Chapter 614: Assessment
Chapter 614: Assessment
Instructor Wen, who had been waiting for quite some time, approached with a smile and greeted, "Specialist Zuan Liang."
The lanky man nodded at him and then turned his gaze to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan bowed respectfully and said, "Specialist Zuan."
Zuan glanced at him, set down the briefcase he was holding, and swiftly opened it. He then took out a black mask and donned it.
The moment he put it on, his entire demeanor changed instantly, as if he had become more outgoing in an instant.
He looked at Chen Chuan and spoke, "I am Zuan Liang. I assume you are Supervisor Chen. It's a pleasure to meet you. After receiving Instructor Wen's telegram, I was sent here to be your sponsor and assessor."
Surprisingly, his voice was pleasant and carried a hint of magnetism.
He then added with a hint of apology, "I apologize for keeping you both waiting. I was held up on the way here, and it took longer than expected."
Instructor Wen smiled and said, "Specialist Zuan, you're too kind. It's not convenient to speak out here. Let's go inside first."
Zuan replied with a simple 'okay'.
Instructor Wen went ahead to close the courtyard gate and then invited the two men into the living room. Even though Zuan was still wearing the mask, he poured a cup of tea for him without any hesitation.
Zuan nodded in gratitude and then turned to Chen Chuan, his expression becoming more serious. "Supervisor Chen, before you officially join our Pure Essence Sect and the assessment begins, I'd like to clarify some matters."
Chen Chuan said, "I'd like to hear more."
Zuan continued, "Instructor Wen should have told you that our Pure Essence Sect values self-purification above all. This is our self-identity and fundamental belief.
Based on this principle, we have more ambitious goals and aspirations, which go beyond just fighting. It involves current political strategies and even the direction of the entire world.
Aside from personal cultivation, our sect's most fundamental tenet is to resolutely resist any external force that covets our world.
Each of the Five Great Sects holds different beliefs. Take the Fusion Sect as an example. They believe that since the old era, the two worlds have been drawing closer together. It is this change that gave birth to the path of fighters, and fighters benefit from this.
Based on this, they propose that if the period of change is indefinitely prolonged, the fusion of the two worlds is inevitable. Eventually, they will form a unified, relatively balanced world, like the Convergence Ground. On this basis, they believe both worlds can find a path of coexistence.
It's a beautiful idea and aligns with the thoughts of those who prefer compromise to confrontation.
But is this really how things will play out?"
He let out a cold laugh, "Even if you want to do this, you need to have equal power to your opponent. But the reality is that they are stronger, and at this moment, thinking about fusion is nothing but surrender.
This is a one-sided idea. If this becomes the mainstream thought, it will not be a good thing.
Moreover, while the path of fighters emerged due to the changes between the two worlds, it has grown stronger through continuous resistance against the other world. If we give up the resistance, there's no need for our existence, and the other world would not tolerate the fighters' presence.
Only when we have sufficient strength, or when we are stronger than them, can we talk about such things. Otherwise, it's like giving up control to others, no different from negotiating with the enemy while laying down our weapons."
Chen Chuan deeply agreed with these words. Unilateral retreat and compromise are not good. The prerequisite for retreat is having the ability to advance, but currently, the other world is unilaterally intruding into theirs.
The entire world has been forced to establish Central City and the World Ring for defense. In this situation, talking about the fusion of the two worlds is like inviting the other world to merge with yours. It's almost like surrender, even if it's not explicitly stated.
Zuan Liang continued, his voice turning somber, "The influence of the Fusion Sect is not insignificant. There are people within the government and companies who secretly collaborate with the other world and support this rhetoric.
They do this for various reasons. Some are desperate due to the power gap between the two worlds and believe our world is beyond saving. So, they have given up. Some have become complete surrenderers, followers of the other world, while others seek power from them.
These people are like tumors in our world, and they need to be eliminated. They dare not openly reveal themselves; they are trying to cause chaos from within.
Cleansing these people and empowering more individuals who share our beliefs to have the strength to resist and protect themselves when the Great Collision arrives—this is what we must do."
At this point, he spoke solemnly, "Supervisor Chen, after hearing all this, if you believe the Pure Essence Sect does not align with your beliefs, you can choose not to join. But I have been authorized that even if you disagree to join, we will provide you with a portion of the pure substance afterward."
"Mr. Chen, may I ask why?" Chen Chuan asked, feeling a bit surprised.
"You are an exceptional young man, and we have reviewed your resume. You have had two encounters with the Other World," Mr. Zhuan explained.
"Anyone willing to fight against the Other World is an ally of ours. We are willing to support and nurture talented young people like yourself," he said sincerely. "Who knows what the future holds? Even though our differing ideologies may keep us apart now, we might very well stand together in the same trench in the future. We'd rather have someone like you as our comrade-in-arms than those vermin."
After saying this, he turned to Chen Chuan, "Supervisor Chen, please consider it, and you don't have to answer right away. I'll be staying here for a few days, awaiting your response."
"There's no need to consider it," Chen Chuan said firmly. He lifted his head, glanced at Instructor Wen, and then looked at Mr. Zhuan. "I'm willing to join the Pure Essence Sect."
Mr. Zhuan's description of the Pure Essence Sect's principles didn't contradict Chen Chuan's own thoughts. Even if there were any discrepancies, nothing remains unchanged forever. Once his strength grows, he can make changes as well.
Although Mr. Zhuan wore a mask, both Chen Chuan and Instructor Wen could sense the smile behind it. Mr. Zhuan stood up and extended his hand towards Chen Chuan, "Supervisor Chen, welcome to the Pure Essence Sect."
Chen Chuan stood up and shook his hand. As their hands clasped, he felt a firm grip from the other side.
Mr. Zhuan looked at him and said, "Supervisor Chen, since you've agreed to join, I will conduct an assessment for you to join the sect. This assessment will test both your martial arts skills and your stance."
"Of course, this is just a procedure. Your abilities and stance have already been proven in the past, but this step is necessary. I hope you understand."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Mr. Zhuan picked up his briefcase, reached inside, and retrieved a document, which he handed to Chen Chuan, indicating for him to take a look.
Chen Chuan took the document and found it to be a wanted notice. It featured a scarred man whose age was difficult to determine but appeared to be under forty. His eyes were extremely sinister, and he wore an arrogant expression.
"This man is named Kenwa. He was once an officer of the Linaksa Federation with Primordial People bloodline. After retiring from the military, he disguised himself as a resistance organization member and carried out assassinations of political figures in Dashi. He was later captured by Dashi but was exchanged for an important captured figure.
However, information suggests that he has recently returned to Jinbei Province and is currently active in the border city. His next move is likely to be towards the Central City."
Mr. Zhuan continued, "If he were just an ordinary wanted criminal, we wouldn't pay him much attention. Naturally, various institutions and government departments would deal with him. But this is just his surface identity."
"We believe, through internal information and certain means of comparison and judgment, that he is highly likely to be an agent of an existence from the Other World, and there's a possibility that he has been possessed.
The Pure Essence Sect must eliminate such individuals by force. We originally assigned someone else to handle this, but after learning of his location, we've decided to make this your assessment task. Once you pass, Supervisor Chen, you will officially become one of us."
Chen Chuan examined the wanted notice. Although Mr. Zhuan didn't mention a deadline, it was clear that prompt action was required. The target might move to another location or be protected by someone, which would complicate matters.
This wasn't impossible; as a heavily wanted criminal, he was unlikely to appear in public without some form of backing. Therefore, handling this matter required swift action.
"Leave this to me," Chen Chuan said.
"I trust Supervisor Chen's abilities," Mr. Zhuan replied.
"I have one question," Chen Chuan said, raising his head to look at Mr. Zhuan. "Are you Mr. Zhuan, or is it him?"
"Mr. Zhuan" spoke with admiration, "Supervisor Chen, you are indeed very perceptive."
He pointed to the mask on his face, "This is a mental projection technique. I've attached my spirit to it, and when the user wears it, it can simulate my personality and speaking style.
Although it's still Mr. Zhuan speaking to you, the personality and cognition are mine. Once the mask is removed, I will return to my true self.
I apologize for speaking to you in this manner, but Mr. Zhuan is not good with words and isn't skilled in face-to-face communication. So, he specially customized this mask. Actually, Mr. Zhuan also has a rather unpleasant..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly grabbed the mask and removed it, revealing Mr. Zhuan's expressionless face. His voice abruptly stopped as well.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
