Ying Continent

After about two minutes, Ding Mai pushed aside the people around him, stood up from the floor, and looked at Chen Chuan. Even though Chen Chuan had knocked him down, he showed no trace of resentment or bitterness. Instead, a look of genuine admiration crossed his face. Striding up to Chen Chuan, he called out loudly, "Captain Chen, you really are formidable! Old Ding here is thoroughly convinced!" There was no shame in losing to an opponent. The real shame lay in being unable to face an opponent honestly, doing nothing but making excuses for oneself. If a man couldn't even overcome that mental hurdle within himself, how could he ever hope to beat his opponent? There was simply no sense in that. The onlookers also felt Chen Chuan had won with remarkable poise and mastery. Taking on Ding Mai head-on was no small feat; those who had sparred with Ding Mai or seen him fight had never witnessed such an uncompromising, unyielding combat style. Not just Ding Mai, even they were thoroughly impressed. Over to the side, the teenage boy ran over to the training doll, looking it over again and again, casting glances back at Chen Chuan from time to time, his eyes alight with excitement. At that moment, Fang Zhixin seemed to receive a message. He nodded toward Chen Chuan, stepped aside, and spoke a few words into his boundary credential. After a moment, he returned and addressed the crowd, "I'm sorry, everyone. Teacher Chen was invited as a guest to Speaker Quan's home today, so he won't be able to make it." The crowd didn't react strongly; they seemed to have anticipated this possibility. Only the boy nearby showed a look of disappointment. Fang Zhixin said with a smile, "Even though Teacher Chen couldn't come today, everyone here is an outstanding talent who received an invitation. There's a bar downstairs—how about we go have a drink? It's on me." Everyone present voiced their enthusiastic agreement. Chen Chuan glanced around. While he was sparring with Ding Mai, about a dozen more people had arrived in trickles. Right now, there were just under thirty people in the training hall, mostly young military officers, along with several whose family backgrounds were clearly quite extraordinary. Although he hadn't seen Chen Bitong, he didn't plan on leaving right away. He would undoubtedly have to deal with people from this circle in the future, so he could take this chance to get acquainted. Just then, Fang Zhixin came over specifically to invite him. "Captain Chen, do you have any official duties right now? Why not come along?" Ding Mai stepped up as well and chimed in, "Yeah, Old Ding here respects Captain Chen! Captain Chen's tab this time is entirely on me!" He then turned to Fang Zhixin and added, "Don't you go trying to fight me for the bill." Fang Zhixin smiled and led the way toward the elevator, taking everyone downstairs. As Chen Chuan walked away, he looked back and saw the boy returning somewhat dejectedly to the center of the floor, practicing his punches all by himself. He withdrew his gaze and left with the others. The group arrived on the tenth floor. Sure enough, there was an expansive bar decorated in an elegant style. It was only a little past ten in the morning, so there were barely any patrons yet. The influx of their group occupied merely one corner. It was evident that people had their own cliques, gathering in groups of twos and threes. Chen Chuan sat at a table with Ding Mai and Fang Zhixin. A server promptly began serving drinks. Fighters from Wuyi generally refrained from alcohol, but those from the military had no such taboo, except while actively on duty. Someone familiar with the venue ordered songs, and music began playing over the dance floor. A dozen or so singers and dancers bearing decorative implants filed in, singing and dancing to the lively tempo. The officers applauded at once, yet none whistled or engaged in rowdy catcalls. Each sat upright, clearly demonstrating that most were well-educated and maintained a conservative demeanor. Chen Chuan ordered a soft drink. After listening through one song, he joined in the applause, then turned to Ding Mai and inquired, "The jin technique Officer Ding used earlier—is it one passed down from abroad?" Fang Zhixin smiled. Ding Mai chuckled as well. He gulped down a mouthful of liquor and said, "Every time someone sees me use this technique, they ask the same thing. The name of my jin technique is 'El-Tael.' Translated from the tongue of the Ying Continent, it means 'Breath of Steel Stone.'" "The Ying Continent?" Chen Chuan asked, "The Linax Federation?" The Ying Continent was the land's name before the founding of the Linax Federation. In the old era, that continent had exchanged diplomatic envoys with the old empire. Historical records referred to its inhabitants as the people of the Ying Continent, though the locals referred to themselves as the 'First Clan.' Ding Mai took another drink, set down his glass, and said, "Captain Chen, have you heard of 'Clay Cup Day'?" Chen Chuan thought back and said, "I think I've heard of it. Supposedly, when the Linax Federation was founded, they invited the old people of Yingzhou to raise a clay cup together, drinking of the light and water to share the mountains and the earth from then on. It's still celebrated as a famous festival today." "That's just the Linax Federation's version of the story." Ding Mai's expression turned disdainful. "The truth is that when the Linax Federation was established, they invited the First People—who had taught them their ancient secret art heritages—to co-found the nation. But they were turned down. Even so, out of mutual courtesy and respect, several highly venerated high-ranking religious figures still attended the founding ceremony. "According to the ancient rites of the First Clan, both sides were to jointly hold up a clay cup fashioned from the soil of the earth, the water of snowcapped mountains, the stone of the peaks, and the light of the sun, signifying reconciliation and sharing. "Yet as one of the religious leaders raised the cup, it suddenly shattered. The Linax Federation immediately seized on this to make trouble, claiming the First People were humiliating them. They turned hostile on the spot, arrested those prominent religious figures, and threatened to launch a war. "To rescue their leaders and avert a war, the First People negotiated repeatedly. In the end, the Linax Federation demanded twenty lineages of ancient martial heritages. "After extensive deliberation among the various nations of the First People, they finally agreed to those terms." Speaking up to this point, Ding Mai's voice grew low, tinged with helpless frustration and indignation, as if lamenting their lack of resolve. Chen Chuan said, "When it came to such core heritages, did the people of the Ying Continent really yield so easily?" From the side, Fang Zhixin explained, "Because prior to the founding of the Linax Federation, they had fought a protracted war against the people of the Ying Continent. The nations of the First People were pushed to the brink of collapse. If not for occasional aid from the former imperial house, they wouldn't have even held on by that last thread. "And once the Last Emperor ascended the throne, he fought several consecutive wars to the west, never sparing a single glance across the ocean toward Yingzhou." Ding Mai took another swig, set his glass down heavily, wiped his mouth, and said, "In the end, the First People surrendered the highest ancient arts—the lineages of the Sun, the Mountain, and the Raging River—to the Linax Federation. "Only the lineage of the Earth heritage adamantly refused. They crossed the vast ocean to the former imperial house and voluntarily presented their secret art heritage of the Earth lineage, which was subsequently kept in the former imperial house's collection. "And after the people of the Linax Federation obtained the secret arts, to show they hadn't taken them for nothing, they gave the First People a pair of leather boots, a porcelain bowl, and a magnifying glass as payment, declaring eternal friendship between them. "Yet barely twenty years later, the Linax Federation tore up the agreement. On the pretext that the First People hadn't handed over all the secret arts and had deceived them, they invaded the last remaining territory of the First People. They tore down the religious altars, slaughtered all the religious clergy, massacred vast numbers of the First People, and turned the survivors into slaves. "At that time, it happened to coincide with the Renzi Palace Turmoil. The imperial princes took turns seizing the stage, entirely lacking the time or interest to intervene in affairs across the ocean. "Meanwhile, the old empire had its own secret martial arts passed down, more than enough for its own people to practice, so it paid no special attention to the Earth heritage and eventually even forgot about it. Later, after the old era was overthrown, the government recovered the complete collection and promoted it among the descendants of the First People." Ding Mai let out a heavy breath and said, "The reason I studied these jin techniques is that I carry Yingzhou blood. My great-grandmother was once a high priestess of the Earth lineage. But by her time, the complete heritage was no longer in her hands. Later, someone in the military found me and taught it to me. "And my dream is to one day reclaim all the stolen secret arts." He smiled faintly. "Perhaps Captain Chen thinks I'm overestimating myself, but these are my true feelings." Chen Chuan replied, "It's not overestimating yourself. Walking resolutely toward a goal and striving step by step to achieve it—regardless of whether it's realized—is an effort worthy of praise. Besides, who can say what the future holds? Perhaps Officer Ding will realize that wish one day." Fang Zhixin raised his glass with a smile. "Then let me propose a toast to Brother Ding, and to Captain Chen as well. May both of you achieve the desires of your hearts." "Cheers!" The three tapped their glasses together and drank. After finishing his drink, Fang Zhixin asked with a smile, "Captain Chen, earlier I saw you giving pointers to Xiao Jin?" Chen Chuan said, "Assistant Fang, do you mean that boy in the training hall?" Fang Zhixin nodded. "That's right, Xiao Jin. He's Teacher Chen's youngest son." Chen Chuan was slightly surprised. Chen Bitong was called 'Teacher' precisely because he had trained many outstanding students. Yet if Xiao Jin was his son, why did the boy appear as though he had never received proper martial instruction? Fang Zhixin sighed at this point and said, "Teacher Chen guarded the Ring of the World for over twenty years. He had another son and a daughter, both of whom fell on the front lines. Did you know about this, Captain Chen?" Chen Chuan nodded slightly. "I've heard of it." He had reviewed Chen Bitong's file earlier and knew of this fact. Setting aside whether Chen Bitong was an undercover mole or not, this fact alone commanded respect and sympathy. Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "Is it because of what happened before that Teacher Chen doesn't want his youngest son walking down this path as well?" Fang Zhixin shook his head. "It's not that. Teacher Chen harbors no such selfish motives. He treats everyone equally—whether his own children or his students." He let out a quiet sigh. "If only he had been willing to look out for Senior Brother and Senior Sister just a little back then instead of assigning them to perilous missions, things might not have turned out that way." At this time, another musical performance began on the stage. The melody this time was softer and more soothing. Quite a few officers stepped down and politely invited several dancers to dance. He glanced over and, seeing that neither Chen Chuan nor Ding Mai intended to hit the dance floor, continued, "The real reason is actually that Xiao Jin didn't possess talent from a young age like his older brother and sister." Chen Chuan said slowly, "Is that so? I, for one, think Xiao Jin isn't bad at all."