Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The car window opened. Gao Peng narrowed his eyes against the cold breeze blowing inside. Wrapped around his shoulder, Xiao Cao stuck its head outside the window, its black and white striped crown becoming messed up due to the wind.
At first, he had thought that in the three years that had passed since the suppression of Earth Star, he would have advanced to Emperor-tier, but he had never expected to still remain in the King-tier.
Gao Peng was finally returning to Earth Star after spending too long in the Black Fog World. His return was mainly because his grandfather was getting older, and he wanted to spend time with him, though it was also an excuse for him to see if there were any threats surrounding the Southern Sky Group.
However, Gao Peng had been forced to leave most of his monsters in either his familiar space or the Black Fog World. Only Xiao Cao, Nan Ju, Bei Zhi, Xiao Hua, and Moneymaker had followed him to Earth Star.
Even Silly, who could only yell “666” during battles and served as a backdrop, had recently found a two-ton Spatial Spirit Stone in the Windstorm Sea, and when Gao Peng had left, it had been trying to break through to Emperor-tier, though he didn’t know whether it had succeeded or not.
That big-headed fish was a spy through and through, because it always came back with news from the grapevine. It made Gao Peng feel like the sea was his backyard, and it took Gao Peng around the vast seas picking up scraps. Gao Peng’s monsters could advance so quickly largely due to the Big Fat Fish. Though Gao Peng could no longer remember the exact amount, he knew Big Fat Fish had also helped with the ten percent recovery of the Great Altar Cutter.
“This is the entrance to the group?” Gao Peng couldn’t believe what he was seeing—it was a 300-foot-tall grand gate made with white columns and blue tiles. It looked like the entrance to a palace, and three gleaming words were carved above the gate—Southern Sky Gate.
There was a huge white python the size of a water tank winding itself around a column. Its white scales were elegant and realistic, and it was even flicking its tongue out.
The factories had been moved. Now, this area contained the headquarters, employees’ residences, and a training center. There were people in battle suits speed walking with their monsters, and there were also people in casual outfits strolling and chatting with their children.
No one knew that Gao Peng, who had been overseas for three years, would return that day. Only Ji Hanwu had been informed beforehand, and he was waiting for him at home.
From afar, Gao Peng saw a tall man waiting by the door. Though his hair had turned gray, he was still bright and cheerful.
“You’re back.” Gao Peng’s grandfather smiled, the edges of his eyes wrinkling. He took hold of his grandson’s elbow and looked at him. “You’ve lost some weight, but you look more energetic now.”
Ji Hanwu pulled Gao Peng into the house. “You haven’t been eating well there, have you? Faster, come in. I’ve made your favorite kelp rib soup.”
Once inside the mansion, Gao Peng glanced towards the hall. On a couch next to the windows sat a lady in a white linen shirt and light blue jeans. The warm light shined onto her long black hair, making her look like she had a golden halo, and there was a slight smile on her fair face.
Upon seeing Gao Peng, Bei Qing Yan looked utterly shocked, but immediately, she withdrew her gaze, stood up, and closed her book, preparing to leave.
Grandfather asked her to stay. “Just stay for dinner. Little Peng just came back today, and after all, you do know each other.”
Bei Qing Yan considered this before nodding. “All right.”
During the meal, Grandfather couldn’t contain his joy and kept putting food on Gao Peng and Bei Qing Yan’s plates while telling Gao Peng what had happened since he had left three years earlier.
He also told Gao Peng the reason Bei Qing Yan was there. Since Gao Peng’s last return from the Arctic, the Southern Sky Group provided an “airdrop” to the Arctic once a month. Inside the airdrop were delicious snacks and frozen ingredients. This continued for a year, until the Northern Frost Tribe came back to Earth Star. Due to her status, it was awkward for Bei Qing Yan to stay there.
Her social status was high, as she was practically a living ancestor. It would have been strange for the leaders of the Northern Frost Tribe to suddenly have to be subservient to someone else.
It was an awkward situation for all of them, so Bei Qing Yan decided to leave for the south with the Frozen Asura Knight. When she passed by Yuzhou, the female Magnetic Beast in her lap sensed the male Magnetic Beast that Gao Peng had placed in the mansion. Since she was in the area, it would be rude not to pay them a visit. When she realized Gao Peng wasn’t there, she wanted to leave, but Ji Hanwu tricked her into staying at the Southern Sky Group, where she was treated with care.
Bei Qing Yan felt uneasy about the kindness she had received, which was why she persuaded her monsters to help Ji Hanwu solve some tasks. Thus, the Frozen Asura Knight became the official fighter of the Southern Sky Group.
Ji Hanwu treated her like his granddaughter-in-law and often invited her to join him for meals, even building a mansion for her next to the lake.
After a while, Ji Hanwu declared that he was full and slowly got up to go upstairs, saying, “Continue without me. I’m going to sleep. An old man like me needs his beauty sleep.”
Only Gao Peng and Bei Qing Yan were left at the dining table. The atmosphere was strange and awkward. “It’s been a while. Have you gotten used to Yuzhou? Our food is a little spicy.” Gao Peng broke the awkward atmosphere.
“I like the food here. It’s better than what we had last time,” Bei Qing Yan replied.
Then they fell into silence again.
“Oh, I can see that you like the food here. Your face has become round,” Gao Peng hastily said, trying to alleviate the awkwardness between them.
Bei Qing Yan was speechless. She wiped the edges of her mouth with a napkin from the table, and after setting down her chopsticks, said coolly, “I’m full. Enjoy the rest of your meal.” Then she left the mansion.
Gao Peng felt like he had said something wrong but… her face really had become round!
The next day, Gao Peng was woken up by noise from outside the window. He rose from his bed and walked towards the balcony in his slippers before glancing down from the second floor to the field, which was packed with countless people.
Gao Peng recognized a familiar face in the crowd and finally placed the person after some consideration: it was a teacher from his school. He glanced over to the crowd again and finally realized that those youngsters standing must have been the students of Tiange Academy.
He went to the bathroom to wash up, then changed before heading out. “It’s been a while, Mr. Liu,” Gao Peng said, waving to a bespectacled teacher with a smile.
The middle-aged man whom Gao Peng had addressed as Mr. Liu turned around and was stunned to see Gao Peng, but his lips soon turned up into a bright smile.
“Oh, Principal! You’re back! When did you come back?” Mr. Liu gathered his students to greet Gao Peng.
These students didn’t know who Gao Peng was, because it had been three years, and the previous students had already graduated. These were all new students.
“Who is this? He looks only slightly older than us.”
“Didn’t you hear Mr. Liu call him the principal? Have you forgotten about the photo hanging above the blackboard?”
“Oh, they do seem to be the same person.”
