"...During the visit to Dome Sword Academy in a few days, most martial artists will be heading there. Target Number Two will not go."
Seeing that the traffic ahead was growing thicker than before, the man could not help quickening his pace of speech.
"He is a member of the Purist Faction and has cooperated twice with international investigation teams. He pays exceptional attention to fissures. I think we can use this to draw him away, giving me my opening."
"Startled Forest Bird, I will consider your suggestion. Is there anything else?"
The man said, "I've been speaking long enough. I need to get back."
The voice on the other end said, "Understood. Remember, even if you can't get it, do not expose yourself carelessly."
"Understood."
Hanging up the call, the man walked out from inside. Opening the umbrella he had brought along, he crossed the street and hailed a cab, which pulled over to a stop.
He said, "Take me to Crane Street."
Crane Street was a gathering place for people of East Continent descent in the Federation capital, though many Outer Ocean people also lived there; it was a bustling commercial street.
When he arrived, lanterns simulated by the field hung high in the air, a colossal fenghuang bird crouched atop a skyscraper, gazing down at every passerby, and lifelike cranes darted back and forth between the buildings.
Once he reached this place, he took off his mask. It was an exceedingly ordinary face, seemingly of mixed East Continent and Federation heritage, blending seamlessly into this setting.
After walking halfway down the street, he entered a restaurant. At this hour, many patrons were dining here, including several members of the visiting delegation.
He checked the seating, sat down near the entrance, ordered a mid-priced single meal, and began eating at a leisurely pace.
As he ate, people continually walked past him after paying their bills, yet he never once raised his head to glance at them.
Halfway through the meal, something seemed to awaken in his eyes, shedding their earlier dull, rigid look.
Only, at this moment, he could not remember a single word he had just spoken or anything he had just done.
Even so, he quickly regained his composure, shot a quick glance around, then lowered his head and went on eating. Outside, someone got into a car at that very moment, and the vehicle swiftly sped away.
He ate unhurriedly.
He was, in fact, a professional "courier." His body housed a specialized implant capable of storing implanted data and behavioral patterns, which individuals with special mental powers could also exploit.
Usually, he took commissions through covert platforms, arrived at a designated location, and surrendered his body and consciousness entirely to a target. Yet this carried inherent risks; throughout the process, he had zero control over himself, and should anything go wrong, he had to bear all the consequences alone.
Moreover, walking this path too often inevitably left sequelae. He had already resolved that after taking just a few more jobs—once he saved enough to send his son to a higher learning academy in the Federation—he would have the implant removed and wash his hands of the trade for good.
***
Inside the Great Shun Embassy, Chu Zhixian was speaking with Ambassador Ding Long.
"Yes, this is my personal opinion. Many Federation officials are deeply dissatisfied with Section Chief Chen, which has created numerous obstacles in our negotiations and broader exchanges, seriously impeding our communication. If this Section Chief Chen remains with the delegation, our negotiations will run into trouble. This matter warrants serious attention from our superiors, and I earnestly request that you, Mr. Ambassador, submit my recommendation up the chain."
Ding Long wore gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a cultured, scholarly air. He smiled and said, "Vice Delegation Leader Chu, as a member of the delegation, why not bring this matter to Delegation Leader Jiang? I believe Delegation Leader Jiang's opinion carries far more weight than mine."
Chu Zhixian said, "I have raised such views with Delegation Leader Jiang. Delegation Leader Jiang's stance is that Section Chief Chen's positive influence outweighs the negative. However, I believe whether an adverse impact has been made will depend on the concrete results of these negotiations."
He had not come here without reason. Although the embassy also fell under the purview of the foreign affairs department, this ambassador was different—he was posted here directly by the Central Government and possessed the authority and duty to monitor and report on the delegation.
Chu Zhixian knew well that Ding Long had once served as secretary to the Chief Administrator, meaning his connections reached straight to the highest authorities.
Ding Long maintained a polite, courteous smile. "I will convey your thoughts faithfully, Vice Delegation Leader Chu."
"Thank you."
Seeing Ding Long glance at his wristwatch, Chu Zhixian stood up, shook his hand, and took his leave.
Stepping outside, he saw a captain of the guard who looked like a combatant checking the credentials of one of his escorts. The captain returned the documents, saluted, then glanced in their direction and waved them through.
Blank-faced, Chu Zhixian climbed into his car and instructed the driver to head to the Federation Consul Memorial Hall.
In truth, he had never liked combatants.
He was a thoroughly traditional bureaucrat who believed politics should be left to professionals and that political affairs should not be meddled in by combatants. Those who wielded martial force ought to stick solely to matters of force.
The ideal situation was like that of certain combatants he knew: executing instructions without meddling in or disrupting their operations, and voicing no opinions whatsoever.
People like him were by no means rare in government departments. They all held that a bunch of people relying on brute force could never understand how to manage departments or handle political affairs.
Yet he instinctively overlooked that with the aid of active conscious entities, the technical specialization required for many concrete tasks had dropped significantly. Moreover, once martial might reached sufficiently high levels, it could often no longer be viewed through the lens of ordinary human concepts.
Just then, a voice came through his cochlear worm. He immediately answered, "Congressman Emmons, I'm already en route. I am deeply honored by your invitation to tour the memorial hall. Yes, no problem at all, I'll wait for you there."
***
At midnight, Delegation Leader Xie was still reviewing files. His assistant brought over a cup of tea, setting a document within easy reach.
Xie picked it up and glanced over it. "Confirmed?"
"Confirmed," the assistant said firmly. "We've had him under surveillance for a long time. Since arriving in the Federation capital, this is the second time he has passed information, using a different 'courier' each time."
Delegation Leader Xie inquired into further specifics, and the assistant related everything he knew point by point.
"Thank you and your department for your hard work," Xie said.
"It's our duty," the assistant replied earnestly.
Seeing that Xie had no further questions, the assistant saluted and departed the room.
Delegation Leader Xie lifted his teacup and took a sip. Through days of observation and vetting, they could now be certain who the mole inside the delegation was.
At first, he had not intended to arrest the man immediately; doing so would only prompt the other side to seek intelligence through other channels. Keeping him around allowed them to feed him false information and make the most of his utility.
Yet since the other side was preparing to take action, he had no choice but to reel in the net ahead of schedule.
***
Time flew by, and by late February, Lunovira Center City had drawn a massive influx of combatants from other Center Cities and foreign nations.
Among them were many people of East Continent descent, many inspired to come by Chen Chuan's string of victories.
Xin Wulang brought Xin Youshu to the qualification verification venue for the invitational. Formerly of the "Non-Body style" and now of the "Divine Heart style"—the largest non-native fighting academy in the Federation capital—they naturally intended to take part. Even if not for renown, it was an opportunity to spar and test their martial techniques.
Here, he saw rare combatants from the Sanmawoga Continent, the Noros Federation, the Palanio Faith Region, and other territories and nations. Aside from the Federation itself, combatants from the various Yono nations were the most numerous, dominating the venue.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, two armed guards fired shots into the air.
The crowd was baffled, but locals like Xin Wulang were long accustomed to this and did not even lift their heads.
They were scaring off birds overhead because a "performance artist" who liked possessing birds frequently operated nearby, spouting words that Federation elites found deeply unpalatable.
Yet among the lower classes, this artist was immensely popular. Unaware that he was actually a martial artist, they revered him as a bird deity, and countless people bowed in worship to him.
Needless to say, given this artist's love for bustling spectacles, he was certain to turn up at such a grand tournament.
After their qualifications were verified, Xin Wulang led his son, Xin Youshu, outside. The boy said, "Father, I didn't see Mr. Chen today."
Xin Wulang said, "As long as you earn a good ranking, you will have a chance to see him again. Work hard, Youshu. Once you've mastered the martial techniques Mr. Chen taught you, I'll find an opportunity to send you to Great Shun for an exchange."
"Yes, Father!" Xin Youshu said with absolute solemnity. "I will do my best."
***
Within Red Rock Villa, Chen Chuan paid no heed to the invitational. Over these days, he had devoted himself entirely to cultivation, absorbing massive amounts of cultivation resources and converting them into strength to empower himself.
He could feel that as he advanced along this path, his self-awareness grew clearer and clearer. A power within his body was on the verge of liberation—a power that seemed inherently his all along.
According to the Outline of Preserved Constancy, this was an indispensable stage on the road into the Cave Mystery View, termed "Treasury Release." Upon reaching this step, the full potential of mutated tissue and the hidden depths of the self could be summoned and unleashed.
In other words, he would no longer need to overtly unleash mutated tissue in the future; even in his baseline state, he would wield such power.
Yet this was not the crux. What could be released had to be retrievable, and once drawn back, it could be nurtured.
This cycle of tempering—akin to the inhalation and exhalation of breath—could stimulate and expand the mutated tissue, steadily amplifying the burst of strength it could generate and thereby laying the groundwork for his next stage of growth.
This sensation of shutting out the outside world and focusing solely on cultivation was thoroughly intoxicating.
Yet today, when he was only halfway through, he received a letter. Looking at the signature, he found it had been sent by a member of the Federation's Purist Faction, stating there was an urgent matter and requesting to meet with him in person.
Chapter 1203