Chapter 853: The Capture of the Fugitive
Chapter 853: The Capture of the Fugitive
Chen Chuan's gaze fixed on the approaching figure, and he made no attempt to dodge. Their bio-field domains clashed first.
Zalnik's thin bio-field domain was clearly no match, and it shattered with a cracking sound. However, the spiritual flame outside his body forcefully tore through the domain's outer barrier, forcing its way in.
His hands reached forward in a grabbing motion, resembling a beast pouncing on its prey. His once-atrophied muscles suddenly rippled with power, layer upon layer, as the crimson spiritual light on his body also surged forward, concentrating at his outstretched hands.
This was a complete abandonment of self-defense, an extreme offense that gathered all his strength for a single, powerful strike.
Chen Chuan's assessment was that the tactic was correct and the attack was decisive, but...
He extended his hand, and a white light danced on his palm. Then, with a swift slap toward the person, a loud bang echoed, and the crimson light across from him instantly dispersed. Zalnik's entire body was propelled to the side by an irresistible force, landing seven or eight meters away and smashing into the ground, sending dirt and pebbles flying. He tumbled and rolled before finally colliding with a tree and coming to a stop.
The tree's crown shook violently, as if about to break, and the unmelted snow on top cascaded down, almost covering him.
Zalnik, at this point, still seemed to want to struggle, but a surge of energy had permeated his body, leaving him numb and unable to move. He lay there, his body twitching from time to time, and he was breathing heavily.
Chen Chuan approached, the disparity in their strength was too great, and no amount of fancy maneuvers would make a difference.
Reaching Zalnik, he said, "You're too weak, and you're almost out of strength to even throw a punch."
Whether it was his bio-field domain or his spiritual flame, this person was incredibly thin, and even if he stood still, relying solely on his spiritual flame, he could be exhausted.
Zalnik glared at Chen Chuan, seemingly defiant.
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "There's no need to be defiant. Before throwing that punch, you should have anticipated this outcome. If you get the chance, I welcome you to come back and fight me again after you recover."
But now, no matter what he had taken, since he had obtained it from Daxun's territory, Chen Chuan had to take him back.
Zalnik had done this at least hundreds of years ago, and his words sounded like a law from the present addressing someone from the past. However, even in the old era, this land was under the control of Donglu, so anything taken from Donglu belonged to Donglu, and there was no issue with that.
At that moment, Zalnik abruptly stopped trembling. His eyes lost focus, and his body temperature rapidly dropped, his skin turning a pale blue.
Chen Chuan could tell that the man had squeezed out the last remnants of his life with that strike, and he was now in a near-death state.
But this person couldn't die yet.
Chen Chuan's bio-field domain expanded, and the broken branches around them swiftly gathered. He extended a finger, and a faint light flashed at its tip, followed by a spark that ignited a flame. The fire quickly spread, and Zalnik's condition stabilized. His finger moved, and after a while, he regained consciousness.
Chen Chuan took out a piece of high-energy nutrition food he carried with him, tore open the packaging, and tossed it to Zalnik. The latter, like a man in a desert suddenly finding water, disregarded everything and scrambled to grab it, not even removing the packaging before shoving it into his mouth. His face visibly improved.
But this small amount of energy could only barely sustain his life, and further combat was out of the question.
Chen Chuan asked, "Where's your other companion?"
Zalnik, lying there, replied, "You've won, and you can do as you please with me, but I will not betray my companion's whereabouts."
Chen Chuan said, "I've seen where you escaped, and from the traces left behind, it seems your companion didn't leave on her own. She was taken by another group, but you were too weak to take her with you when you woke up, so you left alone."
Zalnik's face turned red, apparently hit by the truth.
Chen Chuan nodded, "You think it's impossible for something like this to happen, so it seems she woke up too, and you didn't worry about her because you had some kind of mental communication, agreeing to separate and then find a way to reunite."
Zalnik's face flushed with anger, apparently struck by the truth. He cursed, "Devil, you're a devil who spies on people!"
Chen Chuan hummed in acknowledgment, "It seems the truth is indeed the truth. Thank you for your cooperation."
Zalnik, agitated, vehemently denied, "I didn't! In my beliefs, betraying a companion is the most dishonorable act, something everyone would despise. I would never accept such slander!"
Chen Chuan said, "In that case, you can wait for your companion to return and explain things to her slowly."
He bent down and reached out, picking up Zarnick and hurrying back. It didn't take long for them to reach the vicinity of the airship. When Director Bao saw him returning with one of the men, his eyes lit up with joy, and he immediately ordered the crew to lower the elevator board.
Chen Chuan stepped onto the board and rode it back up to the airship. He placed the man to the side and said, "I've brought back one person."
Director Bao immediately instructed the security personnel to restrain the man. "Thank you for your hard work, Chen. On behalf of the company, I'd like to express our gratitude."
Chen Chuan replied, "This isn't just a matter for your company. I'm the Defense Director of Jinbei Province, and what happened in Jinbei Province is within my jurisdiction. Let's keep this person here for now. We can deal with them together once we find the other one."
Director Bao was only a branch manager and didn't have the authority to discuss this matter with Chen Chuan. So, he could only tacitly agree with Chen Chuan's suggestion.
At this moment, Chen Chuan brought up another matter. "Director Bao, we've received news from the company. We've identified the traitor, but his true identity is yet to be confirmed. However, we can now be certain that this person was in contact with the company recently. After analyzing their travel routes, we contacted a mercenary squad from Chaos Territory. They used a small airship to wait there and, with internal assistance, forced the train to stop and took the person away."
"Chaos Territory?"
Chen Chuan pondered this.
He wasn't unfamiliar with this place. When he took the Infinite Defense Certificate Level B exam, he went to Chaos Territory, but didn't enter it. He only conducted the assessment on the outskirts.
The existence of this place was due to both the government of Daxun's deliberate neglect and the difficulty of cleaning it up.
Haisi Province was extremely rich in mineral deposits, timber, and algae oil industrialization. There were numerous mineral energy enterprises, which also gave rise to rampant smuggling activities. The largest underground smuggling and trading market was located in Chaos Territory.
Not only domestically, but many internationally banned smuggling items often found their way into the country through this channel. It was also a crucial experimental site for various governments and companies worldwide. New medicines, implants, and other novel items would first appear and be put into use here. Every year, adventurers, fugitives, international espionage organizations, and agents from various countries would enter and put on spectacular shows.
The involvement of this place undoubtedly increased the likelihood of foreign interference.
Chen Chuan asked, "Director Bao, where do you think they are now?"
Director Bao replied, "They wanted to evade the company's surveillance, so they definitely wouldn't use a large airship, which would be easily noticed. We deduce that they're most likely using a small flying vehicle. However, with the heavy rain over the past two days, their vehicle might have encountered problems. The company estimates that they may not have left Jinbei Province yet. If we hurry now, we still have a good chance of catching up with them."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Since that's the case, let's follow that direction and see where it leads us."
As the Defense Director, he couldn't allow an unknown martial artist to roam freely, especially since this person was still a significant threat, even in their weakened state. A Tier Three Battlemaster wouldn't be their match.
As the airship pursued a particular direction, Chen Chuan remembered something. "Do you have a telegraph here?"
"Yes, we do."
Director Bao immediately called his assistant to lead Chen Chuan to the communication room on the airship.
At this moment, Chen Chuan wanted to send a telegram to his family. Originally, they had planned to visit his aunt's house in the next few days, but due to the uncertain situation, he might be delayed. So, he prepared to inform his family not to wait for him and instead take the airship to his aunt's place first. If he could finish his task on time, he would catch up with them.
After sending the telegram in the communication room, Chen Chuan returned to the rest cabin prepared for him on the airship.
The airship traveled for a day, and by the journey, they had reached the northwestern end of Jinbei Province, a place called Wanguang Hill, bordering Haisi Province.
In fact, this area was strategically important due to its higher elevation and a major river flowing through it, connecting to Haisi Province in the south. During the initial division of provinces, this area was separated from Haisi Province and assigned to Jinbei Province, creating an interlocked border.
Upon reaching this area, the airship made a discovery while passing through a coniferous forest. They spotted a small crashed airship amidst the white snow, surrounded by fallen trees. The airship immediately approached the crash site.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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