Chapter 654 - 5: Assessment

Instructor Wen showed no sign of having waited for a long time. He went up to greet him, smiling. "Mr. Zhuan."

The tall, thin man nodded at him, then looked toward Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan clasped his fist in his palm in a salute. "Mr. Zhuan."

Mr. Zhuan glanced at him, set down the briefcase in his hand, and quickly opened it. He then took out a black mask from inside and put it on.

The moment he put it on, his entire demeanor changed instantly. It was as if he had become much more outgoing in a flash.

He looked at Chen Chuan and began to speak. "I am Zhuanliang. You must be Manager Chen. Hello. After receiving Instructor Wen’s telegram, the sect assigned me to be your recommender and assessor."

His voice was surprisingly pleasant, with a slightly magnetic quality.

He now sounded somewhat apologetic. "I’m sorry to have kept you two waiting. I was delayed on my way here. My sincerest apologies."

Instructor Wen smiled. "Mr. Zhuan, that’s quite alright. It’s not convenient to talk out here. Let’s go inside."

Mr. Zhuan agreed.

Instructor Wen went over and closed the courtyard gate first, then invited the two men into the living room. After they were seated, even though it seemed Mr. Zhuan had no intention of removing his mask, Instructor Wen still poured him a cup of tea.

Mr. Zhuan nodded his thanks, then turned to Chen Chuan, his expression growing more serious. "Manager Chen, before you decide to formally join our Pure Sect and before the assessment begins, I will first explain a few things to you."

Chen Chuan said, "Please, elaborate."

Mr. Zhuan said, "Instructor Wen should have already explained to you that our Pure Sect’s primary principle is the purity of the self. This is the Pure Sect’s self-identity, our fundamental philosophy.

"And extending from this point, we have broader advocacies and ambitions. This goes beyond just fighting; it involves current political strategies and even the future direction of the entire world.

"Beyond personal cultivation, the most fundamental tenet of our Pure Sect is to resolutely resist all external entities that covet our world.

"Currently, each of the Five Major Schools holds a different philosophy. Take the Fusion Faction, for example. They believe that since the old era, the two worlds have been drawing closer to one another. It is precisely because of this change that the path of the Fighter came into being, and Fighters have benefited from it.

"Based on this, they propose that, assuming the Period of Change extends indefinitely, the fusion of the two worlds is inevitable. Eventually, like the Merging Land, a single, relatively balanced world will form. They believe that on this basis, they can find a path for the two worlds to coexist.

"A beautiful idea, and it certainly appeals to the mindset of those who are unwilling to fight and only think of compromise.

"But will that really be the reality?"

He sneered. "Even if you wanted to do that, you’d need power equal to the other side. The reality, however, is that they are strong and we are weak. To think about fusion at a time like this is just a veiled surrender.

"It’s wishful thinking. If such an ideology were to become mainstream, it would be a disaster.

"Besides, although the path of the Fighter arose from the changes between the two worlds, it only grew stronger through continuous conflict with that world. If we abandon the struggle, there will be no reason for us to exist, and the other side will not permit Fighters to exist either.

"Only when we possess enough power ourselves, or when we are stronger than the other side, can we even talk about such things. Otherwise, it’s just handing over control to others. It’s no different from an enemy demanding you lay down your arms before negotiating."

Chen Chuan deeply agreed with this sentiment. Blindly retreating and compromising was no good. The prerequisite for retreat is the ability to advance, and right now, the Opposite World was engaged in a one-sided invasion of their world.

The entire world had been forced to erect Central City and the World Ring for defense. To talk about the fusion of two worlds at a time like this was basically letting the other side assimilate you. While not technically a surrender, it wasn’t far off.

Mr. Zhuan continued, his voice a bit heavy, "The Fusion Faction’s influence is actually quite significant. This is because within both the government and corporations, there are people who secretly collude with the other side and support this rhetoric.

"They do this for various reasons. Some have despaired due to the power disparity between the two sides, believing the world is beyond saving, and have simply given up. Others have become outright defeatists, followers of the entities from the other side. And some are simply after the power they can gain from them.

"These people are the cancers within our world and need to be purged. For now, they don’t dare to reveal themselves openly; they just try to disrupt us from within.

"Rooting out these people, ensuring more individuals who share our philosophy gain power, and enabling them to have sufficient ability to fight back and protect themselves when the Great Collision arrives—this is what we need to do, what we must do."

At this point, he said with grave solemnity, "Manager Chen, after hearing all this, if you feel the Pure Sect’s philosophy does not align with your own, you can choose not to join. However, I was authorized before I came here. Even if you decline to join, we will still provide you with a certain amount of Pure Essence afterward."

Chen Chuan was slightly surprised. "May I ask why?"

Mr. Zhuan said, "You are an outstanding young man. We have reviewed your record and seen that you have twice confronted entities from the other side."

He said with great sincerity, "Anyone willing to contribute to the struggle against the Opposite World is an ally to us. We are willing to fund and support exceptional young people like you.

"Besides, who can say what the future holds? Even if we cannot stand together now due to ideological differences, it’s highly likely we will be in the same trench in the future. We would rather our comrades-in-arms then be people like you, not those vermin."

After finishing, he said to Chen Chuan, "Manager Chen, you can think it over. There’s no need to answer right away. I will stay here for a few days and await your reply."

Chen Chuan said, "There’s no need to think it over." He looked up, glanced at Instructor Wen, then back at Mr. Zhuan, and said earnestly, "I am willing to join the Pure Sect."

’The Pure Sect’s philosophy, as Mr. Zhuan described it, doesn’t contradict my own thinking,’ Chen Chuan thought. ’Besides, even if there are some disagreeable aspects, nothing is set in stone. Once I’m powerful enough, I can change things myself.’

Although Mr. Zhuan wore a mask, both Chen Chuan and Instructor Wen could feel the smile that had appeared behind it. He stood up and extended a hand to Chen Chuan. "Manager Chen, welcome aboard."

Chen Chuan also stood and extended his own hand. As their hands clasped, he felt the other man give his a firm squeeze.

Mr. Zhuan looked at him and said, "Manager Chen, since you have agreed to join, I will now conduct your initiation assessment. The assessment will test both your martial prowess and your ideological stance.

"Of course, this is just a formality. Your abilities and your stance have already been proven in the past, but this is a necessary step. I hope you understand."

Chen Chuan nodded.

Mr. Zhuan brought the briefcase over, reached inside, and fumbled around for a moment before pulling out a sheet of paper. He handed it to Chen Chuan, motioning for him to look at it.

Chen Chuan took it and saw that it was a wanted poster. On it was a man with a scar on his face. His specific age was hard to tell, but he likely wasn’t over forty. His eyes were extremely vicious, and he wore an arrogant expression.

"This man is named Kenwa. He was once an officer with First People blood, trained by the Lynx Federation. He later left the military and, under the guise of a resistance organization, carried out assassinations of political figures within Dashun Country. He was later captured by Dashun, but was traded in exchange for the release of an important captured individual.

"However, intelligence indicates that this man has recently returned to Jibei Dao and is currently active in the Edge Cities. His next move will likely be toward Central City.

"Manager Chen, if he were just an ordinary wanted criminal, we wouldn’t pay him much attention. Various agencies and government departments would deal with him. But that is only his superficial identity."

He said grimly, "Through internal sources, as well as through certain methods of comparison and analysis, we believe he is very likely an agent for some entity from the Opposite World. There is also a possibility that he is possessed.

"People like him are a threat the Pure Sect must eliminate by force. We had originally arranged for other personnel to handle it, but upon learning of his location, we decided to make him your assessment mission. As long as you succeed, Manager Chen, you will be one of us."

Chen Chuan glanced at the wanted poster. Although Mr. Zhuan hadn’t specified a time limit, it was clear that if this wasn’t handled soon, the man would likely move to another location or be taken under someone’s protection, which would make things difficult.

This wasn’t impossible. As a major wanted fugitive, he couldn’t appear in public without some form of backing. Therefore, they had to act quickly.

He said, "Leave it to me."

Mr. Zhuan said, "I have faith in your abilities, Manager Chen."

"I just have one question."

Chen Chuan looked up at him. "Are you still Mr. Zhuan? Or rather, are you him, personally?"

"Mr. Zhuan" replied in a tone of great admiration, "Manager Chen, you are truly perceptive."

He pointed to the mask on his face. "This is a technique for applying one’s spirit. I have attached my own spirit to this mask. When the user puts it on, it can simulate my personality and way of speaking.

"So, while the person speaking to you is still Mr. Zhuan, the personality is mine, and the consciousness is mine as well. Once the mask is taken off, he will return to himself.

"I apologize for speaking with you in this manner, but Mr. Zhuan is a man of few words. He is not very good at face-to-face communication, so he had this mask custom-made. In fact, Mr. Zhuan also has a rather unfortunate..."

Halfway through the sentence, a hand suddenly shot up, snatched the mask off, and revealed Mr. Zhuan’s expressionless face. The voice stopped abruptly.

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