"Two of these cakes, please."

Lu Yuan stood before a stall, pointing at the golden cakes sizzling in the oil pan.

While the owner scooped out the cakes, drained the oil, and bagged them, Lu Yuan took out his phone. He filmed a short video of the oil pan and the alleys flanking the stall, then sent it to his mother, Zheng Qiuling.

"Twenty."

Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment at the price but scanned the QR code to pay anyway.

Accepting the piping hot cakes, still scorching through the paper bag, he took a bite. The filling of egg, green pepper, and pork was a small comfort.

After all, it's a scenic spot, so it's expected to be a bit expensive.

He was currently in a place called Little West Gate, located in the western part of Weishan City.

Several bustling pedestrian streets nearby were interwoven with old city walls and ancient architecture, creating a hybrid commercial and scenic area.

Lu Yuan tried to stick to less crowded paths.

Weishan City's main tourist draws were its "ancient history and martial arts culture." Old houses, remnants from the last century, were visible almost everywhere.

In the narrow alleys, the shops on both sides had all been renovated.

Red and yellow signboards, resembling the banners of escort agencies, proclaimed names like "King's Cake," "Li's Sugar Figurines," "Dragon Door Restaurant," and "Best Noodles in the World."

The King's Cake Lu Yuan had just bought was a traditional snack unique to Weishan.

The recipe and ingredients were actually quite ordinary; its fame came from the historical anecdotes behind the cake.

Lu Yuan had no interest in learning about them. After finishing the last bite, he took a photo and sent it to his mother with the caption: Delicious! (thumbs up)

He scrolled up through his chat history and saw he'd already sent his mother quite a few videos and photos that morning. That should be enough to satisfy her.

He then thought about randomly finding a place to have a meal, post about it on his Circle of Friends, and then head back.

Suddenly, a new message popped up on Lu Yuan's phone—

From his older sister, Lu Jing.

"Yuan, I'm on the plane. I'll be in Sucuan soon. I'm transferring to Burnt Rock tomorrow and should arrive around nine in the morning."

Lu Yuan's eyes widened slightly as he read the message.

Lu Jing was coming back? Wasn't it supposed to be later this month? Why so early?

Still, it was good that Lu Jing could come back early; he felt more at ease.

Sucuan... Sucuan isn't too far from Weishan, is it...

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then made a call.

"Uncle Liu, could you please book me the earliest ticket to Sucuan?"

「....」

「Three o'clock in the afternoon. Sucuan Airport.」

Not long after a plane landed, a stream of people surged from the security checkpoint near the airport exit.

Among them, three figures laden with bags and pushing suitcases slowly emerged with the crowd: two women and one man.

One woman wore a light blue windbreaker and a brown adventure hat. She was dark and slender, with delicate features.

The other wore a black, tight-fitting tank top that showcased her curvaceous figure and healthy, wheat-colored skin. Her hair was slightly curled, sunglasses perched on her forehead, and she seemed more cheerful and energetic.

The bespectacled, dark-skinned man behind the woman in the tank top seemed to be hauling most of their luggage. She only carried a backpack and kept looking around as she walked, as if searching for someone.

"Let's just wait here," the woman in the tank top said, leading the other two to a spot away from the exiting crowd. She sighed. "My boyfriend probably isn't here yet."

The bespectacled man, staggering like an overburdened tortoise, finally set down the various bags. He let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and mumbled, "Finally, we're back.

"For the next half-month, I swear, if I see even one grain of sand, I'll throw up.

I think I've actually developed 'Desert Traumatic Stress Disorder'..."

The man rambled on, his disposition seemingly a bit timid.

Lu Jing, who had been staring at her phone the entire journey, lowered it and said hesitantly to the woman in the tank top, "Xinlei, maybe I shouldn't stay an extra day in Sucuan..."

Before she could finish, Wu Xinlei, the woman in the tank top, cut her off anxiously, "Didn't we already agree? Why the change of heart? Are you still thinking about what happened in Xixu?"

Wu Xinlei stared into Lu Jing's eyes.

Lu Jing looked down, her gaze evasive as if a painful memory had surfaced. She pursed her lips tightly and shook her head. "No..."

"Still saying no." Wu Xinlei sighed, then stepped forward with a look of concern, gently hugging Lu Jing. "Don't be scared, Lu Jing. We're not in Xixu anymore. There's no sand everywhere here, nor are there monsters suddenly popping out of it... Isn't that all resolved? It's all in the past. We're in Sucuan now, in the city. We're safe."

"But didn't those people say... two of them escaped? You were there, you heard it too." Lu Jing's eyes flashed with unease, darting nervously from side to side as if guarding against something.

"Actually... I'm pretty traumatized too. I've been having nightmares every night for the past few days, I can barely sleep..." a faint voice came from the bespectacled man nearby.

"Oh, shut up. Your snoring was the loudest on the plane," Wu Xinlei snapped, then turned to Lu Jing with a serious expression. "That's why I want you to stay with me for a few more days. Don't you remember? I told you my boyfriend's family runs a martial arts school. They have an ancestral acupuncture technique that's incredibly effective for calming the mind and spirit. It's perfect for you right now..."

"Xinlei, your boyfriend practices martial arts?" the bespectacled man, Xue Jian, interjected with a click of his tongue. "No wonder your skin has improved so much since you started dating him..."

"Xue Jian, are you looking for a beating?" Wu Xinlei raised her hand threateningly. Xue Jian flinched and immediately fell silent.

"My boyfriend has a professional ninth-dan certificate..." A hint of pride touched Wu Xinlei's face. She gestured with her hands, "I've seen him bend a solid steel rod *this* thick with his bare hands..."

"A professional ninth dan, huh?" Xue Jian pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression exaggerated. "That *is* impressive. The coach at that combat class I signed up for was only a professional first dan..."

"That's nothing. He says he can even dodge bullets."

"That's stretching it a bit. Why doesn't he just say he can tear a Mecha apart with his bare hands? Like those ones we saw in the desert..."

"I can't be bothered to argue with you." Wu Xinlei rolled her eyes, then put an arm around Lu Jing, continuing to reassure her. "Listen to me, stay with us for a couple more days. Don't rush home. You're afraid those monsters will come after you, right? Staying with martial arts practitioners like them has to be safer than you being home alone, right? Wait until you're absolutely sure it's all over before you go home."

Lu Jing hesitated. Suddenly, her phone pinged, and she looked down to check it.

Wu Xinlei was about to press her further when a gentle voice called from behind, "Xinlei."

Turning, she saw a tall young man standing behind them, having appeared unnoticed.

The young man had neat, short hair and a strong physique. He wore gold-trimmed glasses. Behind the clear lenses, his gaze was as sharp as a blade, making one feel as if their skin was being pricked.

Even standing still, an invisible power field seemed to emanate from him. Despite the bustling crowd in the airport terminal, everyone instinctively steered clear of him, creating a conspicuous empty space around him.

"Zhihua!" The moment Wu Xinlei saw the young man, her eyes lit up. Like a swallow returning to its nest, she flew into his embrace.

The young man smiled and hugged her tightly.

After a brief, tender moment, they separated. With one arm still around Wu Xinlei, the young man extended his other hand towards Lu Jing and the bespectacled man. "Hello," he said with a smile. "I'm Sun Zhihua, Xinlei's boyfriend."

"You... Hello." Lu Jing and the other man were clearly taken aback by Sun Zhihua's imposing aura and became visibly nervous.

After brief introductions, Sun Zhihua quickly ushered them to leave, effortlessly taking most of their luggage.

The bespectacled man watched Sun Zhihua effortlessly carry several heavy suitcases while chatting cheerfully with Wu Xinlei up ahead. He leaned closer to Lu Jing and whispered, "Now I'm starting to believe Xinlei when she said her boyfriend can dodge bullets... Xinlei's boyfriend has such an intense aura. It's like he's a different species. Seeing him now... it's almost like that feeling I got when I first saw those monsters in Xixu..."

"Keep your voice down! What if he hears you?" Lu Jing had just warned Xue Jian when she noticed the footsteps ahead of them stop.

They instinctively looked up. Sun Zhihua, who had been laughing and talking with Wu Xinlei, had halted. He had set their luggage aside and was now squinting in a particular direction, his entire being radiating a dangerous aura, like a wild beast.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Xue Jian looked at Wu Xinlei in confusion, as did Lu Jing.

Wu Xinlei, however, just shook her head silently.

"There's a master," Sun Zhihua said suddenly. "A very formidable master... And it looks like he's heading straight for you three."

"What?!" The three of them exclaimed in shock.

They quickly followed Sun Zhihua's gaze.

Amidst the bustling crowd, a figure was unhurriedly walking towards them.

He was a very young man, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and khaki casual pants. Tall and exceptionally well-proportioned, he had handsome features and a calm gaze.

With just one look, the three of them knew this had to be the "master" Sun Zhihua was talking about.

His entrance was almost identical to Sun Zhihua's. The sheer, overwhelming pressure that emanated from him immediately brought one thought to their minds—this man was definitely the same kind of person as Sun Zhihua!

"Well, this is interesting..." Sun Zhihua squinted at the young man walking directly towards them. A slight smile played on his lips as he slowly removed his glasses. "I didn't expect to encounter such a young Martial Arts master in Sucuan..." he murmured. "It's been a long time since I last had a proper match. Looks like today's the day..."

Saying this, Sun Zhihua casually handed his glasses to Wu Xinlei beside him, telling her to stand well back.

Wu Xinlei looked a little nervous. "Be careful," she couldn't help but urge.

Sun Zhihua smiled and patted her hand, an immense sense of calm and confidence radiating from him. "Don't worry. When I fight, it's always the other guy who needs to be careful..."

As Sun Zhihua spoke, he lightly stretched his arms and legs, and a series of crisp cracking sounds echoed from his powerful frame.

Just as the legendary battle between Martial Arts masters seemed about to erupt, the bespectacled man eagerly pulled out his phone, ready to record.

At that very moment, a slightly panicked voice cried out.

"Wait! Don't fight! That person... I think that's my younger brother! He's here to pick me up!"

"Uh..."

「........」

"Moon Shadow Sect, Sun Zhihua."

Lu Yuan calmly regarded the short-haired young man who extended a hand in greeting. After a brief pause, he reached out and lightly clasped it. "Crane Sect, Lu Yuan," he replied.

Is this how people in the Martial Arts Circle greet each other? This was a first for Lu Yuan; he hadn't learned about such customs from Master Liudao Yuan.

He hadn't expected to run into a genuine martial arts practitioner from an established sect, and a formidable one at that—possibly stronger than Xiao Mubai—just by picking up his sister Lu Jing from the airport.

"Crane Sect? Which Crane Sect?" Sun Zhihua couldn't help but frown slightly at Lu Yuan's response. "The Crane Sect from Eastern Sichuan? Or the Crane Sect of Wangjiang in the Central North?"

Lu Yuan couldn't be bothered to explain. "Something like that... either works, I guess," he replied casually.

Then, leaving a thoroughly perplexed Sun Zhihua, he turned to Lu Jing. She was blushing furiously, still reeling from Wu Xinlei's teasing remarks: "How could you not even recognize your own brother?" and "Did the sun in Xixu fry your brain?" Lu Yuan looked at his sister and said calmly and firmly, "Sis, I'm here to take you home. Now."

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