The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 854 The Princess Makes a Request, and a Young Girl Comes to the Door (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

“I am deeply sorry for not being able to greet you properly, Princess.”

Inside the pavilion in the back garden of the Xuanling Mountain residence, Chen Ping'an exchanged polite greetings with a calm expression.

"You are such a person!" The young princess, dressed in a bright yellow dress, had a radiant and youthful expression.

"Next time, could you please not be so fake with your politeness?"

Although Chen Ping'an acknowledged the rudeness, his demeanor remained calm and his expression indifferent, clearly showing no remorse whatsoever. His words were merely polite pleasantries.

But that is indeed the case.

Chen Pingan smiled faintly, without directly answering the question.

"I wonder what brings you here, Princess?" he asked the girl, but most of his attention was on the old man beside her.

Under the influence of spiritual perception, the old man's aura was subtle and difficult to discern, making it hard to detect.

He had just entered the second realm of the Celestial Realm. Although his realm was stable, he was still a newcomer and dared not show off in front of his opponent.

Today, he has perfected the Five Poisons Earthly Fiend Palm technique, and with the help of cultivation, he has taken a step forward in his second realm of cultivation.

Compared to before, there has been some progress, and I am now able to try it out easily.

Even so, the opponent's cultivation level remained unpredictable and difficult to detect.

Judging solely from his spiritual perception, he is now probably slightly stronger than a typical second-stage perfect cultivator.

Even though this level of skill was achieved subtly, it was still difficult to discern the other party's true strength, which made Chen Ping'an's mind tighten slightly and he felt wary.

It seems that unless he stops hiding his true intentions and lets his guard down to sense things, he will likely find it difficult to discern the other party's true background and cultivation level.

"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?!" The girl wrinkled her nose slightly, looking dissatisfied.

Chen Ping'an reacted calmly, not wanting to say much, but unexpectedly the girl spoke with a self-righteous expression.

"Even though you can't be my husband anymore, I still like you very much. Why did I come to see you?"

As she spoke, the girl smiled, her face radiant and full of life.

"Princess, please don't joke around," Chen Ping'an said calmly.

This little girl is back?!

This psychological game is best played once. Doing it again after that is far less effective.

Not to mention, the previous attempt was basically ineffective as well.

"I'm not joking."

The young princess blinked at him, looking completely innocent.

The girl's expression was charming and adorable, her face radiant and sparkling, but Chen Ping'an felt speechless.

At this moment, he could somewhat understand how Lan Yingjun felt when she faced him.

Indeed, some things cannot be understood by simply putting yourself in someone else's shoes; you have to experience it for yourself to truly understand.

Fortunately, the young princess didn't dwell on the topic too much. She blinked her bright eyes a few times and then explained her purpose.

This can be considered an answer to Chen Ping'an's previous question.

"I'm going back now."

Chen Ping'an's expression remained unchanged: "Then I, Chen, will respectfully see the Princess off. May you have a safe journey."

"You!" the young princess said displeasedly, "I haven't left yet!"

As the skirt sways, there is a subtle fragrance, like that of a lotus flower, exuding youthful energy and vibrancy.

"I came over to say goodbye, and then..." The girl kept him in suspense, observing Chen Ping'an's expression.

Then she noticed that Chen Ping'an's face remained calm, without the slightest hint of curiosity or inquiry.

Aren't you going to ask me what I came here for?

“When the princess wants to speak, she will naturally speak. If the princess doesn’t want to speak, there’s no use in me asking,” Chen Ping’an said, using platitudes.

"You're such a blockhead," the girl said, somewhat annoyed.

However, she eventually gave in and indicated that she also wanted to make a deal with him while she was there.

transaction?

Ok!

So that's what they were waiting for. In my opinion, the transaction was the main thing, and saying goodbye was just a side thing.

Chen Ping'an's emotions shifted, but his expression remained calm.

"What kind of transaction is this?"

He had previously made a deal with the young princess, with both parties agreeing to their terms. Now that they were going to make another deal, he had some suspicions in his mind.

And indeed, just as he had expected, the deal the young princess made this time was exactly what he had guessed.

They wanted to trade the Thousand-Machine Bag, which could shatter the earth, back from him.

As expected, Chen Ping'an showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, he looked displeased and said with a displeased expression, "Does Your Highness know that I have never returned any spoils of war that I have obtained?"

"It's not a return, it's a transaction," the girl corrected earnestly.

"Don't worry, the price won't overwhelm you."

"It's not a matter of price."

Chen Ping'an's expression softened slightly, and his tone became more conciliatory.

"That's a matter of price," the girl said confidently, her face beaming.

Chen Ping'an had suspected something during his last visit: the return of the Thousand-Machine Bag of Raging Waves and Earth-Splitting Split. However, he hadn't expected the process to be so amicable.

Given the power and influence of the Bicang Prince's Mansion, such a heinous incident occurring within their territory would not have been met with such mild words, if not outright suppression.

After all, although Xuanling Prefecture is not nominally a bloodline fiefdom of the Bicang County Prince's Mansion, it is within the sphere of influence of its power.

Two first-class retainers died in full view of the public. Even if they were in the wrong, they should not be let off lightly.

Chen Ping'an had already anticipated the arrival of the special envoy from the Bi Cang County Prince's Mansion after he killed Kuang Lan Lie Di.

However, what happened next was somewhat unexpected for Chen Ping'an.

Unexpectedly, the young princess of the Bicang County Prince's Mansion came in person, accompanied by such a highly experienced martial arts master.

Compared to Ji Mingchang, who is in the public eye, these two are clearly the real decision-makers on this trip.

Once the other party reached a tacit understanding with him, agreeing to quell the situation and eliminate its impact, some of the more forceful measures were naturally abandoned.

However, the lack of strong measures does not mean the matter is over. Some necessary actions still need to be taken.

For example, the Thousand-Machine Bag, capable of shattering the earth and splitting the waves, was used to silence gossip. This also thoroughly disgraced the prestige of the Bi Cang Prince's Mansion.

After all, not everyone is like Mang Dao, and not everyone can be a brilliant genius who ranks on both the Wind and Cloud List and the Hidden Dragon List.

Even someone as dazzling as Mang Dao still needs to give an explanation regarding this matter concerning the Prince of Bicang's mansion.

At least, that's how it appears on the surface.

He and Princess Bicang had made a deal before. She had agreed to help quell the repercussions of the incident, and the promised benefits would be delivered. Given her past success, Chen Ping'an was happy to oblige.

While Chen Ping'an wasn't overly afraid of the Bi Cang Prince's Mansion, he didn't want to create unnecessary conflict. At least, that was the case at the moment.

Therefore, when Princess Bicang proposed the deal, Chen Ping'an never considered truly refusing.

However, while not refusing is one thing, the corresponding benefits must be calculated and sought.

The Prince of Bicang's mansion is large and powerful, so taking a small share of the spoils shouldn't be a big deal.

After a heated exchange, the two reached a basic understanding regarding the transaction.

“If that’s the case, then we’ll do as the princess says.” Chen Ping’an’s expression was calm, revealing no emotion.

The old man stood quietly to the side, listening to the conversation between the two without saying a word.

"Uncle Yi!" the girl called softly to the old man.

"This old servant is here." The old man responded, took a step forward, and looked at Chen Ping'an with a kind smile.

"Lord Chen, please allow me to examine the Thousand-Machine Bag."

With the tone clear, Chen Ping'an didn't delay. In a flash of inspiration, the Thousand Machine Bag on Kuanglan Liedi's body appeared in mid-air.

One on the left and one on the right, surrounded by spiritual light, suspended on both sides.

The old man gently raised his hand, and two Thousand Machine Bags fell into his body.

Chen Ping'an sensed a surge of divine soul power sweeping over him, and the old man raised his eyes.

"Lord Chen is indeed a trustworthy man."

The items on Kuanglan Liedi's body were basically useless to Chen Ping'an. He kept most of the corresponding supplies.

In addition, he also kept the two people's signature weapons in his Thousand Machine Bag. Since the goal was to silence gossip, the weapons that were often displayed were naturally of utmost importance.

This is a transaction, not a return, so he's naturally not afraid of losing out.

hum~
A flash of spiritual light, and the flow of true essence.

The old man gently raised his hand, and a large screen of light appeared.

"Lord Chen, you may choose any three items from these. The difference in price can be considered a token of our gratitude for this transaction."

Chen Ping'an scanned the light screen, which displayed items and descriptions. They were all extremely rare spiritual objects, pills, and secret treasures, including some counterfeit and imitation treasures.

The old man looked at Chen Ping'an with a kind smile, waiting for his choice.

But Chen Ping'an's gaze swept lightly across the light screen, and he quickly looked away, no longer paying attention.

"Is Lord Chen dissatisfied?" The old man's expression was calm, revealing no emotion.

"I deeply appreciate your sincerity, senior. However, there is nothing that Chen Ping'an needs on it."

"What does Lord Chen want?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping'an smiled and looked at the old man with a warm expression.

"Senior, do you have any fourth-grade spirit wine?" "Spirit wine?"

“Yes, spirit wine.” Chen Ping’an nodded slightly, his face resolute.

"Thank you for your help, senior."

Chen Ping'an gently cupped his hands and put the several jars of spirit wine that were floating in mid-air into his pocket.

These jars of spirit wine, though not the fourth-grade spirit wine he wanted, were still close to the fourth grade.

Most importantly, compared to the pot of Azure Flame Wine he had previously obtained from Ji Mingchang, these spirit wines were served in jars!

Although it is only contained in small jars, each jar contains several times the amount of wine in that pot.

Such profits must be substantial.

Compared to the value of the items on Kuanglan Liedi's body, these drinks have a higher premium.

I wonder what Kuanglan Liedi would think if he were still alive and knew about this!
What they possessed, though not necessarily their entire fortune, was the result of a lifetime of struggle, accumulation, and planning. The resources they carried with them were less than a few jars of wine.

Such feelings inevitably evoke sighs and lamentations.

However, near-fourth-tier spirit wine is extremely valuable.

Let alone a jar, even a small pot is an extremely luxurious thing for a martial arts grandmaster.

Even a dabbling in it is not something an ordinary grandmaster can enjoy.

This is a near-fourth-tier spiritual wine, already at the pseudo-celestial level. It can enhance one's status, aid in cultivation techniques, and facilitate the study of secret arts.

Even at Chen Ping'an's level, the combined effect of spiritual wine can produce considerable benefits and enhance his condition.

"What a pity," Chen Ping'an sighed inwardly.

During the previous transaction, he requested it in the form of fourth-tier spirit wine.

Fourth-tier spirit wine corresponds to the Celestial Realm level. Even the ordinary quality of this wine is enough to have a significant effect on him.

After drinking it, while it may not be said that one's condition will greatly improve, its effects are definitely superior to those of a near-fourth-tier spirit wine.

Unfortunately, before he could even formulate his words, the other party declined, claiming that he was an old man who disliked drinking and did not have any spirit wine of that grade on him.

Whether what the other party said is true or false, we have no way of knowing.

However, something is better than nothing, and this transaction was quite appropriate.

He could obtain fourth-tier spirit wine himself, which wasn't impossible, but it would inevitably require a considerable amount of effort. Moreover, even after all that trouble, he might not be able to produce that much.

In any case, with these few small jars of spirit wine, it should be enough for normal and simple study of secret techniques and comprehension of the Azure Lotus.

Using this item to enter the sect is a waste; if outsiders knew about it, they would surely sigh at its extravagance.

Such resource consumption and cultivation enjoyment are extremely luxurious, even for seasoned martial arts masters.

For the vast majority of celestial beings, such a feat is not something they could have anticipated.

However, for Chen Ping'an, ordinary resources are useless, and Yuan Crystals are just numbers if they are not spent. The same principle applies to having resources but not using them.

Compared to that vague accumulation of wealth, he values ​​his own strength improvement and advancement in his cultivation techniques more.

"Lord Chen, there's no need to be so polite. It's just a fair trade." The old man looked at Chen Ping'an with a meaningful gaze.

A fake treasure, a counterfeit treasure, and all sorts of rare spiritual items are rejected, yet this high-grade spiritual wine is desired—this situation is rather strange. Generally speaking, such a situation would only occur...
The old man's changing emotions revealed a variety of possibilities.

All the speculation actually confirmed his previous views.

"Next time, just say what you mean. Don't do this." The girl's eyes were clear, and her skirt swayed. "Chatting like this is really tiring."

"Your Highness is right." Chen Ping'an was in a good mood after getting his hands on the high-grade spirit wine, and was happy to agree.

After the transaction was completed, the girl did not leave but continued the conversation, extending the topic from there. The transaction was successful, the process went smoothly, and both parties were in good spirits, resulting in a harmonious exchange.

Chen Ping'an initially showed little interest, engaging in mostly perfunctory exchanges after the transaction. However, as the conversation progressed and the atmosphere deepened, he suddenly realized that this young princess of Bicang, despite her young age, knew quite a lot.

He was particularly familiar with his observations and experiences in the surrounding areas, recounting them with ease.

This piqued Chen Ping'an's interest, and he changed his previous attitude, beginning to engage in genuine communication.

He often asked questions, especially when the topic of the surrounding area came up. Similar information could be found in books and classics, but it was not as clear and intuitive as the little princess described.

The seventeen prefectures of Bi Cang represent an unimaginably vast territory for ordinary people. Its expansiveness is measured in tens of thousands of miles.

Even for Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters, the seventeen states of Bi Cang are a vast enough world to encompass their entire lives.

For ordinary people who are not skilled in martial arts or have not embarked on cultivation, leaving a town is equivalent to leaving their hometown. Even if they live in the same city, they already feel like they are leaving their homeland.

The surrounding environment and social connections are all unfamiliar, and it takes time to integrate.

It is hard to leave one's homeland. Even for a cultivator at the Qi and Blood Realm, leaving a small town is considered leaving one's hometown.

Upon reaching the Inner Qi realm, one can initially travel outside on their own. However, this travel is mostly confined to a few dozen cities within a prefecture. If one can develop within a prefecture city, that can be considered one's destiny in this life.

It is worth the struggle of one generation, several generations, or even dozens of generations.

If a cultivator at the Profound Light Realm can be produced, a family in a prefecture can barely be considered a prominent family.

However, looking around, without a grandmaster-level expert, it would be difficult to gain a foothold in a large city, let alone a whole province.

If one can gain fame within a state, their family usually has a Grandmaster of Martial Arts presiding over them. To become a top-tier force within a state, one needs a Grandmaster at the pinnacle, or even a pseudo-Celestial Being above the Grandmaster level.

As for the overlord of the state, that goes without saying.

And this is only within the territory of an ordinary state.

In larger states, the requirements would be even higher.

But no matter what, whether they are grandmasters or pseudo-celestial beings, although they can travel and explore the world, in most cases they are confined to one place.

Although there are occasional instances where they may venture outside the designated area, this is ultimately a minority compared to normal circumstances.

Within the Qi and Blood Realm, the Qi Realm's vision is limited to a single city or village. The Profound Light Realm, on the other hand, surveys the entire prefecture, encompassing dozens or even hundreds of cities.

Upon reaching the Grandmaster level, one's status rises, one's vision broadens, and one begins to focus on a single province. At the Great Grandmaster level, one truly begins to concern oneself with several provinces.

Whether it's a trade or an auction, if there's something suitable, it will travel across state borders.

But whether it's an ordinary person who doesn't know martial arts or a grandmaster who stands at the top of the martial arts world.

Of the billions of living beings in the world, a particular place is their home for life. In their eyes, this is what the world is all about.

Only by taking another step forward can we reach that wider world.

Aside from a few very special cases, only those who reach the pseudo-celestial level are likely to truly cross geographical boundaries. This is not a once-in-a-lifetime migration, but rather an exchange and movement involving resource planning, trade, and interaction.

However, even at the pseudo-celestial level, one has only touched upon it.

In fact, apart from those activists who are keen on socializing and scheming for opportunities, most pseudo-celestial beings, after passing the peak of their struggle for the Great Dao, tend to prefer stability. Their social interactions are also limited to their own circles of communication, that is, their so-called comfort zones.

Only those who reach the level of a martial arts master, and have the potential to advance further, will frequently be active in various regions.

The Azure Land, comprising seventeen states, is vast enough for Grandmasters and pseudo-Celestials. However, for true Martial Celestials, the planning of a single territory may not satisfy their needs.

They may reside within a certain area, but their contact range extends far beyond that area.

Hearing the information he received from the young princess, Chen Ping'an's emotions changed, and he felt quite pleased.

Some of the information was already known to him, but overhearing the conversation didn't diminish his interest. As for information he hadn't heard of before, or information he had heard of but wasn't clear about, Chen Ping'an continued to learn, digest, and absorb it, transforming it into experience and knowledge.

Normally, with Chen Ping'an's current cultivation level, he would have already left the realm and traveled far and wide. Without such accumulation, he probably wouldn't have been able to reach such a level.

However, Chen Ping'an's situation is special. In terms of realm, he has long surpassed these levels, but in terms of age, he is still too young at this level.

Yes, it's because they are young.

For a martial arts master like him, being under twenty-eight years old is no longer considered young, but rather immature.

The Azure Land, though vast, offers a perspective that extends far beyond what martial arts masters can achieve.

For a dynasty's territory, a single region, though not a drop in the ocean, still evokes a similar feeling within that vast land.

From the young princess, Chen Ping'an learned about the information of several areas surrounding Bicang.

For example, the Cloud and Mist region, which governs fifteen prefectures, has a slightly weaker foundation, but among its strong individuals, there are more women. The corresponding probability is higher than in ordinary regions.

For example, the ancient territory of Nagufang, which governs twenty-one prefectures, is a large territory among the surrounding territories. The Northern Border Garrison Command has a directly subordinate agency for territory control within the territory, and has appointed an Observation and Disposal Commissioner to guard the territory.

Then there is the Cuiwei region, which governs thirteen prefectures. It has the weakest foundation among the surrounding regions, but it is rich in spiritual energy and has many rare and exotic fruits and herbs.

It is said that the ancient territory, when considered within the broader territories of a dynasty, was not considered a truly vast land.

It has a territory encompassing hundreds of states, with a profound foundation. Even a force with a Celestial Realm cultivator in charge cannot be considered a regional overlord.

According to Princess Bicang, there are also large territories in the Northern Region, but they are extremely far from Bicang. Among the surrounding territories, the most powerful is undoubtedly the Black Netherworld Territory.

At the same time, the true main mountain range of the Black Nether Mountains is also located within the Black Nether Realm.

In addition, there are special territories such as the Danmeng and the Forging Alliance, which are jointly managed by the government and the skill alliance.

During the conversation, the young princess also mentioned the famous Dragon Gate Pass in the northern border, which guards the spine of the dragon and connects the southwestern frontier.

However, the discussion about Longque Pass was only briefly touched upon and quickly moved on.

"I wonder how the Black Nether Mountains that the princess just mentioned compare to the branch mountains within the Northern Mountain Pass of my Bicang territory in terms of their underlying resources?" Chen Ping'an inquired about a topic that interested him.

He cultivates the Azure Sun Blood Refining Method, and although he has now mastered the three-stage refining of demonic beast blood, he is concerned about the fourth stage of refining true blood. He still needs to make plans for such information as soon as possible.

The third refinement was done with a Heavenly Grade bloodline and the blood of a transformed demon beast. No matter how low his fourth refinement was, it couldn't be lower than a top-tier Heavenly Grade bloodline, right?

Such a powerful demonic beast would not appear in ordinary mountain ranges. If anything, only the Black Nether Mountain Range in the surrounding area would have such a possibility.

Of course, personally hunting is just a hypothetical scenario. The focus is more on trading, planning, and resource exchange.

"The Black Nether Mountains?" The girl's eyes shone brightly, brimming with youthful energy. "The true main mountain range runs through the Black Nether Realm, and inside..."

Inside the pavilion, a young girl in a yellow dress sat opposite a man, chatting and laughing as they shared their local experiences.

Just as Chen Ping'an was having an interesting conversation with Princess Bi Cang, a pretty young girl carrying a sword box walked into the Xuanling Garrison of the Canglong Prefecture Town Guard.

"Hello, I'm looking for Chen Ping'an."

The young girl wore a moon-white dress, and her delicate and lovely double-looped bun was lightly tied with a pale golden ribbon.

(End of this chapter)