Chapter 723: Venom Shadow
Chapter 723: Venom Shadow
Chen Chuan examined Yang's wound and noticed a mutagenic substance coiling around it, hindering his recovery. It seemed like some sort of biological toxin.
Before coming here, he had reviewed the Handling Bureau's intelligence and was not entirely unaware of the Union's incoming fighters. He had information on some of them.
He asked Yang about the attacker's appearance and learned some details.
If the attacker's words were accurate, based on the available intelligence, the pursuer was likely the Union's fighter known as "Venom Shadow."
This person was said to be a top-ranked fighter worldwide.
Yang's earnest plea didn't leave much room for hesitation, and Chen Chuan readily agreed.
"Mr. Yang, I can help you with this matter. These people are my enemies as well, and I came here because of them."
He had planned to raid their camp, and if he could eliminate one of their strong fighters outside the camp, he wouldn't refuse the opportunity.
Moreover, he was curious about the international rankings and wanted to take this chance to witness the skills of these top-ranked fighters firsthand.
Seeing Chen Chuan's quick agreement without questioning the challenges and dangers ahead, Yang felt a surge of long-forgotten enthusiasm. He wanted to do something for Chen Chuan.
Leaning forward, he asked, "Mr. Chen, are you here to investigate the situation?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I want to take a look at their established camp."
Yang nodded and said solemnly, "Mr. Chen, you might not be familiar with this route. I've lived here for twenty-five years, and I know some shortcuts to avoid trouble. We can get there quickly and observe the situation. After this is over, I'll accompany you there."
Chen Chuan asked, "Doesn't Mr. Yang need to escort the others out?"
Yang replied, "They've lived here their entire lives. If there's no pursuit from powerful outsiders, they can navigate the dense forest without much difficulty."
Seeing his concern, Chen Chuan didn't refuse. The situation seemed complex, and having someone familiar with the area would be beneficial.
He examined Yang's wound again, took out a small bottle of potion from his pocket, and handed it to him. "Try this."
Yang accepted without hesitation. He opened it, took a look, and said with emotion, "It's the same as before." He deftly removed the stopper and sprinkled some potion on the external wound. Then, with his finger dipped in the potion, he fearlessly probed the wound, evenly coating the potion inside.
After a while, the mutagenic substance hindering the wound's recovery was clearly suppressed. The mutated tissue around the wound seemed to revive from its rigid state and began to heal gradually.
Feeling the effects of the potion, Yang's face lit up with joy. He then turned to Chen Chuan and expressed his gratitude. "Mr. Chen, thank you for the potion!"
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Yang, you're too kind. With your status, we can consider ourselves comrades. It's nothing."
"Comrades?"
Yang nodded heavily. He extended his hand and introduced himself. "Yang Yongcheng, a soldier who deserted twenty-five years ago."
Chen Chuan shook his hand and introduced himself, "Chen Chuan, Investigation Supervisor of the Handling Bureau."
"Investigation Supervisor?"
Yang was taken aback. He hadn't expected an Investigation Supervisor to be here. In the Defense Department, this would be a high-ranking officer, rarely seen on the front lines, let alone in such a remote location.
However, having been away from the Defense Department for twenty-five years, Yang knew his past experience might not apply to the current situation, so he didn't ask further.
He glanced outside and noticed the rain had stopped in a short while. Checking his old-fashioned pocket watch, he saw it was already noon. With a hint of seriousness, he said, "The attacker usually strikes around this time, Supervisor Chen. We should prepare."
Chen Chuan acknowledged with a sound of agreement. "The person is already here."
Hearing this, Yang's expression tightened. The next moment, the tent's door curtain flew up, and Chen Chuan, who had been sitting across from him, suddenly disappeared.
A loud explosion-like blast echoed from outside, causing the tent to tremble.
Yang immediately grabbed his bone weapon and rushed out. Outside, he heard continuous booming sounds like thunderclaps, sometimes close, sometimes distant, each one painfully loud.
But the commotion didn't last long. The final sound seemed to come from the dense forest they had passed through earlier. He immediately followed the direction of the noise.
After walking about five or six hundred meters, he saw Chen Chuan standing there with his sword unsheathed. Wisps of mist rose from his clenched fist.
A person wearing a spindle-shaped mask and a black protective suit lay on the ground. There was a depression in his chest, and it seemed like a vortex where his body and limbs were twisted in the same direction as the vortex.
He suddenly felt his breath grow heavy, and slowly walked towards the spot, looking at the figure on the ground. The person held a pitch-black long spike in their hand, but at this moment, the spike was also twisted by an unknown force.
With his eyesight, he could discern that the person was trying to block the force with an anomalous weapon, but it was to no avail. As a result, both the person and their weapon were penetrated by the incoming force.
Chen Chuan asked, "Senior Yang, is it him?"
Yang Yongcheng nodded and said, "It's him."
Looking at the half-dead person lying on the ground, he felt a mix of emotions. He truly hadn't expected that this seemingly formidable and unstoppable opponent in his eyes would be so easily defeated by Chen Chuan. He suddenly felt old, as if he had become detached from the times.
Chen Chuan had approached this internationally renowned fighter with a serious attitude. But after the fight, he felt that the opponent was still quite capable. As a squad leader, he was more than qualified, and even as an investigation supervisor, he would be sufficient. But that was as far as it went.
However, once one reached a certain level, improving one's strength became increasingly difficult. Therefore, one couldn't underestimate those ranked higher in the intelligence reports. It was hard to say what level they were at, and it was necessary to fight them to find out.
At this moment, Yang Yongcheng squatted down and used his gloved hand to check the person. He discovered that the bones and muscles below the person's neck had been twisted and mangled by some force, and he was once again amazed.
He said, "Supervisor Chen, do you want to extract some information from him?"
Chen Chuan replied, "That's right, but it seems he's not willing to cooperate."
Yang Yongcheng immediately said, "If Supervisor Chen trusts us, we can help."
Chen Chuan had no objections. Interrogation wasn't his forte, and if Yang Yongcheng had someone who could extract information, that would be ideal. If not, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Yang Yongcheng immediately took out a rope and tightly bound the man below, then carried him on his shoulder and returned to the camp with Chen Chuan.
He first sent the Venom Shadow to a tent, then turned back and said to Chen Chuan, "Supervisor Chen, the interrogation will take some time, and it might rain again today. It's not suitable to go to the Union's camp. Why don't we rest here today, and I'll personally take you there tomorrow morning."
Chen Chuan agreed, "Okay."
At this moment, Yang Yongcheng reached into his cloak's pocket and took out a palm-sized object wrapped in thick cloth, which he handed to Chen Chuan, saying, "Supervisor Chen, please accept this."
Chen Chuan didn't immediately reach out to take it but asked, "What is this?"
Yang Yongcheng sighed and said, "This is the relic I found back then."
Chen Chuan was surprised, "Oh? Didn't Senior Yang's teammates bring this back?"
Yang Yongcheng explained, "On the way back, we were continuously attacked by powerful creatures. We believed that this might be because we had this relic with us, so I left it behind when I was at the rear.
According to our analysis, this is likely just a fifth-rank relic, and at most, it wouldn't exceed fourth-rank. It has some value, but it might not be as significant as we thought. Otherwise, the creatures we encountered might have been even more formidable.
This object has been in my possession for years, but I haven't been able to figure out anything from it. Supervisor Chen, I'd like to entrust this to you. Whether you keep it or take it back to the Defense Department is up to you. But this is not our reward; what we promised you will be delivered to you later."
Chen Chuan wasn't too concerned about the reward, but he didn't refuse the object and reached out to take it.
"Then I'll accept it."
Seeing Chen Chuan take it, Yang Yongcheng seemed to have shed a great burden, and he appeared much more relaxed.
He asked if Chen Chuan needed a tent, but Chen Chuan declined, and Yang Yongcheng didn't insist. He knew that Chen Chuan must have his own arrangements for the night.
Since they had decided to stay, Chen Chuan went to set up his tent in a corner of the camp, keeping a distance from the others.
The entire camp was surrounded by campfires, so there was no need to worry about any issues, and he didn't have to light another fire.
With ample time, Chen Chuan made the cave more spacious. After finishing the preparations, he noticed that it had started raining again. He informed Yang Yongcheng that he wanted to meditate and asked them to stay away.
Chen Chuan then returned to his tent and sat down. He picked up the Snow Queen Saber and with a light swing, he opened a bright rift, ready to begin his daily cultivation. However, at that moment, he felt something in his pocket start to heat up.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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