The squad stationed at the outpost fort remained on watch. Their primary mission here was to guard the entrance to this hunting ground.
Should they discover anything out of the ordinary, they were to transmit a telegraph to the rear.
Every day, sentries took turns standing atop the highest point of the outpost. At this moment, the lookout caught sight of a beam of light materializing in midair and heading straight toward them. Stunned for an instant, he immediately notified the personnel below via his boundary credential.
The squad snapped into high alert. Moments later, however, an avian yet reptilian creature of vibrant colors appeared in the sky, letting out a long, resonant chirp.
The squad captain stared in surprise for a second, and then joy broke across his face. "Director Chen is back!"
They all had a vivid impression of the combat creature Chen Chuan kept with him. It had personally disposed of all the formidable Melded Lands creatures lurking nearby, sparing the squad no end of trouble while they constructed their fortifications.
The captain left two men behind to watch the heights and led the rest of the squad down to assemble at the base of the outpost fort. They watched as the brilliant light halted above, then descended straight from the sky. After a quick flash, Chen Chuan stood before them on the flat ground.
The godlike spectacle struck them with profound awe. The captain was the first to regain his senses. As if to master the churning emotions in his chest, he barked at the top of his lungs, "Salute!"
The squad members snapped off crisp salutes in unison.
Chen Chuan returned the salute. "Thank you for your hard work, everyone."
"Not hard at all!" the captain shouted back. "It is our duty!"
Chen Chuan had been gone for nearly half a year without a trace, but none of them dared pry into the affairs of a martial artist.
Chen Chuan nodded. These were ordinary soldiers. Even equipped with implants, standing guard in a place like this carried obvious, immense danger.
He asked, "It has been so long. Has your squad fared well?"
The captain was still having trouble calming himself after witnessing Chen Chuan's celestial entrance, but exchanging a few words helped him relax slightly. He replied, "Reporting to Director Chen, one man was wounded, but he has pulled through now. It was all thanks to that sword you left with us, Director Chen. If not for that blade, Lao Fan would have met his end right then and there."
The squad members still felt lingering dread when they thought back on it. That flatworm-like monstrosity had burst out of the earth and swallowed the man whole in a single gulp. In the heat of the crisis, no one knew what to do until one squad member had an idea and ripped that sword from its sheath.
At the time, the soldier had not thought through the details; he had simply acted on instinct, pinning his hopes on the weapon belonging to the most formidable person they knew.
Who could have guessed that the moment the blade was drawn, the creature froze flat against the ground and did not move an inch? Only then were they able to kill the beast, slit its belly open, and pull Lao Fan out. Although most of his outer skin had dissolved, he was successfully saved thanks to implant replacements.
Chen Chuan said, "I am glad everyone is safe."
He accompanied the squad inside the outpost fort, where the captain promptly handed over the telegraphs accumulated during this period, along with summaries of major newspapers and periodicals forwarded from the rear.
Chen Chuan browsed through them. Everything in Center City was proceeding normally, and among the dispatches was a cipher sent via private channels.
Upon seeing it, Chen Chuan felt both delighted and greatly relieved. That being the case, there was no need for him to rush back at top speed.
Upon his arrival, he sent a telegraph to the rear. The airship carrying their supplies was already en route and would arrive in about a day, so he instructed Chaoming to clear away any dangerous creatures in the surrounding vicinity in the meantime.
Receiving his command, Chaoming immediately took flight. Before long, it dropped a carcass onto the open clearing, and a short while later, hurled down another.
For nearly half a year, Chaoming had fed steadily on the black serpents. While Chen Chuan had left food behind, those serpents were clearly far more appealing than dry provisions. They provided immense nourishment, and Chaoming had devoured countless numbers of them during this time.
Only because Chaoming had spent so much time alongside him did it understand not to give in to blind greed, ensuring it did not hunt them into extinction. Nevertheless, the growth of its mutated tissue was substantial; this journey had brought it visible advancement and breakthrough, just like Chen Chuan.
That evening, barbecue racks were set up in front of the outpost. The large haul of game Chaoming had hunted was dressed, butchered, and laid across the racks to roast, while the soldiers eagerly sprinkled spices and seasoning powders over the meat.
For over half a year out here, they had survived purely on dry field rations. Melded Lands creatures were fierce, vicious, and difficult to hunt. Even when they occasionally bagged one, they never dared eat it without professional guidance, to the point where it felt as if their sense of taste had deteriorated.
This meal was a true feast. Because there was so much meat, even the heavy convicts assigned to hard labor received a share.
Chen Chuan held a metal skewer and sampled a freshly roasted piece of meat. To him now, such food served merely to satisfy his palate, though there was certainly nothing wrong with that.
He asked, "Captain Fan, you and your squad can head back during the latter half of the year, right?"
Captain Fan wiped his mouth and said, "That's right. We only have to stand guard for another half year before we rotate back, and a different squad will take over next year. But it's worth it—serving out a full year here means every one of us gets at least a two-rank promotion once we return."
One of the soldiers muttered under his breath, "I wonder if we'll ever get to see Director Chen again..."
Another nudged him sharply. "Watch what you're saying!"
Captain Fan hastily intervened. "Director Chen, Dawei is just blunt. He blabs without thinking."
Chen Chuan smiled. "It is fine. I do not have so many taboos around me." He paused. "If the opportunity arises, we will meet again."
The soldiers nodded. While they held a healthy fear of Chen Chuan's overwhelming strength, they felt he was far more approachable than many of their superiors.
They were not foolish; they could tell who treated them with genuine kindness. Given Chen Chuan's status, he had no obligation to pay any attention to ordinary grunts, yet he showed sincere concern for their safety here, stirring a deep sense of gratitude and validation in their hearts.
At this moment, a soldier spoke up hesitantly, "Director Chen, my older sister and younger brother idolize you so much... Could we... could we take a picture together as a keepsake? That way I can brag about it when I get back..." He scratched his head with an awkward grin.
Chen Chuan smiled. "There is no reason why not."
When the other squad members heard that, they crowded around eagerly, asking to join the picture. No joke—this was something they could boast about for the rest of their lives! How could they possibly pass it up? In the end, they simply gathered together for a group photograph.
Early the next morning, the transport airship arrived. Once the supplies were unloaded, Chen Chuan boarded the vessel and set off on his return journey to Center City.
***
Four days later, Jibei Dao, Center City, Yinglu District.
Xu Chan sat inside an armored vehicle. His presence was completely transformed from before, a sharp gleam flickering within his eyes, causing anyone who passed near him to feel an inexplicable sense of unease.
Two months ago, relying on the resources Chen Chuan had left behind and under Mr. Zhuan's guidance, he had broken through the threshold to become a martial artist. For now, he had merely registered the matter with Center City and the Martial Artists Council without publicly announcing it; with the parliament no longer able to constrain them, a public disclosure was no longer necessary.
Consequently, most corporations and government departments across Center City were unaware that yet another martial artist had arisen within the city.
In a sense, the Purist Faction's branch in Jibei Dao now possessed two martial artists—and if one counted Mr. Zhuan, who was operating outside, the Purists commanded three martial artists here in total.
In a regional center city, such a concentration of strength was exceptionally rare. Once Xu Chan's identity was made public, Jibei Dao would be seen as leaning entirely toward the ideals of the Purist Faction.
When that time came, the other factions would either withdraw voluntarily or go into deep hiding. In truth, this shift was already taking place, primarily due to the battle between Chen Chuan and Zhao Zhenye.
Although the Government Affairs Hall had not actively publicized the matter, various factions had gleaned the rough outcome through their intelligence channels.
They were acutely aware of Zhao Zhenye's terrifying prowess. To kill Zhao Zhenye in direct, head-on combat—even if the man had already fought another martial artist prior to engaging Chen Chuan—was more than enough proof of Chen Chuan's staggering power.
Every faction recognized that as long as this man remained, Jibei Dao could never return to its former state, leaving little room for them to intervene.
*Thwack, thwack.*
Xu Chan glanced sideways. Two massive flying insects had smashed against the car window. He studied them for a moment. Ever since the mother chrysalis underwent fission, these insects had plagued the area, growing larger by the day.
He looked down at the dossier in his hands—information concerning the Green Source Ecological Company.
This corporation had issued a report claiming that the insects had entered a secondary mutation, prompting them to develop various pharmaceutical products targeting the pests.
In the past, such items would have breezed through parliamentary review and flooded the market as certified commercial goods and approved medicines.
Now, however, the situation was different. The municipal government enforced strict regulatory procedures, and the parliament could not approve anything without the Government Affairs Hall's consent. Obtaining approval for public sale required at least two years of formal vetting. Yet while that process was still ongoing, Xu Chan had discovered that several small street gangs and unlicensed shops in the city were already selling these goods.
The Disposal Bureau had held Green Source Ecological accountable over the matter, but the company claimed it was a victim of technical leaks.
On the surface, the explanation seemed plausible enough, but Xu Chan suspected that Green Source had deliberately leaked the goods themselves. That raised the question: why would Green Source expend so many resources developing these items only to hand them over cheaply to street gangs and illicit peddlers?
While doing so could generate some quick profit, facing government crackdowns meant the distribution could never scale up properly, and the items might even be classified as contraband—a move that clearly did more harm than good.
If that was the case, what was their true objective?
As Xu Chan pondered the puzzle, a notification suddenly popped up on his boundary credential. A rush of pleasant surprise washed over him. He immediately ordered the driver to turn the vehicle around and head toward the seawall, while dismissing all the escort vehicles following behind.
When he reached his destination, he spotted the familiar, upright figure standing on the seawall, a red scarf fluttering in the breeze. A profound sense of calm instantly settled over Xu Chan's heart.
He opened the car door, stepped out, straightened his uniform, and walked toward the figure.
Chapter 1013