Threat

"So he's Martial Uncle Cheng's student." The man sighed with emotion. Cheng Zitong had walked away from Center City, yet the student he trained had returned here and defeated the most formidable peer of their generation. Could it be that his choice back then hadn't really been wrong after all? He glanced back. Some of the older people in the arena knew all about what had happened back then. Many had said nothing on the surface, but privately they had looked down on Cheng Zitong's choice and even held him up as a negative example before the younger generation. But now... He gave a slight smile. It seemed few would bring that up again anytime soon, lest they slap themselves in the face. Xiao Jing, beside him, cared nothing for all that. She only watched worriedly in the direction where Liu Yin had fallen. She truly hadn't expected Liu Yin to lose, let alone so quickly. She muttered inwardly, *Next time I must tell Big Brother Liu Yin never to stand on the west side when fighting someone!* As for the other young people in the arena, their feelings weren't as deep as those of their elders, but every one of them felt frustrated and stifled. More than anything, they were bewildered: what kind of jin technique had Chen Chuan actually used? Why was his speed suddenly able to surge so fast midway through? Why was he so overwhelmingly strong during the collision? Because in the early stages of cultivation, the amount of mutated tissue a fighter could utilize could not possibly be extensive, forcing them to focus in a single direction. Chen Chuan's performance struck them as utterly unbelievable. Several disciples couldn't figure it out and couldn't resist going over to Sister Bai to ask for guidance. Sister Bai thought for a moment before speaking. "His mutated tissue must cover a broader area, allowing him to use various moves. My guess is that his true forte is the sanshou he showed at the very end. The grappling throws and seizing techniques he used earlier were timed precisely for the right moments—it's quite likely he only knows those few tricks. "His purpose in doing so was likely to make you think he specialized in those two techniques, causing you to misjudge your tactical responses. As it turned out, his strategy worked very well." Sitting in a chair with his chest still feeling tight, Liu Yin listened silently to her explanation. In his heart, he was genuinely convinced. He had been completely fooled just now as well; this person had truly taught him a lesson. When the young people heard this, understanding finally dawned on them. *So he was acting all along to fool us?* Someone said indignantly, "How cunning!" Sister Bai said very seriously, "Employing tactical strategy in combat is completely normal. Not to mention he was taking on so many of us alone; arranging things this way was the right approach—it shows he has a brain. You all should learn from this instead of acting blindly reckless. Real combat won't give you opportunities to make mistakes." Meanwhile, outside, Ni Xixi, driving her red sports car, said, "Brother Chen, that last move was pretty slick. You really didn't hold back, did you? By the way, how did you pull that off?" She was very curious: during those final collisions, how had he managed to remain rooted to the spot and turn around to blast Liu Yin away? On the surface, the gap between the two shouldn't have been that wide. "That? Well, I learned a few things recently from an instructor recommended by the Bureau. It really came in handy..." In the end, Chen Chuan had not relied on his Second Self. What he used was the force-dispersion method taught to him by Instructor Zheng, and the key factor was that he could mobilize more mutated tissue than his opponent. When one portion of mutated tissue was temporarily unable to move while dispersing force, another portion could propel him forward. By the time that portion was exhausted, the first had already recovered, allowing seamless alternation and continuation. In truth, this was also because his sinews, bones, and internal organs had recently been strengthened to a certain degree. Otherwise, even if he could pull off such a technique, it might have torn his tendons or strained his internal organs excessively. Of course, with his Second Self, he didn't strictly need to worry about that for the time being, but he truly hadn't relied on it just now. "Looks like the Bureau will have to bump up your evaluation again." As the car accelerated, Ni Xixi pulled down her goggles. "I'll transfer the payment for this job to your account once we're back, and you might receive an extra item as well, so remember to check for it. Hmm, interested in another round sometime? "You don't have to worry about hurting them. The harder you hit, the more satisfied those old fellows will be. I can tell they're itching for a rematch—how about weapons next time?" Chen Chuan said, "Let's find an opportunity next time. Sister Ni, what was that matter you mentioned earlier?" Ni Xixi's expression grew serious. "An emergency came up less than five kilometers from here. A violent incident broke out in a well-known martial arts gym. The details aren't clear yet, but there seem to be heavy casualties. The city patrol is already on the scene, and the Bureau needs us to go over and investigate." Chen Chuan understood. Matters involving fighters of this caliber fell under the Disposal Bureau's jurisdiction. As they happened to be the closest and had the strength to handle it, they were dispatched to inspect the situation. Even as they spoke, information gathered by the patrol team had already arrived on their boundary credentials. Judging from the images, the scene was horrific: broken limbs, cracked skulls, caved-in chests, and even spinal implants forcibly ripped out. Below was a brief analysis from the patrol: there appeared to be only one perpetrator, a formidable fighter who entered through the front door and pushed straight inward. Everyone encountered along the way was killed, each felled in a single fatal strike. The perpetrator stole nothing and showed no signs of hesitating along the path. It was suspected to be a vendetta, though the possibility of a sufferer of functional disorder syndrome could not be ruled out. After all, when that syndrome flared up, a person was capable of any irrational act. Chen Chuan gazed at the wounds on the corpses. Every single victim had been killed by blunt instruments and crushing blows, giving him an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Within two minutes, the car arrived at the scene. The two stepped out. Though it was not yet noon, the sky was overcast, looking as if rain were imminent. The surrounding city patrol looked toward them, and after confirming their identities through boundary credential scans, removed the barrier cordons ahead. Chen Chuan glanced around. This martial arts gym was a relatively standalone building, the nearest house being over fifty meters away on the opposite side of the street. At that moment, a holographic light-box projection visible via boundary credential displayed two fighters dueling, roaring with explosive ferocity. As one collapsed, four characters popped up—"Zhenyi Combat"—the massive, ink-brushed characters leaping into view one after another with immense visual impact. The two walked directly through the front entrance and surveyed the bodies marked out by the patrol. They already knew from the transmitted data that there were thirty-five victims in total. Apart from the gym owner and his son, visiting friends, disciples, and hired cleaning staff, the dead included seven security personnel. Although it was a martial arts school, such a vast facility and the property within still required protection. After looking around, Ni Xixi said, "Information queries show this happened half an hour ago. When it occurred, only the gym owner's younger son wasn't here, which allowed him to escape." Chen Chuan asked, "Where is he now?" "The kid is at the Hell Chain Bar. We've notified him, but he hasn't responded yet. Today's a day off, so he's probably partying hard." Ni Xixi seemed to be communicating with someone else. After a moment, her expression turned dead serious, and she said to Chen Chuan, "The Bureau's jin profile comparison came back. There's over an eighty percent chance the culprit is Wei Wusheng." "Wei Wusheng, is it..." Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly; he had felt that inexplicable sense of familiarity earlier. Ni Xixi said, "There was field interference here earlier, and no one saw Wei Wusheng enter or leave. A resonator must be backing him and wiping away his tracks. It's going to be very hard to trace where he went now." Chen Chuan turned the thought over. Wei Wusheng probably wasn't trying to cover up his guilt; he was already a wanted criminal, and one more crime made no difference. It was likely just to conceal his movements. The question, then, was why: would this man take the risk of stepping out at this juncture just to slaughter this martial arts gym? He asked, "Did Wei Wusheng have a grudge against this gym?" "Possibly," Ni Xixi said. "Let me look it up... Hmm, people from this gym had a clash with the Tianshu Gang ten years ago. It's not impossible for a ten-year grudge to resurface today, but why not earlier, why not later? Why do it right while being actively hunted? Is he just throwing caution to the wind?" Chen Chuan, however, considered another possibility. "Sister Ni, did anyone from this gym board the Rhino Horn cruise ship recently?" Ni Xixi immediately had colleagues at the Bureau check the records. A moment later, she got the results. "You're right. The gym owner's eldest son was on the cruise ship that day, and he was watching the matches in the arena." She turned to look at Chen Chuan. "Brother Chen, I read the report you submitted. As for Wei Wusheng's supposed 'heart's intent,' the Bureau doesn't have a definitive conclusion yet. "But if Wei Wusheng has an obsession regarding what happened back then, what we see today might only be the beginning. He might come after you as well. You need to be careful." Chen Chuan nodded. It was indeed possible, but he felt no fear. Moreover, he had a hunch that Wei Wusheng wouldn't come looking for him just yet. If Wei Wusheng truly intended to deal with him, he wouldn't have exposed himself first by killing these people, as that would only put Chen Chuan on guard. Yet just because he wasn't afraid didn't mean others weren't in danger. He walked off to the side and used his boundary credential to contact Tan Zhi, Pan Xiaode, and Qi Huixin, warning them to be careful lately. They had been present that day as well; if Wei Wusheng had the chance, he might very well target them too. When he returned, Ni Xixi looked out at the increasingly overcast sky, frowned, and said, "There were far too many fighters on the ship back then. There's no way we could protect them all, nor would they accept it. We can only leave them to look out for themselves. The best solution is to capture Wei Wusheng ahead of time... Huh?" She paused mid-sentence as another communication seemingly came in, and she listened for a bit. Once it ended, she looked up at Chen Chuan. "There's something I need to tell you. The school administration just held a meeting. Since I was out in the field, I had an assistant sit in, and she just informed me..." She paused briefly, then said, "Assistant to the Principal Ling Jianxing made a proposal at the meeting: students whose third limit evaluation is below fifty percent should be sent to the combat tournaments hosted by the academy to serve as instructor trainees."