134: Chapter 134 Returning to Rongcheng

Lu Cheng forwarded the task link into their group of four.

It was just him, Su Wan, Xia Xi, and Qian Shuying.

When Xia Xi created the group, she claimed it was to "keep in touch," but in reality, other than the occasional sticker, no one really said anything.

Lu Cheng tagged the three of them directly in the group.

"A task posted by the Rong City Defense Bureau: thirty Source Gathering Realm contaminated creatures, and a small number of Meridian Opening Realm ones. Does anyone want to go together?"

After typing that out, he added another line.

"It's a good chance to go home."

After the message was sent, Su Wan was the first to open it.

She had just returned from the Scripture Depository; her terminal vibrated, and she opened the group chat, scanning the task link from beginning to end.

Rong City.

Southern Ruins.

Contaminated creature cleanup.

Her footsteps faltered.

In her past life, nothing particularly major should have happened in Rong City at this point in time.

She remembered very clearly that after the first relic contamination leak, a batch of contaminated creatures had indeed remained on the outskirts of Rong City. The quantity wasn't small, but their levels weren't high.

Since that was the case.

Su Wan turned off her terminal screen and continued walking.

There was no need for her to go back.

The training rhythm at the Academy was just right, and her Soul Map cultivation had just started to show progress; going back wouldn't have much meaning...

After walking two steps, she stopped again.

Her mother was home alone...

Su Wan stood in place; the cold white light in the corridor stretched her shadow long.

She stared at the shadow on the ground for two seconds.

Forget it.

She should go back for a trip.

She lit up her terminal again and replied in the group.

"I'll go too."

Xia Xi was the second to see it. She had just come out of the cafeteria with a straw in her mouth, holding a cup of iced lemon tea.

After her terminal vibrated, she looked down and glanced at it.

A task in Rong City... She thought about it; there didn't seem to be anything particularly important during this time period...

Based on Lu Cheng's ability, at least for him, there wouldn't be any danger...

That should be fine; going back with Lu Cheng would be a good chance to visit his mother.

This trip back would be the perfect opportunity to leave a good impression on his mother.

Xia Xi bit down on her straw, making it squeak...

However...

She paused, but decided to ask her dad first.

Xia Xi exited the group chat and sent a message to her dad:

"Dad, I received an Academy task, a contaminated creature cleanup in Rong City. Is there any problem with this task?"

After sending the message, she sat down on a bench at the cafeteria entrance with her iced lemon tea, drinking while waiting for a reply.

Rong City City Hall.

Xia Yunchi was in his office reviewing documents when a message popped up on his terminal.

He glanced at the sender's name, and his brows twitched.

This girl.

He opened the message and was stunned when he saw the words "Rong City task."

A task in Rong City?

Xia Yunchi put down his pen and pulled up the Defense Bureau's task posting system on his terminal, querying it for a moment.

Lines of data jumped onto the screen: task number, publisher, task content, and acceptance status.

His eyebrows raised.

He replied to Xia Xi.

"You received this task?"

"What a coincidence."

Xia Yunchi leaned back in his chair, tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, and typed another line.

"After the last relic contamination, manpower in Rong City has been constantly transferred away, and the Defense Bureau couldn't dispatch enough people to clean up the Southern Ruins in the short term.

I originally thought about posting the task first to see if any Martial Academy students or clubs were willing to take it.

If someone took it, the contaminated creatures would be cleaned up sooner.

If no one took it after three or four days, I would arrange for people from the Defense Bureau to handle it."

"I didn't expect you guys to take it."

When Xia Xi saw this reply, the corners of her mouth curled up.

So there was no problem with this task.

She replied to her dad: "Got it, I'm coming back with Lu Cheng and the others."

In the office, seeing no follow-up message in the chat, Xia Yunchi couldn't help but feel a bit sad: So you only messaged your old man after so long just to confirm this task? So love will disappear, right, daughter...

After exiting the chat interface, Xia Xi switched back to the group.

Qian Shuying's message was already there.

"I'm going too."

Xia Xi quickly typed a line and sent it.

"I'm going too, I'm going too! Free trip home, might as well take it!"

Looking at the uniform replies in the group, Lu Cheng nodded. Alright, passed unanimously.

That afternoon.

The Rong City squad gathered at the Academy's airship pad.

The airship cabin door closed, and the dull hum of the engines emanated from both sides of the hull.

Sunlight shone through the portholes into the cabin, casting square patches of light on the floor.

Xia Xi leaned back in her seat, pushed the seatbelt aside, stretched her legs, and kicked Lu Cheng's seat.

"Lu Cheng, would you say this counts as a free trip home? Hahahaha..."

She laughed before anyone else, her laughter echoing throughout the airship cabin.

Lu Cheng leaned back in his seat and turned his head to look at her.

"You're right, a free trip home."

The Academy indeed did not allow students to leave school without reason.

Usually, if one wanted to go home, they had to apply a week in advance, go through layers of approval, and get a mentor's signature.

Xia Xi saying they were on a free trip home was not an exaggeration at all.

After the airship took off, it quickly picked up speed.

Xia Xi opened her small suitcase, which contained local specialties she had brought, and took out the boxes of snacks to show them one by one.

"This is what my dad loves to eat, this is what Uncle Chen loves to eat, and this is what I..."

Qian Shuying chimed in.

"What you love to eat most?"

Xia Xi chuckled twice.

"It's for his mother... Hehehe."

Su Wan sat by the window and hadn't really chimed in.

Qian Shuying shook her head, pulled a small bag of nuts from her tactical fanny pack, tore it open, and poured some into her palm.

Lu Cheng reached out to take some.

"Give me some."

"You didn't bring any?"

"Forgot."

Qian Shuying glanced at him and poured the entire handful of nuts in her hand into his palm.

Lu Cheng took them, tilted his head back, poured them into his mouth, chewed twice, and mumbled, "Thanks."

The journey was noisy and lively; the flight from the Imperial Capital to Rong City wasn't long.

Departing in the afternoon and arriving in the evening, including takeoff and landing, it was only about two hours.

When the airship landed at the Rong City airship port, a thin layer of orange-red sunset glow hung in the sky outside the porthole, dyeing the entire port floor in a warm light.

The cabin door opened, and familiar air rushed in.

The air in Rong City was more humid than at the border, carrying a hint of the fragrance of green grass...

The loudspeakers outside the airship port broadcasted the shouts of ground crew, their accents carrying the unique lilt of the local Rong City dialect.

Lu Cheng stood at the cabin door and took a deep breath.

It's been a month...

"Lu Cheng!"

A voice called up from the ground.

Lu Cheng looked in the direction of the voice, not expecting that the person coming to meet them this time was an old acquaintance.

Instructor Qin Feng stood in the connecting area of the port, wearing the black training uniform of the Rong City Defense Bureau, his arms crossed over his chest, looking up toward the cabin door.

The smile on his face wasn't hidden at all.

Lu Cheng walked down the ramp, waving his hand as he went.

"Instructor Qin Feng, long time no see!"

Instructor Qin Feng laughed.

"It's only been a month, don't sound like it's been three or five years."

He looked Lu Cheng up and down, his gaze pausing for a moment on the Navigator Academy uniform he was wearing.

"How is it? After staying at Navigator Academy for a month, do you feel the gap between you and the geniuses?"

Lu Cheng stepped onto the ground, walked up to Instructor Qin Feng, and grinned.

"Not really."

He patted his chest.

"I feel how awesome I am... Hahahaha."

Instructor Qin Feng raised his hand and slapped him on the shoulder with not-so-light force.

"Smart mouth."

He withdrew his hand, but the smile on his face didn't diminish.

"The monsters from the Imperial Capital and Magic City are all concentrated in that place; it's not bad that you can even be on the Navigator ranking list."

Xia Xi and Qian Shuying, standing behind, exchanged glances and laughed simultaneously.

Xia Xi took two steps forward and said.

"Instructor Qin Feng, Lu Cheng really wasn't wrong."

Instructor Qin Feng turned his head to look at her.

"How so?"

"Since enrollment, he has always been number one among the selected students."

Xia Xi counted on her fingers, "The monthly exam finished two days ago, and his points were over 2,500, nearly 2,000 points ahead of second place."

Upon hearing this, Instructor Qin Feng took a deep breath.

He knew this kid was capable.

But Rong City was a small place after all, and Instructor Qin Feng knew what kind of place Navigator Academy was, where geniuses gathered.

To be able to rank first in such a place.

And to be nearly 2,000 points ahead of second place...

Instructor Qin Feng was silent for two seconds, then slapped Lu Cheng's back hard.

"You kid, not bad!"

When he laughed, the lines at the corners of his eyes were deepened by the sunset glow.

"You've brought honor to our Rong City!"

Lu Cheng was slapped and stumbled forward a step, then looked back at him.

"Instructor Qin Feng, easy, easy, you'll end up smashing our Rong City's face..."

Instructor Qin Feng ignored his smart-aleck remark, put away his smile, and spoke about business.

"It's getting late today.

This task isn't an emergency anyway, it can wait for one night.

I'll drive you to the city center; you guys go back and rest today, and I'll message you to assemble tomorrow."

He turned and walked toward an off-road vehicle parked outside the connecting area, pulling open the car door.

"Get in."

The four of them got into the car.

Instructor Qin Feng started the engine, and the off-road vehicle drove out of the airship port gate and turned onto the main road of Rong City.

The buildings on both sides of the road were not tall, mostly three or four-story old-fashioned buildings, their exterior paint worn dull by wind and sand.

After the streetlights turned on, the entire street was bathed in warm yellow light.

Instructor Qin Feng dropped them off at an intersection in the city center.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

The off-road vehicle's taillights disappeared around the corner of the street.

The four of them stood at the intersection in the city center, surrounded by familiar shop signs and familiar neon lights.

Lu Cheng turned his head and looked at the three of them.

"Well, I..."

He paused.

"I'm heading back first. Let's stay in touch on Chao Xin tomorrow."

Su Wan nodded, Xia Xi waved with a smile, and Qian Shuying said, "See you tomorrow."

The four of them bid each other farewell, turned around, and walked in different directions.

The sunset glow faded away to the last trace of orange-red, the night sky of Rong City darkened, and the streetlights along the road lit up brighter one by one.