Delegation Leader Xie said solemnly, "Those West Coast senators all claim they are unaware of this matter. That confirms there must be a plan within the Federation government, and it is definitely no small undertaking."
Chen Chuan understood. If those senators did not want to acknowledge the matter, they would have issued a flat denial, claiming it didn't exist at all. Stating that they were unaware meant it did exist, but they were not at liberty to say.
Delegation Leader Xie continued, "I asked our intelligence department to investigate further, and we have confirmed that the Covert Operations Directorate and the Strategic Affairs Department are cooperating on this matter."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Is the Federation Administration pushing this?"
Delegation Leader Xie shook his head. "Not very likely. The Strategic Affairs Department operates with a high degree of independence. Last time with the Non-Body Style Dojo, we forced the department to back down, so this time they might very well be intentionally trying to cause us trouble and creating a false impression of cooperation with the Covert Operations Directorate.
"Of course, we cannot rule out their actual involvement either. As long as there is something to gain, they tend to be quite eager. Still, we must be prepared for a certain degree of interference."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said earnestly, "Section Chief Chen, as we discussed before, the pressure we face is greater than ever.
"After the Federation put forward their conditions, Kawatua dispatched envoys to negotiate. As things stand, they appear willing to agree to many of the terms. Deputy Delegation Leader Lu and Team Leader Wang have already arrived there and are trying to prevent it."
In terms of martial deterrence, Deputy Delegation Leader Lu and Wang Tongshan's presence was far from sufficient. But that was not the point; what mattered was making Great Shun's stance clear and providing an outlet for internal dissenting voices to be heard.
"Judging by the telegrams sent back so far, the two of them can buy some time, but the voices advocating to join the Federation are very loud. It's not just the upper echelon—some of the common folk at the bottom have also been duped by the leadership into believing that negotiating with the Federation is viable."
Delegation Leader Xie said in a heavy voice, "Especially the young people born in Kawatua over the past few decades. Some of them have forgotten how their ancestors were enslaved and massacred by the Federation. Only the tribesmen who relocated there later in refuge strongly oppose it, yet their voices are the quietest."
Chen Chuan nodded. He was well aware that Kawatua's will to resist was not particularly strong. It was not merely an issue with the younger generation; the main factor was that the leadership had been beaten into terror by the Federation and saw no hope of victory whatsoever, so voices calling for integration into the Federation naturally surged.
After all, at present, that path seemed to offer hope.
They had indeed made substantial efforts toward this end and thoroughly studied the Federation's internal rules. If a senator or representative spoke on their behalf and introduced a bill, which then passed committee review and votes in both houses, it was theoretically possible.
These integrationists constituted the overwhelming majority of Kawatua's upper echelon. The only hurdle had been that the Federation's leadership looked down on them, with the West Coast voicing the strongest opposition. The West Coast had always intended to swallow Kawatua whole, flesh and bone, which was why this negotiation channel had never been opened before.
Yet now, after suffering a setback, the Federation's mindset seemed to have shifted. And that was the last thing Great Shun wanted to see.
He asked, "How does the delegation plan to respond?"
Delegation Leader Xie did not answer directly. Instead, he picked up a document from beside him, turned to a certain page, and handed it over. "Section Chief Chen, take a look."
Chen Chuan glanced at it. It was an international affairs publication, and the page Xie had opened to contained the latest commentary on the influence of the world's martial artists.
However, throne martial artists were evaluated by code numbers, and their specific deeds were accompanied by notes referring readers to internal classified records—clearly not intended for public disclosure.
Soon, he spotted his own name. Because he had not signed any treaties, the publication made no effort to conceal his name or his deeds.
With the recent passage of time, his estimated influence score had increased significantly from before, currently sitting at 199. Reaching 200 was the threshold for a throne martial artist.
The fact that his influence rating had not reached that benchmark was merely because he was not yet a throne martial artist; it did not mean his true impact was limited to that number.
Delegation Leader Xie said solemnly, "Section Chief Chen, you are currently the only active martial artist in the world capable of fighting a Cave Mystery View martial artist. What's more, this is not merely a domestic assessment, but an internationally acknowledged fact. Since you have not signed any treaties, you possess extraordinary deterrent power.
"The Federation recognizes this.
"And Kawatua can recognize it just as clearly."
He paused, then added, "So you don't need to do anything specific. As long as you make a trip to Kawatua, I believe their leadership will understand what they must do."
Chen Chuan understood his meaning. Martial deterrence had always been the most effective tool. His presence alone would convey the unspoken message: if the Federation can destroy you, Great Shun possesses that very same capability.
You fear the Federation might wipe you out in the future, but I can do so right now. How to choose is up to you.
Furthermore, staying in the Federation capital was indeed somewhat uncomfortable. Going there would be much more convenient, and it would also give him an opportunity to contemplate some martial arts techniques.
He said, "It's just that my travel is restricted at the moment, and I only just returned from outside. If the Federation truly intends to move against Kawatua, they might not approve my travel filing so easily."
Delegation Leader Xie said, "That is actually easy to handle. I'll have those West Coast senators pull some strings. There are plenty of opposition factions within the Federation who can help. I will also contact Delegation Leader Jiang to see what he can do so you won't be held back."
Chen Chuan nodded. For the first time, he felt grateful for the Federation's political system. As long as one was familiar with its rules, one could always find loopholes. Of course, any political system had loopholes to exploit, but in the Federation, most of them were laid bare out in the open.
After reaching an understanding with Delegation Leader Xie, Chen Chuan left the follow-up arrangements to him and returned to review the various materials Xie had provided.
It could be said that Kawatua gathered the final essence and wealth of the First People, having successively absorbed the accumulations of three dynasties. Furthermore, as the ancestral land of the First People, what had been left behind at the Throat of the Star Spirit paled in comparison to their heritage.
Over the years, the sheer wealth they had offered up for lobbying alone was far beyond anything the remnants at the Throat of the Star Spirit could fathom.
He went through all the documents, committed the noteworthy matters and key figures to memory, and then went to his external implant, instructing the conscious entity within to draw up an itinerary. Afterward, he devoted himself to cultivation.
The approval for his travel filing came through even faster than he had anticipated. On the second day after his return, before the tournament finals had even commenced, his permission was granted.
He did not delay for a moment. That very day, he set off with his escort team, boarding a train back toward the West Coast bound for Kawatua.
When arriving, they had skirted the south of the Central Split-Ridge Mountains, but this time, he would take the northern route.
It took roughly six days to travel from the Federation capital to Arcana State. However, aside from Center City, the territory of Arcana State was virtually undeveloped. There were no direct highways, and reaching the destination required a strenuous ascent up the Life Plateau. Consequently, they sent a telegram ahead of time requesting Kawatua to dispatch an airship to receive them at an agreed-upon time.
Three days later, the train entered the Central Split-Ridge Mountains, rolling forward along the Federation's only highland railway.
Looking out the window, clouds seemed to drift alongside them, close enough to touch, as if the train were soaring straight through the sky. The breathtaking spectacle left everyone in awe.
Chen Chuan gazed outside, considering that his journey to Kawatua was no secret and his route was laid out in plain sight. Would the Federation possibly deploy operatives to intercept him?
It was not entirely out of the question. Although throne martial artists from every faction were bound by treaties, nearly every nation left loopholes for themselves.
Moreover, the most likely candidates to be dispatched would be throne martial artists walking the Aspect of Divinity path. Their movements were elusive, and even if detected, there would usually be no tangible proof left behind.
Of course, this was merely his deduction and wouldn't necessarily come to pass; he was simply preparing himself mentally.
Because the scenery on both sides grew monotonous, everyone soon moved past their initial novelty and began feeling bored.
Chen Chuan thought about it, and aside from those on duty, he gathered his old classmates and friends to play cards.
Wu Han seemed to have good luck this round. Chuckling, he suddenly thought of something and asked, "Kawatua is so meek and submissive before the Federation—do they really not have any good cards in their hand?"
Chen Chuan replied, "They probably do, but they keep them closely hidden. In truth, if they really couldn't hold out, they could retreat into the convergence zone. But they likely no longer possess the will to do so."
Opposite them, Yuan Qiuyuan remarked, "The convergence zone... once you go there, you can forget about ever coming back."
Beside him, Su Wei nodded.
Wu Han said with disdain, "Still, just as the Section Chief said, if they had a firm resolve to resist and retreated inside only when truly overpowered, I'd still respect them. But now, before the enemy has even marched in, they've surrendered on their own. What kind of nonsense is that?" With that, he tossed down a card.
Feng Xiaoqi followed with a card of his own.
"You can't entirely put it that way," he said. "Kawatua has resisted for over a century. Enough blood has been spilled, and most of the unbending backbones are dead and gone. It's not as if they don't know Great Shun wants to use them, so deep down they certainly don't want to be exploited. Besides, maybe they just don't see any hope left?"
Sitting to the side with arms crossed, Wei Chang'an said, "I think Junior Feng makes a fair point. And isn't the Great Impact approaching? Looking at it from their perspective, integrating into the Federation and latching onto a towering tree that can shield them from the storm might be exactly what they want."
Chen Chuan nodded. "A portion of the leadership indeed thinks that way, while others merely use such excuses to convince themselves.
"In truth, ever since gathering together, Kawatua has only sought a way out, never intending to grow strong and stand up to the Federation. That much is obvious from how they never took the initiative to welcome or assist their own kin."
Wu Han slammed down a powerful card, covering everyone else's hands, and muttered, "A bunch of spineless cowards. Looks like we'll have to go set their bones straight and help them stand up on their own two feet!"
Chapter 1223