To Capture and Recover All

Chen Chuan's gaze fixed upon the charging figure. He made no move to dodge, and the biological fields of both sides collided first. The thin biological field around Zharnik was clearly outmatched, shattering on impact with a cracking roar. However, the Spiritual Fire surrounding his body forcibly tore through the outer obstruction of Chen Chuan's field, muscling its way inside. His hands then lunged forward in a clawing grasp, a movement intensely reminiscent of a predatory beast pouncing upon its prey. The withered muscles across his body suddenly rippled in wavelike undulations, sending successive layers of force surging forward to converge, while the blood-red spiritual glow covering him followed suit, channeling directly into his outstretched hands at the vanguard. This was an utter abandonment of any protection for his body. Though such an offensive approach was extreme, it gathered all of his strength in one place, unleashing the absolute strongest strike he was capable of delivering in that instant. Chen Chuan's assessment of it was: tactically sound and decisively executed. However... He extended a single hand, white light gleaming across his palm, and simply swatted sideways at the man. With a resounding boom, the blood-red light opposite him instantly shattered and dispersed. Zharnik's entire body was swept aside by an irresistible force, flying seven or eight meters before crashing into the ground. He struck heavily, sending dirt and gravel flying, bounced and tumbled across the earth, and only came to a halt when he slammed into a tree trunk. The tree's canopy shook violently as if about to snap, and the unmelted snow clinging to the branches came cascading down with a rustle, almost burying him completely. Even reduced to this state, Zharnik still seemed to want to struggle, yet the jin from earlier had penetrated deep into his body, leaving him numb, aching, and unable to move. Lying there now, his frame twitched intermittently as he gasped for breath. Chen Chuan walked over. The disparity in strength was simply too vast; no matter what tricks or finesse were used, it was futile. Coming before Zharnik, he looked down. "You are too weak. You barely have the strength left to throw a punch." Whether it was the field around him or his Spiritual Fire, both were thin to the extreme. Even if Chen Chuan stood motionless and defended purely with his Spiritual Fire, he could have worn the man down to death. Zharnik glared in Chen Chuan's direction, looking entirely defiant. Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "There is no need to be bitter. You should have anticipated this outcome before you threw that punch. If the opportunity arises, I welcome you to fight me again once you have recovered. "For now, however, regardless of what you took, since you took it from the territory of Great Shun, I must take you back." What this man had done dated back at least several centuries. Saying this sounded a bit like applying the laws of the present dynasty to someone from a bygone era, but even in the old era, this land had been in the hands of the Eastern Continent's authorities. Therefore, whatever was taken from the Eastern Continent undoubtedly belonged to the Eastern Continent; there was nothing amiss about that reasoning. Just then, Zharnik suddenly stopped trembling. His eyes grew vacant, his body temperature began dropping rapidly, and a pale, bluish hue appeared across his skin. Chen Chuan could tell that the strike just now had squeezed out whatever residual vitality the man had left, plunging him into a near-death state. Yet this man could not be allowed to die just yet. His biological field expanded outward, instantly pulling shattered branches from the surroundings together into a pile. He extended a finger, its tip flashing faintly; as a speck of light descended, flames burst forth and began burning brightly. With warmth restored, Zharnik's decline quickly halted. His fingers twitched, and after a moment, he regained consciousness. Chen Chuan took out a pack of high-energy nutritional paste he carried with him, tore open the wrapper, and tossed it down in front of him. Like a person dying of thirst in a desert who had suddenly found water, Zharnik struggled desperately to push himself up, snatched it in his grip, and crammed it straight into his mouth without even peeling off the packaging. In an instant, his complexion visibly improved a fraction. Still, this meager nourishment could only barely sustain his life; getting up to continue fighting was out of the question. Chen Chuan asked, "Where did your other companion go?" Zharnik lay there and said, "You won. You can dispose of me as you see fit, but I will not betray the whereabouts of my companion." Chen Chuan said, "I examined the scene where the two of you escaped. Judging by the traces left behind, your companion did not leave under her own power; she was abducted by another group. You woke up at the time, but because of your weakness, you had no way to take her with you, so you left on your own first. "Have you considered, though, that the people who took her might not have good intentions? If we cannot find her, she may not meet a good end." Zharnik showed a look of disdain. Chen Chuan noted his expression and nodded. "You think that is impossible. It seems she had also awakened at the time, which is why you aren't worried about her safety. In that case, you very likely had some form of telepathic communication to part ways first and find a way to regroup later." Zharnik's face flushed crimson. Evidently having the truth laid bare struck a nerve, and he cursed aloud, "Devil! You heart-reading devil!" Chen Chuan made an acknowledging hum. "It seems that was indeed the truth. Thank you for your cooperation." "I didn't! I didn't!" Zharnik shouted in flustered denial. In his beliefs, betraying a companion was the most dishonorable act imaginable, something despised by all; he could never accept such a stain upon his honor. Chen Chuan said, "Then you can explain it to her at your leisure once your companion is retrieved." He bent down, hoisted Zharnik up with one hand, and headed back. Before long, he returned to the vicinity of the airship. When Supervisor Bao saw him returning with one of the subjects, delight immediately surfaced in his eyes, and he hurriedly shouted for his men to lower the lift platform. Chen Chuan stepped onto it and rode the platform back up into the airship. Setting the man aside, he said, "I brought one back." Supervisor Bao immediately instructed the security personnel to secure the captive. "Thank you for your hard work, Chief Chen. On behalf of the company, I express our gratitude." Chen Chuan said, "This does not concern only your company. As the Chief of the Jibei Circuit Defense Department, I have good reason to intervene in events occurring within Jibei Circuit. Keep this man here for now; once the other is found, we will deal with them together." Supervisor Bao was merely a branch supervisor. He lacked the standing to negotiate with Chen Chuan on this matter, so for now, he could only acquiesce to the arrangement. At this point, he brought up another matter. "Chief Chen, word just came from the company that we have uncovered the mole. His true identity has yet to be verified, but we can fundamentally confirm that he analyzed recent company activities to determine the transit schedule for these two individuals. He then contacted a mercenary squad from the Chaotic Lands, who piloted a small airship to lie in wait beforehand, and detonated an explosive from the inside to force the train to a halt before making off with the person." "The Chaotic Lands?" Chen Chuan mused thoughtfully. He was not entirely unfamiliar with the place. Back when he took the examination for his Grade B unlimited defense license, he had traveled to the Chaotic Lands, though he had not entered deep inside back then, only undergoing the assessment on its fringes. That such a place could exist was due both to the sheer difficulty of clearing it out and to certain factions within the Great Shun government deliberately indulging it. Haixi Dao possessed extraordinarily rich mineral reserves, timber, and algae oil cultivation industries, hosting numerous mineral energy enterprises. However, this had also fostered rampant smuggling, and the Chaotic Lands was the largest underground smuggling and trading hub in the region. Moreover, it wasn't just domestic goods; many items strictly banned internationally often found their way into the country through this conduit. At the same time, it served as an important testing ground for governments and corporations around the world. Novel pharmaceuticals and implants of all kinds surfaced and were deployed there, drawing waves of adventurers, wanted fugitives, international espionage networks, and foreign operatives year after year to play out dramatic schemes. With this place involved, the likelihood of foreign powers pulling strings behind the scenes was undoubtedly much higher. He asked, "Supervisor Bao, where do you think they are now?" Supervisor Bao said, "To evade our company's patrols, they certainly wouldn't have used a large airship, which is poorly suited for concealment. We therefore infer that they most likely used a small aircraft. "However, a heavy blizzard swept through over the past two days. If they operated in such severe weather, their craft is very likely to have suffered issues. The company estimates they may not have crossed the border of Jibei Circuit yet. If we give chase now, there should still be a very good chance of catching up." Chen Chuan nodded. "In that case, let's head in that direction and see." As the Defense Department Chief, he could not allow an unidentified martial artist to roam free. Even if that individual was weakened to the utmost degree, as long as she remained alive, she was still an immense threat; sub-limit fighters had no hope of being a match for them. Once the airship began pursuing in that direction, he recalled something. "Do you have a telegraph transmitter here?" "Yes!" Supervisor Bao immediately summoned an assistant to guide Chen Chuan to the communications room aboard the airship. Chen Chuan needed to send a telegram to his family. They had originally decided to set out for his eldest aunt's home in these couple of days, but the situation with this operation remained uncertain, and he might return several days late. He therefore intended to let his younger aunt's family know not to wait for him and that they could take an airship to eldest aunt's place ahead of him. If he wrapped things up in time, he would rush over to rendezvous with them. After sending the telegram and leaving the communications room, he returned to the quarters prepared for him aboard the vessel. After the airship traveled for about a day, judging by the distance, it had reached the northwestern edge of Jibei Circuit, a place known as Wanguang Hills. Beyond lay the territory of Haixi Dao. In reality, because of its elevated terrain and an important river flowing along its periphery that also led south to Hedong Dao, this region possessed immense strategic significance. When the various circuits were originally demarcated, this area had been carved away from Haixi Dao and assigned to Jibei Circuit, creating an interlocking, jagged boundary between the two. Upon reaching this area, the airship made an unexpected discovery while passing over a coniferous forest. Amid the vast expanse of white snow, the lookout spotted a small airship that had crashed down below. There were signs of an explosion and numerous snapped trees around it, so their airship immediately moved closer to investigate.