Leaving the Xuan Palace Building, Chen Chuan drove straight onto the elevated expressway. After driving for a little over an hour, he reached the checkpoint leading out of the city.
His boundary credential flashed, granting him immediate clearance through the checkpoint without needing to stop. He drove on toward the outskirts, gradually leaving the glittering lights of Center City behind.
Before him stretched pitch-black darkness, illuminated only by streetlamps showing the way forward. He had specifically chosen to depart at midnight so he could arrive in Yangzhi early the next morning.
Ten minutes later, the boundary credential rustled with static and fell completely silent. He took it off, placed it into the box prepared beforehand, and reached out to turn on the radio.
At this hour, aside from Center City midnight broadcasts, the channels set up by armed teams in the wilderness were also receivable. They almost exclusively played heavy metal music, interspersed with occasional eerie wails and wolf-like howling.
Finding the noise grating, he changed the channel. But whether due to some interference or a malfunction, the radio emitted only crackling static and refused to pick up any clear signal.
Right at that moment, he suddenly felt as though someone had materialized in the seat behind him.
His face remained completely calm. Without glancing into the rearview mirror, he continued turning the dial. A moment later, normal fast-paced music began to play—the channel of the National Boulevard checkpoint, which played this sort of music throughout the route when not broadcasting safety announcements.
As the music filled the car, that strange sensation vanished.
Only then did he glance up at the rearview mirror. The back seat was entirely empty.
He had set out alone; there was no way anyone could be back there. It had to be something that accompanied his entry into this new stage.
According to the Investigations of Varied Anomalies, such occurrences could arise from time to time, often appearing when least expected and seeping into a fighter's daily life. Little wonder some fighters were driven to mental instability by them.
Fighters were inherently an exceptionally sharp and vigilant group; experiencing this sort of thing from time to time made it easy for things to go wrong.
The Investigations of Varied Anomalies noted that the more one dwelled on such phenomena, the more vivid and detailed they were likely to become. The only recourse was to "strictly maintain the changeless mind and pay no heed"; "over time, the anomaly will collapse on its own."
In his assessment, he had only just achieved this level, so his spiritual spirit was not yet sufficient, yet he could perceive far more than ordinary people could. This made it the most vulnerable phase. Once he nurtured and refined his spiritual spirit until it was abundant and full, naturally nothing could shake it.
However, fighters who merely focused on holding their vital essence most likely had no such worries; only those of exceptional talent, or who tempered their changeless mind, would encounter this frequently.
Yet anyone wishing to advance higher would ultimately have to take this step.
Waiting until vital essence was consolidated before taking that step seemed to be another path, but that route was just as arduous.
He glanced over at the passenger seat. Chaoming, who had been perched there and bouncing around energetically throughout the drive, had curled up asleep at some point.
He smiled, turned down the music slightly, and continued along the road listening to the soothing melody.
Five hours later, it was past six in the morning. A glowing red sun rose over the horizon to one side, casting brilliant light across the car's body. On this vast, endless boulevard, his car was the only vehicle in motion—like the sole moving element in a still painting.
With a chirp, Chaoming woke with a start and let out a melodious cry toward the distant sun. It then scrambled up to the top of the passenger seat, looking left and right with excitement.
A little over fifteen minutes later, the Jiade car reached the final checkpoint and slowed to a stop. Beyond this point lay the territory of Yangzhi City.
Traveling from Yangzhi to Center City might require lengthy inspections, but passing through from Center City involved far less trouble.
A patrolman from the checkpoint approached, and Chen Chuan handed over his ID card. Seeing that he wore the uniform of the Disposal Bureau, the patrolman checked the card, gave a crisp salute, and handed it back. "Enforcement Officer Chen, Yangzhi is just ahead. Have a safe journey."
Taking it back, Chen Chuan gave a nod. "Thank you."
He restarted the car, drove away from the checkpoint, and continued along the road. Sometime after seven in the morning, he finally crossed into Yangzhi City.
Looking at the familiar trees and buildings around him and the sparse early-morning pedestrians, it struck him that while this place was nowhere near as bustling or imposing as Center City, it gave him an indescribable sense of warmth and belonging.
Now that he was back, he suddenly felt an urge to visit the places he used to frequent, to look around and see the people and things he had not seen in so long.
He accelerated slightly. Half an hour later, the car arrived at the constabulary residential compound. He pulled up beside the outer patrol post and slowly rolled down his window.
He had called ahead earlier, and today was a rest day, so they should all be at home.
Pushing open the car door, he stepped out, straightened his uniform, and looked at the familiar alleys and buildings ahead, taking a deep breath.
Walking to the back of the car, he took out his suitcase and called to Chaoming. With a chirp, the little creature hopped onto his shoulder, glancing around inquisitively.
Just then, a patrol squad responsible for security in the area happened to pass by. One of them spotted him and called out hesitantly, "Brother... Chen?"
Chen Chuan glanced over and recognized the patrolman as someone who frequently patrolled this sector. He nodded. "Brother Wang, it's me."
"It really is you!" Brother Wang's face lit up with pleasant surprise. "Look at this uniform—tsk, tsk, I almost didn't recognize you! Are you... back from Center City?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Yes. The academy is on break, so I came back to visit my aunt and uncle."
Brother Wang said, "Coming to see Captain Nian's family, huh? Good, good..."
Chen Chuan wheeled his suitcase inside, the voices of the patrolmen murmuring behind him.
"I'm telling you, that's Brother Chen, the one who tested into the Main Academy in Center City last year—Captain Nian's nephew."
"So that's Brother Chen! Man, what a presence! When he walked past, I felt like I could barely breathe. Even when Chief Guan stands before us, he doesn't have an aura like that."
"Well, of course! Could any fighter who gets accepted into Wuyi's Main Academy in Center City be ordinary? Brother Chen brought so much honor to our constabulary last year. And look at that uniform—he's most likely landed a post with the Disposal Bureau in Center City."
"Wasn't he there to study?"
"Are you dense? Even teachers from Wuyi School can hold concurrent posts in the Disposal Bureau. Why wouldn't a student at the Main Academy be able to?"
"A post in Center City..."
The patrolmen were filled with envy. None of them had ever been to Center City, but they yearned for it deeply. Still, it was only a thought in their minds—everyone knew that without an official status, going there was nothing but suffering.
Meanwhile, as Chen Chuan walked down the alley, many of the neighbors spotted him as well.
"Xiao Chuan? Is that Xiao Chuan?"
Chen Chuan answered with a smile.
Someone said, "Why are you calling him Xiao Chuan? Look at those clothes, that bearing! He must have an official post in Center City now. From now on, we should call him 'mister' or 'sir'!"
"Officer or not, didn't we watch him grow up? We should call him what we've always called him..."
That drew a playful tease from someone else: "No wonder then! Is that why behind his back, you always call him 'Big Head'?"
The person flustered immediately. "Don't talk nonsense! When did I ever say that..."
At that moment, a sharper kid who had been prompted by their parents ran to Nian Fuli's door and called out, "Uncle Nian, Brother Xiao Chuan is back from Center City!"
The door creaked open, and right behind it, Nian Fuli and Yu Wan emerged, leading Nian Mo and Nian Lu by the hand. The family had clearly been waiting for a while, and the moment they heard the news, they hurried outside.
Chen Chuan looked at them. After more than half a year apart, Nian Fuli had gained a bit of weight, Aunt Yu Wan looked just as she always had, and the two little ones had clearly grown quite a bit taller. All four of them were dressed in new clothes.
Releasing his suitcase, he stepped forward and looked at Nian Fuli and Yu Wan. "Aunt, Uncle, I'm home."
Yu Wan came forward and grasped his hand tightly, looking him over closely from top to bottom. She raised her hand to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes, her eyes welling up with slight redness.
Chen Chuan placed a hand on Yu Wan's shoulder. "Aunt, I'm home."
Yu Wan dabbed the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded repeatedly.
Nian Fuli said, "Yesterday, after getting your call that you were coming back, your aunt was tossing and turning all night, fretting about when you'd arrive. I told her, what's the rush? Xiao Chuan's stayed in Center City for this long, what's a few more hours?"
"I wasn't rushing, I just missed Chan'er," Yu Wan said. She looked Chen Chuan up and down. "You look a little taller than before, a bit leaner, but more spirited than ever."
"Hello, Cousin!"
The two little ones, Nian Mo and Nian Lu, clustered around to greet him, though most of their attention was fixed on Chaoming, their eyes sparkling. Chaoming wasn't shy in the slightest; it let out a chirping cry at them, prompting an amazed "whoa" from both children.
Nian Lu tilted her little face up and asked, "Cousin, can I pet it?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said to Chaoming, "Go play with them." Chaoming was very clever and understood immediately. Leaping from his shoulder, it hopped over to the children, who caught it with an excited cheer.
Nian Fuli looked on and asked curiously, "Xiao Chuan, what is that creature you brought back?"
Chen Chuan replied, "It's a bird-lizard, an animal bred in Center City. Very intelligent, and it can guard the house, though it's still small right now."
Nian Fuli nodded. "Good that it can guard the house. Living alone in Center City, you need to be careful. No matter how capable you are, you always have to keep your guard up."
Chen Chuan agreed wholeheartedly. "Uncle is right."
Yu Wan gave them both a gentle nudge. "The sun is strong out here. You two, let's head inside and talk."
Chen Chuan said all right, walking inside shoulder to shoulder with his aunt's family, while his young cousins bounded ahead clutching Chaoming, chanting cheerfully, "Cousin is back! Cousin is back!"
Chapter 350