The massive monster airship fractured into countless fragments in midair, lingering as if frozen for a suspended instant before its torn gas envelopes showered down, trailing unspent smoke and flame.
Now and then, specially made explosive ordnance detonated only after being hurled far into the distance, sending continuous rumbles and flashes of light bursting across the sky as though countless fireworks had been lit all at once.
Inside the Municipal Council Building, the two councilors who had been holding their wine glasses and savoring the spectacle stood staring in stunned silence.
The screen before them continued to flicker, perhaps due to the explosion of the monster airship, or perhaps from the lingering influence of that blinding burst of radiance.
"What was that? What the hell was that?"
A deep unease welled up in both their hearts. They felt that events had slipped entirely beyond their control—and far exceeded anything they could comprehend.
Right then, one of the councilors' boundary credentials began to flash, signaling an incoming emergency transmission. When they connected, broken, garbled sounds came through, heavily distorted by interference. Only fragmented words could be made out: "Hold... pull back... martial artist..."
Yet even those words quickly deteriorated, dissolving into nothing but a hiss of static.
He asked irritably, "What the hell did he say?"
The other councilor's face had gone pale. "Th-that... that was a martial artist..."
"A martial artist? That was... a martial artist?!"
The councilor opposite finally grasped the meaning. He wore an expression of sheer disbelief, mixed with a look of *are you fucking kidding me?*
After a moment, he slammed his glass onto the floor with a crash. Crimson wine splattered across the tiles as he lost his composure and roared:
"I sent people out to corner him! I put out a wanted notice! And now those bastards fucking tell me the target I'm hunting down is a martial artist?!"
Yet once the outburst subsided, a suffocating dread closed in around him.
The closer one was to the upper tiers, the clearer one understood the impact and destructive power wielded by a martial artist. Had they known from the start that their opponent was a martial artist, they never would have resorted to such aggressive measures—no, they never would have lost their minds enough to deploy armed force against one in the first place!
The problem was that every order to attack had been issued right here through them. If this martial artist chose to strike back at them, it would be entirely reasonable. And when that happened, what could they possibly use to stop him?
With bloodshot eyes wide, he said, "It can't be just us! There's the council! The council has to help us stop him! They'd better not think of casting us aside, or we all go down together!"
At that very moment, panic reigned not only in their office, but across the entire council as well.
Many councilors who had previously been congratulating themselves on this masterstroke suddenly discovered in horror that the person they believed could be easily cowed and manipulated was actually a martial artist. Furthermore, this martial artist had displayed his martial might and destructive force right in the center city without the slightest reservation.
Hardly any martial artist ever acted like this in the center city. For one, martial artists rarely bothered to strike at worthless targets, expending their stamina for nothing. For another, most martial artists were bound by certain restrictions, whether through specific compacts or self-restraint.
The crucial point was the latter: if a martial artist refused to be bound, then unless there was a comparable force on hand at that very moment to counter and check him, there was simply no way to stop him. And right now, no one knew what Chen Chuan intended to do next.
Nor did they know whether this had the tacit blessing of the Government Affairs Hall. That was what terrified them most of all, because that was precisely what they had been dreading from the start.
If matters were allowed to continue unchecked, they could spiral into an unfathomable abyss.
A councilor immediately shrieked, "Activate the Guardian Spider! We must activate the Guardian Spider!" This was the active conscious entity under their control, and at this stage, it was the only thing that could offer them any sense of security.
With that decision made, many calmed down slightly, convincing themselves that things had not yet reached that point and that the situation was still salvageable. They immediately made a series of arrangements.
First, revoke all unfounded allegations and legal pursuits against him. After all, one could hardly expect to infringe upon his reputation and interests while simultaneously demanding his restraint.
At the same time, immediately order all media outlets under the council's sway to come forward and explain that this was entirely a misunderstanding: the contaminants supposedly detected would not affect the citizens at all; the Crisis Affairs Center had committed a grave error; and all subsequent actions had been carried out unauthorized on its own initiative, without the council's knowledge.
To wash their hands clean, they could throw the two councilors primarily responsible under the bus to appease his wrath, ensuring at least that he had no ostensible pretext to strike out further.
Though these moves amounted to slapping themselves in the face, circumstances forced their hand.
Second, they immediately reached out to the Consortium and the Linakes Federation, hoping to seek their support and assistance in suppressing the matter as much as possible.
Speaker Quan had sat there through the entire ordeal, watching the councilors argue heatedly without offering much input. Now, he rose alone, exited the conference hall, and made his way to a meeting room on the other side.
A man wearing sunglasses sat inside. Glancing at Speaker Quan, he smiled and said, "Mr. Speaker, you don't seem nervous in the least."
Speaker Quan sat down across from him and said, "I was never nervous to begin with. Due to the unique nature of the Confluence, the Government Affairs Hall cannot speak candidly to the public right now. Therefore, the Defense Department's military victory in the Confluence cannot be directly converted into political leverage the way their destruction of the Ferris Wheel was.
"The only imbalance lies in high-end combat power, which has always been our concern. But on that point, I imagine your faction can provide us with assistance."
The man opposite chuckled mildly. "Speaker Quan, do you have that much confidence in us?"
Speaker Quan said, "Your faction knows that I have always maintained a welcoming attitude toward you, consistently supporting your faction's growth in the center city. I believe your faction can sense our goodwill.
"As for that Supervisor Chen, he belongs to the Purist Faction. Earlier, the Purists even deployed two martial artists on his behalf. The Purists intend to make a return to Jibei Dao, and if the Government Affairs Hall gains the upper hand, there will be nothing to stop them. As for the Purist doctrine, I believe your faction understands it well."
Twenty years ago, he was already a councilor. He knew very well that the Purist Faction once held considerable influence in Jibei Dao, withdrawing completely only after an unexpected upheaval—and behind that incident, the shadows of the Convergence faction and the Refined Practice School had faintly loomed.
Ever since, the center city of Jibei Dao had served as an important stronghold for both the Convergence faction and the Refined Practice School. Those groups certainly would not want the Purist Faction to return.
Now that a martial artist had emerged from the Purist Faction, if the two factions failed to respond, they would only watch the Purists grow unchecked. Thus, he was not in a panic like the other councilors; he knew that the ones who would lose their patience first were those two factions.
The man smiled. "Speaker Quan, our cooperation has always gone smoothly, and we also believe maintaining the current landscape is ideal. However, factional warfare is something we must strive to avoid at all costs, nor would the broader climate permit it. I trust you understand."
Speaker Quan replied, "I understand." He looked up and added, "Balance. Balance is what matters most."
The man said, "I am glad you understand." Pausing briefly, he continued, "I have already sent word out. Barring any surprises, we will dispatch a martial artist here. However, I would prefer that before this person arrives, an invitation be extended in the name of Jibei Dao."
Speaker Quan nodded. "That is only proper."
"However, permit me to speak from the perspective of an onlooker. If I were you, I would first find a way to soothe this person's wrath. Offending a martial artist is never wise at any time. Whether our faction's martial artist arrives or not, certain necessary prices must be paid."
He emphasized, "And I mean a substantive price. Because as far as I know, martial artists do not care to see one of their own subjected to unjust treatment—even if they belong to opposing sides."
Speaker Quan felt a jolt in his heart. After considering it, he said with gravity, "I will see to it."
Out on the Disposal Bureau plaza, the airships in the distance had all halted. Having witnessed such an astounding spectacle, no one dared fire another shot recklessly.
Fragments and debris from the monster airship were still clattering down, blanketing the ground around the plaza in a layer of black ash within moments.
Chen Chuan stood at the center of the plaza. Within tens of meters around him, not a single speck of falling cinder landed, leaving an extraordinarily conspicuous clearing. This scene was witnessed at that very moment by thousands upon thousands of viewers.
In the distance, Xu Chan and the others looked up at the swirling embers and falling ash, their hearts filled with shock alongside an extraordinary sense of exhilaration.
Captain Lyu was dazed for a good while before abruptly grabbing Xu Chan by the shoulder. Overwhelmed with excitement, he stammered, "Captain Xu, Old Xu, Supervisor Chen... is he... a martial artist? Is he?! You knew all along, didn't you? Didn't you?!" He was momentarily incoherent.
Xu Chan understood his excitement. "Remember who we returned with on the way back? I had my suspicions back then."
"Right, right, right..." Captain Lyu nodded vigorously.
Captain Hai and Captain Hu exchanged glances, seeing both shock and undisguised delight in each other's eyes.
They did not belong to the Disposal Bureau. Upon returning to the center city, they were supposed to report to the Defense Department and the Government Affairs Hall. Yet bound by the camaraderie of having fought side by side, they had accompanied the others here nonetheless. Never had they imagined they would bear witness to such a spectacle with their own eyes.
A martial artist...
As fighters standing at the third limit, few understood the weight of those words better than they did.
Chen Chuan paid no further heed to the airships hovering in place. Turning on his heel, he walked toward the Disposal Bureau, while the rest of the squad members quickly closed ranks around him.
Across the plaza, inside an armored vehicle where a field creature was transmitting the situation, an accompanying reporter gritted her teeth. Amid the gasps of her colleagues, she shoved the car door open, kicked off her high heels, and boldly sprinted barefoot across the street. Facing Chen Chuan's retreating back, she shouted, "Mr. Chen!"
Chen Chuan glanced back over his shoulder.
The reporter rushed out her words: "Mr. Chen, you are a supervisor of the Disposal Bureau, correct? As a supervisor of the Disposal Bureau, recklessly slaughtering these combat law enforcement personnel... I must ask, even if you possess such power, do you truly have the right to arbitrarily strip these people of their lives?!"
Chen Chuan said, "In fact, I do."
With a flick of his wrist, a jade-like card flew out. With a crisp thwack, it embedded itself into the ground not far in front of the reporter.
It was... an unlimited defense license!
"Launching unlimited defensive retaliation against unjustified attackers is a right granted to me by the state," he said calmly.
With that, he turned and walked away, while the captains, including Xu Chan, and dozens of squad members fell in behind him in synchronized, orderly strides.
...
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Chapter 780