Chapter 138: Full Circle

Fang Che felt completely calm.

Compared with the battles that he had endured in his past life, the Parasite Ascension Project was just another day at the office.

"Go on then. Look after yourself," Li Changkong sighed.

Bing Shangxue accompanied Fang Che to the entrance of the academy, then gently stroked his hair as she said, "In our hearts, you've always been the best. Better than everyone else! Go and have some fun. Clear your head and come back when you're ready."

Fang Che could feel himself getting a little emotional, and he reassured, "There's no need to worry about me, I'll be fine."

Even after Fang Che was long gone, Bing Shangxue remained standing at the entrance of the academy, staring after him in a forlorn manner.

She was like a kind mother bidding farewell to her scorned child, her heart heavy with sympathy and concern.

It was beginning to get dark, and Fang Che turned around to wave at her with a warm smile, but she couldn't see him in the darkness.

Bing Shangxue stood under the light of the setting sun in the academy, watching as Fang Che disappeared into the shadows, and a peculiar sensation welled up in her heart.

It was as if the line between the light and the shadows marked a boundary between two different worlds.

She cast the inexplicable thought out of her mind and put on a bright smile as she called out, "Be safe! We'll be waiting for you!"

***

Upon Fang Che's return to the Virtue Manor, Mu Linyuan was already sitting in the guest hall, drinking some tea, and his condition was looking much improved.

"Have you applied for leave?"

"I have. I want to make a trip back home to Green Wave City first."

"Sure, we have time," Mu Linyuan replied with a smile.

"Alright, let's set off then."

Ye Meng had already packed everything for the journey.

Her true cultivation base was the seventh-rank General tier, while on the surface, she was a first-rank Grandmaster.

"You're taking her as well?" Mu Linyuan asked.

"I'm going to take her back to keep my mother company."

Mu Linyuan clearly wasn't a fan of the idea. Bringing Ye Meng along would slow them down significantly, and her beauty was sure to attract attention and perhaps even trouble.

While he wasn't afraid of trouble, it would undoubtedly slow them down even further.

However, he could see that Fang Che had already made up his mind, so he didn't argue.

Ye Meng locked the front gate, then asked, "Should we hire a carriage, Young Master?"

"A carriage would be far too slow," Fang Che harrumphed. "This trip will be a good opportunity for you to practice your movement techniques. Let's go."

The three of them emerged from horseback.

All of them were purebred steeds selected by Fang Che, and his was red, Ye Meng's was white, while Mu Linyuan's was red.

As he got onto the back of the red horse, Mu Linyuan couldn't help but feel like a third wheel.

The three horses galloped to the southern gate of the White Cloud Prefecture, where there were personnel from the local authorities and the Hall of Protectionists stationed.

Fang Che pulled out his White Cloud Warrior Academy leave slip. A leave slip from White Cloud Warrior Academy was even more effective than a travel pass in a place like this.

"You're a student from White Cloud Warrior Academy? Who's the girl?" one of the guards asked.

"My maidservant."

A peculiar look appeared on the guard's face.

Such a fine beauty was only a maidservant! He couldn't help but feel a little inferior as he took a glance at Fang Che's handsome face.

"And who's the old man?"

"He's a senior of mine. What's going on here?" Fang Che asked in a disgruntled manner. "Everyone else gets let through right away, why am I having to answer so many questions? Are you picking on me because you're envious of my maidservant?"

"Watch your mouth, you little brat!" the guard snapped in an enraged manner.

Mu Linyuan hurriedly cupped his fist in an apologetic salute as he said, "Please forgive him, he's still young and hot-tempered. You can run any checks you like, we'll be sure to fully cooperate."

The guard ran some checks, but didn't discover anything, and in the end, he could only let Fang Che's trio through on the basis of the White Cloud Warrior Academy leave slip.

"A young man like you should learn some respect," the guard grumbled.

Fang Che gave a cold harrumph as he galloped out of the city on horseback.

Mu Linyuan cupped his fist in an apologetic salute, then exited the city after Fang Che.

Inside the nearby turret atop the city wall, a warrior from the Hall of the Guardians was on watch duty.

Fang Che of White Cloud Warrior Academy and his maidservant?

A faint smile appeared on his face. Fang Che had made some significant contributions of late, so he had established quite a positive reputation in the Hall of Protectionists.

Given all of the merit points he had already earned, he was pretty much assured of a place in the Hall of Protectionists once he graduated.

He does have a fiery temper though. He could've just shown him the leave slip and waited to be let through, but he had to throw a tantrum. Guess he's still too young.

***

After the three of them emerged from the city, they began racing along at full speed on horseback.

There was no wind, but it felt like there was a strong headwind, such was the speed at which they were traveling, and Ye Meng had already put on a veil, making her appear even more mesmerizing and seductive.

It was already early winter, and there were sporadic patches of snow everywhere.

By the time afternoon arrived, they had already completed most of the journey.

A reminiscent look appeared in Fang Che's eyes as they passed through the forest where he had slain those Blood Tooth Demon Wolves.

Back then, he had to set up a devious trap to slay the wolves one by one, but now, he could easily massacre the entire wolf pack without having to resort to any tricks.

It had only been half a year since then, but he had undergone a drastic transformation.

What was once a dense forest had been reduced to hideous, charred earth by the enormous fire that had been lit here, and there were still patches of lifeless, blackened soil visible beneath the blanket of snow.

After traveling for a while longer, Mu Linyuan tugged on his reins to bring his steed to a halt, then said, "I'll go meet up with Pope Yin, and we'll wait for you at the designated meeting point. There's still time before we have to set off, so you can spend a day with your mother."

"You're not coming home with me, Uncle-master Mu?"

"I'll pass. Enjoy your time with your family," Mu Linyuan said with a smile, then promptly departed.

Fang Che knew that Mu Linyuan was intentionally doing this to give him some alone time with his mother.

He would only be with her for a day, and it would be rather awkward for everyone if Mu Linyuan were present during that time.

All of a sudden, Ye Meng exclaimed, "Young Master, this is the place where we were almost robbed!"

Fang Che looked around upon hearing this, and sure enough, this was precisely the place where those two hired thugs had jumped out to confront them.

A faint smile appeared on his face at this memory.

Wei Zihao, Qing Ziyue, and Kang Zijian had been present at the time as well.

Since then, Fang Che had soared to great heights, Wei Zihao had perished, while the others had fallen into obscurity.

It was a strange feeling to be back here, and it was as if this place were a crossroads that fate had prepared for everyone.

Looking at the familiar greenery, he sighed, "This place hasn't changed much at all, but it feels like a lifetime has passed since we were last here."

After taking a moment to indulge in reminiscence, Fang Che continued onward, followed closely by Ye Meng.

***

Green Wave City.

The Fang Clan had been going from strength to strength of late.

Shortly after Fang Che's departure, Fang Qianyi made a breakthrough to the Great Grandmaster tier, following which the clan received word of Fang Che's exceptional performance in the new student tournament.

From there, Fang Qingyun began enjoying a period of unprecedented growth, and his phenomenal performance during the second-year examinations had left father in a state of stunned elation.

Fang Qianyi had also been progressing rapidly in her cultivation, reaching the General tier in the short span of just half a year! It was nothing short of a miracle!

The clan had managed to complete its annual quota of missions with ease, and money was rolling in from all of its businesses.

Gone were the days when the Fang Clan had been struggling to hold onto its status as a ninth-tier clan.

Fang Qianyi's courtyard had been expanded to encompass all of the neighboring courtyards, and it had become the most closely guarded place in the Fang Clan as it harbored an important secret.

Fang Che had planted some spirit plants in the courtyard that were capable of drawing in spirit qi prior to his departure, making it an exceptional place to cultivate.

The enhancement effect wasn't all that significant, but for a ninth-tier clan, this was akin to a blessed paradise!

With Fang Qianyi's approval, all of the children of the clan took turns cultivating around the courtyard on a rotating daily roster, but this was a closely guarded secret, and only three children were permitted to enter the courtyard at a time.

Only the children who displayed good behavior and aptitude were granted such a privilege, so all of the children of the Fang Clan were on their best behavior and also working extra hard in their cultivation.

As Fang Che and Ye Meng arrived at the entrance of the Fang Manor, their initial reaction was that they had to have come to the wrong place.

The entrance of the manor was like half a city gate, and Fang Che couldn't help but gawk in astonishment.

Even the walls had been painted a vibrant, new color, and Fang Che didn't recognize the old man serving as the gatekeeper.

"How can I help you, young man?"

"... I'm Fang Che," Fang Che said in a speechless manner, while Ye Meng looked on with an amused smile.