Celestial Human Diagram

The gates of Yangzhi Wuyi Academy opened. A security guard saluted, watching as a Gard Car slowly entered the campus.

Chen Chuan gripped the steering wheel as he drove onto the campus. It was the New Year holiday, so all the students and faculty were away. The roads were empty save for the security guards, and a thin layer of snow still clung to the treetops and eaves on both sides.

He followed the road and soon arrived at the shore of Spring and Autumn Lake, the dormitory building on one side coming into view.

Less than half a year had passed since his last visit. By now, nearly all the students from his year had graduated. ’The dorm manager is surely still here, though,’ he thought. ’After all, he’s still counting on me for that pension raise.’

After passing Spring and Autumn Lake, he continued driving until he reached the Lakefront Residential Area, reserved for the academy’s faculty.

He had been to Cheng Zitong’s home a few times during his studies at the academy. Most of their training sessions had been in the practice room of his teacher’s residence, though they occasionally went to other training halls.

The snow had stopped a few days ago, and the sun was shining brightly. Outside a neatly swept, open-air courtyard, two elderly men were sitting at a stone table playing chess.

They saw the car approaching and glanced in its direction.

One of them said, "Another relative of one of the teachers? I haven’t seen that car before."

"Judging by where it’s headed..." The other man squinted. "It’s going to Manager Cheng’s house."

"Heh, the stream of New Year’s visitors to Manager Cheng’s place hasn’t stopped since the holiday began. The man in logistics is always in demand. Can’t say the same for us, huh? All we have are these tough old bones with not much meat left on them. No one’s thinking of us."

"You trying to sell your ribs? Who’d want an old coot like you? Manager Cheng hasn’t had this many visitors in years past. A few days ago, someone even came all the way from Central City. Word is, it was the Cheng Family, coming just to see him."

"Now that’s a rare sight. It’s been so many years. Father and son have been at odds for so long. You think Elder Cheng was the first to give in this time?"

"Hard to say. My guess is, it has more to do with that excellent student he taught."

"The one who went to Central City?"

"He has a post at the Central City Processing Bureau. How impressive is that? He came back half a year ago, and word is his position is already quite senior. In a few more years, I bet even the academy president will have to show him deference."

"No wonder Manager Cheng has gotten so portly this past year. That kind of pride would make anyone eat a few extra bowls of rice."

Just then, the car stopped in front of the courtyard. The door opened, and a tall, handsome young man in a uniform and greatcoat stepped out.

One of the men said, "Old Qian, that’s him, isn’t it? The student of Manager Cheng you were talking about."

"Yes. That must be him."

"That uniform... there’s something unusual about it..."

The two squinted at him from a distance, and their hearts simultaneously skipped a beat.

It wasn’t just because they recognized his uniform. As they watched him, they could sense an indescribable aura emanating from the young man.

Interactions between the auras of Fighters are highly sensitive. Even though the young man didn’t look back, they both felt their skin prickle as if stung by needles, the hairs on their arms standing on end.

The two elderly men exchanged a look.

"Manager Cheng’s student... he’s really something else."

Cheng Zitong was a deputy manager of logistics, so he had security guarding his gate. The guard had been notified early that morning, so when he saw Chen Chuan arrive, he immediately opened the gate and saluted him.

Chen Chuan nodded, walked in carrying his gifts, and had just crossed the front hall when he saw Cheng Zitong emerge from inside. Compared to six months ago, his teacher’s belly was a size larger, and he was brimming with vigor and vitality. He clearly had been eating and sleeping well.

"Xiaochuan, you’re here! Come in, come in. Ah, you shouldn’t have brought anything."

"It’s just a small token of my appreciation, Teacher," Chen Chuan said.

"Alright, in that case, I won’t stand on ceremony." Cheng Zitong sized him up, and his eyes immediately lit up. "This uniform... are you an Execution Captain now? When did you get promoted?"

"Not long ago," Chen Chuan replied. "It happened within the last two months."

"Good, good." For some reason, Cheng Zitong looked even more pleased. "Yes, that uniform fits you perfectly. It was made for you. Come, have a seat."

Chen Chuan followed him inside. The layout of the residence was similar to those of the other faculty members, all done in a more traditional style. When they reached the parlor, he took the tea caddy from Cheng Zitong and said, "Teacher, allow me."

Once the tea was brewed, Chen Chuan served a cup to Cheng Zitong before taking a seat himself.

Cheng Zitong held the steaming teacup and said with a sigh, "I know that getting promoted in Central City isn’t easy. If it were any other student, I’d have to advise them not to push themselves too hard. But I know you, you have a good head on your shoulders. You don’t need me to nag you."

Chen Chuan smiled. "I remember all your past lessons, Teacher."

Cheng Zitong’s round face was wreathed in smiles. He set down his teacup. "Xiaochuan, tell me what you’ve been up to in Central City."

Chen Chuan nodded.

The teacher and student sat in the parlor, drinking tea and talking. Other guests arrived throughout their conversation, but they all paid a brief visit, left their gifts, and quickly departed.

Chen Chuan had lunch there and stayed until three or four in the afternoon. Seeing that it was getting late, he rose to take his leave. Cheng Zitong walked him to the door and watched him get in his car and drive away before heading back inside.

Once inside, he thought for a moment, then picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Senior Brother, I’m coming over to see you in a bit... What, I can’t visit just because I’ve already paid my New Year’s respects? Since when did we become so formal with each other? Oh, you have to go out...?"

After hanging up, Cheng Zitong chuckled. ’Going out? Where could you possibly be going at this hour? You think telling me not to come is going to stop me?’

He took a sip of tea, picked up a case of gifts he had prepared earlier, and leisurely strolled out the door.

After visiting Cheng Zitong, Chen Chuan returned to his aunt’s house. A few days later, he went out to get together with old classmates, including Ding Jiao.

The winter this year didn’t seem as cold as previous ones, so their planned ice-skating and skiing trips were canceled. Instead, they went for a joyride on their motorcycles and visited a new archery range in the City Center District.

Archery wasn’t taught at Wuyi. Ordinary bows and arrows had clear limitations; not only were they inconvenient to carry, but they also required considerable skill. It was far more practical to use a pistol or even hand-thrown projectiles, which offered better accuracy and greater force.

Still, it was an excellent form of recreation and exercise. As a Fighter, Chen Chuan only needed to understand the proper power-generating techniques to master it after just a few practice shots. But since he was just having fun with his friends, he made sure not to overdo it.

In truth, ever since becoming a Fighter, most ordinary physical activities posed almost no challenge for him, aside from those requiring highly specialized skills.

After a few relaxing days with his classmates, Chen Chuan went to the Du Yi Hotel on the fourteenth of the month. This time, it was for a dinner with Wei Chang’an and the others. When he arrived, everyone from their last get-together was already there.

After they ordered, Wei Chang’an said, "Junior Chen, remember what you told us about Central City last time? The guys and I talked it over, and we’re planning to head to Central City after the New Year to try our luck."

Chen Chuan smiled. "Brother Wei, that’s great news."

He had always encouraged this idea. Yangzhi had a definite ceiling. For Wei Chang’an and the others to remain cooped up here was a complete waste of their talent. Not only would their fighting skills stagnate, but they would also likely spend their entire lives as mere contractors. In Central City, however, they could truly make something of themselves.

Besides, with the Great Collision on the horizon, the world, both inside and out, was in constant flux. The class boundaries of the past were now easier to transcend.

Cai Si added, "Actually, we’re not the only ones with this plan. As far as I know, quite a few contractor teams have headed to Central City recently."

"Ever since the fall of Molan Company and the collapse of the Blood Mark Gang, the Iron Chain Gang has been doing legitimate business. The Patrol Bureau, under Director Guan’s leadership, has been managing public security so strictly that there’s almost no trouble in the city anymore.

"There’s still plenty of trouble outside the city, of course, but the smuggling routes into Yangzhi have been hit hard several times. Nowadays, besides fighting armed crews in the wastelands, there are hardly any major contracts left."

He shook his head. "There’s only so much meat on the bone, and too many people are staring at it. Rather than fight over the scraps here, we might as well find a new territory."

Several others on their team nodded in agreement, sharing his sentiment. Even the usually quiet Ren Xiaotian gave a silent nod.

Wu Han and Weidong glanced at each other, looking a little confused. Their expressions seemed to say, ’Fewer contracts? Really? We haven’t noticed.’

Cai Si saw their confusion and said with a helpless sigh, "You two take all the contracts in the wastelands. Who else is as indiscriminate as you? Of course you wouldn’t feel the shortage."

The contracting firms loved people like Wu Han and Weidong, who would take any job, never asking about the difficulty. Other contractor teams also loved working with the two of them, as they were gutsy fighters who always led the charge. Whenever a team managed to recruit them for a job, the mission’s success rate would skyrocket.

They probably wouldn’t be short on contracts until every last armed crew in the wastelands was wiped out.

Wu Han said, "Weidong and I make a perfect team, but now he’s off to study at the Wuyi General Hospital." He then looked at Feng Xiaochi and Luo Kaiyuan. "Junior Feng, Junior Luo, I hear you’re going too?" When they both nodded, he said in frustration, "That leaves me all alone. Maybe I should just go to Central City as well."

Chen Chuan spoke up. "Central City has far more opportunities, and the resources you can acquire there far surpass those in Yangzhi. People in Central City call the surrounding cities ’Edge Cities.’ While it’s a derogatory term, the gap between them is undeniable. If you aspire to climb higher, that’s the only place you can get what you’re looking for."

He paused before adding, "I’ve managed to establish a bit of a foothold in Central City now. If you all decide to come, I can help you out."

If his team’s recruitment wasn’t restricted to those who had either signed confidentiality agreements or were from the Merging Land themselves, he would have invited them to join him. ’Still, there might be a chance in the future,’ he thought.

Wei Chang’an’s expression grew serious. "You’re right, Junior Chen. In that case, I’ll be shameless and ask for your help. We don’t know anyone in Central City, so we’ll have to rely on you to look out for us."

Chen Chuan nodded. "With the skills of you, Brother Wei, and Brother Si, I’m confident you can make a name for yourselves anywhere."

Wu Han slammed his hand on the table with a loud SLAP. He puffed out his chest and declared, "It’s decided! I’m going to Central City after the New Year!"

He turned to Chen Chuan. "Junior Chen, I’ll see you in Central City, then. Here’s a toast to you." With that, he stood up and raised his glass.

Following his lead, everyone else at the table also rose to their feet, glasses in hand.

Chen Chuan smiled faintly and stood up as well. He picked up his glass. "Alright. I’ll be waiting for all of you in Central City."

...

...