After Han Cheng put down the phone and turned around, an involuntary shiver ran through him. Han Kuang was standing right at the top of the stairs. He stammered, "Dad..."
Han Kuang looked at him. Instead of losing his temper as Han Cheng had expected, he simply said, "Come with me to the study. I have something to say to you."
Han Cheng obediently followed him into the study. Truth be told, the main reason he rarely stayed at home was fear of his father. Han Kuang had been strict with him since childhood and harbored great expectations for him, which made Han Cheng feel suffocated. He had always wanted to break free of those constraints, and whenever he had a chance to get out, he never wanted to come back.
"Sit down. You've met your cousin?" Han Kuang told him to take a seat in the study.
"I have," Han Cheng said, sitting down dutifully.
"What did you think of him?"
"I couldn't read him."
"Of course you couldn't," Han Kuang said. "It seems you still don't know your cousin's situation." He picked up an internal newspaper, handed it to Han Cheng, and gestured toward a section underlined in red pen. "Take a look at this."
Han Cheng took it and read, "'Security Defense Department Chief Chen Chuan...' Chief?!" Startled, he looked up at Han Kuang, who motioned for him not to get excited and to keep reading. Han Cheng read further down, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. His voice stammered, "A... a... martial artist?!"
Han Kuang asked, "Understand now?"
Han Cheng swallowed hard. "Understood." In his mind, he thought: *No wonder there was a sudden security alert this morning, and no wonder everyone was talking about welcoming some big shot! Turns out that big shot being welcomed was his own cousin?!*
Yet right then, he thought of something else, and a sudden wave of panic and unease washed over him.
Han Kuang frowned. "What is it?"
"Dad..." Han Cheng's face fell. "Just now, I told my cousin all about the garrison's dirty laundry..."
Han Kuang fell silent for a moment. Then he said, "Those matters—it makes no difference whether you said anything or not."
"No difference?"
Han Kuang said in a low voice, "Do you think the higher-ups don't know about them? It's just that some things aren't easy to deal with right now, or rather, the time hasn't come to deal with them."
Han Cheng was startled. He caught a hint of something unusual in his father's words and ventured cautiously, "Dad, are you saying..."
Han Kuang looked at him severely. "Tell me honestly: do you have any entanglements with them or not?"
"No, none at all!" Han Cheng hastily shook his head in denial. "Dad, you know me. I don't have the guts for that. Some people did want to invest in my company, but I didn't dare accept."
"Good that you didn't. If you did, sever ties immediately," Han Kuang said sternly. "I don't know what the higher-ups are planning, but I sense that something isn't right lately. You behave yourself during this period."
Han Cheng nodded repeatedly. He had never seen his father speak so solemnly about matters involving the upper echelons; his father had never discussed such things with him before. He hesitated, then asked, "And Cousin..."
Han Kuang shook his head. "I'm not sure whether he truly just came to visit us. But I do know that with Xiao Chuan's current status and power, wherever he goes, peace will not follow."
***
Inside the guest room, Chen Chuan flipped through some internal documents and newspapers from Shannan Dao, provided to him by Han Kuang. Since he had arrived here, he naturally sought to understand the local situation.
The defining characteristic of Shannan Dao was the resistance organizations Han Cheng had mentioned. Situated in the heartland of Great Shun, it boasted a large population, an immense number of fringe cities, and an abundance of remnants from the Old Era.
Back during the Grand Alliance, several civilian armed organizations here had indeed taken part. Following the collapse of the Grand Alliance, however, these groups and armed forces faced joint crackdowns by the corporations and the government. Yet they had never truly been wiped out, tenaciously surviving to this day. A major factor that made this possible was Shannan Dao's Lower District.
Unlike in Jibei Circuit, Shannan Dao's Lower District possessed underground transit tunnels connecting to several surrounding fringe cities. This unique situation belonged solely to Shannan Dao, and the resistance organizations used this environment to wage a prolonged struggle against the corporations and the government. Chen Chuan, however, could sense that neither the corporations nor the government in Shannan Dao seemed to have any real intention of wiping out the resistance organizations.
At that moment, Mother Ling's voice sounded outside the door: "Young Master Chen, the madam asked me to bring you some refreshments."
"Please come in, the door is unlocked."
Mother Ling entered and set a plate of soup dumplings before Chen Chuan.
He said, "Thank you, Mother Ling."
"You're very welcome."
Once Mother Ling had stepped outside, Chen Chuan looked at the plate of soup dumplings. Instead of eating right away, he shifted the plate aside, revealing a slip of paper underneath—brought in together with the plate just now.
He picked it up and read the contents. His gaze flickered slightly. When he finished reading, his eyes settled on the signature at the bottom: Chang Shuyu, Head of the Purist Faction Shannan Dao Branch.
A wisp of light silently drifted from his fingertips, reducing the slip to scorched specks that scattered across the desk. Afterward, he picked up his spoon and bowl and began eating slowly.
A quarter of an hour later, Mother Ling returned. Seeing the charred specks, her expression did not change in the slightest. She wiped them away cleanly with a cloth until nothing remained, picked up the plate, curtsied slightly to Chen Chuan, and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Chen Chuan stood up and examined the map of Shannan Dao hanging on the wall. Before setting out, he had checked and found that the Purist Faction had a branch here as well, though most of its personnel were in the Confluence. The martial artist currently stationed in the Confluence had to be this Senior Chang.
He had long known that for every martial artist, private matters and official duties could never be completely separated. The difference was that he possessed immense autonomy. As long as national security was not at stake, if he was unwilling, no one would force him. But if it was merely the matter mentioned on the slip, he was willing to cooperate.
After studying the map for a while, he went to lock the door, then turned back and opened his travel case. He took out the high-energy nutrients inside, all supplied to him by the Yuangan Company.
Most of these high-energy nutrients were medicinal agents, typically controlled by the state and distributed in limited quotas. In sheer value, they were worth several times more than ordinary nutrient food ingredients. As expected of a national munitions company, Yuangan possessed deep pockets; they had provided him with these directly and in ample amounts, more than enough to sustain his consumption during this stage.
He took out a dose of medicine and ingested it. Then, lighting the censer relic, he began his daily training.
Over the next three days, he only moved about near the garrison's family residential area. In his position, going to Center City was thoroughly impractical; the moment he stepped out, security cordons would inevitably spring up everywhere, accompanied by dedicated escorts and motorcades. There was nothing interesting to see, and it would only cause unnecessary trouble for others, so he chose not to go anywhere at all.
He did, however, find a fully equipped training ground by the lake near the residential area. Once he spotted it, he simply moved his daily training there. Upon learning of this, the residential area's administrators designated the vicinity as a restricted zone, ensuring he went undisturbed for several days.
On this day, after finishing his workout, he walked out of the training grounds and sat beneath a lakeside pavilion, slowly sipping the honeydew he had brought back from the Biesa Khanate.
After sitting for a short while, he saw a woman in white holding a long sword appear across the small lake. She wore a dress deeply evocative of the Old Era—crossed collars and wide sleeves, with a long skirt trailing the ground. She walked directly across the water toward him, sending ripples across the surface, her hems fluttering lightly like a white lotus upon the waters.
She looked quite young, yet from the field emanating from her body, he could sense the settled weight of passing years.
The woman crossed the lake and arrived before the pavilion. She introduced herself: "Brother Chen, just call me Bai Gu. I am Shannan Dao's municipal security consultant."
Chen Chuan said, "Senior Bai, please have a seat."
This was likely the martial artist who had long been stationed inside Shannan Dao's Center City, and she was clearly well along in years.
"No need to sit," Bai Gu said. Looking at the honeydew beside Chen Chuan's hand, she unfastened a pouch from her waist and tossed it to him. "Something I brought. Unopened. Have a taste."
Chen Chuan caught it and took a whiff. A rich, exotic fragrance reached him—likely some specially crafted high-energy nutrient fluid. He took a sip, nodded, and remarked, "Good stuff."
Bai Gu looked at him and said, "Young man, I see conviction in your eyes—the conviction to climb toward infinite heights. When I was young, I was just as spirited and determined as you."
Chen Chuan asked, "And now?"
Bai Gu shook her head. "I don't think about such impractical things anymore." She glanced at him. "Once you have experienced what I have, you will understand. Take advice from an old woman like me: while you're still young, take hold of whatever you can get your hands on first. There's no need to overthink."
Chen Chuan looked at her. "Senior Bai, it seems you came here today with something to tell me?"
Bai Gu let out a sigh. "Young man, haven't you noticed? Your arrival in Shannan Dao affects things here. Many people and many affairs have become awkward to handle. That is why they hope you will leave soon."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I believe I understand what Senior means."
"Mm."
Seeing that he understood, a hint of satisfaction showed on Bai Gu's face. Opening her palm, she sent a wrapped bundle floating over. "Young man, I'll give this to you. I made it myself—consider it a meeting gift."
Chen Chuan glanced at it. It was a packet of incense, its scent soothing and comfortable. Clearly, it would provide some assistance to spiritual cultivation.
Bai Gu added, "Besides, Shannan Dao isn't ignorant of courtesy. When you depart, Brother Chen, Shannan Dao will prepare a parting gift for you. We won't let you come away empty-handed." Having said her piece, she clearly had no intention of lingering and turned to leave.
"Senior, please wait a moment."
Bai Gu paused and looked back.
Chen Chuan let the packet settle onto the table and slowly rose from his seat. In an earnest tone, he said, "Senior Bai, I understand your meaning. Now allow me to express mine."
He looked at Bai Gu, his gaze deep and still. "Might I ask you to stay here for a while?"
Chapter 863