Chapter 484: Chapter 214: Welcoming The next morning at eight o’clock, a train arrived at the Fortress No. 4 garrison, pulling to a stop with a blare of its whistle.
As the waiting crowd watched, a squad of soldiers disembarked first, forming ranks on either side. They were followed by a handsome officer with a wary glint in his eyes.
He scanned his surroundings, then turned back and said respectfully, "Teacher."
A military boot stepped down, and a man emerged from the train car. He wore a peaked cap, a military greatcoat, and a half-face mask. Although he appeared to be only in his mid-forties, the exposed side of his face was etched with deep wrinkles, and his hair was streaked with silver.
His uniform was immaculate, with the collar and cuffs buttoned tight. The copper buttons were polished to a high shine, and his gaze was sharp as a blade. Outwardly, he was the very picture of an old-school soldier.
However, he wasn’t particularly tall, standing at just over 1.7 meters—shorter than even the average soldier. If one were to disregard his intense eyes, it would be hard to tell he was a powerful Fighter. In fact, most would sooner believe he was just an ordinary officer.
Following him was a female officer built like an iron tower. She stood at least 2.2 meters tall, and despite her imposing frame, she wasn’t unattractive; her features were surprisingly well-proportioned.
Despite the stark contrast in their physiques, everyone’s attention was instinctively drawn to the man. As he stepped off the train and walked forward, all the soldiers, both in the ranks and on the platform, snapped to a solemn salute.
"Master Chen."
A voice called out from the platform. Laiwu, a Third Limit Fighter from Fortress No. 4, stepped out from the welcoming party and strode forward, a broad smile on his face.
Laiwu was not well-liked in the garrison. He never bothered to speak to anyone. Once, when Captain Chen’s squad passed by and greeted him, he merely shot them a sideways glance without a word of reply.
Yet this same arrogant man was now utterly deferential toward Chen Bitong. He approached, snapped a perfect salute, and said, "Instructor Chen, since you’re visiting Fortress No.4, please stay a few extra days. Allow me to show you some proper hospitality."
Chen Bitong replied, "You all have important duties. Don’t waste your time on an insignificant person like me."
He stood his ground, raised a hand to return the salute to the crowd, and then walked into the garrison, escorted by the handsome young officer and the towering female officer.
The soldiers shouldered their rifles and fell into step behind them in perfect formation.
Yuan Qiuyuan had arrived early, but since he wasn’t part of the official welcoming party, he couldn’t go onto the platform. Watching the figure approach, he felt a faint thrill of excitement.
He turned to Qin Qingque beside him. "I wish I could be one of Teacher Chen’s students. Even if not, just getting a few pointers from him would be amazing. What do you think, Executioner Qin?"
Qin Qingque shook her head.
Yuan Qiuyuan found her reaction odd, but he didn’t dwell on it. He looked ahead again and mused, "I wonder how many days Instructor Chen will stay..." Then he glanced around. "Huh? Where’s the Captain? He said yesterday he’d be here this morning..."
Chen Chuan stood on an elevated walkway within the garrison, watching Chen Bitong approach from afar. He could see the genuine reverence in the eyes of most of the soldiers present.
’No wonder the higher-ups can’t convict him directly,’ he thought. ’Setting aside the lack of evidence, he has a dazzling record of achievements and is a figure many people admire and aspire to be. Accusing him of being connected to the breach in the Ring Screen would be a massive psychological blow to countless people and have a devastating impact.’
’Even if they eventually prove he was involved, they probably can’t prosecute him for it. They’ll likely have to find some other pretext.’
Just as he was focused on the man, Chen Bitong abruptly turned his head. His sharp gaze shot toward Chen Chuan like a pair of daggers.
But after a single glance, the sharpness in his eyes vanished, and his expression returned to what it was before.
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. He realized that while the man had looked his way, no one around him had reacted. No one else had followed his gaze; it was as if they hadn’t seen him move at all. Even Chen Chuan himself felt as if that glance might have been nothing more than a trick of the mind.
’But thinking back on it,’ he concluded, ’the man hadn’t actually turned his head at all. It must have been an effect created by the combination of a Domain and spiritual power, creating the illusion of eye contact.’
’This seems to be a highly advanced application of Domain and Spiritual Techniques. I couldn’t even feel his Domain during the process. This skill alone puts him leagues beyond the Iron Demon.’
As he pondered this, Chen Bitong and his entourage disappeared into the fortress. With nothing more to see, Chen Chuan didn’t linger and returned to his quarters.
Those who came to welcome Chen Bitong had done so of their own accord; the garrison’s senior commanders were conspicuously absent. They clearly knew something and were keeping their distance to avoid suspicion. However, Chen Bitong was not slighted in his accommodations, as he and his followers were assigned several of the best rooms available.
After Chen Bitong entered his room, the young officer brought over a stack of files and placed them on a side table. "Teacher, these are the dispatches that have piled up over the last few days."
He was on forced leave and had been cut off from all outside communication during his journey. Only upon arriving at the garrison was he permitted to review outdated information.
He picked up a few and began to leaf through them. His hand paused as he read one particular report. "The Iron Demon has been dealt with?"
The handsome officer replied, "Yes. He was eliminated by an Executioner who had just arrived in the Merging Land."
Chen Bitong said slowly, "I’d heard about the Iron Demon. I was thinking that if he came to the garrison, I would take care of the matter myself. It seems my intervention is no longer needed."
The handsome officer said, "For you to personally handle someone like the Iron Demon would be granting him far too much credit, Teacher. In such matters, you can just leave it to your students."
"The fact that he was killed by a newly arrived Executioner just goes to show he wasn’t all that skilled to begin with. I have no idea how he built such a reputation. It was probably all hype."
He saw Chen Bitong was still reading the combat report. Knowing his teacher enjoyed mentoring the younger generation, especially those with great potential, he would always offer them some guidance. He spoke up, "Teacher, are you interested in meeting this Executioner? That’s simple enough. He’s probably right outside. If I go say the word, I’m sure he’d rush over to meet you."
Chen Bitong said, "I am interested in meeting him, but not today. Let’s make it tomorrow. Although my movements aren’t restricted, I am still under surveillance by the higher-ups. I’ve only just arrived; there’s no need to be too hasty. Otherwise, a lot of people might be pulling all-nighters in meetings again."
The handsome young man glanced at the tall female officer, who stood silently to the side, and said indignantly, "This obviously has nothing to do with you, Teacher, yet they insist on pinning the blame on you. Now even your movements are restricted. They don’t even consider all the contributions you’ve made in the past. They show no consideration at all."
Chen Bitong, however, seemed quite calm. "The higher-ups don’t consider sentiment; they consider risk. If I were them, I’d do the same thing when dealing with someone they perceive as dangerous as me."
He then added, "Let’s drop the subject. Zhan Yi, you just returned from abroad. You must have seen a great deal. I’d like to hear about your experiences out there."
The handsome officer immediately snapped to attention. "If you wish to hear it, Teacher, I will tell you everything I know."
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan descended from the walkway and returned to his quarters. He locked the door, sat down, took out a vial of the special medication he carried, and consumed it.
The garrison issued a warning with the special medication, advising users to avoid cultivating in the Merging Land whenever possible. This was especially true for those who had never used it before, as a moment of carelessness could lead to problems.
Aside from those with advanced Spiritual Cultivation who could disregard this warning, most Fighters, to be on the safe side, would wait until they had left the Merging Land to take the medication.
However, Chen Chuan could rely on his Second Self to divert any negative backlash, so he didn’t have to be overly concerned. Besides, he didn’t know how long he would be stationed here, and he couldn’t afford to waste so much time.
The next day, when he emerged from his quarters, he found the garrison had become surprisingly "lively." As a military installation, it was usually silent save for the sounds of soldiers training and drilling, but now he could hear the constant patter of footsteps and idle chatter.
He found out why during breakfast with Yuan and Qin. Many of Chen Bitong’s former students and those he had taught had learned he would be passing through on his way back to Central City and had made a special trip to see him. Among them were even the children of high-ranking officials, drawn by his reputation.
Chen Chuan considered this. ’It’s probably not that simple,’ he mused. ’According to the files Specialist Liang gave me, Chen Bitong has powerful backing. This is likely a clear show of support from his faction.’
As he was thinking, a strange signal suddenly appeared on his Realm Token, attempting to contact him. With a mental command, he accepted the connection and asked, "Who is this?"
A strong voice came through. "This is Captain Chen, correct? My name is Zhan Yi, a student of Instructor Chen. If you were present yesterday, you should have seen me.
"My teacher heard about you killing the Iron Demon. He’s very impressed and would like to meet you. Are you available? If it’s convenient, there’s a tea party at three this afternoon. You’re welcome to join."
Chen Chuan’s interest was piqued. His mission was to make contact with Chen Bitong, so of course he wouldn’t miss this opportunity. "Alright," he said. "I’ll be there on time."
The man on the other end seemed to take his acceptance for granted. "Good. See you then."
After ending the call, Chen Chuan contacted Qin Qingque. "Executioner Qin, I need you to go to the communications department and find out who leaked my comms channel."
"Yes, Captain. I’ll get to the bottom of it."
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