Book 4, Chapter 12: Trip
Book 4, Chapter 12: Trip
After Zhuan Liang retracted his mental energy, he said, “I’ll write a letter for you. You can go and find him, but you need to hurry.
“Now that Ferris Wheel has collapsed, Azure Dragon and Ocean Development Corporation have tightened their control of the island nations. The Linacrox Union might also be infiltrating the island nations and damaging them.
“Regardless of which force of power gets involved in the power game on the island nations, they won’t allow gaps that have been passed down through generations to exist. Once they notice any, they’ll think of a way to destroy them or claim them.
“I don’t know how long that place will last. If you want to go there, you have to go as soon as possible. The sooner you go, the more time you’ll get to train.”
Chen Chuan examined the contents Zhuan Liang had passed to him through his mind and nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Mr. Zhuan.”
Zhuan Liang opened his briefcase and took out a shining jade stone that resembled a pig-dragon [1]. He gave it to Chen Chuan.
“Take this with you. You won’t be able to avoid getting corrupted once you’re in a gap. This can help you ward off corruption, but it’s just a tool. Remember this: Resisting corruption is the key. At the bottom is my telegram contact number. If you have any questions, contact me through it.”
Chen Chuan took the jade stone out. It was refreshing to the touch, and he even felt as if his mind was being soothed. It was definitely a good item. When he turned it over, he found a channel number underneath and thanked Zhuan Liang again.
Zhuan Liang patted his briefcase. “I’ll send these things back as soon as possible. Then, the headquarters will give you some items from the purity faction, but there’s no rush to get them. They’ll be delivered to you at some point.”
“Lead Investigator Chen told me just now that some people from the refined training faction approached him in the afternoon. Zhu Xian of the Department of Administrative Affairs introduced them. I believe that some high-ranking member of the refined training faction regards Lead Investigator Chen highly,” Wen Tong said.
“Is that so?” Zhuan Liang marveled and stood up. “I’ll handle this.”
He shook Chen Chuan’s hand again. “Well then, until we meet again, Lead Investigator Chen.”
Chen Chuan nodded. “I’ll see you again, Mr. Zhuan.”
Zhuan Liang then shook hands with Wen Tong and left with a goodbye.
Chen Chuan watched him leave and saw him remove his mask on his way out. He thought, I wonder when this matter between factions will be dealt with. Probably a long time...
Fortunately, he wasn’t in a hurry, though he had to schedule his trip to the island nations soon.
He didn’t linger. After saying goodbye to Wen Tong, he grabbed his things and went back home.
Over the next few days, he had some more free time, so he called his friends and set up dates to meet with them, especially the ones who were going to Central City, like Wei Changan’s group. He had to meet them before he left.
Then, the twentieth arrived, and the university got a day off. Chen Chuan took his limousine and went to Martial Valor University through the back door in the north.
The third year students had all left the university by this time. They should have found their future prospects around half a year ago. Even if they returned to the university, it was just for formality’s sake.
But the first and second year students still had to take the compulsory exam at the end of the semester. This was the final tense period of time.
The limousine arrived at the foot of South Hill, but it didn’t continue forward. Instead, it went up the mountain path and stopped in front of the Hall of Judgment.
This was the place where Cheng Zitong had taught Chen Chuan refined force for the first time. When he had called, Cheng Zitong had asked to meet there, since he knew that Chen Chuan didn’t want to alarm the university and cause a commotion.
Once the limousine stopped, he saw a car already parked not too far away, and he recognized it. His mentor had already arrived.
The logistician got out to open the car door for him, and Chen Chuan picked up a briefcase before getting out.
He took a look around him. It had been almost four years since he was last here, but nothing had changed. Then, he turned to North Peak, the place where the recommended students once lived. The manors were still there.
But there were practically no more recommended students getting enrolled into the university since last year. Rich students could still pay to move there, but they didn’t get any special treatment. They could only join the university through the entrance exam.
Apparently, someone had suggested to Zhu Xian that he should restore the recommended student system, but he had refused by saying that this was Martial Valor University’s internal affairs.
Chen Chuan observed the place for a bit more before heading to the Hall of Judgment. After walking through the open door and past the spacious training hall, he entered the main hall. Cheng Zitong was sitting in a guest chair. He had become even rounder than before, and there was a healthy flush on his face. Upon seeing him, Cheng Zitong said, “Xiao Chuan, you’re here!”
Chen Chuan changed into indoor slippers and walked in before bowing to him. “Mr. Cheng.”
“Seriously, you... Come, sit.”
While smiling, Cheng Zitong beckoned him to sit.
“There’s no one here, so no one will bother us from catching up. Do you remember the first time I brought you here?”
Chen Chuan looked around him and said, “Yes. Back then, you trusted me and let me choose the All-Encompassing Force. I’m truly thankful for that. If you hadn’t supported me back then, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today.”
Cheng Zitong shook his head. “You think that I helped you, but you also helped me.”
Over the past two years, the martial arts families from Central City kept coming to visit him, which was something they seldom did in the past. Not only did they try to cozy up to him, they were also hinting or blatantly stating that they wanted to send their children and disciples to learn under him.
Some of them were really doing this out of consideration for their own children or disciples, but some wanted to get connected to Chen Chuan through him, so he rejected all of them.
Chen Chuan took out some papers from his briefcase and said, “I brought this for you.”
They were the Resolution Department’s archived records about anomalies. Most of them had not been dealt with yet.
He only learned after he became a squad captain that Central City had its own methods to fight against and suppress anomalies. For example, the companies and government’s active biosentient entities could do that.
This led to a large number of anomalies appearing in the nooks and crannies of the city. Dealing with them in such places was either too difficult or cost too much, so the department usually chose to ignore them. It was only when the anomaly crossed a certain threshold in terms of danger that it attracted the higher-ups’ attention.
Due to various reasons, the government did not directly interfere with them. Instead, they handed the matters to agents or agent companies. The most common method these people used was to eradicate the entire area. After all, once the people were gone, the anomaly would also disappear. That was exactly what Gold Prawn had done.
Some higher-ups actually approved of this callous and inhumane method. After learning about it, Chen Chuan had decided that now that he had become a lead investigator, he was going to start paying attention to these things. At the very least, he would suppress and deal with them to the best of his abilities.
Cheng Zitong took the thick stack of papers and caressed them before sighing. “You’re so thoughtful.”
He then set the papers down and faced Chen Chuan. “We couldn’t talk about this on the phone, so tell me about Central City. How did you end up as a lead investigator so quickly? Of course, if you can’t tell me, don’t. I can understand.”
Naturally, Chen Chuan couldn’t tell Cheng Zitong about the Fu-Mu Entity’s propagation. However, he could give him the cover story provided by the government. As for who he fought? He could tell Cheng Zitong about them without giving any names or identities.
After Cheng Zitong heard about Chen Chuan’s experiences in Central City over the past half a year, his eyes shone with a spirited gleam.
Behold! His mentee!
Even though he wasn’t involved in teaching him any longer, he had helped Chen Chuan build his foundation. From now on, no matter where he went, he could always say that Chen Chuan was his mentee.
After all, his mentee was far from the end of his path. It was likely that all that he had gone through was just the beginning. He still had a long road ahead of him, and his future was bright and full of possibilities.
After chatting for a while, Cheng Zitong asked, “How long are you staying here this time?”
“I think I’ll stay for around a month. I might travel abroad for a bit after this,” Chen Chuan mentioned.
Cheng Zitong smiled at that. “You’ve never needed me to tell you to train, so I never had to worry about you, but you need to strike the right balance. Traveling to relax is a pretty good option.
“You have your own plans and ideas, so I don’t need to worry about you, but I’d still like to say something: Before doing anything, think and observe. Even if you can’t continue down your path, be patient. As long as you have your skills, you can go wherever you want. Just wait, and you might have a chance to turn things around.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Chen Chuan promised seriously.
“Good. As long as you do, everything will be okay. Come, have some tea.” Cheng Zitong motioned for him to drink the tea he just brewed.
Chen Chuan lifted the tea cup and took a sip. “By the way, I also need to tell you something else. I’ve been approved by the main campus to become a lecturer there.”
Cheng Zitong was quite surprised. “A lecturer at the main campus?”
Then, he nodded before sighing with emotion. “You’re strong enough for that, but to think that in just the blink of an eye, you’ve also become a lecturer...”
“I can’t show my face in the university, but please tell the dormitory supervisor that I’ve never forgotten my promise to him, and I’m currently working toward that goal,” Chen Chuan said with a grin.
Cheng Zitong grinned as well. He didn’t ask what the promise was. Instead, he said, “I’ll pass your message along.”
They continued chatting while drinking tea, and the afternoon went by. When the sun started setting, Chen Chuan decided to leave, since it was getting late.
“One moment, Xiao Chuan,” Cheng Zitong said.
He stood up and walked over to his briefcase, from which he took out a thin book bound by thread. Then, he came back and handed it to Chen Chuan.
“This is a record of the mental training techniques of the Cheng family. It was written by a predecessor of mine. My second uncle handed it to me when I left Central City, but I didn’t use it, since I knew I didn’t have the talent for it. Unlike me, you could use it.
“Don’t worry. This is just a guide. It doesn’t involve any secret techniques. We’re now in the new era, long past the age of hoarding techniques as personal treasures. We should use whatever is useful.
“All techniques will end up not being able to leave a mark in history if they’re left on shelves to collect dust. If you’re able to innovate it and make it shine even brighter after reading it, I’ll be even happier.”
Chen Chuan didn’t reject the gift. He took the book and stood up. “Thank you, Mr. Cheng. I should go now.”
“Alright. I’ll see you off.”
They walked out of the Hall of Judgment together. Then, Cheng Zitong stood on South Hill and watched as Chen Chuan got into his limousine and left down the mountain path. He couldn’t help but remember how he had wanted to prove that his path was not a wrong one when he left Central City all those years ago.
While Cheng Zitong hadn’t proven that his path was not wrong on his own, his mentee had helped him prove it.
Over the past two years, plenty of people from Central City had come to see him, but his father still refused to talk to him, as if nothing had changed. He huffed. “Let’s see how much longer you can keep silent, old man.”
1. a magical creature formed by a serpentine body wrapped around an orifice, and ending with a pig’s head ☜