A train was steaming toward Jibei Dao.
Seated inside a reserved carriage was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a certain affable charm.
His leather shoes were polished to a bright sheen, and he wore a tidy, imported formal suit that was not new. A top hat rested by his hand, and his hairline receded somewhat.
Trace lines of cybernetic implants were visible on his face—a rare sight among members of the Purist Faction.
Zhan Jiyue was a martial artist of the Visage of the Divine. This body was merely an attached vessel—one among many he possessed, though the one holding the greatest nostalgic value for him.
Because the number of Purist martial artists gathered in Jibei Dao Center City was already far from small, sending another formidable martial artist there was out of the question. Yet failing to dispatch someone of sufficient stature would not reflect headquarters' regard.
Thus, as a compromise, he had been chosen as the special envoy for this trip.
The power bound to his vessel on this occasion was strictly constrained by protocol, carrying little of his actual capability. At best, he could negotiate and convey messages. Taking a train rather than an airship further signaled his restrained posture.
At that moment, he was perusing Chen Chuan's file.
Even though he had read it more than once along the way, it never failed to elicit the same exclamation of wonder he had felt the first time.
What an extraordinary talent.
He muttered to himself, "No wonder headquarters found this tricky."
Though Chen Chuan had joined the faction only a short while ago, in a mere two to three years he had rebuilt the nearly eradicated Jibei Dao branch from the ground up, securing a string of achievements unseen in many branches for years.
On top of that, a new member he had personally recommended had also become a martial artist this year. That was even more impressive. Every martial artist was someone to be taken seriously; no matter how strong a person became, everyone started from weakness. When Chen Chuan recommended that member, the man was not yet a martial artist. Setting aside everything else, Chen Chuan's eye for talent was impeccable.
After all, third limit fighters joined every year, and many were highly regarded, but how many among them ever managed to become martial artists?
Precious few.
Yet that was not all. What mattered most was the man himself. Zhan Jiyue shifted his gaze back to the dossier.
The realm of the Longevity View.
Once again, he let out a sigh of marvel.
Having attained the Longevity View, he stood at a level distinct from ordinary martial artists, even among the ranks of martial artists themselves.
And there was more. The Jibei Dao branch was also entangled with the matter of the past traitor Zhao Zhenye, which pulled in many more threads.
The sheer complexity of it had given him a headache before he even set out.
When he departed from headquarters, the question of what attitude to adopt toward the Jibei Dao branch and toward Chen Chuan himself had stirred up a fierce debate.
Opinions were split primarily into two camps. One side argued that since Chen Chuan had demonstrated both strength and value, then according to the Purist Faction's traditions, if someone could get things done, they naturally deserved adequate rewards.
Their proposal was to throw as much support as possible behind the Jibei Dao branch. Jibei Dao was currently the birthplace of the Skyline, so the Purist Faction should actively invest power and resources to help the branch expand. Since Branch Head Chen clearly possessed extraordinary vision and competence, he should receive due recognition and merit awards, continuing his advancement within the faction's hierarchy.
The other camp believed caution was warranted. Precisely because his abilities were so immense, he could not simply be promoted and supported all at once; headquarters needed to wait and observe.
A single Zhao Zhenye had caused so much trouble in the past; someone this capable demanded even greater circumspection. Even if merit was to be rewarded, there was no need to rush.
Zhan Jiyue knew well that headquarters was not blind to Chen Chuan's contributions and value. Rather, within the faction, talents nurtured from youth were the ones deemed most trustworthy. As someone who had joined midway, Chen Chuan could hardly break into the true core all at once—at least not for the foreseeable future.
Yet Chen Chuan was simply too outstanding, eclipsing even many internally cultivated members, which had sparked this heated controversy.
He knew that what the two camps were actually fighting over was not immediate affairs, but the tilt of resources. With the Great Impact drawing near, the major schools were all grooming their reserve talents, but the foremost requirement for any talent was absolute reliability to the faction.
In the view of the Purist mainstream, someone they raised themselves was acceptable even if slightly weaker in strength; after all, they had suffered bitter losses on that front before.
Furthermore, when it came to higher levels of cultivation, certain resources were exceedingly scarce, even unique. If you had them, others went without. That scarcity was already subject to competition among internal personnel chosen years ago.
Yet this branch head's rise was so rapid that few could rival him, whether among his peers or those far older. It was simply impossible to overlook him. He had even become an implicit figurehead in the hearts of many members who had joined mid-path. For that very reason, allowing him into the core too easily was out of the question, for a single misstep could fracture the faction even further.
Still, a faction at headquarters favored him. By the time Zhan Jiyue departed, the two sides had not reached consensus, leaving the resolution of this dilemma squarely in his lap.
"Councilor, we have arrived," an attendant reminded him.
Zhan Jiyue emerged from his thoughts and glanced outside. The train was slowly pulling into the station, and the platform sign of the Southern Industrial Zone drifted past.
In truth, he should have arrived yesterday, but en route, he had received another piece of news.
Following his slaying of the former Imperial Court's General Who Conquers the East, this Jibei Dao branch head had successfully resealed an ancient scourge surviving from antiquity.
This had prompted another round of deliberation up above, followed by an urgent telegram sent to consult with him, delaying his journey by an extra day. He now half-wondered whether some new development would have emerged if he had arrived a few days later still.
Once the train came to a complete halt, he picked up his suitcase and stepped onto the platform. The air quality in the industrial zone was rather poor, making this body, accustomed to the Center City, somewhat uncomfortable.
Just then, a faint chime sounded in his boundary credential, notifying him that he had entered the range of Jibei Dao Center City's Skyline. Outside the Center City, communication and services required a fee.
"The Skyline..."
Zhan Jiyue looked up at the invisible yet ubiquitous line. It was because of this Skyline that signal coverage now extended even outside the city.
Though he had heard of it before coming, one could never truly grasp the impact without being here in person. He could not help imagining: if other center cities were linked together, and all regions across Great Shun became one interconnected whole, what a sight that would be?
Even he could not resist envisioning such a future.
And ironically, the person who had driven this initiative and provided immense momentum was none other than this very branch head.
As he mused, the attendant asked, "Councilor, would you like to rest?"
Zhan Jiyue took stock of his body; it felt slightly fatigued. He decided to rest briefly, which would also give the other party time to prepare. Nodding, he said, "I'll freshen up. Send a message to the Jibei Dao branch.
"And..."
He added, "Set the meeting place outside the city. I won't be entering the city proper."
On this trip, he would be meeting Mr. Zhuan and others. If Mr. Zhuan wished to enter the urban area, the application process would be exceptionally troublesome. Meeting outside the city was far better and less likely to raise eyebrows.
"Understood."
The attendant went off to make contact, and word soon returned. The meeting was set for the afternoon at a post converted from a warehouse in the industrial zone.
With everything settled, he rested peacefully. After having lunch, he boarded an internal rail vehicle within the industrial zone and headed toward the warehouse.
When the vehicle pulled up before the entrance, he saw several people already waiting. Stepping out, he looked over the group. The first to catch his attention was an upright, handsome young man with an imposing presence. Particularly striking were his brows, sharp and clean as though painted with a brush, and his bright, spirited eyes, which bore a faint hint of keen edge.
Beside him stood an old acquaintance, the masked Mr. Zhuan, and on the other flank was a middle-aged man who looked mature and rugged yet possessed a reserved demeanor.
Having seen the photographs beforehand, Zhan Jiyue knew this man must be the newly minted martial artist.
Behind them stood several other branch members.
Removing his hat, Zhan Jiyue held it to his chest and offered a genial smile. "Branch Head Chen, Mr. Zhuan, Mr. Tang..." He then turned to Xu Chan. "And Mr. Xu. Greetings, colleagues."
Mr. Mask spoke up: "Old Man Zhan, it really is you. I genuinely despise that smile of yours and your phony pleasantries."
Zhan Jiyue shook his head. "I don't care for them either, but they keep me vigilant against many things."
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Zhan, please come inside and take a seat. The post is somewhat spartan; I hope you won't mind."
Zhan Jiyue smiled. "External comforts are of little concern to me."
"Naturally," Mr. Mask said, as though holding a particular grudge. "You have no use for such things anyway, so wouldn't that be casting pearls before swine?"
Zhan Jiyue maintained a courteous smile throughout and followed the group into the warehouse. Although the exterior looked no different from many buildings across the industrial zone, the interior had been renovated several times and looked vastly different, bearing the true appearance of an operational base.
Once seated, he set his hat upon the table. Gao Yanjun stepped forward and poured clear tea for both sides.
He hastily took the cup and expressed his thanks.
Glancing around, he remarked, "To see Section Chief Chen develop this branch so impressively earns my profound admiration."
"Keep your admiration to yourself," Mr. Mask retorted. "Councilor Chen's achievements speak for themselves. Offer something tangible instead; we don't need your flattery here."
Looking somewhat resigned, Zhan Jiyue turned to Mr. Zhuan. "Brother Zhuan, may I speak with Councilor Chen alone?"
Without a word, Mr. Zhuan stood up and walked outside. The other members dispersed on their own as well.
The mask still muttered: "Old Man Zhan is a master of underhanded tricks. Councilor Chen, don't fall for his act. He's sure to set a trap for you. Don't believe a word he says; you can't go wrong listening to me."
Chapter 1042