Seeing Today, Knowing His Might

"Wh-what?" Nian Qian's tongue was practically tied in knots now. "A m-m-martial artist?" He waved a hand backward. "Wait a second, let me catch my breath." He felt as though his emotions today were on a roller coaster, plunging up and down—it was just too thrilling. What did being a martial artist even mean? If nothing else, he knew the situation in the military: whenever a martial artist appeared, entire combat systems were built around them. Although he had never officially seen a martial artist fight, he had watched battlefield recordings from after a martial artist had seen combat. That instance had truly shaken him to the core. It was hard to imagine that purely through the human body, one could unleash such tremendous strength and destructive power. Long after, the footage had lingered in his mind, impossible to forget. The special company he belonged to was considered formidable, yet he knew that before a martial artist, they were no different from ordinary soldiers. In truth, he had already been utterly astonished earlier when he heard Chen Chuan had become a third limit fighter. Such people were the backbone of the military, core personnel who could not be replaced to this day, and their treatment was exceptionally high. But a martial artist... This caused his thoughts to stall for a moment. It felt as though something that had originally existed only as a concept had suddenly burst into reality. Yet on second thought, everything seemed to make sense. If his cousin wasn't a martial artist, how could he have become the Security Defense Department Chief at such a young age? Only... a martial artist was actually his cousin? And had just been sitting right beside him? He sat dazed in his seat for a moment, then suddenly saw in the rearview mirror that Nian Fuli and Yu Wan had already stepped out of the vehicle and were reaching into the back for the luggage. He hurriedly pushed the door open and climbed out, calling, "Dad, Mom, let me, let me! Leave this kind of thing to your son. Why trouble yourselves? Don't tire yourselves out." As soon as Chen Chuan popped the trunk, Nian Fuli stepped ahead and hauled the heavy suitcase out, setting it firmly on the ground with a grunt. "Your old man hasn't reached the point where he's out of strength yet." Yu Wan didn't call him out on it, merely giving Nian Qian a nudge to signal him to help. Nian Qian said, "Dad, even the officers in the military can't match your vigor. But your son rarely gets to come home—you've got to let me show what I can do at least once, right?" Nian Fuli started to say something more, but Yu Wan gave him a light smack, and only then did he step aside. Nian Qian stepped up and pulled out the remaining travel bag. Looking at Chen Chuan as he shut the trunk, Nian Qian muttered inwardly. His cousin didn't seem any different at all, did he? You couldn't tell. You truly couldn't tell in the slightest. He said, "Cousin, you really gave me a surprise—no, a shock!" Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I only received this post a few days ago, and I only mentioned it to the family recently, so I haven't had the chance to tell you yet." Nian Qian said, "No, no, I'm talking about being a martial artist—a martial artist!" His voice rose with excitement. "Cousin, a martial artist!" Chen Chuan gave an acknowledging "Mm." Nian Qian looked at him and let out a soft chuckle. He suddenly realized that what felt thrilling and mysterious to him might just be something completely ordinary to his cousin. He said with heartfelt sincerity, "Cousin, I'm truly convinced!" Stepping a little closer, he probed, "How about it? Could you tell me about it later?" Chen Chuan could see his intense curiosity regarding martial artists. This was probably a common trait and fixation among technical officers. Smiling, he gave a nod. The family turned in from the mouth of the alley and arrived home. Nian Qian washed his face first, then brought out some gifts he had brought from outside. He knew the family's preferences well. The items weren't expensive, but the whole family loved them. In particular, he hadn't forgotten to bring a gift for Chen Chuan too. "Cousin, take a look. This is for you." Chen Chuan took it and looked, rather surprised. It was a hardcover collection of posters from adventure movies through the years, and some were out-of-print editions virtually impossible to find on the market. He looked up and said, "Cousin, you went to a lot of trouble." "Bah, it was nothing!" Nian Qian waved his hand dismissively. "A comrade of mine in the unit loves this stuff too. Once we had a drinking contest, and I drank him under the table and won it off him. You wouldn't believe how heartbroken he was when he handed it over, tearfully begging me to take good care of it. I figured leaving it with you for safekeeping would be spot on." Chen Chuan nodded. This had been his predecessor's favorite thing; he would take good care of it. Yu Wan was catching hold of Nian Mo to wipe his hands and face. Watching the two of them chatting, seeing the whole family gathered together, this was the moment she felt most comforted. Only, she thought at that moment, how wonderful it would be if Eldest Sister and Second Sister were here as well. Even as Nian Qian chatted with Chen Chuan, he remained attentive to his surroundings—a habit developed in the military. Sensing Yu Wan's mood, as the eldest son who understood his mother best, he spoke up from across the room: "Mom, didn't you say you haven't visited Eldest Aunt in a long time? Your son has over a hundred days of leave this time. Once the New Year passes, I'll go pay her a visit on your behalf. Back then, getting into the military relied on Eldest Uncle's connections, and I haven't properly thanked him yet." Chen Chuan said, "I have an airship, so traveling back and forth is convenient. Aunt, if you want to visit Eldest Aunt, why don't we all go together when the time comes?" Yu Wan turned to Nian Fuli. "Old Nian, what do you think?" Nian Fuli said, "It's only right. We're all relatives; we ought to keep in touch. With Qian'er back this time, it wouldn't do not to stop by and greet them." "Yay! We're gonna ride an airship! Ride an airship!" Hearing this, Nian Mo bounced up and down. Yu Wan barely managed to hold him still, giving him a gentle swat. Nian Lu's eyes sparkled as she asked, "Cousin, can we ride the airship to Center City too?" "To Center City?" Nian Qian looked at Chen Chuan in surprise. "Cousin, you're taking Mom and Dad to Center City?" Chen Chuan nodded. Nian Fuli said, "We only decided on this yesterday. Now that you're back, Qian'er, we were just about to tell you. Your cousin plans to move the whole family to Center City to settle down after the New Year." Chen Chuan said, "After all, given my current position, Uncle and Aunt can't avoid being affected. It's no longer convenient to stay in Yangzhi. Besides, my younger cousins can receive a better education in Center City." Nian Qian understood this completely. With Chen Chuan's position, there would be no shortage of people trying to fawn over them. Moving to Center City would also allow his younger brother and sister to study there. Furthermore, at his rank, he naturally knew about the Great Collision. The family wasn't safe staying in Yangzhi, but in Center City, it would be far better. In truth, he had been considering this all along, but had still been trying to figure out how to manage it. Chen Chuan had solved this dilemma for him. He asked, "When do you plan to leave?" Chen Chuan said, "There's no rush. When the time comes, I can return to Center City first to make arrangements. Once everything is ready, I'll bring Uncle, Aunt, and my cousins over." Nian Qian's expression turned solemn. "Cousin, you've really put thought into this." Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Cousin, I'm family too. Looking after family matters is only natural." Nian Qian nodded, stepping up to clap Chen Chuan's shoulder firmly. An amused thought suddenly struck him: *This is the shoulder of a martial artist, and I'm actually clapping it today.* He was worn and dusty from travel. After chatting for a while, he took a bath and then dug into a hearty feast. As he ate, he mumbled through mouthfuls of food, "The food in the army isn't bad, but nothing beats the aroma of Mom's cooking." Yu Wan said with a smile, "If you like it, eat more." Then she cautioned, "Eat slowly, don't choke." Seeing the firm muscles revealed after he took off his jacket, Nian Fuli grunted in approval. "Your time in the military wasn't wasted. Your frame is definitely a lot sturdier." Nian Qian sighed. "You have to be sturdy. All day long it's classes, training, drills, and then leading the troops on field exercises. Not a moment to rest. Aside from holidays, there's hardly any time for your head to relax." Nian Fuli said, "It's hardship well spent." "That's for sure." Nian Qian looked toward Chen Chuan again. "Still, my hardship is nothing compared to Cousin's. I've met several third limit fighters in the army. All day long, they train and cultivate without stopping. Aside from when they're deployed on missions, I've rarely seen them take a break. Once, when I found a free moment, I asked them, 'Aren't you tired?' They said it wasn't that they didn't want to rest, but they knew the enemy fighters were also training desperately. If they slacked off even for a moment, it could cost them their lives when the time came. They didn't dare stop." What he didn't say was that if even third limit fighters were like this, it was hard to imagine what it was like for a martial artist. Presumably, it wouldn't be any easier. "Chan'er..." Yu Wan looked at Chen Chuan, her heart aching for him. She hadn't realized training was so grueling, and couldn't imagine how much hardship Chen Chuan had endured over the years. Chen Chuan smiled. "Cousin, we do train and cultivate a lot in our daily routine, but it isn't really a hardship. To me, it's actually a joy. Watching one's own power steadily grow stronger—that kind of delight is hard to let go of." Nian Qian was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly felt enlightened, his face displaying heartfelt admiration. No wonder this cousin of his could go so far. Although those fighters trained desperately every day, he could tell that deep down, they were filled with resistance. In reality, they merely wanted to trade martial skills for a better life and comfort, rather than genuinely enjoying what they did. Very few people were truly immersed in it—at least none among those he had met. This was a massive difference. Others treated it as a chore, whereas the more you trained, the more delighted and invested you became. Add to that talents that were perhaps far greater than others', and how could anyone compare? Wouldn't the gap only grow wider and wider? At this point, he finally couldn't help asking, "Cousin, what is a martial artist actually like?" Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "To put it simply, on a battlefield, provided a martial artist has ample stamina, numbers are essentially meaningless. And ordinary firearms and artillery have little effect on us." As he spoke, a fuzzball bounced over from his younger cousin's side, but as it drew near Chen Chuan's shoulder, it suddenly stopped and hung suspended in midair. Nian Qian's eyes widened in astonishment—because he saw that the dining table before him, the chairs beside it, and even he himself were now slowly floating upward as if in zero gravity.