Roadmap to the Boundless Sky

Book 4, Chapter 2: Offer

Nian Fuli, Yu Wan, Nian Lu, and Nian Mo stood at the entrance of the alley to the constables’ residential area and waited. The other neighbors craned their necks to watch. Their eyes were filled with curiosity and admiration.Nian Fuli had received a call from Chen Chuan that he had left the Resolution Department. If he was quick about it, he could come back in less than ten minutes.

Soon after they walked out, they saw a limousine coming over.

Nian Lu started jumping. “Chen Chuan is back!”

Yu Wan held her hand a little tighter.

The limousine slowed down after turning the corner and stopped in front of them. When its door opened, a logistician got out and opened the back door.

Chen Chuan got out, removed his hat, and walked over to Nian Fuli and Yu Wan. With a smile, he greeted them, “Uncle, Aunty.”

“Hey,” Yu Wan responded.

Nian Fuli checked his uniform, then the limousine. When he sensed the admiring looks behind him, he straightened his back and grunted, “Xiao Chuan, you look great in the lead investigator’s uniform.”

His voice wasn’t too loud, but surprised cries and discussions rose behind them.

Yu Wan ignored all of it. She checked Chen Chuan and found that he had grown taller, and she couldn’t help but remember the time when her sister left. Back then, she had brought Chen Chuan home by the hand, just like how she was holding her children’s hands right now. Now, she felt like in just a blink of an eye, Chen Chuan had grown so much that he could stand before her like a shield. “You’ve grown so much,” she whispered.

Chen Chuan felt a tug on his coat. Nian Lu and Nian Mo were staring at him with wide eyes. Nian Mo asked, “Chen Chuan, where’s Dawncall? Did you not bring Dawncall?”

Chen Chuan grinned and looked at the sky. Immediately after, they heard a chirp. A black shadow grew larger, and it was followed by the sound of wings flapping. Dawncall flew down, flapped its wings a few times, and landed beside them.

It wore something resembling a Realm Pass on its head, which looked like an ornamental crown. Photon Nest had attached it. When outside the city, Dawncall could communicate with the domain connection entity in the motorcade through it.

Chen Chuan hadn’t been able to tell when it was high in the sky, but once it landed, he saw that its beautiful features had become even smoother and shinier thanks to its mutated tissue. Dawncall puffed out its chest and looked really proud of itself.

His cousins gasped and immediately surrounded it to stroke its soft feathers.

Chen Chuan cast a glance at the neighbors behind them before nodding at his uncle and aunt. “Aunty, Uncle, why don’t we talk at home?”

“Yes. It’s too bright outside.” Yu Wan rubbed her eyes. “Let’s go back to talk.”

Nian Fuli grunted at that, though he found it a bit regretful. He would have been fine with standing out here for a little while longer.

Two logisticians took out what Chen Chuan had brought from Central City, and they walked into the constables’ residential area.

Once inside the house, the two logisticians put the things down and promptly denied Yu Wan’s offer for a smoke before saluting Chen Chuan and leaving.

Chen Chuan took off his uniform, washed his face, and set some things out. Once he was back in the living room, he took out the presents he brought back.

His cousins jumped around him. Whenever Chen Chuan came back, he always brought fun toys for them, so they were looking forward to it.

After he distributed the presents, his cousins left with Dawncall to play outside. They were actually supposed to go to school, but since Chen Chuan came back today, they had applied for one day’s leave. It was a delightful thing.

After Chen Chuan sat down, he told Nian Fuli and Yu Wan about his current situation, but only the nice things. He did not tell them about any of the dangers he faced. Once he was done, he asked them about what had happened after he left.

Central City was highly populated, and communication was easy there. There were also companies from all sorts of countries, and the city stood at the forefront of the world’s defense against the other world. It moved at a fast pace, had plenty of entertainment, all sorts of things happening constantly, and trouble stirring every day.

But things were different in Yangzhi City. It was in the same state as when he left it after the New Year. Even though half a year had passed, not much had changed.

After they talked about everything, Chen Chuan looked at Nian Fuli and Yu Wan. “Uncle, Aunty, I came back to discuss something with you two.”

Upon seeing how serious Chen Chuan was and how the relaxed demeanor from a moment ago was gone, Nian Fuli straightened up. “What is it? We’re all ears.”

“We’re family. You can tell us whatever you want,” Yu Wan agreed.

Chen Chuan nodded. While looking at Nian Fuli and Yu Wan, he said, “I’ve been promoted to a lead investigator. Based on the rules, my family can gain citizenship in Central City.

“You’ve brought me up, and I’ve become capable now. I can bring the whole family to Central City.”

He then turned to Nian Fuli. “I can help you get a job in Central City, and it won’t be any worse than what you’re doing right now. I can also help Xiao Lu and Xiao Mo enroll in a school in Central City. What do you two think?”

Nian Fuli searched around his body and took out his tobacco pipe. Chen Chuan wanted to light it up for him, but he dismissed the offer and motioned that he could do it himself. “Let me think.”

Once he lit it up, he took a few puffs. A long time passed before he said, “Xiao Chuan, I’ve been working at the Constabulary for almost my entire life. My house is here too. If I have to leave so suddenly...”

He shook his head.

Chen Chuan could understand that.

After retiring from the army, Nian Fuli had spent the rest of his time in the Constabulary. His superiors and comrades were here, along with all the people and things he was familiar with. If he had to suddenly move to somewhere else, he would indeed not be happy about it.

If Chen Chuan were to be honest, Central City wasn’t some heaven either. Yangzhi City might be small, but at the very least, it offered much more stability.

Yu Wan wrung her fingers. “Chan’er, aside from going out of town with your uncle a few times, I’ve never lived anywhere else. I don’t know anything about Central City as well...”

Chen Chuan nodded. “This is just a suggestion. You’re the ones who get to decide what you want. Besides, you don’t need to decide in a hurry. As long as I’m here, the offer will be around.”

Nian Fuli nodded silently.

Yu Wan had actually been tempted for a brief moment, but not for her own sake. It was for her children’s education.

Even though both Nian Fuli and she thought that Yangzhi City was great in every aspect, they knew that in terms of education, it couldn’t ever hope to compare to Central City.

“Chan’er, can Xiao Mo and Xiao Lu only receive that level of education in Central City?”

“They don’t have to go to Central City. I can hire a good teacher for them,” Chen Chuan said with a smile.

“Won’t it be too much trouble?” Yu Wan asked after some hesitation.

“It’s nothing. This is really just a small thing to me, Aunty,” Chen Chuan answered firmly.

Nian Fuli knew that many captains in the Constabulary and some of his colleagues hired private tutors for their children. Due to Martial Valor University expanding their intake, they also started teaching their children martial arts. Over the past few days, he had actually been discussing this matter with Yu Wan.

“We should let Xiao Chuan call the shots for this,” he said resolutely.

Yu Wan sighed. Just then, she noticed that neither Nian Fuli nor Chen Chuan had drunk much of their tea, so she stood up and said, “Your tea has gone cold. I’ll pour another cup for you two.”

“Uncle, is Mr. Wen around?” Chen Chuan asked.

“He is. When you called and asked about it last time, I went to visit him at his house. Mr. Wen is usually at the Constabulary in the afternoon and at night, but he’s at home in the morning. If you want to look for him, you can only go in the morning,” Nian Fuli explained.

Chen Chuan nodded at that.

He hadn’t come back just to visit his family, but to also look for Wen Tong, because there had to be a reason why he had given him that booklet. Chen Chuan had a feeling that it was some sort of invitation.

After they finished discussing this matter, they started chatting idly. At night, after dinner, Chen Chuan went back to his room.

The sun had already set at this point, but nothing about his room had changed. Everything was still in its original place.

The books the old Chen Chuan liked reading and the movie posters on the wall were still all in their old positions.

The Frost King Saber stood against the corner. The blade was currently dormant, and Chen Chuan didn’t know when it was going to wake up.

He took a look upward. Over the past few days, pure essence had still been leaking out, so sometimes, he could catch some at night.

It seemed like the gap in the World Ring was really hard to close up. Months had passed, and it was still open.

Could it be that something was standing in the way?

By now, many people should have sensed the pure essence that had spread to all corners of the world and captured it. The ones who had had no chance to become stronger might be able to reach greater heights.

In the past, the higher-ups had sealed off pure essence to screen martial artists at Chen Chuan’s level so that no one they couldn’t control would appear in places not under their rule. But now, this rule had turned into a way for various forces of power to seal off the way to reach the upper-class and prevent others from getting stronger. Hence, it was only natural for someone not within this group to want to destroy this situation.

Chen Chuan drew the curtains and sat down on his bed to sense pure essence. As long as it continued spilling outward, he would meditate at night instead of sleeping.

His physical body had reached near perfection after all his training, but after taking pure essence, he felt that his limit had increased. His mind, due to the nourishment provided by quintessence, had improved as well. His mental mark was left in a high place in the other world, and due to him getting pure essence, it was still getting stronger.

A bright and determined spark appeared in his eyes. Once both his body and mind became perfect and his second self fused with him a second time, Chen Chuan might be able to truly surpass the peak that no one had ever reached before.