Chapter 728 79: Clue

"If he's still in Central City..."

Chang Dong looked at Chen Chuan and asked gravely, "Manager Chen, can you find him?"

That incident had always been a sore spot for the Pure Sect's Jibei Dao Branch. Although the branch still existed in name, only logistics and reserve personnel remained.

And he himself was one of them.

Although the Pure Sect had sent people to investigate afterward, the branch had been destroyed and its core members decimated. On top of that, the other two factions had seized the opportunity to suppress and eliminate the Pure Sect's remaining connections and influence, making it difficult to make any headway.

It wasn't until now, with Chen Chuan—a superior with both an official position and martial prowess in Jibei Dao Central City—that they could finally move forward with the matter.

Chang Dong knew it would be a difficult task that would take a long time. He had already waited fifteen years, so a little longer didn't matter, but now, he could finally see a glimmer of hope.

Chen Chuan said, "I'll go back and continue the investigation. There should be other clues."

The single sheet of paper actually revealed quite a bit of information. The person who sent it probably wasn't too meticulous. Besides the paper itself, the ink used was also a clue. He planned to send it for another analysis of its composition and trace elements.

The faster he acted, the greater the chance of finding the person. So, he didn't linger. After bidding farewell, he headed back to the Bureau.

After Chen Chuan left, Chang Dong said to Gao Yanjun, "I know Tian Rui. If what he said was a warning, it means he knows about the Swamp Training Camp. Those people might really have the power to threaten us, which means we might not be truly safe, even in Weiguang District."

Gao Yanjun pushed up her decorative glasses and said, "I'm already prepared."

Chang Dong smiled. "You're right. Since we agreed to come here, we were both prepared for this. But at least there's one thing we don't have to worry too much about."

He said in a joking tone, "I'm sure that even if we fall here, Chen will make those people come down and join us."

Chen Chuan returned to the Processing Bureau and gave the item to the forensics team for a deep analysis.

At the same time, he got the on-site analysis report from the information team. The note had apparently been thrown with a special kind of Power.

The inspection had detected a faint Biological Domain nearby, which was recorded. However, there were no matches to compare it with, indicating that this person had no prior wanted notices or criminal record.

Given the martial ability this person displayed and their lack of a criminal record, it suggested they had a stable job or source of income. Combined with the child's workbook paper, it was highly likely they had started a family in Central City.

Of course, this was just speculation based on the current clues; it was hard to say for sure.

After a short wait, news came from the forensics team. They informed him that the person had used a fairly common type of ink.

This ink was popular in some of Central City's institutions of higher learning because it dried quickly and wrote smoothly.

Crucially, they had also detected pollen grains within the ink—specifically, from the ornamental Jingrong Flower. This flower was very popular among middle-class residents due to its strong fragrance and decorative appeal.

However, pinpointing the specific area it came from would require further testing, which might take a few days.

While waiting, Chen Chuan didn't ignore the warning on the note. He specifically procured a batch of monitoring Domain Creatures from the Bureau and sent them to the branch, which was under construction.

Because this was Hongsheng District, the weakest link in their surveillance network, and because of the Domain interference in the surrounding area, the monitoring creatures could only be placed on the perimeter. For now, they could only watch certain corners and key locations, unable to cover the entire area.

But it was better than nothing. If any suspicious individuals appeared, they would at least get an early warning.

Two days passed quickly, and the analysis results came in. Through analysis of the plant particles and certain special contaminants, combined with comparisons to previously accumulated samples, the forensics team confirmed that the note was written near Baoyan Street in Wuding District.

Chen Chuan looked it up and saw that there was a middle-class residential area there. Most of the citizens living there were people of status.

This matched the previous clues.

He then took out Tian Rui's photo and fed it, along with data on the man's practiced Fighting Skills and the previously gathered intelligence, to An Shield for analysis.

He also had An Shield pull up past surveillance footage and file records for this residential area to compare and search for any similar individuals.

An Shield lived up to its reputation as the Processing Bureau's active Consciousness Body. Using these clues, it identified several suspicious individuals in just a few Hours. After a process of elimination, it finally locked onto one person.

Chen Chuan looked at the file. This person's surname was also Tian, but his name was Tian Feng. His face was completely different from the one in the photo.

However, with current technology, changing one's face wasn't difficult. An Shield's analysis was based on his behavior and patterns of movement, a method that had proven to be very reliable in the past.

This person had moved to the residential area ten years ago. He was a fighting instructor, and his wife was a mid-level manager at a company. They now had two sons and one daughter: their eldest son, Tian Wo, was sixteen; their second child, a daughter named Tian Mengmeng, was fourteen; and their youngest son, Tian Xiaolei, was five.

According to An Shield's investigation, the man had changed his name. The name change occurred exactly fifteen years ago, but the previous records had been destroyed, so his original name could not be found.

Chen Chuan looked at the photo. 'I'll know if it's him once I go see for myself.'

He also mused that the investigation was only this fast because he was now an Investigation Chief and could mobilize An Shield's resources. If this had been back when he was just an Executioner, or even an Execution Captain, it would have been nowhere near this easy.

This time, he didn't wear his uniform, changing into casual clothes instead. He drove a Gard Car out by himself, and it wasn't long before he reached Baoyan Street and turned into the residential area.

Just as he entered, he saw a large open area where a street fighting match was in progress. The participants were a group of young men and women who looked like students, around eighteen or nineteen years old, with a crowd of spectators gathered around them.

The fighting culture in Wuding District was the most intense; such fighting events could be seen everywhere.

Compared to the chaos and destitution of Hongsheng District, this place was peaceful and serene.

But a glance was all it took for his eyes to flicker. He realized that the target's eldest son, Tian Wo, was one of the participants. Beyond that, he was surprised to see a familiar face.

It was Liu Yin, a man he had fought before. He now seemed to be giving pointers to both participants in the ring.

He thought for a moment, then stopped the car, got out, and leaned against it to watch for a while.

Because he was in casual clothes, had deliberately suppressed his Domain and aura, and didn't look very old, no one paid him any mind at first.

Just then, Liu Yin seemed to sense something. He glanced over and happened to see Chen Chuan, and a look of surprise involuntarily appeared on his face.

He said a few words to the others, then walked out of the crowd and over to Chen Chuan, greeting him, "Manager... Chen, what are you doing here? Uh... if it's not convenient to say, just pretend I didn't ask."

Chen Chuan smiled. "Brother Liu, are you training these students?"

Liu Yin said, "The institutions of higher learning have a lot of fighting clubs. I know a few tricks, so they roped me into being their 'coach.'"

He couldn't help but look at Chen Chuan again. After losing to him, Liu Yin had gone back and trained diligently, hoping for a rematch.

But as Chen Chuan progressed faster and faster, rising higher and higher in status, Liu Yin had completely lost the will to challenge him.

By then, however, he had come to accept it. After all, when the gap in strength becomes too vast, competition loses its meaning. It was replaced by a sense of peace and clarity, and he no longer dwelled on his past defeat.

Chen Chuan said, "I came to visit an elder today. I was just passing by and stopped when I saw you, Brother Liu. Don't let me keep you."

"Alright."

Liu Yin didn't ask any more questions. He watched Chen Chuan get back in his car and drive away before turning back.

Someone asked curiously, "Brother Liu, is that someone you know? He looks so tall. You can tell he's a Fighter. Is he with you?"

Liu Yin said, "An old acquaintance." He added with emphasis, "A very powerful old acquaintance."

Tian Wo, who was drinking water off to the side, paused at these words. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and asked curiously, "How powerful is he? How does he compare to you, Brother Liu?"

Liu Yin shook his head. "There's no comparison. The gap between us is too wide."

A wave of gasps went through the crowd. They had all witnessed Liu Yin's skill, and in their eyes, his fighting ability was something to look up to. Chen Chuan didn't look much older than them, so it was hard to imagine a peer being that strong.

Only Tian Wo secretly curled his lip in disdain.

Meanwhile, Chen Chuan drove his car to a certain detached house. Through his Realm Token, he could see that this was Tian Feng's residence.

After parking the car, he got out and walked toward the house.

In front of the house was an open lawn, where a man in his forties sat repairing a skateboard.

Just then, he saw a little boy on the second floor throw a leather ball down. When the man saw it, he let out a sudden, playful cry, dropped what he was holding, and dove to catch the ball. He rolled onto the lawn, then with a WHOOSH, threw the ball back up to the child, making the little boy giggle.

The middle-aged man laughed heartily as well.

Chen Chuan watched the scene, then stood still and said to the middle-aged man, "Tian Rui?"

Hearing that name, the man instinctively turned his head. When he saw Chen Chuan, a puzzled look appeared on his face.

"Are, are you one of Xiaowo's classmates?"

Chen Chuan smiled. "Tian Rui, I'm here for you."

The man finally reacted. His eyes darted around as he said frantically, "I-I'm not Tian Rui. That's not my name. You... you..."

Chen Chuan's gaze was deep and calm. "Elder Tian, allow me to introduce myself. I am Chen Chuan, Investigation Chief of the Processing Bureau and the current head of the Pure Sect's Jibei Dao Branch."

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