Dragon Tiger's Last Stand, Chickens and Dogs! (Happy New Year)

Night was deep. Thirty li outside Rising Origin City, within an Abandoned Temple.

The Abandoned Temple's tiles were mottled, weathered by wind and frost. Although the temple was dilapidated, the area around it was filled with hidden sentries, heavily guarded, making it difficult for even a flying insect to pass. A row of corpses lay neatly on the side of the Abandoned Temple, speaking of the unusual events here.

Inside the Abandoned Temple, Chen Ping'an rested his hands on his knees, leaning against the stone wall, looking quite relaxed.

A hurried sound of footsteps came from outside the Abandoned Temple. Immediately after, a burly Town Pacification Office elite walked in, respectfully approaching Chen Ping'an and presenting a sealed letter with both hands.

"Report! Lord, urgent letter from Wei River!"

Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and said indifferently, "Read it."

"Yes! Lord." The burly man's expression turned serious. He opened the letter and began to read it aloud.

"Reporting to Deputy Brigade Commander Lord Chen, Northern Lands Saber Guan Dongxiang has rushed to Wei River and issued a challenge before the Town Pacification Office gates... Please return to Wei River as soon as possible to take charge of the situation..."

The content of the letter was not long, taking only about ten breaths to finish reading. The burly man who had finished reading the Secret Letter looked at Chen Ping'an with apprehension.

"Northern Lands Saber Guan Dongxiang, challenging me at Wei River!?"

Chen Ping'an's face was calm, his eyes deep, showing no emotion.

"Reporting to Lord, according to the Secret Letter, that is indeed the case." The burly man stood to the side, respectfully.

"Someone challenges me right after I leave the city. That's quite interesting!" There was no hint of a smile on Chen Ping'an's face.

"Lord, the Heavenly Lotus Sect remnants have been cleared. Do you think we need to return to the city immediately to settle this matter?"

"No need!" Chen Ping'an said indifferently, "Just return according to the original schedule!"

"Yes, this subordinate understands." The burly man responded respectfully. Seeing that Chen Ping'an said nothing more, he withdrew. His movements were careful, afraid of disturbing Chen Ping'an in the slightest.

Outside the Abandoned Temple stood many Town Pacification Office elites. The burly man walked out and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Northern Lands Saber Guan Dongxiang? Challenging Lord Chen? He really has guts!

If they had heard this a few days ago, they would probably have felt a lot of worry. But today, everyone's hearts were calm, filled with confidence in Lord Chen.

Northern Lands Saber Guan Dongxiang has a considerable reputation, a Top Expert on the Dragon and Tiger Rankings. But in the end, he is only ranked at the bottom of the Dragon and Tiger Rankings. In front of Lord, he is nothing but a mere nobody, easily crushed!

A mere bottom-ranked Dragon and Tiger expert dares to challenge Lord. His courage is truly not small!

Everyone's faces were filled with awe, their hearts slightly stirred. Recalling the scene from not long ago, many of them still felt as if they were dreaming.

"Not good! It's a Peak Top Expert!"

"No, that's not right! Flying Flowers and Falling Leaves! It's the Heavenly Lotus Sect Protector Elder, Thousand Leaf Phantom Hand!"

"Hehehe... Since you've discovered me, none of you shall leave! Stay here!"

"Run!"

The Heavenly Lotus Sect Elder, Thousand Leaf Phantom Hand, ranked one hundred and ninety-third on the Dragon and Tiger Rankings. In front of Thousand Leaf Phantom Hand, even a Peak Expert would only face death. Let alone them.

Thousand Leaf Phantom Hand is best at group combat!

Flying Flowers and Falling Leaves, Thousand Leaf Phantom, seemed to come from all directions, leaving no escape.

Just as everyone was filled with fear and despair, a flash of grayish-white light mixed with a faint blue streaked across, completely tearing apart the flying flowers and falling leaves.

"Who is it? Who dares to ruin this Seat's good deed!?"

"Hmm!? Hehehe, this Seat recognizes you now, the Heavenly Talent on the New Talent Rankings! Reckless Saber Chen Ping'an! Chen Ping'an, your reputation is not small, among the younger generation of Azure Dragon, you rank in the top three! However, do you think with just this, you can do anything to this Seat!? Ridiculous!"

"Will you die by your own hand, or shall I send you to your death!?" An extremely indifferent voice echoed in the field.

"Chen Ping'an, what a boastful tone!"

Boom!

A majestic aura erupted, a whirlwind swept through, fallen leaves fluttered, and amidst the surging True Qi, there were faint, muffled roars.

"There is a path to heaven, but you do not take it; there is no gate to hell, yet you come knocking! Go to hell!"

Swish!

A dazzling Saber Light, like the dawn's first light, suddenly streaked across the sky, filling everyone's vision.

What an astonishing Saber! It seemed to condense all the sharpness in the world, inspiring awe and leaving an unforgettable impression!

Inside the Abandoned Temple, the dim candlelight flickered gently in the breeze, casting mottled shadows. Chen Ping'an closed his eyes in concentration, leaning against the stone wall, exuding an indescribable sense of calmness and composure. Beside him, a worn wooden table with a missing corner was placed quietly. On the table, a square wooden box lay half-open, revealing an ominous gap that invited a peek.

Inside the wooden box, a head lay quietly, its face contorted in a grimace, eyes wide open, the expression frozen in deep fear and disbelief. The owner of the head, at the moment of death, seemed to have witnessed the most incredible thing in the world.

What a head, who severed it!?

The one who severed the head, Reckless Saber Chen Ping'an!

Azure Dragon Province City, State Universe Control Division.

As one of the top violent organizations within the dynasty, the entrance of the Universe Control Division naturally presented a solemn appearance. The gate stood tall and imposing, covered with mottled iron nails and inlaid with bronze beast-head door knockers, exuding a sense of solemnity.

Inside the Universe Control Division, the buildings were majestic, their roofs covered with grayish-blue tiles, with upturned eaves like soaring eagles about to take flight, the Momentum grand and imposing.

In a spacious and solemn room, a vigorous old man with white hair and beard held a wolf-hair brush, the tip lightly touching the inkstone before meandering across the Xuan paper spread on the desk.

As the last stroke fell, the old man gently lifted the wolf-hair brush and examined his masterpiece, nodding with satisfaction.

"Calculating the days, Guan Dongxiang should have reached the Wei River by now!" The old man gently put down the wolf-hair brush and walked to the window. He slowly closed his eyes, and scenes flashed through his mind.

These were the few memories of his meetings with Tong Jin.

In the past, before his Divine Skill was perfected, his entire family was slaughtered by his enemies. Tong Jin, this person, had no great ambitions, just a good-for-nothing. But he was the only junior left in the world. Under his care, although Tong Jin's abilities were mediocre, his promotion speed was not slow at all.

The investigation at Wei River was supposed to be a trip to gain experience, but unexpectedly, it ended with his life lost in a foreign land.

"Little Jin," the old man slowly opened his eyes, a hint of almost imperceptible warmth flashing within them, but this hint of warmth was fleeting, quickly replaced by coldness.

"After this matter, no matter the outcome, this old man will have avenged you. If you know this in the afterlife, you should rest in peace."

Previously, he had intended to let Feng Chengxiu make a move and suppress and kill Chen Ping'an in one fell swoop, but Feng Chengxiu was too cautious, hesitant and indecisive, missing the best opportunity.

Chen Ping'an, this child, is a rising star of the Town Pacification Office, a Heavenly Talent on the New Talent Rankings, and highly regarded. If he wanted revenge, he only had one chance to strike.

If he struck more times, firstly, it would not comply with the rules, and secondly, it would reveal his tracks and invite retaliation from the Town Pacification Office.

Even as a Grandmaster, he had his scruples. Unless he was willing to pay any price to put Chen Ping'an to death. But doing so would undoubtedly lead to a situation of endless hostility.

Although Tong Jin was a junior, he was not a direct blood relative. Having lived for over two hundred years, his familial ties had long since thinned. The concept of a junior was merely a thought. The vendetta for Tong Jin was far from reaching a point where he would fight to the death, abandoning everything.

This time, he had made his move. He had used the power of the Xue Family to lay out a ruthless scheme, forcing Chen Ping'an into a dilemma. Regardless of whether Chen Ping'an fought or avoided this battle, his future days would not be easy!

If Chen Ping'an fought, he would die and his path would vanish. If he didn't fight, he would lose all his spirit.

Under this calculation, the overt scheme was complete. Chen Ping'an had nowhere to hide!

Tong Jin's revenge could also be considered complete!

"I hope Chen Ping'an is foolish enough to accept this battle. That way, it will be a permanent solution!" The old man slowly turned around, his gaze falling upon the rice paper on the desk.

On that ancient rice paper, several large characters leaped off the page. They were written with a vigorous and powerful brushstroke, as if carrying a thousand pounds of weight, striking directly at the heart.

Killing the person, punishing the heart!

PS: I originally wanted to take a leave today, and I had already applied for it. But after thinking about it, I still need to update. The word count today is a bit less, please bear with it. The plot is clearly in my mind, but when I write it out, it feels a bit off. Tomorrow is New Year's Day, I need to adjust my state properly.