Chapter 559: The Blockade
Chapter 559: The Blockade
After a moment of silence, Chen Bitong spoke, "We can have a good talk here. This place is suitable."
The two men were standing right on the boundary line between the two sides, ensuring no one could overhear or interrupt their conversation.
Chen Chuan listened intently, "I'm listening."
Chen Bitong looked at him earnestly, "Captain Chen, you have a bright future. I didn't want to involve you in this, but your strength has convinced me."
He leaned against the spear, gazing into the rift ahead.
"I've been guarding the World Ring for twenty years, and I've lost count of how many invasions I've repelled from the outside. In my younger days, I had a bad temper, and I considered myself a man of principles, strict with my subordinates, and unwilling to socialize with the powerful or higher-ups. I didn't get along well with my colleagues."
He continued, "Back then, I stubbornly believed that as a soldier, fulfilling my duty as a guardian was enough."
"My two children idolized me, so they both enrolled in military school. They were talented and entered the Third Limit at the ages of eighteen and nineteen, graduating early and joining the Defense Department. They guarded the World Ring with me."
His voice grew heavy, "But... they ultimately sacrificed themselves there."
Chen Chuan listened quietly, "I've heard about it."
Chen Bitong reached out and took two wooden carvings from his body, one of a small swallow and the other of a small tiger. "They gave these to me when they were five. These carvings represent their names."
Chen Chuan examined them; each had two rows of small characters carved on them, reading 'Chen Xiaohu' and 'Chen Xiaoyan'. The wooden carvings of the animals were full of childlike charm, clearly carved by small, inexperienced hands.
Chen Bitong caressed the carvings, speaking softly, "They weren't injured but were exposed to something from the other side. When I heard about it, I rushed to the rear.
The officer there informed me that anyone infected with this would be controlled by an unknown entity from the other side, and there was no known cure. There was a risk of it spreading to others, so they hoped I could find a way to deal with it quickly. If I couldn't, they suggested the Defense Department could handle it."
His voice lowered, "When Xiao Yan and Xiao Hu learned of this, they didn't want to see their father in a difficult situation. So, when I returned, they left me a letter and turned back to the battlefield..."
Chen Chuan remained silent, listening attentively.
"I remember the letter saying, 'Dad, we've always seen you as a hero. We idolize and are proud of you, and we hope you can be proud of us too.'"
Chen Bitong's eyes grew slightly moist as he spoke, then he took a deep breath and carefully put the carvings back, pressing them gently. Even during the most intense moments of the battle, even when he seemed like a different person, he ensured these carvings remained undamaged.
Leaning back, he murmured, "After that, I changed Xiao Jing's name to Xiao Jin..."
He paused, taking a quick breath before forcing himself to change the subject, "Later, while guarding the World Ring, I encountered many similar situations. Some involved comrades I'd fought alongside for a long time. The advice from the rear was always to deal with it quickly or have them send someone to oversee the process."
"So, most of those infected would turn to the rear to care for their families before rushing back to the frontlines.
We thought this was the right way to handle it until one time, a young officer who had come to the frontlines with a high-ranking official became infected. But instead of the usual treatment, he was sent to the rear for treatment that very night.
Two months later, I saw him at a celebration, chatting and laughing, and he had even been promoted.
I had someone investigate his records. His so-called merit was this infection. He was said to have nearly died on the frontlines, but in reality, he had been there for less than three hours and never left his vehicle.
I later learned he was the son of a high-ranking official in the Defense Department, and his mother's family seemed even more influential.
After that, I conducted some investigations and learned through various channels that being infected wasn't entirely incurable. It required specially approved medicine, which certain people held, keeping it from the knowledge of those below them. They only used it to treat those they deemed worthy."
At this point, Chen Chuan asked, "So, is what Teacher Chen is doing now a form of revenge for your comrades and children?"
Chen Bitong shook his head, his voice firm, "I've been a soldier my entire life, and I have duties I must uphold. Xiao Yan and Xiao Hu were also soldiers, and once on the battlefield, one must be prepared for all situations. I won't blame or seek revenge on anyone for this.
Moreover, seeking revenge on these people won't truly solve the problem.
Yes, I might be able to kill them all, or sacrifice myself to take those who concealed this situation, but what good would that do?"
As I lay here with these people, nothing will change because of my actions. What was will remain, and what was meant to happen will continue to unfold."
His voice grew calm and steady as he spoke, "Only when the change is significant enough, affecting the Central City, the entire Datong, or even the world, will it be meaningful."
Chen Chuan glanced at him, sensing that what this man was attempting might be far from simple.
"There are things in this world that originally belonged to everyone, but some people with power and influence tightly grasp and claim them as their own."
Chen Bitong raised his head and said, "Captain Chen, you're already at the threshold of a higher limit. It's not far from there, but if you want to break through that limit, in addition to what I mentioned earlier, there's one more thing you need."
"In the past, when the two worlds attracted each other, whether in the period of change or the period of silence, these things were not difficult for the old-era fighters who reached the limit to find."
"But now, it's different."
His voice turned solemn, "These things are now strictly sealed off. Only the major powers and giant corporations of the world have access to them; no other individuals can obtain them."
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are they like special drugs?"
Chen Bitong shook his head, "Special drugs are also under control, but the various cultivation sects outside still have ways to obtain them if they possess the rift. Additionally, special drugs are considered hard currency among the third-limit groups and are circulated outside as well.
"But the thing I'm talking about has long been sealed off by the world's powers and giant enterprises using the World Ring. Not a trace of it has leaked to the outside."
"Nowadays, all folk sects and small countries, unless they have the legacy of their predecessors, cannot obtain this thing without the approval and permission of the major powers' governments and giant corporations."
"Unless they use stealth to bypass the World Ring, but that's extremely risky. There's a joint force within the World Ring specifically tasked with eliminating such individuals."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, knowing that this matter was closely related to him. So he asked, "What's the reason for the countries and enterprises to block these things?"
"The control of such things began during the Grand Alliance period. They believed that the power of fighters was immense, and each fighter needed to be monitored and restrained. This way, major disruptions wouldn't occur worldwide, and future fighters could join forces against the other world."
"In the sixth book, there's not a single mistake in the version!"
Perhaps his original intention was indeed as such, but after so many years, the channels for these things have long been controlled by a small group of interest. They've formed a vast network, and unless you're part of their interest group, you can only obtain their charity by signing harsh treaties and agreements.
"This situation can no longer continue!"
His gaze turned towards the outside of the rift, and he said solemnly, "What I intend to do today is to break that seal, at least tear open a gap in the blockade, and let those things flow out, giving more people the opportunity to acquire them."
Chen Chuan asked after a moment's thought, "Using the rift?"
"Yes, the rift, and more," Chen Bitong nodded. "There's also the split body, which can help us pass through the World Ring that already has a breach, connecting to where those things are. If done right, once successful, many people will no longer be constrained by those shackles."
Chen Chuan pondered, unaware of the strength of higher-limit fighters, but from Chen Bitong's subtle display, he could imagine the destructive power such individuals might possess.
Even just one or two more of them could potentially change the layout of a region.
However, Chen Chuan still felt that Chen Bitong hadn't fully explained everything. Just as he was about to ask further, he suddenly sensed something and looked beyond the rift. Someone was approaching, and he felt a subtle sense of threat.
Apparently, this visitor was not ordinary.
He turned his gaze to the other side and saw his Snow Lady Saber still standing there, now enveloped by the expanding rift.
He walked over, grasped the hilt, and pulled it out. Although the saber hadn't fully awakened yet, it was enough to handle the current situation.
He glanced at Chen Bitong and asked, "So, Chen Laoshi, did you open the breach in the World Ring?"
Chen Bitong remained silent for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't initiate such an action, but I admit that I didn't stop it in time."
Chen Chuan, holding the saber, stepped forward and looked beyond the rift. After taking his stance, he turned and asked, "By the way, what's that thing called?"
"We call it 'Pure Substance' now."
Chen Bitong said, "I don't know what it was called before because its true name has been erased from archives and most records."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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