Huaxia Compatriots

"I'm from Huaxia." Bai Pu nodded.

"Ha, so you really are a compatriot! My surname's Mu. What should I call you, little brother?" Old Mu asked with a smile.

"Just call me Little Bai, Uncle." Bai Pu could sense that Uncle Mu bore him no ill will.

"Alright, Little Bai."

Old Mu turned his head and said, "My lords Guardian, I'll pay this young man's passage fee for him."

"Sure, Old Mu. Quite generous of you." The tall guardian waved dismissively. "You can take this guy off our hands. Saves me the trouble of notifying the shelter."

The short guardian added, "Kid, count yourself lucky. The shelter isn't a nice place."

"But I don't have a Spirit Avoidance Mark..." Bai Pu was still worried.

"Don't worry, Little Bai. I've got a Spirit Avoidance Mark on me. As long as we stay in contact, its effect will work on you too... It's like sharing an umbrella—getting a little crowded for a while is no big deal." Uncle Mu patted Bai Pu on the shoulder.

"...Alright. Thank you, Uncle Mu. I'll pay you back later."

"Talk about it when you have money. And no need to thank me. How many Huaxia people have I run into over all these years? It's fate." Old Mu switched off the translator, and a somewhat mixed-up Northeastern accent slipped from his mouth.

The moment Bai Pu stepped through the metal gateway of the Star Gate barrier, he felt an immense pressure squeezing in from every direction.

However, as that pressure reached him, it slid away against an invisible protective membrane. In the end, less than a tenth of it actually fell on Bai Pu.

Even a low-level Awakened could have endured it without issue, though it would have caused some slight discomfort. For someone as