To the He siblings, Chen Chuan's words sounded almost incredible. Yet for reasons they could not explain, hearing his steady, powerful voice made them instinctively choose to believe him.
The tension in He Ruihai's expression softened. "If you say so, Xiao Chuan, then your Uncle He can put his mind at ease."
He Zhilan asked hesitantly, "Xiao Chuan, back then, what really happened to Senior Sister Zhen...?"
Chen Chuan said, "What happened back then involves secrets of the upper echelons, so I cannot go into detail. All I can say is that Father and Mother were dragged into an internal struggle within the Gao clan."
Upon hearing this, the siblings finally understood the origin of it all. Since it involved the higher-ups of the Progenitor Company, it was no wonder he could not speak of it lightly.
He Zhilan said, "No matter what, as long as you're safe, Xiao Chuan, that's what matters most. That must be what Senior Sister Zhen would have wanted to see above all else."
Chen Chuan gave a quiet nod.
He chatted with the siblings for an entire afternoon. Glancing at the sky, he said, "Uncle He, Aunt He, it's time for me to go."
Knowing he had official duties, the siblings did not try to keep him any longer and saw him out together.
He Ruihai said, "We originally came to Red Crown Island just to get away from our enemies, but after living here these past few years, we've decided to put down roots. We don't care to go anywhere else."
He Zhilan added, "That's right, Xiao Chuan. We treat this place as our home now. If you ever pass through these waters in the future, remember that your Uncle He and Aunt He are thinking of you. Just come by and visit us."
Chen Chuan said, "Uncle He, Aunt He, I will. Take care of yourselves. I'm off."
With that, he vaulted onto Chaoming's back.
Watching Chaoming slowly rise to its feet, He Zhilan said, "Xiao Chuan, have a safe journey."
Chen Chuan said goodbye, patted Chaoming, and gave them a final farewell: "I'm leaving."
Chaoming leaped into the air, a stream of luminous sheen rippling across its feathers. Under the watchful eyes of the He siblings, it swiftly climbed into the high heavens, circled once above their heads with a long, resonant cry, and flew off toward the distant skies.
After leaving Red Crown Island, Chen Chuan had Chaoming quicken its pace slightly, catching up to the diplomatic delegation half a day later.
The delegation's lookouts had already received word in advance and had been keeping a close watch over the past few days. They soon spotted a glittering speck of light, followed by a large bird of brilliant plumage rapidly drawing near.
At the same time, they caught sight of the figure on the bird's back. Recognizing him, a lookout touched his boundary credential and reported with excitement, "Report! Section Chief Chen has returned!"
Jiang Kuozhi, Mr. Fan, Delegation Leader Xie, and the others immediately left their quarters upon hearing the news and stepped out onto the open deck.
Gui Zihan, Wang Tongshan, and Ka Zhijie followed them out as well.
Having already learned of the news transmitted via telegraph, they were shocked beyond measure, finding it truly hard to fathom what Chen Chuan had accomplished.
As they stepped outside, a dazzling flash of brilliance streaked toward them and touched down upon the deck. Once the glow faded, an enormous bird-lizard with gorgeous plumage folded its wings and crouched there.
Chen Chuan dismounted from Chaoming. He wore no hat, the ends of his hair fluttering in the high-altitude draft, his dark eyes remarkably bright.
Jiang Kuozhi looked him up and down. Seeing no injuries on him, he said, "Section Chief Chen, welcome back."
Delegation Leader Xie remarked, "We are still a day's voyage from Great Shun's coastline. Section Chief Chen, you've returned right on time."
Mr. Fan looked at Chen Chuan. In his eyes, Chen Chuan radiated a brilliant, almost blinding glow, an unmistakable sign that the man standing before him was a Dongxuan View martial artist.
Although he had already deduced from the reports of that monumental battle that Chen Chuan must have broken through the threshold, a Dongxuan View martial artist in his twenties—one who had proved himself using multiple martial artists of the same tier as stepping stones—was something even he found astounding.
He could already envision another dazzling star rising steadily into Great Shun's sky.
Gui Zihan stared at Chen Chuan, light flickering in his eyes. At first, he had regarded Chen Chuan as a rival for his next stage of growth, but now he saw him as a distant target to chase.
Wang Tongshan and Ka Zhijie felt far simpler about it. In the beginning, they might have harbored a slight competitive urge, but now they had no such notions left. The gap was simply too vast—so vast that it felt as though they were no longer the same species.
Curiously, once they came to terms with this realization, they felt much more at ease. If Chen Chuan pulled off any more earth-shattering feats in the future, they doubted they would feel much emotional turbulence at all.
Chu Zhixian stood at the very back. Watching Chen Chuan walk forward to converse with Jiang Kuozhi, Delegation Leader Xie, and the rest, his expression shifted unpredictably. Taking a few steps back, he slipped away without a word.
Apart from a few lookouts and security personnel who took note, almost no one in the front cast so much as a glance his way.
Returning to the cabin, Chu Zhixian pressed his boundary credential, connected to a channel, and sent a single sentence across: "He's back."
***
Jibei Dao Central City, Weiguang District, Crisis Affairs Center Building.
Heavy rain poured outside, pelting violently against the exterior glass curtain wall. Though the sky was gloomy, the shifting colors of neon and projected holograms flickered through the downpour, bathing the world outside in a dazzling spectacle of light.
Two men dressed in the black uniforms of internal affairs officers stood before the window. Both were special envoys from the National Provisional Special Operations Committee.
The man on the left touched his boundary credential and received the brief message. Lowering his hand, he said, "He's back."
"He is?"
The other man said, "I hear the higher-ups might promote him, while others say he should be held accountable for acting without authorization."
The man on the left said, "Regardless of what the higher-ups think, with combat prowess like his, the country could never abandon him. Even if some dissenting voices try to suppress him temporarily, there's no way they can hold him back."
The other man nodded silently.
As members of the national security and intelligence apparatus, they had been able to learn and confirm certain developments ahead of time.
The man who had returned was definitively a Dongxuan View martial artist, one possessing the sheer strength to topple several peers of the same tier in a single sweep. From what they knew, the leadership had been convening through the night over his situation, and multiple factions were already making moves. Such an uproar had rarely been seen in recent decades.
The man on the left said, "We just need to do our own job. Right now, the gods are fighting above; mortals like us shouldn't get mixed up in it."
The other man nodded repeatedly. The Provisional Special Operations Committee might carry immense authority over ordinary government officials, but against a martial artist of this caliber, it had virtually no leverage.
Not to mention this individual specifically, who likely had ties to higher-tier powers behind him. This was far beyond what they could interfere with. Their only sensible course was to dutifully report the intelligence and feedback they gathered.
***
A day later, the diplomatic delegation's fleet emerged upon the sea at sunrise.
The members of the delegation could already make out Great Shun's coastline in the distance, spotting Jibei Dao's Feihong Bridge and the forest of towering skyscrapers. None could conceal their inner excitement.
After a diplomatic mission lasting over a year, they had finally returned. Before long, they would be reunited with the families they had missed for so long.
Standing by a porthole, Chen Chuan looked out at the skyscraper rising along the coastline. It had once been the premises of the Ferris Wheel Company, but was now the headquarters of the Progenitor Company.
Just then, an alert sounded on his boundary credential. Glancing down, he saw an incoming call from Principal Yao—a rare occurrence. He immediately directed his active consciousness to block out nearby observation and wiretapping before accepting the connection.
Yao Zhiyi's voice came through, accompanied by a swell of stirring music:
"Section Chief Chen?"
Chen Chuan said, "Principal Yao, it's me."
Yao Zhiyi let out a hearty laugh.
"I've heard about what you did! Section Chief Chen, I spoke with a few old friends. When they heard what you pulled off, they insisted it was fake news, swearing it was utterly impossible.
"But I figured that if it was you, Section Chief Chen, it had to be true. So I made a bet with them."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Then you'll have to treat me to a meal later, Principal Yao."
Yao Zhiyi laughed heartily again, then reined it in, his tone turning somewhat solemn. "Section Chief Chen, have you... already attained the Dongxuan View?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes."
The other end fell silent for a moment. Only the sound of slightly hastened breathing could be heard. After quite a while, Yao Zhiyi's voice returned, heavy with emotion. "So it's true after all."
Pausing briefly, he continued, "I hear the higher-ups are in absolute chaos right now because of you."
What did the Dongxuan View signify? Hongfu's true form was roughly at this level, though in an actual fight, without sufficient data and ample energy, a martial artist was undoubtedly stronger.
And Chen Chuan was a different case altogether. He could not be treated as an ordinary Dongxuan View martial artist. The outcome of that battle had been simply staggering; the number of Dongxuan View martial artists he had eliminated single-handedly exceeded what some regional nations possessed in total. Most critically, such immense combat power was not bound by any treaties.
As a result, various countries were desperate to bind him with an agreement.
Great Shun's leadership had yet to reach a conclusion, because the longer Chen Chuan delayed signing an agreement, the more advantageous it was for Great Shun.
In truth, every signing of a Dongxuan View martial artist treaty was an international game of chess, let alone for someone of Chen Chuan's caliber.
However, another faction within the government was growing anxious, particularly representatives from certain corporations and regional assemblies. Word was that many had already gone to the Privy Council to lobby, trying to push for the agreement's ratification.
After sighing over the matter for a moment, Yao Zhiyi added, "Section Chief Chen, there's something else I should tell you. Governor Qi has gone to the Capital."
Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. "To the Capital?"
Yao Zhiyi said, "Yes. A Governor Peng, dispatched from the Capital, is temporarily acting in his stead. Xu Chan has taken over my duties in the convergence zone, and I am stationed permanently here at Wuyi to help keep the local situation stable."
Chen Chuan considered this, then asked, "Is there any issue with the new Governor Peng?"
Hearing him ask so bluntly, Yao Zhiyi was slightly startled, but on second thought, with Chen Chuan's current strength, he truly had no need to mince words.
He said, "Governor Peng is three months away from retirement."
Chen Chuan understood at once. Sending this man was clearly just a temporary transition; he would not remain in the post for long.
"There's one more thing you probably wouldn't expect, Section Chief Chen," Yao Zhiyi said, his tone growing heavier. "Just last month, the former imperial household broke all precedent and sent an envoy delegation to the Capital."
Chapter 1338