Blockade

Chen Bitong fell silent for a moment before saying, "It seems we can finally have a proper talk, and this place happens to be just right." The two of them stood right along the dividing line between both sides, free from any worry that someone might interfere with or overhear their conversation. Chen Chuan said, "I'm listening." Chen Bitong looked at him with an earnest expression. "Captain Chen, you have a bright future ahead of you. I originally had no wish to drag you into this affair, but you have convinced me with your strength." He leaned back against his spear, gazing toward the expanse ahead within the fissure. "I guarded the Ring of the World for twenty years, and I've long lost count of how many incursions from the outside I repelled. In my younger years, I had a foul temper. I considered myself a man of principle; I was terribly harsh on my subordinates, refused to curry favor with dignitaries or superiors, and had poor relations with my peers. "Back then, I stubbornly believed that as a soldier, fulfilling my duty to defend was enough. "My two children adored me, so both of them enrolled in the military academy one after another. They were exceptionally talented, each breaking through to the third limit at the ages of eighteen and nineteen, graduating ahead of time to join the Defense Department and stand guard alongside me before the Ring of the World. "Only... they ended up falling in battle there as well." Chen Chuan said slowly, "I've heard about that." Chen Bitong fumbled inside his garments and pulled out two wooden carvings—a little swallow and a little tiger. "They gave these to me when they were five years old. The carvings represent their respective names." Chen Chuan cast a glance. Each bore two rows of small inscribed characters: 'Chen Xiaohu' and 'Chen Xiaoyan.' The animal figurines were full of childlike innocence, visibly carved by two pairs of tender young hands. Caressing the carvings, Chen Bitong said softly, "They hadn't suffered physical wounds back then; instead, they had been tainted by something from the opposite side. When I received word, I rushed to the rear. "The commanding officer there informed me that anyone infected by this taint would inevitably fall under the control of a certain entity on the other side. There was no known remedy, and there was even a possibility of infecting others. He hoped I would find a way to dispose of them as soon as possible, and if I couldn't bring myself to do it, the Defense Department could step in on my behalf." In a low, heavy voice, he continued, "When Xiaoyan and Xiaohu learned of this, they didn't want to see their father put in such an agonizing dilemma. So by the time I returned, they had left behind a letter and turned back toward the battlefield..." Chen Chuan said nothing, only listening in silence. "I still remember what the letter said: 'Dad, you've always been a hero in our hearts. We look up to you, and we're so proud of you. We hope you can be proud of us too.'" As Chen Bitong spoke, his eyes grew faintly moist. Taking a deep breath, he carefully tucked the wooden carvings back against his chest and gently pressed down on the spot. Even in the fiercest moments of battle just now, even when he seemed to have transformed into someone else entirely, he had not allowed the two carvings to sustain the slightest harm. Slumped back against his support, he murmured, "After I returned that time, I changed Xiaojing's name to Xiao Jin..." Here he paused, inhaled softly, and stiffly steered the conversation back on track. "During my subsequent years guarding the Ring of the World, I encountered many similar situations. Among them were quite a few comrades who had fought alongside me for years. The verdict handed down from the rear was always the same: dispose of them swiftly, or have overseers dispatched to supervise the execution. "And so, most squad members who contracted the taint entrusted their families to their comrades, then turned around and charged into the front lines. "We had always believed that was the proper way to handle it—until one day, a young officer who had accompanied high-ranking superiors to inspect the front also contracted the taint. The higher-ups did not dispose of him. Instead, they rushed him to the rear overnight for treatment. "Two months later, I saw him at a victory celebration. He was chatting and laughing merrily with others, and his rank had even been bumped up a grade. "I pulled strings to check his records. His supposed 'merit' turned out to be this very infection—claiming he had fought valiantly on the front line and nearly lost his life, when in reality, he hadn't even spent three hours there and hadn't stepped out of his vehicle once. "Only later did I learn that he was the son of a high-ranking official in the Defense Department, and his mother's family held an even more prestigious standing. "After that, I did some digging and learned through various channels that the infection wasn't completely incurable after all. What it required was special medication specifically approved by the higher-ups—medication hoarded by certain individuals, kept hidden from the ranks below, and used only to treat those they deemed worthy of saving." Chen Chuan spoke up. "So is what Teacher Chen is doing now an act of vengeance on behalf of your comrades and your children?" Chen Bitong shook his head, his voice deep and somber. "I have been a soldier my entire life. I have duties I must uphold. Xiaoyan and Xiaohu were soldiers as well; once you step onto the battlefield, you must be prepared to face whatever comes your way. I bear no hatred toward anyone for this, nor do I seek vengeance. "Besides, taking revenge on those people wouldn't truly solve the problem. "Yes, perhaps I could kill them all. Perhaps by throwing away my own life, I could drag down everyone who concealed the truth back then. But what good would that do? "After I and those people are dead, nothing will change because of my actions. The world will remain exactly as it was, and the same tragedies will keep happening." At this point, his voice grew deliberate, heavy, and resonant. "Only by making this change vast enough—vast enough to shake Center City, the whole of Great Shun, or even the entire world—will it carry any real meaning." Chen Chuan studied him, sensing that whatever this man was trying to pull off was extraordinarily consequential. "There are things in this world that ought to belong to everyone, yet a select few have used their power and influence to clutch them tightly in their grasp, turning them into their private domain." Chen Bitong raised his head. "Captain Chen, you already stand before the threshold leading to higher limits; you aren't far from it at all. But if you wish to shatter that barrier, aside from what I mentioned earlier—drawing power from the other side to cleanse and temper yourself—you actually require one more thing. "In the past, when the two worlds drew close to each other, whether during the Period of Flux or the Period of Cold Silence, such things were not difficult to find for old-era fighters who had reached the limit. "But times have changed." His tone was grave and solemn. "These things are now under a strict blockade. Aside from the world's great powers and mega-corporations, no individual has any means of acquiring them." Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Like special medicine?" Chen Bitong shook his head. "While special medicine is also strictly controlled, civil martial arts sects in the outside world can still acquire it as long as they hold access to a fissure. Furthermore, special medicine is hard currency among those in the third limit, so it circulates out there. "The thing I am speaking of, however, was blockaded behind the Ring of the World long ago by the great powers and mega-corporations. Not a single trace of it is allowed to leak out. "Nowadays, unless they possess a legacy left behind by past generations, civil sects and small nations can virtually never obtain it without the approval and permission of the great powers' governments and the mega-corporations. "Unless they try to sneak around the Ring of the World—but the risk is astronomical. The Ring of the World has a dedicated joint force tasked with hunting down and eradicating anyone who tries." Chen Chuan considered this. The matter unquestionably concerned him directly, so he asked, "What is the rationale used by these nations and corporations to seal such things away?" "The regulation of such things began during the era of the Grand Alliance. At the time, it was believed that martial artists possessed immense destructive power and each had to be evaluated and constrained. That way, the world would be spared major turmoil, and anyone who became a martial artist in the future could be integrated into the ranks battling the other world. "Perhaps that really was the original intent. But after all these years, access has long fallen into the hands of a small faction of vested interests. They have woven a vast web. Anyone outside their circle can only obtain their handouts by signing harsh, exploitative treaties and agreements. "Things cannot be allowed to go on like this!" Gazing toward the expanse outside the fissure, he said in a heavy voice, "What I intend to do today is shatter that blockade—or at the very least, tear an opening in that seal so those things spill out, giving more people the opportunity to obtain them." Chen Chuan fell quiet for a moment, then asked, "By using the fissure?" "Yes, the fissure!" Chen Bitong nodded. "And not just that—there's also the split sub-body. The split sub-body can help us cross through the already breached Ring of the World and connect to where those things reside. Handled properly, once it succeeds, many will no longer be bound by those constraints, and far greater changes will follow." Chen Chuan pondered the thought. He did not know how powerful fighters of higher limits truly were, but judging even from the brief display Chen Bitong had shown, he could well imagine what kind of destructive might they wielded. Even just one or two more such figures would possess the potential to alter the balance of power across an entire region. Yet he also felt there were still things Chen Bitong had left unsaid. Just as he was about to ask further, his senses suddenly caught something. He glanced outside the fissure; someone was about to emerge, and the newcomer faintly gave off a sense of threat. It seemed whoever was arriving this time was no ordinary opponent. He shifted his gaze toward the other side, noticing his Xuejun Saber embedded in the ground; the expanding fissure had engulfed the blade along with everything else. Walking over, he took hold of the hilt and drew it out. Although the saber had yet to reawaken, it would suffice for handling the present situation. He cast another glance at Chen Bitong. "So, Teacher Chen, was it you who opened the breach in the Ring of the World?" Chen Bitong fell silent for a moment before answering, "I would never have taken the initiative to do such a thing, but I admit... I didn't stop it in time." Chen Chuan stepped forward, saber in hand, facing the path ahead in the fissure. Once he had settled into his stance, he turned his head slightly and asked, "By the way, what is that thing called?" "Nowadays, we call it 'pure substance.'" Chen Bitong said, "What it was called in the past, I do not know—because its true name has long been erased from the archives and most records."