Lin Feng finished the paperwork at Headquarters, received his new Commission Card and access token, and didn't linger in the Provincial Capital.
He calculated the time.
At a full run, it would take four hours to get from the Provincial Capital to his hometown, Ping'an County.
He could make use of the time difference and go home to see his little sister.
With the pace of a Martial Ancestor in the fourth stage, combined with his perfected Lost Trace Step, he was even faster than an ordinary military off-road vehicle.
He hadn't been home in several months.
Before leaving, he sent Xiao Yu a message.
"Your brother will be there tomorrow. Don't go wandering around."
He didn't get a reply.
Lin Feng checked the time. It was eleven at night.
Xiao Yu should be asleep.
He didn't think much of it. With Mountain Splitter on his back, he left the Provincial Capital and ran south along the road.
There weren't many people out.
Now and then, a few trucks roared past him, their drivers unable to make out even his shadow.
At three in the morning, he reached the outskirts of Ping'an County.
Standing at the head of the bridge at the county entrance, Lin Feng looked down.
The river beneath the bridge was still as murky as ever, and the makeshift shacks on both banks were still packed together in a dense sprawl.
This place hadn't changed at all.
He checked his phone.
Xiao Yu still hadn't replied.
Her most recent Moments post was from three days ago: a photo of the school canteen, captioned, "The food's not bad today."
Lin Feng put away his phone and headed toward Xiao Yu's school.
Ping'an County No. 3 Middle School.
Lin Feng had attended Martial Arts High School, but Xiao Yu