Chapter 262: The Missing Piece
Chapter 262: The Missing Piece
Gong Zhanyi, sitting in his car, witnessed the arrival of the Processing Bureau's officers and instructed his attendant to approach them.
After more than ten minutes, the attendant returned to the car and reported, "Young Master, they were indeed targeting Xiong Jianyi. I've informed them that we were unaware of this wanted criminal's presence here. Out of concern for your safety, we chose to eliminate him."
Gong Zhanyi asked, "Just explain the situation, and let's be on our way."
As the convoy resumed its journey, several minutes passed before he spoke again, "Who killed Xiong Jianyi?"
The attendant, who had been using the Boundary Token to examine something, replied after a moment, "Young Master, it was Zuo San who fired the fatal shot that took down Xiong Jianyi."
Gong Zhanyi responded, "Good, that's a relief. It's better that it was one of our own." His expression relaxed slightly, "It's not a bad thing that Xiong Jianyi is dead now. They probably won't pay attention to us anymore."
The attendant added, "The Processing Bureau might still keep an eye on us. Their officers mentioned that we not only shot and killed Xiong Jianyi but also suspected us of attempting to harm their team members. They want us to take responsibility for this."
Gong Zhanyi contemplated for a moment before saying, "Offer the Processing Bureau some compensation to suppress this matter and prevent them from using it as an excuse to monitor us. You can go and negotiate with them later."
The attendant respectfully agreed.
Meanwhile, Ni Xixi quickly received the news and immediately contacted the bureau. She boasted, "Xiao Brother Chen successfully completed the mission. See, I told you he was capable."
The person on the other end said, "Take a look at this first."
Ni Xixi received a video feed, and upon viewing it, she was surprised to see numerous explosive drugs, all of which had been consumed. "Did he...?"
"Yes, he took them all."
Ni Xixi exclaimed, "But he doesn't seem to have any issues at all!"
The person on the other end explained, "Currently, he appears unharmed, but that only means his physique can tolerate these drugs. It's not necessarily a good thing, and being fine now doesn't guarantee he'll be fine in the future. You should remind him to be cautious and not push himself so hard from now on."
"Well, well, the sun must be rising in the west for you to start caring about a newcomer?"
The person's voice turned solemn, "His willingness to give it his all shows that he identifies with our cause, making him one of us. Of course, we should look out for him."
Ni Xixi asked, "So, has he passed the bureau's assessment?"
"Although I couldn't observe his performance due to the field interference, the outcome speaks for itself. It can be considered excellent."
Ni Xixi hummed twice and said, "I told you he was better than the other two students they invested in, but you didn't believe me. In my opinion, the bureau should focus their resources on him. Those other two students can't compare to Xiao Brother Chen's outstanding performance."
The person on the other end didn't engage further on this topic and simply said, "You can handle the follow-up matters with him. Let's leave it at that for now."
Chen Chuan, having left the interception site, was also reflecting on the recent combat.
In terms of strength, Xiong Jianyi was no match for Teacher Wu, especially since he had only recently entered the Third Limit. In a full-power burst, Teacher Wu could have easily taken him down within a few moves.
However, during the previous confrontation, Chen Chuan sensed something unusual. It seemed as if Xiong Jianyi was injured, which made him hold back a bit. Even though the injury wouldn't have changed the outcome, the intensity of the counterattack might have been significant.
But the puzzling part was that injuries usually didn't affect a Third Limit fighter, especially one who had just entered this stage. It had to be a severe injury to impact their combat effectiveness.
Xiong Jianyi appeared uninjured, so was it an internal injury? Or was it related to the signs of dissipation he felt at the end?
As Chen Chuan pondered this, he heard a notification sound and realized that he might have exited the interference zone. His Nexus Token was functioning normally, and both Wu Bei and Ni Xixi were trying to contact him.
He greeted Wu Bei first and then connected with Ni Xixi.
Ni Xixi praised him, "I knew it! Xiao Brother Chen, you took care of Xiong Jianyi in such a short time. Well done!"
Chen Chuan said, "Xiong Jianyi was actually killed by the Palace Clan."
Ni Xixi replied, "I know. The Palace Clan shot him, right? Did they also fire at you? Don't worry about this matter; the Processing Bureau will make them compensate. Um, there's a document from the bureau; please confirm its receipt..."
Chen Chuan saw a document being transmitted through the communication platform. It indicated that the mission target had been eliminated, and his name was listed as the executor. It was awaiting his confirmation.
He immediately confirmed it, and soon after, he received an internal notification informing him that the mission was complete and requesting him to stand by according to regulations and await further instructions.
Ni Xixi said, "That's it. There's no need to read further; it's just standard procedure. The rest is no longer your concern. By the way, we recommended a few teachers to help improve your sword techniques. Have you decided on one yet?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I'll decide today."
The school gave him three days to choose a teacher to enhance his sword techniques, and today was the last day. However, he had already carefully considered his options and made his decision.
Ni Xixi said, "In that case, handle it yourself. Also, in a few days, you can go to this place." She sent him a location, "This is the teacher we've arranged for you. They will guide you in various aspects of your cultivation. It's better to enter the Third Limit sooner rather than later. Even if you can withstand the drugs, you shouldn't rely solely on them."
Chen Chuan thanked her, and the communication ended.
He knew that by intentionally leaving behind these drugs, he had provided the Processing Bureau with an explanation for his strength.
However, he felt that the matter of Xiong Jianyi might not be as simple as it seemed on the surface.
Especially...
Just as he was thinking this, a familiar car pulled up in front of him. Lao Qi rolled down the window and called out, "Xiao Brother Chen, Xiao Brother Wu asked me to pick you up."
Chen Chuan immediately contacted Wu Bei and said, "Xiao Brother Wu, thanks."
Wu Bei gave a hearty laugh. Due to the field interference earlier, he hadn't been able to witness the specific process or compete with the technicians, leaving him feeling a bit disappointed. But thinking about following Chen Chuan, he figured there would be plenty of future opportunities, and his spirits lifted again.
After Chen Chuan got into the car, he thanked Lao Qi, who replied, "No need for thanks." Then, he started the car and drove towards the Wuding District.
Chen Chuan asked, "Lao Qi, has your daughter started school?"
"Yes, she has," Lao Qi replied with a smile. "And it's all thanks to you, Xiao Brother Chen, for giving me some money. I was able to pay her tuition fees."
"That's good," Chen Chuan said.
At that moment, Chen Chuan looked at the Boundary Token and contacted the academy's platform. He found one of the teachers the Processing Bureau had recommended to him earlier.
He asked, "Is this Teacher Zheng? I'm student Chen Chuan, and I'd like to learn swordsmanship from you."
Soon, a hearty laugh came from the other end.
"Student Chen, I heard you completed a bureau task today without any assistance and shouldered the responsibility alone. Well done! We swordsmen need to have this kind of courage! I'll take you on as my student, and I won't hold back. I hope you can quickly learn my skills."
Chen Chuan made up his mind and immediately confirmed this on the school's interface platform. Then, he asked, "Teacher Zheng, when are you usually available?"
The correct version is in the 1619 book!
Teacher Zheng said, "If you have time, you can come now... Well, since you just completed a task, let's call it a day. Take some time to rest, and I'll send you a demonstration. You can try to study it first."
"Okay, thank you, Teacher Zheng," Chen Chuan replied.
The Processing Bureau had initially recommended four teachers to him. When he later reviewed their profiles, he saw that each of them displayed various advanced techniques. However, this particular teacher had simply demonstrated a sword strike towards the Boundary Token.
It was a straightforward strike, but it gave Chen Chuan a peculiar feeling. It was as if the blade would pass through the token and strike his body, even prompting a thought of dodging. This feeling persisted no matter how many times he watched it.
The other teachers didn't evoke the same sense of threat. Therefore, he decided to choose this teacher, regardless of whether the others possessed similar skills. At least this teacher was willing to demonstrate to him.
At that moment, Chen Chuan noticed the Wu Yi Academy emblem that Teacher Zheng had also sent. Its usage seemed to be...
Meanwhile, the Gong Clan's motorcade arrived at the Ferris Wheel Company.
In a luxurious guest room, Gong Zhanyi exclaimed in a mix of shock and anger, "What? It's not there?" He turned to the manager, "What's going on? How is this possible?"
The item had been on Xiong Jianyi's body earlier. If their people had killed him, it should have been on their person. How could it have disappeared?"
They had made extensive preparations to avoid the Central City's surveillance, even using the wanted criminal Xiong Jianyi as a carrier to smuggle the item into the city. It was a crucial step, and without it, many subsequent plans would be disrupted.
The manager asked, "Young Master, could it be the Processing Bureau's people?"
"Impossible!" Gong Zhanyi said.
"But Xiong Jianyi wasn't dead at the time. How could the item have gotten onto his body?"
The manager thought for a moment and said, "Young Master, after disembarking, Xiong Jianyi met with his senior brother, Wei Wusheng from the Skyforgive Gang. Could the mistake have occurred then?"
"Skyforgive Gang..." Gong Zhanyi frowned. Indeed, that was the only possible point of failure. He spoke sternly, "Investigate this person, but be careful not to leak any information."
After Chen Chuan returned to the Mystic Palace Building by car, he parted ways with Lao Qi and headed to his dormitory. He freshened up and then went to his private training room, his gaze fixed on the emblem through the Boundary Token.
Soon, Hong Fu's voice sounded in his ear, "Student Chen, a teaching demonstration is in progress. Based on your student evaluation points, you have one hour of available time. Do you wish to start?"
"Start," Chen Chuan replied.
As he spoke, Teacher Zheng's figure appeared in front of him through the Boundary Token, demonstrating sword techniques as if he were truly there.
Chen Chuan nodded, appreciating the more intuitive nature of this teaching demonstration compared to mere images. Even without the teacher's physical presence, he could observe subtle changes in force and technique.
He picked up the Xuejun Blade and moved to the side, preparing to practice. However, this time, he only drew the blade slightly, and the figure in front of him flickered as if disturbed by some interference.
Reacting quickly, Chen Chuan sheathed the blade, and the flickering image stabilized once more.
He carefully sensed the Xuejun Blade, which seemed to have acquired some foreign substance at the moment of Xiong Jianyi's death.
What could it be?
Gripping the hilt, he slowly drew the blade again.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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