Within the central city of Anbei Dao, the Municipal Council had tightened its control over both the city itself and the surrounding peripheral cities.
They had also dispatched several third-limit combatants to each peripheral city, determined not to let any unpredictable variables arise.
The situation in Anbei Dao differed from that of Shannan, Longyou, and Hedong. In Shannan, the Purist Faction had already held a clear advantage, and Bai Gu's fall from grace made it the first to be brought into the fold.
Longyou Dao was the territory of the Implant Faction. Joining Skyline represented an alliance between the Implant Faction and the Purist Faction; while the conservatives were displeased with this outcome, they knew it could not be stopped.
Yet the turn of events in Hedong Dao had truly unnerved them.
After returning with the diplomatic delegation, Gui Zihan had immediately sought an important post. The higher-ups had no reason to hold back a martial artist with meritorious service to his name.
Upon securing the position, he swiftly contacted the Defense Department and Wuyi Academy, successfully suppressed the Municipal Council's other martial artist, and forcibly pushed through the plan for Hedong Dao to join Skyline.
The Hedong Dao Municipal Council had not given up entirely at the time. The martial artist guarding the convergence zone was from the Refined Practice School. Taking advantage of the window during negotiations when the former imperial household dared not attack, the council had arranged for him to return to the central city and join forces with the council's martial artist against Gui Zihan.
Yet they had never expected that in just a single year, Gui Zihan's strength would have grown so tremendously upon returning from the Linakes Federation. Back then, he had simply stepped in front of the two, and both yielded on their own initiative. As a result, nothing stood in the way of Hedong Dao joining Skyline.
Now, of the four cities encircling Zhongjing, three had joined Skyline. Anbei Dao stood alone, unable to hold the line for long even if it tried—a reality they understood all too well.
Still, they dragged things out for as long as they could; if they could just hold on through the Great Impact, a turning point might yet present itself.
Yet while they could control what lay inside the central city, they were powerless over what happened outside.
The martial artist currently guarding Anbei Dao's convergence zone was named Shan Yuchuan. Coming from a military family, he had studied and graduated from Wuyi Academy, then tempered himself and risen through the ranks within the military.
Due to his background and his status as an Anbei Dao native, he enjoyed immense prestige within the garrison.
The Municipal Council was terrified that he would stir up trouble with the troops. Using the pretext that the nation was currently negotiating with the former imperial household, they dispatched a large number of military inspectors into the ranks, even going so far as to audit the army's logistics.
They had also gone to great lengths to reassign a martial artist from the central city to the military. Ostensibly sent to assist with defense, this martial artist was actually tasked with keeping an eye on Shan Yuchuan to prevent him from taking any adverse actions during this period.
Yet all this "security" was premised entirely on the internal affairs of Great Shun. As for the former imperial household, even if they had exchanged certain mutual interests, they could never exert tight control over them.
After several hours of flight, the airship carrying Chen Chuan docked at a mooring tower on the outskirts of Anbei Dao's central city.
Once there, the two liaisons receiving him began transmitting telegraphs. After a while, a reply arrived. One of them read it, looked up, and said, "Mr. Chen, everything is normal so far.
"The former imperial army will launch an attack on our garrison after six in the evening. When that happens, the garrison will call for external reinforcements.
"All passages leading into the convergence zone from inside and outside the central city will be opened. So long as they hold our transit credentials, any martial artist—even those not belonging to Anbei Dao's central city—can enter. That is when we will make our way in."
Chen Chuan checked the time. It was four thirty in the afternoon. The hour would arrive soon enough, so he would simply wait.
Just then, an attendant wheeled over a dining cart, stopped before Chen Chuan, and lifted the cloches, revealing dishes of ingredients sourced from the convergence zone that radiated rich aromas.
One of the liaisons said respectfully, "Mr. Chen, this was specially prepared for you by our superiors."
Chen Chuan glanced over them and nodded. "Give them my thanks for their hospitality."
A clone could also accumulate nourishment through eating, but unlike ordinary clones, this purple qi clone of his could additionally channel down more power from the highest celestial sphere for its own use.
The two saluted him and left, leaving the cabin hall to him.
Once outside, the two liaisons suddenly saw a patrol airship approaching from the distance, transmitting a message demanding to board their vessel for an inspection.
By right, their official registration numbers, permits, and designated transport schedule exempted them from inspection, yet the other party produced a temporary authorization with an exceptionally firm attitude.
The two exchanged glances. Having anticipated such situations and prepared contingencies in advance, they calmly replied to the message and cooperated by slowing their speed.
Inside the cabin, Chen Chuan poured a cup of dew beverage and sipped it slowly, paying no mind to what was happening outside. He trusted that the two were more than capable of handling it.
Sure enough, barely ten minutes later, the inspectors departed, and the airship resumed its normal cruising speed.
At five fifty, the airship came to a halt at a mooring tower outside the city and submitted an application to enter the central city. This was merely a formality; they had no intention of actually entering. Once news of the outbreak of hostilities spread and the convergence zone passages opened, they would divert directly into the convergence zone from there.
By now, the sky had darkened. The sun had sunk below the horizon, leaving only a lingering trace of deep crimson. The lights on the mooring tower and inside the airship were fully illuminated.
Chen Chuan walked to the window. Mooring towers lined the ground below, each holding airships waiting to enter the city, while an array of glittering lights stretched across the plains into the distance—a magnificent sight.
Minutes and seconds slipped by. As the remaining light faded from the sky, the night winds outside gradually picked up.
The hands of his wristwatch finally reached six o'clock sharp.
All seemed quiet around them, but moments later, chimes and rings began sounding from telephones across the airship and across the internal boundary credential communication platform.
He tapped his boundary credential, and a voice came through from the other end, tinged with suppressed excitement: "Mr. Chen, we've received word! At five forty-seven, the former imperial household launched an attack against our convergence zone garrison.
"Intelligence indicates that several days ago, General of Chariots and Cavalry Wan Ke of the former imperial household inspected the front lines, and it is suspected he is involved in this offensive. Therefore, a distress signal has been transmitted to the external central city, and the entry passages have been opened to reinforcements!"
*It's finally here,* Chen Chuan thought.
Entering with a military request from the Anbei Dao garrison versus without one were two entirely different matters; with an official request in place, his entry was fully legitimate and compliant.
The central city might soon block the request and shut the passages down, but during this window, their entry would meet no obstacle whatsoever.
He spoke into the boundary credential: "Inform them that we have received the distress signal and are proceeding to provide support."
"Understood!"
The airship cast off from the mooring tower almost immediately, swinging around toward the convergence zone outside Anbei Dao's central city.
The guards near the mooring tower were caught completely off guard. They had just received orders from their superiors requiring all waiting airships to remain grounded where they were, forbidding any departures.
Seeing this airship break away from the tower, they immediately issued warnings and raised their guns, demanding that it return to its berth. Yet the airship ignored their warnings completely, transmitting back that they were en route to reinforce the front line, and that anyone obstructing them would be treated as a hostile target and attacked.
The mooring tower management was helpless. With the airship holding solid justification, they dared not actually open fire, leaving them no choice but to report the intelligence up the chain.
In barely five minutes, the airship reached the entrance to the convergence zone passage.
Chen Chuan disembarked there. A squad of armed personnel stationed at the site saluted him, escorted him through the inspection area, and smoothly boarded him onto the train waiting to depart for the convergence zone.
As the train's whistle sounded and the engine engaged, the armed squad remained locked in salute, watching the train pull away.
Seated in his compartment, Chen Chuan felt the rumbling vibrations of the train speeding forward and watched the scenery outside rapidly blur past.
The garrison had timed the enemy's attack with exceptional precision, and both the distress signal broadcast from the convergence zone and the opening of the passages had been executed promptly. It seemed the coordination among the various parties this time was remarkably well-handled.
As the train drew closer to the convergence zone terminus, faint tremors could be felt rippling through the subterranean section, accompanied by dull thuds echoing from afar and dust shaking loose from above.
A few minutes later, the train finally emerged from the long tunnel. The roar from outside abruptly sharpened, and the distant rumble of artillery fire could now be distinctly heard.
Night had fully fallen across the sky. A faint, eerie glow shimmered around the train—the protective esoteric ritual pre-installed on the carriages taking effect.
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Under normal circumstances, once darkness fell, the Great Shun garrison would pull back completely into its fortress, losing its ability to conduct regular offensive or reconnaissance operations.
Thus, it was "taken for granted" that Great Shun's forces could not have been the ones to launch an offensive. Estimating the enemy's attack on the higher side would hardly seem an exaggeration—a very reasonable setup.
Meanwhile, inside the Anbei Dao garrison's central fortress, Shan Yuchuan stood in full military uniform atop a platform, gazing sternly at the flashes of artillery bursting continuously in the distance.
Standing beside him was Nan Shuguang, a Refined Practice School martial artist from the central city. He said in a deep voice, "General Shan, though this offensive by the former imperial household looks substantial in scale, it lacks orderly coordination. It is very likely merely an unauthorized action by a few rogue commanders.
"The state is currently negotiating with the former imperial household. We must exercise restraint and patience; we cannot strike back on our own initiative."
Shan Yuchuan replied solemnly, "Mr. Nan, all I know is that beneath my feet lies the territory of Great Shun. When the enemy invades, I have no reason not to strike back.
"Furthermore, if I remember correctly, the state has never recognized the former dynasty as an equal nation. Thus, your reasoning does not stand."
Nan Shuguang turned toward him and said earnestly, "General Shan, you should understand why I was sent here. I will not let you proceed to the front line."
He strongly suspected that this was an incident staged by the garrison itself. No matter what, he had to stop Shan Yuchuan from reaching the front lines. As long as martial artists did not enter the fray, no matter how fiercely the troops fought ahead, there would be no fear of the situation escalating out of hand.
Shan Yuchuan turned toward him, his right hand gripping the hilt of the command sword at his side, his burning gaze fixed on Nan Shuguang. "You cannot stop me."
"General Shan is welcome to try,"
Nan Shuguang replied coldly, taking two steps back.
At that moment, two streaks of light suddenly tore through the distance, streaking at high speed toward the flank of the former imperial army.
Nan Shuguang was startled. "What is—"
Yet in the split second his focus wavered, Shan Yuchuan had already charged forward!
Chapter 1386