Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1361 Nine Realms Surrounding Red Hill

Chen Chuan also sensed the unusual movement on the boundary.

Because Zhongjing is within the protection zone of the four central cities, and with a large number of field communication devices set up around it, people from any direction can receive information as long as they enter this area.

This is essentially a simplified version of the skyline, and people living near Zhongjing have long enjoyed certain conveniences.

As the airship drew closer, he saw his identity information being updated.

The position of Director of the Security Department is currently retained, but the postscript now includes notes such as "proposed transfer".

Zhan Jiyue said, "Counselor Chen, we'll be there in about two or three hours. After we finish this game, we can start preparing."

Chen Chuan said yes.

Half an hour later, Zhan Jiyue was still disappointed to lose and had to reluctantly end the match, leaving the cabin temporarily.

Chen Chuan sat for a while longer, and after finishing his tea, he went back to tidy up his things.

After finishing, he came out and sat for more than an hour. When he saw that it was almost time, he called out, and Chaoming, who had been obediently waiting beside him, jumped onto his shoulder and they went into the public cabin.

Zhan Jiyue had arrived early and was chatting with Committee Member Xiao. Upon seeing him come out, Committee Member Xiao immediately greeted him with a smile.

Chen Chuan also replied politely.

At that moment, a voice sounded from the active consciousness, informing them that they had entered the Zhongjing area.

This airship has no terrace, but it has a forward porthole, so the view ahead is unobstructed.

As the clouds gradually dissipated, the entire capital city was revealed before them.

Zhongjing City is located on Chiqiu Mound, where the eternal rift existed since ancient times. It is thousands of feet high above the plain. Since ancient times, buildings have been built according to the terrain of the mound. A large number of retro buildings are preserved here, with continuous palaces, pavilions and towers, and connecting corridors and flying bridges rising one level after another, until the Dachen Palace at the top.

However, this old palace, which survived five dynasties and several expansions, has now been converted into a museum for public visits and gatherings. Additionally, the Tianyuan Hall Government Office, where the Da Shun state government handled state affairs, was built next to it.

The city layout starts from the central hill and radiates outwards in concentric rings of walls, which are divided into nine layers starting from the central wall.

Each level of the corridor is home to a magnificent and practical complex of buildings, which not only house various government offices but also military defense facilities. These buildings are interconnected, forming a structure that is both internally and externally linked and protected in layers.

On the east and west sides of Zhongjing, there are two natural barriers, Leigu Mountain and Jinhe Mountain, which, like wings, protect the central city.

Several tributaries of the Xuanhe River meander from Leigu Mountain, pass through the city, and finally merge with the water flowing from the foot of Jinhe Mountain, flowing from west to east.

Chen Chuan had visited the central city of Lunovella, the capital of the Federation. The Trikland Great Lake was also uniquely positioned, connecting many central cities. It had a strong commercial atmosphere, and was filled with an air of adventure and expansion, open and full of wildness.

However, when it comes to grandeur and magnificence, Zhongjing stands out. In particular, its profound sense of history, inherited from ancient times and accumulated through countless vicissitudes, is impossible to ignore.

As the airship drew closer, several landmark buildings came into view.

Such as the Kousianque Tower, the tallest building in Zhongjing, built more than a thousand years ago during the prosperous dynasty; and the Flying Phoenix and Dragon Carriage Terraces, which were built by the old imperial family at great expense of manpower and resources.
Like the jade sea and golden pool, where a cloud of golden energy floats amidst the white cream; the Tianhui Bridge, where jade bells hang on the wall and connect the nine waters; the ancient and solemn Dayi Tower, used for stargazing and calendrical calculations, and many other sights that I had only heard of in legends or seen in pictures and texts before, are now clearly visible before my eyes.

At this moment, Zhan Jiyue walked to his side and exclaimed, "'The nine-tiered tower connects to the Milky Way, and the red hill raises the sun to the heavens.' Since ancient times, this place has been the center of the world. No matter how many times you look at such a sight, you can never get enough."

Chen Chuanchao looked outside and saw countless airships of all sizes flying back and forth around Chiqiu, making the scene even more magnificent.

He thought for a moment and then asked, "Mr. Zhan, where is the headquarters of our Pure Faction?"

Zhan Jiyue pointed westward and said, "There, west of Feifeng Terrace and north of Jinchi, it's between the third and fourth ring walls."

Chen Chuanchao glanced over and indeed saw several tall buildings, as well as the familiar Shuzhu.

Zhan Jiyue said, "Apart from our Pure Faction, the other four factions all have their headquarters in Zhongjing." As he spoke, he pointed out these locations one by one.

While the two were talking, Committee Member Hsiao stood to the side, maintaining a smile throughout.

Once the airship reached the Ninth Wall, it was not allowed to proceed further without a special permit, so it landed at a nearby anchorage.

After coming down from up there, Committee Member Xiao glanced at his watch and said, "Steward Chen, it's getting late."
Currently, there are two accommodations available. One is Weiyi, the official guesthouse for officials from various regions traveling to Zhongjing (the capital). Given your rank, your accommodation and meals there will be waived, although the conditions are rather basic. If you do not wish to stay there, we can arrange for you to stay at other hotels, and all expenses will be covered by the ministry.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chuan decided to find another hotel to stay in.

It's conceivable that many officials traveling to the capital on official business, with limited funds, likely stayed at Weiyi Inn. For a martial arts practitioner from Dongxuan Temple, staying there probably wouldn't have been very reassuring, especially since it clearly didn't provide a place for cultivation.

He could have gone to the Pure Faction headquarters, but it was getting late. The Pure Faction's department there mainly served political maneuvering and communication, as well as cooperating with the Defense Department to fight against extraterrestrial beings. They had a lot of daily affairs, and if he went there, they would have to arrange for someone to receive him, which would be an interference.

So he had his attendant book a room at Ziying Pavilion, the largest and most well-equipped hotel in Zhongjing. Although it was expensive, he hadn't spent much of his annual salary, and fighters at his level didn't really need to worry about money.

Committee Member Xiao had originally arranged for a special car from the ministry to pick them up, but even though they set off an hour early, they were still stuck in traffic. It seemed they would be stuck for quite some time, so they had to call a security convoy from the anchor tower to take the three of them to Ziying Pavilion.

In fact, someone of the Commissioner's rank could have had the Central Security Bureau responsible for clearing the way, but Chen Chuan had not yet officially taken office and did not have any urgent official business to attend to, so he did not intend to use this authority.

However, he had clearly overestimated the traffic situation in Zhongjing. Despite the warning from the inactive consciousness, the vehicle took a detour and still stopped at an intersection.

You can see armed guards setting up roadblocks ahead, and two-wheeled vehicles driving by one after another, with whistles blowing from time to time.

Zhan Jiyue glanced at the boundary marker, which displayed a real-time alert indicating that there was traffic control ahead and a convoy needed to be allowed to pass first.

There are many important figures in Zhongjing, so this situation is not surprising at all. However, after checking, he found that the convoy did not come from the government or the military, which is quite rare.

In Zhongjing, even representatives of global giants, unless they are at the level of heads of branch offices in various countries, are not entitled to this treatment.

Committee Member Xiao checked and found that it was very easy for the Security Affairs Department to find out about this matter; they quickly got the results.

He said, "I found out that they are several singers and film stars who were invited to Beijing to participate in the performance. One of them is Zhu Mian, the second son of Vice Finance Minister Zhu, who has recently been promoted by him."

He couldn't help but sigh, "Vice Finance Minister Zhu is a very capable person, but he lacks discipline over his family."

His second son, by all accounts, was not mediocre. He was exceptionally talented from a young age and was admitted to the Central Capital Academy of Fine Arts at an early age. He was a 'piecework artist'.

However, this person is obsessed with promoting celebrities and likes to host all sorts of outrageous banquets, so his reputation isn't very good. Finance Minister Zhu has a lot of headaches about his son. Only his son would do something like using the family's authority to pave the way for a celebrity.

Chen Chuan used his boundary marker to look up what "fragmented pile" meant. It turned out that it was a collection of unrelated and scattered objects that were pieced together to form an artwork with artistic appeal.

He took a look and found that these pieces did indeed have some significance, and there were even some secret ritual patterns hidden within them. Even as an outsider, he found them quite interesting. However, one piece seemed to carry a sense of madness.

He seemed thoughtful as he saw these things.

After the convoy passed by, they did not encounter similar situations on the road again, and finally arrived at Ziying Pavilion at around nine o'clock in the evening.

Upon receiving the message from Chen, Committee Member Xiao smiled and said, "Officer Chen, I need to report to headquarters first. I'll come to pick you up at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Is that convenient for you?"

Chen Chuan said, "Okay, Committee Member Xiao, thank you. You must be tired from your journey."

"Not at all, not at all, it's my duty."

After exchanging a few polite words, Committee Member Xiao called a security convoy from the hotel and then took his leave.

After he left, Zhan Jiyue said to Chen Chuan, "There's no rush at headquarters. Chen, please settle things first, and let me know when you have time. I'll accompany you to headquarters. Also, leave the promotion of pinball games and competitions to me; I'll take care of it."

"Okay, it's settled then. I'll contact you another day."

Chen Chuan smiled slightly, shook hands with Zhan Jiyue, watched him leave, then adjusted his hat brim and walked into the hotel.

After checking in, I was led by a staff member to a garden-style pavilion in Mingxi Garden.

When he moved in, he had no idea that the article he had submitted earlier, which expressed clear support for the skyline, had already caused a huge uproar in Zhongjing.

……

……

(End of this chapter)