Yao Zhiyi was slightly surprised and asked, "Is that so? You killed one of his disciples?"
He pondered for a moment, roughly grasping what had happened, and after a brief pause, added, "This matter concerns the continuation of the Wave Pavilion. Master Fenghe Shou shouldn't care about it—and even if he truly does, he will act as if he doesn't.
"Besides, judging by the circumstances, his disciple must have brought trouble upon himself, right? Well, then there's nothing more to say. His disciple simply hadn't mastered his craft; he has no one else to blame. What did he expect—for others to stretch out their necks to be slaughtered?"
Here, he paused abruptly, as if someone on the other end were speaking to him. After a moment, he said, "The Defense Department's intelligence branch just received word that the Linax Federation approached Fenghe Shou earlier, likely attempting to recruit him, though the outcome remains unknown.
"In that case, his inviting you over might very well be an attempt to negotiate terms with us and extract benefits. But we aren't afraid of him asking for benefits; we're only afraid of him asking for nothing. If he turns to side with the Linax Federation, that would hardly be good for us.
"No, not because of his martial prowess alone, but because the islanders across the Outer Ocean have long revered martial artists like him as living gods. That mindset is deeply ingrained. If we can get him on our side, it will be an enormous help in winning over local sentiment, making operations in the Outer Ocean considerably smoother.
"Furthermore, Erwen Island sits in a critical position, right within the interior waters we've currently staked out. If we let the Linax Federation drive a wedge there, it will cause us no small amount of discomfort. We should still strive to pull him over to our side."
Chen Chuan reflected briefly on this, then asked, "Principal, what about the other masters in the Outer Ocean? What are their thoughts?"
Among the three great overseas training halls—Wave Pavilion, Fenglin Dojo, and An'yao Arena—each had a martial artist presiding over it. Under the current circumstances, it wasn't just the Wave Pavilion; Fenglin Dojo and An'yao Arena would likely have to make a choice as well.
Yao Zhiyi replied, "Fenglin Dojo is bound to walk down that dark path with the Linax Federation to the bitter end. Chijin Island, where they reside, is situated squarely within reach of the federation's sphere of influence.
"In the past, their disciples actively cooperated with Ferris Wheel Company's operations, and quite a few even hold positions within the federation. The two sides are deeply entangled, so there is virtually no chance of them defecting to us.
"As for An'yao Arena, that's hard to say. No word has come out so far. However, if you can pry open a breach through the Wave Pavilion, it won't matter much even if the others lean toward the Linax Federation. After all, the Wave Pavilion is closest to us. We should swallow what we can first before worrying about the rest."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Principal, I understand the gist of it."
Principal Yao said, "It's good that you understand, Supervisor Chen. I need to head back as soon as possible. Although there hasn't been any unusual movement from the Former Imperial Household, Mr. Xue has departed now as well. Leaving Xiao Wan to hold the line alone doesn't set my mind at ease."
Chen Chuan agreed, and they ended the call.
He gave the matter careful thought. This could not be delayed, so he prepared to set off as soon as possible and sent word to the Government Affairs Hall.
He had originally intended to head out to sea for his cultivation, but now it seemed best to make do with staying at the residence, since there was no telling whether further updates might arrive.
By afternoon, no response had come from either the Government Affairs Hall or the Defense Department, but Chang Dong reached out instead.
"Director, Mr. Zhuan has emerged from the Confluence and wants to meet with you, Director."
Chen Chuan said in surprise, "Oh? Mr. Zhuan is back?"
Previously, Mr. Zhuan had walked straight toward the glowing haze. Because his own injuries were not fully healed and he wanted to conserve stamina, he had not traveled at high speed. He then found that the haze seemed to wander around, causing him to walk outside for a long time until, eventually, the glow vanished.
Fortunately, at that time, a large contingent of Great Shun Defense Department troops entered the Confluence, allowing him to hitch a ride back on an airship.
Chang Dong said, "Mr. Zhuan is currently at the branch in the Southern Industrial Zone outside the city."
Chen Chuan said, "Understood. I'll head over right away."
He set out immediately, driving the Jiade car alone toward the outskirts. On the way, Secretary Qiao Yang contacted him, stating that Weiguang District had arranged a residence for him. It was fully furnished with comprehensive amenities, many specifically tailored to support a martial artist's cultivation, and even featured an airship mooring dock for convenient travel.
Chen Chuan knew this was a tactful travel recommendation. But then again, his original courtyard was indeed no longer suitable for his current level. It posed no issue for mental cultivation, but when it came to technique training, even with his ability to restrain his power, the space remained far too cramped. It was time for a change of venue.
He told Qiao Yang that he would go take possession of it when he found the time.
After driving for over an hour, he left Center City behind and arrived at the branch station in the Southern Industrial Zone. Chang Dong had already arrived, and seeing him pull up, stepped forward to open the door for him.
Chen Chuan stepped out of the car and thanked him. Chang Dong smiled and said, "Director, Mr. Zhuan is waiting inside for you."
Chen Chuan looked at the somewhat weathered factory gate and walked in. Inside, he found that the previously cavernous workshop had been renovated. A bulletproof partition stood before the entrance, while structural steel supports flanked both sides, forming metal staircases and walkways. Glancing across, he walked up the stairs to the right.
Upon reaching the top, he saw Mr. Zhuan seated on a metal platform, wearing his heavily damaged black mask. In front of him stood a coffee table encircled by several sofas.
As Chen Chuan walked over, Mr. Zhuan stood up, shook his hand, and said, "Upon hearing that you became a martial artist, Director Chen, both Mr. Zhuan and I were overjoyed. Director Chen, congratulations."
Chen Chuan replied, "Thank you. Without the support of the faction and the two of you, my progress couldn't have been this swift."
Mr. Zhuan smiled and said, "We are all comrades in the faction; support is only natural. It was Director Chen himself who broke through to this stage; we only did what little we could. Director Chen, please have a seat."
Chen Chuan nodded, waited for him to sit, and then took a seat on the opposite sofa. "Now that you've returned, Mr. Zhuan, what is the situation with Zhao Zhenye?"
Mr. Zhuan said, "Zhao Zhenye was wounded earlier, and he should currently be practicing a secret art. Until he finishes mastering it, he won't be coming out. Are you worried he might attack Great Shun's encampment? There's no need for that. For now, he has shown no signs of laying his life on the line for the Former Imperial Household, so he won't engage in such thankless labor.
"In truth, even if he truly wanted to attack, it wouldn't be easy. Anywhere under military control is not only fortified with sturdy bastions, but also thoroughly laid out with numerous esoteric rituals.
"And within the Confluence, given the nature of the surroundings, the ritual materials, and the addition of certain relics, these rituals exert tremendous power.
"Backed by the support of these rituals, a martial artist can reduce their energy consumption for a time and strike without reservations. If they genuinely cannot match the foe, retreating is hardly difficult by leveraging the advantages of their home turf.
"As for the regular troops, they ordinarily hide within sturdy bastions. Dismantling those piece by piece is exceedingly difficult; even exhausting all one's strength might not bring them all down. Almost no martial artist would waste their own energy targeting them for nothing. Even if troops are brought along to storm fortifications, an enemy martial artist can maneuver behind to launch ambushes or strike at other vulnerable spots. Therefore, when two sides clash, the fight cannot proceed without first resolving the high-end combat forces.
"I heard that for this offensive plan, the Defense Department's inside operatives spent a long time uncovering the Former Imperial Household's rituals in the Confluence. They used a relic to lure Wei Guochan away, then sent in a martial artist versed in esoteric rituals to partially dismantle the setup, which ultimately allowed them to breach the camp..."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that this martial artist versed in esoteric rituals was likely Mr. Xue.
Mr. Zhuan continued, "Yet even with that plan in place, the Former Imperial Household didn't actually make any mistakes. They were careful enough and even brought in Zhao Zhenye to plug the gaps. Had the government not anticipated this and sent us over to guard against him, they wouldn't have suffered significant losses this time, even if they failed to seize the relic."
Chen Chuan said, "In the end, their available high-end forces were simply too limited."
"Exactly!"
Mr. Zhuan expressed deep agreement. "The key to their defeat this time was that their high-end forces were outnumbered. If the two of them had stayed hidden in the camp and refused to emerge, it truly would have been difficult to handle. If they couldn't win, they could flee, and once we withdrew, they could simply return. But splitting up laid their weakness bare, and we seized upon it immediately to break them."
He seemed to grow animated as he spoke of this topic, but then he raised one hand and expressionlessly tapped the mask on his face. He gave a dry cough and said, "I've strayed from the point. Let's speak of your matters, Director Chen."
He looked earnestly at Chen Chuan. "Earlier, you submitted an application to headquarters for cultivation guidance. Once we emerged, headquarters notified us as well. So today happens to be the right time to respond to your application, Director Chen. How much do you understand about the path of cultivation you will be walking next, Director Chen, and what thoughts do you have?"
Chen Chuan said, "I have already read through some introduction material and have decided to choose the path of the Visage of Man."
Mr. Zhuan smiled and said, "The Visage of Man is easy to learn but hard to master, yet the faction should be very pleased with your choice. Each of the major domestic factions has areas it has studied deeply and excels in.
"The Refined Practice School has ventured very far along the Visage of the Aberrant. Most of their members are high-ranking elites, many being former high officials and nobility of the old dynasty. Much of the data and archives left behind from the old era were collected by members of their school, so virtually no other faction can compare to them on this path.
"As for the Convergence faction, they have studied the Visage of the Divine most deeply. Quite a few among them are successors of the old state religion, and they are suspected of having maintained long-standing communion with certain entities.
"Our Purist Faction, on the other hand, based on our own philosophy and past traditions, possesses a mastery over the path of the Visage of Man unmatched by any other faction. We can provide you with plenty of useful help." He paused and emphasized, "Even if any deviation occurs during your cultivation, we can find ways to help you remedy it."
Chapter 801