Chapter 561: The Guardian
Chapter 561: The Guardian
After Chen Bitong's words, he stood there calmly, awaiting Chen Chuan's decision.
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Mr. Chen, I need to deal with the split-body entity. This is the primary task assigned to me by the Defense Department. During this time, I hope that Mr. Chen can hold off the former imperial court's forces from crossing the rift."
Chen Bitong turned to look at him, his eyes expressing both gratitude and relief. He said, "Captain Chen, I will stand guard here until the very last moment of the battle. You go and fulfill your duty."
Without another word, Chen Chuan unsheathed the Snow Lady Saber and turned to walk outside. About twenty steps later, amidst the smoke and intense light, he gradually retreated, reaching the area beyond the rift.
At this moment, the rain outside had stopped, and the crimson sky remained undimmed. Powerful gusts of air emerged from behind him, rushing into the vast open square ahead.
Outside, Fang Zhixin and Yu Lie were waiting.
Seeing that only Chen Chuan had emerged, Yu Lie's expression was complex, as if he wanted to speak but held back. Fang Zhixin's heart skipped a beat, and he took a few steps forward, asking, "Captain Chen, what about Mr. Chen...?"
Chen Chuan replied, "You should know Mr. Chen's choice."
Fang Zhixin's heart trembled, and he stopped asking any further questions.
Chen Chuan walked through the square and approached the vehicle he had arrived in. He took a briefcase from the trunk and then returned to the rift.
He waited there for a while until a faint light glowed on the briefcase, and then he entered the rift.
This time, he did not go to the side connected to the convergence ground but smoothly entered a space similar to the rifts he had encountered before. Everywhere he looked, he saw only a white, hazy expanse.
The indicator light on the briefcase grew brighter.
He shook the briefcase back and forth, and following the changing light, he located the position of the split-body entity. After half a minute, he found the entity floating in mid-air.
However, this entity seemed to emit a faint glow, unlike the ones he had encountered before.
He wasn't sure of the reason, wondering if it was because it was connected to the 'pure substance.'
Chen Chuan put down the briefcase, drew the Snow Lady Saber, and approached the entity. After a moment of observation, he slashed down with his saber!
In the instant the blade touched the entity, a burst of light erupted, and the Snow Lady Saber, which had been dormant, began to tremble. Light and energy surged out, enveloping the split-body entity, just as it had done previously.
After a few breaths, the light and energy receded, and the shriveled entity fell to the ground.
Chen Chuan glanced at it and then at the Snow Lady Saber, which had returned to its original state. He sheathed the saber and then took out a destruction drug from the briefcase, pouring it onto the entity. Soon, the entity completely dissolved and disappeared.
Inside the Defense Department Command Center, voices echoed as messengers conveyed messages back and forth. It was evident that many liaisons were frantically busy, for after the Spider Mother's sixth wave of splitting, the situation had become even more complex, making the handling of the crisis increasingly challenging.
Just then, the watchtower's voice sounded, "Report: We've detected the disappearance of the field response in the Victory District, confirming the destruction of the split-body entity."
Commissioner Liang lifted his head, gripping the railing in front of him. In a tense voice, he asked, "Is it confirmed?"
"The field response has completely dissipated, confirming the destruction."
The various liaisons exchanged glances, and then a low cheer erupted from several corners.
Commissioner Liang's furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
The sixth wave of splitting had encountered numerous complications, and the seventh wave might arrive early, depending on the situation.
He was under immense pressure.
Furthermore, until now, that mysterious entity had not revealed itself. The longer it remained hidden, the more likely it was to cause significant trouble at the last moment. If it were to erupt along with the rifts that hadn't been properly dealt with, the problem would be immense.
But he had never imagined that Chen Bitong, the toughest nut to crack, would be handled by Chen Chuan. This meant that more forces could be allocated to other areas.
This was definitely a major achievement worthy of recognition.
At that moment, a liaison officer spoke up, "Commissioner, although the split-body entity in the Victory District has been destroyed, the rift remains, and its range is vast. The former imperial court's forces have appeared from there.
If they refuse to give up, that place might become a breach. Captain Chen just fought with Chen Bitong, and he may not have much combat strength left. I fear he won't be able to block them."
Commissioner Liang considered for a moment and then asked, "Have the two response teams from Shenwei District returned?"
"They're on their way back."
Commissioner Liang immediately ordered, "Redirect them to the Victory District."
With tensions high in various locations, he could only dispatch ordinary response teams. But upon further thought, he realized it wasn't enough, so he instructed his female assistant, "Inform Captain Chen and ask him to find a way to hold on a little longer." After a pause, he added, "Send another recovery drug to Captain Chen."
The female assistant replied, "Captain Chen has already taken one drug. If he takes another within a short time, it might cause some damage to his body."
Specialist Liang spoke, "You can tell him the truth about the medicine's effects and reassure him that I will compensate him later. For now, I need him to hold his ground there."
The female assistant promptly responded, "I'll make the arrangements immediately."
Liang continued, "Sentinel, report on the current situation of the split bodies."
Sentinel promptly provided an update on the handling of the split bodies within each region. Despite their efforts to block and intercept, four split bodies remained unaccounted for.
Liang's gaze remained fixed on the light screen. Although the field of the split bodies was concealed, it was impossible for them to have been transported out of the city within such a short time. They must either be hidden somewhere or find a way to transport them out through secure channels.
If they were merely hiding, it would be easier to deal with. The authorities could temporarily ignore them as they had means to track them down later. However, transporting them out was absolutely forbidden!
The entire city was now under lockdown, and it was impossible for the transport team to leave without attracting attention. There was only one way—the densely packed tunnels beneath the central city.
They would have to go through the underground district.
This was the weakest point of control in the entire central city and the best location for hiding and transferring items.
The 1619 book version was error-free!
Although the government hall had arranged interception teams at various tunnel entrances, they couldn't cover every possible problem. Over the years, the underground district residents had created secret passages. Even with the current interception teams, there was no guarantee of success.
Regarding this matter, the government had another plan—to entrust some underground district associates to handle it.
These associates had intricate connections with the underground district gangs, major powers, and even mercenaries. Sometimes, their words carried more weight than the government's. If they took it seriously, they could indeed block the transport, but they were also deeply entangled with various companies, making it hard to predict which side they would choose.
Specialist Liang didn't trust them. As a specialist dispatched from above, he had no authority over the central city's specific affairs, except for the defense department. Moreover, they were currently short-staffed, so the most he could do was intensify the blockade.
Fortunately, due to the special concoction, the split bodies of Spider Mother could only appear on the city's surface, or the situation would have been even more challenging.
At the same time, in the Union Victory Company branch, the manager, Gao Yi, was listening to a report from a non-active consciousness entity. As he had anticipated, someone had entrusted them with the task of transporting the split bodies.
The client requested them to deliver the goods outside the Jibei Dao and to a designated area, promising to pay all compensation and reputation losses to the company upon successful delivery.
However, with the entire central city under lockdown, breaking through the blockade was nearly impossible.
So, they decided to take an alternative route.
The Union Victory Company had once acquired a company named Golden Steed, which used to be the backer of the Iron Fist Gang in the underground district. The Iron Fist Gang, in turn, had close connections with the underground logistics company, Roadthrough Logistics. These individuals still had access to some underground transportation channels and personnel, which they had prepared for this day.
After hearing the report, Gao Yi combined various pieces of information and confirmed that the government and defense departments currently lacked the manpower to intercept them. With a high chance of success, he said, "Assemble the convoy, and let's go. I'll personally escort the western route."
This task originated from two companies, each with a split body. Due to limited manpower, one route required his personal escort.
He descended from the building, boarded the armored vehicle, and the convoy set off. As they left the company, he glanced at the distant sky, where an airship hovered.
With the overall information field no longer in existence, the city now relied on these airships for communication. By causing a certain amount of interference and taking a detour through hidden neighborhoods, they could ensure that their convoy wouldn't be discovered in a short time. Once they entered the underground district, no one could stop them.
At the same time, Chen Chuan emerged from the rift after dealing with the split body.
He took off his hat, brushed off the dust, and put it back on before turning back with his knife.
Due to the absence of the split body, the path ahead was now clear.
As he ventured deeper, he saw Chen Bitong thrusting a spear into the ground. In just that moment, numerous bizarre corpses appeared on the ground.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Chen Bitong turned back, surprised, "Captain Chen, why are you back?"
Chen Chuan walked to his side, standing shoulder to shoulder, feeling the powerful airflow swirling around them. He looked at the rift and said, "Mr. Chen, as the execution captain, it's also my duty to guard this place."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
