Chapter 339: The Sudden Night Rain
Chapter 339: The Sudden Night Rain
In the southern part of Central City, in the Fongde District, lies the Changsheng Pavilion, the base of operations for the Tian Shu Gang.
Inside the pavilion, one of the gang's elders, Yu Hongming, sat beneath a calligraphy scroll bearing the characters "Xun Xin." Before him, a young boy knelt, repeatedly bowing his head.
Yu Hongming appeared to be a man in his fifties or sixties, but in reality, he was already one hundred and ten years old. As one of the founding elders, he had largely stepped back from active management forty years ago and devoted himself to mentoring his disciples.
He looked at the young boy, "Did Wu send you here?"
The boy replied, "Yes, Sir. Master Wu asked me to come and find you."
"If Wu sent you, then your talent must be quite impressive."
Yu Hongming spoke with a gentle tone, appearing amiable, but the two men standing behind him had stern expressions, emanating an invisible pressure.
"What's your name, boy?"
"My name is Guan Chengqi, sir," the boy answered.
"That's a good name," Yu Hongming said. "A jade that isn't polished cannot become a vessel. Starting tomorrow, you'll train with Tian Senior Apprentice." He added, "Tian Er, take him under your wing."
The man standing to his left nodded respectfully, "Master, leave it to me. If Master Wei has taken a liking to him, he should be up to the task."
"Then take him down and let him familiarize himself with the rules first."
"Yes, Master." Tian Er approached the boy and said, "Follow me."
The young boy bowed a few more times to Yu Hongming and then followed Tian Er down.
After the two left, another disciple standing on the right approached and whispered, "Master, I just received a message. Zuo Cidao has found Master Wei."
Yu Hongming muttered, "Zuo Cidao?"
"He's a somewhat famous bounty hunter, and he seems to have a military background."
"A man from the military..."
Yu Hongming seemed to recall something. At his level of martial arts cultivation, every detail of his past life was vividly etched in his memory. Once he started reminiscing, many things would come to the surface, but he quickly restrained his thoughts and sighed, "There are indeed many formidable young people nowadays."
The disciple said, "Master, after Zuo Cidao, Master Wei should be almost done for, right?"
Yu Hongming spoke leisurely, "No, not quite yet." He glanced outside, "Whether he can pass this hurdle depends on him."
When Chen Chuan emerged from the arena stadium, it was already 8 p.m.
In reality, the stadium still had events scheduled for the evening, mainly featuring early-round losers who hadn't been eliminated and some self-registered participants.
If certain individuals had high popularity and support, there was a chance they could earn a spot in the main tournament and even make it to the finals.
Furthermore, under the framework agreement, participants who advanced to the latter stages of the tournament would not only receive a certain amount of monetary reward but also have all the necessary implants provided for free by the sponsoring companies.
The better a contestant performed, the more support they received from the companies. With luck, they might not only leave with a full set of high-end implants but also a substantial sum of money. Thus, since the inception of the arena tournament, countless fighters had willingly joined each year.
However, Chen Chuan knew that while the high-end implants looked appealing, from the moment of implantation, the user would need to consume large amounts of anti-alteration medicine and sedatives annually. They would also have to undergo occasional adjustment surgeries and designated tests. In the end, all the money earned might return to the company.
Moreover, these implants might have secret biological field frequencies. If these individuals had conflicts of interest with major companies in the future, the effectiveness of these implants would be questionable.
After returning to the Xuan Gong Mansion, Chen Chuan arranged a time with Tan Zhi for the next day. He then took the elevator back to his dormitory, freshened up, and added some water and food for Chao Ming. He contacted Wu Bei and inquired about the situation.
As soon as the call connected, Wu Bei raised his voice, "Brother Chen, I just removed the concealment as you requested, and I found someone checking your travel route!"
Chen Chuan's heart stirred slightly. He walked to the window, gazing at the pillar of light surrounded by countless neon lights, and asked, "Oh? Can you confirm when this happened?"
"It was around 11 a.m.," Wu Bei replied.
Chen Chuan's thoughts turned. That was about an hour after he entered the arena. He asked again, "Can you trace the source?"
"It's unclear," Wu Bei said. "The technology they used is highly advanced, definitely involving a Resonance Nest. I dare not pursue it further. Their observation speed is incredibly fast, and all traces of their investigation are thoroughly erased, leaving no trail. If it weren't for your instruction to pay attention, I wouldn't have noticed."
"Is the technology very advanced?" Chen Chuan asked.
"Extremely!" Wu Bei's tone became serious. "When I've probed the information fields of major companies in the past, I've felt something similar. Usually, I wouldn't dare go beyond the periphery. But these people are different from the companies in a way I can't quite explain."
Chen Chuan already had a good idea from the timing and motive. Judging by the high level of technical support, it was likely the team backing Wei Wusheng. Ordinary people wouldn't have such advanced capabilities.
Wu Bei stood by the window, his eyes reflecting the dazzling and chaotic lights outside. After a while, he turned around, retrieved the Snow Lady Sword, and sat down on the sofa. He drew the blade out of its sheath and began polishing it with a cloth.
With each meditation and medication, he placed the Snow Lady Sword by his side, and as his abilities improved, his communication with this altered weapon became increasingly smooth.
The wind blew through the window, causing the curtains to flutter, and the moonlight outside shone onto the blade, casting a faint, cold, and solemn light.
The long night passed quickly, and by morning, there was still no news on the platform.
Neither Wei Wusheng nor Zuo Cidao had sent any messages, leading to suspicions that they might have perished together.
The Processing Bureau had rushed to Shenwei District, where Zuo Cidao had sent his last message, only to find that the person was gone. After tracing his movements, they discovered that Zuo Cidao had likely left Central City.
If that was the case, did it mean Wei Wusheng was also outside the city?
Once outside the city, many technological capabilities became unavailable, and the survival skills of a Tier Three Combatant were exceptionally high. In the wilderness, they could easily hide, making it nearly impossible to find them.
Inevitably, the Processing Bureau's attention shifted to the outskirts and the edges of Central City.
In a residence in the Wuding District of Central City, Wei Wusheng, believed to be outside the city, was sitting with Zuo Cidao's head by his side. The hole between his eyebrows, which had healed overnight, not only fully recovered but also appeared in better condition than ever before.
The previous night, Wei Wusheng had lured Zuo Cidao outside the city and fought him without holding back.
This person's reputation was not exaggerated; although not the strongest, he was undoubtedly the most dangerous opponent Wei Wusheng had faced. His spear skills were exceptionally fierce, and his spearhead was made of special altered tissue, capable of piercing even Wei Wusheng's horizontally trained and sturdy bones.
Wei Wusheng could afford to make mistakes, but his opponent could not. Despite the opponent's exceptional mobility, giving the impression that he was untouchable, Wei Wusheng's speed, though inferior, was compensated by his endurance. With assistance, he managed to catch up with and kill his opponent just before they entered Central City.
grunted, usually posting photos on the platform immediately after eliminating his targets. This time, however, he did not, as everything he had done up to this point was a setup for today's objective.
Wei Wusheng took out the nutrient gel and slowly consumed it, along with some energy-boosting and spirit-lifting drugs he carried with him.
After finishing, he put on a brand-new training robe prepared by his team, fastening the hammer at his waist. He then walked into the front yard.
It had rained the night before, and the weather seemed excellent today. The sunlight shone brightly from above, accompanied by a hazy mist.
Suddenly, a slightly unclear voice resonated within the Boundary Vessel, "Time is almost up. We will block your biofield signals and arrange an escape route for you."
Wei Wusheng raised his head and said, "Thanks." Then, he strode out.
As he couldn't directly transmit messages, his words were not heard by those hiding in the concealed location. However, his mouth movements and demeanor revealed what he had said.
One of them remarked, "It's rare to hear Wei Wusheng say thanks. He must be taking this opponent very seriously."
The leader looked on for a while, then suddenly said, "Check that student's information again."
"Yes!"
In the Xuan Gong Tower Dormitories, Chen Chuan opened his eyes from his tranquil meditation, glancing at the bright light outside.
The Dawn Crier, seeing this, spread its wings and chirped joyfully towards the sunlight, its voice pleasant to the ears.
Chen Chuan slowly stood up, first washing himself, then consuming nutrient gel and medication. After dressing, he put on his shirt, followed by the protective clothing, and finally, the Processing Bureau's uniform, securing his hat on his head.
He then put on the protective gloves that came with the uniform and walked to the sword rack, grabbing the Snow Lady Saber. Sensing his mood, the sword trembled slightly, and he said, "No need to rush."
The sword returned to stillness.
Chen Chuan picked it up and walked to the door, waving to the Dawn Crier, who had been watching him, before leaving.
...
(End of Chapter)
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