High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

At nine o’clock the next morning, Chen Mo arrived on time to pick them up.

Xu Wuyi and his parents got into the car and headed to the first property viewing.

Shanshui Manor was located in East City, nestled by a mountain and near the water. The environment was truly beautiful. The detached villa occupied nearly 500 square meters. It had three stories, a basement, exquisite decorations, and even a small garden in the backyard.

"The basement can be converted into a Cultivation Room. The walls have already been soundproofed and reinforced," the sales manager explained. "The community’s security is handled by a team that works with the military, and they patrol twenty-four hours a day."

Looking at the spacious living room, Mrs. Xu seemed a bit intimidated. "This... it’s too big, isn’t it?"

"It’s not too big. It’s just right," Xu Wuyi said. "The Cultivation Room is a necessity. As for the other rooms, all that matters is that you and Dad are comfortable living here."

The second property, Jinghu Gardens, was in the north of the city. Built by a lake, the scenery was beautiful. The townhouse was slightly smaller, but its layout was well-designed, with a balcony that faced the lake and offered an expansive view.

The third property, Fenglin Retreat, was in the western suburbs. It was a new development with the most comprehensive amenities, including a dedicated Martial Arts Training Ground, a medical center, and even a small library.

By the time they had seen all three properties, it was noon.

On the drive back, Xu Wuyi asked, "Dad, Mom, which one did you like?"

Father Xu and Mrs. Xu exchanged a glance. Mrs. Xu said quietly, "They’re all very nice... they’re just too expensive."

"Money really isn’t an issue," Xu Wuyi explained patiently. "The merits I earned on the front lines, when converted to Federation Coins, are more than enough to buy any of these houses. If you don’t pick one, I’ll just buy all of them."

Father Xu was silent for a moment before saying, "Let’s go with Shanshui Manor. The basement can be converted into a Cultivation Room, which will help your Cultivation. The backyard is spacious, too. Your mom can plant some flowers."

Xu Wuyi looked at his mother. "Mom, what do you think?"

Mrs. Xu nodded. "I’ll go with what your father says."

"Alright, Shanshui Manor it is," Xu Wuyi said to Chen Mo. "Lieutenant Colonel Chen, I’ll have to trouble you to handle the paperwork. We’ll pay in full. Also, I want the basement converted into a Cultivation Room built to the highest specifications. I’ll cover those costs separately."

"Understood." Chen Mo nodded. "The engineering robots are already on standby. We can complete the property transfer and the renovations within three days."

"Thank you for your hard work."

The car drove back to their old neighborhood.

That afternoon, Xu Wuyi began to pack.

There wasn’t much to pack, really. They didn’t plan on taking most of the old furniture, just a few items with sentimental value.

Mrs. Xu packed up photo albums, a half-finished sweater, and a tea set they had used for years. Father Xu sorted through his books and tools.

"The new house has everything. These old things... they’ll just take up space if we bring them," Mrs. Xu said, stroking the tea set, clearly reluctant to part with it.

"Mom, if you want to bring them, then bring them," Xu Wuyi said. "The new house is big enough. There’s plenty of room."

That evening, Chen Mo sent a message. The paperwork was being processed, and the renovation team would be on-site the next day. He estimated they could move in in five days.

When Xu Wuyi told his parents, they both seemed a little dazed.

"So fast?" Father Xu asked.

"The military is highly efficient," Xu Wuyi said. "We’ll stay here for the next few days and move once everything over there is ready."

After dinner, Xu Wuyi went out alone for a slow walk through the Red River City District.

The shops lining the streets were brightly lit, and pedestrians bustled back and forth. Couples strolled hand in hand, parents bought snacks for their children, and old folks sat on benches, chatting.

The dim yellow glow of the streetlights stretched Xu Wuyi’s shadow long behind him.

He walked alone through the familiar streets of the old district, his pace unhurried. He didn’t deliberately extend his senses, simply letting the surrounding clamor wash over him like an ordinary person.

The time-honored pastry shop on the street corner still had its lights on, and the proprietress was cleaning up her stall.

In front of the convenience store next door, a few teenagers who looked like middle school students were gathered, excitedly discussing a popular Martial Arts tournament on the StarNet. Their voices were filled with aspiration.

As Xu Wuyi walked past, he vaguely overheard words like "Honghe First Middle School" and "Linjiang."

The boys’ crisp, energetic voices made him momentarily recall himself from a few years ago.

’Time is a strange thing.’

In just a few short years, he had gone from an ordinary Martial Arts Student who couldn’t even meet the minimum score for university admission to where he was today—

one of the Federation’s youngest Quasi-Grandmasters, his name inscribed on the Feathered People’s Blood Sacrifice Order, a list of targets to be hunted down. He had left a record of achievements on the front lines worthy of being written into textbooks.

’I wonder how the classmates I used to strive alongside are doing now?’

Xu Wuyi stopped walking.

Not far ahead, a few tables of customers were gathered around a barbecue stall that was still open for business. Oily smoke billowed up into the light, and the aroma of cumin and chili powder, mingled with the malty scent of beer, drifted on the night breeze.

At the outermost table, a slightly heavyset young man in a plaid shirt sat with his back to the street. He held a barbecue skewer in one hand and gestured with the other as he spoke.

Across from him sat a young woman with a ponytail, her chin resting in her hand. She listened with a smile, nodding occasionally.

That back was all too familiar.

Xu Wuyi stood where he was, watching for a few seconds as the corners of his mouth turned up into an unconscious smile. He didn’t approach immediately, instead waiting in the shadows of a streetlight until the young man seemed to be finishing his story before he started walking over.

"...so I told my manager, ’This data model has to be wrong.’ He didn’t believe me, but the next day, we got feedback from the client, and ha! I was right on the money!"

Zhou Heng was speaking with great animation. He took a big swig of beer and was about to continue when he caught sight of someone stopping by their table out of the corner of his eye.

He instinctively turned his head, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze.

Zhou Heng’s eyes went wide, and the skewer in his hand nearly fell onto the table. He blinked, then rubbed his eyes hard. After confirming he wasn’t hallucinating, he shot to his feet, the chair legs screeching across the concrete.

"Ah Yi?!"

His voice was filled with incredulous joy.

Xu Wuyi smiled. "Long time no see."

"Holy shit! It’s really you!" Zhou Heng came around the table and grabbed Xu Wuyi’s arm, looking him up and down. "When did you get back? Why didn’t you say anything?!"

His voice was as loud as ever, drawing the attention of customers at the surrounding tables. But it was late and the streetlights were dim, so no one recognized Xu Wuyi.

"I just got back today," Xu Wuyi said, letting his friend hold onto him. "I had dinner with my parents and came out for a walk."

"And you just happened to walk here? This is fate!" Zhou Heng slapped him hard on the shoulder, then remembered his manners and quickly pulled him toward the table.

"Come on, come on, sit down and talk! Hey, owner! Another set of chopsticks and a bowl! And bring us twenty more lamb skewers, ten kidney skewers, and..."

"That’s enough, that’s enough," Xu Wuyi said, exasperated, as Zhou Heng pushed him down onto a plastic stool.

The young woman across from Zhou Heng had also stood up and was looking at Xu Wuyi with curiosity.

"Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Lu Weiwei." Zhou Heng scratched his head, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. "Weiwei, this is the guy I’m always telling you about—my high school deskmate, Xu Wuyi."

Lu Weiwei’s eyes lit up, and she quickly extended her hand. "Hello, Martial Artist Xu! I’ve heard Zhou Heng talk about you all the time. He said that back in the day, you two..."

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