Chapter 374 - 340: Tangled and Complicated, Uninvited Guests (Part 2)

"What? You don’t think the Vajra Demon-subduing Chain is enough to keep Beicang under control!?"

"Of course not! Haven’t you seen the kind of experts flocking to Beicang lately? Let’s not even talk about the truly supreme masters. Just Tantai Jinfeng of the Hidden Dragon Saber, a Dragon and Tiger Chart expert from the Shadowless Blade Sect, is more than Lord Xue can handle! And that’s not even mentioning Lan Yingying and her Five Poison Earth Fiend Palm, who we were just talking about! These are just the ones out in the open. Who knows what other masters have secretly infiltrated the town? This situation is nowhere near as simple as you think! Lord Xue can’t control it!"

"Well..."

These words reflected the consensus of the majority. Anyone with a certain level of insight could clearly understand the current situation.

The only reason Beicang Town hadn’t descended into chaos was because the Beicang Garrison and the town’s various powers didn’t want it to! It had nothing to do with Xue Kunsheng.

Xue Kunsheng was indeed the Vice Beicang Garrison Commander. However, he didn’t represent the Beicang Garrison, let alone the various factions within the town. When their interests aligned, he was a useful figurehead, and his words carried weight.

But when their fundamental interests clashed, he...

...was utterly incapable of controlling the vast Beicang Town.

As the men talked, Chen Ping’an realized that the prestige of Xue Kunsheng, the man known for his Vajra Demon-subduing Chain, was far less than he’d imagined. Though the men called him "Lord," their words held little true reverence. It was just drunken chatter, of course, and Xue Kunsheng wasn’t present, but one could grasp the larger picture from these small details. Despite being the Vice Beicang Garrison Commander—and nominally the man in charge—Xue Kunsheng’s actual standing was nowhere near his title.

Of course, this was all relative. To an independent individual or an ordinary faction, Xue Kunsheng was still a figure to be looked up to.

The problem was that Xue Kunsheng’s position meant he represented far more than just himself. His every word and action had to take into account the greater situation and the coalition of interests at play. Faced with such a vast web of interests, Xue Kunsheng simply couldn’t act with unchecked authority.

’A web of tangled, deep-rooted interests, major factions scheming against each other, subordinates with their own agendas... this Vice Garrison Commander position... is no easy job.’ Putting himself in Xue Kunsheng’s shoes, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but feel a touch of sympathy.

The trade routes had been open for some time, yet the position of Beicang Garrison Commander remained vacant, a testament to the constant political maneuvering of the various factions. From a standpoint of self-interest, none of them wanted a single, powerful figure to emerge in Beicang Town who could have the final say.

Unless, of course, that powerful figure was one of their own. But therein lay the problem: one faction’s gain was another’s loss.

This endless back-and-forth meant that a suitable candidate had yet to be chosen.

Anyone qualified for this position had to be, at minimum, a Pseudo Grandmaster on par with Lan Yingying. If not a true Grandmaster, then they had to be an expert whose combat prowess was nearly at the Grandmaster level, someone ranked at the very top of the Dragon and Tiger Chart.

As the men discussed the Vajra Demon-subduing Chain, the topic drifted to the experts of the Extreme Evil Dao, and from there, to the masters of the Rising Dragon Dao.

Both the Extreme Evil Dao and the Rising Dragon Dao were notorious Evil Dao sects within the State Realm. The former’s power and influence surpassed even the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, while the latter was roughly on par with it.

Of course, the power of either sect paled in comparison to the Celestial Net Sect.

Even across the entire Daqian Dynasty, the Celestial Net Sect was one of the absolute top powers!

"Sigh, these are truly troubled times."

As the conversation touched upon the situation in Beicang and the chaos stirred up by the Extreme Evil Dao, the Rising Dragon Dao, and the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, one of the men couldn’t help but lament.

"You’re right! Things are far from peaceful! We’re seeing more and more chaos these days. In fact, didn’t something huge just happen recently?"

"Oh? What was that?"

"The Silver Gong Qiankun Envoy from the Qiankun Bureau, Cao Yingxiong—he’s dead!"

"What!? Is that true!?"

"You haven’t heard?"

"No! Is that actually true? You’re sure it’s not just some back-alley rumor? Cao Yingxiong was rumored to be powerful enough for the Dragon and Tiger Chart. How could someone with his strength die so easily?"

"The news is everywhere! How could it be fake?"

"..."

As the talk turned to Cao Yingxiong’s death, Chen Ping’an listened intently. The exchange between the two men was heated. One insisted the news was everywhere and couldn’t possibly be false. The other refused to believe it, arguing that someone with Cao Yingxiong’s power couldn’t be killed so easily. Even in defeat, he should have been able to escape with his life.

The two were practically at each other’s throats, growing more agitated with every word.

Then, a man from another table spoke up, confirming that he’d heard the same news: the Qiankun Bureau’s Silver Gong Qiankun Envoy, Cao Yingxiong, was indeed dead. The skeptic, still only half-convinced, demanded, "Did a Grandmaster make a move!? How else could someone of Cao Yingxiong’s strength be killed so easily?"

Their conversation piqued the interest of several nearby tables, and soon others joined the discussion. During the chatter, one man claimed to have a friend of many years who was acquainted with someone in the Qiankun Bureau, and from him, he had gleaned some specific details.

A high-ranking official from the Qiankun Bureau who had been with Cao Yingxiong managed to escape and revealed several details. According to him, the attacker had not yet reached the Grandmaster Realm, but their combat strength was so immense that it couldn’t have been far off.

This detailed account naturally sent a wave of shock through the crowd.

"Let me tell you, the man was like a Demon God descended to earth! The moment he appeared, he had Cao Yingxiong completely suppressed. In the middle of it all, he even killed a Profound Light expert without breaking a sweat. The power he wielded... it was truly terrifying!"

"He had the build of a bear, fierce and menacing, with eyes as big as bells. When he fought, a Vajra Image materialized around him, like a Furious Vajra! Every move he made, every lift of his hand, unleashed terrifying, monstrous strength!"

"..."

As the very man at the center of the incident, Chen Ping’an calmly took a sip of his wine.

’So much for trusting rumors,’ he thought. ’Their story is getting more and more exaggerated. The only thing they haven’t claimed is that I have three heads and six arms.’

Chen Ping’an set down his wine cup and noticed that Yuan Zutong, sitting across from him, was completely engrossed in the tale. He didn’t interrupt, simply continuing to eat his food in silence.

After they finished discussing the chaotic state of affairs, the men around them began to lament once more, wondering when such days would ever end.

"It’s better to be one of the simple folk! They don’t know much, they just live their lives in peace. They don’t have to worry about all this!"

"Indeed! The more you understand, the more you have to worry about."

"..."

Chen Ping’an raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.

’Everyone thinks the life of a commoner is easy. That since they know little and their burdens are light, their lives must be happy. But how could they know? For the vast majority of ordinary people, just staying alive takes every ounce of their strength!’

’How incredibly hard it is to live a simple, peaceful life.’

’Everyone has their own hardships and pressures, their own sorrows and pains. In this world...’

’...nothing has ever come easy!’

Amidst the buzzing discussions, Chen Ping’an continued to drink his wine and eat his food. He soon finished the dishes before him. Just as he was preparing to stand and leave, the entire floor of the restaurant suddenly fell silent.

JINGLE~ JINGLE~

To the clear, crisp sound of silver bells, a young girl with fair skin and bright, lively eyes appeared at the top of the stairs. Following close behind her was an old woman. The crone was dressed in simple gray clothes, her hair was streaked with white, and her face was lined with the passage of years, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.

The third floor of Qingya Tower fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Nearly every eye in the room was fixed on the two sudden arrivals.

Lan Yingjun! And...

Lan Yingying of the Five Poison Earth Fiend Palm!

’Why are they here?’

’Could it be...?’

The crowd speculated in silence.

The few men who had been talking about Lan Yingjun earlier had priceless expressions on their faces. One of them shot a pointed look at the man who had been boasting, the one who’d claimed he’d challenge her if he were a few years younger. His eyes urged the man to get up and do it. The target of his challenge was right here, after all—it was the perfect opportunity.

But of course, the boaster wasn’t about to actually stand up. Some things were just for show. When push came to shove, there was no way he’d actually go through with it.

JINGLE~ JINGLE~

The young girl was dressed in light blue, a Small Sachet hanging from her waist. Her eyes swept the room before finally landing on Chen Ping’an, seated by the window.

"Found you!"