Instruction

At Longhu Station, a loud arrival bell echoed across the platform as a passenger train rolled in and slowly came to a halt. Chen Chuan stood waiting alongside Chang Dong and Gao Yanjun. Chang Dong checked the train number, then glanced at his wristwatch. "That's the one. Right on schedule." The train doors slid open, and passengers carrying bags and luggage began streaming out. Most were able-bodied young men and women, disembarking swiftly. Chang Dong kept his eyes peeled on the crowd. After a moment, he spotted Mr. Zhuan stepping down from a carriage with a briefcase in hand. A wave of relief washed over Chang Dong, and a smile broke across his face as he waved. "Over here!" Chen Chuan nodded, thinking to himself that having Mr. Zhuan travel by train had indeed been the right move. With people escorting him both when boarding and disembarking, that way... well, hmm. He stepped forward with Chang Dong and Gao Yanjun. "Mr. Zhuan?" The moment Mr. Zhuan caught sight of them, he promptly turned his back. When he turned back around, the familiar mask was already firmly on his face. In an instant, his dull, wooden demeanor vanished, replaced by an air of mature wisdom, cheerful confidence, and easy sociability. He smiled and said, "Greetings, you three." He stepped forward and shook hands with each of them in turn. Chang Dong said warmly, "Mr. Zhuan, please, this way to the car. We'll head to our temporary base first." If a martial artist were to enter Center City, their presence would cause ripples across various factions. That was doubly true right now, during such a sensitive period. As such, any discussions had to be arranged outside the city limits for the time being. The industrial district had no shortage of warehouses, factories, and unoccupied structures. Having learned of Mr. Zhuan's impending arrival via telegram early on, Chang Dong had purchased a small warehouse here and stocked it with daily necessities, turning it into a discreet safehouse outside the city. Chang Dong took the wheel himself. After just ten minutes on the road, they pulled up outside a secluded warehouse. As the car stopped before the entrance, a few stray cats sunbathing near the door yowled softly and leaped onto the heights of an adjacent building. Tucking his briefcase under his arm, Chang Dong walked up, produced a key, and unlocked the warehouse door. A cloud of dust billowed out as he pulled it open. He waved his hand to clear the air and stood in the doorway, saying, "We just acquired this place and haven't had time to tidy it up properly yet. Please don't hold it against us, Mr. Zhuan." Mr. Zhuan chuckled. "The Jibei Circuit branch is only just being rebuilt, and resources are limited. I understand completely. I'm not particular about such things anyway—as long as we have a place to talk, that's plenty." Once inside, Chang Dong guided them into a partitioned section. This area had been swept clean and was fully furnished with a sofa, table, and chairs. After everyone took their seats, Gao Yanjun brewed tea for each of them and handed them their cups. Mr. Zhuan thanked her as he took his cup. He chatted idly with them for a bit, waiting until Gao Yanjun returned and sat down before turning to serious matters. "Headquarters received your telegram and reviewed the incident from back then. Headquarters attaches great importance to this matter. However, because it likely involves a martial artist, which is beyond what the Jibei Circuit branch can handle on its own, the leadership sent me over. "Headquarters' stance is that until the branch is fully rebuilt, the matter from back then can be shelved for now. We will pursue it further once conditions are ripe." Chang Dong felt a weight lift from his chest. That made things far more manageable. He asked, "What about Tian Rui, then? Did headquarters say how to deal with him?" Mr. Zhuan replied, "Regarding Tian Rui, headquarters' view is to leave him be for the moment. Once a final conclusion is reached on the entire affair, everything will be judged together." Chang Dong understood. For this stage, the branch's primary focus was holding its ground rather than taking the initiative to strike. Leaning back, he patted his belly—which seemed to have shrunk slightly—and sighed with relief. "With Mr. Zhuan here, I can finally eat a few extra bowls of rice without worrying." Mr. Zhuan said, "The fact that you uncovered the past events so quickly and reconstructed part of the truth means headquarters recognizes the efficiency of the Jibei Circuit branch." Chang Dong was quick to deflect the credit. "Everything up to now was pushed forward entirely by Supervisor Chen, including locating Tian Rui. The two of us have basically just been helping out on the sidelines and trying not to get in Supervisor Chen's way." Chen Chuan said earnestly, "There's no need to say that, Mr. Chang. The Jibei Circuit branch is an integrated team. We merely focus on different areas. Every single person is indispensable." Mr. Zhuan smiled. "By the way, how is the construction of your branch coming along?" Chang Dong replied, "Due to the threat posed by the Marsh Training Camp, we haven't lingered on site. We've temporarily settled in Weiguang District, which is the safest area inside the city. "Even so, construction of the branch has been moving forward steadily over the past few days. A rough outline has already taken shape. It's a vast parcel of land, so any future expansions will be very convenient." He had come well prepared. From his briefcase, he pulled out a stack of documents, which included recent expenditure records, progress logs for the branch's construction, and photographs documenting each stage of work. Mr. Zhuan took the papers, browsed through them, and nodded. "If you're lacking anything, submit a report to headquarters. I'll sign off on it. The Jibei Circuit branch is essentially being rebuilt from scratch. You face immense difficulties, immense pressure, and no small amount of danger. Headquarters understands how hard it is." Chang Dong grinned. "We're not lacking much else, honestly—just funding. We can overcome the rest on our own." Mr. Zhuan laughed. "Funding is scarce everywhere. But the situation here is indeed unlike other places. Go ahead and draft a report later, Fellow Member Chang, and I'll submit it alongside you." Chang Dong beamed with delight. "Wonderful, wonderful! Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Zhuan." Mr. Zhuan said, "I'll be staying in Jibei Circuit for some time." Looking around the room, he added, "This place looks fine to me. No need to go through the trouble of finding somewhere else." Chang Dong said, "Then we apologize for the modest accommodations, Mr. Zhuan." Being sharp and observant, he could tell that Mr. Zhuan wanted a word alone with Chen Chuan. He stood up and said, "In that case, I'll go draft the report right away." Turning to Gao Yanjun, he added, "Fellow Member Gao, if Mr. Zhuan is staying here, he'll need quite a few supplies. I'll leave that to you to look after." Gao Yanjun adjusted her decorative glasses and said, "Leave it to me." After excusing themselves, the two took their leave. Once they were gone, Mr. Zhuan turned his gaze to Chen Chuan. "Supervisor Chen, now that official business is settled, we can discuss your personal cultivation. "As one of your guides into the faction, it is my duty to instruct your practice. "As I mentioned before, once you obtained the pure substance and satisfied your immediate needs for this stage, I would explain the essential points for your subsequent cultivation." He studied Chen Chuan. Although his detailed expression remained hidden behind the mask, clear surprise and admiration shone in his eyes. "It has only been a few months since we last met, yet your spirit power has advanced so rapidly that it already shows signs of nearing perfection. "Even among all the people I've met, talent like yours is exceedingly rare. "Hmm. Seeing as you are already approaching the perfection of this limit, I suppose I can teach you the key points and methods for entering the Fourth Limit ahead of time." Hearing this, Chen Chuan felt a surge of excitement. He knew that reaching the Fourth Limit required both physical and spiritual perfection as prerequisites. However, as for how to break through that barrier, what steps to take, and what pitfalls to avoid, he had only gleaned vague hints through other channels after becoming an Investigation Supervisor. It had hardly amounted to much. Personal instruction from a martial artist was an exceptionally rare opportunity. Mr. Zhuan's voice grew somewhat solemn. "You ought to know that once a fighter reaches the third limit, relying solely on the physical body is no longer enough to advance further, for the human form has its inherent boundaries. "Therefore, to achieve a breakthrough, one must rely on the power of the spirit. "Ascending to the Fourth Limit hinges above all on the elevation of the spirit. The spirit is the most vital key to stepping into the trans-limit realm. "Broadly speaking, a fighter must use their own spirit to reach out and communicate with the power on the other side. Through this, they twist reality, turning the impossible into the possible, thereby transcending mortal limits. "Yet that power on the other side is like a surging, turbulent wave. To anchor both sides without being shaken loose and cast aside demands an exceptionally resilient and powerful spirit. "The ideal path is naturally to force a breakthrough through pure self-cultivation, achieving it organically. But that remains a purely theoretical ideal. Perhaps someone out there can do it, but to date, I have never seen it, nor have I heard of anyone doing so. "Compared to the power on the other side, human spiritual strength is fundamentally fragile. Fortunately, the wisdom of our predecessors was boundless, and they devised a method to bridge the gap. "As the saying goes, to take, one must first give. To gain something, a price must inevitably be paid. This is a hurdle that nearly everyone who enters the Fourth Limit must endure." At this point, he looked at Chen Chuan. "Tell me, do you have any particular specialty, or something you cherish deeply?" Chen Chuan pondered the question, but before he could answer, Mr. Zhuan waved his hand. "No need to tell me. It's enough that you know in your own heart." He sat there, his gaze turning distant as he said slowly, "Every person preparing to step into the Fourth Limit must either make a vow beforehand or renounce something precious to receive the feedback of power that tempers their spirit into something far more resilient. Take Mr. Zhuan, for instance..." He pointed to the face behind the mask. "He gave up his ability to properly discern direction. In truth, he once had an extraordinary sense of direction—he was a renowned pathfinder and tracker. No matter how remote the corner or how elusive the target, he could track anyone down through the faintest traces. "Yet when he crossed into the Fourth Limit, in order to obtain sufficient power, he abandoned that talent. In return, he garnered far greater spiritual feedback. "The more you treasure what you give up, the greater the power you receive in return. "Alternatively, you can swear a vow, compelling yourself to carry out a specific deed in the future, persisting in it without fail. "This deed must be something you previously detested most, something you found repulsive to the depths of your heart—something that fills you with dread, nausea, and terror at the mere thought. By swearing to practice it day in and day out from now on, you can achieve the same result." Here, he gave a faint chuckle. "Though once you cross that threshold, what you detest today might very well become what you love tomorrow."