Outside Jibei Dao Center City, atop a certain sea reef, an extremely narrow fissure suddenly split open. Zhao Zhenye stepped out from within, and almost the very instant he emerged, the fissure snapped shut once more.
That female voice spoke again, tinged with a hint of fatigue. "Zhuan Liang hasn't left Center City. Now that you've come out, he will definitely come looking for you. If you can, take this chance to get rid of him."
Gazing straight ahead, Zhao Zhenye said in a low voice, "Now is not the time. You should know what kind of reaction Great Shun and the Purist Faction would have to the loss of any martial artist. It would severely disrupt our plans."
The woman's voice fell silent at once.
Zhao Zhenye looked ahead, took a light step forward, and dissolved into a silver-white stream of light, shooting away toward the far reaches of the ocean.
In the southern industrial zone of Center City, Mr. Zhuan was browsing his daily subscriptions of magazines and newspapers when he suddenly felt the pocket watch against his chest grow hot.
He immediately reached into his coat and drew it out. Inside the pocket watch was only a single red needle, which was pointing in a certain direction and trembling violently.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
The pocket watch itself had no function, but it was filled with the powder of a certain relic. As long as one followed the direction of the needle, it could locate a specific target.
Naturally, it could not find just anyone; there were strict prerequisites and operating requirements. Furthermore, the filling was consumed rapidly—a process accelerated even further in the Melded Lands. Once exhausted, it would be impossible to track down the target using the same method again.
He had previously used it to intercept Zhao Zhenye. Now, only a sliver of the filling remained, hardly enough to support another trip into the Melded Lands. However, both he and the Purist Faction had deduced that Zhao Zhenye's prolonged stay in Jibei Dao meant he had some grand scheme in motion. The man would not stay hidden in the Melded Lands forever. Thus, he had been waiting here for Zhao Zhenye to surface.
Now, that wait was over.
He immediately picked up the mask beside him and put it on.
Mask grew lively. "Zhao Zhenye chose this time to emerge... Hmm, the needle is pointing out to sea. Looks like he's out to sabotage the Skyline Project, isn't he?"
Mr. Zhuan said, "It can only be that."
Mask said, "Then Council Member Chen should be heading there as well. If we let him—"
Mr. Zhuan decisively cut him off. "This is my affair."
"No, the Skyline Project is extraordinarily important. It concerns the development of every Center City, and—"
Mask's voice became exceptionally grave.
"Personal notions and private grudges are nothing before this project! If you don't have absolute certainty of success, Old Zhuan, you must notify Center City and Council Member Chen!"
Mr. Zhuan remained silent for a moment before replying, "My departure was never meant to be hidden in the first place. They will know."
Mask relaxed slightly and said, "All right. It's just that no one knows what secret lore Zhao Zhenye has been cultivating. Let's just hope the things we brought will work."
Mr. Zhuan swiftly put on his coat, picked up the desk telephone, and instructed the local telegraph operator to send three differently worded telegrams—one to headquarters, one to the Jibei Dao Government Affairs Hall, and one to the Martial Artists Council. He then grabbed his prepared briefcase, pushed through the door, glanced at the needle in his pocket watch, and swiftly vanished into the night.
Out across the Outer Ocean, Chen Chuan had deliberately reined in his sprinting speed after covering some distance to avoid causing too great a commotion.
Even so, in just over an hour, the uncharted island marked on the map came into view.
The island was not small, spanning at least ten or twenty square kilometers. In the dark of night, it resembled a giant behemoth crouching on the sea surface.
Because it lay far off the main shipping routes and the island appeared to have suffered biological contamination in the past, a species of devil algae grew around its shores, prone to tangling passing vessels and sea life, giving the area an exceptionally high shipwreck rate. Furthermore, the Federation had once conducted biochemical experiments here, turning the surrounding seawater an eerie red. As a result, few people ever approached, and it had become practically a forbidden zone.
Now, however, it served as the landing site chosen by his opponents. If martial artists departed from here, they could reach Haidong Dao Center City in less than half a day. And to martial artists, the field relay stations spanning that remaining stretch of the route were all targets ripe for attack and sabotage. Therefore, he had to intercept all three of them right here.
To guard against unforeseen contingencies, he had already notified Fenghe Shou in advance, requesting him to stand on alert at all times. If any complication or discrepancy with their intelligence arose, he would have Chaoming fly a handwritten note to the nearest communication post.
Looking left and right, he spotted a small sea reef less than ten meters across nearby. He crossed over and stood atop it. Raising his gaze, he found that the angle offered a clear view of the island's overall layout.
Chaoming circled overhead, helping him observe farther into the distance. Flying high enough in the dark sky, its silhouette was virtually invisible.
Chen Chuan calculated the time. According to the intelligence, the other side would arrive before midnight tonight, leaving roughly two more hours.
He hoped they would be punctual. If they failed to show, he would have to take the initiative and track them down one by one.
He waited in silence. When the time drew near eleven-thirty, a speck of light appeared in the distant night sky, followed by the thrum of propellers as an airship cruised toward the island.
Upon reaching the airspace above the island, the airship slowed. A searchlight swept down, illuminating the reflectors pre-positioned below. Once confirmed as the destination, the airship hovered in place. A figure clad in a white martial arts uniform leaped down, streaking through the night sky like a white line before touching down lightly on the island.
The person who landed had a broad face, prominent cheekbones, and a grim expression. His uniform bore an odd handprint insignia.
The first to arrive was Ian, head of the Foluo Peninsula branch of the New Light Cult.
He was a native of the Foluo Peninsula himself. However, with the peninsula lying right on Great Shun's doorstep, its local regime was virtually Great Shun's vassal. Consequently, it had subjected the New Light Cult to prolonged and relentless crackdowns. The branch's members had all gone underground, while Ian himself was left with only an empty title, having fled back to the Federation for shelter.
Watching from a distance, Chen Chuan had already guessed his identity. The intelligence department had provided thorough dossiers on all three individuals.
This man was reportedly a master of the Xinchan Style.
The Xinchan Style appeared to be a school founded less than a century ago, but it actually derived from an offshoot of the Chan Sect, carrying a deep lineage. Although the title of "master" was conferred by the Foluo Peninsula, it was hardly given out lightly; one had to be recognized for innovating upon existing martial arts techniques and pioneering insights never before reached by predecessors.
One could only wonder how his actual combat capability measured up.
Chen Chuan stood motionless. Now that one had arrived, the intelligence was proven accurate. All that remained was to wait for the other two.
Less than twenty minutes later, a second airship appeared in the night sky. Judging by the direction, their points of origin were not the same, and the airship models differed, likely to facilitate acting independently.
When this airship arrived over the island, the one descending from it was Kazama Kagetora, master of the Fenglin Dojo.
He carried an exaggeratedly long blade, its sheath and hilt bound in layers of specialized cloth wrapping. His face and hair were groomed immaculately; even with the night sea breeze blowing around him, not a single strand was out of place.
Upon seeing each other, the two men on the island nodded in greeting.
Both had heard of the other's reputation, yet they exchanged few words. They understood well enough that after this operation, win or lose, there would be no more major moves in the Outer Ocean, and their paths would likely never cross again.
Another ten minutes passed. Midnight was fast approaching, yet the third person had still failed to show.
Right then, both men seemed to sense something at once. Wary looks flashed in their eyes as they turned their heads, only to see a figure dressed in a Federation formal suit standing at one end of the island without anyone knowing when he had arrived. Carrying a hurricane lantern, he was walking toward them.
Their expressions hardened. No airship had appeared just now. If this man hadn't just arrived, he must have already been waiting in the vicinity beforehand. Either way, neither of them had detected his presence. His strength was not to be underestimated.
Chen Chuan noticed him at that moment as well. He could confirm that the man had emerged from beneath the water, with no signs of any other vessels or airships around.
Unless a martial artist had special reliance, they generally would not waste excessive stamina traveling long distances right before an operation. Therefore, this man had likely been lying in wait beneath the waves, surfacing only when the appointed time drew near. Seen this way, he likely possessed underwater combat capabilities.
He recalled the man's dossier: "Takoda, First People, hailing from the Dakola tribe of Arcana State."
Back when the previous chieftain was alive, he had hired Federation personnel to teach the tribal children how to read and write. Takoda had been the best student—perhaps too good, for according to intelligence reports, he had completely embraced the ideals promoted by the Linax Federation.
A martial artist actually had many choices. This man should have understood that as long as he existed and maintained a certain level of deterrence—just as the previous chieftain had—he could at least preserve the status quo. Going all-in with the other side was hardly a wise move. Perhaps he sought fundamental change, or perhaps he was constrained by his bound oath.
None of that mattered anymore.
Since these people stood on the opposite side, they were his enemies.
Grip tightening on the Xuejun Saber, he stepped off the reef onto the surface of the sea and walked toward the island.
While he had stood motionless, none of them had detected his presence. But the moment he moved, all three men on the island sensed the anomaly at once, turning their heads in unison to look toward him.
Chapter 977