Yao Zhiyi stared at the luggage trunk in stunned disbelief.
*They're all inside?*
*Three martial artists?*
Granted, this trunk was indeed different from the one Chen Chuan had originally brought with him. Yao Zhiyi had assumed Chen Chuan had acquired it in Shengu City, but now it seemed far more likely it had been left behind by those martial artists—and Chen Chuan had conveniently stuffed them right into it?!
He could not help looking at Chen Chuan once more. Holding off a siege by three martial artists and preventing all three martial artists from escaping were matters on entirely different levels.
To put it plainly, it required an overwhelming advantage in both speed and power when confronting the three of them.
And being able to achieve that meant that in head-on combat, those three could hardly pose any decent threat to Chen Chuan. It could only have been a complete and utter crushing.
Yao Zhiyi could not help drawing a deep breath. Last time, Chen Chuan had eliminated his old rival Wei Guochan right after becoming a martial artist, which had already astonished him greatly. Yet who would have guessed that every time Chen Chuan reappeared, he would shatter Yao Zhiyi's understanding anew? With complex emotions stirring in his heart, he remarked with a sigh, "Section Chief Chen, it seems those three didn't give you much trouble."
Chen Chuan nodded. Disposing of those three had indeed presented little difficulty for him at that moment, though had it been before he mastered the Grand Radiant Light Forms, it truly might not have been easy.
Back then, Hongfu could not receive energy support from him yet, meaning he would have had to face all three alone. It wasn't that he couldn't beat them, but martial artists possessed tenacious vitality. If any one of them wasn't killed in a single blow, they could pull back and seize the chance to recover. In particular, two of them walked the path of the Visage of the Divine and had spare bodies, which undoubtedly raised their margin for error.
If their tactics had been executed well, it wasn't impossible for the fight to drag on for half a day, making them even more troublesome to deal with than the yaogui had been.
This wasn't to say that the three of them combined possessed greater combat power than the yaogui; rather, he was only one person, and thus could attack and focus on at most one opponent at a time. That was an immutable fact. As long as they constrained him on that point, they could drag things out for a long time. If he failed to resolve it swiftly, there was a real chance it would turn into a war of attrition.
In that case, even if he managed to win, he could at best ensure he prevented the martial artist of the Visage of the Aberrant from escaping. As for the two of the Visage of the Divine, it would have been hard to say; had they fled recklessly, stopping them would have been exceedingly difficult.
By now, Yao Zhiyi had regained his composure. He picked up his cup and took a silent sip. After experiencing something like this, he felt that no matter what occurred around Chen Chuan that defied reason in the future, he probably wouldn't be surprised anymore.
Setting down his cup, he produced a file and handed it to Chen Chuan. "Here is the information we uncovered on two of them."
Chen Chuan took it and looked through it. Inside were details concerning Tuner and Noche, which matched the two who had attacked him. He nodded. "These two were indeed among them."
Yao Zhiyi asked, "Could you discern the background of the third?"
"A martial artist cultivating the Visage of the Aberrant," Chen Chuan replied. "Some of the techniques he used left a deep impression on me. According to my speculation, he might be from the Convergence faction."
"The Convergence faction..."
Yao Zhiyi's brow furrowed. Then, in a grave tone, he said, "Regardless of faction or status, colluding with foreign powers to participate in an attack on senior government officials is something that can never be tolerated."
Chen Chuan patted the trunk beside him. "With the bodily remains of these three, I believe we will be able to settle this matter."
Yao Zhiyi could not resist glancing at the luggage trunk once more before nodding. After a brief pause, he added, "Because of the intelligence we received earlier suggesting the former imperial house might make a move, I patrolled back and forth here for nearly a month, yet found no one seeking passage.
"Thinking back now, it was likely a smoke screen deliberately set by someone to mislead us. That way, even if we noticed something was amiss, we would have no time to come to your aid."
Chen Chuan nodded. He did not doubt Yao Zhiyi's words. They held tight control over the key routes leading to the Melded Lands of Jibei Dao; the people of the former imperial house couldn't possibly cross over easily unless they took a detour.
However, doing so would multiply the travel distance several times over, consuming far more time and introducing greater uncertainty. Furthermore, on his way here, he had seen patrol airships everywhere in the rear. If a martial artist moved at a certain speed, the commotion created would be immense, and the likelihood of detection would rise accordingly—meaning they might instead end up exposing themselves.
The sensible approach was precisely what had unfolded: release false intelligence to force them to heighten their vigilance. That way, their forces were tied down without the imperial remnants ever needing to step forward and get their hands dirty.
Yao Zhiyi then said solemnly, "I will send a telegram to the Government Affairs Hall shortly to report your return, Section Chief Chen. Once the news of your return is confirmed, it is likely to alarm many people. Therefore, my suggestion is to remain as covert as possible while we draw up a plan first."
Chen Chuan nodded. "This time, I will return via the Government Affairs Hall's dedicated emergency passage."
The route he referred to was the fastest and most concealed path from the Melded Lands back to Center City, reserved for emergencies. It led straight to the Government Affairs Hall, and those tasked with guarding it were handpicked elites from the garrison—unquestionably loyal and dependable, with no risk of leaks.
Yao Zhiyi asked, "You've only just returned, Section Chief Chen. Would you like to rest and recuperate a bit before setting out?"
"There's no need," Chen Chuan said. "I've already rested on the airship. News of my return won't stay hidden for long. If the Municipal Council learns of it, they might make preparations in advance. We need to formulate a plan for this as soon as possible. If there's nothing else on your end, Principal Yao, I'll head back right away."
"Very well, Section Chief Chen. In that case, I won't hold you back," Yao Zhiyi said. "I'll dispatch an airship to send you back. The crew are all my people, entirely trustworthy."
Chen Chuan nodded, rose to his feet, and shook hands with Principal Yao. After taking his leave, he boarded the airship with all the gear and belongings he had brought from the expedition, returning through the passage from the Melded Lands.
Half an hour later, at another remote fortress.
A young telegraph operator received a secret telegram. After decoding it, he dashed outside at once. Glancing about, he finally spotted Mr. Zhuan standing on high ground. Hurrying up, he offered the message and said reverently, "Sir, a telegram for you."
Mr. Zhuan took it. The operator saluted and swiftly departed. Mr. Zhuan read through the coded contents, which indicated that Chen Chuan had safely returned and that there was no longer any need to keep watch here.
Mask remarked, "Let's go. I told you Zhao Zhenye wouldn't come. A man as proud and haughty as him wouldn't deign to join hands with anyone else."
Mr. Zhuan replied, "I would have preferred he came."
Mask said, "I know what you're thinking. Zhao Zhenye's talent and natural gifts are too exceptional; eliminating him earlier reduces the danger that much more, whereas the longer it's put off, the harder it will be to deal with him.
"Still, Old Zhuan, why take this entirely upon your own shoulders? Don't we have Staff Officer Chen? His talent is remarkable too. Look, didn't he manage to handle things all on his own this time? Next time we deal with Zhao Zhenye, we can just team up with him. Wouldn't our odds be much better that way?"
Seeing that Mr. Zhuan remained silent, Mask continued, "I know what you want to say—Staff Officer Chen's talent is great, but he might need a bit of time to grow, and you're afraid Zhao Zhenye will be even harder to deal with by then. We could settle the problem first and try not to leave it to him, but why shoulder all of this yourself?"
Mr. Zhuan said, "Mr. Guan was Zhao Zhenye's guide, and he was my elder brother's guide as well. Back then, Mr. Guan was dragged into trouble because of this affair. My brother is gone now. If I don't resolve this matter, should I leave it for someone else to deal with?"
He looked outward, then strode forward with a resolute expression. "Let's head back. If we couldn't corner him this time, I will catch him next time." With that, he turned on his heel and walked off.
Mask seemed about to say something, but Mr. Zhuan cut him off directly: "Say no more."
"Wait a second..."
"I said, say no more."
Mask said helplessly, "The airship is behind you. You're walking the wrong way."
"..."
Mr. Zhuan stopped in his tracks, turned around with an expressionless face, and walked toward the mooring tower standing brightly in the open.
As dusk approached, an airship came to a halt at the entrance to the Melded Lands' emergency passage. Searchlight beams above swept upward, and reception personnel gave various flag signals and guiding gestures.
Once the airship docked securely, Chen Chuan emerged carrying the luggage trunk, with Chaoming trailing behind him and orderlies pushing additional crates in the rear.
The guards on either side immediately snapped a salute.
Chen Chuan nodded in acknowledgment, descended from the mooring tower, and boarded a train dedicated to this line, slowly sipping a hot drink.
When he set out, it had been early April; now, it was already early June. Roughly two months had passed, and his gains had undeniably been immense.
Upon returning to Center City, matters of training could be set aside for the moment while he tackled the business that had to be resolved.
Half an hour later, the train eased to a stop. An orderly approached and said with deference, "Section Chief Chen, we have arrived at the station."
Chen Chuan gave a slight nod. Rising from his seat, he picked up his peaked cap and donned it, took hold of the Xuejun Saber, and stepped off the train. Glancing around, he saw that the terminal was located directly beneath the Administrative Building.
He followed an orderly into a dedicated elevator. The orderly pressed a floor number not included among the standard levels, and roughly ten seconds later, the doors slid open to either side.
Stepping out, Chen Chuan found himself in an internal reception hall. Qi Weizhao was already waiting there with a smile. Upon seeing Chen Chuan, he walked forward proactively, clasped his hand, and gave it a firm shake. "Section Chief Chen, welcome back. It must have been a grueling journey."
"Thank you for your concern, Administrator," Chen Chuan replied.
After exchanging pleasantries, Qi Weizhao invited Chen Chuan to sit down nearby and said, "I've already received the telegram sent by Commissioner Yao and have a general grasp of the situation. Thanks to the coordination of the covert divisions, we have already clarified the identities of two of the assailants. But I didn't expect there would be a third martial artist. Section Chief Chen, you mentioned... he might be from the Convergence faction?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "Based on my personal judgment, it is extremely likely."
Hearing this, Qi Weizhao's expression turned grave. "It seems the enemy we must face this time is far thornier than we previously anticipated."
Chapter 907