Daqian Martial Saint

Chapter 544: Chapter 410: Welcome and Dust-Cleansing, Urgent Letter from the State City

His time was precious now, so naturally, he could no longer be bothered with trivial matters as he once had. The newly hired maids and servants had been thoroughly investigated by his subordinates after just a casual remark from him. The conclusion was that these servants all came from clean backgrounds stretching back six generations; their histories were traceable, and their origins were well-known.

Chen Ping’an walked into the rear courtyard. The jujube tree was still there, and he sat beneath it for a while, but something felt off. After a moment of thought, Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head.

The courtyard was still the same courtyard, but without the right person, it was no longer a home.

Chen Ping’an glanced up at the night sky, a sudden wave of melancholy washing over him.

’If I get the chance, I should go to the State City and see Erya.’

...

Chen Ping’an didn’t sleep a wink that night. He sat cross-legged on his bed, cultivating until dawn. Seeing that it was about time, he had a simple meal and then set off for the Weishui Garrison.

The meal had been prepared by the maids and servants, and compared to before, it was lavish to the extreme. But Chen Ping’an still found himself missing the old days. Back then, before he left for his duties as an Upper Official, Erya would always make him a large pot of sweet, soft rice porridge. He would practice his martial arts in the courtyard while Erya watched from the side. The siblings wouldn’t speak, but there was a silent, unspoken understanding between them.

’I’m not even that old, why am I already reminiscing about the past?’ Shaking himself from his thoughts, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle.

He hadn’t really noticed it when Erya was here, but now that she was gone, the feeling had become pronounced.

After the clamor, only silence remained.

"Lord Chen."

"This subordinate pays his respects to Commander-in-Chief Chen!"

"..."

Amidst a chorus of extremely respectful greetings, Chen Ping’an walked into his office. He had just sat down when a trusted Steward knocked on his door.

"My lord, a letter for you."

"Bring it in."

"Yes, sir."

The moment the trusted Steward brought the letter in, a hint of joy appeared on Chen Ping’an’s face. Through his Spiritual Sensing, the handwriting on the envelope’s surface became as clear as if it were right before his eyes.

It was a letter from Erya!

After handing the letter to Chen Ping’an with utmost respect, the stern-faced Steward bowed and backed out of the office.

Chen Ping’an opened the letter and read through it, the joy on his face deepening.

The letter was from the little girl, sent from Canglong State City, and had arrived at the Weishui Garrison several days ago. Because the recipient was him, the Post Office within the Weishui Garrison, which was responsible for all correspondence, hadn’t dared to mishandle it. They had preserved the letter with the highest security protocols. Only when Chen Ping’an returned did they dare give it to his trusted Steward to be delivered to his desk.

This letter was also part of the agreement Chen Ping’an had made with the little girl: once she was settled in Canglong State City, she was to send him a letter to let him know she was safe.

According to what the little girl wrote in the letter, the "Sister Gu" who had accompanied her was taking great care of her. She had enrolled her in Canglong Academy, found her a residence near the academy, and even arranged for Guards and maids. She was living very well in Canglong State City and told her brother not to worry.

’Looks like Gu Qingchan is quite thorough. It wasn’t a waste saving her life,’ Chen Ping’an thought, nodding to himself as he looked at the little girl’s already quite accomplished handwriting on the letter.

In the letter, besides updating him on her situation, the little girl also gave Chen Ping’an an address so they could correspond. Toward the end of the letter, she mentioned how bustling and beautiful Canglong State City was and invited her brother to visit when he had time. Although she wasn’t yet a true local of Canglong State City, she promised to do her best as a host and treat her brother well, guaranteeing he would be satisfied.

"This girl..." Reading the little girl’s playful words, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but grin. ’So young, yet acting so grown-up!’

Reading through the entire letter, although the little girl hadn’t said it outright, he could sense the longing she felt between the lines.

A warmth spread through Chen Ping’an’s heart. He took out a blank sheet of paper and began to write a reply. He started by playfully praising her writing, remarking that she was truly a prodigy from Weishui, and hoped she would continue to work hard and make a name for herself as a talent in Canglong State City as well.

After that, Chen Ping’an moved on to expressing his concern for the little girl. He told her that since her brother wasn’t by her side, she had to take good care of herself, and if any problems arose, she should ask the Gu Family for help without hesitation. He stressed that she shouldn’t have any reservations or feel like she was being a burden. He explained that he and the Gu Family were currently allies, and they were trying to win him over, even considering a marriage alliance. Therefore, the more requests she made, the happier the Gu Family would be, so she should ask for whatever she needed boldly.

Furthermore, Chen Ping’an responded to the little girl’s invitation, saying he would definitely come to Canglong State City when he had time. He playfully requested that she make sure to do a good job as a host, so her brother wouldn’t be left wandering around aimlessly, unable to fully enjoy himself or eat to his heart’s content. To avoid such a scenario, he urged the little girl to do her best to adapt to life in Canglong State City in the meantime.

As Chen Ping’an penned these words, a thought flashed through his mind.

’Canglong State City. I’ll definitely go. And not just go, but go in grand style. I’ll let everyone know that with me as her brother, no one should even think about bullying the little girl!’

Toward the end of the letter, Chen Ping’an asked about the little girl’s Martial Dao Cultivation. He expressed his hope that, alongside her studies, she would set aside as much time as possible for Cultivation.

The little girl was focused on her studies and wasn’t particularly interested in the Martial Dao. Moreover, her Martial Arts Talent wasn’t very good. Even with a massive supply of resources, it would likely be difficult for her to achieve much.

He had already achieved Ascension to the Grandmaster Realm, granting him a lifespan of three hundred years. And that wasn’t even considering the higher Martial Arts Realms he would enter in the future.

If the little girl couldn’t achieve much in the Martial Dao, then a hundred years from now, would he be left all alone in this world?

Without the companionship of family, is this world even the same world?! Even if one were invincible in this world, wouldn’t it be...

At this thought, a trace of loneliness flashed through Chen Ping’an’s heart, and his urge to supervise the little girl’s Martial Dao Cultivation grew stronger.

The only saving grace was that the little girl was still young. It was too early to speak of life and death; there were at least several decades left.

However, while the little girl could afford to be unconcerned, chasing her own fleeting passions, he, as her older brother, had to plan for the future and think more on her behalf.

’First, I need to find a way to brute-force the little girl to the Inner Qi Realm,’ Chen Ping’an decided.

A Cultivator in the Inner Qi Realm, as long as they didn’t engage in combat or sustain any hidden injuries, could live a healthy life of 120 years. Although the little girl’s talent was poor and her Cultivation wasn’t diligent, with his ability and status, it wouldn’t be difficult to gather enough Treasure Pills to brute-force her into the Inner Qi Realm.

After brute-forcing her to the Inner Qi Realm, the next step would be the Profound Light Realm. Although entering the Profound Light Realm didn’t bring a significant increase in lifespan, with proper maintenance, it could add another ten-odd years to one’s life.

Whether it was the Inner Qi Realm or the Profound Light Realm, with Chen Ping’an’s current capabilities, he could make it happen as long as he was willing to spare no expense.

But...

It wasn’t enough! Not enough! It was far from enough!

If they were to be companions, he wasn’t seeking a mere hundred-odd years together.

With his current power, he could brute-force her to the ordinary Profound Light Realm, but the Profound Light High Realm was beyond his reach. The main issue was the little girl’s abysmal Martial Arts Talent; she was average at best. Even with Treasure Pills and Secret Medicines, breaking through would be incredibly difficult. The slightest mistake could result in her death, a loss that would far outweigh any potential gain.

If he wanted the little girl to advance smoothly, he would need to use higher-grade Grand Pills, supplemented with corresponding treasured Secret Medicines. Only then could he ensure a one hundred percent chance of success.

But even for him, who was already approaching the level of a Top Grandmaster, such Great Pill Secret Medicines were incredibly rare. This was due to both their immense value and the limited channels through which they could be acquired.

’I shouldn’t overthink this. Today’s predicament won’t necessarily be a predicament in the future. As long as I can continue to improve, I’ll be able to solve this one day!’

With his mind made up, Chen Ping’an sealed the letter in an envelope.

"Guards."

"Here, my lord."

"Have this letter sent to Canglong State City as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

...

Chen Ping’an’s single sentence sent the Post Office into a frenzy. They treated the task as if facing a great enemy, preparing for battle and operating at full capacity with the highest priority configuration and their most robust procedures.

"Urgent letter from Lord Chen!"

"Deliver it to Canglong State City as quickly as possible, at all costs!"

"Highest priority express! Travel day and night! Switch men and horses at every relay station along the way!"

"And listen up, I mean ride them to death! To death!"

"..."

Just as the Weishui Garrison’s Post Office was operating at breakneck speed, a bombshell piece of news about Chen Ping’an began to spread like wildfire throughout Weishui County City.

...