With the head of the delegation attacked and federal figures suspected of involvement, continuing the trip was out of the question; the motorcade immediately turned back.
At the medical team's insistence, Delegation Leader Xie underwent a full examination. After evaluating the situation, the technical specialists on site concluded that he had suffered an attack by a relic.
Judging by the condition of the anti-ritual buttons he had worn beforehand, its effect was most likely tied to memory.
Chen Chuan arrived shortly after Delegation Leader Xie returned. Once the examination was complete, he walked in and found Xie leaning back comfortably in an upholstered armchair, without the slightest trace of tension or gravity on his face.
Sitting down beside him, Chen Chuan asked, "How is it?"
Straightening up, Delegation Leader Xie said, "The doctors checked me over; there's nothing wrong. The attackers this time seemed determined to succeed. They not only deployed altered organisms and a relic, but even exposed a sleeper card."
The relic used against him was of no small caliber, and the anti-ritual objects on his person hadn't been able to block it entirely. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance, so all the enemy could have siphoned away was a segment of memory preloaded into his boundary credential.
"Once Team Leader Gui returns," Chen Chuan said, "we should know where they came from."
Delegation Leader Xie nodded. In truth, where these people came from was beside the point. What mattered was that, as the head of the diplomatic delegation, he had been attacked in the Federation Capital—and an official of the Federation government had actually taken part. This was undeniably a major diplomatic incident.
The appearance of that Mr. Bayelo had truly been an unexpected assist, one that played right into their hands for subsequent moves.
Before long, Gui Zihan returned from outside. Seeing the two of them, he said, "I found the attackers' hideout. There was actually an active conscious entity there that held me up for a short while.
"Following the delegation leader's orders, I didn't eliminate everyone and let a few get away. After sweeping the place, I found this."
He tossed a metal badge onto the desk. It bore the insignia of two eagle wings encircled by concentric rings.
Chen Chuan and Delegation Leader Xie cast their eyes over it.
Was this... the Strategic Affairs Department?
It was unmistakably the badge of the Federation's Strategic Affairs Department.
Yet both of them knew full well that this couldn't have been the Strategic Affairs Department's doing. The attackers had deliberately left this behind to frame them.
Still, they had to thank the culprits for leaving it. Now there was no need to hunt for other evidence; they merely had to use this to demand an explanation from the Federation.
To smooth over the scandal, the Federation would certainly rein in whatever the Strategic Affairs Department planned next. By extension, all their maneuvers against the Non-Body style dojos would grind to an abrupt halt.
Delegation Leader Xie asked Gui Zihan a few questions and confirmed that the fleeing operatives had indeed made off with the item containing the stolen memories.
Xie nodded and said, "The false memories I leaked contain quite a bit of genuine intelligence, but drawing conclusions solely from them will lead them completely astray.
"That is, assuming they can decrypt it at all. I had to make it difficult for them to get, because otherwise, they wouldn't have believed it for a second."
Chen Chuan asked, "Team Leader Gui, from your clash with them, could you tell where they came from?"
Gui Zihan said, "They all had extensive implant modifications, leaving virtually no identifiable physiological traits. Even their voices were synthetic."
He pondered for a moment. "My master had a close friend who was a naturalized martial artist from North Alu. Judging by their style of operation, I sense some similarities."
Delegation Leader Xie inquired about the details. Upon learning that the last man left behind had detonated explosives in the hideout, he remarked, "Brutal and direct, ruthless to the core, yet lacking refinement in certain details—that fits the style of the Noros Theocracy. North Alu... that matches. They must be from the nation of Aluxun."
Aluxun had long been under the sway of the Noros Theocracy, and it was considered one of the world's powers in its own right. If any party felt the greatest anxiety over the negotiations between Great Shun and the Federation, it was almost certainly them—and they had the capability to pull off something like this.
Just then, a communication tone sounded in Xie's boundary credential. He accepted the call. After a moment, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and said:
"The Administration Hall's advisory staff wants to meet with me. Deputy Delegation Leader Tu will be present as well. I'll head over to see them now. If we can settle this smoothly, this matter can be put to rest."
He paused. "Barring a resort to force, they will have no room left to maneuver."
Chen Chuan said, "If they wish to resort to force, we will accompany them to the bitter end."
Delegation Leader Xie nodded, though he considered the possibility slim. The East Bank was not the West Bank; a baseline of order still held sway. The Strategic Affairs Department operated mostly by manipulating the Federation's rules against its opponents.
Donning his hat, he exchanged farewells with the two and departed with his assistant and security personnel.
Chen Chuan stood up and said to Gui Zihan, "Team Leader Gui, care for a walk outside?"
Gui Zihan nodded.
The two stepped outside and walked toward a small garden within Red Rock Villa. Chen Chuan said, "The capital's Vault Sword Academy just sent us an invitation. It's primarily a student exchange. I won't be attending, so why don't you lead the team, Team Leader Gui?"
Gui Zihan agreed. He knew that leading such an exchange added to one's credentials. Chen Chuan had previously been responsible for this; yielding the post now was an intentional gesture to afford him the opportunity.
Chen Chuan asked, "In the days since arriving in the Federation, how do you think their martial arts compare to Great Shun's, Team Leader Gui?"
Gui Zihan gave it some thought and said, "There are strengths and weaknesses. By and large, they are roughly on par with us. But limited by population, their talent pool cannot match ours."
Chen Chuan nodded. A sufficient population was required to yield enough martial artists. Great Shun had more than four times the population of the Federation, so theoretically, its martial artists should outnumber the Federation's several times over. In reality, however, all of this depended on resources—and on that front, the Federation actually held the upper hand.
Within Great Shun's convergence zones, remnants of the former imperial household had yet to be eradicated. In the Federation's rifts, while enemies existed as well, they were merely scattered adversaries who had never formed a unified government. Their situation was far better than Shun's.
Backed by this territory and blessed by geographic advantages, the Federation had risen with rapid speed.
Yet once Skyline linked all the Center Cities together, wiping out the former imperial household would no longer be a difficult task. When that time came, Great Shun's foundations and potential would finally be unleashed.
He surmised that the Federation might well foresee this as well; perhaps these negotiations were closely tied to that very prospect.
Just then, Gui Zihan suddenly asked, "Section Chief Chen, did you encounter anyone unusual before coming to the Federation?"
Chen Chuan asked, "Why do you ask?"
Holding his sword in his arms, Gui Zihan looked into the distance. "Last year, I received the invitation to join the delegation. To recover a sword manual belonging to my lineage, I accepted at the time.
"Then one day, someone sought me out, claiming he wanted to see if I was qualified to travel to the Federation. So we fought a match."
He paused. "In that fight, I lost."
Chen Chuan glanced at Gui Zihan. The man's strength was formidable; among the martial artists below the Longevity View that Chen Chuan had encountered, Gui Zihan ranked near the top in combat prowess. Yet from his manner, there did not seem to be any lingering bitterness about the defeat.
He asked, "Who was it?"
Gui Zihan shook his head. "I don't know. He found me through a field simulation resource, and his appearance was merely a default template selected from the field. After the duel, he left, saying only that he hailed from the capital."
Chen Chuan reflected for a moment. This situation sounded somewhat like a martial artist of the Visage of the Divine. Gui Zihan's sword was lethal once drawn; fighting within a simulated field indeed eliminated many constraints.
"Since he's in the capital," Chen Chuan remarked, "there will eventually be a chance to meet him."
Gui Zihan nodded. Initially, owing to the particular nature of his sword art, losing that duel had left his mind somewhat shaken.
However, after witnessing Chen Chuan's overwhelming strength, his perspective had broadened significantly, allowing him to perfect his sword technique. When he met that person again in the future, he would use a single strike to show them that the flaw of that day was already a thing of the past.
***
Rice Avenue, the Federation Capital branch of the Progenitor Company.
Qiao Peide, the newly appointed head of external affairs, arrived before the main executive office.
The voice of an active conscious entity rang out: "Director Qiao, welcome. You have arrived two minutes ahead of schedule."
After a brief pause, the voice continued, "Sir is waiting for you. Please enter."
The square door slid open from within. A beautiful, refined dark-haired woman stood there, her expression gentle and composed. Her eyes rested steadily upon him for a moment before she spoke: "Director Qiao, follow me." With that, she turned and led the way inside.
Qiao Peide followed behind her. Across the cold, lustrous metal flooring and beneath the watchful gaze of rows of three-meter-tall armed puppet guards, they traversed the corridor and entered an expansive, open hall.
The cavernous space was devoid of superfluous furnishings, featuring only several low rows of metallic art pieces and three-dimensional carved reliefs mounted along the walls.
Gao Xinjian, president of the Progenitor Company, sat in an expansive armchair. The lighting around him was soft yet subtly sharp, etching the contours of his silhouette.
He appeared to be around forty, impeccably groomed, with a faint scholarly air. His skin was slightly pale, and his deep gaze resembled an ancient, bottomless well.
Qiao Peide stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Sir."
Gao Xinjian did not respond immediately, merely gazing at him in silence. Just as unease began to creep into Qiao Peide's heart, a voice reached his ears:
"I expect you to perform to my satisfaction. I do not need you arriving two minutes early to demonstrate your deference."
Qiao Peide bent even lower. "Understood, sir."
"Sit, Director Qiao."
The pressure weighing on Qiao Peide barely eased. He knew all too well what fate had befallen his predecessor. He cautiously took a seat.
Gao Xinjian said, "I intend to reach out to the Great Shun delegation soon. The others are of no consequence, but Section Chief Chen—I need to meet with him. See to the arrangements."
Qiao Peide considered this and ventured cautiously, "Sir, I have looked into this Section Chief Chen. His combat prowess is in no way inferior to a Cave Mystery View martial artist. Regarding safety measures, we may require Mr. Xiang's assistance."
Gao Xinjian replied, "You need not concern yourself with Mr. Xiang. Simply carry out normal security measures."
"Understood, Mr. Gao. I will make proper arrangements."
Gao Xinjian gave a slight nod.
Seeing that there were no further instructions, Qiao Peide stood, bowed, and said, "Then I shall take my leave." He backed out slowly.
Gao Xinjian remained seated in his original posture. After a moment, he slowly turned his head toward a framed photograph resting on the corner of his desk.
It was a photograph of his sister, Gao Yuling. After a fleeting glance, his gaze shifted to another photograph—one depicting the moment Chen Chuan had severed Krossar's head.
Clasping his hands against his chest, he stared intently at the image, an unfathomable look lingering deep within his dark eyes.
Chapter 1185