Upon seeing the vial of potion in the case, Chen Chuan remained seated without moving, yet under his gaze alone, the object floated up from within on its own.
The He siblings watched in astonishment. They had never seen such a display, though they figured this must be an ability possessed by martial artists.
Faint cracks webbed across the glass tube without the slightest sound escaping. The liquid within then dissolved into wisps of blue mist before gradually disappearing.
In the past, absorbing these potions had required internal digestion, but that was no longer necessary; by simply enveloping it within his biological field, he could assimilate the potion directly into his body.
He closed his eyes. As he absorbed the potion, scenes and images of the past flickered across his vision one after another, as though he had lived through them himself.
A long time later, he opened his eyes, a faint glint flickering within them.
*So that's how it was...*
*No wonder everything that followed happened.*
This memory potion was the most pivotal part of the events back then, with the key difference being that it had been left behind by his father in this life.
With this, he could largely piece together the causes and consequences of what had transpired, seamlessly linking the events of a dozen or even twenty-odd years ago.
The disappearance of his parents in this life was indeed no accident; it had a direct and profound connection to Yuanren Corporation, and the crux of it lay with Gao Yuling.
Who could have guessed beforehand that Gao Yuling, who appeared unremarkable among that generation of the Gao family, actually possessed extraordinary importance within Yuanren Corporation? It was because of this person that his parents had been drawn in, whether willingly or reluctantly.
If no one pursued the matter, it might have ended there, but he would never let things end like this.
Furthermore, deducing from this, setting aside the ambush he had faced in the past, even the recent actions targeted at him might well be related. If so, his appearance may have triggered certain suspicions among the conspirators behind the scenes, prompting them to strike once more.
Seeing him remain silent for so long, He Zhilan asked with concern, "Little Chuan, are you all right?"
Chen Chuan looked at her and said, "I'm fine. I've learned the general situation now. Thank you, seniors."
"It's nothing, as long as it helped," He Zhilan said. "We had a very good relationship with Senior Sister Zhen, and she rarely hid anything from us, so we knew a bit about the circumstances and knew she was involved in something.
"That day, she sent over a case like this, entrusting us to safe-keep it for the long term. She said someone would come to collect it, and told us to avoid contacting her as much as possible during that period."
He Ruihai said, "Thinking back later, Senior Sister Zhen had likely anticipated something, so this was probably meant for you all along. We could roughly guess who was behind her disappearance, and we were originally worried you might act rashly once you learned the truth, which is why we wanted to advise you just now. But since you are already a martial artist—a realm beyond our comprehension—there is no need for us to make such a fuss."
"Right, there's also this. Little Chuan, wait a moment." He Zhilan went back upstairs and returned with a letter. "This is the letter Senior Sister sent over back then. Senior Sister Zhen rarely asked favors of anyone, so we felt this was very important and kept it safe all this time."
Chen Chuan took it. It was a typewritten letter composed in Yu Zhen's tone. However, He Zhilan had unwittingly hit upon the truth: the one who had sent this potion was not his mother, but his father, Chen Qiyang, who had sent it under Yu Zhen's name behind her back.
Including that vial of red potion and the cipher locks, all of it had been Chen Qiyang's doing; Yu Zhen was completely unaware. All she had truly left behind was that single tube of memory potion.
He Ruihai said, "Later, we waited for a long time without hearing any news of Senior Sister Zhen. Just around that time, a fellow disciple with whom we were very close, active in the Chiluojiaduo Confederation, wrote to ask for help. So after some thought, we decided to go there to lend a hand."
He sighed. "We originally planned to return as soon as the matter was settled, so we could still teach you as intended. Unfortunately, we ran headlong into a corporate war between the confederacies. By the time we arrived, our fellow disciple and their entire family had been slaughtered. We tracked down the murderer and killed him.
"However, that person had quite a background. He had a maternal half-brother who was a senior executive at a major corporation. Afterwards, we were relentlessly hunted by that corporation. Since they held considerable influence back home as well, we spent all these years hiding abroad. It was only this year, after Canglong Company and Ocean Exploration Group established control over the Outer Ocean—a place beyond that faction's reach—that we finally made our way back."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said apologetically, "Failing to come and instruct you is the thing we feel most guilty about."
"Yes, Little Chuan, I'm so sorry," He Zhilan added with deep guilt. "Senior Sister Zhen and Brother-in-law are gone, yet we weren't able to help you."
Chen Chuan shook his head and said earnestly, "I don't blame you two at all."
From what the memory potion revealed, his parents' request for the two of them to become his teachers had merely been mentioned in passing back then, not a solemn commitment. Even if they had never come, it wouldn't have been a slight—not to mention they had their own hardships.
Moreover, they had guarded this item for him for so many years and had just tried to counsel him out of concern. People who didn't truly care would never do such things; they would have tried their best to cast off the trouble without caring whether he lived or died. For his mother in this life to have made friends with such genuine loyalty was rare indeed.
He Ruihai asked, "Little Chuan, what do you plan to do?"
Chen Chuan said, "I will handle this matter in my own way. Rest assured, seniors, I know what I must face. Before I am fully prepared, I won't act rashly."
He Ruihai couldn't help nodding. Although they had no standing to dictate what Chen Chuan did, seeing him approach the problem with such calm and reason eased his mind considerably.
Chen Chuan looked at them both. "You two haven't returned to Great Shun in a long time, have you? I still have many things I'd like to ask you about. I came by airship this time—why not travel back with me?"
The He siblings exchanged a glance. He Zhilan said, "Thank you, Little Chuan. We know you want to look out for us. But compared to the hardships you've endured, while we've been abroad all these years, our lives haven't been too bad. Besides, we still have many students to teach here."
He Ruihai said, "There are few opportunities for students on this island. Teaching fighting arts here gives them at least a fighting chance. People from Ocean Exploration Group have also approached us and provided substantial financial support. In any case, we should see things through to the end and finish what we started here."
Chen Chuan nodded, respecting their wishes.
He Zhilan then said, "Little Chuan, are you planning to head back right away? Why not stay for a couple of days before leaving? It may be remote here, but the fruit grown on the island is delicious, and the locals are very warm and hospitable. Besides, I haven't seen Teacher Fang in so long. Could you tell me about Teacher Fang's current situation?"
Chen Chuan gladly agreed. Though the memory potion had shown him past events, many external details remained unknown. He wanted to learn more from the two of them, and he also wanted to look into the corporation that had been hunting them.
***
Off the west coast of Linakes, a colossal cruise liner sailed across the sea, flanked from behind by two warships, while three combat airships and a signal airship escorted it from above.
Inside the liner's lavish main cabin sat an impeccably dressed man. He wore traditional garments of the Eastern Continent, and his posture strictly conformed to the refined bearing of ancient scholars.
He looked young, but his eyes held a depth that belied his appearance, and nearly imperceptible etchings of implants could be seen on his neck.
Before him lay a photograph of Chen Chuan along with his dossier. It was far from the first time he had seen the photograph, yet each time he looked at it, he felt...
He muttered, "Far too similar."
He picked up the dossier again, reading the description. Becoming a martial artist before the age of twenty—though there had been precedents in the past, it was certainly not something an ordinary person could achieve.
Gazing intently at the photograph, he murmured in a low voice, "Such a bloodline must never be allowed to remain in this world." Regardless of whether his suspicion was right or wrong, even if there was the slightest chance of it, it could not be permitted.
At that moment, a flicker of azure light flashed across the depths of his eyes as an incoming transmission arrived. Looking up, he said, "Mr. Xiang, how do you see it?"
A voice sounded from the other end of the boundary credential: "I've reviewed the records. He is indeed extraordinary. However, he has likely only just crossed the threshold of a martial artist. Yet not all martial artists are equal; before certain boundaries are crossed, an insurmountable chasm exists between them. If we meet face-to-face, I am confident I can eliminate him."
The man said, "But you cannot make a move. The moment you show yourself, Great Shun will surely lock onto you and know it was on the company's orders."
The voice on the other end said, "That is why I intend to bring in a professional. I have already found a suitable candidate: Calvino Noce, an internationally renowned cleaner."
The man asked, "Can he do it?"
"He is quite capable and possesses extensive assassination experience. Furthermore, his bound oath dictates that he must kill one martial artist a year; if he fails, he dies. Thus, even if he fails, it will have nothing to do with the company, and if he succeeds, it saves us the trouble."
"Do you have a concrete plan?"
"Already in place. There is no chance of making a move in Center City, especially since the target holds an official post—doing so would be tantamount to provoking Great Shun. Therefore, we can only strike when he travels to the Confluence."
The man said, "I heard your previous plan to track his movements was unsuccessful?"
"Indeed. The target is more cautious than anticipated. Fortunately, the company has other collaborators there whose desire to see him dead is even stronger than ours. They will cooperate with us this time. As soon as an opportunity arises, our man will make his move."
The man said, "I hope to receive good news from you soon. And..." He added weight to his tone, "I want this matter known only to you."
The voice on the other end paused before replying, "Understood, Mr. Gao."
Chapter 840