Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 352 - 83: Supernumerary

Inside the Jinwei Beverage Shop, a soothing melody drifted through the air. Soft light bathed the surroundings. Beyond the glass walls, the dazzling light screens and commotion of the city seemed a world away.

Chen Chuan and Lu Fang sat facing each other. After the waiter who brought their drinks left, Senior Brother Lu asked with a hint of anticipation, "Junior Chen, you asked me to come today. Have you found any clues?"

Chen Chuan said, "I have a few leads, but nothing is confirmed yet. This matter will likely require a slow and steady investigation. We might have to wait a while longer for a real answer."

Lu Fang was very understanding. He sighed and said, "Junior Chen, I’m grateful for your trouble. I wasn’t expecting immediate results. It’s hard to get anything done in Central City, and I’m sure you’ve faced your own difficulties. Besides, with Zhao Qian in the way... I know how difficult this is..."

Chen Chuan then said, "Zhao Qian is no longer a problem. He’s dead."

Zhao Qian...

What?

At first, Lu Fang didn’t register it. He involuntarily looked up at Chen Chuan, his expression hesitant and uncertain. "Junior Chen," he said, "did you just say..."

Chen Chuan said in a perfectly natural tone, "Zhao Qian was escorting a transport convoy. Midway through, he left the convoy to return to Central City, citing a sudden medical emergency. However, he was attacked by an unknown party during his return trip. His death has been confirmed."

Lu Fang sat there, stunned. It took him a long moment to recover. He gripped his cup tightly and said with excitement, "Good riddance! Good riddance!"

His eyes were slightly red. He picked up the hot drink from the table and guzzled it all down in one go, then slammed the cup back down on the table and let out a breath. He looked at Chen Chuan and gave him a heavy nod. ’An unknown party? There aren’t that many coincidences in the world. Chen Chuan must have been behind this.’

’This junior of mine was able to topple the Mutual Aid Association back then, so of course he could take down Zhao Qian now!’

Filled with a mix of sentiment and gratitude, he said, "Junior, I’ve known it all along. Only you can do the things we can’t. Just like back in Yangzhi City, you were the one who gave us hope!" He poured another hot drink and raised it to Chen Chuan in a toast.

Chen Chuan also picked up his drink, returned the toast, and took a slow sip.

Now that his emotions had settled, Lu Fang couldn’t help but ask with renewed hope, "Junior, you mentioned you had a few leads. What are they?"

Chen Chuan used his Realm Token to transfer the scene reconstructions Wubei had given him to Lu Fang’s Realm Token. "From the limited information I have so far," he said, "a young girl appeared at Zhao Qian’s side. She looks a bit like the person we’re searching for, but there isn’t enough evidence to be sure yet."

Lu Fang glanced at it a few times. He didn’t get excited just because the girl resembled Shen Zheng. He only frowned upon seeing her kneeling before Zhao Qian, seeming much calmer than before.

He said, "Junior, can you find her?"

Chen Chuan said, "Although this scene took place inside Lianwei Zhongyu, she only appeared once. She’s probably not an employee but more like a personal dependent of Zhao Qian’s. That should narrow down the search."

He then sent a location to Lu Fang, which was also something Wubei had passed along to him earlier.

"Xunfeng Garden Residential Area. Zhao Qian has a private residence here. According to records, he visits it once every two months. It’s not his official residence—it’s not even registered in his name. If he has any secrets, he would definitely hide them there. We might be able to find something if we investigate the place."

After looking at the information, Lu Fang said solemnly, "Junior, you’ve already gone to too much trouble for me. Let me handle this myself."

Chen Chuan said, "A place like that usually has special Domain signals. If you barge in rashly, the city patrol will detect you. So, let me know when you’re going, Senior Brother. I’ll find a technician to handle the Domain signal issue for you."

Lu Fang said, "Alright, I’ll do as you say, Junior."

Chen Chuan wasn’t too worried. After all, Lu Fang was a Second Limit Fighter from Wuyi Academy. Aside from Third Limit Fighters, very few people could pose a threat to him.

As long as the technical issues were handled, the rest should be no problem.

Lu Fang said, "Junior, time is of the essence. I’ll head back and prepare."

Chen Chuan agreed.

"Junior, I’ll be taking my leave then." Lu Fang stood up and added, "I’ll get the bill today." After saying that, he went to the front counter to pay, then departed with a light and quick step.

Chen Chuan watched him from the window, noticing that the heavy burden he carried seemed to have lightened. He leaned back in the soft armchair and listened quietly to the soothing music.

Half an hour later, he finally left the shop, crossed the plaza, and returned to the Profound Palace Building. The moment he stepped inside, he saw students in Wuyi uniforms gathered in small groups in the lobby.

He couldn’t help but be a little surprised. The Central Hospital’s junior students usually spent most of their time training with their respective teachers, while senior students had mostly joined corporations or the government and were rarely at the academy. It was rare to see them gathered together like this. The most crowded the student body ever got was on the Realm Token network.

He knew many of the students from his own year, with a few exceptions like Tan Zhi, only through the Realm Token network. He had never seen a scene like this in person.

But when he got a clearer look, he saw that every one of them had Implants and immediately understood. ’These must be the unofficial students.’

A few days ago, he had seen a notice on the academy’s platform that this year’s fighting tournament was about to begin. Even the unofficial students were officially recognized as Wuyi students, so they must be here for intensive pre-competition training. After all, the Central Hospital had the best facilities, grounds, and instructors.

The students had been in a heated discussion, but their voices immediately quieted down a little when he walked in. As he passed through, all eyes were on him.

The unofficial students had very complicated feelings about the formal students.

The tournament matches they fought were often life-or-death battles, as that was the only way to attract a larger audience. They lived every day on the edge of life and death. They yearned for the superior environment of the formal students, yet at the same time, they scorned them for supposedly just hiding in offices, sipping hot drinks and giving orders.

After Chen Chuan entered the elevator, he turned around and watched the doors slowly close. Before they could shut completely, a hand suddenly shot out to stop them. Two unofficial students, both around two meters tall, stepped inside and stood on either side of him. Thankfully, the elevator was spacious enough that it didn’t feel crowded.

Once the elevator doors closed, one of them kept sizing Chen Chuan up. After a moment, as the elevator began to ascend, a hint of provocation appeared in the man’s eyes. "Formal student, I’ve always wanted to know the gap between us. Care to give me a chance?"

Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "We’re all fellow students. No need to be so polite."

The student’s spirits immediately lifted. He flexed his wrist and threw a punch. His eyes were fixed on Chen Chuan, while his other hand was held back near his lower abdomen. He had deliberately moved closer to find the perfect angle for his attack.

They were both Second Limit Fighters. In such a confined space, under such a fast and sudden attack, it would be impossible for Chen Chuan to generate any real power. If Chen Chuan tried to dodge or parry, the attacker would immediately adjust his follow-up. He was confident that Chen Chuan would have no way to neutralize this attack.

He was going to prove that the unofficial students were in no way inferior to the formal ones.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he saw that Chen Chuan made no move to parry, counter, or dodge. Instead, he unexpectedly took a step forward.

As he took that step, he also turned slightly to the side, actively meeting the punch with his shoulder. The student’s fist hadn’t even fully extended before it connected with Chen Chuan’s shoulder and was forced back. The power behind it was immense, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying backward. THUD! He slammed into the elevator door.

Seeing this, the other student on the opposite side launched a kick at Chen Chuan’s back. It wasn’t that he intended to gang up on him; it was a purely instinctual reaction. The two of them were teammates in the ring, so when one was at a disadvantage, the other would subconsciously move to attack and create a diversion.

The very instant the student lifted his leg, Chen Chuan took a step to the side. At the same time, he grabbed the first student’s arm, spun lightly, and used the momentum of his turn to not only dodge the incoming kick but also swing his captured opponent around and fling him backward.

The second student’s kick hit nothing but air, and his momentum carried him forward. As he was struggling to regain his balance, a figure suddenly loomed large before him. He hastily raised his arms to block, only to be struck by an irresistible force. The two of them collapsed together, tumbling into a heap until they slammed against the back wall of the elevator.

Chen Chuan watched the two of them scramble to their feet and instinctively assume defensive stances. He addressed the one who had thrown the first punch, "You’re a fast puncher, but you were overthinking it just now. You need to be more decisive." Then he said to the other student, "Your timing with the kick was good, but you put everything into it. It would be better to leave yourself an escape route."

The two of them were taken aback by his words. Just then, with a DING, the elevator doors slid open. Chen Chuan glanced at the floor number—twenty-eighth floor—and stepped aside to let them pass.

The two students exchanged a look and walked out. Once outside, one of them suddenly turned back and said, "Cao Rui!"

Chen Chuan nodded. "Chen Chuan." The elevator doors slowly closed.

As the elevator continued to ascend, the other student said unconsciously, "Cao Rui, he’s really strong." He had noticed that Chen Chuan had only used one hand. His other hand, the one holding his blade, hadn’t moved at all from start to finish.

Cao Rui said, a mixture of indignation and unwillingness in his voice, "Are all the formal students this strong?"

He had achieved excellent rankings and results in the tournament circuit. He had thought the gap between him and the formal students wasn’t that large. Moreover, since he frequently fought in life-or-death battles, he’d assumed he could overwhelm a formal student of a similar Limit. But the exchange just now had been a rude awakening, and it was a significant blow to his confidence.

The other student sighed. "The formal students get so many more resources."

Cao Rui suddenly walked over to another elevator and pressed the button. The other student was surprised. "Where are you going?" Cao Rui said, "You guys go on ahead. I’m going to do some extra training."

...

...