On his way back by car from the Non-Body Style Dojo, Chen Chuan felt that this matter was far from simple.
Before coming here, Delegation Leader Xie had talked with him about how events that reached a certain level—especially in the Federation's capital—were rarely just what they seemed on the surface. That was merely the tip of an emerging iceberg; far more shadows lay buried underneath.
So upon returning to Red Rock Mountain Manor, he had the telegraph operator send a message to the covert department inquiring if there was any intelligence concerning the dojo.
After sending the telegram, he did not receive an immediate response. Instead, Xin Wulang contacted Chen Chuan, reporting that Master Wenli'er of the Migas Martial Arts Hall had accepted the invitation almost immediately upon hearing it. Wenli'er had stated that meeting Chen Chuan was an honor, expressing great anticipation for the exchange.
The meeting had been set for two o'clock the following afternoon.
Chen Chuan had an orderly place a return call acknowledging the arrangement, and then he went to cultivate.
The next morning, an encrypted letter was delivered to the manor.
Knowing it was from the covert department, Chen Chuan took out a codebook and had an orderly decode it. Before long, the translation was handed to him.
He read through it. According to the information provided by the covert department, the Strategic Affairs Department was likely the driving force behind the troubles facing the Non-Body Style Dojo. Their surface justification was that the department did not want to see a dojo fall into Great Shun's hands.
Indeed, even though the Federation and Great Shun were currently in negotiations, that did not mean the upper echelons of the two nations were united. The political struggle between the East and West Coasts was merely what was visible on the surface; in reality, various Federation departments harbored their own agendas.
Moreover, the Strategic Affairs Department had always been highly independent. Even though the current minister had been appointed by the incumbent Executive Administration and had been in office for two years, he was far from having true control over such an immense department.
The minister had not even figured out how many teams and personnel operated beneath him, and he might never accomplish that feat before stepping down. Beyond federal appropriations, the department had its own sources of funding, commanded its own covert forces, maintained its own laboratories in the Confluence, and even stood behind several Federation corporations.
In a sense, the West Coast's Covert Operations Directorate faced far greater constraints, as its funding was completely controlled by the West Coast Council. That often left the Directorate at a disadvantage in its struggles against the Strategic Affairs Department. However, due to the administrative chaos on the West Coast and the presence of cult laboratories, intelligence there was murky and difficult to decipher, which inadvertently formed a peculiar sort of shield.
With this department involved, the matter could not be handled so simply.
After a moment's thought, Chen Chuan contacted Delegation Leader Xie. They met in the manor's tea room, where he explained the situation.
Without hesitation, Delegation Leader Xie said, "Section Chief Chen, we absolutely must protect the dojo. A facility here in the capital, in particular, is of immense value to us. Tell me whatever you lack, and I will allocate it to you. If that is not enough, we can apply to the First Delegation.
"Even though the Strategic Affairs Department has a hand in this, in my personal opinion, they aren't doing it to safeguard national interests; they have their own agenda. There is a distinction."
Chen Chuan said, "Oh? Delegation Leader Xie, are you saying the Strategic Affairs Department is driving this behind the scenes for their own gain?"
Delegation Leader Xie nodded. "Because prior to the transfer of the Non-Body Style facility, they made no move to block or restrict it. We had originally prepared for some interference, but they merely watched from the sidelines.
"If their goal was to safeguard national interests, they should have obstructed it back then under the pretext of an investigation, or at least shown some reaction. Yet they did nothing. They were likely waiting for us to acquire the property before making their move."
Chen Chuan grasped the implication. "It wouldn't be easy to seize directly from Master Rowena, but taking it from us is relatively straightforward. Not only do they have ample justification, but if played well, they could even confiscate it through administrative measures on grounds of national security. That way, they wouldn't have to pay a single cent and would obtain a prime asset for nothing?"
Delegation Leader Xie nodded, a sarcastic edge to his tone. "Before the East Coast's Strategic Affairs Department takes action, they always need to wrap themselves in a cloak of morality and find an upright pretext—such as defending the national interest or safeguarding the public.
"The Covert Operations Directorate is different. They can't be bothered with superficial pretenses and resort to cruder, more direct methods. That is why they have a worse reputation, even though what they do is essentially no different."
Thinking of the Directorate agent who had surveilled his team and whom he had killed on the spot, Chen Chuan nodded in agreement.
In a calm, matter-of-fact tone, he said, "I'll handle this."
They had expended effort and funds to secure the dojo, and nominally it belonged to him. Naturally, there was no question of handing it over to anyone else.
Even if it meant confronting the Strategic Affairs Department.
After noon, he took a car back to the Non-Body Style Dojo, where Xin Wulang welcomed him inside.
Roughly ten minutes later, an armed convoy pulled up outside the dojo. A group of people stepped out. Leading them was a man two meters tall with neatly styled blond hair, dressed in a blue plaid formal suit, a camel overcoat draped over his shoulders, and a cigar clamped between his teeth.
It was the master of the Migas Martial Arts Hall, the native Federation martial artist Wenli'er.
The two martial arts halls had long been rivals. Wenli'er understood very well that here in the capital, rivalries between dojos were rarely decided by martial technique alone, but rather by backing and origin.
Of course, Chen Chuan was not someone he could afford to provoke. No matter which country in the world one looked at, a Secret Palace martial artist possessed a status and standing that demanded reverence—something far beyond what Wenli'er could match at present.
Yet he held one advantage over his counterpart: Chen Chuan was not a Federation citizen, whereas Wenli'er was backed by powerful patrons. Those backers were unwilling to step onto the front stage, so the task had to fall to him.
After glancing at the Non-Body Style sign, he took the cigar from his mouth, letting it extinguish on its own. With a wave of his hand, he led his disciples and coaches inside.
Guided by the greeters Xin Wulang had arranged, they soon arrived in the spacious main hall.
Glancing past Xin Wulang, Wenli'er's eyes immediately landed on a young man, and his heart gave an involuntary leap at first sight.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself beforehand, at this moment an uncontrollable dread still welled up within him—as if he were standing at the edge of a precipice, trembling with apprehension, unable to step forward freely.
He fought to steady his composure, took off his hat, placed it against his chest, and bowed slightly. In relatively fluent Great Shun speech, he said, "This must be Mr. Chen. I am Wenli'er. Thank you for inviting me here today, Mr. Chen."
Chen Chuan nodded in acknowledgment. "Hello, Mr. Wenli'er."
Xin Wulang extended a hand in invitation. "Master Wenli'er, please take a seat."
Once Wenli'er and his entourage were seated, Xin Wulang said in a heavy voice, "We invited Master Wenli'er here today to resolve the ongoing friction between our two halls. We hope your esteemed hall will cease its insolent actions of late, apologize, and offer appropriate compensation."
Wenli'er smiled faintly, having anticipated Xin Wulang's demands. If his own side had a Secret Palace martial artist backing them, his demands would have been far more excessive. However, that did not mean he would simply bow his head and surrender.
He said, "Mr. Xin Wulang, there is no need for superfluous words. We are all fighters by trade. I believe we are both very familiar with the simplest and most direct way to resolve this."
His eyes shone brightly as he looked toward Chen Chuan.
"The root of our dispute lies in which art is more suitable for the Federation's people—Migas martial arts or the Non-Body Style. I believe we can settle this with a match."
Xin Wulang said, "Is Master Wenli'er proposing a duel with Mr. Chen?"
Wenli'er shook his head.
"I am well aware of the disparity in strength between Mr. Chen and myself. Naturally, I would have no chance of winning against Mr. Chen. But that would only prove that Mr. Chen as an individual is superior to me; it would not prove that the Non-Body Style is superior to Migas martial arts."
Chen Chuan said, "So what Mr. Wenli'er means is that my skills represent only myself, and cannot represent the Non-Body Style?"
Wenli'er did not answer directly, but his expression said everything.
Chen Chuan turned his gaze to a youth standing nearby and said, "Xin Youzhu."
Xin Youzhu started for a moment, but without the slightest hesitation, he immediately stepped forward and answered with full vigor, "Master, Xin Youzhu is here!"
Chen Chuan looked at Wenli'er. "This is Mr. Xin Wulang's son. He is sixteen years old this year and has been trained in the most orthodox Non-Body Style martial arts since childhood. I believe he is the best representative of this style.
"Master Wenli'er, if you agree, you may put forward someone of the same age group to contest a match using your respective martial arts. If your side loses, you will comply with the demands Mr. Xin Wulang set forth.
"If our side loses, I personally will no longer intervene in your actions within the Federation capital."
Hearing this, Wenli'er's eyes gleamed. After looking Xin Youzhu up and down a few times, he gave it some thought, then bowed slightly toward Chen Chuan. "Mr. Chen, your proposal is very fair, and young Mr. Xin is a fitting representative. We accept." Turning around, he called out, "Clayton!"
A young man stepped forward from the group behind him. He was roughly the same height as Xin Youzhu, with reddish-brown hair and deep-set eyes. Despite his youth, he exuded an air of earnest discipline, clearly the product of meticulous honing and cultivation.
Wenli'er said, "This is a disciple of our Migas Martial Arts Hall, trained in the most orthodox Migas martial arts. He is one year younger than young Mr. Xin, and I believe he would make a fitting opponent."
Chapter 1178