Celestial Human Diagram-Chapter 123 - 111: Influence

When Wu Dajin heard Chen Chuan’s instruction, he, who had been so cooperative, suddenly hesitated. "But the ancestral hall..."

He didn’t care about some Flying Head; he only cared about the town’s residents. As long as the residents were safe, the Flying Head could go wherever it pleased. There was no need to go after the remaining one, right?

Chen Chuan saw through him at a glance. He said, "The Flying Head in town is gone, but if this one is still around, there’s no guarantee the same thing won’t happen again."

Wu Dajin was startled. The possibility was high, and he immediately responded, "I’ll get it done right away!"

Chen Chuan watched his figure hurry away. ’One can’t really call Wu Dajin narrow-minded,’ he thought. ’Living in this world, many people only care about what’s right in front of them, staying within their own circles and refusing to meddle in other affairs. Because sometimes, getting involved only brings trouble.’

By this time, most of the onlookers had already scrambled away in terror. They had learned their lesson. However, one had to admire the rubbernecking spirit of some. Chen Chuan saw a few people vomiting while still clinging to the barricade rope, peering in his direction. The only thing they were missing was a phone in their hands.

The two security guards were still under the influence, kowtowing nonstop. Even when approached, patted on the shoulder, and shaken, they wouldn’t stop. After waiting a moment, Wu Dajin grew impatient and ordered, "Damn it, move them to the base of the newly built altar!"

Chen Chuan saw this and thought for a moment. ’Forget it. Might as well let them get it all over with in one go.’

Since they had already built one before, putting together another altar was easy. The security guards quickly finished constructing it, then led a sheep over, knocked it unconscious, and placed it on top.

Everyone then stepped back and waited. Technically, with the Flying Head in Wu Family Town dealt with, the commission company’s job was done. They could have turned around and left. Dealing with the other Flying Head would require a new commission. However, the reason they stayed was entirely out of respect for Chen Chuan.

They could see that Chen Chuan was simply looking out for them earlier, so they were returning the favor. It wasn’t like they had to do any of the work anyway. And to be honest, building a good relationship with an expert who could handle cryptids would always be beneficial for them.

Chen Chuan stood not far from the altar, gazing at the sky. He wasn’t sure if dealing with one Flying Head would attract the other one, so he was just trying his luck.

But it seemed these Flying Heads were mindless. As the simple ritual began, the other Flying Head actually returned after a short while.

During this time, he also finished reloading his gun.

The Flying Head circled once in the sky, then dove toward the altar and soon began to gnaw on the sheep below.

Chen Chuan adjusted his breathing. That was his first time dealing with such a thing, and honestly, he had no experience, relying entirely on his instincts. This time, however, he had a rough idea of what to do. He stepped forward and, just outside the Flying Head’s perceptive range, he made his move. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he shot forward and brought his blade around in a smooth motion!

The slash was so fast and fierce that it not only sliced the Flying Head in half but also cleaved the sheep’s carcass and the entire altar in two!

The two halves of the Flying Head twitched once and then fell still.

Chen Chuan glanced at himself. The signs of dematerialization on his body had deepened as well, but he paid it little mind. Compared to the cinema specter he had encountered last time, this was relatively mild.

He flicked his blade lightly, walked back, and instructed Wu Dajin, "Captain Wu, don’t go near these things for now. They’ll rot on their own in a few days. You can bury them in the earth then."

Wu Dajin glanced over. The inside of the split-open Flying Head revealed only grayish-black, withered tissue. Its bisected face still wore a faint, creepy smile. He couldn’t help but shudder and nod. Then he asked urgently, "So, uh, Mr. Chen, what will happen to the people affected by the Flying Heads?"

Chen Chuan said, "Most people will be fine after a few days of rest. But as for those who were deeply affected... just take good care of them."

Currently, it was completely unknown what form the damage from these cryptids took. Everyone who had participated today, every single one of them, had actually been harmed, just to varying degrees.

Those with the Breathing Technique and a Mutated Organization might be fine in a little while, but ordinary people would surely suffer deeper effects. The elderly and children, in particular, definitely couldn’t compare to able-bodied adults.

Wu Dajin understood what he meant, but he was already somewhat mentally prepared. In his eyes, this outcome was already very good. He stepped forward, grasped Chen Chuan’s hand, and said solemnly, "Thank you, Mr. Chen. The people of Wu Family Town will remember your help."

He then cupped his fists toward the people from the commission company. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you for doing me a favor just now. In the future, if you ever come to our Wu Family Town, we will be sure to give you a warm welcome."

However, most of the people from the commission company reacted to his words with indifference. Only a few scattered individuals offered any response. Wu Dajin didn’t mind.

Chen Chuan gave him a few more instructions, and seeing that there were no further issues, he got into Ren Shu’s car to head back to the city.

Ren Shu had watched him handle the entire situation today and was thoroughly impressed. Unlike his other business partners, whose impression of their clients was based merely on hearsay, he had personally witnessed what some clients could do. And that was just for ordinary cases, nothing nearly as intense as today.

Although the company had decided to specialize in commissions involving cryptids, this was the first time he had actually seen a real one with his own eyes. Chen Chuan’s composure and calmness from start to finish convinced him they had truly hired the right person. ’An expert is an expert, after all.’

He couldn’t help but ask, "Mr. Chen, are you always this relaxed when you handle other commissions?"

Chen Chuan said seriously, "It’s not actually relaxed at all. Resolving a cryptid case mainly relies on prior understanding, preparatory work, and using the correct method. If the method is wrong, the trouble and difficulty increase more than tenfold."

Ren Shu thought about how helpless so many people had been before Chen Chuan’s arrival and nodded in agreement.

’In truth, finding the correct method is only one of the conditions,’ Chen Chuan thought. ’If cryptids were that easy to deal with, they would have been dealt with long ago.’

’The way they constantly harm people is definitely a problem. People who are exposed to this for a long time... who knows what kind of issues they’ll develop. That’s probably why experts in this field are so rare.’

’It’s only because I have the Second Self that I don’t have to worry about it too much.’

At that moment, he also noticed that the Mutated Organization within his body was slowly growing. This was different from the cryptid at the cinema. That one had stimulated the Mutated Organization at the time, but the effect was gone once the cryptid disappeared. This time, however, the reaction was happening after the fact.

Ren Shu then asked curiously, "Mr. Chen, what exactly are those Flying Heads?"

Chen Chuan said, "I’d like to know the answer myself. But unfortunately, we don’t have one yet. We can only solve problems after they appear."

He had read the files given to him by Cheng Zitong. There was a theory that, apart from the first Flying Head to ever appear, the rest were likely transformations of real human heads.

The appearance of two Flying Heads so close to Yangzhi City was enough to indicate that many more were appearing on the outskirts. It seemed the Yangzhi City Administrative Affairs Hall would be making a major move soon.

Ren Shu looked at him and said cautiously, "Mr. Chen, my partners and I discussed it. Considering future commissions, we feel your travel might be inconvenient. The company has decided to provide you with two cars—one to keep in the city and one for commissions outside the city. I wonder what you think of this, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "That’s acceptable." ’Having cars would make travel easier, which would be beneficial for commissions,’ he thought. ’It would also be convenient for carrying equipment. Plus, I wouldn’t have to worry about maintenance. This is a good arrangement.’

Seeing him accept, Ren Shu was very pleased. He pointed to the driver beside him and said, "Mr. Chen, what do you think of Xiaowei? He’s a full-time driver for our company."

Chen Chuan smiled. "I have no objections."

Ren Shu said, "In that case, Mr. Chen, I’ll buy a garage near your school and have a phone line installed. Xiaowei will always be on standby there. In the future, if you need him, you can call him directly. For the next few days, I’ll have to trouble you to call the company first."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright. Mr. Ren, thank you for the company’s cooperation and for your consideration."

He knew Ren Shu and his group were not short on money. A typical commission company would never be this considerate; you’d be lucky if they didn’t skim off your commission fee, let alone avoid giving you trouble over the commission rating.

Ren Shu said quickly, "It’s the least we could do."

The car returned without incident. When they reached the Patrol Officer family quarters, Chen Chuan parted ways with him and went home.

Nian Fuli had already gone to the bureau these past couple of days, and Yu Wan had taken her cousins out visiting. He went to the bathroom to wash up, changed his clothes, then returned to his room and turned on the radio sitting on his desk.

During the New Year, Nian Fuli’s apprentice, Xiaowu, had given him a new radio. Nian Fuli said he wasn’t used to the new model and passed it on to him.

The sound of static soon came from it. He turned the dial a few times, tuning it to a news station, then drew the Snow Monarch Blade and took out a cloth to carefully clean and wipe it down.

As he wiped it, he could clearly feel that the resonance between the Snow Monarch Blade and himself had deepened slightly, a noticeable change from before. His gaze flickered. ’This means that fighting cryptids, not just people, might also have a stimulating effect on the blade itself.’

’But that seems to make sense. If cryptids can stimulate my own Mutated Organization, they could have a similar effect on the blade. The only question is whether it causes any damage to the blade. But considering this blade can repair itself, it probably shouldn’t be a problem.’

Just then, a news report caught his attention.

"A mass drinking water poisoning incident has occurred in Yangzhi North Suburb Wu Family Town. Several hundred residents have shown symptoms of poisoning. Under the care of the Administrative Affairs Hall, the responsible parties have been strictly dealt with, and the residents’ emotions have been placated..."

’The short news brief glossed over the incident. This is, more or less, the official explanation for the events in Wu Family Town. Then again, the matter of the Flying Heads really can’t be discussed publicly. If handled poorly, it might inspire copycats.’

’But this "water poisoning" excuse...’

He thought for a moment, and after putting away the Snow Monarch Blade, sheathing it, he opened a map of Yangzhi City and took a look. Two main rivers flowed through Yangzhi City, both considered tributaries of the Xuan River, the largest river in the Dashun Country.

One came from the west, passing through the city. The other came from the southeast, bypassing the city and flowing through a large industrial district to the southeast before heading north. Wu Family Town was located right downstream. It looked plausible, but it was almost too plausible, which in itself seemed suspicious.

As he was thinking, he suddenly heard the phone ring. He got up, walked out, and picked up the receiver. Gao Ming’s voice came from the other end: "Cousin, are you home? Is it a good time to talk?"

Chen Chuan said, "My aunt and uncle aren’t here. I’m alone, go ahead."

"Okay, Cousin. Since I got back, I’ve spent the last few days going through a large number of case files and I’ve come to a conclusion." Gao Ming’s voice on the other end was extremely solemn. "If it’s at all possible, I think you need to get an Unlimited Defense Certificate as soon as you can. The sooner, the better."

...

...