Chapter 380 - 343: Rumors of Beicang, Blessed Land

Of course, there were some in the crowd who understood what was really going on.

But considering the recent rumors—Mang Blade Chen Ping’an was avoiding battle! His combat prowess was questionable! He was suspected of fearing the name of the Little Five Poison!

So, no one stood up to vehemently object.

After all, they had no connection to Chen Ping’an, so there was no need to stand up and prove anything for him. Besides, it was just idle chatter after a meal. And since it was just chatter, the only thing that mattered was having fun with it. Digging into the truth? There was absolutely no need for that!

Listening to the various comments, Chen Ping’an wasn’t angry. In fact, he found it quite interesting.

After leaving the tavern, Chen Ping’an headed straight for the depths of Beicang Town. He found an inn of a similar caliber to Qingyou Garden and, under the guidance of a servant, quickly completed the check-in procedures and settled in.

This inn, called Cangxuan Pavilion, was similar to Qingyou Garden, also composed of individual, separate courtyards. However, judging by its decorative style, it was somewhat grander and more imposing than Qingyou Garden.

After settling into his courtyard, Chen Ping’an didn’t rush to leave. It was already past noon, but he still hadn’t practiced his Broken Soul Saber Technique. He naturally had to seize the opportunity.

However, to avoid revealing any details, Chen Ping’an didn’t practice the saber forms in the courtyard. Instead, he sat cross-legged in his room, cultivating the Heart Method of the Broken Soul Saber Technique.

+1!

+1!

...

Time always flew by during arduous cultivation. In Chen Ping’an’s perception, it felt like no time had passed at all before the sun was setting and night began to fall. After leaving his room, he didn’t rush back but instead made an appearance within the inn. It wasn’t until late at night that Chen Ping’an first used the Transparent Mask to change his appearance into that of a completely unrelated person, then switched his clothes, and only then did he quietly slip out of Cangxuan Pavilion.

Cangxuan Pavilion wasn’t too far from Qingyou Garden. Although the patrol presence in Beicang Town was strong late at night, with highly elite patrol squads passing by from time to time, these were not major problems for the current Chen Ping’an.

He moved stealthily, dodging patrols as he went. After some effort, he successfully returned to Qingyou Garden. The entire process caused no disturbances.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Back in his room, Chen Ping’an took off the mask. Amidst the sound of cracking bones and joints, his body quickly returned to its original form.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Chen Ping’an let out a deep sigh of relief.

All day long, though his expression had shown nothing unusual, his mind had been stretched taut. He had been terrified of making even the slightest mistake, which would have rendered all his previous efforts useless.

Now that he had returned safely without any slip-ups, he could finally relax completely.

After a whole day of maneuvering, his efforts hadn’t been in vain!

Chen Ping’an’s trip to Beicang Town had two main objectives, the first of which was now complete. All that remained was to attend the grand auction!

Now that he had sold off his Treasure Artifacts, his wealth was substantial. He was confident he could even bid on the blockbuster items, let alone the ordinary ones.

As for the Dragon Elephant Dominating Body Technique, Chen Ping’an was determined to get it! Also, if possible, he wouldn’t mind acquiring that Supporting-Class Divine Skill, the Enchanting Soul Technique.

And also...

The Quasi-Divine Profound Ice Silk Armor!

A Divine Skill and a Quasi-Divine Weapon—both were Heavy Treasures! Normally, to even compete for such items, one had to be at the level of an Absolute Master at the very least!

Although Chen Ping’an currently held a high and powerful position as the Candidate for Commander-in-Chief of the Weishui Garrison, he was still a tier below what was needed to compete for such Heavy Treasures!

His public identity couldn’t reveal too much of his true resources. After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Ping’an’s true self would not be participating in the bidding at this auction.

As for the identity he would use to bid at the auction, Chen Ping’an had already made the necessary arrangements; this was precisely why he had been so busy all day!

This matter wasn’t completely settled yet. On the eve of the auction, he would need to make one more trip!

However, there was no rush to dwell on these various thoughts, and they all flashed through Chen Ping’an’s mind in an instant.

He took a close look at the Transparent Mask and noticed a faint, unnatural turbidity appearing in its fine details. It was like a clear pond whose entire surface had been clouded by a splash of mud from the bottom.

After using it for a full day, Chen Ping’an had also discovered a drawback of the Transparent Mask.

It couldn’t be used for prolonged periods of disguise. The long-term circulation of True Qi would have a certain effect on the mask’s interior. Just as he was seeing now, after a full day of use, the Transparent Mask had developed a slight flaw. If he continued to use it, this flaw would likely worsen until it became abnormal and the disguise failed.

Although the Transparent Mask was a special type of Treasure Artifact, it ultimately had its limits!

Fortunately, however, after a period of being nurtured, the turbidity on the Transparent Mask would gradually dissipate, and it would return to normal.

Based on Chen Ping’an’s current initial assessment, this special Treasure Artifact could probably be used continuously for about three days. Any longer, and he would likely risk it failing.

After a moment of thought, Chen Ping’an placed the Transparent Mask back into his Hundred Treasures Pouch.

He hadn’t expected that on top of successfully fencing his goods, today’s efforts would yield a small, unexpected discovery: figuring out the usage limits of the Transparent Mask.

The Transparent Mask’s main function was to change one’s facial features; it didn’t do much to conceal one’s aura or physique. Besides its duration of use, it actually had quite a few other limitations.

’Since a Treasure Artifact-level Transparent Mask exists, I wonder if there are even more powerful disguise masks in this world!?’