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Chapter 1204: A Long Night Stirs the Storm
Chapter 1204: A Long Night Stirs the Storm
"Most of the fighters will be heading to the Dome Sword Academy in a few days. The secondary target won’t be there."
The man, noticing the increased traffic ahead, quickened his pace.
"He’s a member of the Purity Sect. He has cooperated with the international investigation team twice and is highly concerned about the Rift. I think we can use this to have him diverted, giving me a chance."
"Jinglin Bird, I will consider your suggestion. Is there anything else?"
The man said, "I’ve talked long enough. I should head back."
The voice on the other end replied, "Alright, remember, even if you can’t get it, don’t expose yourself easily."
"Understood."
He hung up the call, stepped out, and opened his umbrella. He walked down the street and waved to a taxi, which stopped.
"Head to Crane Avenue."
Crane Avenue was a hub for Eastern Continent descendants in the Federation Capital, but it also housed many Outer Ocean residents, making it a bustling commercial street.
When he arrived, the Domain Simulation lanterns hung high in the air. A massive Phoenix perched atop a building, watching over everyone passing by. Celestial Cranes, seemingly real, flew between the buildings.
He removed his mask upon reaching his destination. His face was ordinary, a mix of Eastern Continent and Federation heritage, blending seamlessly into the environment.
After walking halfway down the street, he entered a restaurant. At this time, many people were dining, including some delegation members.
He glanced around, found a seat near the door, and ordered a mid-range single meal, eating slowly.
As he ate, people paid their bills and passed by him, but he never lifted his head to look.
Midway through the meal, something seemed to change in his eyes. They no longer appeared as dull and lifeless as before. However, he had no recollection of the conversation or actions he had just undertaken.
He quickly regained his composure, glanced around, and continued eating. Outside, a man got into a car and drove away.
He ate at his own pace.
He was a professional "Sleeper Courier", with a special Neural Implant in his body that could store implanted information and behavior patterns. Even those with special mental powers could utilize it.
He usually took orders from a secret platform, arriving at designated locations and completely surrendering his body and consciousness to a target. However, this came with risks, as he had no control over his actions. If something went wrong, he would bear the consequences entirely.
The more he did this, the more severe the aftereffects became. He had decided that after a few more jobs, once he had enough money to send his son to a Federation university, he would remove the Neural Implant and retire.
At the Da Shun Foreign Affairs Bureau, Chu Zhixian was speaking with Ambassador Ding Long.
"Yes, this is my personal opinion. Many officials in the Federation are unhappy with Director Chen. This has created many obstacles in our negotiations and other exchanges, hindering our communication.
If Director Chen remains in the delegation, it will cause problems in our negotiations. This issue needs to be brought to the attention of higher-ups, and I request that you submit my opinion."
Ding Long, wearing wire-rimmed glasses, smiled politely. "Deputy Team Leader Chu is a member of the delegation. Why not discuss this with Team Leader Jiang? I believe his opinion would be more persuasive."
Chu Zhixian said, "I have discussed this with Team Leader Jiang. He believes that Director Chen’s influence is more positive than negative, but I think the actual impact can only be determined by the results of the negotiations."
He wasn’t here without reason. Although the Foreign Affairs Bureau was under the jurisdiction of the foreign affairs department, the ambassador was directly dispatched by the central authority and had the responsibility to monitor and report on the delegation. Chu Zhixian knew that the ambassador had once been the secretary to the chief political officer, with direct access to the highest levels of power.
Ding Long maintained a formal smile. "I will convey Deputy Team Leader Chu’s opinion accurately."
"Thank you."
Seeing that Ding Long was checking his watch, Chu Zhixian stood up, shook his hand, and took his leave.
As he walked out, he saw a guard captain, who looked like a fighter, checking the credentials of one of his bodyguards. After returning the documents, the captain saluted and motioned for them to proceed.
Chu Zhixian sat in the car without expression and instructed the driver to head to the Federation Governor’s Memorial Hall.
He had never liked fighters.
He was a traditional bureaucrat, believing that politics should be left to professionals and that political matters should not be interfered with by fighters. These people, who wielded physical power, should focus solely on their duties.
Ideally, fighters like those he knew should follow orders without interference or opinion.
People like him were not uncommon in the government. They believed that those who relied solely on brute force were incapable of managing departments or handling political affairs.
However, he overlooked the fact that with Active Consciousness, the professionalism required for many specific tasks had significantly decreased. And once physical power reached a high level, it often transcended the concept of a mere human.
A voice came through his earpiece, and he immediately replied, "Councilor Amos, I am on my way. I am honored to be invited to visit the memorial hall. Yes, it’s fine, I’ll wait for you there."
At midnight, Commander Xie was still reviewing documents. His assistant brought him a cup of tea and placed a file within reach.
Commander Xie picked it up and asked, "Confirmed?"
The assistant replied confidently, "Confirmed. We’ve been monitoring him for a long time. This is the second time he has passed information since arriving in the Federation Capital, always using different 'Sleeper Couriers.'"
Commander Xie asked for more details, and the assistant provided all the information he knew.
Commander Xie said, "Thank you for your efforts."
The assistant responded seriously, "It’s our duty."
Seeing that Commander Xie had no more questions, the assistant saluted and left the room.
Commander Xie took a sip of tea. After days of observation and analysis, he was now certain who the mole in the delegation was.
However, he initially didn’t want to arrest the person immediately. If caught, the other side would find other ways to gather information. Keeping this person around allowed him to spread false information, maximizing the mole’s usefulness.
But since the other side was preparing to take action, he had to move quickly.
Time passed, and by the end of February, Lunovilla Central City was flooded with fighters from other Central Cities and abroad.
Many were Eastern Continent descendants, inspired by Chen Chuan’s victories.
Xin Wulang and Xin Yizhu arrived at the qualification venue for the invitational tournament. As the former "Shadowless Martial Style", now the "Divine Heart Style", the largest non-native martial arts gym in the Federation Capital, they naturally wanted to participate in the tournament, even if it was just for the opportunity to spar and test their skills.
Here, they encountered fighters from various regions, including Samawar, Norros, and the Paranio Faith Zone. However, fighters from the Jono countries were the most numerous, dominating the scene.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Suddenly, two armed guards fired into the air.
The crowd was puzzled, but locals like Xin Wulang and his companions were used to it and didn’t even look up.
The shots were meant to scare away birds, as a "performance artist" who liked to possess birds often lingered nearby, saying things that the Federation’s upper echelons disliked.
However, this artist was very popular among the lower classes, who revered him as a bird god, unaware that he was actually a fighter.
Naturally, such a major event would attract this artist, who loved to be part of the action.
After the qualification verification, Xin Wulang and his son Xin Yizhu walked out. Xin Yizhu said, "Father, I didn’t see Mr. Chen today."
Xin Wulang replied, "If you perform well, you’ll have the chance to meet him again. Yizhu, work hard. Once you master the fighting techniques Mr. Chen taught you, I’ll find an opportunity to send you to Da Shun for an exchange."
"Yes, Father!" Xin Yizhu said earnestly, "I will work hard."
Inside the Red Rock Manor, Chen Chuan was not involved in the invitational tournament. These days, he had been focusing on his cultivation, absorbing a large amount of resources to strengthen himself.
He could feel that as he progressed, his self-awareness was becoming clearer. A force within his body was about to be unleashed, a force that seemed to be inherent to him.
According to the Treatise on the Immutable Principle, this was a necessary stage before entering the Dongxuan Temple, called "Treasure Unleashing." At this stage, the potential of Mutated Tissue and the deep-seated self could be fully tapped and unleashed.
This meant that in the future, he wouldn’t need to activate Mutated Tissue; he would possess this power in his normal state.
However, the key was not just to release but also to control and nurture it.
This back-and-forth process, like breathing, could enhance and strengthen Mutated Tissue, gradually increasing the power it could unleash, laying the foundation for the next stage of growth.
This feeling of focusing solely on cultivation, without external distractions, was very addictive.
However, today, halfway through his practice, he received a letter. Upon seeing the signature, he recognized it as from a member of the Federation Purity Sect, who wanted to meet him to discuss important matters.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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