The man on the seat spoke. "It is me."
He spoke in the language of Great Shun, yet though he had uttered only two syllables, they carried two distinct inflections. The sound was split between a male voice and a female voice, and one could simultaneously detect both cheerfulness and cold detachment within it. It struck Mr. Chi as extraordinarily bizarre.
Yet no matter what, he had to treat this man with the utmost respect. He was not only a martial artist dispatched by the Yuanren Head Office, but also an internationally renowned assassin.
Judging by his record, he had previously been employed by Western countries and had long operated within the Sanmawojia Continental Association.
Whenever a new generation of martial artists emerged anywhere within the association and acted against the interests of the Western nations, or displayed intentions and conduct that disrupted the established order, arrangements would be made for this man to go and eliminate them.
In truth, he was a potent weapon deliberately fostered and groomed by the Western nations to suppress the integration and rise of the Sanmawojia Continental Association.
His strikes were remarkably efficient, and thus far he had never failed. Indeed, his record of assassinating martial artists extended beyond the Sanmawojia Continental Association to the Sheni Great Peninsula, the Chiluojiaduo Confederation, the Fuluo Peninsula, and other regions.
It was worth noting, however, that the martial artists killed by this man shared a common trait: most of them had broken through their tier limit less than two years prior. Inviting him here was therefore quite fitting. Chen Chuan had likewise surpassed his tier limit less than a year ago, and this assassin possessed exceptionally vast experience in dealing with such martial artists.
Mr. Chi deeply hoped this mission would continue the man's unbroken streak of victories.
"Where is the information I asked you to gather?" Noche asked.
His voice remained an interwoven mix of conflicting tones and emotions. Having grown somewhat used to it by now, Mr. Chi paid little mind to the coldness inherent in it. Maintaining the same polite attitude as before, he said, "Knowing that Mr. Noche was coming, I kept the files with me."
He picked up the briefcase beside him and pulled out a boundary credential. "Mr. Noche, everything you requested is in here."
Noche took it. Instead of wearing it on his head, he drew an implanted connector wire from behind his ear and slotted it into the interface groove of the boundary credential.
Inside was the dossier on Chen Chuan. He had already reviewed some basic facts before this, but in his view, that was far from enough, which was why he had set forth additional requirements prior to his arrival.
Mr. Chi said, "In addition to what Mr. Noche requested, we have compiled everything verifiable that this individual has done outside over the past few months."
A faint glint of cyan light flashed through Noche's eyes as he rapidly scanned the internal files. Yet the first things he flipped through were not the most noteworthy combat records, but rather the foodstuffs and high-energy nutrients supplied to Chen Chuan by the Municipal Council.
The nutritional diet and preferences of a martial artist often reflected which specific part of their mutated tissue was being reinforced, and subtle traits not readily apparent on the surface could be deduced from them.
Upon reading through, however, he discovered that aside from consuming amounts several times greater than an ordinary martial artist, there was nothing noticeably unusual about Chen Chuan's intake. This indicated that his mutated tissue was very evenly distributed, which aligned with the prior intelligence that his foundational force technique was the Zhouyuan Jin technique.
A perfectly even distribution could be mediocre, but it could also be extraordinary. From this man's past combat records and achievements, he clearly belonged to the latter category.
Still, Noche considered the possibility that this was a deliberate smokescreen placed out in the open.
He had noticed that Chen Chuan had other channels for acquiring foodstuffs. It was clear that despite having only recently become a martial artist, Chen Chuan had already gone abroad on multiple assignments, with most of his resources provided by the Martial Arts Council and state enterprises. Securing specialized food ingredients through those means would hardly be difficult, effectively preventing any crucial details from leaking.
In his mind, Noche first gave Chen Chuan an assessment: bold, yet thoroughly cautious.
Next, he reviewed the intelligence gathered over recent days and found that in just a few short months, Chen Chuan had recorded missions in the Outer Ocean, the Biesa Khanate, Shannan Dao, and even Haixi Dao. In all of them, he had engaged in combat with martial artists.
He tapped the boundary credential and said to Mr. Chi, "I need more specific, detailed intelligence."
Mr. Chi said, "That will be difficult. Most of those affairs involved state enterprises and local administrative organs, and some of the locations lacked the conditions to keep any records at all, making specific details virtually impossible to obtain. But since Mr. Noche has made the request, we will do our best to gather information through other channels."
"As quickly as possible," Noche said.
He flipped through a few more pages, comparing multiple past cases and reports to judge whether Chen Chuan possessed any extraordinary sensory abilities, and nodded to himself.
His own style relied on striking without warning. However, certain individuals endowed with exceptional spiritual talent were capable of sensing danger in advance. If his target proved to be someone like that, the effectiveness of his ambush would be drastically reduced.
Even though the targets he dealt with were mostly newly risen martial artists, he would thoroughly gather intelligence, prepare meticulous strike contingencies, and formulate retreat plans before every action. He never presumed he would easily best his opponent, which was the very reason he had succeeded time and again.
Based on past records, he finally concluded that Chen Chuan lacked any precognitive danger sense; on every occasion, the man had simply plowed through adversity relying purely on his personal prowess.
Thus, he added another assessment: confident and exceptionally formidable in actual combat.
He examined further supplementary materials. Chen Chuan had relocated his family to live in Center City, indicating that the target's mental state was very stable. Furthermore, the man seemed to have a certain hoarding habit—he invariably confiscated the weapons of opponents he brought down, a preference he appeared to have retained even after becoming a martial artist.
Noche made a key note here. This was very likely tied to the man's bound oath, which might present an exploitable angle.
Just then, the submersible trembled slightly as though it had come to a halt. The telegraph operator beside them said, "Sir, we've received word from above. A patrol craft is passing by and has ordered us to surface and submit to inspection."
Mr. Chi said, "Understood."
He turned around, intending to say something to Noche, only to discover that the man had abruptly vanished. The submersible's interior was not large; one could take it in at a single glance. Reaching into his briefcase, Mr. Chi found the boundary credential resting right where it had been. His heart jolted violently. In that moment, he could hardly tell whether the meeting just now had been real or merely an illusion.
Composing himself, he said, "Ascend and submit to inspection."
The sightseeing submersible slowly surfaced. Once above the water, personnel dispatched from the patrol vessel conducted a painstaking sweep of the interior.
After the Government Affairs Hall suppressed the Municipal Council and the islands of the Outer Ocean fell under the control of the two companies, entering Great Shun had become far from simple for foreign fighters. Crossing the ocean required slipping past layer upon layer of inspections and field detection arrays deployed by the Ocean Exploration Group and Canglong Company.
Nearing the coast, aside from patrol ships, there were specially bred aquatic organisms trained for surveillance. Had Yuanren not possessed specialized technology and received assistance from the Municipal Council here in Center City, smuggling someone in undetected would have been out of the question.
During this inspection, however, the patrol ship found nothing amiss. Supported by their sightseeing pass, the submersible was cleared to proceed half an hour later.
Before long, the vessel returned beneath the villa district. Mr. Chi climbed up through the access shaft and stepped back into the villa. The moment he walked inside, his footsteps faltered slightly. Noche was sitting right there on his plush sofa, engrossed in a field screen that was playing an overtly childish cartoon.
He immediately gestured for the assistant following him to step outside. Rather than disturbing the assassin, he sat off to the side and waited.
Only after an entire episode had concluded did Noche finally look at him. "Arrange the contact as soon as possible."
Mr. Chi said, "Mr. Noche, we have prepared well in advance. However, I must remind you that no matter what, you must remain here and not proceed into Center City."
Noche raised his eyes to meet his gaze. His cold eyes held not a shred of emotion. Mr. Chi maintained a grave expression, looking back without flinching in the slightest.
Under the maneuvers of certain major factions, this man's underlying martial artist agreement was rather irregular. Crucially, he had not signed any border entry treaties. The Jibei Dao Municipal Council dared not let him enter Center City under any circumstances; should he venture inside on his own, the consequences would be entirely catastrophic.
Noche studied him for a moment and said, "Fine."
Mr. Chi let out a quiet sigh of relief and beckoned to the assistant outside. "Mr. Noche, I must attend to a few matters. If you require anything, simply tell him." With a polite nod, he left the room to the assassin.
He went up to his office on the upper floor, picked up the receiver, dialed a number, and said, "The drift bottle has been received. The recipient awaits a reply."
He hung up and waited patiently. About five minutes later, the telephone rang. He picked it up, and a voice sounded through the receiver: "The courier has departed."
Receiving this news, Mr. Chi felt his mind settle slightly. How the specific plan unfolded had nothing to do with him, nor would the other party discuss it with him; someone of equal standing with Noche was required for that.
The person dispatched on their side was the very individual who had previously left psychic impressions directly on Chen Chuan. He belonged to the Refined Practice School and had once served within Yuanren Company, making communication between the two far smoother than it would be with Mr. Chi.
Even so, Mr. Chi's own responsibility remained vital: he had to devise a way to send the man into the Confluence.
The passage itself could be provided by the Jibei Dao Municipal Council. However, to avoid detection by the Government Affairs Hall, they had to divert the attention of the Great Shun General Affairs Bureau first while keeping the Disposal Bureau tied up so they lacked the manpower to monitor them. For all of this, he had already laid meticulous groundwork.
He tapped his boundary credential and waited a moment until the connection was established. In a low voice, he asked, "Is everything ready?"
Once he received a definitive confirmation from the other end, he said coldly, "Good. Begin the operation."
Chapter 894