Chapter 503: Chapter 393: One Palm, One Saber, Any Objections?

Chen Ping’an strode into the council hall, each step steady and powerful.

Seeing Chen Ping’an enter, a flicker of smugness crossed the eyes of L? Boxu from the Qiankun Bureau. With his cultivation at its apex, he had, of course, long since detected Chen Ping’an’s arrival. His previous words had been quite deliberate. A single phrase, "little boy," had sent the hall roaring with laughter.

As the saying goes, there’s safety in numbers. How could an individual be any exception?

This simple act was, in fact, his meticulously crafted overt plot.

If Chen Ping’an were to lash out, it would be tantamount to turning against everyone present. Having just rushed here from Weishui, antagonizing everyone upon arrival would make all subsequent matters nearly impossible to handle.

Furthermore, the name of "Mang Blade Chen Ping’an" would be tied to a reputation for being petty and narrow-minded, a rumor that would spread like wildfire! With so many voices speaking against him, Chen Ping’an would have no way to defend himself.

On the other hand, if Chen Ping’an endured their actions and said nothing, the "little boy" label would be stuck to him for good.

At the same time, the name "Mang Blade Chen Ping’an" would become associated with being weak and easily bullied.

This was an overt plot; no matter how Chen Ping’an chose to react, he would fall into L? Boxu’s trap. Without a doubt, from the moment Chen Ping’an stepped into this council hall, he was caught in a dilemma.

L? Boxu fingered his string of beads, watching Chen Ping’an with a kindly expression, awaiting his choice.

Xu Chongyuan of the Li Yang Town Guard Office glanced at Chen Ping’an before looking away. During the earlier uproar of laughter, he had been one of only two who had not laughed. To him, whether Chen Ping’an was a "little boy" or not was unimportant. What mattered was that the reinforcements from Weishui had arrived, which meant he could finally pull his people back to defend Li Yang.

Xu Dejun of the Earth Fire Town Suppression Bureau sat upright in his grand chair in the council hall. Seeing Chen Ping’an enter, a playful, intrigued look appeared on his face.

Zhong Zeyu was clad in armor that exuded a cold, heavy presence, yet his demeanor was the most welcoming of anyone there. He greeted him with a smile.

"Come, come, Lord Chen, please have a seat!"

When the crowd had erupted in laughter, he, like Xu Chongyuan of the Li Yang Town Guard Office, had not participated. He was well aware of L? Boxu’s and Xu Dejun’s motives and naturally wanted no part in it.

As the overall coordinator for the Western Front Team in this campaign against the Ten Thousand Demons, he naturally didn’t want any unnecessary trouble. The "little boy" comment and the ensuing laughter were bound to provoke Chen Ping’an’s ire.

Mang Blade Chen Ping’an was known for acting recklessly and without regard for the consequences. Based on what he knew of Chen Ping’an, it was highly likely he would erupt in fury when faced with such a provocation.

If that happened, the situation could turn extremely ugly. Everyone present was a person of status and influence. ’So you have a temper, Chen Ping’an, but do you think they don’t?’ As the saying goes, the few are no match for the many. Even if Mang Blade Chen Ping’an was a peerless prodigy, antagonizing everyone here would certainly not end well for him.

Therefore, whether for Chen Ping’an’s own good or for his own interests, he needed to quell this situation as best he could. Since no one else was stepping up, he would be the peacemaker.

He had to soothe Chen Ping’an’s discontent just enough to prevent things from getting too ugly. For the sake of the greater mission, no matter how resentful Chen Ping’an felt, he had to maintain a veneer of cordiality with the others. Only then could the campaign against the Ten Thousand Demons be coordinated smoothly and without mistakes.

Besides, strictly speaking, he was also doing this for Chen Ping’an’s own good. If Chen Ping’an exploded on the spot, he would fall right into L? Boxu’s trap. It was far better for him to mediate and defuse the incident than for Chen Ping’an to antagonize everyone and gain a reputation for being petty.

To Zhong Zeyu’s surprise, however, Chen Ping’an’s expression was as placid as still water, showing none of the expected rage or sullenness.

"I wonder, what is it that you all find so amusing?"

Chen Ping’an’s expression was as placid as an ancient well as his gaze swept over each person present, his eyes seemingly able to pierce through to their very hearts.

Hmm!?

Xu Dejun of the Earth Fire Town Suppression Bureau frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected Chen Ping’an to remain so calm. ’With his personality,’ he thought, ’I’d have expected him to be ready to flip the table by now.’

"We were just sharing a joke. Everyone found it rather amusing and couldn’t help laughing out loud! It’s nothing serious, right, Lord Chen?"

L? Boxu of the Qiankun Bureau was also surprised by Chen Ping’an’s composure and decided to add more fuel to the fire, speaking with a cheerful laugh.

"Hahaha, it was just a joke or two, nothing worth mentioning!"

Zhong Zeyu thought, ’This is bad.’ Before Chen Ping’an could speak, he quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, saying with a laugh, "Lord Chen, you’ve come all this way to support us. It must have been a long and tiring journey. Please, sit down and rest!"

As he spoke, Zhong Zeyu shot L? Boxu of the Qiankun Bureau a glare, a clear warning in his eyes.

Unfortunately, the warning in his eyes was utterly useless. L? Boxu looked at Chen Ping’an with a kindly smile. "Lord Zhong is right. Please, Lord Chen, sit down and rest!

We were just discussing the delay of the reinforcements from Weishui. You’ve arrived at the perfect time, Lord Chen. Why don’t you join our discussion?"

Hearing L? Boxu’s words, Zhong Zeyu felt a headache coming on. Although he held the title of overall coordinator, he had no direct authority over the others present. With L? Boxu dead set on making trouble, his warnings were completely useless.

"Delay?" Chen Ping’an’s gaze fell upon L? Boxu.

"The State Garrison Command gave a strict order for all commanderies to immediately send reinforcements to Sanqi Mountain and participate in the campaign against the Ten Thousand Demons! Of the three commanderies—Li Yang, Earth Fire, and Weishui—only Weishui’s support was delayed. As the officer in charge of this expedition, Lord Chen, you ought to bear the responsibility and face questioning from the Garrison Commandant’s Office!" L? Boxu said with a beaming smile. His expression held no trace of accusation, but the meaning behind his words was crystal clear.

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