High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Xu Wuyi listened to the conversations, his heart calm and still.

He had bought a ticket for a flight to Linjiang City. The flight was at two in the afternoon, in half an hour.

"Martial Artist Xu."

A voice came from behind him.

Xu Wuyi turned and saw someone unexpected: Feng Zhuohua.

The Deputy Minister of the military department wasn’t in uniform today. Instead, he wore a dark gray Zhongshan suit, looking like an ordinary old man.

He had no entourage and stood alone amidst the crowd, yet he still possessed an aura that was impossible to ignore.

"Minister Feng." Xu Wuyi bowed slightly.

"No need for formalities." Feng Zhuohua waved his hand dismissively and walked to his side, gazing at the airfield outside the window. "Heading back?"

"Yes, back to Linjiang."

"A good place." Feng Zhuohua nodded. "Beautiful mountains and clear waters. Perfect for recuperating."

The two of them fell silent for a moment.

"That old fellow, Flame Venerable, is back too," Feng Zhuohua said suddenly. "He was slightly injured, but it’s not serious. A few months of rest and he’ll be fine. He asked me to tell you to rest well and not rush your Cultivation. The path of Martial Arts is long; a few days won’t make a difference."

"Thank you, Minister Feng."

"Don’t thank me, I’m just the messenger." Feng Zhuohua turned to look at Xu Wuyi, his gaze profound.

"Your performance on the front lines this time did not go unnoticed by the military’s top brass. A twenty-one-year-old at the Innate Level, with battlefield-clearing capabilities comparable to a Grandmaster. Your strategic value assessment has been raised to S-class."

Xu Wuyi said nothing.

"This means that from now on, your safety will be guaranteed by the Federation’s highest level of protection. It means your Cultivation resources will be prioritized to the greatest extent. And it also means... you can no longer act as freely as you used to."

"I understand," Xu Wuyi said.

"Good that you understand." Feng Zhuohua took a small box from his pocket and handed it to him. "One last little gift before you go."

Xu Wuyi took the box and opened it.

Inside was a simple, dark silver badge, engraved in the center with a design of a longsword piercing a star.

On the back of the badge, a line of small text was engraved: Federation Hero · Never Forgotten.

"This isn’t a military service medal. It’s the insignia for the ’Federation Hero’ honorary title." As Feng Zhuohua spoke, he took the box back.

"This is the one I received twenty years ago. Just wanted to let you have a look."

Xu Wuyi was left speechless. "Minister Feng, this..."

"I’m just joking with you." Feng Zhuohua burst out laughing, cutting him off. "You’re so young, why the long face all the time? The war is over, cheer up a bit!"

"The dead are gone. Those who survived must look forward."

Xu Wuyi was silent for a moment, then finally managed a smile and nodded firmly. "I understand, Minister Feng."

Feng Zhuohua clapped him on the shoulder. "Your flight is about to take off. Go on... And I didn’t show you this medal for nothing. If all goes as expected, you’ll be getting one of your own, kid."

With that, he turned and left, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Xu Wuyi stared at his retreating back, dazed for a long while, until the boarding announcement came over the broadcast.

...

The plane flew smoothly through the clouds.

Xu Wuyi sat by the window, watching the sea of clouds rush past.

The cabin was full, mostly with soldiers returning home. The atmosphere was lively; some had even started singing military songs.

He didn’t join in, just watched quietly out the window, but his mood inexplicably lightened.

After a two-hour flight, the plane began its descent.

Through the porthole, the skyline of Linjiang City gradually came into view.

The familiar Dongjiang River flowed through the city, with bridges spanning its banks like silver chains. The downtown skyscrapers gleamed gently in the afternoon sun.

No gunpowder smoke, no sirens, no rippling Energy Shields.

Only peace.

The plane landed at the South Suburb Airport of Linjiang. When the cabin door opened, the humid river breeze, carrying the chill of early winter, rushed in.

Xu Wuyi shouldered his simple bag and followed the crowd down the ramp.

The arrivals hall was packed with people: families holding signs, students in school uniforms, and volunteers waving small flags.

Electronic screens scrolled with the slogan "Welcome Home, Heroes," and a cheerful welcome melody played over the speakers.

Xu Wuyi moved through the crowd without stopping.

He didn’t need anyone to pick him up; his parents should already be waiting at Yunhai Prefecture.

But after a few steps, he stopped and looked back at the tearful embraces in the hall.

Husbands holding their wives tightly, fathers lifting their children high, and white-haired elders tremblingly caressing the scars on their grandchildren’s faces.

Coming back alive was the greatest fortune of all.

Xu Wuyi was suddenly struck by a sense of unreality. From receiving the terrible news at the beginning of the year to the end of the war near the year’s end, it had been less than a year in total.

But to him, it felt like a very, very long time had passed.

He turned and continued on his way.

Leaving the airport, Xu Wuyi didn’t call for a car.

He walked along familiar streets, step by step, toward Yunhai Prefecture. The streets of Linjiang were narrower than Xingjing’s, but they had more character.

The leaves of the plane trees along the road had mostly withered and yellowed, rustling down in the wind.

Snack stalls steamed in the cool air. The uncle selling savory crepes was joking with a regular customer. The bookstore window had a new display, and a few middle school students were gathered outside a game store, discussing a newly released cartridge.

The days of peace were made of such trivial, real moments.

Twenty minutes later, the gate of the Yunhai District residential community appeared before him.

The security guard at the gate recognized him, quickly opened the side gate, and greeted him with a smile, "Mr. Xu is back!"

Xu Wuyi nodded in acknowledgment and entered the community.

Tree-lined paths, well-arranged villas, and the occasional resident walking their dog. Everything was the same as when he left, yet somehow different.

’Perhaps it’s my own state of mind that’s changed.’

He paused when he reached his front door.

The courtyard gate was ajar. From within came the sound of stir-frying and his mother’s faint humming. He pushed the gate open, crossed the small front yard, and stood before the house door.

He didn’t ring the doorbell.

He simply pushed the door open.

In the living room, Father Xu was sitting on the sofa watching the news. Mrs. Xu was busy in the kitchen, the clatter of the spatula against the wok crisp and rhythmic.

"Dad, Mom," Xu Wuyi said.

The sound of stir-frying stopped abruptly.

Mrs. Xu poked her head out of the kitchen, spatula still in hand. A smile instantly bloomed on her face when she saw Xu Wuyi.

"Ah Yi?" She was so happy she couldn’t stop grinning. "You’re back! It’s good that you’re back!"

Father Xu began to smile as well. Of course, Xu Wuyi had already told his parents yesterday that he would be coming home today.

Xu Wuyi put down his backpack and smiled. "The war’s over, so I came back."

Father Xu walked over and clapped his son firmly on the shoulder.

Xu Wuyi looked around their temporary home.

The living room was tidy. A few photos from their old home in Red River hung on the walls. His parents’ usual teacups and a medicine box sat on the coffee table. In the corner were several unopened boxes of luggage.

They had brought those from Red River, originally planning to move back after a short stay.

"Ah Yi, how long can you stay home this time? Does the military... have any other arrangements for you?"

"Not for now," Xu Wuyi said. "The war is over, and the regular troops are all on leave. Unless there’s a special mission, Martial Artists are free to do as they please."

"That’s good." Mrs. Xu placed a bowl of soup in the center of the table and untied her apron. "Come and eat before the food gets cold."

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