The middle-aged man was distantly related to Cheng Zitong, so he was well acquainted with the past. To tell the truth, he had always felt indignant on Cheng Zitong's behalf.
Just because someone came from a martial arts family and didn't excel at martial arts, did they deserve to be looked down upon?
Especially after Cheng Zitong left Center City for Yangzhi, some people from hereditary martial arts families had even held him up as a cautionary tale everywhere they went. It had infuriated the man, leading him to argue with them several times over the matter.
Only in the past two years had those voices finally quieted down.
As for the reason—
Something suddenly crossed his mind. Looking at Chen Chuan standing not far away, whose posture remained exceptionally upright even in plain clothes, he felt a sudden wave of astonishment and whispered, "Tong-ge, is that..."
Cheng Zitong chuckled. "Oh? That's my student. He heard I was coming back this time and came specially to pick me up."
A shudder ran through the middle-aged man. Who didn't know these days? Tong-ge's student was none other than... Suddenly, he didn't even dare breathe loudly, let alone look in that direction.
Cheng Zitong patted him on the shoulder. "My old room is still there, right?"
The middle-aged man said hurriedly, "It is, Tong-ge! It's the place Cousin-Aunt left for you—no matter what, I had to keep it safe for you."
Cheng Zitong patted him once more, then turned back to Chen Chuan. "Xiao Chuan, I'm all set here. I can carry the luggage inside myself—it's no trouble at all. You can head back now."
Chen Chuan said, "All right. If you need anything, teacher, just reach out to me anytime."
"I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "Teacher, I'll take my leave then." He gave a nod to the somewhat stiff-faced middle-aged man, then turned and left.
Only after he had gone did the middle-aged man exhale a long breath. Coming forward to help Cheng Zitong carry the luggage, he asked in a low whisper, "Tong-ge, how many students do you have?"
Cheng Zitong smiled. "Used to have quite a few. Only one in recent years."
"O-Oh..." The middle-aged man swallowed hard, subconsciously glancing in the direction Chen Chuan had departed.
After helping move the luggage inside, he said, "Tong-ge, it just hit me—next month is Cousin-Uncle's eightieth birthday. Are you..."
Cheng Zitong grinned, showing a row of white teeth. "The old man is turning eighty. No matter what, I had to come back to see him and wish him a long life, wouldn't you say?"
"You should, you definitely should."
"Yeah. Other than my student, no one knows I'm back. Don't go telling anyone just yet; I want to save a surprise for the old man."
"I know, I know! Tong-ge, don't you trust me?"
The middle-aged man patted his chest. At that moment, a feeling of excitement welled up inside him, accompanied by a spark of eager anticipation.
Entering the room, Cheng Zitong found the arrangement largely unchanged from when he had left, only that things had grown a bit more weathered with age. Beneath the glass top of the five-drawer dresser, old photographs were still pressed in place.
He walked over to look. There were photos of himself as a child, family portraits—the old man's expression stern as ever. He shifted his gaze to a picture of himself alongside his senior brother, Qiao Linhu. Back then, he had been just a kid while his senior brother was already a grown youth, yet that serious demeanor of his had already captured sixty or seventy percent of the old man's likeness.
He chuckled and rubbed his belly. How was it that coming to Center City had sharpened his appetite? He called out to the middle-aged man, "Xiao Ke, come on, let's get something to eat. My treat."
"Sounds great, Tong-ge."
"Is that old Shen's Shop still around?"
"Still there! Old Man Shen doesn't run it anymore—his son took over. The kid's got good skill, and he's stubborn as a mule—flatly refuses to get implants. It's definitely still the authentic old flavor."
"Good. We'll head over there and have a taste first."
***
Upon returning to Weiguang District, Chen Chuan first visited the Defense Department. Lately, as the Skyline Project pressed forward, his primary focus outside of cultivation had been directed here: he had to ensure that the basic connection between the two Center Cities was established before year's end.
The exact date of connection had not yet been finalized, but at least half a month of trial connections would be required beforehand. It was never a matter of hooking up precisely on the designated day; that was merely the date of formal announcement. The security and protection efforts leading up to it had to be executed without flaw.
Maintaining public order in Center City now required only the City Patrol supplemented by a handful of Disposal Bureau personnel. Most capable operatives had already been deployed to the ocean, while the Ocean Exploration Group and Canglong Company patrolled the waters in all directions to ensure nothing went awry.
As long as the field communication succeeded and was received by the citizens of both Center Cities, then even if problems arose later, nothing could stem the tide. Once people knew beyond doubt that such a thing was truly possible, it could never again be erased from their minds.
He listened to reports from his subordinates. Everything was proceeding normally for now; aside from some media reporters, no targeted moves by hostile factions had been detected.
Yet the route requiring protection this time lay across the sea. Not only was it far from Center City, but it was also exceptionally long; if trouble arose along a single stretch, the entire link might be compromised. Guarding it through brute force alone was simply impossible, which was why intelligence support from covert departments was critically needed.
He had already been in contact with Special Commissioner Feng, arranging for any potential disruptions to be communicated promptly. Only by acting ahead of changes could such threats be neutralized before they erupted.
***
The Confluence, Marsh Training Camp.
Zhao Zhenye sat suspended in midair, silver-white auric plumes drifting up and down around him. Vaguely, a colossal silhouette seemed to fill the entire hall. He exhaled and inhaled slowly, and within those protracted breaths, waves of light appeared to expand and collapse in rhythm.
After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "What is it now?"
A woman's voice sounded from behind him. "The Skyline Project. It may affect us when the time comes."
Zhao Zhenye said, "You didn't care about it before, and now you're anxious?" He looked upward. "It isn't that severe. At most, Haidong Dao will have one martial artist stationed there. Just one more martial artist won't hinder our plans."
The woman's voice replied, "That's true for now. But what about six months from now? A year from now? How many Center Cities will be connected, and how many martial artists will be brought together?"
Zhao Zhenye straightened to his feet. With that single movement, waves of light and shadow seemed to ripple across the entire great hall, and a faint vibration resonated through the air.
He said in a deep voice, "They want to move things forward? Is that why they sent you to tell me?" He turned around. "Is that it?"
Directly across from him, an indistinct outline hovered within the vapor. It looked like a woman of slender figure, yet standing there, it loomed more than three times his height.
The woman's shadowy figure said, "You know that the ritualist's failure had a massive impact. They do not wish to see any further interference or variables."
Zhao Zhenye shook his head. "The Skyline is the general trend. Leaving aside the fact that I cannot stop it, even if I went and sabotaged it, doing so would only alert the enemy and work against our plans."
The woman paused briefly before saying, "I do not wish to move it forward either, but that explanation will not satisfy Them. I still believe you should provide an answer that puts Them at ease." Her voice softened slightly. "If you cannot think of one right away, it doesn't matter. I will stall for time as best I can. Let me know once you have made up your mind."
Zhao Zhenye pondered for a moment and said, "It is not appropriate for me to show myself at present. But I believe you have no need to worry—someone will make a move."
"Are you certain?"
Zhao Zhenye replied in a heavy tone, "I will be there in person when the time comes. If things do not unfold as I've judged, I will take full responsibility."
The woman said no more. Her silhouetted form gradually faded into the mist. Inside the structure, only Zhao Zhenye remained standing alone, surrounded only by the rhythmic dripping of the water clock.
***
Linax Federation, Geiserfitu Island.
This was a large island situated far off the West Coast, as well as a naval base.
At this moment, within a scenic resort nestled beneath Mount Wally Peak, two men dressed in the attire of the New Light Cult were engaged in heated discussion inside a plantation-style mansion.
One of them clenched his fists in fury and shouted, "Those harbor parasites from the East Coast are going to compromise with Great Shun! The diplomatic mission has even sent out formal invitations! We cannot allow them to continue like this! If they do, the West Coast's interests will be wiped out entirely!"
The person across from him spoke with a grim, solemn voice. "Indeed. We cannot allow them to reach an agreement." He paused, then added coldly, "We must find a way to delay and sabotage the Skyline's connection."
The Linax Federation's newly inaugurated Chief Executive was an East Coaster, and thus cared only for the East Coast's interests. Meanwhile, because the puppet regime the West Coast party had spent twenty years cultivating was toppled in a single day—inflicting massive losses on the Federation's interests—the West Coast had lost the recent Chief Executive race.
Yet they harbored deep resentment. They had pitted the strength of the West Coast alone against the entire national might of Great Shun—or at least that of the Centralist faction. From the start, the disparity had been immense; achieving what they had achieved had already required tremendous exertion on their part.
And once the Skyline Project succeeded, establishing full connections between the Outer Ocean and Great Shun's mainland, the West Coast would be blocked at its own doorstep forever. Thus, they had to devise a way to sabotage it. Even if doing so caused relations between the two nations to sour, it would mean nothing to them—or rather, that was precisely what they wanted to see.
The worse relations became with the other side, the more resources and interests could be tilted toward the West Coast.
After discussing the matter and reaching an agreement, the two men walked out together into the long hall outside.
There, a man knelt upright on the floor in proper seiza posture. He possessed a robust, agile build and wore a martial arts uniform free of a single wrinkle. His long hair was gathered neatly behind him in a topknot, every strand in place without the slightest disarray. His face was weathered with age and experience, his expression held in utter solemnity.
Master of the Fenglin Dojo, one of the Three Great Dojos of the Outer Ocean: Kazama Kagetora.
The two men came over and sat across from him. One of them said, "Master Kazama, we invited you here today because we hope you will step forward to stop something."
The other said, "The Skyline Project—Mr. Kazama, you've heard of it, haven't you?"
Kazama Kagetora remained silent for a moment, bowed slightly, and then spoke: "I am very willing to serve the Federation. However, I have a concern."
Chapter 973