Celestial Human Diagram

The next afternoon, Chen Chuan left his dorm and met up with his two teammates before heading to the tea party.

Although the invitation was only for him, guests were allowed to bring a few people. When Yuan Qiuyuan heard about the invitation yesterday, he expressed his desire to tag along. Since they were a team and would very likely be transferred to serve under Chen Bitong together in the future, Chen Chuan decided to invite Qin Qingque as well.

When the three of them arrived, the place was already filled with people. They were gathered in small groups, holding glasses and chatting.

These people, both men and women, were all dressed in low-ranking officer uniforms. They were likely the ones who had just arrived by train. Their common trait was their youth, and they all had the distinct air of coming from military families.

Chen Chuan could sense through his Domain that many of them had Implants. This was clearly not the normal path for a Fighter.

’This confirmed his earlier judgment. These people weren’t juniors seeking guidance from Chen Bitong—they didn’t really need it. They were from a certain faction, here to show their support and back Chen Bitong.’

’As for why they chose this location for the meeting, it was because Chen Bitong was scheduled to leave the Merging Land in a few days to take a vacation in Central City. This was his last stop before departing.’

Yuan Qiuyuan glanced around. The long tables were laden with exquisite pastries and high-quality drinks, filling the air with a sweet aroma. It was all fine food that one would never see in the garrison’s cafeteria; it must have been specially transported from Central City by train.

He also recognized the characteristics of these military scions. He turned to Qin Qingque and asked, "Executioner Qin, do you know anyone here?"

Qin Qingque shook her head. "I don’t."

By now, the crowd had also noticed Chen Chuan and his companions. Although the room was full, it was rare to see someone as young as Chen Chuan already wearing the uniform of an Execution Captain. His arrival immediately drew many eyes.

The handsome officer from before walked over, shook Chen Chuan’s hand, and said, "Hello, Captain Chen. I’m Zhan Yi."

Chen Chuan glanced at his uniform and epaulets. He was also an Execution Captain, but he looked to be about ten years older than Chen Chuan, around thirty. "Hello, Captain Zhan," he replied.

Zhan Yi said, "My teacher would like to see you. Please come with me."

Chen Chuan said, "Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way."

After a quick word with his two teammates, he followed Zhan Yi to where Chen Bitong was. The instructor was speaking with Laiwu, the garrison guard, surrounded by several other high-ranking garrison officers and advisors. However, just like yesterday, none of the main garrison commanders were present.

"Teacher, this is Captain Chen." Zhan Yi stepped forward and announced to Chen Bitong. The other officers and advisors turned to look.

Chen Bitong sized Chen Chuan up and said, "Young man, we met yesterday."

’Met yesterday? When did that happen? It seemed like he went into his room yesterday and never came out,’ the people around him wondered.

Chen Chuan knew he was referring to their contact through the Spiritual Domain yesterday. He said, "I was indeed present to welcome you yesterday, Instructor Chen. I’m surprised you could spot me from so far away."

The onlookers finally understood.

Chen Bitong said slowly, "An outstanding young man will always be noticed, even in a crowd."

At that moment, a garrison advisor said with a smile, "Instructor Chen certainly has a keen eye for people. This is Captain Chen, the hero who defeated the Iron Demon a few days ago. He solved a huge problem for the garrisons in this area. A rare talent indeed."

An officer asked curiously, "Captain Chen, how did you defeat the Iron Demon? The report was rather vague. Since you’re here today, could you tell us about it?"

The others also showed their interest, and some of the younger officers nearby crowded closer.

To be honest, most of them had little interest in the specific details of Fighting Skills, nor would they understand them.

They acquired their strength directly through Implants. High-grade Implants had fewer side effects and were difficult to detect on the surface. Aside from the exceptionally talented, most people preferred the convenient path over arduous training and cultivation.

But that didn’t stop them from being interested in stories about fighting powerful enemies, especially when it happened so close to home and involved a notorious foe like the Iron Demon.

Seeing Chen Bitong looking at him as well, Chen Chuan said, "There’s nothing I can’t say about it."

He briefly described the events of that day: the ambush at night, his decision to take the initiative and counterattack, and finally, defeating the Iron Demon in a head-on confrontation.

He recounted the entire process in a straightforward manner, without any embellishment. It might have sounded unremarkable, but he made sure to emphasize the role of the intelligence department at the end.

"If not for the intelligence department’s deception, the Iron Demon wouldn’t have returned so readily to fight us. Therefore, I believe the intelligence department deserves at least half the credit."

One of the advisors present spoke up. "That was likely because your squad was the only one in pursuit, Captain Chen, so the Iron Demon thought he had you cornered." He turned to the crowd and said with a smile, "But he never expected Captain Chen’s superior strength, and he ended up falling right there."

As he spoke, he raised his hands and applauded lightly. The people around him also offered polite applause. Truthfully, many in the audience were disappointed. Just from Chen Chuan’s description, the battle didn’t sound as thrilling or exciting as they had imagined.

Standing to the side, Zhan Yi focused on something else. "Captain Chen, I heard you say that the Iron Demon underwent a mutation at the end?"

Chen Chuan said, "Yes. His Mutated Organization grew outside his body, granting him incredible defensive capabilities and strength. However, it also caused his body to become uncoordinated, making him weaker overall than before."

Chen Bitong spoke up then. "The Iron Demon must have become a Demon Ghost."

"A Demon Ghost..." Zhan Yi frowned.

The advisor from earlier said, "Captain Zhan, you’ve been abroad for a long time and have only just arrived in the Merging Land, so you may not be familiar with the situation here. The Old Imperial Family of the Merging Land merged with the Demon Ghosts long ago. In the past, they would grant the status of a Demon Ghost to promising members of the Royal Family, allowing them to gain superhuman powers.

Yes, it’s a process of active Activation. This Activation technology is said to be controllable, allowing a person not only to retain their sanity but also to unlock greater potential.

However, the situation may have changed recently. It’s not just the Royal Family anymore; ennobled Samurai and other valued individuals can also undergo the Activation modification. They consider it a great honor.

But I suspect this Iron Demon’s Activation was either too recent, or there was a technical flaw. He failed to achieve a proper Fusion, which is why he experienced those problems."

A young officer, who seemed very interested in the topic of Demon Ghosts, couldn’t help but ask, "Advisor Fa, does our Dashun have this kind of technology?"

Advisor Fa chuckled. "The Dashun Government would never do such a thing. But as for some of the corporations... it’s hard to say. They’re most likely conducting research in secret."

He didn’t seem to want to dwell on the topic. He smiled and turned to Chen Chuan. "It’s a good thing Captain Chen took care of this Iron Demon. Otherwise, once his Fusion became more complete, he would have likely grown into a much more formidable opponent."

Applause broke out again, this time a little more enthusiastic and genuine than before.

But at that moment, a dissonant voice cut in. "Captain Chen, I noticed in your report that you spent a night in the wilderness while pursuing the Iron Demon. You used an Esoteric Ritual to fend off the nocturnal anomalies of the Merging Land. That’s not easy. It seems you know quite a bit about Esoteric Rituals, Captain Chen."

Everyone turned to see a tall officer in a disciplinary department uniform. He wore a pair of round-lensed glasses, his hair was parted neatly, and he was watching Chen Chuan with a smile.

Seeing this man raise such a question, the others exchanged glances, their faces breaking into knowing smiles.

Esoteric Rituals were a sensitive subject, strictly regulated within Dashun Country. Some rituals were even explicitly banned. The fact that Chen Chuan knew about them raised questions. Where did he learn them? Had he ever joined some kind of sect?

Chen Chuan replied calmly, "I do know a little. Back in school, I came into contact with some unusual cases and was commissioned and looked after by the Esoteric Buddhism Review Department. That’s how I learned a few things about the subject.

"In fact, if I hadn’t later been accepted into the Central City Wuyi, I might be working for the Esoteric Buddhism Review Department today, instead of fighting people in the Merging Land."

"Is that so..." The tall officer stared at him for a few moments, then smiled again and said no more.

Chen Chuan then turned toward Chen Bitong, took two steps forward until he was standing before him, and said, "Instructor Chen, may I ask you a question?"

Chen Bitong wore a half-face mask, and the lines on his face were deeply etched, giving him a very stern appearance. Yet, his tone was gentle as he said, "Captain Chen, you may ask whatever you wish."

Chen Chuan said, "When I fought the Iron Demon, I discovered he had a certain sense for impending danger. The garrison here also knew that he could often avoid the most dangerous places. I would like to ask, is this ability a type of Fighting Skill, or did it come from his identity as a Demon Ghost?"

Hearing his question, the crowd’s interest was piqued once more. They were eager to hear the explanation.

However, Chen Bitong did not answer the question directly. Instead, he said, "Captain Chen, after I return this time, I will be recuperating in Central City. I will likely be opening a training and guidance class with the support of some friends. If you have the time, Captain Chen, you are welcome to come. I will give you your answer then."

’Putting aside factions and ulterior motives, this man definitely has real substance. If I can learn something from him, it would be to my benefit.’ So he said, "Instructor Chen, I will be there."

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