Chapter 641 - 380: Mask

Chen Chuan could hear the sincerity in Counselor Pei’s voice. Although he had his own thoughts, he was still grateful for the other man’s goodwill. If Counselor Pei didn’t truly think highly of him, there would have been no need to say any of this.

He said, "Thank you, Counselor Pei. I’ll remember this."

Counselor Pei smiled. "I really didn’t expect Mr. Xue to step in and protect you. This is a good thing for you personally. The City Council shouldn’t be bothering you for a while.

By the way, the higher-ups are adjusting your position. The appointment process is already underway, and your three-month vacation has been approved. What are you planning to do during this time, Captain Chen?"

Chen Chuan said, "I haven’t decided yet, but before anything else, I might get a teacher’s certificate from Wuyi Academy."

He was currently figuring out a Heart Force that suited him, which required referencing techniques from various sources. With a teacher’s certificate, he could make better use of Hong Fu’s resources and gain access to many of Wuyi Academy’s higher-level books.

The Wuyi platform was still very useful, and he had no plans to give it up for the time being.

Counselor Pei was slightly surprised, but after a moment’s thought, he said, "With your strength and status, Captain Chen, it’s no longer appropriate for you to be a student. Becoming a teacher at Wuyi is indeed a better fit for you.

Your Wuyi Academy has no shortage of talent. During the Fumu schism, Wuyi’s teachers and students contributed a great deal. Remember that joint multi-departmental plan? Your academy’s Assistant Ling deserves some of the credit for proposing it."

Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Assistant Ling?"

Counselor Pei said, "Yes, the vice-principal’s assistant, Ling Jianxing. He helped persuade the Wuyi upper echelons to allow Hong Fu, that active Consciousness Body, to participate in the plan. He also argued that you were the right person to execute it.

Initially, the various departments believed that an active Consciousness Body might act on its own whims and not follow the plan to the letter.

But he argued that since you, Captain Chen, were a student of Wuyi Academy and someone who frequently used its resources, your rapport would be unmatched by anyone else. Later events proved him right."

Chen Chuan said, "How much do you know about Assistant Ling, Counselor Pei?"

Counselor Pei said, "Not much. I heard that although he’s from Jibei Dao, he studied in the Capital for a long time before being assigned here as the vice-principal’s assistant. He’s a very talented man. To become a vice-principal’s assistant at such a young age, it’s not just about ability; his martial prowess must also be enough to command respect."

Chen Chuan looked at him and nodded.

Counselor Pei glanced at his watch. "Captain Chen, I have other official business to attend to, so I’ll take my leave. I’ll notify you if there’s any news." After bidding Chen Chuan farewell, he opened his car door, got back inside, and drove away as Chen Chuan watched.

After he left, Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. Counselor Pei had mentioned Assistant Ling at the end. It seemed like he was just following the conversational thread, but Chen Chuan felt he had brought it up intentionally, as if hinting at something.

He actually had some suspicions about Counselor Pei’s true identity, as certain traits of his were similar to people he had encountered in the past.

Of course, this was just a Fighter’s intuition; he had no proof.

Therefore, the point he had deliberately made was unlikely to be without reason.

Although he didn’t know what Assistant Ling’s intentions were, he was confident that in his current state, he was more than capable of handling it.

Lost in thought, he made his way back to his dorm, checked a few messages he had received, changed his clothes, and went to the training room.

He felt the Spiritual Mark that Teacher Xue had left on his shoulder and found the method to be quite complex. It looked difficult to practice. ’No wonder Teacher Xue said he would come to check,’ he thought.

Although it wasn’t easy, the effects after mastering it seemed to be quite good.

According to the description, mastering this technique would not only allow him to guard against Domain detection but also evade certain external spiritual contacts and probes.

This was quite remarkable. Based on his current combat experience, Spiritual Attacks carried significant risks for both sides. Therefore, using a technique to make light contact and probe beforehand was a better approach. But if one could prevent others from getting a read on them, that was indeed a great skill to have.

He had his Second Self, which could already divert and evade such things, but he wasn’t opposed to improving his main body’s skills. The Second Self was a consumable resource. If he himself could possess such an ability, it would give him one more method to deal with enemies at critical moments.

This time, he was safe for now thanks to Teacher Xue’s intervention, but he still couldn’t let his guard down. He couldn’t place his hopes on his enemy’s negligence or mercy. Improving himself was the best way to respond.

He spent several days getting a rough grasp of the technique. The next step was deep cultivation. He could rely on Hong Fu as a sparring partner for this, and he believed he would master it soon.

Time flew by. A month passed in the blink of an eye, and stability gradually returned to the city. He also received a notice from the Processing Bureau. The Bureau had officially approved his promotion to Investigation Chief, and there would be an investiture ceremony on June 2nd, which he was to attend punctually.

After replying, he thought for a moment and contacted Lu Fang. "Senior Brother Lu, have things been okay these past few days?"

Lu Fang said, "It didn’t affect us much. After you notified me, junior brother, I and the other two senior brothers closed the hall for a few days. We didn’t go anywhere and didn’t run into much trouble."

Chen Chuan asked, "Has Xiaojin still been coming over?"

Lu Fang said, "He has. Except for the two days of the bio-contamination, he’s been here every day since."

"Is he any different from usual?"

"Different?" Lu Fang thought for a moment. "He seems to have something on his mind. His training has actually gotten more intense these last couple of days."

Chen Chuan grunted in acknowledgment. "Senior Brother, I’ll come over in a bit."

"Alright."

After ending the call, Chen Chuan changed into casual clothes, went downstairs, and drove toward Lu Fang’s Fighting Hall.

After driving into the Deep Unexplored District, he saw that the dump trucks by the roadside still contained leftover insect carcasses that hadn’t been fully cleared away. Many people were spraying the trees with a pungent, foul-smelling pesticide to eliminate the eggs, and occasionally, a few insects would drop from the leaves.

This wasn’t the Weiguang District or the Wuding District, after all. The prevention and cleanup of these invasive creatures from the Merging Land were slower here.

In truth, even with repeated cleanups, many would still remain. These insects would quickly adapt to the environment here, becoming better suited for survival. Central City couldn’t stop them at all. They would gradually spread outwards, just as the fusion of the two worlds was nearly impossible to halt.

In less than an Hour, he arrived at the entrance of the Fighting Hall. He was surprised to find that there were far more people than he had ever seen before. There were also a few gang members milling about in small groups by the door.

He parked his car and got out. When the gang members saw him, they exchanged a few words and turned to leave. Although he wasn’t in uniform today, the aura of a Fighter he exuded was impossible to hide. These people clearly didn’t want any trouble.

After a quick glance, he walked into the Fighting Hall. Lu Fang knew he had arrived and was coming out to greet him. After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Chuan asked, "It seems like there are a lot more gang members around here?"

Lu Fang said, "Oh, that. Don’t worry, they’re not here to cause trouble. The bio-experimental infestation a few days ago, plus the large-scale conflicts in the city, implicated many gangs. They suffered heavy losses, and some were wiped out completely. The remaining gangs are still fighting over territory these days. They know it’s safe here, so they’re sending their kids to learn Fighting Skill. They don’t care if the kids actually learn anything; it’s just for peace of mind."

Chen Chuan nodded. Lu Fang and the other two senior brothers were all Second Limit Fighters. With three Fighters here, ordinary gangs really wouldn’t dare to cause trouble.

If it weren’t for the fact that Lu Fang and the other two had their own aspirations and didn’t want to go down that path, starting their own gang would be a piece of cake.

However, they couldn’t solve their status problem, so the Fighting Hall couldn’t expand. Even he couldn’t fix it, because only the Administrative Affairs Hall had the authority to grant citizenship—unless one of them could break through to the Third Limit.

The two of them walked inside as they talked.

He immediately saw Chen Xiaojin sparring intensely with someone. He was extremely focused and seemed no different from usual.

He stood to the side and watched. About ten minutes later, the sparring match ended. Chen Xiaojin came down, panting, and stood before Lu Fang. The latter pointed out a few areas for correction, then patted his shoulder and gestured toward Chen Chuan.

Chen Xiaojin walked over and said in a deceptively casual tone, "Captain Chen, you were looking for me?"

Chen Chuan said, "Your last kick just now—you raised your leg a little too high."

"Too high?"

Chen Chuan raised his hand. "Try kicking again."

Chen Xiaojin looked, took two steps back, and then threw a kick. But Chen Chuan pressed down slightly, stopping the tip of his foot and causing him to stumble back several steps involuntarily.

Chen Chuan said, "Your leg only reaches its peak power at this height, but your foot makes contact with your opponent before that. This means that while you have plenty of power, it isn’t being applied effectively. It’s useless and just wastes your own energy. That’s why you couldn’t win just now."

He assessed, "You’re too impatient."

Chen Xiaojin lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly.

Chen Chuan then fumbled in his pocket, took out the half-mask left by Chen Bitong, and handed it to him. "This belongs to Teacher Chen. I think it should be yours."

Chen Xiaojin glanced at it but didn’t take it. Instead, he looked up at him and asked, "He’s not coming back, is he?"

Chen Chuan watched him quietly, saying nothing.

Chen Xiaojin lowered his head again, wiping his eyes fiercely with his arm. With red-rimmed eyes, he said, "I’m actually used to it. He used to leave for long periods of time. It’s the same whether he’s here or not."

Chen Chuan said slowly, "Teacher Chen had things he had to do. You might feel he wronged you, but he was actually always trying to protect you. He never truly neglected you."

He turned the mask over. On the back, a small whale was carved.

Xiaojing.

Chen Xiaojing.

"I don’t know if he can ever come back, but if you want to see him again, then you have to train hard. When you’re strong enough, go find him yourself."

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "If you want, once you’ve mastered the necessary skills, come find me at Wuyi." With that, he placed the half-mask on a nearby table and turned to leave.

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