family migrated from a major city many years ago and has been based in Canglong Prefecture for hundreds of years. At its peak, it was one of the most powerful first-rate forces in Canglong Prefecture, second only to the top forces in the entire prefecture.

Over the years, it has maintained good relationships with all the top forces in the state capital.

However, over the past century, with the passing of several grandmasters within the clan, the Situ family's prestige has steadily declined, and its influence has been somewhat affected. Nevertheless, despite this, the Situ family's accumulated strength over the years remains, its family lineage has not been interrupted, and it has never fallen into a state of generational transition.

The revitalizer of the family, Situ Ba holds an important position in the Zhenfu Division of Canglong Prefecture. His cultivation level has already reached the mid-stage of Yuheng, making him a senior grandmaster.

Given his age, he has every chance of making further progress in his lifetime. If he could join the ranks of top grandmasters, it would be an enormous boost to the prestige of the Situ family.

Because of the influence of the State Garrison Command, various powerful factions were happy to give him face.

Under Situ Ba's influence and leadership, the family is thriving and prosperous, showing signs of restoring its former glory.

But this situation came to an abrupt end a few years ago.

During a demonic siege, Situ Ba, the patriarch of the family's resurgence, perished, his soul buried in a foreign land.

This incident brought the Situ family's flourishing prosperity to an abrupt halt.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, a cross-state trade trip was marred by the tragic death of a grandmaster within the clan.

The weakening of relations with the State Garrison and the loss of a significant force within the family severely damaged the overall prestige of the Situ family.

This situation has become increasingly severe and obvious in the past two years.

Previously, when the Situ family was at the height of its power, it controlled a great deal of interests. Now that the family's fortunes have declined, it has naturally attracted many envious people.

Various forms of power struggles and suppression are commonplace.

Having lost the support of a major power and facing suppression and power struggles, the Situ family suffered repeated defeats. Previously friendly forces now avoided them, or even took advantage of their misfortune.

The fickleness and warmth of human relationships were vividly displayed at this moment.

Not long ago, a significant event occurred that could influence the fate of the Situ family for decades or even centuries to come.

The Situ family, based in Canglong, naturally possessed corresponding profitable industries. And the crucial support and backing behind these industries was the Huichun Hall, a top-tier power within Canglong Prefecture.

As a supplier to Huichuntang, the Situ family provides what Huichuntang needs. Thanks to this relationship, the Situ family can reap considerable profits every year.

Not long ago, the supply contract that the Situ family had signed with Huichuntang was about to expire. The Situ family had been preparing for the renewal for a long time, running around to various places.

The Situ family has a long-standing partnership with Huichuntang, so they are extremely confident in this matter.

However, at the crucial moment, the Zhao family engaged in malicious bidding, ultimately causing them to lose this key contract with Huichuntang.

As a crucial pillar of the family's business interests, this matter has far-reaching implications and could even cripple the Situ family.

Therefore, the Situ family went to great lengths to try to salvage the situation.

They even went so far as to sacrifice some of their own interests and agree to share the supply.

But ultimately...
It's too late to salvage it!

The elder in charge of this matter at Huichuntang acted as if he didn't recognize the Situ family, adopting an official and impartial attitude. The several stewards they had previously befriended also largely avoided discussing the matter.

After much effort and extensive inquiries, they finally obtained the crucial information.

Price is secondary; the main reason is that the Zhao family has powerful connections!
For some reason, the Zhao family managed to get in touch with a powerful elder of Huichuntang and offered him substantial benefits in exchange for this opportunity.

As for the Situ family, although they had been operating for many years, their power was weak, and the higher-ups had already developed unfavorable impressions of them. Combined with the Zhao family's situation, the contract was ultimately terminated and not renewed.

The impact of breaking the contract on the Situ family goes far beyond these issues. Huichuntang's attitude clearly gave some forces confidence and alleviated some of their concerns and worries.

Without the backing and influence of Huichuntang, the Situ family's assets have been severely impacted. Under pressure and encroachment from various sides, their wealth is shrinking every day.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Situ family is now surrounded by wolves.

However, the family has always been weak in this matter. Driven by self-interest, no one can remain indifferent; this is common sense in the world.

With neither powerful backers nor substantial resources, who would give up such a tempting target?
The hall was silent, and the atmosphere was heavy.

The elders looked worried, and after what seemed like an eternity, a voice finally rang out.

"Huichuntang has given a clear answer that there is no possibility of reversing the contract termination, so there's no need to think about it anymore. However, the relationship we built up before still exists. Elder Mu, please put in some more effort to see if there's any chance to re-establish a connection."

And also with the Mu family, try to make contact and establish connections. A younger member of the clan previously married into a collateral branch of the Mu family; use that connection to dig deeper and try to get in touch with their powerful figures. Don't give up as long as there's even the slightest possibility.

Surrounded by wolves, without any powerful backers, the Situ family is in grave danger.

His voice was old and filled with deep weariness.

They hadn't slept well for a long time because of this. Although their cultivation provided support, the mental strain had severely affected their condition.

"This matter concerns the fate of our clan. I hope that everyone will work together to overcome these difficult times."

"As it should be!"

"Let us work together to overcome these difficult times."

"."

The responses echoed in the hall, each person displaying a different emotion, but all were somber.

They have been working tirelessly for quite some time, but to this day, they have not made any progress whatsoever.

The situation is deteriorating, the predicament is dire, and one piece of bad news after another has caused serious damage.

As the Grand Elder said, if there is no solution, the Situ family is in grave danger.

Looking at the expressions of everyone present, Situ Shan's expression was complex, but under such circumstances, he was helpless. Given the situation, any amount of encouragement or motivational rhetoric would be of no use whatsoever.

He felt dejected, but after a moment of reflection, he mustered his strength and said, "There is another matter, equally important, that needs to be prepared immediately. Please keep it in mind."

The emotions in the room were varied; some were puzzled, while others had known about it beforehand.

"Chief Chen is about to be promoted, and this appointment has caused a stir throughout the state. Chief Chen's promotion celebration is jointly organized by the State Garrison and the Gu family. Deyuan Ba'er, my Situ family is also fortunate to participate in this celebration."

This matter is of utmost importance and must not be taken lightly. Each issue must be carefully considered and decided upon, with utmost caution.

Situ Shan gave careful instructions.

Seeing the solemn expressions and serious faces of everyone present, he felt slightly relieved. However, he still added a word of advice: "Lin'er, you are in charge of handling this matter. If there is anything needed, the entire clan will provide it."

A middle-aged man with a square face and a short beard, upon hearing this, felt a chill run down his spine and respectfully replied.

"Yes, Elder, I will not fail you."

Situ Shan glanced at the middle-aged man, nodded slightly, and said no more.

His eyes were filled with melancholy, and his face remained etched with worry as he gazed at the entrance hall.

I hope everything goes well; the Situ family can't withstand any more turmoil.

With Ba'er gone young and the clan elders deceased, the Situ family is now only supported by this old man.

Lin'er, the only one on whom they pinned their hopes, saw her cultivation stagnate after breaking through to the Grandmaster realm, and cease to progress. Given this situation, it seems her life will end here.

Everyone sat with their eyes closed, their faces showing worry, and the atmosphere in the room was extremely heavy.

The Situ family is showing signs of decline, like a great building about to collapse!
With the Canglong Gu family's tireless promotion, news of the promotion ceremony of Chen Ping'an, the deputy head of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, quickly spread throughout the major cities.

Guangyuan, Leiming, Weishui, and even Beicang and Long'an learned of this matter very quickly.

Some invited guests were even sent via special routes, with dozens of messengers traveling together, changing horses and people along the way, day and night, all to ensure that the celebration was not delayed.

Amidst the fermenting of such important news, Chen Ping'an also entered into seclusion for cultivation.

It wasn't entirely a seclusion; he would still find time each day to chat with the little girl. He would also catch up on current events from the surrounding states from Xiong Sanrang.

His perspective has long since expanded beyond a single state, and he now pays close attention to matters in other states.

Normally, someone of Xiong Sanrang's level would not be aware of these matters. However, thanks to Chen Ping'an's prior notice, the spread of such information was largely unimpeded.

With the announcement of his appointment, he has basically stopped going to the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command these days. Naturally, the people in the Garrison Command have no objections to this, nor would they dare to. Chen Ping'an's current influence is at its zenith. With his current status, coupled with his reputation as a rising star, he is probably the highest-ranking person in the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command, second only to the three giants.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

The city of Canglong Prefecture is enormous, with its core urban area, inner city, outer city, and various districts, where countless events unfold every day.

For Chen Ping'an, two things happened in the past two weeks.

One thing was that Guan Dongxiang had returned. Previously, when he was promoted to the position of candidate for the position of chief, he had sent Guan Dongxiang to recruit private guards for him. The quota for private guards was twenty men, who would be supported by the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command.

Now, Guan Dongxiang has successfully recruited twenty private guards and returned home.

However, when he returned, things had changed, and the original full allocation had long since become empty.

The Zhenfu Division system, with its deputy commanders as high-ranking officials, can be equipped with thirty private guards, and if they are stationed outside the area, this number can be increased to forty.

This was undoubtedly another piece of bad news for Guan Dongxiang. He had just completed his mission and returned in triumph, only to find that the mission had been doubled before he could even settle in.

Chen Ping'an did not concern himself with such matters. He only met Guan Dongxiang once before having Xiong Sanrang handle the matter.

At his current level, whether he has twenty or forty private guards, it doesn't really matter.

For him, such a setup was more about being surrounded and adorned with power.

He cultivates martial arts, breaks through barriers and reaches new heights, his great power returns to himself, and his safety is under his own control, so he has no need to trouble these private guards.

If he were to encounter danger that would affect him personally, these private guards would be nothing more than decorations.

With Chen Ping'an's current level of cultivation, even a private guard composed of grandmasters would find it difficult to provide any substantial protection for his safety without the support of a special formation.

However, the Zhenfu Division system was equipped with such welfare benefits for a reason.

Generally speaking, those who can sit in the position of deputy head, even without family support, usually have family members and partners by their side. Such a private guard configuration is useless to the deputy head, but it does not mean that the people around him are useless.

Whether used to protect family members or to protect future generations, it is a good choice.

Funded and supported by the prefectural garrison command, yet all assignments were decided by the deputy commander alone—this was undoubtedly a superior experience. The feeling of being assigned to these assignments was entirely different from that of the elite troops under the direct jurisdiction of the prefectural garrison command.

However, Chen Ping'an's situation was different from others. He had no family background and no descendants, and apart from his little girl, he was practically all alone.

I have no interest in such benefits.

But for the rest of the people, this kind of benefit is a nice bonus.

Power and strength are invincible wherever they go.

This is just a small part of the whole story.

Chen Ping'an didn't pay much attention to the matter of his private bodyguard, but he was extremely concerned about another matter.

In the past two weeks, the preliminary examination, coordinated by the Academic Affairs Office, has already been held once in Canglong Prefecture.

As a recommended student, the young girl has already completed this preliminary examination.

In the present day, martial arts are flourishing. Although literature has some influence, its impact is far less than that of martial arts.

Many significant events have occurred in the capital recently, but this one has not caused any major uproar. It has only attracted some attention during casual conversations.

Even some people who are not interested in this kind of thing did not receive similar information.

Compared to the martial arts that happen around us in real time, the arts of literature are undoubtedly too far away for ordinary people.

Moreover, this examination was merely a preliminary assessment organized by the Academic Affairs Office and had not yet truly touched upon matters of literature and morality.

Those who pass the initial examination are at most preparatory students in the cultivation of literature and the Way.

Only by truly passing the academy's examination can one be considered to have reached the threshold of literary pursuits.

The Department of Learning was a dedicated agency responsible for matters such as literary cultivation, preparing seeds, and teaching reading and etiquette. In terms of scale and influence, it was far inferior to the Department of Heaven and Earth and the Department of Pacification.

Compared to that, it's not even in the same league.

However, there is no such office as the School Administration Office in ordinary prefectures. Generally, only a specific territory would be assigned a School Administration Office to handle this matter.

With cross-agency communication, the State Pacification Bureau and the Qiankun Bureau will at least give some face.

The organization that conducted this preliminary examination within Canglong Prefecture was the Xuezheng Division within the Bicang region. After the preliminary examination, a series of reviews will be carried out.

Students who pass the initial screening will travel to Bicang Prefecture, the central hub of Bicang, to participate in the academy's assessment.

Only those who pass the academy's examination can be considered to have truly stood out and enter the academy for further study.

The girl has already completed the preliminary assessment in the past two weeks, but the results are not yet available.

Once the list is finalized, the Xuezheng Division will escort them to Bicang Prefecture to participate in subsequent assessments.

Chen Pingan also asked the little girl about this matter.

The little girl responded with a gentle expression, her words revealing an unspoken confidence.

Now, the little girl is already a grown woman, poised and elegant, with a refined and quiet demeanor and a scholarly air.

Chen Ping'an appeared quite reassured, but he was still closely monitoring the matter in his heart.

If the selection list is released quickly enough, he might be able to see the little girl off before she takes up her post.

Hopefully, this assessment will go smoothly and I will achieve my goals!
Chen Ping'an held this hope in his heart.

With his current influence, he might be able to manipulate the examinations at the School Administration Department. However, it's clear that he lacks the power to influence matters within the academy itself.

However, even if he could, he wouldn't force the little girl if she wasn't willing.

Sometimes, excessive interference is precisely a disrespect for the efforts of others.

The little girl has been studying for almost eight years now.

Eight years have passed, and through wind and rain, through cold winters and scorching summers, nothing has deterred his desire to learn.

Although Chen Ping'an did not see the whole picture of such sacrifices, he knew the hardships involved.

May we live up to your expectations!
hum~
In the quiet room, the light flickered until it gradually dimmed.

Chen Pingan slowly opened his eyes.

Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Late stage of Jade Balance - Breakthrough through three stages (Ultimate Perfection)
武学：青阳血炼法小成（0/15360）颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（225/8640）、广寒剑法（残篇）小成（0/7680）太虚御风步大成（0/14400）七杀天罡拳大成（6355/9600）、霸刀圆满、七绝神功圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满
Secret Techniques: Soul-Guiding Technique, Blood Restriction of Ten Thousand Demons

"Steady progress with steady improvement."

Looking at the cheat code panel in front of him, Chen Ping'an remained calm, showing no sign of emotion.

These days, besides cultivating, he has been studying the Soul Guiding Technique, the Blood Restriction of Ten Thousand Demons, and the inheritance of restrictions.

Regarding the refining process, only the Dream Pearl remains so far, and it requires persistent effort to advance.

The forbidden techniques are incredibly profound and obscure; Chen Ping'an lacks the foundation in this area, making it extremely difficult for him to comprehend them. He hasn't made much progress in recent days.

However, with time and continued dedication, he has gradually gained some insights into the Blood Restriction of Ten Thousand Demons. At this rate, the day he truly masters it may not be far off.

Once he has mastered the Blood Restriction of Ten Thousand Demons and can control it freely, he can use the Seven Absolute Divine Skill as a blueprint, refine it, and innovate to take it a step further.

As for the Soul Guiding Technique, progress was steady, without any surprises or unexpected events.

If all goes well, we might be able to give it a try in a few days.

Regarding this secret technique passed down to the Evil Path, after so much research, Chen Ping'an vaguely felt that this technique was incomplete. It should be a partial record within a certain cultivation manual.

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Chen Ping'an's mind as he slowly rose from the quiet room.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Azure Flame Command Flags swirling in all directions were drawn into his robes and disappeared.

"It's time to set off."

Half a month later, with the preparations of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison and the Gu family, the promotion ceremony of Chen Ping'an, the deputy head of the Prefecture Garrison, the Xuanling Garrison Commander, and the martial arts grandmaster, finally opened in front of everyone.

celebration
it has started.

(End of this chapter)