On October 3, an airship from the Ministry of State Security came to a halt atop the mooring tower of the Jibei Dao central city.
Chen Chuan stood on the plaza. Behind him were the central city administrative officials who had come to see him off, as well as the members of his security squad, all of whom had gathered here to bid him farewell.
Before long, a group of people disembarked from the airship, visibly identifiable as personnel from the Ministry of State Security.
Chen Chuan's gaze fell upon one middle-aged man among them, who had a receding hairline and wore a neat, imported formal suit.
Stepping up to Chen Chuan, he offered a polite smile. "Hello, Comrade Chen. We meet again."
"Ah, Mr. Zhan."
Chen Chuan smiled and shook his hand. Just as he was preparing to depart, another telegram had arrived from the Purist Faction's branch office, stating that the faction would send someone familiar with Zhongjing affairs to meet and escort him.
It turned out to be Zhan Jiyue, the Purist Faction member who had met with him previously.
Zhan Jiyue stepped back half a pace and introduced the man beside him, who had maintained a smile throughout: "This is Commissioner Xiao Hengzhong from the Ministry of State Security."
Commissioner Xiao was very enthusiastic. He stepped forward to shake Chen Chuan's hand, pumping it vigorously, while his other hand patted Chen Chuan's arm warmly.
"Hello, Commissioner Chen! Hearing that you are about to become our new colleague, everyone in the ministry is delighted. Before I set out, the minister specifically instructed me to fulfill my duty as a department veteran. If you have any questions regarding ministry affairs, Commissioner Chen, feel free to ask me anytime."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Then I must thank Commissioner Xiao in advance."
"Just doing my part, just doing my part."
Commissioner Xiao was a senior member within the ministry, but facing Chen Chuan, he dared not put on the airs of a predecessor. Nowadays, it was already an established trend for martial artists to assume key positions in government departments.
Within the Ministry of State Security in particular, many officials were martial artists promoted from local administrations.
A person at his rank naturally understood why: in the face of an enormous crisis, it was inevitable for martial artists to step onto the front lines.
And Chen Chuan was exceptionally unique even among them. Considering his actions, achievements, and demonstrated stances, he likely would not stay in this post for long before the higher-ups provided him an even grander stage.
Arriving alongside them were several security personnel from the Zhongjing Internal Affairs Office and a secretary from the Executive Government Office. After meeting each of them, Chen Chuan bid farewell to the send-off party from the central city and boarded the airship together with Zhan Jiyue and Commissioner Xiao.
Knowing that both Chen Chuan and Zhan Jiyue were members of the Purist Faction and that many matters were not meant for him to meddle in—and considering his role here was largely ceremonial anyway—Commissioner Xiao made an excuse and retired to another cabin.
Once the airship was airborne, Zhan Jiyue invited Chen Chuan into the main salon. After they took their seats, he said, "This time, the Martial Artists Council sent a message to our Purist Faction as well, hoping we could persuade you to sign the new agreement as soon as possible."
Because deliberations among the upper echelons had not concluded, Chen Chuan had yet to sign the new agreement.
However, if he took the initiative to declare his stance, matters would be different; the issue would be resolved immediately.
"There is no need for Commissioner Chen to pay them any mind. Wait until a decision emerges from above. Stating your stance too early brings you no benefit."
Chen Chuan nodded.
The original agreement held little binding force over him now. If he wished to go somewhere, almost no one could stop him.
Judging by his combat record with the Tianji Sect, the state would need at least seven or eight Dongxuan View martial artists to restrain him. But that was only theoretical; where could they suddenly muster so many experts in a hurry?
Currently, the only thing capable of keeping him in check was upper-tier power. Naturally, the Martial Artists Council disliked seeing such a situation, but aside from verbal urgings, there was nothing they could do.
Under present circumstances, as long as he did not commit any overly egregious acts, they had no choice but to turn a blind eye.
After they chatted a bit more, an attendant on the airship brought them tea and refreshments.
Through his boundary credential, Chen Chuan saw that although this airship appeared to be a standard transport vessel, all kinds of service personnel were available.
Moreover, there was a wide array of service options, especially regarding catering, offering a rich selection of ingredients and beverages specifically for martial artists.
He noted that quite a few rare ingredients were listed, all available in unlimited quantities; if stocks ran short, the airship could even stop en route to restock.
In truth, his need for such things was no longer high, which felt somewhat ironic.
When one's realm and tier were insufficient, obtaining these items was often exceedingly difficult. Yet when one finally reached that level, such resources became ubiquitous, even utterly commonplace.
Still, one had to admit that among the upper strata, resource allocation took on this peculiarly skewed dynamic.
Zhan Jiyue said, "Heading to Zhongjing, we won't be able to apply for the express transit corridor. We must stop at designated checkpoints along the way to exchange documents and clearance letters, so the journey may take around three days. If there are any newspapers or periodicals Councilor Chen wishes to read during this time, just inform the attendants; they can procure whatever you need."
Chen Chuan tapped his boundary credential, and the adjacent field screen immediately displayed a map of Great Shun's territory.
Zhongjing was situated in the center of Shannan Dao, Hedong Dao, Longyou Dao, and Anbei Dao, encompassing a vast expanse of land.
Geographically, the two great rivers that flowed through and traversed multiple daos across Great Shun's East Continent were the Xuan River and the Zhao River. Along the middle reaches of the Xuan River lay an artificial canal dug to connect with Haixi Dao, known as the Wushui.
Zhongjing sat north of the Xuan River and along the banks of the Wushui. Around it stood four large central cities representing the four cardinal directions to serve as protective bulwarks, with Zhongjing situated right in their center—which was precisely how it got its name.
Zhan Jiyue looked on for a moment as well. Over the past two years, he had spent most of his time in Zhongjing and was already intimately familiar with its scenery, yet seeing it now stirred a fresh wave of sentiment within him.
Chen Chuan asked at this moment, "Is the delegation from the former imperial household still in Zhongjing?"
"They are," Zhan Jiyue replied. "Each of the Five Great Schools holds its own philosophy and pursues different political agendas. This visit by the former imperial household's delegation to the capital appears on the surface to be an initiative to negotiate with us, but behind the scenes, it is primarily being driven by the Refined Practice School.
"Many members of the Refined Practice School have ancestors who served the old dynasty, so they have always maintained ties with the former imperial household. After the former imperial household retreated into the convergence zone, much of the output from within the zone flowed outward through the channels of the Refined Practice School.
"Back then, the government genuinely needed them as well, because the produce and resources from the convergence zone were vital to the Great Shun government.
"The Refined Practice School has extensive holdings in the convergence zone. As long as the former imperial household survives, their business can continue. Therefore, they are the ones least willing to see the former imperial household destroyed.
"In fact, it is not just the convergence zone. By actively recruiting prominent figures from various central cities and local clans, the Refined Practice School commands formidable power locally. It is fair to say that among the five great schools, they control the most resources and possess the deepest capital."
Chen Chuan gave an understanding nod. Seen this way, their main adversary in pushing for the eradication of the former imperial household was the Refined Practice School.
After pondering briefly, he asked, "What do the other schools think about this?"
Zhan Jiyue said, "Regarding the former imperial household, the Convergence Faction hasn't shown any strong preference at present, but they are implicitly aligned with the Refined Practice School, because like them, they do not wish to see the Skyline Project move forward.
"Currently, quite a few people within the government believe that the convergence of the two worlds is inevitable and that there is no need to forcefully resist it. Most of them are supporters of the Convergence Faction, or have reaped benefits from them."
He continued somberly, "The Convergence Faction advertises that by capturing and communicating with overlimit creatures, and even entities from the opposite side, they can draw upon their power to better withstand the invasion of that world."
He gave a cold chuckle. "Yet that is nothing more than self-aggrandizing whitewash. As they merge deeper and deeper with such things, then aside from a handful of unyielding individuals, most people's mindsets will inevitably drift toward those aberrated creatures and otherworldly entities through long-term contact.
"Can we count on such people to stand with us?"
A flicker of disgust crossed his face.
"Furthermore, as Councilor Chen surely knows, both in the past and present, there has never been a shortage of people secretly colluding with otherworldly entities, and not a few have even defected to the other side entirely.
"Many wish to gain power and youth from the other side, or to secure their own status and authority for perpetuity, and the Convergence Faction's methods happen to construct a channel for them.
"Now, with the Great Impact steadily drawing near, many of them have grown increasingly frenzied. Some even desire to merge with gods or entities from the other side into entirely new life forms. From the intel we currently possess, we can be certain that several new gods stand behind these people."
"New gods?"
Zhan Jiyue nodded. "Yes, new gods.
"After the advent of the new era, the old gods either perished or hid within the convergence zone. Yet due to active periods and rifts across various regions, a steady influx of otherworldly entities continues to pour into our world.
"Some are destroyed by us, while others are exalted as new gods, and still other old gods resurrect by borrowing fresh vessels. Currently, within governments across the globe, there are people who worship them or collaborate with them, and within our Great Shun government, this situation is naturally unavoidable as well.
"These people have no desire to resist the Great Impact; they even welcome its arrival."
Chen Chuan couldn't help but recall the "Ascending Ladder." He remembered Ryan once mentioning that the Ascending Ladder existed not only in the Federation, but within Great Shun as well.
He wondered if this organization was networked across the entire globe. With the power of deities and under a shared faith, that was indeed possible. If so, the organization's influence was far greater than imagined.
"The Convergence Faction can be said to be our Purist Faction's greatest enemy, because what they do runs contrary to us in every regard. In the past, whatever our Purist Faction supported, they inevitably opposed, and members of ours holding office in the government have frequently been targeted by them."
Reaching this point, Zhan Jiyue looked at Chen Chuan and cautioned, "So, Councilor Chen, after you enter Zhongjing this time, you must be especially wary of them."
Chen Chuan nodded. After pondering briefly, he looked up and asked, "Then where does the Implant Faction currently stand on these two matters—the former imperial household and the Skyline?"
Chapter 1358