Chapter 284: Threat
Chapter 284: Threat
"So, you're a student of Elder Cheng?" The man exclaimed.
Elder Cheng Zitong had left the Central City, but his student returned, defeating the most formidable peer of their generation. Was the Elder's initial choice truly wrong?
He turned back and saw that many of the older people in the arena clearly remembered the past events. Although they didn't say much openly, privately, they had disdained Elder Cheng Zitong's decision, even using it as a negative example for the younger generation. But now...
He smiled, knowing that few would bring it up again, or they would be embarrassing themselves.
His companion, Xiao Jing, paid no attention to this. She anxiously watched the direction where Liu Yin had fallen. She never expected Liu Yin to lose, and so quickly at that. She muttered to herself, "Next time, I must tell Brother Liu Yin not to fight on the west side!"
As for the other young people in the arena, their feelings weren't as profound as the elders. However, everyone felt uncomfortable and stifled. They were also filled with confusion. What kind of strength did Chen Chuan use? How did he suddenly increase his speed? Why was he so powerful during the clash?
It was unimaginable for them because, in the early stages of a martial artist's cultivation, the number of Altered Organisms one could utilize was limited, focusing on a single direction. Thus, Chen Chuan's performance seemed extraordinary to them.
Several disciples couldn't understand and approached Bai Jie for guidance.
Bai Jie thought for a moment and replied, "It seems his Altered Organism covers a wide area, allowing him to use various techniques. My guess is that he's best at unarmed combat, as demonstrated in the end. The grappling and capture techniques he used earlier were precisely timed. He might only know those two techniques."
She continued, "His intention was probably to make us think he's skilled in those techniques, leading us to misjudge our tactical countermeasures. As it turns out, his strategy was quite effective."
At this moment, Liu Yin was sitting in a chair, his chest still feeling stuffy. He silently listened to her words, realizing that he had been completely outmaneuvered by Chen Chuan. He had just received a valuable lesson.
The young people in the audience finally understood, feeling cheated by Chen Chuan's earlier performance.
"He was playing us all along!" someone exclaimed angrily.
But Bai Jie spoke seriously, "Using tactics and strategies in combat is normal. Especially when facing multiple opponents, his approach was correct and intelligent. Learn from this; it's not about being reckless. In real combat, there's no room for mistakes."
Meanwhile, outside, Ni Qianqian, driving a red sports car, asked Chen Chuan, "That last move was impressive. You showed no mercy. By the way, how did you do it?"
She was curious about how Chen Chuan managed to stay in place during the final collisions and then push Liu Yin away. Their apparent skill levels didn't seem to have such a significant gap.
Chen Chuan smiled, "I've been learning from a teacher recommended by the Bureau, and it's indeed useful..."
Chen Chuan didn't rely on his Second Self. Instead, he used the force dissipation technique taught by Teacher Zheng, and the key is that I have more Altered Organisms to utilize."
He explained, "When one part of the Altered Organism is used for force dissipation, another part can simultaneously push forward. By the time one part is exhausted, the other has already recovered, allowing for continuous movement."
There was more to it, as his recent improvements in bones and joints played a role. Otherwise, even with this technique, he might have torn his own muscles or suffered from excessive strain. Fortunately, he had his Second Self, so he didn't need to worry about that for now.
Ni Qianqian was impressed, "It seems the Bureau's evaluation of you needs to be raised even higher."
As the car sped up, Ni Qianqian put on her protective goggles. "I'll transfer your payment after we return, and there might be an additional reward. How about another match? Don't hold back; the harder you fight, the more those elders will be pleased. How about a weapons match next time?"
Chen Chuan asked, "Sure, what did you mention earlier?"
Ni Qianqian's expression turned serious. "Less than five kilometers from here, an emergency situation occurred at a martial arts academy. There's been a violent incident with multiple casualties. The patrol team is already there, and the Bureau wants us to investigate."
Whenever incidents involving martial artists arose, the Bureau would take charge. Given their proximity and strength, they were tasked with investigating this matter.
Even as they spoke, the patrol team sent updates via the Boundary Token.
The scene was gruesome, with broken limbs, crushed skulls, collapsed chests, and even a forcibly removed spinal implant.
The patrol team's initial analysis indicated that a single, powerful martial artist was responsible. They entered the academy and fought their way through, killing everyone they encountered with a single lethal strike.
The perpetrator did not rob anything and showed no signs of hesitation along the way. It is suspected to be a vendetta, but it cannot be ruled out that the perpetrator might be a patient with functional disorder syndrome. After all, when such symptoms flare up, all sorts of irrational actions are possible.
Chen Chuan examined the injuries on the victims. All of them had been beaten to death with blunt objects and heavy techniques, giving him a strange sense of familiarity.
Within two minutes, the car arrived at the scene. Two people got out of the car. Although it wasn't yet noon, the sky was somewhat overcast, as if it were about to rain.
The city patrol team looked at them and, after confirming their identities through the Boundary Token scan, withdrew the barricades in front of them.
Chen Chuan observed that the martial arts academy was a relatively independent building, with the nearest house being over fifty meters away on the other side of the street.
At this moment, the Boundary Token showed the shadow of two fighters engaged in a fierce battle, shouting with explosive force. As one of them fell, the words "True Intention Martial Arts" appeared, with large ink characters leaping in front of them, very impactful.
The two of them entered through the main door and examined the bodies marked by the patrol team. They had already received information indicating that there were a total of thirty-five victims.
Besides the master of the academy, his son, a friend who had come to visit, disciples, and hired cleaning staff, it also included seven security personnel. Although it was a martial arts academy, such a large place required protection for its assets.
After the inspection, Ni Qianqian said, "The information query shows that this happened half an hour ago. At the time of the incident, only the master's youngest son was not here, escaping the tragedy."
Chen Chuan asked, "Where is he now?"
"He's at the Hell Chain Bar. We've already notified him, but he hasn't responded yet. Today is a Leisure Day, so he might be having a good time."
At this moment, Ni Qianqian seemed to be contacting someone else. After a while, her expression became very serious, and she said to Chen Chuan, "The results of the force information comparison from the bureau came back. There is an eighty percent chance that the perpetrator is Wei Wusheng."
"Wei Wusheng...," Chen Chuan's eyes flickered. He had felt a sense of familiarity just now.
Ni Qianqian said, "There was field interference here earlier, and no one saw Wei Wusheng enter or leave. It's likely that there was a resonator helping him, erasing his traces. Now, it's very difficult to track his whereabouts."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. Wei Wusheng's actions were probably not to cover up his crimes; he was already a fugitive and didn't need to hide this incident. He was likely just trying to cover his tracks.
So the question was, why did he choose to act now, just to massacre this martial arts academy?
He asked, "Does Wei Wusheng have a grudge against this martial arts academy?"
"Maybe," Ni Qianqian said. "Let me check... Yes, the people from this academy had a conflict with the Skyforgive Gang ten years ago. A ten-year-old grudge could still be relevant today, but if he didn't act earlier or later, why choose to do it while being a fugitive? Is he just giving up?"
Chen Chuan thought of a possibility, "Sister Ni, has anyone from this academy recently been on the Rhinoceros Horn Cruise Ship?"
Ni Qianqian immediately asked her colleagues at the bureau to check the records. After a while, she had the result, "Indeed, the master's eldest son was on the cruise ship that day and was watching the matches in the combat deck."
She turned to look at Chen Chuan and said, "Little Brother Chen, I read the report you submitted about Wei Wusheng's so-called Heart's Desire. The bureau currently has no definitive conclusion. However, if Wei Wusheng had an obsession at the time, what we saw today might just be the beginning. He might come after you as well, so be careful."
Chen Chuan nodded. It was possible, and he was not afraid. Moreover, he had a feeling that Wei Wusheng wouldn't come for him right now. If he really intended to target him, Wei Wusheng wouldn't have killed these people first, exposing himself. This would only raise his vigilance.
However, not being afraid himself didn't mean others wouldn't be.
He walked to one side and used his Boundary Token to contact Tan Zhi, Pan Xiaode, and Qi Huixin, warning them to be careful recently. Since they had been present at the time, Wei Wusheng might target them if he had the chance.
When he returned, Ni Qianqian looked at the increasingly overcast sky, frowned, and said, "There were many fighters on the ship, and we can't protect each one of them. They wouldn't accept it either. The best solution is to catch Wei Wusheng as soon as possible... Hmm?"
She stopped mid-sentence, as if she had received another communication. After listening for a while, she looked up at Chen Chuan, "There's something I need to tell you. The cruise management held a meeting just now. Since I was out, I asked an assistant to attend and listen. She just told me..."
She paused, then said, "Vice President Ling Jianxing suggested at the meeting that students with a Third Limit Assessment below fifty percent should participate in the martial arts tournament organized by the academy as instructor trainees."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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