Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Marriage Alliance?
Mu Wanjun and Chen Ping’an spoke for a long time. She learned a great deal about his situation and asked if there was anything he needed help with.
Chen Ping’an expressed his gratitude but said that for now, there was nothing that required troubling the Lord Chief of the Patrol Office. He thanked her for her concern.
Mu Wanjun’s esteem for Chen Ping’an grew, and as he was also intent on leveraging her influence, the two had a very pleasant conversation.
"Well, if there is nothing else, let’s leave it at that for today. I will handle things with Fu Yuanming, so you don’t need to worry."
Recalling the scene of Fu Yuanming’s earlier outburst, the smile vanished from Mu Wanjun’s face as she spoke coolly.
"Thank you, my lady."
Chen Ping’an said with solemnity.
"Alright, you may go. Seize this opportunity to establish your authority. I expect you to bring the entire South City Prison firmly under your control."
Mu Wanjun instructed.
"Yes, it shall be done."
Chen Ping’an cupped his fists in a salute.
"Xiaodie, please see Ping’an out for me."
"My Lady, this..."
"It’s fine."
Mu Wanjun said coolly.
At this moment, her regard for Chen Ping’an had reached an unprecedented level. Having Xiaodie escort him out was a sign of her great esteem and a show of courtesy.
Since Mu Wanjun insisted, Chen Ping’an said no more.
He had thought Xiaodie would simply see him to the ground floor as usual, but to his surprise, she walked out of the building with him.
"Miss Xiaodie, you don’t have to see me any further."
Chen Ping’an offered a gentle, scholarly smile.
"I will escort Lord Chen to the gates of the Garrison Commandant’s Office."
Xiaodie offered a slight curtsy and smiled sweetly.
Xiaodie’s heart was filled with nothing but admiration for Chen Ping’an.
She still remembered that when they first met, he was only at Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection. In the blink of an eye, he had advanced to the Qi Blood Sixth Layer, his Martial Arts Realm already surpassing her own.
Xiaodie never hesitated to offer a smile to a true Martial Dao genius.
"In that case... it would be rude of me to refuse."
To be honest, being escorted by Xiaodie was purely beneficial for Chen Ping’an.
Ostensibly, Xiaodie was merely seeing Chen Ping’an out, but in reality, Mu Wanjun was sending a message to everyone in the South Town Garrison Command.
That Chen Ping’an was under her protection!
Xiaodie escorted Chen Ping’an all the way to the main gate of the South Town Garrison Command, where she offered a graceful curtsy.
"Farewell, Lord Chen."
"Thank you, Miss Xiaodie." Chen Ping’an returned the gesture with a slight, cupped-fist salute.
This scene stunned the constables standing guard at the gate of the South Town Garrison Command.
’Lord Chen has this much pull?!’
Mu Wanjun’s personal maid, Xiaodie, had escorted South City Prison Chief Chen Ping’an all the way to the gate of the South Town Garrison Command, conversing pleasantly the entire time.
This news spread like wildfire throughout the entire South Town Garrison Command in an instant.
This event signified that Chen Ping’an had truly become a minor powerhouse within the South Town Garrison Command, cementing his position as Prison Chief.
Constables began to take this Young Lord Chen seriously.
As more and more people learned about him, details about Chen Ping’an circulated throughout the South Town Garrison Command.
A Martial Dao genius!
Qi Blood Sixth Layer!
Perfection Level in the Public Door Thirteen Sabers!
...
After returning from the South Town Garrison Command, Chen Ping’an’s life returned to its usual rhythm.
However, to say life returned to its usual rhythm was not entirely accurate.
He now wielded absolute authority over the entire South City Prison, which was quickly becoming a place where his word was law.
Between the precedent set by Zhu Qirong’s fate, his own display of authority, and the widely circulated rumors of his powerful backing within the South Town Garrison Command, everything went smoothly for Chen Ping’an. No one dared to defy him.
Of course, under normal circumstances, Chen Ping’an wasn’t one to make strange or unreasonable demands.
In terms of discipline, the South City Prison had become much stricter than before.
In recent days, Chen Ping’an had heard news concerning Zhu Qirong.
Zhu Qirong was dead!
However, it wasn’t his doing.
After their battle, Zhu Qirong had been left crippled—a useless man. Combined with Mu Wanjun’s political maneuvering, which had saddled him with undeniable criminal charges, he had fallen completely from grace.
Zhu Qirong had many enemies. Now that he had fallen on hard times, some were bound to kick him while he was down.
One thing led to another, and somehow, he ended up dead.
It was rumored that Fu Yuanming later stepped in on his behalf, using the incident as a pretext to make a move. He ended up killing quite a few people and managed to regain a bit of face.
Regardless of anything else, Zhu Qirong had been Fu Yuanming’s man. With him meeting such a fate, Fu Yuanming naturally had to take some action; otherwise, his subordinates would lose faith in him.
No one bothered to question whether Fu Yuanming’s actions were mere posturing or born of genuine feeling.
During this same period, an incident of some significance took place within the Mu Family of the Inner City.
"A Martial Dao genius with the potential to make the Rising Star Chart?"
Inside the Mu Clan Elder Hall, the assembled Clan Elders listened to Mu Wanjun’s report, their expressions showing considerable interest.
How difficult it was to ascend to the Rising Star Chart!
Every person on that chart was a dazzling figure who shone brightly in their own region.
Such a Martial Dao genius was naturally worth recruiting into the Mu Family’s fold.
However, after hearing Mu Wanjun’s plan for recruiting him, many of the Clan Elders grew hesitant.
"A direct-line daughter of the clan, for a marriage alliance?"
"Not him marrying *into* our family, but a marriage *alliance*? Wan Jun, are you sure you didn’t misspeak?"
Seeing Mu Wanjun nod, one of the Clan Elders immediately voiced his opposition.
"Our Mu Family has a thousand-year legacy! How precious are the direct-line daughters of our clan? Even if a great prodigy fancies one, he should be the one to marry into our Mu Family. Since when do we give our daughters away in a mere marriage alliance?
"No matter how supreme his Martial Dao talent, that Chen Ping’an is merely a commoner from the Outer City. He has no support from the Noble Families, nor any great master to call his own. How can he possibly be worthy of a marriage alliance with our Mu Family?"
"Brother Jiu has a point! Wan Jun, based on your report, this man’s talent is indeed exceptional, and he is certainly worth recruiting. But to marry off a direct-line daughter of the Mu Family to do so... that is highly improper."
"Sixteenth Brother is right. My opinion is this: if he is willing to marry into our family, then for the sake of acquiring such a prodigy, the Mu Family would part with a direct-line daughter. But to marry a daughter *out* in an alliance? I do not agree."
"A mere commoner from the Outer City, no matter how talented, is not worthy of one of our direct-line daughters. If we did this, what would the other Noble Families think of us? They would laugh and say the Mu Family has fallen so low!"
"Hear, hear! The honor of the Mu Family must not be besmirched!"
"Precisely! His potential for the Rising Star Chart is just speculation. His talent is indeed impressive, but the Inner Qi Realm is completely different from the Qi Blood Realm. His rapid progress in the Qi Blood Realm doesn’t guarantee he will be able to do the same with Inner Qi!"
"That’s right. He’s only at the Qi Blood Sixth Layer, a long way from even qualifying for the Rising Star Chart. Who knows if he can even make the leap! If we marry a direct-line daughter to him and he can’t even break through to the Inner Qi Realm, wouldn’t we become a joke!"
"Forget marrying a daughter out; even having him marry *into* the Mu Family would require careful consideration. Given his family background, what does it matter if his Martial Dao talent is extraordinary!?
"Talent is just talent. To truly develop that talent requires a long journey, a journey that would demand a massive investment of our Mu Family’s resources. In the end, it would still be our family bearing the entire cost!"
"Letting him marry in is already a show of immense goodwill. I will not agree to marrying a direct-line daughter out!"
"Indeed!"
"..."
Seeing the number of opposing Clan Elders grow, Mu Wanjun couldn’t help but become anxious.
"Esteemed Ancestors, I have witnessed Chen Ping’an’s talent with my own eyes. He went from a martial arts novice to the Qi Blood Sixth Layer in a matter of months. He is an absolute, bona fide prodigy of the Martial Dao!
"If he hadn’t started his Martial Dao training so late, I would dare to proclaim that he would already be on the Rising Star Chart, not merely have the *potential* to make it, as is the case now!
"I implore you, esteemed Ancestors, to see the truth of this young prodigy! Give him time to mature his Martial Dao, and it won’t just be our Mu Family trying to recruit him! If we miss this opportunity now, we will surely regret it!"
Mu Wanjun spoke with such genuine passion that some of the previously silent Clan Elders were visibly swayed.
"What Wan Jun says has some merit! However, he is, after all, only at the Qi Blood Sixth Layer, still a great distance from being a true prodigy. A marriage alliance is a momentous affair... we must not make a rash decision!"
"Ancestor..."
Mu Wanjun tried to speak again but was cut off by a wave of the hand.
"Wan Jun, let this matter rest for now. We can discuss it again at a later time!"
The speaker was the most influential of the Mu Family’s Clan Elders present. His words were essentially the final verdict on the matter.
Although Mu Wanjun was the Mu Family’s second-greatest prodigy, she was still just a prodigy. To the true holders of power in the Mu Family, she was, in the end, merely a member of the younger generation with limited say in truly important matters.
"Alright, that is all on this matter for now. Our current priority is to help Feiyu break through with all our power so he can ascend to the Rising Star Chart. We cannot let that brat from the Liu Family monopolize the spotlight."
"Correct. If Feiyu can achieve the Celestial Rain Falling on the Crown and break through the Third Stage of Inner Qi, with the power of his Cultivation Technique, he will certainly make it onto the Rising Star Chart."
"At that time, our Mu Family’s prestige will rise once more, and we will surely be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Liu Family!"
"..."
The Mu Clan Elders chattered excitedly, their faces alight as if they could already see that glorious day.
Mu Wanjun stared at the powerful men of the Mu Family, her face a mask of dejection, feeling utterly powerless.
