Chapter Fifty-Seven: Returning Home

Chapter 57: Coming Home

At the exit of Portland City’s high-speed rail station, a young man with a handsome, short haircut, dressed in a deep blue trench coat and wearing sunglasses, stepped out with a pack slung over his shoulder. Trailing behind him was a beautiful woman adorned with animal-ear earrings, a pink fitted jacket, a black leather skirt, bare-leg tights, and snow boots. The pair instantly drew more than a few lingering glances.

“Master, is this your hometown?” Dreamfox asked excitedly, taking in the scene outside the station. She had thought Ice Soul Town was already a bustling city, but compared to Portland, it was clearly small and provincial. If she ever saw a metropolis like Hyde Castle, her worldview would certainly be shattered anew.

Xia Zheng inhaled the long-missed air of his hometown. Though it was brisk, for someone who had braved the Great Snow Mountain, this chill felt almost comforting.

He didn’t go home immediately. Instead, he hailed a cab to the local branch of the Professional League, submitting all his mission materials, photos, videos, and, most importantly, the three medicinal herbs. He dared not keep those herbs any longer than necessary, worried their quality might degrade.

The staff member receiving the materials had dealt with higher-ranked Awakened before, and seen even rarer ingredients and stranger, more terrifying evidence. Yet, to see a mere C-rank Awakened complete one C+ mission and three B-rank missions in succession was still astonishing.

Checking Xia Zheng’s registration, they saw he’d only joined half a year before—a novice who had risen from E to C rank in a short time. The local branch dared not be negligent. When the information was forwarded to League headquarters, there was an immediate response. Even one of the League’s Twelve Stewards commented that Xia Zheng’s evaluation should be given priority, though not handled hastily.

Thus, Xia Zheng didn’t receive an instant promotion for turning in his missions. He was told to go home and await the League’s careful verification and final decision.

Xia Zheng accepted this easily enough. After all, these missions could not be verified overnight—especially those involving beasts like the Fei and Wadsworth, and the medicinal herbs still required testing.

“All right, thank you for your trouble,” he said, leaving the League hall with Dreamfox and finally heading home.

His parents already knew he was coming back and were quite excited. After all, they hadn’t seen their son in over half a year and missed him dearly. They often said a son grew wings and flew away as he matured—a feeling that left them both proud and lost, a complex blend of emotions.

The family still lived in the same old neighborhood; his parents couldn’t bear to leave after decades among their neighbors. Xia Zheng understood their attachment to the familiar, so he simply purchased the full rights to their old apartment and spent over a hundred thousand renovating it. Now, inside, it looked virtually new.

As they entered the neighborhood, many recognized Xia Zheng, calling out warm greetings. The community committee elders especially took pride in having such a distinguished alumnus among them. Xia Zheng was a local celebrity—though many had forgotten the details over the months, his home neighborhood remembered well. Parents still cited him as a model for their children, bringing him up often. Few knew of his current status as an Awakened, and even those who did didn’t really understand; most remembered him for his stellar performance in the professional exams.

Dreamfox, walking beside him, became the center of attention. Many elders remarked that Xia Zheng had grown up and even brought home a girlfriend.

Though Dreamfox didn’t fully grasp what “girlfriend” meant, the good-natured teasing from those around them made it clear enough—it was akin to a lover. She felt both flattered and delighted, with no impulse to deny the assumption. Xia Zheng kept trying to explain, but everyone saw it as a halfhearted protest.

Once home, his mother couldn’t hold back her tears; a scene replaying itself across Portland as students returned from distant universities for the new year, mothers embracing their children with a mix of reproach and joy.

Dreamfox’s arrival delighted Xia Zheng’s parents. They took her hand and bombarded her with questions, making her a bit nervous. Thankfully, she had crammed plenty of modern knowledge in recent days, and with a clever mind and centuries of experience, she managed just fine.

That evening, the family New Year’s Eve dinner reached its peak. A hotpot, rice cakes, fish, stewed chicken—an entire table laden with delicious food. Dreamfox was practically drooling, eating with great gusto.

His parents were clearly fond of Dreamfox. They always found the idea of their son marrying into the aristocratic Nalan family unrealistic, feeling the pressure of such a match. A simple family like theirs couldn’t help feeling daunted by the prospect.

For parents, the New Year’s Eve dinner and a united family was the ultimate wish. But Xia Zheng knew that it was not yet a time for the whole Federation to truly celebrate; only the recovery of Evernight City would bring real national jubilation.

At midnight, fireworks filled the sky and bells rang in the New Year. Xia Zheng was officially a year older—though his actual birthday had already passed while he was on the Great Snow Mountain, making him nineteen. Still, this New Year’s feeling was unlike any other. Dreamfox had never experienced a Spring Festival; even when she’d visited the human world centuries ago, it hadn’t been anything like this. She realized she had fallen in love with the human world and never wanted to return to her cold, lonely cave.

“What’s wrong? Are you not comfortable at my home?” Xia Zheng asked, noticing Dreamfox’s cheeks streaked with tears.

She shook her head, wiped her face, and replied, “Master, I’m just a little emotional.”

“Yaoyao, your cultivation has lasted far longer than mine, longer even than the history of our entire nation. I may be unworthy as a junior, but I still want to say: Immortality is not the goal of cultivation, but the pursuit of this world’s essence. Our meeting and journey together is fate itself. I want to see what kind of view awaits at the end of the path.” Xia Zheng handed Dreamfox a glass of red wine. Tonight, the entire nation drank in celebration.

But what Xia Zheng did not expect was that after just one glass of wine, Dreamfox became drunk, returned to her true form, and shed her clothing in the process. Xia Zheng hurriedly scooped up both her and her clothes, carrying her to his bedroom and tucking her under the covers.

Their apartment had only two bedrooms and a living room—no spare room. At that moment, Xia Zheng resolved to buy a larger home, one with at least three bedrooms.

Later, his parents asked where Dreamfox had gone. Xia Zheng could only say she’d had too much to drink and was sleeping it off in the bedroom.

“You rascal, Yaoyao is a good girl. You must take responsibility. I think she’s perfect as my daughter-in-law.” His mother tugged his ear in admonishment.

“We’re not like that, Mom, don’t say such things,” Xia Zheng pleaded.

His father scoffed, “Be a man, don’t be timid. I think Yaoyao’s a fine girl. We’ve never even met the Nalan family’s daughter, and those highborn clans may not care for ordinary folk like us, anyway.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Xia Zheng replied, slipping into his room to escape their matchmaking zeal.

Just then, his phone lit up with a video call from Nalan Sheng.

He sat at the desk and answered. Nalan Sheng’s sweet face appeared, her tone affectionate as she called him “big brother.”

The sound made Xia Zheng’s bones melt; he’d never realized a woman’s voice could be so alluring, more so than any visual charm.

“Did you miss me, big brother?” Nalan Sheng asked a bit shyly.

“I did,” Xia Zheng replied with a chuckle.

They talked late into the night, until a woman’s soft murmur drifted from Xia Zheng’s room, abruptly interrupting them.

He immediately sensed the dangerous shift in Nalan Sheng’s gaze on the screen, almost as if a chill of jealousy emanated from her.

“Is there another woman in your room?” Her voice was suddenly cold.

With a sigh, Xia Zheng went to his bed, lifted the covers, and revealed a lovely silver fox sleeping soundly, yawning and mumbling in a human-like voice.

“Oh, how adorable…” Nalan Sheng exhaled in relief; she’d nearly been scared out of her wits, fearing Xia Zheng had found someone else.

Covering the fox again, Xia Zheng returned to the desk and explained, “I met her during my training on the Great Snow Mountain. She’s not a pet, but a member of the fox demon clan. I’ll explain everything when I see you in Dannute City this spring—she’s rather special.”

“Big brother, you’re teasing me. I’m not that gullible,” Nalan Sheng pouted coquettishly. They exchanged kisses through the screen before hanging up.

Xia Zheng set down his phone, still basking in the sweetness of their conversation, his chin propped on one hand, gazing upward in a thoughtful pose.

Unknowingly, dawn approached. Xia Zheng drew the curtains, feeling drowsy, slipped off his clothes, and crawled under the covers, hugging something soft and warm as he fell asleep.

The next day, his mother knocked to wake him for lunch, and only after he replied did she leave.

Yawning, Xia Zheng woke to a heavy feeling on his body. Groping about, he realized he was pressed against something smooth, supple, and full. His eyes flew open to find Dreamfox beside him, watching him with a seductive gaze—completely naked.

“Did… did anything happen?” Xia Zheng asked in shock.

Dreamfox snuggled closer, hugging him tightly. “Master, if you want something to happen, Yaoyao won’t refuse.”

Overwhelmed by the sensation of being in a beautiful woman’s arms, Xia Zheng mustered all his will to wriggle out of bed, hurriedly dressing and fleeing the room.

Soon after, Dreamfox calmly dressed herself, even applying makeup, transforming into a refined, classically elegant woman to join the family for lunch.

His parents grew more pleased with her the more they looked, though they couldn’t help but feel slightly puzzled and disapproving of her constant earrings. Overall, however, they were very satisfied.

After lunch, Xia Zheng received a call from his classmate Chen Xiu, inviting him to a class reunion that afternoon. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so it was a good opportunity to catch up.

Xia Zheng agreed, packed up, and brought his backpack—inside were many valuable materials, some truly rare. He was considering investing his own money to start a pharmaceutical research company with Chen Xiu, curious about its prospects.

Dreamfox wanted to come along, but his mother invited her to go shopping, and his father planned a mahjong game with friends. So, with everyone occupied, Dreamfox stayed behind.

Carrying his half-person-high pack and still in his trench coat, Xia Zheng hailed a taxi to the venue for today’s reunion—the Haosheng Club.