The man sitting across from him had a refined and gentle smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Wen Tong, the Chief Instructor for the Yangzhi City Patrol Bureau. The Patrol Officers like to call me Mr. Wen. I’ve been sent to protect Mayor Zhu.

We’ve confirmed that many members of your security detail were plants from major corporations. I’ve already taken care of them for you, so you can rest easy."

Zhu Xian frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I’m very sure."

Mr. Wen said with great sincerity, "These companies want to influence and control your decisions. Planting people around you was their way of ensuring they could secure business deals."

Zhu Xian’s expression turned serious.

Mr. Wen smiled and stood up. "I won’t disturb your meal any further. Rest assured, I’ll be handling your security from this point on. I will ensure you have a smooth journey all the way to Yangzhi City."

Zhu Xian seemed to daze off for a moment. When he came to, he suddenly realized the man across from him was gone. The only sounds were the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels and his assistant gulping. He glanced outside, confirming he was still on the moving train.

After a moment’s thought, he stood up and walked to the door of the car. He gripped the handle, waited a moment, and then slowly pulled it open. He saw the guards outside slumped against the wall of the carriage, one after another. Every single one of them had their head split open.

The brain matter within their skulls looked charred and desiccated, and was still giving off wisps of scalding steam. It was clear that a sudden burst of extreme heat had boiled their brains, causing their skulls to crack open.

The assistant, a Yangzhi local, went weak in the knees at the sight. "The... the Skull Splitting Demon..." he stammered in terror.

Zhu Xian stared for a few seconds before closing the door and returning to his seat. He mulled it over for a moment, then took out the application form he had set aside. With a quick flourish, he signed it and said to his assistant, "Send it back."

「Half an hour later, within Wuyi Academy.」

As soon as Cheng Zitong got the news, he immediately called Chen Chuan. "Xiaochuan, your application is complete! I can’t believe the Civil Affairs Chief approved it while he was still on the train. It looks like this new chief is very supportive of Wuyi, and he thinks highly of you too."

After a few more words, he hung up and turned to his uncle, Cheng Shang, who was sitting and drinking tea. "Second Uncle, you see..."

Cheng Shang looked up. "I’ll be returning to the Headquarter in a couple of days. I can take his file and application with me. Zitong, you might not have made much of yourself, but this student of yours is quite something. It seems your father has overlooked your talent for teaching. Why don’t you come back with me this time?"

Cheng Zitong returned to his seat and scoffed. "That old man has something to say no matter what I do, as if he’s the most capable person under heaven. Right now, he looks after his students, and I look after mine. It’s best we stay out of each other’s business."

Cheng Shang shook his head. "You two have the exact same temper. Neither is willing to be the first to back down. Fine, I won’t get involved."

He took a slow sip of tea and remarked, "Tea made with Yangzhi’s water is still the best." He shook his head again. "That filtered water in Central City is flavorless."

Cheng Zitong chuckled. "Second Uncle, that’s like a man who eats steak every day complaining that meat is boring."

Cheng Shang shot him a glare, then said in a low voice, "Central City has more opportunities, yes, but it also demands more of you. It feels like there’s always a hand at your back, pushing you forward, never letting you stop.

Even now that I’m here, my mind is still on matters in Central City. I’m afraid I’ll miss something during my few days in Yangzhi, that there’s something everyone else will know that I don’t."

Cheng Zitong was unfazed. "A place like that is the perfect fit for my student. I’m confident he can adapt."

"Alright, I’ve heard you sing his praises enough."

Cheng Zitong said defensively, "He’s the only student I’ve ever taught like this. Can’t I brag a little? The old man gets to praise his students, so why can’t I?"

"Suit yourself," Cheng Shang said irritably. "I’m not stopping you. I’m heading back in a couple of days anyway, so you can praise him to your heart’s content. But..." he added slowly, "the Central Hospital is not an easy place to survive. Whether or not he can gain a foothold will be up to him."

「In the A-Class Student Dormitory.」

Chen Chuan returned from lunch with Luo Kaiyuan and Weidong. Seeing that the internal mail dropbox seemed full again, he casually retrieved the letters inside.

Back in his room, he flipped through the mail. Most of it consisted of invitations to guest lectures, but one letter was from a certain Assistant Qiu.

He thought for a moment and recalled she was the one who was always with Madam Ni. He opened the letter. It said that Madam Ni had something she needed to discuss with him, and asked him to come see her when he had a free moment. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

’What could Madam Ni want with me? Is it about the Snow Monarch Blade? That’s the only thing it could be. If so, I’ll need to be careful.’

In the afternoon, he picked a convenient time and went to the training hall where Madam Ni usually spent her days. He found Assistant Qiu, who led him to a reception room, served him a cup of tea, and told him to wait while she fetched the madam.

He waited no more than five or six minutes before Madam Ni walked in, leaning on a cane, with Assistant Qiu supporting her. Chen Chuan rose from his seat as he saw her.

Madam Ni said, "Sit, sit. Xiaoniao, you go stand watch outside. I have something to discuss with this young man."

"Yes."

Once Assistant Qiu was gone, Madam Ni settled into her seat and said slowly, "Young man, your mother’s name was Yu Zhen, was it not?"

Chen Chuan glanced at her, nodded, and asked, "Teacher Ni, you knew my mother?"

’It wouldn’t be surprising if they knew each other. My predecessor’s mother was also a Fighter and a Yangzhi City native who spent her youth here. But why call me over now to bring this up? Was there some deep connection between them?’

Madam Ni said, "I did. You could say it was fate. The master she studied under was my junior sister-in-training. About ten years ago, your mother entrusted something to her. She told her that if her child ever got into Wuyi and had the chance to go to Central City, she was to give this item to him. If not, then it was to be forgotten.

My junior sister, though getting on in years, could never sit still. She’s spent the last decade or so abroad, so she asked me to keep it safe for her. Since you’re now on the verge of heading to Central City, I can finally return this to you. It’ll be a weight off this old woman’s mind."

As she spoke, Madam Ni placed a small wrapped object on the table. "Go on, take a look."

Chen Chuan stepped forward and picked it up. It felt very light, and its shape suggested it was a notebook of some kind.

Teacher Ni said, "I haven’t looked inside, you can be sure of that. I’ve lived a long life; I have no interest in the affairs of young people like you."

Chen Chuan said earnestly, "I believe you, Teacher Ni." Then he asked, "Did you ever meet my mother, Teacher Ni?"

Madam Ni nodded. "I met her once. A very pretty girl with a strong personality. Quick-witted, but stubborn as a mule. I saw her sparring with her classmates. She lost more than a dozen times, but she gritted her teeth and got back up every single time. And with each bout, she managed to gain a little more ground. She still didn’t win that day, though. I heard she won a later rematch, but I wasn’t there to see it. A real shame."

Chen Chuan nodded and said with deep sincerity, "Thank you for keeping it safe all these years, Teacher Ni."

"There’s no need to thank me. My junior sister paid a fee for its safekeeping. If the time had come and you hadn’t made it to Central City, I would have destroyed it as we agreed."

Chen Chuan said, "Teacher Ni, if you happen to see her again, could you please pass on my thanks?"

Madam Ni said, "If I see her again, I’ll be sure to tell her. Now, I know you young people are impatient and don’t enjoy talking with old folks like me. You can go on back now."

Chen Chuan nodded, bid Madam Ni farewell, and left the training hall. Once he was outside, a thought occurred to him. ’Looking back, Madam Ni giving me the blade probably wasn’t just because of the monthly exam.’

He hurried back to his dorm, shut the door, and tore open the small package. Inside was a notebook, filled with tattered, fragmented pages that seemed to have no relation to one another. He couldn’t make any sense of the contents.

But then, a thought struck him. He remembered that there was a similar notebook in the old family house. ’Looks like I need to pay a visit to the old house,’ he thought.

’I didn’t go back before because my predecessor’s cause of death was a mystery, and I didn’t have the strength to protect myself. But now, with my new Protective Clothing and my Second Self for protection, it’s time to go back for a look.’

Having made his decision, he didn’t act at once. He waited until the first holiday of the month. After putting on all his protective equipment and giving a heads-up to his acquaintances, including Cheng Zitong, he slung the Snow Monarch Blade across his back, got on his bike, and rode out the gates.

After leaving the city, he rode north for over an Hour and arrived near a small river bend. Across the river, he saw a house. This was the old home his parents had left him.

About half a kilometer away stood a large manor. Meng Shu used to live there. Her house was staffed only by servants, with no adults around. Since there were so few other families nearby, the two children often played together.

The area looked remote, but the ground was fairly flat, and there was a wide road just outside. It had been built during the Great Expansion and was still usable today.

But judging by the lack of tracks, it seemed no one had been here for over a year.

He detoured downstream, found a path paved with pebbles at a shallow ford, and rode across. He continued on until he stopped in front of the house and looked up.

It was a fairly large house with five rooms and a big living room, surrounded by a covered veranda. In his memories, the previous Chen Chuan often used to walk along the railing as a child.

And it was on this very veranda that his predecessor had been struck and killed by a small pebble. Everything after that was a result of his own arrival.

He walked his bike over, lowered the kickstand, and stepped onto the creaking wooden porch, making his way to the front door. He took out a key, unlocked the door, pushed it open gently, and after a quick glance inside, stepped into the house.

...

...