The Confluence

With Old Qi taken care of, Chen Chuan returned to his academy dormitory and drafted a report for the Disposal Bureau. Although he was certain there were no issues with the esoteric cult materials he had used himself, it was hard to say the same for the items Hao Zhuo had sold to others. They had likely traced their way to Old Qi because Old Qi was a frequent customer—not just a regular patron, but an acquaintance, leaving clues that could be followed. However, there was no guarantee regarding the materials sold to others, especially with an organization like the Plague Gang involved—a syndicate entangled with an evil cult. It was impossible to tell whether it might trigger further trouble. After submitting the report, he continued his preparations before departing. In particular, he made sure to pack certain special medicines; even on a mission, he could not neglect his martial cultivation. While standard medicines would likely be issued there or at least available for purchase, he still brought some of his own. As for equipment, he prepared several sets of his usual clothing, wiped down and serviced his firearms and long and short blades before stowing them in their cases, and also packed a tin of tea leaves. While getting ready, a chime sounded. He glanced over and saw that he had received a voice message from Qingnang Jade Workshop. Because he had once served as a drug tester, they still sent promotional advertisements for various medicinal products every once in a while, accompanied by persistent invitations. At first, it had been Supervisor Fan trying to recruit him, but after seeing that he never replied, the messages were delegated to subordinate employees. He had not blocked their communications; with a major corporation like that, there might still be opportunities to collaborate in the future. For now, however, he had no interest, so he casually swiped the notification away. After resting for another day, Officer Ji did not send word until the afternoon: "Enforcement Officer Chen, if you are ready, please report to the Disposal Bureau now." Chen Chuan replied, "I'll be right there." He packed everything into cases, left the dormitory, and drove straight to the Disposal Bureau. Officer Ji was waiting for him. Leading him into the same conference hall as before, Chen Chuan found a genial-looking man in uniform with a small mustache waiting inside, accompanied by someone who appeared to be an assistant. Officer Ji introduced him: "This is Counselor Pei from the Defense Department Jibei Circuit Command." Counselor Pei stepped forward enthusiastically and shook Chen Chuan's hand. "Welcome, Enforcement Officer Chen! We warmly welcome outstanding young talents like you into our defense forces." Chen Chuan greeted him politely, "A pleasure to meet you, Counselor Pei." After greeting him, Counselor Pei's expression turned serious. "Enforcement Officer Chen, in light of your joining us, your rank is automatically promoted by one grade according to our Command's regulations. Therefore, I formally notify you that you are now a first-class enforcement officer under our Command. Your uniform, sidearm, and standard sword will all be issued to you once we arrive at the Command's subordinate military garrison." Chen Chuan saw information pop up on his boundary credential, rapidly updating to change his designation from second-class to first-class enforcement officer. He said, "Thank you, Commander Pei." A rank like this, if placed in a local jurisdiction, was equivalent to a deputy director of the constabulary. Within the administrative system, a lateral transfer could place him directly into such a powerful executive enforcement agency. However, that was only in theory. In practice, very few third limit fighters were willing to take local postings, where resources were scarce and restrictions heavy. At the Command, someone of his rank was already qualified to lead a squad independently, with the squad's core force comprising at least two third limit fighters. Beyond that was the rank of enforcement captain, who could oversee two to three squads. Counselor Pei checked his boundary credential and said, "It will take some time to reach the defense zone. Enforcement Officer Chen, let's talk as we go." He led the way forward. Chen Chuan walked out alongside the assistant. Outside, they stepped into an elevator. The assistant pressed two digits, and the cab began descending. Chen Chuan's thoughts stirred. This conference room was already underground, and now they were continuing downward. Were they heading to the Lower District? On second thought, although the Lower District was by no means small, it was actually composed of isolated, scattered enclaves connected by tunnels rather than a hollowed-out expanse. Most of the undeveloped subterranean spaces were likely still firmly controlled by the Upper District. This was true not only of the government, but presumably of the major corporations as well. The elevator did not display specific floor numbers as it descended, but it ground to a halt after about half a minute. The doors parted to both sides. The assistant stepped aside, and Counselor Pei and Chen Chuan walked out together. Before them lay an underground station, where a train consisting of just three carriages was parked. Under the glow of the tunnel lights, the rails on either end stretched into depths beyond what the eye could see. Several guards were stationed here as well. Seeing them approach, they lowered their weapons and snapped crisp salutes. Commander Pei checked the time again and murmured, "Just right." Turning back, he said, "Enforcement Officer Chen, follow me." Chen Chuan took a look around, nodded, and followed him into the first carriage. Inside, the surroundings proved remarkably refined. The walls were lined with intricately carved decorative paneling, the seats were genuine leather couches, and a thick carpet was laid across the floor. After inviting Chen Chuan to sit, Counselor Pei took his seat as well and instructed the assistant to brew two cups of tea. "The passage to the defense zone opens only during two windows each day: five in the morning and five in the evening. If you miss them, you have to wait until the next day." The assistant brought over the tea just as the train beneath them began to glide forward smoothly. Counselor Pei lifted his tea and said courteously, "During your participation in the defense mission, Enforcement Officer Chen, you will be formally assigned to our Command. Specific operations will be briefed once we arrive." Chen Chuan nodded. Since he had not yet entered active defense service, much of the information was not disclosed to him; he would only learn it once he was there. After the train had traveled for about seven or eight minutes, Counselor Pei glanced at his wristwatch and said, "Just ahead." Right as he spoke, the view ahead suddenly grew brilliant, as if they had burst out of the tunnel into an expansive open terrain. Chen Chuan looked outside. Was this... outside Center City? No! He looked back over his shoulder. Behind them stretched an endless plain, with the dark silhouettes of mountain ranges in the far distance. There was not a trace of Center City, and even the terrain and geography were entirely different. The train was traveling along an extensive railway. The nearby ground seemed ordinary enough, but looking out through the side windows, the horizon was blanketed in dense dark clouds, through which an occasional flash of lightning flickered. Counselor Pei smiled. "We have entered the Confluence." He paused a moment before continuing, "Officer Ji should have mentioned this to you, Enforcement Officer Chen. "Every Center City is an intersection at the foremost edge of the two worlds. Through these intersections, one can enter the Confluence—the buffer zone between the two worlds. "It is a vast expanse whose boundaries we have never managed to find. Many theories have been proposed regarding this place..." He lifted his teacup and gestured outside. "The most common belief is that it formed naturally from the collision of the two worlds. But others believe it was formed from the land and space torn away from our world by the other side during past Periods of Flux." At this point, he took a sip of tea and smiled. "There is an even bolder hypothesis: that the collision of worlds does not involve only ours, but many worlds converging toward a single place. In the end, a brand-new world will form, and our world will be swallowed into it as well." His tone turned slightly more solemn. "Regardless of which theory is correct, verifying them is the job of theorists and technicians. What we must do is eliminate destabilizing factors before anything happens, ensuring that the barrier known as the Ring of the World remains secure." Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Counselor Pei set down his teacup and continued, "The passage to the Confluence opens only for two brief windows each day; at all other times, it remains sealed. This is to ensure as best we can that our world is not infiltrated. Because each time a transit takes place, we cross over, but it can also allow certain things to slip through to our side." Chen Chuan glanced out the window. Without him noticing, mist had risen behind them, shrouding the section of track they had just traversed in thick fog, as if obliterating the way they had come. He asked, "Those entities?" Counselor Pei shook his head. "Not entirely. We still cannot fully determine what slips through, but there is always something." He said seriously, "That is why we must minimize transit frequency as much as possible. For that same reason, some of the Command's units and personnel are stationed here permanently. Naturally, we offer generous compensation to those stationed here." He chuckled. "However, since you have just arrived, Enforcement Officer Chen, you can familiarize yourself with the situation first before deciding how you wish to proceed." Chen Chuan looked at his boundary credential. It seemed to retain its communication functions, though he could no longer reach contacts back in Center City. He asked, "The boundary credentials still work here?" Counselor Pei replied, "We have established field organism relay points in the vicinity. While they lack an expansive field like Fumu's, within the range of these relay points, basic communication functions can be maintained." As he spoke, he tapped his interface, and Chen Chuan immediately received a contact request, which he added to his list. Right at that moment, Chen Chuan inadvertently caught sight of a mountain along the horizon that seemed to shift. Yet when he looked again, everything appeared completely normal, as if it had been nothing more than a trick of the light. Yet he knew such lapses did not happen to him. Perhaps because they were close to the world across the threshold, anomalies like this were manifesting again? He gazed outside for a long time. The place was desolate and eerie, seemingly harboring countless unfathomable secrets. After the train had traveled for over an hour, snowflakes began drifting down from the sky. Heavy, dark clouds massed overhead, turning the vast expanse of sky ever gloomier. Counselor Pei spoke up: "We have arrived." Chen Chuan could see a fortified stronghold constructed along the mountain slope. In the exposed sections, searchlights atop massive guard towers beamed through the driving wind and snow. When the two stepped off the train, a gust of wind swept past, swirling with snowflakes. Counselor Pei had clearly come well-prepared, dressed in thick layers of heavy clothing. Chen Chuan felt only a slight chill, akin to pushing open a window to draw a breath of fresh air after being cooped up indoors for too long; if anything, it invigorated his spirits. Counselor Pei drew his coat tighter around himself and remarked in a half-joking tone, "No matter how many times I see it, I can't help feeling a bit envious. Let's head inside first." After completing strict entry protocols, the metal gate in front of them rose, and the three stepped into the fortress. Chen Chuan asked, "Counselor Pei, what are we defending against here?" Counselor Pei asked, "Remember the theories I mentioned earlier, Enforcement Officer Chen?" Chen Chuan nodded. "We are not the only ones in this zone; there are other creatures as well. According to one theory, they might be remnants from other ancient worlds, or perhaps entities that once existed in our own. Well, there is no definitive conclusion for now." Counselor Pei glanced back toward the outside, where the heavy fortress gate was slowly descending from above. He said softly, "And they are not friendly toward us in the least."