Chapter 351: Homecoming
Chapter 351: Homecoming
After leaving the Xuan Gong Mansion, Chen Chuan directly drove onto the elevated highway and drove for over an hour before reaching the city exit checkpoint.
The Boundary Vessel flashed, and the checkpoint allowed them to pass without stopping, so they headed out of the city, leaving the shimmering lights of Central City behind them.
The road ahead was pitch-black, illuminated only by streetlights. He had chosen to depart at midnight, ensuring he would arrive in Yangzhi early the next morning.
After about ten minutes, the Boundary Vessel made a rustling sound, and then all went quiet. He removed it and placed it in a box he had prepared earlier, then reached over to turn on the radio.
At this hour, besides receiving some midnight programs from Central City, there were also self-established channels from armed groups in the wilderness, almost exclusively playing heavy metal music, occasionally mixed with eerie howls and cries.
Finding it too noisy, he quickly changed the channel, but something seemed amiss as the radio only emitted static, and no clear sounds could be tuned in.
Just then, he suddenly felt as if someone had appeared on the seat behind him.
His face remained calm, and he didn't look in the rearview mirror. He continued to switch channels, and after a while, a normal, upbeat tune played—the channel of the National Highway Checkpoint, which constantly reminded listeners about safety and played such music.
As the music filled the car, that feeling also dissipated.
He looked up at the rearview mirror again, and the back seat was empty.
When he left, he was alone, so it was impossible for anyone to be there. Therefore, it must have been an anomaly he perceived after entering the Third Limit.
According to the Chronicles of Anomalies, these things might appear from time to time, often unexpectedly, infiltrating the lives of fighters and making it understandable why some fighters would go insane because of them.
They were already a highly sensitive and vigilant group, and such occurrences could easily cause problems.
The Chronicles of Anomalies mentioned that the more one paid attention to them, the more they might be enriched and detailed. Thus, one should "guard the eternal spirit and not acknowledge them," and "over time, they will defeat themselves."
In his opinion, this was because one had just achieved the limit, and their spiritual energy was insufficient. Paradoxically, they could perceive more things than ordinary people.
However, fighters who solely focused on essence and blood were unlikely to have such worries. Only those with outstanding talents or those who trained their eternal spirit would frequently encounter these anomalies.
But to progress further, one had to eventually take this step.
It seemed like the same path to wait until the essence and blood were consolidated before advancing, but that path was also challenging.
At this moment, he glanced at the passenger seat and saw that Dawn Crier, who had been lying on the driver's seat and was very lively during the journey, was now curled up asleep.
He smiled, lowered the music volume slightly, and listened to the soothing melody as he drove slowly along the road.
Five hours later, it was already past six in the morning, and the bright red sun rose from one side of the horizon, its radiant light falling on the car. On the entire wide and endless road, only this car was moving, like the sole object in motion within a static scene.
Dawn Crier woke up with a chirp and let out a melodious call towards the distant sun, then climbed onto the passenger seat, excitedly looking around.
After another quarter of an hour, the Gader car arrived at the final checkpoint before Yangzhi City.
While there might be lengthy inspections when traveling from Yangzhi to Central City, the process was much smoother when going in the opposite direction.
An inspector from the checkpoint approached, and Chen Chuan handed over his ID card. The inspector, seeing that he was wearing a uniform, took the card, saluted respectfully, and returned the card, saying, "Enforcer Chen, Yangzhi is just ahead. Wishing you a smooth journey."
Chen Chuan took the card and nodded, saying, "Thank you."
He restarted the vehicle and left the checkpoint, continuing along the road. At around seven in the morning, they finally entered the boundaries of Yangzhi City.
Looking at the familiar trees and buildings, as well as the sparse morning pedestrians, he felt an indescribable sense of closeness to this place, despite it not being as prosperous and grand as Central City.
Returning here, he suddenly felt a strong urge to visit the places he had stayed and gone to, and see the people and things he hadn't seen in a long time.
He slightly increased his speed, and after half an hour, the car arrived at the residential area for patrol officers. He slowly rolled down the window and stopped the car.
Before coming, he had already made a phone call, and today being a rest day, they should all be at home.
He opened the car door and stepped out, taking a deep breath as he looked at the familiar alleys and buildings ahead.
Chen Chuan walked to the back of the car, took out his suitcase, and called out to Chao Ming, who chirped and hopped onto his shoulder, looking around curiously.
Just then, a patrol team responsible for security in the area passed by. One of them, upon seeing Chen Chuan, hesitated and said, "Chen... Xiao Ge?"
Chen Chuan glanced at him and recognized the patrol officer who used to patrol this area frequently. He nodded, "It's me, Brother Wang."
"It's really you!" Brother Wang exclaimed with delight, "Your clothes... Wow, I almost didn't recognize you. Are you... back from Central City?"
"Yes, the academy is on vacation, so I came back to visit my aunt and uncle," Chen Chuan replied.
"You're back to visit Year Squad's family, take good care of them..." Brother Wang said.
Chen Chuan pulled his suitcase and walked inside, while behind him, the patrol officers whispered.
"Let me tell you, this is the Chen Xiao Ge who passed the exam for the Central City General Institute last year, Year Squad's nephew."
"So, that's Chen Xiao Ge. Wow, he looks so energetic. When he walked by just now, I felt breathless. Even in front of the Bureau Chief, he's so impressive."
"Of course! Getting into the Wu Yi General Institute in Central City is no easy feat. Last year, this Chen Xiao Ge made our Patrol Bureau proud. Look at him now, he must have gotten a job at the Central City Handling Bureau."
"Isn't he there to study?"
"Are you stupid? Even teachers from Wu Yi School can get a position in the Handling Bureau. Why can't a student from the General Institute?"
"A job in Central City..."
The patrol officers were filled with envy. Although they had never been to Central City, they longed to go there. However, they knew that without an official identity, going there would only bring trouble.
As Chen Chuan walked through the alley, many neighbors spotted him.
"Xiao Chuan? Is that you, Xiao Chuan?"
Chen Chuan smiled in response.
"Why call him Xiao Chuan? Look at his attire and style. He must have gotten a position in Central City. From now on, we should call him 'Mister' or 'Officer'," someone said.
"Even if he's an officer now, he grew up in front of our eyes. We'll still call him the same way..." someone else joked.
This remark prompted a playful response, "That's not surprising. So, you've always been calling him 'Big Head' behind his back."
The person panicked, "Don't talk nonsense. When did I ever say that..."
Just then, a clever child, instructed by his parents, ran to Uncle Nian's door and said, "Uncle Nian, Xiao Chuan Ge is back from Central City."
The door creaked open, and soon after, Uncle Nian and Aunt Yu, holding Nian Mo and Nian Lu, came out. The family had clearly been waiting and rushed out upon hearing the news.
Chen Chuan looked at them; after half a year, Uncle Nian seemed a bit plumper, while Aunt Yu looked the same. The two little ones had noticeably grown taller, and the whole family was dressed in new clothes.
Chen Chuan released his suitcase and walked up to them. Looking at Uncle Nian and Aunt Yu, he said, "Aunt, Uncle, I'm back."
Aunt Yu walked up and pulled him by the arm, examining him closely. She then smoothed out the creases on his clothes, and her eyes slightly reddened.
Chen Chuan patted Aunt Yu's shoulder and said, "Aunt, I'm back."
Aunt Yu wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand and nodded repeatedly.
Uncle Nian said, "We received your call yesterday. Your aunt couldn't sleep all night, wondering when you'd arrive. I told her not to worry, it's just a short while since you've been in Central City."
"I wasn't worried," Aunt Yu said, "I just missed you." She looked him up and down, "You seem taller, a bit thinner, and more energetic than before."
"Hello, Uncle!"
Nian Mo and Nian Lu surrounded Chen Chuan, but their attention was mostly on Chao Ming. Their eyes sparkled, and Chao Ming, unafraid, chirped at them. The two kids exclaimed in delight.
Nian Lu looked up and asked, "Uncle, can I touch it?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said to Chao Ming, "Go ahead." Chao Ming, being clever, understood and hopped from Chen Chuan's shoulder to Nian Lu's side. The two kids caught him with a 'wah' sound.
Uncle Nian looked on, a bit puzzled, and asked, "Xiao Chuan, what did you bring back?"
Chen Chuan explained, "It's a bird lizard, an artificially bred animal from Central City. It's very smart and can guard the house, but it's still young."
Uncle Nian nodded, "It's good to have a guard. You have to be careful living alone in Central City. No matter how capable you are, always be vigilant."
Chen Chuan agreed, "Uncle is right."
At this moment, Aunt Yu gently pushed them both, "The sun is strong outside. Let's go inside."
Chen Chuan said okay and, with his aunt's family, entered the house. His cousins, holding Chao Ming, jumped and shouted happily, "Uncle is back! Uncle is back!"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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