Chapter 730: The Past

Chapter 730: Chapter 81: The Past

Chen Chuan’s gaze sharpened. ‘He had a child with a being from the other side?’

In that moment, he realized just how complicated this matter was.

He had never heard of a human being able to procreate with a being from the other side. There were no such records in the Defense Department or the Processing Bureau.

He didn’t know if the Upper Layer was aware of this, but it was easy to imagine the massive waves such news would create if it spread, delivering a powerful shock to anyone who knew the truth.

He suddenly recalled that when Chang Dong had mentioned the target, he had only said the man violated the Pure Sect’s principles and rules, without giving any specific details.

If this was the reason, he could understand why it was concealed and left unexplained. In fact, it was absolutely necessary.

He looked intently at Tian Rui and asked, “Elder Tian, how did you learn about this? And how did you confirm it?”

A reminiscent look appeared on Tian Rui’s face. “The branch back then was run by the group leader and Vice Group Leader Gui. The group leader was young, about my age, but his fighting ability was the best in the branch. We all trusted his word.”

Vice Group Leader Gui was the oldest and most experienced. He always offered sound advice, and the team members were all very cooperative.

The branch was thriving in those days. Everyone was highly motivated. Although we often clashed with the Fusion Faction, the Refinement Sect, and many other powers during missions, with our two leaders guiding us, everyone, from top to bottom, was confident we could overcome any difficulty.

The old department head even said that our group leader would succeed him. Everyone approved and supported the idea. One time…”

As he spoke those words, the corners of his mouth had been turned up, seemingly lost in that beautiful memory. But now, a look of unease suddenly clouded his face.

“After returning from a rather important mission, a young woman appeared by the group leader’s side. The Sect doesn’t meddle in its members’ personal lives, so no one said much. I remember that about half a year after this woman showed up, the group leader had a child with her. At first, none of us paid it any mind.”

“But… but… none of us could have ever imagined…”

He pressed down hard on his legs, his breathing growing ragged. “By chance, Vice Group Leader Gui discovered that the woman… was actually possessed by a being from the other side…”

Chen Chuan listened quietly, his gaze deepening. ‘If that’s true, it must have been a devastating blow to the branch members at the time.’

For the Pure Sect, whose mission was to eliminate beings from the other side, such an act was absolutely intolerable. The fact that the transgressor was their respected and beloved superior, someone they saw day in and day out, must have made it even harder to accept.

Tian Rui’s body hunched over. He clenched his fists and said, “I remember it clearly. It was the night of August fifth. There was a heavy downpour, and the thunder outside was loud. Very loud.”

Vice Group Leader Gui gathered all of us and told us the group leader had violated the rules. He said it was confirmed that he had colluded with a being from the other side, and he also mentioned the child…”

At that time, besides a few core members, the rest of us ordinary members only just learned about it.

None of us could believe the group leader would do such a thing. We asked if there had been a mistake.

Besides, we had all seen the child. He looked no different from anyone else.

But Vice Group Leader Gui said he had conclusive evidence and had already reported it to headquarters. He even showed us the reply he received from headquarters that very day.

After checking it over and over, everyone confirmed the truth of the matter…”

His voice became suppressed. “We were all crestfallen. Vice Group Leader Gui said this was intolerable, a mistake that had to be corrected. To uphold the principles of the Pure Sect, he decided to carry out the order from headquarters: arrest the group leader immediately, and eliminate the being… and the child…”

At this point, he seemed to fall back into that moment, falling silent for a long time, his body trembling slightly.

Chen Chuan looked at him. “Elder Tian, what happened next? Please, tell me in more detail.”

“Right, right,” Tian Rui said, as if snapping out of a trance. “To prevent the group leader from finding out and escaping, Vice Group Leader Gui decided to act as soon as possible. In the end, it was decided that most of our branch’s combat personnel would participate in the cleanup operation. Vice Group Leader Gui also told us that the higher-ups would send people to help us.”

And based on the timing, those reinforcements were about to arrive.

Because I was the weakest, Vice Group Leader Gui didn’t assign me to the main operation. Instead, he sent me to the group leader’s house to ‘deal with’ the child, who was being looked after by a nanny.”

“But…”

He hung his head. “When I got there… when I saw the child, I just couldn’t do it…”

“Because he was just an ordinary child. He shouldn’t have been dragged into this.”

“At that moment, I just didn’t have the courage or the heartlessness to do it. So I chose to take the child, hide him somewhere, and explain myself to the branch after everything was over. I was ready to accept any punishment they gave me.”

“But when I found a place to settle the child and hurried back, what I saw… what I saw… were the bodies of everyone…”

At this, he suddenly clutched his head, seemingly sinking into deep self-reproach, choking out in anguish, “It was my fault. I killed them. If I had just gotten there sooner, maybe things would have been different.”

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know the specifics of the battle, but given the martial prowess that man displayed at the time, your presence, Elder Tian, might not have changed the outcome.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Tian Rui looked up, his voice hoarse. “I could have told him the child had been dealt with. That might have shaken his spirit. The ending might have been different.”

Chen Chuan didn’t think a Fighter’s spirit could be so easily shaken, but he wasn’t there, so it was difficult for him to judge.

He considered this, then asked, “You said you hid the child. That means you probably didn’t get rid of him afterward, either. So, is the child still alive?”

Tian Rui stammered, “Well, I…”

Chen Chuan continued, “This happened fifteen years ago. Based on the clues you’ve provided, the child would be about sixteen or seventeen years old now…” He looked at Tian Rui. “He’s your son, Tian Wo, isn’t he?”

Tian Rui’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock.

Chen Chuan nodded. “Now I’m sure of it.”

Tian Rui’s mouth fell open, then his expression turned to one of dejection. He hung his head and said, “I know… I always mess things up…”

He spoke with a pleading tone, “Mr. Chen, the boy is innocent! Look at him—he’s just like any normal person. Growing up, he never did a single thing out of line. He’s really… all these years, I… he’s not one of *them*…”

Seeing how agitated and incoherent he was, Chen Chuan said, “We can set aside the matter of how to deal with him for now. So, you disappeared for fifteen years because of this child?”

Tian Rui’s voice trembled. “The truth is, after all my teammates at the branch died, I was furious. I thought about going back and getting rid of the child. But when I returned to the hiding place and picked him up, he just… smiled at me. I thought to myself then, ‘He’s so small. What does any of this have to do with him? He doesn’t understand anything.'”

“I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t face my dead comrades, and I didn’t want the child to face the inevitable reckoning…”

He said dejectedly, “My only choice was to leave and go into hiding.”

Chen Chuan looked at him. “It seems that man found you later.”

Tian Rui shuddered and gritted his teeth. “Yes, the group leader came looking for me. Because I saved his child, he didn’t do anything to me. He even came to thank me, saying he’d remember this favor for the rest of his life.”

He suddenly burst out in a furious shout, “But I don’t want his pity! To hell with his favor! Can he bring everyone back to life?!”

“I cursed him, screamed the ugliest words I knew at him, but he didn’t get angry at all. I charged at him, wanting to fight him to the death, wanting him to kill me so I could be with the others.”

“But it was useless. Everything I did was in vain…”

He ran his hands through his hair and let out a dry laugh, as if mocking his own powerlessness, his eyes filled with tears. “I was no match for him. In front of him, I couldn’t even manage to commit suicide, something I’d barely mustered the courage to do.”

He panted, leaning back against the chair, his eyes empty. “Later… later I gave up on everything. I didn’t want to think about it anymore, didn’t dare to. I just treated it like a nightmare. I had surgery to change my face and just pretended I was someone else…”

Chen Chuan watched him slumped powerlessly in the chair, thought for a moment, and asked, “Did that man take the child with him afterward?”

Tian Rui slowly shook his head. “He seemed to have overlooked the matter, and I never brought it up with him again.”

“In the years that followed, he kept visiting. He’d talk to me about the training camp, and he even tried to recruit me. I wanted nothing to do with him. When Xiaowo got a little older, he would still come by often to teach him some Fighting Skills. He started coming less frequently after that. I’ve barely seen him these past few years. Only the training camp instructors will occasionally drop some things off.”

Chen Chuan asked, “When was the last time he came?”

“Five years ago.”

“I remember it clearly. My younger son, Xiaolei, had just been born.”

‘Five years ago…’

Chen Chuan mulled it over. ‘Based on what he said, the man used to visit frequently, so he must have valued his son.’

‘Even though he sent instructors from the camp later, his complete absence for the past few years probably isn’t because he’s too busy. It’s not like he couldn’t have shown up even once. It’s more likely that he can’t come here for some reason.’

He speculated that it was very likely because… the man had become a Fighting Master during that time.

‘Because once a Fighting Master arrives in Central City, it’s bound to trigger all sorts of reactions. That’s probably why he could no longer show up whenever he pleased.’