Although Nian Fuli was a captain, he didn’t have a designated car for non-operational duties. Since he was heading to the Patrol Headquarters this time, Chen Chuan picked him up in his Gard Car after they reached the end of the alley.

After getting in, Nian Fuli only needed a few glances to see what was what. "Xiaochuan, is this car modified? Are these armored plates?"

"That’s right," Chen Chuan said. "A friend helped me with the modifications."

"This couldn’t have been cheap. It must have cost a fortune, right?"

"He didn’t charge me."

Nian Fuli was a little surprised. "Well, you’ve got a good friend, then."

"He certainly is," Chen Chuan agreed.

Since there wasn’t much traffic and the matter was urgent, he sped up. In less than half an hour, he brought Nian Fuli to the Patrol Headquarters in Changbao District.

After getting briefed on the situation there, he joined the Patrol Headquarters motorcade and headed for the location where Instructor Che had died.

He mulled over the cause of death. ’Generally, only another Third Limit Fighter can take down a Third Limit Fighter, but that’s not the only way.’

’For instance, I have the Raccoon Cat Strange Talk Stone Token, which can kill enemies from a distance. But does anyone in Yangzhi City possess such a thing?’

’If so, then absolutely no one in Yangzhi City, from the top down, could be considered truly safe.’

The motorcade left the city and reached the scene in under an hour. Chen Chuan realized this was the Cai Family Stronghold, the same place Guan Xiaohui and her group had been. Looking from afar, however, it was now completely deserted.

Che Lie’s body was found in a small grove less than five hundred meters from the stronghold, lying between two trees. When they found him, he was nearly unrecognizable, as his head was missing.

An elderly man was currently examining the corpse.

Chen Chuan had seen this coroner before. He was the one who had handled the examination after Chen Chuan had killed the members of the Mutual Aid Association.

As soon as he arrived, a Patrol Officer at the scene recognized him. "Hey, isn’t that Xiaochuan?"

"Who?" another Patrol Officer asked.

"Xiaochuan! You know, Captain Nian’s nephew. You forgot about what happened last year?"

"Oh, right! I remember now. It’s him. I heard he went to Central City, right?"

Someone else added, "Hey, we can’t call him Xiaochuan anymore. Look at that uniform. He must be a ranking official in Central City now."

"Right, right. We have to use the proper title."

Chen Chuan walked closer and glanced at Che Lie’s body. His limbs had been shattered by brutal force. The cut at the neck was smooth; judging by the marks, the head was likely severed after he was already dead.

’The limbs showed no signs of regeneration after being broken. The fatal blow was probably to the head, and it was removed to hide the nature of the injury.’

’To think that the man who was so imperious and surrounded by followers just yesterday would be lying here so undignifiedly today.’

He took the opportunity to get the details of the situation. According to the Patrol Officers who had accompanied Che Lie, they had suddenly received a report last night from their informant in the stronghold, who said the villagers were preparing to evacuate.

Upon hearing this, Che Lie immediately decided to lead a team to intercept them. As they got closer, the road conditions worsened. Impatient with the car’s slow pace, he went on ahead by himself to cut them off.

By the time the Patrol Officers in the motorcade reached the stronghold, the entire village was already empty, and there was no sign of Che Lie. They had no choice but to leave some men behind while the rest followed the tracks in pursuit.

But the villagers had apparently retreated quickly, heading into the mountains. Compounded by the darkness of night, the pursuit failed, and they could only report the situation back to the bureau.

The Patrol Officers hadn’t been attacked, so the bureau didn’t give the matter much weight. After all, the villagers’ weapons were no match for the Patrol Bureau, and besides, the village was already empty.

It wasn’t until morning that a Patrol Officer, who had gone into the woods to relieve himself, discovered the body under a tree. Seeing that it looked like Instructor Che and realizing something was terribly wrong, he immediately reported it to the bureau.

The captain in charge asked the coroner, "Can we confirm that it’s Instructor Che?"

He couldn’t quite believe it. While the man hadn’t been popular at the bureau—in fact, most people disliked and feared him—his power was undeniable. This made the captain wonder if it could be someone else.

The coroner replied calmly, "It’s confirmed."

Chen Chuan spoke up as well. "There’s no mistake." He had shaken hands with Che Lie just yesterday and had been in close proximity to him. Even without the head, he was certain it was him.

He glanced around again, noticing some bent branches and crushed blades of grass, but no signs of an intense struggle. "This should be the primary crime scene," he said, "but..."

"But what?"

The captain hurried over, clearly placing great importance on his opinion.

"But the entire fight was extremely brief," Chen Chuan stated. "Instructor Che was killed almost instantly, without putting up any effective resistance."

The captain was startled. "Are you sure?"

Chen Chuan looked at him and said slowly, "As an Executioner from Headquarters and a Third Limit Fighter, I am absolutely certain, and I take full responsibility for this conclusion."

The area fell silent for a long moment.

After a moment, the captain snapped out of it, his eyes filled with a new-found awe. He ordered the men around him, "What are you all standing around for? Write down what Director Chen said, and take Instructor Che’s body back."

With the stronghold gone and the villagers’ whereabouts unknown, there was no need to organize a siege. Besides, if their opponent was truly that powerful, there was nothing this group could do.

After returning with the motorcade, Chen Chuan went to Headquarters and explained the situation to Director Guan. He had intended to offer his assistance, but after a brief conversation, he learned that the bureau had already requested backup from their superiors. Since reinforcements were already on their way, he didn’t linger. He said his goodbyes to Nian Fuli and left.

He had plans to meet up with Ding Jiao today, and seeing it was almost time, he composed himself, put the incident out of his mind, and headed off to meet Ding Jiao and his other old classmates.

When they met up, they first caught up on each other’s lives, then went boating on the lake. After lunch, Ding Jiao brought out a few motorcycles from his shop, and they all went for a ride. Afterward, they went to a newly opened amusement park to ride the roller coasters, and after dinner, they saw a couple of new movies.

The movies here weren’t as vivid as the ones in the Realm Token, but the real point of watching them with good friends was to enjoy the atmosphere.

They watched two movies back-to-back, not leaving the theater until after ten o’clock at night. After setting a date for their next get-together, they all went their separate ways.

Six months ago, this would have been unimaginable. But after the fall of the Molan Company and the Blood Mark Gang, Director Guan of the Patrol Bureau had vigorously cracked down on crime. Public order in the city had improved dramatically, so even at this late hour, there were still pedestrians and vehicles on the streets.

And this wasn’t even the bustling South City district, which was practically a city that never slept these days.

After parting ways with Ding Jiao and his friends, Chen Chuan drove back to the Patrol Bureau Family Area. He parked the car, and just as he was getting out, he suddenly sensed something. He glanced back and saw a figure walking toward him from the intersection.

In the glow of the streetlight, he could clearly see a gentle, refined-looking middle-aged man in a formal, cross-collared suit.

He recognized the man at once.

"Instructor Wen?"

The approaching man was none other than Mr. Wen, the former Chief Instructor of the Patrol Bureau.

Instructor Wen smiled and nodded at him. "Mr. Chen."

Hearing this form of address, Chen Chuan instantly put two and two together. "Director Guan mentioned someone was coming to take over matters related to Instructor Che. Was he referring to you, Instructor Wen?"

"He was," Instructor Wen replied. "Due to Instructor Che’s death, my superiors have sent me to clean up the mess. Until a suitable replacement is appointed, I will be resuming my post as Chief Instructor."

He looked at Chen Chuan and said with some emotion, "When Captain Nian first brought you to me to study, I thought you lacked the necessary talent. It seems I misjudged you."

Chen Chuan knew that Instructor Wen’s assessment had actually been quite accurate. ’Without my Second Self, my late start would have made it impossible for me to compare to the students who had been training in Fighting Skills since childhood.’

"I’m still grateful for your honest advice, Instructor Wen," he said.

Instructor Wen smiled. "Although I didn’t get to teach you back then, I can make up for it this time." He looked at Chen Chuan and said slowly, "Old He received the telegraph you sent him."

Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Instructor Wen smiled. "The application of the Furnace Breathing Method requires in-person guidance. He knew I was in Yangzhi City, so he asked me to instruct you. Allow me to introduce myself." He extended his hand. "Wen Tong. Pure Sect Fighter and acting Chief Instructor of the Yangzhi City Patrol Bureau."

Chen Chuan understood. He stepped forward, took the offered hand, and said, "Instructor Wen. I’m Chen Chuan."

"Chen," Instructor Wen said, "I can set aside three to four hours each day to instruct you. It should take about five to ten days to teach you the main applications of the Furnace Breathing Method. Do you have any issues with that?"

Chen Chuan’s reply was clear. "No issues at all."

Instructor Wen smiled. "In that case, Chen, you can come and find me whenever you have time. From the looks of it, I won’t be leaving Yangzhi City anytime soon."

"Understood. Thank you, Instructor Wen."

After saying his piece, Instructor Wen departed.

After parting with him, Chen Chuan started walking back. But along the way, a thought suddenly struck him.

’Instructor Wen seems to be well-informed about the situation in Yangzhi. He said Teacher He knew he was here, which is why the telegraph was sent asking for his help. I sent that telegraph yesterday... Does that mean he was already here yesterday?’

’I think I remember hearing that Instructor Wen has a technique for shattering skulls. Thinking about the state of Che Lie’s body today... could the two be connected?’

He shook his head. ’Whatever the truth is, it has nothing to do with me. I’m not going to pursue it, and I don’t want to know the details.’

...

...