Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Long’an Trade Route
The South Town Garrison Command was remarkably efficient. Just a few days after Chen Ping’an received his appointment notice, a promotion ceremony was held.
Besides Chen Ping’an, many other promoted personnel also received their tokens and were registered at the ceremony.
This time, there were two main figures among the high-level promotions. One was a Vice Chief of the Patrol transferred from another district, and the other was Chen Ping’an.
The other individual’s case was straightforward. He had served as a Candidate for Chief Constable in another district for a long time, and his cultivation had long since reached the Inner Qi Realm. Combined with some political maneuvering, his transfer to the post of Vice Chief of the Patrol was perfectly justifiable.
Chen Ping’an’s promotion to Candidate for Chief Constable, however, sparked much speculation.
He was initially transferred from Nanquan Lane to serve as the South City Prison Chief. Before his seat was even warm, he was directly promoted to Candidate for Chief Constable. In just a few months, he had crossed a chasm that others found insurmountable.
The most crucial point was that Chen Ping’an’s Martial Arts Cultivation had not yet reached the Inner Qi Realm.
But no matter what others thought, Chen Ping’an’s promotion was a done deal.
He received an incredibly heavy waist token for a Candidate for Chief Constable, two custom-made sets of Chief Duty Officer Level Fish Scale Armor, and two custom-made cloaks. In addition, there was a Sharp Blade Level exclusive saber.
However, Chen Ping’an had grown accustomed to his Hundred Pattern Saber. Since the quality of both blades was similar, he exchanged the new saber for a Sharp Blade Level longsword.
Furthermore, as his rank increased, his access privileges to the Garrison Treasure Vault also increased. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been there long and had accumulated limited merit, so he couldn’t exchange it for anything truly valuable.
After his promotion to Candidate for Chief Constable, Chen Ping’an remained in charge of the South City Prison. But his prestige and power were far beyond what they once were. In terms of rank, excluding the Inner Qi Tributors who weren’t part of the Garrison Commandant’s Office system, he ranked fifth in the South Town Garrison Command and was the number one person in the Qi Blood Realm!
The Chief of the Patrol Office, the Vice Chief of the Patrol, the two Stewards, and then came him, the Candidate for Chief Constable.
The supervisors of places like the nine Task Rooms were all beneath him.
Of course, this was only in name. In reality, aside from the South City Prison, Chen Ping’an had no Task Rooms or agencies under his direct jurisdiction.
That was fine by him; he was happy to have the free time.
In the days that followed, he diligently practiced the Gale Sword Technique and Eight Steps Chasing Cicada every day. His progress in these two martial arts improved steadily.
At the same time, he gradually began to plan the martial arts he needed to cultivate next.
To this end, he made a special trip to the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion in the Inner City. After careful selection, he set his sights on a swordsmanship and a palm technique.
Flying Star Swordsmanship! Great Vajra Palm!
With his Golden Finger Panel, he wasn’t at all worried about biting off more than he could chew. As long as a cultivation technique was suitable, he would practice it.
Chen Ping’an had his own reasons for choosing these two cultivation techniques.
He had basically decided that his future path would follow a fierce and powerful combat style. But fierce and powerful didn’t mean he had to be cumbersome.
With Eight Steps Chasing Cicada as his foundational lightweight skill, pairing it with a nimble and swift swordsmanship would result in a qualitative change.
Flying Star Swordsmanship!
Its speed was like a meteor, impossible to dodge. In terms of power after reaching Perfection, it was even superior to the Gale Sword Technique. It was an extremely top-level superior cultivation method.
As for the Great Vajra Palm, it followed a truly fierce and powerful path. A single palm strike could smash through all obstacles. Paired with Chen Ping’an’s Golden Bell Shield, which he cultivated with Inner and Outer Cultivation, the two would complement each other perfectly.
These two cultivation techniques were extremely expensive, their value far exceeding ordinary superior cultivation methods. The combined cost of the two techniques was a staggering ten thousand silver taels.
With Chen Ping’an’s current wealth, this wasn’t too big of a problem. If he saved up for a little longer, he should be able to gather enough silver.
However, given his current circumstances, he couldn’t openly produce such a large sum of silver taels.
Therefore, Chen Ping’an planned to disguise himself once he had enough silver and go to the Ruyi Treasure Pavilion under a different identity to purchase the two cultivation techniques.
For now, he didn’t have enough silver taels, and since his Gale Sword Technique and Eight Steps Chasing Cicada had yet to reach Perfection, Chen Ping’an wasn’t in a particular hurry.
Chen Ping’an spent nearly half a month in such peaceful days, until during a routine meeting, he heard something from Mu Wanjun. This news also spread rapidly throughout the Garrison Commandant’s Office system.
The Deputy Commander of the White Stone Town Pacification Bureau had died mysteriously at home! It was suspected that the Ten Thousand Demons Sect was behind it.
’The Ten Thousand Demons Sect again?’
Chen Ping’an’s heart tightened.
This White Stone City was a small city under the jurisdiction of Weishui County City.
Within the city’s Garrison Commandant’s Office system, the Deputy Commander was the true second-in-command, already a local giant.
But for such a giant to die mysteriously at home was truly unbelievable.
’Is the Ten Thousand Demons Sect starting to cause trouble again?’
Chen Ping’an wasn’t the only one who thought this; many in the Outer City Garrison Command felt the same.
It was said that when the news broke, the Commander-in-Chief of the Outer City Garrison Command was furious, and it even alarmed the higher-ups at the Inner City Garrison Command.
White Stone City was, after all, a small city. Even the Deputy Commander of its Garrison Commandant’s Office was only at the level of a Vice Chief of the Patrol. The incident caused such a stir, drawing attention even from the Inner City Garrison Command of the County City, for two main reasons.
First, for a local giant to die mysteriously at home was a massive provocation to the entire Garrison Commandant’s Office.
Second, although White Stone City was just a small city, its location was special, being close to the Weishui Section of the Canglong Mountain Range.
At this thought, Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes slightly.
’Canglong Mountain Range!’
According to the Treasure Map he possessed, when cross-referenced with a regular map, the Treasure Land was in the Weishui Section of the Canglong Mountain Range!
Against the backdrop of the opening of the Long’an Trade Route, White Stone City was one of the small cities under Weishui County City’s jurisdiction closest to the Canglong Mountain Range. For its Deputy Commander to die with the shadow of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect looming behind the event, it was hard not to draw connections.
Chen Ping’an had also heard occasional talk about the Long’an Trade Route.
South of the Canglong Mountain Range was the territory of Cyan Spirit Province. The Long’an Trade Route was a safe and continuous trade route being carved out through the Canglong Mountain Range.
Over a decade had passed since the concept of the Long’an Trade Route was first proposed. Currently, the pioneering of the trade route was nearing its end.
If the Long’an Trade Route was successfully opened and put into use, the trade costs between Canglong Province and Cyan Spirit Province would be drastically reduced. Trade between them would become far more frequent and prosperous.
If the Long’an Trade Route could be opened and operated, involving trade between provinces, the profits contained within would be almost unimaginable.
At that time, Weishui County City, being close to the Long’an Trade Route, would also benefit greatly.
The Long’an Trade Route concerned the interests of everyone in Weishui County City, big and small. Naturally, all matters related to it were of the highest priority.
Besides the Garrison Commandant’s Office, the Noble Families of the Inner City would likely also be paying close attention to this matter.
Of course, Chen Ping’an only briefly concerned himself with the matter of the Long’an Trade Route. After all, it was too distant from him.
Even if he broke through to the Third Stage of Inner Qi, he still wouldn’t be qualified to get involved with the Long’an Trade Route. Even the collective Will of Weishui County City could only hope to get a piece of the pie from the Long’an Trade Route, not achieve absolute control.
The Long’an Trade Route was a complex affair, with countless factions vying for power behind the scenes. Even the lofty Central Hub of Canglong Province paid close attention to it.
"Ping’an, are you free tomorrow? We should find a place for tea and a chat."
Mu Wanjun invited with a smile.
Hm?
Chen Ping’an’s heart tightened again as he recalled what Mu Wanjun had mentioned earlier.
’Is she starting to make the connection?’
