Once Chen Chuan issued the signed order, the team members executed it without hesitation.
As soon as the interrogations were concluded, every single one of the rioters—including Diego—was publicly executed on the street, lined up facing the Tawatina settlement.
It was an immense display of deterrence.
The delegation's decisive action sent a wave of exhilaration through the Great Shun citizens and Great Shun corporations in the Eastern Continent settlement. The streets were filled with beaming faces, just shy of erupting into cheers, and various civic groups donated a vast quantity of supplies to the delegation that very day.
Living in the Federation brought no small amount of pressure for Great Shun people. The weight stemmed primarily from the local Center City administration, compounded by malice from immigrants of other settlements.
Although they held the upper hand in wealth and technology compared to other districts, the Federation government favored the other immigrants, subtly or openly, even encouraging and inciting them to target the Great Shun community. As a result, even when they won every armed clash, in the end they still had to pay out substantial compensation.
The Federation government used ethnic tensions to keep the groups fighting among themselves while sucking blood from the Eastern Continent diaspora in the process.
This time, however, was different. In their eyes, the delegation had not only shielded them, but had also resisted pressure from the Center City of Vea State. Not only had they executed these rioters who held Federation status, but they had also refused to pay a single cent in compensation.
This uncompromising stance earned their deepest allegiance. While the Great Shun government had always taken a hard line and spoken up for them internationally, that had ultimately been confined to public rhetoric. Having a powerful martial artist step forward in person to back them up produced an entirely different feeling. The entire settlement even set off firecrackers for an extra two days to celebrate.
Chen Chuan knew full well that whether dealing with the West Coast Faction or the East Coast Faction, showing weakness never earned respect; they would only assume you feared them.
When you showed unyielding resolve—even willing to pay whatever price necessary—they would instead compromise, because your intransigence meant they would gain nothing and might even incur losses.
So when he took that action, the Vea State Affairs Hall did not utter a single word of protest. Consequently, many media outlets and newspapers kept quiet as well, merely brushing off the incident with brief reports that a minor clash between two settlements had occurred on New Year's Day.
Once New Year's Day passed, Ryan delivered his promised plan. The Vea State Affairs Hall invited representatives from the city's various settlements and several corporate executives, while also inviting Chen Chuan to serve as a witness.
The Affairs Hall expressed regret over the long-standing tensions among the settlements and the resulting damage to property and loss of life.
To resolve such issues, Center City proposed a solution: immigrant settlements could hire the city guard or purchase corresponding insurance policies to protect themselves.
The Vea State city guard adhered to no political stance and took no side. As long as you could afford their fees and remained within the city's security regulations, they would mobilize immediately at the first sign of trouble and violently suppress any troublemakers.
After consulting with the executives of the Great Shun corporations, the representatives of the Eastern Continent settlement agreed to pay the fee.
They understood what Center City meant: this was essentially paying a security fee to safeguard themselves. Yet if money alone could solve the problem, that was actually a positive outcome for the settlement. Chen Chuan could protect them now, but once he departed, things were likely to revert to how they had been before.
They also understood that a long-term solution recognized by both sides had to be established. Previously, they had hesitated for fear of inviting wolves into the house, but now they could capitalize on the presence of Chen Chuan and the delegation to act as witnesses. If the agreement were ever breached, the Great Shun government would have valid grounds to intervene in the future.
Thus, under the joint witness of Chen Chuan and the leadership of Center City, the parties signed a security guarantee agreement.
Chen Chuan was well aware that in the end, the Vea State administration still came out ahead, netting a security fee without having to sacrifice a thing.
However, when living on someone else's territory, certain realities were unavoidable.
Having settled the matter, he accepted the heartfelt thanks of the corporate executives and settlement representatives before returning to his hotel. Barely had he stepped inside when he received a telegram from Delegation Leader Xie.
The telegram informed him that the delegation had some unresolved matters with Kawatua and needed to remain there for several more days. However, there was a development he needed to know: Skarson of the International Investigation Delegation had gone missing.
Seeing the news, Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Delegation Leader Xie stated that the International Investigation Delegation had already learned of this and would dispatch personnel in a few days. Still, he felt that since Great Shun was aware of it, they could not simply ignore the matter. Given the good relations forged with the Investigation Delegation, if Chen Chuan had nothing pressing on his hands, Xie hoped he could investigate on their behalf.
After reading the message, Chen Chuan immediately sent a telegram requesting that the covert department provide operational intelligence on the Investigation Delegation's recent movements.
Within minutes, the dossier arrived. He shook his head. Unsurprisingly, according to the liaisons between Skarson and the Great Shun delegation, Skarson had found it impossible to press the investigation into the New Light Cult any further on his own and had ultimately decided to call for international intervention.
Yet according to the intelligence, the application had never been sent out. Skarson had vanished the very next day. He had likely uncovered something far more severe, prompting him to pursue the lead alone, after which all trace of him was lost.
After considering it for a moment, he summoned Gui Zihan and instructed, "Team Leader Gui, I need to leave for a while to handle a few matters. While I'm gone, I'm leaving you in charge here."
Gui Zihan said, "Understood, Section Chief Chen."
Chen Chuan produced a cipher book and handed it to him. "If anything happens, you can contact Delegation Leader Xie directly, or seek assistance from the First Delegation."
Gui Zihan took it and said earnestly, "Section Chief Chen, I will ensure the safety of every person in the delegation."
After giving his instructions, Chen Chuan packed lightly, gathered essential belongings, called upon a few relevant personnel, and departed Center City of Vea State that very afternoon, boarding a train bound for the Center City of Serranocha State.
One day later, in the wilderness of Arcana State in the northern Federation.
As far as the eye could see, the plains were strewn with the carcasses of bison. Dried blood practically coated the earth, and swarms of flies buzzed everywhere.
A man with long hair braided into countless tiny plaits sat atop a pile of bison carcasses. Bare-chested and wearing a wide-brimmed western hat, his robust, well-defined muscles were covered in various painted patterns, and two daggers were tucked into his waistband.
He flipped a bottle cap between his fingers, the object dancing back and forth across his palm and digits, rising and falling as if it were alive.
The corners of his mouth curled into a grin, his eyes gleaming with a faint, crafty glint.
"Madman" Lodewijk.
He cast his gaze down at the scout who had arrived with a report and asked, "Has he left?"
The messenger answered affirmatively, "Yes. He left Center City of Vea State yesterday afternoon."
"Then..."
Lodewijk rose from the pile of carcasses, stretching his limbs with a sharp crackle of popping joints. "It's time I took a stroll into Center City. I can't let my lovely compatriots be bullied for nothing, can I?"
Though he was brutal, deranged, cruel, and treated human life like dirt, he knew that he was still seen as a hero.
He relished the roar of the crowds. In the clash between the Eastern Continent diaspora and the Tawatina people, word had it that the latter had suffered a severe defeat, and even his nominal elite subordinates had been executed. How could he not show his face?
Yet crazy as he was, his madness was always selective. While Chen Chuan was present, he hadn't dared to act wild. No matter how unhinged he might be, he knew he couldn't defeat a Secret Palace martial artist. What was more, this wasn't just any Secret Palace martial artist; rumor had it Chen Chuan held a record of killing three Secret Palace martial artists in a single day—a feat chilling enough to strike dread into anyone's heart just thinking about it.
Now that Chen Chuan had departed, an opportunity had presented itself.
Granted, there was still another martial artist within the Great Shun delegation, but Lodewijk had checked into him beforehand. The man had virtually no reputation to speak of, and during internal exchanges at the Free Star Martial Arts Academy, he had refused to cross hands with anyone. What was there to fear from such a timid weakling?
This time, he would pay the Great Shun delegation back in kind. At the thought of the thunderous cheers and fanatical, adoring stares soon to wash over him, he trembled with excitement from head to toe.
His lips curled upward in a chilling, cruel smile. Then he spread his arms wide, his slender arms rising slowly until his fingertips pointed toward Center City of Vea State.
Two days later, news broke in Center City of Vea State: "Madman" Lodewijk had issued a formal challenge to Gui Zihan, the martial artist of the Great Shun delegation.
Within a single day, the affair created an uproar throughout Center City, swiftly followed by a wave of media coverage fanning the flames.
On the giant display in the city center, the host of the ceremonial duel broadcasts addressed the crowd gathered in the plaza: "Citizens, compatriots, have you heard the news?"
He continued in an exaggerated, ecstatic voice, "As the City of Martial Arts, we welcome such an open challenge!
"I know what you're thinking—will Madman Lodewijk challenge the even more formidable Mr. Chen?
"Who knows? He's a madman! Nothing a madman does should surprise us. Who's to say that after defeating Mr. Gui, he won't go on to challenge Mr. Chen?
"Mr. Gui hasn't offered any response yet. Ah, but I wouldn't say Mr. Gui is afraid. Perhaps delegation discipline prevents him from making a decision on his own?
"Please forgive them! They aren't like our Federation citizens who can breathe freely, act freely, and speak freely. They are bound by constraints and cannot express their will or ideas at whim. So please wait a bit and give them some time. I believe Mr. Gui will respond once circumstances allow!"
Chapter 1123