Outside the constabulary family quarters, Nian Fuli and Chen Chuan's aunt, Yu Wan, waited at the mouth of the alley with the two little ones. Farther back, neighbors from the residential compound craned their necks to watch, their eyes filled with equal parts curiosity and envy.
The Nians had already received a call from Chen Chuan telling them he had cleared out of the Disposal Bureau. If things went quickly, he would arrive in under ten minutes.
Sure enough, after they had waited outside for only a short while, a car turned the corner at the far end of the street.
His young cousin, Nian Lu, hopped excitedly. "Cousin is back!" Then she felt Yu Wan's hand tighten around hers.
The vehicle slowed to a crawl the moment it entered the lane, finally pulling to a smooth halt right in front of them. The car door opened, an orderly hurried out, and he swiftly pulled open the rear passenger door.
Chen Chuan stepped out. Taking off his peaked cap, he walked toward Nian Fuli and Yu Wan with a warm smile. "Uncle, Auntie."
"Oh! You're back!" Yu Wan answered readily.
Nian Fuli looked at the uniform Chen Chuan was wearing, then at the specialized armed vehicle parked behind him. Feeling the envious stares boring into his back, he instantly straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and said, "Little Chuan, this Disposal Bureau supervisor's uniform fits you quite well."
He spoke in a measured volume—neither too loud nor too quiet—yet a low ripple of gasps and murmurs instantly stirred from the crowd behind them.
Yu Wan paid no mind to any of that. Looking Chen Chuan up and down, she saw that he had grown even taller than he was a few months ago. She could not help remembering the days after her second sister had passed away, when she had led his small hand back home just as she held her two young children's hands now. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he had become a man capable of sheltering others from the wind and rain. She murmured softly, "Our Chan'er has truly grown up."
Chen Chuan felt a tug on the hem of his coat. Looking down, he saw Nian Lu and Nian Mo craning their heads back to look at him together. Nian Mo piped up, "Cousin, Cousin, where's Jiujiu? Did Jiujiu not come back with you?"
Chen Chuan chuckled and glanced toward the sky. An instant later, a piercing cry echoed through the air. A black speck expanded rapidly, accompanied by the fluttering beat of wings. Chaoming descended from the sky, beat its wings a few times, and touched down right beside him.
At the moment, it wore a device resembling a boundary credential on its head, shaped somewhat like a lingzhi cap. It had been provided by the Winged Blade Company, allowing it to communicate with the convoy's field creatures while traveling outside the city.
Its features had been hard to discern up in the sky, but on the ground, thanks to the development of its mutated tissue, its magnificent plumage appeared supple and glossy. Chest out and head held high, it looked remarkably spirited.
"Whoa!" the two little ones gasped, immediately swarming over to stroke its soft feathers.
Chen Chuan glanced at the gathered neighbors and gave them a polite nod. Then he turned to his aunt and uncle. "Auntie, Uncle, why don't we head inside to talk?"
"Right, the bright light out here is harsh on the eyes," Yu Wan said, rubbing the corner of her eye. "Let's go home first. We'll talk inside."
Nian Fuli gave a grunt of agreement, though a faint pang of regret lingered in his chest; standing outside for a few moments longer would not have hurt, after all.
At that point, two orderlies dispatched by the Disposal Bureau stepped up to help, carrying down the gifts and luggage Chen Chuan had brought from Center City and following the family inside.
Once in the house, the two men set the items down, politely waved off the cigarettes Yu Wan offered, snapped a crisp salute to Chen Chuan, and swiftly took their leave.
Chen Chuan took off his uniform, went into the bathroom to wash his face, and unpacked a few personal effects. When he returned to the living room, he brought out the gifts he had prepared.
The two children bounced around excitedly. Every time their cousin returned, he brought wonderful novelties for them, things they looked forward to for months on end.
After presenting the gifts to his aunt and uncle's family, the two little ones went outside to play with Chaoming. They were originally supposed to be in school today, but having taken leave early because their cousin was returning, they could hardly contain their joy.
Chen Chuan sat down and caught Nian Fuli and Yu Wan up on his recent circumstances, though he carefully picked out only the good news and omitted nearly all the dangerous incidents he had faced. At the same time, he asked about how things had been at home since he left.
Center City had a massive population, fast communication networks, and branches of companies from every nation. As the foremost line of defense, its pace was relentless, its entertainment plentiful, and unusual incidents erupted almost daily.
Yangzhi City, on the other hand, was entirely different. It looked just as it had when he departed before the new year; over the past six months or more, hardly anything had changed.
After they finished catching up on recent events, Chen Chuan looked up at Nian Fuli and Yu Wan. "Uncle, Auntie, now that I'm back, there is something I'd like to discuss with you."
Seeing his serious expression, which was a marked shift from his earlier casual demeanor, Nian Fuli sat up straighter. "Go ahead, Little Chuan. We're listening."
Yu Wan chimed in, "Chan'er, we're all family here. Say whatever is on your mind."
Chen Chuan nodded. "It's like this." He looked at the two of them. "I have been promoted to Investigation Supervisor. According to the regulations, I am entitled to obtain Center City citizenship for my family.
"You and Uncle raised me to adulthood. Now that I have the ability, I can arrange for both of you to relocate and settle in Center City."
He turned his gaze toward Nian Fuli. "I can help Uncle secure a post in Center City that won't be beneath your current one, and Xiao Lu and Xiao Mo can be enrolled in schools there. I wonder what you and Auntie think of this?"
Nian Fuli patted his pockets and drew out his tobacco pipe. Chen Chuan offered to light it for him, but Nian Fuli waved a hand to signal he would do it himself, saying, "Let me think about it."
After lighting the pipe, he took several deep puffs. A long silence passed before he spoke. "Little Chuan, I've spent half my life in the constabulary, and my home is here. To just pack up and leave all of a sudden..." He shook his head.
Chen Chuan understood.
Ever since retiring from the military, Nian Fuli had been with the constabulary. His superiors, comrades, and everything familiar to him were anchored here; suddenly uprooting to a completely new place would indeed be difficult to adjust to.
Moreover, speaking candidly, Center City was hardly a paradise. Yangzhi might be small, but at least before the Great Collision, it was considerably safer than Center City.
Yu Wan twisted her fingers together anxiously. "Chan'er, aside from accompanying your uncle on a few long-distance trips, your aunt has never lived anywhere else. Center City is a strange place full of unfamiliar faces..."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Uncle, Auntie, this was merely a proposal. The final decision rests entirely with the two of you. Besides, there's no rush. As long as I am around, that quota will always be there."
Nian Fuli nodded silently in agreement.
In truth, Yu Wan had felt a brief flicker of temptation earlier—not for herself, but for the education of her two children.
Even if they felt Yangzhi was wonderful in every way, they knew its schooling could never compare to that of Center City.
"Chan'er, for Xiao Mo and Xiao Lu's schooling... do they really have to go to Center City?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "Not necessarily. Even if they don't go there, I can hire excellent private tutors to come and teach them here."
Yu Wan hesitated. "Chan'er, that won't... cause you any trouble, will it?"
"None at all," Chen Chuan replied with certainty. "Auntie, for me, this is truly a trivial matter."
Nian Fuli was aware that many captains and colleagues in the constabulary had hired private tutors for their children lately. Furthermore, with Wuyi College increasing its admission quotas, many of them had begun having their children coached in combat techniques as well. He and Yu Wan had in fact been discussing this very matter over the past few days.
He made up his mind decisively. "We'll follow Little Chuan's advice on this."
Yu Wan let out a relieved sigh. Noticing that neither man had touched their tea, she stood up and said, "The tea has gone cold. Let me pour you both a fresh cup."
Chen Chuan asked, "Uncle, is Instructor Wen in town these days?"
Nian Fuli answered, "Instructor Wen has been around the whole time. When you called to ask, I even paid him a visit. Instructor Wen is usually at the constabulary in the afternoons and evenings, and at home during the mornings. If you want to see him, Little Chuan, you can only go in the morning."
Chen Chuan gave a nod.
Returning this time was not just to visit his family; it was primarily to seek out Instructor Wen. The booklet the instructor had given him could not have been given without reason; in all likelihood, it had been an invitation in itself.
Once the family finished discussing business, they chatted casually until evening. After having dinner together, Chen Chuan returned to his room.
By now, the sky had darkened. The layout of the room remained unchanged, every object sitting precisely where he had originally left it.
The books his predecessor had enjoyed reading and the movie posters pinned to the walls were all still there, just as in the past.
The Xuejun Saber stood propped against the corner of the wall. The weapon was still in deep slumber, with no telling when it might awaken, but...
He glanced upward. These past few days, the pure substance drifting down was still dispersing outward, allowing him to occasionally capture a wisp of it during the night.
It seemed the breach in the Ring of the World was indeed difficult to mend; several months had passed without success.
Could something on the other side be obstructing the repairs, resulting in this state of affairs?
As the pure substance dispersed across the world, more and more people would inevitably sense and harvest it. Those who had previously been barred from progressing might well take advantage of this to step into a higher realm.
Perhaps in the past, those above had locked down this substance to screen fighters at this stage and prevent uncontrollable elements from arising locally. Now, however, it had very likely become a tool for certain factions to blockade the upper tiers and obstruct others from rising. Under such circumstances, it was only natural for people down below to attempt to shatter the status quo.
Drawing the curtains, he sat down upon the bed and focused his senses. As long as the pure substance continued to drift outward, he would replace sleep with breathing exercises and meditation throughout the night.
Originally, his physical cultivation had been nearing its absolute limit. Yet after consuming the pure substance, he felt that ceiling lift once more. His spiritual cultivation, bolstered earlier by the quintessence, had already advanced by leaps and bounds, pushing his spiritual imprint to an exceptionally high position; subsequent nourishment from the pure substance had only accelerated that growth.
A bright, resolute light gleamed in his eyes. Once both aspects reached total perfection and his second self was fully integrated, he might truly surpass that unprecedented limit.
Chapter 610