Chapter 216: Secret Map
Chapter 216: Secret Map
Beside the off-road vehicle, Master Xiao Wei was leisurely waiting, having gained considerable experience. If Mr. Chen didn't tell him to go back first, he'd be back in no time after completing the task.
He turned on the radio in the car, and immediately, the news broadcast began. In recent days, the most talked-about topic was the ownership of the Mo Lan Building.
This matter had been a hot topic lately, and many companies were involved. The most frequently mentioned were state-owned enterprises like Yuan'an and Canghong Tianqu, as well as domestic giants such as Longde Food and Tiancong Baicao. However, there were also some foreign companies that seemed very interested.
But he wasn't interested in that, so he switched to a mystery program. He preferred listening to urban legends and similar topics.
Being assigned as Mr. Chen Chuan's driver was not only due to his excellent driving skills and reliability but also because he was genuinely interested in these topics. He believed that by following Mr. Chen Chuan, he would gain exposure to many things he wouldn't normally encounter.
After listening for a while, he saw Mr. Chen Chuan walking from a distance. He immediately sat up and got out of the car to open the door for Mr. Chen Chuan.
Mr. Chen Chuan thanked him and took his seat in the back. After Master Xiao Wei returned to his position, Mr. Chen Chuan said, "Master Xiao Wei, let's head back."
"Okay, Mr. Chen, please fasten your seatbelt."
The car started slowly and drove back smoothly.
Mr. Chen Chuan placed the small briefcase he had obtained from Han Zhang on the side. It might contain many clues, but he didn't plan to open it. Instead, he intended to hand it over to Director Lei for handling.
When the car returned to the city, he called Director Lei. By the time they reached the entrance of the Wu Yi Academy, Director Lei's car was already parked there.
Mr. Chen Chuan asked Master Xiao Wei to return first and then got out with the briefcase. He boarded Director Lei's car, and as he narrated the events of the task, Director Lei instructed his staff to take notes. Then, he opened the briefcase, revealing a stack of gold tickets, a substantial amount of Jian Yuan currency, some account books, vouchers, and notebooks.
Director Lei ignored the gold tickets and flipped through the contents, pulling out a booklet. After glancing at it for a while, he looked up and asked, "Mr. Chen, did you look at the materials I sent you these past few days?"
Mr. Chen Chuan replied, "I did."
Director Lei handed him the booklet and said, "Take a look and tell me your thoughts."
Mr. Chen Chuan took the booklet and flipped through it. He saw simple drawings and what appeared to be a price list for Esoteric Ritual materials.
After examining it, he thought for a moment and said, "The materials you sent me included the Life Sect's ritual patterns and the required Esoteric materials. However, this booklet seems to be missing many items. I think they might not want to recreate the original ritual but are limited by conditions, unable to gather all the materials, so they had to make a simplified version."
"You're right, but it's not that simple. Rituals are summarized by Esoteric practitioners over generations and aren't easily modified. Those who can simplify them are usually rare elite talents within the Esoteric Sect."
Director Lei spoke slowly, "The simplification of rituals, although less effective than the originals, facilitates their spread. This isn't necessarily a good thing."
He took out a booklet from his briefcase and flipped to a specific page, handing it to Mr. Chen Chuan. "According to the clues, we found some previous arrangements of this sect. Compare it with the Esoteric Ritual patterns used in recent days. Do you notice anything?"
Mr. Chen Chuan opened it and saw two similar but subtly different pattern photos. After examining them for a while, he looked up and said, "He's trying to improve it?"
Director Lei's eyes lit up with appreciation, and he nodded. "Exactly. I suspect that the person behind this wants to use the Bloodstain Gang to take over the village and then set up more rituals to improve his ritual structure."
He took the booklet back from Mr. Chen Chuan, flipped to a specific page, and said, "Look at this."
Mr. Chen Chuan took it and felt it looked familiar. He said, "This seems similar to the ritual pattern used by the Mutual Aid Society in the old factory area..."
Director Lei said, "Yes, but this is from three years ago. Flip to the next page, and you'll see the one you encountered previously."
Mr. Chen Chuan turned to the next page and compared the two. Although they weren't entirely identical, there were subtle differences. At that moment, he suddenly thought of a possibility and looked up at Director Lei. "Director Lei, I feel that..."
Director Lei nodded, "Yes, as we suspected. After our comparison, we can confirm that the person who drew the Esoteric map in the old factory area and the one who drew for the Life Sect are the same person."
His expression turned slightly serious as he continued, "We have reason to believe that this person is intimately connected to many Esoteric rituals in Yangzhi City. If we can apprehend this individual, it won't just disrupt the underground Esoteric rituals in Yangzhi City; it will likely cause them to disappear for a long time."
Mr. Chen Chuan's mind raced with these thoughts. It seemed this person had been hiding in the shadows, even after the collapse of the Mo Lan Corporation, without being exposed.
He asked, "Director Lei, if these influential families need this person to perform the Secret Ritual, don't they know who this person is?"
Director Lei replied, "They don't know because they found this person through the Shuang Mian Secret Sect. Due to the rules between secret sects, even the followers of the Shuang Mian Secret Sect don't know the true identity of this person. All we can do now is wait for him to resurface. We believe this person is still in Yangzhi City."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and agreed, "I think so too."
"Is that so? Tell me your reasoning," Director Lei looked at him, seemingly interested in his conclusion.
Chen Chuan pondered, "I feel like this person is seeking a breakthrough in their skills, just like how we martial artists always strive for higher and stronger limits, attempting to challenge one peak after another."
He pointed at the two paintings above, "The feeling I get from him is that he's also pursuing something, and this intense spirit is vividly expressed. It's hard to ignore, and I believe that this person won't easily back down until they achieve their goal. Even if they encounter setbacks, they won't give up."
Director Lei glanced at him a few times and said slowly, "You have a good eye. Here, take a look at this." He took out a hard file from his briefcase and opened it, gesturing for Chen Chuan to examine it.
Chen Chuan put down the book and took the file, flipping through it to find an analysis of the person who painted the secret sect patterns.
The handwriting on the file seemed to be Director Lei's.
The analysis also concluded that the person had a very obsessive personality and an absolute pursuit of perfection.
There was a comment at the end: "Such a person will never succumb to temporary setbacks. They will continue to perfect their work in Yangzhi City to prove the completeness of their skills."
Director Lei spoke in a low voice, "The logic is similar. You martial artists need to challenge and defeat opponents, and he's the same. Looking at his ritual works, they are becoming increasingly grand, as if he's trying to compensate for the original simplicity with scale. But now, the city doesn't offer him much room for his grand plans.
He might have to find a way outside the city or introduce external forces to disrupt the city and divert attention, giving him the space and time to set up his rituals. Interestingly, Yangzhi City has such a powerful force that even if Mo Lan Corporation falls, it won't be eradicated."
Chen Chuan immediately understood, "Director Lei, are you referring to the resistance organization?"
Director Lei nodded, "The so-called resistance organization in Yangzhi City has been using the banner of anti-government sentiment to carry out malicious attacks, completely disregarding the lives of the people."
Chen Chuan nodded. Fang Dawei and his group had shown signs of cooperation with the resistance organization during their actions, and during the Foreign Affairs Bureau incident, he had witnessed their brazen actions as they fired directly into crowds, completely contradicting their proclaimed ideals.
However, from Director Lei's words, it seemed there were differences within this resistance organization. Chen Chuan didn't ask about it, as the topic was sensitive.
Director Lei said, "Due to the lack of clues, we can't do much for now. We can only wait. I want you to study the materials I gave you thoroughly and understand how to guard against potential dangers. Martial artists excel in direct combat, but it's hard to guard against secret rituals. Knowing a little about them will be beneficial to you."
Chen Chuan deeply understood. Although Shen Zheng didn't have any opponents in the academy, he still fell victim to the secret ritual's scheme.
Moreover, Chen Chuan's interest in secret rituals and their mysterious nature went beyond their ability to restrain the supernatural. He wondered if secret rituals could be used to control the supernatural as a form of medication.
After their conversation, Chen Chuan got off the car and headed towards the academy. As he walked, he continued to ponder this matter.
The lack of clues wasn't necessarily true.
Earlier, when he was examining the bodies of the Bloodstain Gang members, he had noticed several individuals who didn't seem to be part of the gang. Bloodstain Gang members typically had five bloodstains on their chests and clothing, making it easy to distinguish them. These individuals didn't have any distinctive markings.
Could these people be members of the resistance organization?
As he pondered, he entered the dormitory building. The dormitory supervisor suddenly called out to him, "Chen Chuan, Manager Cheng is looking for you. Go back and give him a call."
Chen Chuan snapped out of his thoughts and thanked the supervisor. He returned to his room and called Manager Cheng. When the call connected, Manager Cheng's excited voice came through:
"Little Chuan, get ready. The Armor Permit Review Committee will be coming to the school tomorrow for an on-site inspection. If you pass, you'll be able to obtain your Armor Permit."
Chen Chuan asked, "On-site inspection?"
Manager Cheng explained, "They'll mostly just ask you a few questions. The process has to be followed, or else there's no point in having the Review Committee."
Chen Chuan understood. After asking about the timing, he said, "Okay, Teacher. I'll be there on time tomorrow."
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(End of Chapter)
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