Two days and one night later, everyone arrived safely in Changye.
All was peaceful, without incidents or "disaster".
Everyone was in good spirits, even the little orange cat in Gu Shen’s arms seemed lively... except for one person.
Tomb Ghost was extremely listless, his complexion pale as paper, looking indeed like a ghost that had just crawled out of a grave.
To this result, Gu Shen felt a slight surprise.
Based on his previous observations, Tomb Ghost might have neglected his cultivation due to being immersed in experimental research in the Huazhi Underground for years, but he was someone with Extraordinary Abilities... Moreover, the response from Chi Huo was that this guy had always been concealing his clumsiness, his Extraordinary Power was not too weak.
For ordinary people, such a distance might have been tiring.
But it shouldn’t mean much to a Transcendent.
Was it because of the "ominous" state enveloping him?
Anyway... his own conjecture had been confirmed, as long as he ensured that Tomb Ghost was unlucky, then most likely, he himself would not be affected.
Gu Nanfeng said in a soft voice as the off-road vehicle dove down from a high point on a mountain road. From this height, looking out into the distance, one could faintly see a grand city shrouded in snow, different from the neon lights of Da Du at night. Jiangbei’s first major district had an air of simplicity and ancientness.
From several tens of miles away.
One felt that the giant city was very quiet.
Snowflakes drifted through the night sky, scattered by the headlights and blown away by Lan Qie, momentarily dazzling as if they were fireflies.
Such snowiness in Da Du would be considered significant, but in Changye, it was ordinary.
This was the first time that Gu Shen saw the true face of Changye.
For him, it was a city that only existed on the network of the Five Continents, as well as in maps. According to the books, this was a "magnificent city", enriched with the profound and long-standing culture of the East Continent. In the records that could be retrieved from Deep Sea, there was no account of how Changye had been established. This magnificent city had long stood upon the ancient ruins of human civilization and blossomed with its own brilliance.
In the beginning, "Changye" was built with huge ancient stone walls. Due to the cold climate of Jiangbei, snowing throughout the year, these giant walls were thought to be constructed to defend against the severe cold, hence they were also known as "Snow Forbidden City".
As civilization progressed and the district expanded, the East Continent Federation started "expanding", and Changye was no longer just a giant city fenced by walls on all sides. It gradually became the largest district of Jiangbei, building skyscrapers outside the giant walls. Although the ancient city ruins were preserved, they were different from the old city district of Da Du.
The Snow Forbidden City thrived mightily.
It featured architecture that was ancient only in style, preserving the historical culture of the past, and not out of touch with the times like the old city district of Da Du... because within the giant walls, there were condensed the most elite and core parts of the East Continent Federation.
Judgement Institute, Judicial Court, Command Center, East Continent Federation Security Committee... these massive entities established in the new era chose to base themselves within the Snow Forbidden City, ensuring the operational core of the entire East Continent Council was in Changye.
If Da Du is the "economic heart" of the East Continent, then Changye is the undisputed "political center".
"There’s an aircraft approaching."
The orange cat meowed.
"...It’s not just an aircraft, but also convoys and Transcendents, a lot of them," echoed in Gu Shen’s head the voice of Chu Ling, as a three-dimensional image appeared before his eyes. Without having to alert him, Gu Nanfeng murmured to himself, "After being away for so long, the folks in Changye sure maintain their warmth..."
The off-road vehicle stopped progressing and merely turned on its headlights before honking once.
There was the sound of helicopter blades and the crushing roar of a fleet of vehicles in the distance.
The snow was scattered apart.
The helicopter slowly descended a hoist, and in the illumination of the strong lights, a bulky young man wrapped in a heavy coat didn’t descend by the hoist but leaped down directly, landing with a splash on the wet ground, causing a large splatter of mud.
The man didn’t care and walked briskly forward, his military boots stomping.
"Don’t worry, they’re our own people."
Seeing this scene, Gu Nanfeng chuckled softly and said, "Everyone, get off."
The man who had leapt from the helicopter, who was hulking like a mound of flesh, walked forward with a bellow of laughter and heavy steps, hugging Gu Nanfeng fiercely... The scene was impactful, it was almost concerning whether the frail frame of the Gu family’s future Young Master would be crumbled into the flesh.
"Fatty, long time no see."
Gu Nanfeng patted the back of Fatty with force. While saying these words, his eyes reddened slightly. He took a deep breath, reining in the complexity of being away from home for many years, and after the bear hug, his expression returned to normal.
Gu Nanfeng introduced with a smile, "Luo Yu, the current central Commander of Changye Command Center, in charge of deploying special operations groups and planning their missions... He is an absolute core of the Changye Command Center."
"These are friends I made in Da Du... Lu Nanjin, Gu Shen." Similarly, Gu Nanfeng introduced to Luo Yu with a smile, "They are disciples under the Grand Judge of Judgement Institute."
Luo Yu studied Lu Nanjin and Gu Shen.
Gu Shen also observed Luo Yu closely.