Book 4, Chapter 232: Observe The Memories And Understand The Past

Chen Chuan didn’t move after seeing the memory drug. However, as he stared at it, the syringe floated from the box.

The He siblings watched in astonishment, because they had never seen anything like this before, though they soon came to the realization that this might be an ability of martial arts masters.

Cracks showed up on the syringe, though there was no sound. The liquid inside dissolved into wisps of blue fog before vanishing.

In the past, Chen Chuan needed to inject the memory drug into himself, but not any longer. All he needed to do was use his biofield to encase the memory drug to absorb it.

He shut his eyes. As he continued absorbing the drug, the scenes of the past flashed before his eyes, as if he went through them personally.

A long time later, he opened his eyes. Faint light flashed in them. ℯ

Is that so? It’s no wonder why everything else happened after that.

This memory drug contained the most crucial piece of the puzzle, which was left behind by Chen Chuan’s father.

With it, he learned practically everything about the incident. He could connect everything that had happened over a decade ago.

Just as he expected, his parents didn’t go missing because of some accident. It was deeply related to Proto-Being, and Gao Yuling was the key behind it.

Who could have known that the seemingly inconspicuous Gao Yuling was of such importance within Proto-Being? His parents had been dragged into it because of her. One did it against their will, while the other jumped in entirely on their own.

If no one looked into it, this matter would be over, but Chen Chuan wasn’t going to let it end this way.

Even if he didn’t consider the attack from the past, all the attacks toward him over this period of time might be related to this. If that were the case, perhaps his appearance had led to the mastermind thinking of something, which made him attack Chen Chuan.

His prolonged silence caused He Zhilan to ask worriedly, “Are you okay, Xiao Chuan?”

“I’m fine. I’ve learned the basics of the situation. Thank you,” Chen Chuan said as he met her gaze.

“It’s nothing. We’re just glad that we could help you. We were good friends with Senior Sister Zhen, and she didn’t hide anything from us, so we know a bit of what had happened. We also know that she was involved in a major event.

“One day, though, she sent this box and asked us to take care of it. She said that someone would eventually come to get it and told us not to contact her again.”

He Ruihai picked up the story after that. “We thought about it and believed that Senior Sister Zhen might have foreseen something. That’s why she left this for you. We also figured out who Senior Sister Zhen’s disappearance is linked to, but we were worried that you’d act rashly after knowing the truth. That’s why we tried to dissuade you just now. But since you’re a martial arts master now, you’ve reached a state we can’t comprehend. There’s no need for us to do such unnecessary things anymore.”

“By the way, there’s one more thing, Xiao Chuan. A moment.” He Zhilan went back upstairs and brought back an envelope.

“Senior Sister Zhen sent a letter to us. She seldom asked favors from anyone, so we believed that it was very important and have kept it around.”

Chen Chuan took it and found that it was a printed letter written in Yu Zhen’s style. He Zhilan had managed to figure out the truth, because the one who sent the memory drug wasn’t his mother, but his father, Chen Qiyang. He had done it behind his mother’s back while using her name.

The red syringe and the combination lock were both Chen Qiyang’s doing. Yu Zhen knew nothing about it. All she left behind was the memory drug.

“We waited for a long time, but never received any news from Senior Sister Zhen until a friend of ours who also studied under Miss Fang wrote to us from the Trokka Union for help. We considered it and decided to go and help him,” He Ruihai said and sighed. “We were planning to come back to teach you once we were done, but unfortunately for us, we ran into a conflict between companies. When we arrived, that friend and his family were already dead. We tracked down the murderer and killed him.

“But that person had a strong background. His half-brother is the executive of a big company, so we ended up with the company going after our lives. This company also had a lot of other organizations under its influence in the Great Shun Republic, so we’ve been hiding in foreign lands. It’s only this year that we came back, once Azure Dragon and Ocean Development Corporation expanded their businesses to the island nations. That company can’t extend its influence here.

“Our greatest regret is not being able to teach you,” he finished.

“That’s right. We’re really sorry, Xiao Chuan.” He Zhilan also looked guilty. “Your parents aren’t around anymore, but we couldn’t help you.”

Chen Chuan shook his head and said earnestly, “I don’t blame you.”

From what he saw from the memory drug, when his parents asked the He siblings to teach him, they had only meant it as a passing remark. It wasn’t some promise. Even if they didn’t come, it was nothing. Besides, they had their own troubles.

The two had also kept everything for him for so many years and even tried to dissuade him from jumping into danger. If they weren’t concerned for him, they wouldn’t have done that. Instead, they would have shared everything with him without caring about his survival. For his mother to have such true friends was really rare and precious.

“What are you going to do next, Xiao Chuan?” He Ruihai asked.

“I’m going to solve this in my own way. Don’t worry. I know what I have to face. Unless I’m completely prepared, I won’t act,” Chen Chuan promised.

He Ruihai nodded. Even though they had no right to dictate what Chen Chuan should do, he felt much more at ease knowing that the boy would approach the problem calmly and rationally.

Chen Chuan looked at both of them. “It’s been a long while since both of you returned to the Great Shun Republic, right? I have many questions to ask you two, so why don’t you come back with me on my airship?”

The He siblings exchanged looks, and He Zhilan said, “Thank you, Xiao Chuan. We know that you’re trying to take care of us, but compared to the hardships you went through, we’ve lived pretty good lives abroad. We also have plenty of students here.”

He Ruihai continued, “The youths here don’t have many career options. If we teach them martial arts, it’ll give them opportunities. The Ocean Development Corporation also came to us and gave us quite a lot of monetary support. We need to see things to the end here and finish teaching our students.”

Chen Chuan nodded and decided to respect their decision.

“Are you going to go back just like that? Why don’t you stay for a few days?” He Zhilan said. “This island might be in the middle of nowhere, but it has great fruits. The islanders are also friendly. It’s been a long time since we last saw Miss Fang, so maybe you could tell us about her?”

Chen Chuan happily agreed to it. Even though he had access to the memories of the past, there were plenty of details not included in them, and he wanted to learn more. He also wanted to find out about the company going after their lives.

***

On the western side of the island nations was a huge cruise ship. Beside it were two warships, and above it were three combat airships and one signal relay airship.

A man dressed in the traditional clothes of the Eastern Continent was in the cruise ship’s luxurious main cabin. He sat in the manner of a scholar from the old era, which showed that his clothes were not an accidental choice.

He appeared young, but the thoughtful look in his eyes didn’t fit his appearance. A few barely noticeable lines from implants marred his neck.

Before him were Chen Chuan’s photos and achievements. This wasn’t the first time he saw them. Every time he did, he was reminded of a certain person that looked just like him.

He picked up the list of achievements and read through them. Chen Chuan had become a martial arts master before twenty. Even though there were cases like his in the past, this was not something a regular person could do.

He stared at the photos and mumbled, “We can’t let this bloodline remain in the world.”

It didn’t matter whether he was right or wrong. If there was even the slightest possibility that it was true, he wasn’t going to allow it.

Green light flashed in his eyes. Someone was calling him, so he looked up and asked, “What do you think, Mr. Xiang?”

“I looked into him. He’s no ordinary person for sure, but he should have only just become a martial arts master, and each one of them is unique. Before he reaches a certain stage, there’s going to be a huge disparity of strength between him and those who have. If I face him, I’m sure that I can kill him.”

“But you can’t do that. If you do anything, the Great Shun Republic is going to look into you and learn that the company is behind it,” the man pointed out.

“That’s why I intend to hire a professional, and I have a suitable candidate. Carnelo Norche. He’s a famous exterminator,” Mr. Xiang said.

“Can he do it?” the man asked.

“He’s pretty good and has a wealth of experience. He has also sworn an oath that he has to kill one martial arts master every year. If he doesn’t, he’ll die. That’s why, even if he fails, it has nothing to do with the company. If he succeeds, we won’t have to worry about this anymore.”

“Have you made arrangements?”

“Yes. We can’t do anything within Central City, where the target has an official position. If we kill him there, it would be the same as stepping on the Great Shun Republic’s toes. That’s why I can only ask Carnelo to do it when the target goes to the merged space.”

“I heard that you tried to plant a tracker on him, but it didn’t work?” the man said.

“That’s true. The target is much more careful than I anticipated. Thankfully, we have collaborators, whose desire to kill the target is even stronger than ours, in the merged space. They’ll work with us, and the moment a chance arises, the exterminator will take action.”

“I hope to hear good news from you soon, and I hope that you’ll be the only one to know about it,” he stressed.

There was a brief pause before Mr. Xiang said, “Alright, Mr. Gao.”