Chapter 474: Steady Progress, Resolving the Past

Chapter 474: Chapter 382: Steady Progress, Resolving the Past

「Qiankun Bureau, Weishui Branch」

“Gu Qingchan of the Ice Soul Divine Needle has formed a Spirit Fruit Embryo in Beicang Town, breaking through to the Mid-Jade Balance Stage!”

Feng Chengxiu had just received the latest intelligence through the Qiankun Bureau’s secret channels. His eyes filled with utter shock and profound wariness.

A Spirit Fruit Embryo! The Mid-Jade Balance Stage!

As a Pseudo Grandmaster, he knew exactly how much weight those words carried.

He had entered the Pseudo-Grandmaster Realm in his younger years. With his Wind-Chasing Life-Taking Palm, he had once slain an expert from the Dragon and Tiger Chart! His combat prowess was equivalent to seventy percent of an official Grandmaster’s!

Against an ordinary Grandmaster, he was confident he could escape with his life. It wasn’t even out of the question for him to hold his own for a time before making his getaway!

But against a Senior Grandmaster who had already formed a Spirit Fruit Embryo and entered the Mid-stage Jade Balance Realm, he probably wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.

As a Pseudo Grandmaster, he didn’t have to fear an Official Grandmaster. But he was definitely terrified of a Senior Grandmaster who had reached the Mid-Jade Balance Stage.

He was especially awestruck by a Grandmaster like Gu Qingchan, who specialized in the Power of Slaughter. If they were to truly fight, he would be almost powerless to resist. He would be utterly destroyed in two or three exchanges at most!

Now that Gu Qingchan had reached the Mid-Jade Balance Stage, he was naturally more wary than ever. This was especially true since she had recently clashed with the Qiankun Bureau over Chen Ping’an.

Granted, her direct opponent hadn’t been him, but rather Lord Tong Guan, a Golden Bell Qiankun Envoy Candidate. Still, Feng Chengxiu was involved in the situation, and if anything went wrong, he feared he’d be caught in the crossfire.

The only silver lining was that when he had petitioned the Weishui Garrison to impeach Chen Ping’an, he had backed down the moment Gu Qingchan intervened. If he hadn’t, being targeted by a Senior Grandmaster of the Jade Balance Realm would be enough to make him lose his appetite permanently.

‘Mang Blade Chen Ping’an, you’re one lucky bastard! I have no idea how you managed to get in with Gu Qingchan.’ A flash of envy crossed Feng Chengxiu’s eyes. ‘But… now that she’s entered the Mid-Jade Balance Stage, her horizons and priorities are bound to change. She won’t waste her thoughts on a junior like you. How much of that bond between you will be left?! All you have now is a little consideration on behalf of the Gu Family!’

According to his intelligence, Chen Ping’an and Gu Qingchan had only met once at most. The fact that she had been willing to offend a Grandmaster of the same Realm to stand up for him was likely due to considerations for the Gu Family. It was a gesture to show the family’s sincerity in attracting talent, not a sign of how much Gu Qingchan herself valued Chen Ping’an.

To Feng Chengxiu, there was a world of difference between Chen Ping’an being valued by the Gu Family and being valued by Gu Qingchan herself. The former was a strategic move by the family, while the latter was a matter of personal preference. For Gu Qingchan, the core motivation in each case would be entirely different.

Feng Chengxiu couldn’t help but recall the letter he had recently received from Lord Tong Guan. It contained Lord Tong’s request and a list of the rewards being offered.

‘If I could deal with Chen Ping’an…’

Feng Chengxiu’s heart burned with greed as he thought of the rewards Lord Tong had mentioned.

‘Chen Ping’an hasn’t even reached the Peak Realm in his martial arts. At best, his combat prowess is only comparable to an ordinary Peak Realm expert. If I make a move,’ he thought, ‘there’s no way I can fail!’

However… Feng Chengxiu took a deep breath, suppressing the greedy impulse stirring deep within him. He ultimately decided it was better to play it safe for now.

To be on the safe side, he would observe for a while and hold off on taking any action.

For him, the most pressing matter was still to finish investigating Cao Yingxiong’s death. He had recently uncovered a new clue. Perhaps Lord Cao’s death was closely connected to those scoundrels from the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.

The results of the recent crackdowns against them supported this theory to some extent.

…

The news of Gu Qingchan’s breakthrough wasn’t exactly a secret, but it wasn’t public knowledge either. It circulated only within a very small circle.

Only the core leadership of major powers, such as the Four Great Noble Families of Weishui, had caught wind of it.

The Mid-Jade Balance Stage was an existence far beyond their reach. The every word and deed of such a person was enough to decide the allocation of an entire prefecture’s worth of interests.

As the one previously under Gu Qingchan’s protection, Chen Ping’an’s own prestige had grown in their eyes. The Four Great Noble Families had mixed feelings about this, but the ones filled with the most regret were undoubtedly the Mu and Fang Families. The Mu Family, in particular, must have regretted their past actions countless times now that they faced reality.

…

After his in-depth conversation with Fan Zheng Heng, Chen Ping’an didn’t remain idle over the next few days.

The Outer City Garrison Command administered four major urban districts. Below the districts were various wards, and below the wards were the individual streets. In Weishui Outer City, there were several dozen Garrison Commandant’s Office branches alone. From the basic ward-level offices, to the Urban Garrison Commands, and up to the Outer City Garrison Command, the structure was layered, strict, and meticulous.

Now that Chen Ping’an was in charge of the Outer City Garrison Command, he naturally wanted to promote a group of his own trusted subordinates. Unfortunately, because he had risen through the ranks so quickly, there were very few people in the entire vast command whom he could call his confidants. The handful that existed were all low-ranking and not yet ready for heavy responsibilities.

However, Chen Ping’an wasn’t concerned about that. Now that he was in a position of power, it was only natural that he would want to look after his old comrades.

‘Monkey Head, Da Shan, Xiaozeng…’ Chen Ping’an picked up a brush and wrote down the names one by one.

He couldn’t forget the brothers he’d patrolled the streets with. They had all come through hard times together; their camaraderie was the real deal.

‘Thinking about it,’ he mused, ‘Mr. Qin should be getting close to retirement age too.’