Book 3, Chapter 129: Gathering

Wen Tong was smiling, just like before, but Chen Chuan could sense that his eyes were no longer as bright as earlier.

This should be due to him passing his knowledge to Chen Chuan through resonance just now.

“I’m surprised that you were able to focus for more than three hours. I thought that you’d need to rest a few times during our session. Based on your record, it hasn’t even been five days since you entered the Third Limit, has it?” Wen Tong asked.

Chen Chuan nodded.

At this, Wen Tong said regretfully, “I really misjudged you, then. You do possess extraordinary talent.

“Looks like I won’t need as much time to teach you all that you need to learn. Perhaps I can even teach you some extra things.” He took a look at his watch. “It’s almost 6 p.m. now. Let’s end our session here today.”

Chen Chuan gave him a fist-and-palm salute and said, “Thank you, Mr. Wen.”

He didn’t know whether Wen Tong did this when teaching others, but he could tell that this method drained Wen Tong, so he was truly grateful.

Wen Tong smiled and said, “Once you’ve fully understood what I taught you today, come find me again.”

Chen Chuan agreed to it. Since it seemed like Wen Tong hadn’t driven here, Chen Chuan offered to send him back, but Wen Tong tactfully rejected him. Chen Chuan didn’t insist and parted ways with him. Then, he drove back.

After he had dinner at home, he went back to his room to think about what he had learned.

Learning through resonance was quite effective. He could sense that his body had practically carved the knowledge into every cell. The moment he thought about using the techniques, his mutated tissue instinctively acted based on what it had experienced during the day.

Still, just like how stone carvings would wear down over time, the knowledge carved into his cells was temporary. If he didn’t familiarize himself with the techniques, his mutated tissue would forget what it had learned as time passed.

Before using the techniques, though, he had to activate the Furnace Breathing Technique, and every time he used it, he had to spend a certain amount of the energy he had stored. It also taxed his mind.

Hence, if he wanted to practice the techniques every day, he had to maintain a balance. The energy he spent during his training couldn’t surpass what he stored.

He also had to learn what he had picked up today before asking Wen Tong for more lessons.

Hence, over the next three days, he didn’t leave his house and just kept practicing the techniques.

During that time, he received a call from Wei Changan. Since most of the team was out on missions, it wasn’t easy to get them all together. There were only a few such days during the middle of the month, so they decided to set their gathering during that time.

Before the tenth of the month, Chen Chuan asked for another lesson from Wen Tong and learned more things.

He also noticed that as he kept using the techniques, they helped restrict and control his mind, so this was an additional benefit.

It was the first day off of the month, and just as he had promised He Nan, Chen Chuan drove to Lei Guangcheng’s house to visit them. He shared with their family some things he experienced after going to Central City.

“Looks like you got pretty used to life in Central City. Speaking of which, I believe that I might be transferred to Central City next year,” Lei Guangcheng said after listening to Chen Chuan’s tales.

Chen Chuan had heard Lei Guangcheng mention that he might get promoted and transferred in the future, though he wasn’t expecting him to be transferred to Central City. Still, that was a good thing, and he said, “Congratulations, Mr. Lei.”

“My transfer has been set since last year, but I still have a lot of arrangements to make in Yangzhi City, that’s why it was postponed by a year. Let’s meet again in Central City in the future, Chen Chuan,” Lei Guangcheng said.

Chen Chuan nodded at that and asked, “What about Senior Sister He and Xiao Ying?”

Lei Guangcheng held He Nan’s hand and patted Lei Ying’s head. “They’ll be coming with me, though I’ll be settling down first. They’ll join me later.”

“Things are complicated in Central City. When Lao Lei goes there, you might need to help him in certain areas,” He Nan said.

“You don’t need to mention it, Senior Sister He. Mr. Lei helped me a lot in the past, and I’m pretty capable now, so please feel free to ask me for help when you need me,” Chen Chuan replied.

After having lunch with them, Chen Chuan asked Lei Guangcheng about certain things regarding rituals before leaving.

A few more days passed, and it was the day to meet his team. Chen Chuan changed into casual clothes and went to Douyi Hotel—their usual gathering place.

After he arrived, Ren Xiaotian, Lin Xiaodi, Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaoqi, Wei Dong, Wu Han, and Wei Changan’s team arrived one after another. They updated each other on their lives and engaged in small talk for a while.

The moment they sat down in their private dining room and finished ordering their food, Wei Changan said, “The city has become safer, and most of our missions are in the wilderness or the county towns. It’s not as if there aren’t any missions in the city anymore, it’s just that they’re all regular security missions.”

“I heard that there are quite a lot of problems in the north, but Enclosed Shore is keeping an eye on that place and doesn’t need us. Still, I heard that you and Wei Dong have taken all the missions to take out wandering bandits in the wilderness. Is that true, Wu Han?” Cai Si asked.

Wu Han puffed his chest out and patted Wei Dong’s shoulder as the latter drank water to fill his grumbling stomach. “That’s true. Wei Dong and I are a perfect team. Feng Xiaoqi, Luo Kaiyuan, you two aren’t bad either.”

Just then, Feng Xiaoqi asked curiously. “What’s Central City like, Chen Chuan?”

His question made the rest of the team look at Chen Chuan eagerly.

Unlike the heavily censored stories he offered others, Chen Chuan didn’t hide anything from his team and told them about all the good and bad things in Central City.

The team had heard about going-ons in Central City before, but it was secondhand information they had heard through the grapevine, and they couldn’t tell whether it was real or not. After listening to Chen Chuan’s tales, their worldview expanded, and they thought that Central City was a different world compared to every other place.

While sighing with emotion, Wei Changan said, “I’m pretty successful in Yangzhi City, but compared to you, I’m still sorely lacking.”

The others felt the same.

After all, the resources they had in Yangzhi City were lacking in quantity and quality when compared to Central City. Yangzhi City was like a small pond, and no fish in it could create a significant splash. Even if they managed to reach the pinnacle, they would still be nothing. The powerful families in Yangzhi City were prime examples. In Central City, they were nothing.

Ding Liao slammed his hands on the table. “Damn it. I’ve always thought that Central City is amazing, and now that I’ve heard about it, that place sounds even more amazing. No matter how hard I work in Yangzhi City, it’s useless. I will never be truly successful. Don’t you guys say I’m being a downer here. You know I’m right. Lao Wei, if we have the chance, we have to go to Central City!”

The rest of the team nodded.

Wei Changan smiled and said, “Since you want to go, I’ll think of something to fulfill your wishes.”

“I might be able to come up with something to help,” Chen Chuan offered.

Once he became a Third Limit martial artist, not only had his status increased, but he could also serve as a guarantor and help some people get permanent residency.

Not citizenship, though. That was difficult. There was only a limited number of citizenship offers Central City provided every year. That reason was why Chen Chuan had to work so hard to go to Central City.

Feng Xiaoqi exchanged a look with Luo Kaiyuan before saying, “Chen Chuan, we’re going to graduate next year. Xiao Luo, Wei Dong, and I have promised each other last month that we’ll take the Class C unrestricted defense permit test. We’ll head to the test site in a few days. If we get the permit, we’ll work hard to get the recommendation to go to Central City. That way, we might get a chance to go to the main campus.”

“It won’t be easy, though. We’re not the only ones taking the test, and I heard that only one person will get recommended to go. We’re going to fight for it and see who gets to go,” Luo Kaiyuan said.

Zhuang Zhi, Feng Sheng, and Zhuang Chongshan were also strong. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been recruited into the Mutual Aid Group in the past, but being part of the Mutual Aid Group was now a bad thing, which was why the three boys living in Area Two of the seventh floor in the dorm weren’t allowed to join the test. Because of that, they had less competition.

“I hope you three succeed, then.” Chen Chuan toasted them.

When the others saw it, they toasted them as well and wished them success.

Their food arrived, and they continued talking while eating. Lunch lasted until 1 p.m., and after they walked out of the hotel, Chen Chuan gave the team his new phone number before saying goodbye to them and heading to the parking lot.

As Cai Si watched him leave, he suddenly said, “Don’t you think that something is different about Chen Chuan now?”

Wei Changan stroked his chin and said, “He’s different now, alright. When he stood in front of me, I thought

I

was the junior. Is it because he’s an officer now?”

“No. Not that type of different.” Cai Si shook his head.

Lin Xiaodi was chewing on bubblegum. After blowing a bubble, she said, “Martial Uncle Chen is now a Third Limit martial artist. It’s normal to find him different.”

The moment those words came out of her mouth, the group froze in their act of saying goodbye to each other and whipped their heads toward her.

Lin Xiaodi blew another bubble. When she saw the team staring at her, she asked in puzzlement, “Didn’t Martial Uncle Chen tell you? I heard from my master that Martial Uncle Chen is a Third Limit martial artist now. That’s why it isn’t strange that we’d feel that he’s different. My master said that our keen senses of danger will warn us to stay away from people who threaten our safety, such as Third Limit martial artists.”

Once they confirmed that Chen Chuan had indeed become a Third Limit martial artist, the shock Feng Xiaoqi, Luo Kaiyuan, Wei Dong, Wu Han, Wei Changan and his group experienced was much greater than the shock they got when they heard about all the bizarre tales from Central City.

Third Limit martial artists only existed in their imaginations. They strove to reach it, but when a friend of theirs showed up one day having done it, the disorientation and shock the news brought to them was so great that they felt nothing could possibly top that.

They stood around for a while before leaving with their hearts still in a mess.

“It’s no wonder why I couldn’t find the courage to meet Chen Chuan’s eyes. It’s because he’s at the Third Limit now,” Cai Si mumbled.

Wei Changan patted his shoulder to comfort him. “That’s a good thing, no? Chen Chuan is related to the Constabulary, which means that when he said that he can help us get permanent residency, he wasn’t lying.”

“Are you implying...” Cai Si whipped his head up.

“Let’s work hard. We can’t let Chen Chuan underestimate us. Central City is where we should go.”