Toward the end of April, multiple bombings struck Center City, followed in swift succession by attacks on high-ranking officials of the Government Affairs Hall and municipal councilors.
The perpetrators were the "Deep Sea Vengeance Army," which claimed to be part of the "International United Resistance Front."
Because these incidents also appeared to involve martial artists of the third limit, their emergence immediately drew the utmost scrutiny from the Government Affairs Hall. The Disposal Bureau, City Patrol, and other law enforcement arms were promptly ordered to conduct broad-scale manhunts and investigations.
Just as Mr. Chi had anticipated, once a resistance group surfaced, the city's enforcement apparatus would have no peace until the group was eradicated. Covert agencies like Great Shun's General Affairs Bureau were bound to have a portion of their attention diverted as well, which would work to their advantage.
By early May, Mr. Chi arrived aboard a cruise ship out at sea. He had come at Noche's behest, bringing along a proxy imbued with Noche's consciousness to take part in the pre-operation briefing.
A martial artist's identity was exceptionally sensitive in Center City; the slightest misstep could lead to discovery. Therefore, none of the three martial artists gathered for this targeted mission would appear in person. Instead, their agents and consciousness proxies handled the discussions and would report back to their principals afterward.
The vessel was provided by Yuanren Company, and all equipment and personnel aboard had been brought directly from the company to ensure absolute information security.
When Mr. Chi led his companion into the cabin, two people were already seated. On the left was an ordinary-looking, expressionless man—the proxy for the martial artist who had once served Yuanren Company, an automaton manufactured by the company itself.
Seated across from him was a woman wearing purple eye shadow, with two cybernetic eyes implanted at her temples.
With a nod, Mr. Chi took a seat alongside the consciousness proxy at his side.
Crossing her arms, the eye-shadowed woman said, "I'm here on the boss's instructions. My time is tight, and the boss doesn't like waiting around. If there are arrangements, say them outright."
The automaton sat motionless, offering no sound.
Mr. Chi turned toward the consciousness proxy beside him. "Mr. Noche?"
The proxy replied, "Since everyone is here, let us begin."
Perhaps because she was the only representative present who was not a consciousness proxy, the eye-shadowed woman was the most active. Looking at Mr. Chi, she said, "The boss has already reviewed the information you sent. He judges that the target will definitely remain in the Confluence for over two months. Right now, he should still be in his cultivation phase. Considering the target only became a martial artist recently, his strength is likely still in a growth period. The boss's recommendation is to strike now. If we wait, his power might increase.
"If we push it to the next opportunity, no one knows when that will be. By then, he'll be familiar with the terrain and far more efficient at hunting. If we choose to move at that point, the place will be his home turf, which would put us at a distinct disadvantage."
Although Mr. Chi was no martial artist, he privately agreed with this reasoning. According to the analysis reports provided by the company, the target possessed astonishing growth potential; the sooner they acted, the better their chances. He glanced at the woman. In this matter, the Convergence faction was clearly demonstrating far more eagerness than they were.
At this moment, the automaton raised its head and asked, "Commissioner Chi, has the shipment promised by Lianwei Heavy Control arrived?"
Mr. Chi answered, "Per your and Mr. Noche's request, two carefully conditioned active conscious entities have already been delivered outside the city."
The automaton nodded, visibly satisfied. A specially conditioned active conscious entity could serve to a certain extent as a vessel to house a Visage of the Divine martial artist. Though it was a one-time consumable, it represented a second chance.
In battles between martial artists, having an extra chance undoubtedly meant having an extra life.
Noche's consciousness proxy spoke up. "Only two?"
Mr. Chi explained, "Lianwei Heavy Control is unwilling to meddle directly in our affairs. The vessels provided this time were sent under the name of a third party. Obtaining more is impossible, and time does not permit it anyway. Under standard custom orders, cultivating one requires at least two to three years.
"However, gentlemen and madam...
"We actually have another ally this time."
With that, he pulled an armored, human-shaped chess piece from his pocket, placed it on the table, and slid it before the three of them.
The eye-shadowed woman immediately caught on. "The Old Imperial Court?"
Mr. Chi nodded. "A lone martial artist stranded out in the wild—and a Great Shun martial artist who slew a Subjugation General, a rising star no less. Naturally, the old dynasty won't let him slip away."
Far from pleased, the eye-shadowed woman said bluntly, "I don't trust them. And the boss won't trust them either."
Mr. Chi said, "Neither do I. But this time, you can rest assured. The collapse in the Jibei Dao Confluence and the loss of their underground trade routes dealt a severe blow to the Old Imperial Court. They are desperate to forge new channels and restore mutual commerce, so there is no need to fear them playing tricks on this matter.
"Furthermore, in the Confluence, the Old Imperial Court knows far more than we do. They can provide us with abundant intelligence. For instance, this one right here..."
He tapped his boundary credential, transmitting a dispatch to everyone present. "Around the area where the target has gone, there may be a special entity—very likely a mutated ancient martial artist."
The automaton said, "If it's an obstacle, we eliminate it together. It will give the three of us a good chance to practice our coordination."
Noche had no objection.
Though he was a renowned assassin with his own operating style, he would not reject teammates in a joint operation.
When several martial artists joined forces, their combat effectiveness did not simply increase by a notch or two. Even against someone a tier above them, as long as the arrangements were sound and the tactics correct, they could certainly bring about a kill.
If his teammates proved useless, he could simply finish the job himself.
Seeing that neither of them objected, the eye-shadowed woman merely snorted and held her tongue.
Mr. Chi looked at the automaton, then at Noche, his expression growing slightly sterner.
"Center City's enforcement agencies and covert departments have already been distracted according to our arrangements, but this window of opportunity is very short. Therefore, we will arrange for the two of you to enter the Jibei Dao Confluence as soon as possible."
***
Deep within the Confluence, after six days and nights of trekking on foot, a vast sea appeared before Chen Chuan.
He had not chosen this route at random. First, this direction led deeper into the Confluence, toward the Ring of the World and what lay beyond it. Multiple rivers marked on the map converged here.
If an inland creature that had reached the tier limit was heading toward the Ring of the World, following the rivers was its most probable path. And with several rivers meeting here to empty into the ocean, the likelihood of encountering creatures of that tier was far higher than in other regions.
He decided to venture no further, intending to linger here for a time. Perhaps he might make some gains in this place.
Looking across the expanse, he saw the clouds above the ocean hanging extraordinarily low, the seawater surging in violent swells. Off in the distance lay a wondrous sight: a waterspout spiraled up from the sea, sweeping water straight into the sky's cloud layer. Not only was it massive in scale, but it also seemed permanently anchored there, as though a rift had opened in the heavens, connecting the sky with the ocean below.
As he was observing the scene, Chaoming gave a cry and descended from the air. Chen Chuan glanced back and saw a flock of ferocious-looking avian beasts flying toward this area.
Yet as the flock crossed over the water's surface, a dozen massive tentacles suddenly burst forth from the sea. With a single lash, they swatted numerous birds down, though most of the flock managed to fly clear of the area.
As for why the birds had not flown higher, it was likely due to those clouds hovering over the sea. In truth, they were not clouds at all, but vast swarms formed of countless tiny insects, each so minuscule as to be virtually invisible, making them appear no different from cloud banks from afar.
Watching the tentacles sink back beneath the waves, Chen Chuan mulled it over for a moment. He signaled Chaoming to retreat a bit farther back and wait, then set down his suitcase, drew his Xuejun Saber, and waded into the ocean.
This dive lasted over an hour. When he finally re-emerged, he was hauling a tentacle behind him, followed by a colossal monstrosity that looked like an overgrown jellyfish, stretching a full fifty to sixty meters from head to tail.
This creature was documented in the compendium as a "White Sea Ghost." Its limbs were a well-known delicacy, while the mutated tissue in its brain bolstered a martial artist's qi, blood, sinews, and bones.
Both parts could be cooked and eaten. Given his abundant nutrition, he could afford to be a bit particular about flavor now.
After dragging the creature fully onto the shore, Chen Chuan first severed a section of tentacle with his Xuejun Saber, then split open its tough cranium with another stroke. Guided by his field, a gelatinous mass drifted out from within.
He carried both items back to higher ground beyond the beach and lit a campfire. Setting a pot atop the flames and adding clean water, he dropped the mass of mutated brain tissue inside.
After boiling for a short while, the jelly-like substance congealed, resting white and pristine at the bottom of the pot like tender, silken tofu. He then sliced off a section of the tentacle, chopped it into cubes with a short blade, and tossed them in as well.
Feeling that just these two ingredients were somewhat plain, he drew on the provisions he had gathered along the way. He had hunted several creatures and prepared them into snacks and dry rations, including some wild vegetables and diced bits of meat. He dumped them all into the pot at once.
Before long, the pot was bubbling merrily, thickening into a rich, savory white broth. He scooped up a spoonful to taste. Perhaps because the tentacle itself was rich in natural salts, it tasted remarkably delicious even without added salt or seasonings.
He ladled a bowl for Chaoming first, then began eating with his spoon. Just then, a sudden intuition struck him, and he glanced out toward the sea.
A moment ago, he had felt something watching him. Yet when he looked, there was only the surging tide, and nothing else to be seen.
Chapter 895