Chapter 469: Power and Interests, Taking Charge of the Outer City

Chapter 469: Chapter 380: Power and Interests, Taking Charge of the Outer City

The night quietly receded as a faint glimmer of light appeared on the horizon. Soon, a golden radiance began to illuminate the land.

Chen Ping’an’s promotion ceremony didn’t officially conclude until daybreak. The attendees were no ordinary people. For those who had reached their level of Martial Dao Cultivation, a single sleepless night was of no consequence.

After the ceremony concluded, news of Chen Ping’an’s promotion spread like wildfire throughout Weishui County City and quickly began to reach the surrounding regions.

“Did you hear?”

“What?!”

“The rising prodigy, Mang Blade Chen Ping’an, has been promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief!”

“Deputy Commander-in-Chief?! But he’s so young! How is that possible?!”

“…”

Some, who understood the significance of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief position, gasped in astonishment at the news. Others were so shocked they were rendered speechless. But for most, the news that was suddenly spreading was simply too incredible to believe!

Weishui County presided over dozens of cities and millions of people! Including Weishui County City, the population surpassed ten million!

This entire population fell under the jurisdiction of the Weishui Garrison! Within the Weishui Garrison, a Deputy Commander-in-Chief was an absolute giant! In the entire hierarchy of the Weishui Garrison, they were effectively second or third-in-command! It was a position of great prestige, admired by all!

And Mang Blade Chen Ping’an had ascended to this position at the mere age of twenty-two! What staggering power and influence this represented!

In a short time, the name Mang Blade Chen Ping’an resounded throughout Weishui County City. Furthermore, thanks to an official announcement from the Canglong Province Garrison Command, his fame spread far and wide within Canglong Province.

This was no longer the fame of a talented prodigy among his peers. This was the renown of a true giant of the Garrison Commandant’s Office, one who had stepped into the public eye.

Mang Blade Chen Ping’an: a master of both blade and sword, with exceptional Horizontal Training. His Martial Arts Realm was Profound Light Middle Realm Perfection, but his combat power was comparable to the Peak Realm!

…

In contrast to the clamor outside, Chen Ping’an, the man at the center of it all, remained completely unfazed. As the man of the hour, it was only natural that he would benefit from the promotion ceremony. Indeed, every single person who attended had brought a congratulatory gift.

Gifts poured in from Weishui’s Four Great Noble Families and numerous other factions. Even the Commander-in-Chief, Fan Zhengheng, had presented a gift of his own during the ceremony.

The congratulatory gifts included everything from Yuan Crystals, weapons and Treasure Artifacts, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Secret and Major Medicines, to Antique Calligraphy and Paintings.

After taking stock, Chen Ping’an discovered that the gifts he’d received from the promotion ceremony were worth well over one hundred Yuan Crystals!

This was a sum of wealth that could not be easily ignored, even for a top-tier expert of the Peak Realm!

‘So this is how Cao Yingxiong amassed his fortune!’ Chen Ping’an thought. ‘At this rate, the amount of Yuan Crystals he must have collected over the years would be astronomical.’

‘What I took from him back then was just a small fraction of it. He must have spent the vast majority on his Martial Dao Cultivation!’

After all, unlike him, most Martial Arts Cultivators had to rely on Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Secret and Major Medicines, and even Spiritual Objects of divine wonder. It was just like that Ice Soul Profound Heart Lotus from the Beicang Auction, which could increase one’s chances of breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm!

‘Come to think of it, since I don’t need to spend money on Secret and Major Medicines or Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures like other Martial Arts Cultivators, I can accumulate wealth much faster!’

‘With the right channels, Yuan Crystals mean Cultivation Techniques. And for me, Cultivation Techniques mean progress in my Martial Dao Cultivation! In other words, all this wealth is the fuel for my future breakthroughs!’

‘What a shame. A promotion like this only happens once in a while. It’s basically impossible to rake in another windfall this quickly,’ Chen Ping’an mused.

‘After my promotion to Deputy Commander-in-Chief, there will be plenty of opportunities to profit. As long as it’s within my jurisdiction, directly or indirectly, I’ll get a cut of all the benefits!’

‘However, it’s unrealistic to expect to accumulate wealth as quickly as I did during the promotion ceremony. Still, this new income will be a slow but steady stream, and its stability is what counts!’

‘Pulling in ten to twenty Yuan Crystals a year shouldn’t be a problem. And if any special incidents come up, that number could go even higher!’

‘Even for the most elite experts of the Peak Realm, that’s not an easy income to achieve.’

‘Save up for a few years, and that’s enough for a Fine Treasure Artifact! For one of the highest quality, it would only take about ten years of saving!’

‘It’s an absolutely absurd rate of income!’

Of course, for most Martial Arts Cultivators, the math wasn’t so simple. Besides purchasing Treasure Artifacts, they had many other expenses for the Yuan Crystals they managed to accumulate. In practice, the time required to save up would be much longer.

But regardless, the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief was a symbol not only of power and authority but also of immense wealth and status.

The day after his promotion ceremony, Chen Ping’an formally assumed his new duties at the Weishui Garrison: the post of Weishui Patrol.

As one of the top giants in the Weishui Garrison, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief naturally had his own dedicated office. The space was open and tastefully decorated, in no way inferior to Liu Yuanhua’s own.

At his level, there was naturally no need to report for duty every day like the low-ranking constables. Aside from the initial time he spent familiarizing himself with his official duties, his new position didn’t disrupt his normal daily routine in the slightest.