After a swift and discreet discussion, Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan turned back to Chen Chuan.
Since Chen Chuan felt it was improper for him alone to be designated to draw Chen Bitong's attention, they would simply leave the role unassigned for now and decide based on the specific circumstances when the moment arrived.
Once an opening emerged, any one of them would have to step forward to pin down Chen Bitong.
Having explained this, Nie Guanshan looked at him with an amiable expression, asking in a consultative tone, "Captain Chen, if there is anything else you find unsuitable, we can continue to adjust the plan."
Chen Chuan glanced at the two of them. Rather than pressing the issue, he responded straightforwardly, "All right, let's leave it at that."
Nie Guanshan seemed completely devoid of his previous aloofness and coldness, smiling as he said, "I'm glad we could reach an agreement. Then let us wait. If the people from the Operations Committee can bring down Chen Bitong, that would be ideal—it saves us some effort. If not, then we will have to step in."
At the same time, he extended his hand, appearing even friendlier than before. "Captain Chen, I hope we have a pleasant cooperation."
Chen Chuan shook his hand, then exchanged a handshake with Yang Shen as well. Seeing that neither of them intended to share any further intelligence, he did not linger, turning and walking toward the other side.
With the two of them occupying the vantage point, he could not get a direct view of the situation across that area, so he needed to find another position to observe.
Inwardly, however, he knew full well that neither of them had genuinely changed their original plan. Leaving things "to be decided by circumstances" was merely a pretense to placate and brush him off on the surface, or perhaps to ensure the post-mission report contained no obvious flaws.
In truth, his objection earlier had not stemmed from being expected to shoulder the brunt of the burden. That in itself was no big deal, as someone had to do it.
The core issue was that neither of them had explained the characteristics of their jin, nor had they discussed what to do in detail when the time came. They simply expected him to improvise on the spot.
If it had initially just been that they felt the difference in rank made detailed explanations unnecessary, the fact that their attitude remained unchanged even after he stated his post spoke volumes.
Furthermore, during the clash of fields and mental power moments ago, he had sensed no resolute determination or will from either man.
Therefore, he judged that their so-called plan was merely a tentative probe of feasibility. If it did not succeed, neither of them would commit whole-heartedly to executing it, and there was even a distinct possibility they might cut their losses and withdraw.
Yet none of this really mattered, so long as he secured initiative on the surface. To be honest, even if asked to fight Chen Bitong alone, he would not refuse; rather, he would welcome the chance with great anticipation.
He came to a stop at an observation spot and stood there, looking out into the distance.
Although the primary area was at least three kilometers away, with his exceptional vision, he could still clearly make out the scene currently unfolding in the field.
Chen Bitong was clashing with a figure in a black trench coat. Radiating outward from the two of them across a wide radius, there was not a trace of human life, nor even a single insect in flight—or rather, any flying bug that entered this perimeter perished instantly, likely the result of their intensely interlaced and colliding fields.
The two were not engaged in an unbroken exchange of blows. Instead, they would confront each other tensely for a moment, dart forward, trade a few rapid moves, and quickly pull back into another standoff, only to surge forward once more moments later.
Their moves were restrained and veiled, seemingly never landing with full, solid contact, yet invisible ripples subtly pulsed through the atmosphere with each encounter.
Chen Bitong appeared to remain on the defensive throughout, continually avoiding direct collisions with his opponent. Yet his foe also seemed hesitant to commit to an all-out offensive. Both sides proceeded with immense caution, creating none of the earth-shaking, spectacular impact one might have envisioned.
Not being present on the battlefield, Chen Chuan could not perceive the finer nuances directly. But judging strictly from what he could see, he believed this likely involved a contest of mental power.
Their seemingly slow confrontation was in fact a process of actively probing and discerning openings and weaknesses in each other's mind while trading blows.
Once he realized this, watching them again gave him an inexplicable sense of perilous danger.
Both men seemed to harbor an immense, surging power, tightly restrained and suppressed as each watched for the right moment to unleash it.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the field, Chen Bitong kept avoiding continuous physical contact with Old Hu. Old Hu's Severing Jin was extraordinarily lethal; back in their days on the pioneer team, Old Hu had been their strongest offensive striker, often entrusted with landing the finishing blow.
Once his jin was fully unleashed, unless one possessed specialized training in external conditioning, any part of the body could be severed and cleaved apart in an instant—and Chen Bitong was no exception.
Yet at their level, if one possessed a deep enough understanding of an adversary, mental power could be used to sense the opponent's intentions. Thus, during combat, the moment Old Hu showed the slightest sign of exerting power, Chen Bitong would instantly disengage before seeking his next opportunity.
Old Hu kept his gaze fixed intently on Chen Bitong. The reason he had been dispatched to deal with him was his deep familiarity with the man: Chen Bitong's habits, combat traits, style, and the jin he employed were all like the back of his hand to Old Hu.
After joining the provisional special committee, he had even studied Chen Bitong's psychology with the assistance of several experts. Consequently, prior to arriving, he had been reasonably confident in his ability to kill Chen Bitong.
Yet all that confidence had vanished the moment Chen Bitong revealed his ability to slip into the fissure to evade attacks. Just as Chen Bitong was wary of his Severing Jin, Old Hu was equally wary of that evasive trick and the String Void Jin Chen Bitong wielded.
Thus, he did not dare make a single superfluous move, taking every step with extreme care. Whoever showed an opening first might be exploited by the other, which was what had dragged the battle into this ongoing stalemate.
Given their stamina, continuing like this for days and nights on end would pose no problem.
However, Old Hu could not afford to drag this out for long, because he had come bearing a mission.
He did not know Chen Bitong's exact objective, yet a foreboding sense of danger constantly lingered in his mind, making him feel that stalling would inevitably lead to trouble.
One had to remember that the Operations Committee had blocked the Defense Department's people this time to take charge of this affair. Naturally, they were also responsible for dealing with both the fissure and the split sub-body.
The fissure had now remained open for nearly two hours without being properly resolved. It was easy to imagine that the Defense Department would surely exert pressure on Mr. Chu.
Even though no urging had come from the rear so far, he knew he could not delay any longer.
His gaze swept toward the fissure. One thing was certain now: the split sub-body was undoubtedly vital to Chen Bitong. If an attempt was made to seize it, Chen Bitong would be compelled to stop it, forcing him into a direct, frontal confrontation.
An opportunity had been lacking earlier because people had been traversing over in succession from the other side, and a disturbed fissure could not be used to reach the split sub-body's location. But no one had come through for a while now, so an attempt could finally be made to retrieve it.
Old Hu himself, however, had no intention of taking that risk personally.
He glanced at Yu Lie standing over there, knowing this was a planted piece. By this point, there was no longer any need to keep him hidden.
He transmitted via boundary credential: "Kid, stop hiding. Make your move!"
Yu Lie, stationed right before the fissure's entrance, received the transmission at once. Although he was reluctant to turn against a teammate fighting by his side while facing the threat of the former imperial house, the situation no longer allowed for hesitation.
Thus, he turned and threw a punch at Fang Zhixin, who was not far away. Yet this strike lacked resolve and decisiveness, coming out a fraction of a beat slower.
Fang Zhixin wheeled around and caught it cleanly, appearing completely prepared. Yu Lie was slightly startled. He raised his head. "You knew all along."
Fang Zhixin sighed. "I guessed as much." He would have preferred Yu Lie to reveal himself later, so he could at least help share the pressure coming from the other side.
Yu Lie gave a cold snort. Since things had come to this, words were useless—fighting was all that remained.
He threw two successive punches, both blocked with composure by Fang Zhixin. Having followed Chen Bitong for years, the latter had received much guidance, though his greatest forte lay not in hand-to-hand combat, but in the flexible sword.
Yu Lie knew that once Fang Zhixin deployed his flexible sword, its power was immense. Therefore, he lunged in for close-quarters infighting, pressing a furious flurry of attacks to deny him any chance to draw or wield the weapon.
While they were locked in combat, the mercenary squad over on that side also received Old Hu's order. They immediately surged forward to break through toward the fissure, with one among them carrying a split sub-body capture container like the one Chen Chuan had held previously.
However, as they charged forward, dense gunfire erupted from the tall buildings flanking both sides.
These were the dozens of men Chen Bitong had brought with him. Dispersed throughout the upper floors on either side, they could pour bullets downward with ease.
This location had clearly been selected with great care. There were firing positions on both flanks of the fissure, and behind it ran a river, which was likewise exposed within the field of fire. Flanking from behind was practically impossible; a frontal breakthrough was the only option.
The proper tactic would be to seize or neutralize the firing points on one side before launching a push. But the mercenary squad had neither the manpower nor the strength to scale buildings pre-fortified with defensive positions. They could only raise their riot shields to protect themselves, attempting to push through the center.
Pushing forward like this was dangerous, slow, and thoroughly inefficient, yet they had no alternative. The outer perimeter of this zone was heavily barricaded and lined with pre-dug trenches, making it impossible for armored vehicles to ferry them forward. For the moment, this was their only choice.
Mr. Chu had been watching the battle through binoculars all along. He understood Old Hu's intention: by attacking toward the fissure, Old Hu was trying to force Chen Bitong into engaging him head-on.
He therefore did not sit idle either. He ordered the personnel stationed here to immediately assault the tall buildings on both flanks, alleviating the pressure on the mercenary squad in the middle.
It just so happened that the additional mercenaries he had summoned earlier had also arrived. Instead of keeping them by his side, he sent them all surging forward at once.
In an instant, a massive force pushed into the area. Thunderous gunfire echoed incessantly across the ground, and the battlefield erupted into fierce, chaotic violence.
Chapter 548