On May second, a message from the Processing Bureau came through Chen Chuan’s Realm Token, summoning him to the bureau. They said they had some questions for him. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

’So it’s finally happening,’ he thought.

He’d expected the Processing Bureau to contact him within a day or two of the incident with Zhao Qian. He was surprised several days had passed. ’Maybe they only just found out?’

Just then, his Realm Token chimed again. Seeing it was Ni Qianqian, he accepted the call. "Sister Ni?"

Ni Qianqian asked, "Did you get the summons from the bureau for questioning?"

"I did. Any idea what it’s about?"

"It’s about Zhao Qian, of course. He’s gone missing. Did you know?"

Chen Chuan feigned a little surprise. "Missing?" He knew Zhao Qian was dead, but this was the first he’d heard about him being officially "missing."

"Yes, that’s the one."

Ni Qianqian said, "Didn’t you accuse him of hiring men to attack you? Because of that history, some people at the bureau now suspect you’re involved."

Chen Chuan said earnestly, "His disappearance really has nothing to do with me."

"Even if it did, it wouldn’t be a big deal."

Ni Qianqian’s tone was scornful. "The evidence you provided is all right there. Instead of sticking up for their own, some people are trying to figure out how to exploit this situation. They haven’t even offered you a word of reassurance. Since they don’t treat you like one of them, you don’t need to give them any special consideration."

Chen Chuan understood the situation. He asked, "Sister Ni, is there anything I should watch out for during the questioning?"

Ni Qianqian said, "Not really. What can they actually do to you? They’ll ask their questions, and you just give your answers. It’ll be fine."

"I understand," Chen Chuan said. "Thanks, Sister Ni."

After the call, he changed his clothes and went to the Processing Bureau’s Headquarter in the Wuding District at the appointed time. As soon as he arrived, someone escorted him into an office, poured him a cup of tea, and asked him a few questions. They were polite on the surface, and the atmosphere wasn’t tense.

In less than half an hour, they sent him on his way.

Once outside and on his way to the parking lot, Chen Chuan spoke to Gao Ming. "Gao Ming, I’m out. They asked the questions we expected, but they didn’t dig deep, just as you predicted."

Gao Ming’s voice replied, "Cousin, summoning you for questioning was more about going through the motions of an internal review. That way, they have an answer for anyone who asks.

"Frankly, even with direct evidence, they wouldn’t expose the truth to target you, a student they’ve invested in. Zhao Qian is already dead, after all. You’re far more valuable now, cousin. The moment you break through to the Third Limit, they’ll pretend this whole thing never happened.

"No matter how you look at it, the Third Limit is a major turning point."

Chen Chuan nodded. "It won’t be long now."

Inside the Processing Bureau building, a middle-aged man in a uniform and peaked cap stood at a high window, his eyes exceptionally sharp as he watched Chen Chuan’s retreating figure.

Someone behind him said, "Director Wu, he’s definitely connected to this."

Director Wu said, "Zhao Qian is dead. There’s no point in digging any deeper. Besides, if he really did kill Zhao Qian, then we should be glad. It means we’ll have another comrade with immense potential in the future."

The person behind him sounded skeptical. "Our comrade? I think he’s more likely to join the General Affairs Bureau."

Director Wu said, "A comrade is someone who shares our ideals, regardless of where they are physically. I can feel it. The returns he’ll bring the Processing Bureau in the coming years will far exceed the resources we’ve invested in him."

The person behind him said nothing more.

Director Wu watched Chen Chuan drive away and asked in a low voice, "What’s the word from Lianwei Zhongyu?"

The person behind him replied immediately, "No reaction so far."

"It seems they were prepared to abandon Zhao Qian long ago. In that case, this matter is closed."

Director Wu glanced at his Realm Token. It displayed an image—a photo of Zhao Qian’s head. He said grimly, "Send a report to the higher-ups. Confirm that Zhao Qian, a member of the Yangzhi City Zhao Clan, is deceased. Write it up and seal the case file."

"Yes, sir."

On his way back, Chen Chuan got another call from Ni Qianqian. "I have some good news for you," she said. "The bureau just decided to increase your monthly Radiant Light quota by another hour."

Chen Chuan was a little surprised. "What’s the reason?"

Ni Qianqian pursed her lips. "The old carrot and stick, of course."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then said earnestly, "In that case, they can hit me with a few more sticks."

Ni Qianqian couldn’t help but burst out giggling. Chen Chuan knew she was easily amused, so he waited patiently.

After a moment, Ni Qianqian finally caught her breath. "Anyway, about something else... that exchange session was quite effective. I can see those youngsters are still not ready to admit defeat. They want a rematch—fists, weapons, either is fine. There will be a reward, as usual, and it’ll be even better than last time. It’s up to you if you want to go."

Chen Chuan nodded. "Alright, Sister Ni. I’ll think about it."

On the top floor of the Profound Palace Building, Assistant Ling sat in the garden hall, his fingers tapping the arm of his chair as he spoke to someone on his Realm Token. "Mm, yes. Zhao Qian is missing."

He chuckled. "There are no such coincidences in this world. Whether he did it by taking some medicine or he has that kind of strength himself, it proves he’s a suitable candidate for our plan."

He watched as holographic birds with colorful wings flew past, folding their wings to land on the ground. He smiled. "Not right now, of course. Only those who have truly reached the Third Limit are qualified to face the truth."

After returning to his dorm, Chen Chuan felt a great sense of relief. Zhao Qian wasn’t just a recent threat; he was a lingering consequence of the incident in Yangzhi City.

Zhao Qian’s death meant that this Chapter could finally be closed.

However, he suspected someone had intentionally leaked his information to Zhao Qian. While he couldn’t be certain who it was, one person involuntarily came to mind.

He remembered Teacher Wu’s warning before his death, so he knew he had to remain vigilant.

Then there was the matter of Senior Brother Shen’s sister. Zhao Qian was dead, but there might still be clues in that Implant. He would just have to wait for news from Wubei. If that turned up nothing, he could find another way. At least with Zhao Qian out of the picture, the investigation would be much easier.

For the next few days, Chen Chuan continued his daily training and studies. Thanks to his improved evaluation score, many previously restricted documents and books were now available to him. This included some old-era records and valuable, one-of-a-kind manuscripts, which he would go and peruse whenever he had free time.

The day before his rest day, Cao Guiqi’s butler, Uncle Ding, contacted him.

"The young master has contacted the Secret Snake Sect. Due to the unique nature of the service, they will be sending someone to meet with you in person, Brother Chen. When are you free? We can arrange a time."

Chen Chuan gave it a moment’s thought. "I’m free tomorrow."

"Then tomorrow it is," said Uncle Ding. "Tomorrow is your rest day. If it’s convenient, Brother Chen, please come by at two in the afternoon."

Chen Chuan agreed.

The next day, shortly after noon, he drove to Motie Mountain. The person sent by the Secret Snake Sect was already there.

He was a strikingly beautiful man with skin as smooth as jade. However, his exposed face and neck were traced with inlaid lines—obvious Implants. Both of his eyes had been replaced with serpentine pupils, and his hair was tied up in a bun. Without being told beforehand, one might have mistaken him for a woman at first glance.

Upon meeting, he introduced himself. "I am Zou Handan, a disciple of the Secret Snake Sect. Vouched for by Mr. Cao, I am responsible for providing this service to you, Mr. Chen."

His voice carried a theatrical resonance and a unique cadence, giving the impression that he was an actor on a stage speaking to you.

"I must inform you beforehand, Mr. Chen, that while our Secret Snake Sect’s service has a high success rate, it is not without risk. Carelessness or improper precautions can be fatal. Therefore, we will provide you with some information and ask you to reconfirm your decision after reviewing it."

With that, he took out a Scroll, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward. "This is the information we’ve prepared. Please review it, Mr. Chen. If you agree, just sign it after you’ve finished reading."

Chen Chuan picked up the Scroll, undid the tie, and unrolled it before him. The content was a mix of illustrations and text, clearly laying out everything from the technique’s origins to its modern form.

In the early days, Fighters didn’t have the conveniences of modern training; they often spent their entire lives chasing and fighting over Secret Medicines. To break free from these constraints, the Secret Snake Sect conceived of an idea long ago, back in the old era: they would cultivate a special type of snake to aid a Fighter’s training.

However, despite generations of repeated attempts and long periods of breeding, the snake species never met their standards. It wasn’t until the new era, after the breakthroughs in biotechnology following the Algae Fluid Revolution, that they were finally able to perfect it.

The Scroll was filled with illustrations sketched in the style of an Ancient Technique. The first depicted snake gathering: an ancestor of the Secret Snake Sect, a snake basket on his back, venturing deep into the mountains to capture snakes.

The snakes in the illustrations were fantastically exaggerated—some were bizarrely shaped, others were impossibly huge, and some even had wings. The Secret Snake Sect ancestors were often no match for them and had to endure countless hardships just to capture a suitable specimen.

The second illustration showed snake refinement: feeding the snakes various rare medicinal herbs, as well as old-era practices like feeding them with one’s own blood or even one’s own body.

The third illustration showed a person being swallowed whole by a snake. In the fourth, the snake lay dead on the ground as the person tore their way out of its skin.

"The Snake Shedding technique."

Zou Handan waited until Chen Chuan reached this part before speaking slowly. "The ancient masters of the Secret Snake Sect believed that a snake is reborn when it sheds its skin. After shedding many times, it can encounter lightning and transform into a dragon. If a person uses a snake as their skin and sheds it, they too can gain a new life."

He looked at Chen Chuan with those serpentine eyes. "As you can see, Mr. Chen, this service requires you to be swallowed by an Exotic Snake cultivated by our sect. You will need to remain inside the snake’s belly for a period of time to achieve the desired effect. I wonder, Mr. Chen, are you willing?"

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