Free Web NovelChapter 378: Chapter 109: The Rainy Night Passes Swiftly
South Central City, Fengde District. Changsheng Hall, the Celestial Forgiveness Gang’s headquarters.
Inside the Inner Hall, Yu Hongming, an elder of the gang, sat beneath a calligraphic scroll bearing the two words "Heart Patrol." A small boy knelt before him, repeatedly banging his head on the floor.
He had the appearance of a man in his fifties or sixties, but he was actually one hundred and ten years old. As one of the gang’s founding elders, he had largely stepped back from managing its affairs forty years ago to dedicate himself to teaching his disciples.
He looked at the little boy. "Did Xiaowu send you?"
The little boy said, "Yes. The master sent me to find you, honored elder."
"If Xiaowu sent you, your talent must be considerable."
Yu Hongming spoke in a slow, gentle manner and seemed quite amiable, but the two men standing behind him were stone-faced, exuding an invisible pressure.
"What is your name?"
The little boy said, "Honored elder, my name is Guan Chengqi."
"A fine name," Yu Hongming said. "As the proverb goes, ’Jade, uncarved, cannot become a masterpiece.’ Starting tomorrow, you will train with your Senior Brother Tian." Then he added, "Tian Er, you will guide him."
The man standing to his left bowed his head respectfully. "Master, leave it to me. If Senior Brother Wei saw potential in him, he should be more than capable."
"Then take him away. Have him learn the rules first."
"Yes, Master." Tian Er stepped forward and said to the little boy, "Come with me."
The boy kowtowed to Yu Hongming a few more times before following Tian Er out.
After the two had left, the other disciple, who had been standing on the right, stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Master, we just received news. Zuo Shidao has found Senior Brother Wei."
Yu Hongming murmured the name, "Zuo Shidao?"
"He’s a moderately well-known Bounty Hunter. Apparently, he’s ex-military."
"Someone from the military, hmm..."
Yu Hongming seemed to recall something. Having reached his stage of martial arts practice, he could remember every phase of his life with perfect clarity. Whenever one memory surfaced, many others would follow. But he quickly reined in his thoughts and remarked with a sigh, "There are so many impressive young people these days."
The disciple said, "Master, after this business with Zuo Shidao, Senior Brother Wei should be just about ready, shouldn’t he?" freēwēbnovel.com
Yu Hongming spoke slowly. "No, not quite." He looked outside. "Whether or not he can overcome this final hurdle is up to him."
It was already eight in the evening when Chen Chuan left the arena.
In fact, the arena still had matches scheduled for the evening. These were mainly for fighters who had been defeated in earlier rounds but had survived, as well as for some independent competitors who had come to try their luck.
If a fighter proved to be popular enough with the crowd, they had a chance to qualify for the main event. It wasn’t even out of the question for them to make it to the finals. freёwebnoѵel.com
As long as a fighter made it to the later rounds of the tournament, a framework agreement stipulated that, in addition to a cash prize, all their required Implants would be provided free of charge by the sponsoring corporations.
The better a fighter performed, the more support the corporations would provide. With enough luck, a fighter could walk away not only with a body full of high-end Implants but also a huge sum of money. This was why, ever since the tournament began, hordes of Fighters had willingly thrown themselves into the fray each year.
But Chen Chuan knew better. ’A body full of high-end Implants looks tempting on the surface,’ he thought, ’but from the moment they’re installed, the user has to take massive amounts of Anti-Differentiation Medicine and sedatives every year. They also need to undergo periodic adjustment surgeries and participate in designated tests. All the prize money could easily end up right back in the corporations’ pockets.’
’Besides, those Implants might have hidden Biological Domain frequencies. If their users ever found themselves in a conflict of interest with the major corporations, it was questionable whether the Implants would even work at all.’
After returning to the Profound Palace Building, he arranged to meet with Tan Zhi the next day, then took the elevator back to his dorm. He washed up, refilled Chaoming’s water and food, and then contacted Wubei for an update.
The call had barely connected when Wubei’s raised voice came through. "Brother Chen! You had me disable the cloaking today, and I immediately found someone tracking your movements!"
Chen Chuan felt a jolt. He walked to the window and gazed at the pillar of light that seemed to be held aloft by a sea of neon signs. "Oh? Can you confirm roughly when it happened?"
Wubei said, "It was at eleven o’clock this morning."
’That was about an hour after I entered the arena,’ Chen Chuan thought. He then asked, "Can you trace the source?"
Wubei replied, "I can’t. Their tech is too sophisticated; they must have used a Resonance Nest. I didn’t dare give chase. They were also incredibly fast—all traces of their surveillance were wiped clean, leaving no trail whatsoever. If you hadn’t told me to keep an eye out, Brother Chen, I never would have noticed."
Chen Chuan asked, "Their tech is that good?"
"Extremely good!"
Wubei’s tone became serious. "I’ve probed the information Domains of major corporations before, and this is what it felt like. I usually don’t dare venture past the outer layers of places like that. But these people... they’re different from the corporations. I can’t put my finger on it, but their style is completely different."
Chen Chuan already had a good idea of who was responsible. ’Judging by the timing and motive,’ he thought, ’it’s most likely Wei Wusheng’s team. An ordinary person wouldn’t have access to this level of technical support.’
He said, "Brother Wu, please continue to keep an eye on things for me, but don’t do anything to alert them."
"I know!"
Wubei agreed emphatically. He could sense it—this opponent was unlike any before. They were incredibly skilled, and there was no room for even the slightest error.
After ending the call, Chen Chuan checked the online platforms for news again. But since Zuo Shidao had posted that one message, there had been no follow-up.
Furthermore, if Wei Wusheng had finished off Zuo Shidao, his recent style suggested he would have posted a photo. Yet, there was no sign of him either.
He stood at the window, his eyes reflecting the dazzling, chaotic lights of the city. After a long moment, he turned, retrieved the Snow Monarch Blade, and sat down on the sofa. He unsheathed the weapon and began to meticulously wipe the blade with a soft cloth.
Now, every time he took his medicine and entered a state of Meditation, he would place the Snow Monarch Blade beside him. As he grew stronger, his connection with the Mutated Weapon had become increasingly fluid.
A breeze blew in through the window, making the curtains sway. Moonlight spilled into the room, casting a cold, grim light upon the blade’s edge.
The long night passed quickly. By morning, there was still no news on the platforms.
There was no word from either Wei Wusheng or Zuo Shidao, leading people to wonder if the two had simply killed each other.
The Processing Bureau had rushed to the Deep Unexplored District yesterday, the location from which Zuo Shidao had sent his last message. But by the time they arrived, he was already gone. After a trace of his movements, they found that Zuo Shidao had presumably left Central City.
If that was the case, did it mean Wei Wusheng was also outside the city?
Once outside the city, many tracking technologies were rendered useless. A Third Limit Fighter’s survival skills were incredibly high; if one of them hid somewhere in the wilderness, they would be nearly impossible to find.
Inevitably, however, the Processing Bureau’s attention began to shift toward the outskirts and the areas just outside Central City.
In a residence in Central City’s Wuding District, Wei Wusheng—the man presumed to be outside the city—sat calmly.
Zuo Shidao’s severed head rested beside him. After a night of recovery, the hole in the center of his forehead had not only healed completely, but he also felt better than ever before.
The day before, he had lured Zuo Shidao out of the city and fought him with everything he had.
The man’s reputation was well-deserved. While not the strongest opponent he had ever faced, he was certainly the most dangerous. His Bayonet Technique was exceptionally fierce, and the blade itself was made from a special Mutated Organization that even his Horizontal Training and hardened bones couldn’t block.
But Wei Wusheng could afford to make mistakes; his opponent could not. The man possessed superb mobility, retreating the instant he sensed he couldn’t secure a kill. And while Wei Wusheng’s speed couldn’t match his, his endurance was superior. Furthermore, he wasn’t without his own support. In the end, he managed to catch and kill his target just moments before he could re-enter Central City.
In the past, he would immediately post a photo on the platforms after a kill. Everyone expected him to do the same this time, but he wouldn’t. Everything he had done so far was merely a prelude to his true objective for today.
He took out a tube of Nutrition Paste and ate it slowly. He then took several pills he carried with him—supplements to restore his stamina and sharpen his mind.
When he was finished, he donned a brand-new training uniform that his support team had prepared for him and stood up. He stretched his joints, carefully secured the hammer at his waist, and walked out into the front yard.
It had rained again the previous night, and the weather today was perfect. The sun shone down, dazzlingly bright, and a hazy mist hung in the air.
A faint, distorted voice suddenly spoke from his Realm Token, "The time is almost here. We will block all Domain signals for you and have an escape route prepared."
Wei Wusheng looked up and said, "Thanks." Then he strode out of the yard.
Since the communication was one-way, his team, waiting in a hidden location, couldn’t hear his reply. Still, they could tell what he said from the movement of his lips and his expression.
One of them remarked, "Wei Wusheng actually said thanks. That’s rare. It seems he’s taking this opponent very seriously."
The leader watched for a moment before suddenly saying, "Pull up that student’s file again."
"Yes, sir!"
In his dorm in the Profound Palace Building, Chen Chuan opened his eyes, emerging from his meditation. He glanced at the bright light outside. The morning sun was always an interweaving of light and shadow, yet it was full of vibrancy and hope.
Seeing him awake, Chaoming spread its wings and let out a clear, melodious cry toward the sun.
Chen Chuan slowly got to his feet. He washed his face, then consumed his Nutrition Paste and some medication. Afterward, he methodically got dressed.
Over his shirt, he donned the Protective Clothing, followed by his Processing Bureau uniform. He picked up his service cap, dusted it off, and placed it on his head.
He pulled on the protective gloves that matched his uniform, then walked to the blade rack and took hold of the Snow Monarch Blade. As if sensing his state of mind, the blade vibrated slightly. "Easy now," he said.
The blade fell still.
Chen Chuan picked up the blade and walked to the door. He gave a small wave to Chaoming, who had been watching him intently, then pushed the door open and stepped out.
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