Chapter 202 - 199: Terrible Community Air Raid
As he stepped through the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate, the scene before his eyes instantly changed. The next moment, Ye Xing appeared inside the old well at his ancestral home on Earth.
The moment he returned to Earth, the phone in his pocket began buzzing frantically. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Judging by the sound alone, he could guess at the massive number of missed calls and unread messages waiting for him.
It made sense. He had been away from Earth for quite a while this time. Normally, when he was at White Cloud Mountain in Phoenix Town, Ye Xing would return to Earth every two or three days. But since he was out training and gaining experience, he had stayed on the Martial Arts Continent for over ten days. No wonder his friends and family were worried and calling him nonstop.
Whenever Ye Xing left Earth, he usually told his family in advance that he was on a business trip. But his trips were never very long—just a couple of days. As long as he wasn’t gone for a full week, it was considered normal. This time, however, was different; he’d been gone for over ten days, which was a little too long. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have returned to Earth, but doing so while he was out adventuring would have been too inconvenient. To return, he would have to open the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate. Since he was in an unfamiliar place, he didn’t know the locals. If he opened the portal and someone happened to see it, that would be a disaster. No matter how small the risk, he couldn’t afford to be careless.
This time, he decided to return because it had been a long time, and also to lay low and avoid the heat on the Martial Arts Continent. That was why he had finally opened the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate and come back to Earth.
Inside the old well, the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate was wreathed in a misty aura, flashing with purple light. The air inside the well was very fresh.
Ye Xing opened the Qiankun Bag at his waist and immediately stored the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate inside.
As the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate was taken into the Qiankun Bag, the bottom of the well was suddenly plunged into darkness.
SWOOSH!
Pushing off the ground with both feet, Ye Xing shot upward like an eagle spreading its wings, leaping out of the well in a single bound and landing inside the iron shed.
Standing by the well, he found the iron shed completely enclosed and pitch-black inside.
CREAK!
He opened the door of the iron shed, and a flood of brilliant, dazzling sunlight poured in.
"Whew, it’s been a long time since I’ve been back on Earth. I wonder how everyone is doing!"
Stepping out of the iron shed, Ye Xing stretched his arms wide.
WOOF! WOOF WOOF WOOF!
He had just stepped out of the iron shed when an excited bark erupted from the yard, high-pitched and full of excitement.
A black shadow flashed past, and a chubby, roly-poly little body appeared before Ye Xing. Its small head nudged incessantly against his leg, its tail wagging furiously, so excited it began to roll around on the ground.
"Haha, Erhei, long time no see! You miss me?" Ye Xing scooped up the little guy, patting little Erhei on the head as he walked toward the living room.
Inside the living room, Ye Xing sat on the sofa, holding little Erhei.
The sofa and coffee table in the living room were spotless. Little Erhei had clearly been the one to clean up; otherwise, after more than ten days away, the place would have been covered in dust.
At that moment, little Erhei’s chubby body was nestled in Ye Xing’s arms, its eyes half-closed in pure bliss.
Ye Xing, meanwhile, scrolled through his phone, reading message after message.
As he scrolled through the messages, lines of text appeared before his eyes.
The messages were from his second aunt, from Zhu Dazhuang and Wu Qiang, as well as Zheng Yiming, Frank, and others. Even that girl Alice, all the way in America, had sent a couple of texts asking when Ye Xing would visit the United States again.
From message after message, Ye Xing learned that Immortal Flavor Old Fish had become incredibly popular. Its fame had spread throughout the country, and many tourists from other provinces—and even from overseas—were flocking to Luoxian County for a taste. Because of this, Luoxian County’s restaurant scene was thriving as never before, becoming a unique attraction in its own right.
In addition, Wu Qiang’s Changsheng Martial Arts Hall was also booming. It was spreading across the entire province, with new branches opening up everywhere.
Ye Xing was still reading through his messages when, suddenly—
"RING RING RING... *You’re my little apple, like the most beautiful cloud in the sky...*"
The phone in his hand suddenly began to vibrate and ring.
’Oh, it’s Mom’s call. I’m dead. I’m in for an earful now. Of those sixty-odd missed calls, more than twenty were from her. I’m so screwed!’
With a wry smile, Ye Xing braced himself, swiped the screen, and answered the call.
"Hey, M-Mom!" Ye Xing mumbled, his voice laced with nervousness and guilt.
"Oh, it finally connected! Axing, what’s gotten into you, young man? I called you so many times and you didn’t answer..."
Sure enough, his mom’s version of the Buddhist Lion’s Roar came blasting through the phone.
"Uh, well... Mom, didn’t I tell you I was on a business trip? There was no reception where I was, so how could I have answered?" Ye Xing quickly explained.
"A business trip? Your trips have never been this long before. You rotten kid, you tell me, how long has it been since you’ve come home? Think your wings have hardened and you can fly on your own now, huh?"
"Er, Mom, please don’t get worked up. I’m already home."
"What? You’re home?" His mom’s voice finally softened a little. "Where are you? I don’t see you. Are you downstairs?"
"Well, hehe, I am home... but it’s the old family home," Ye Xing said, scratching his head.
"The old house again? I swear, you brat, you must have too much time on your hands! You have a perfectly good new home, so why are you always running off to that shabby old place? No wonder you can’t find a girlfriend!" Over the phone, his mom’s voice was filled with exasperation, disappointed that he wasn’t living up to his potential. "Auntie Zhang’s son from downstairs is three years younger than you, and he’s already married with a one-month-old baby! And you’re still not even thinking about finding a partner. Are you... are you trying to be the death of me?!"
"Mom, why do you always bring this up? It’s their business if they get married, I’m not in any rush." It was giving Ye Xing a headache. He forced a smile and said, "Okay, okay, I’ll head back to Luoxian County in a little while and bring you something delicious. Let’s leave it at that for now. I’m hanging up, okay?"
Ye Xing promptly hung up the phone.
’It really has been a while since I’ve been home,’ Ye Xing thought to himself. ’Besides, I don’t have much else to do right now. I’ll just go see my parents and stay home for a few days.’
"Erhei, let’s go! Time to head back to Luoxian County!"
Ye Xing immediately stood up and headed for the door.
WOOF WOOF! WOOF WOOF!
Little Erhei scampered after him on its short legs, trotting happily.
On the wide concrete road, trees on both sides flew backward as a Porsche sped along, overtaking one car after another.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Ice Sea New City in Luoxian County.
Ice Sea New City was Luoxian County’s new district, filled with towering high-rises that shot up from the ground.
Besides the tall, cylindrical buildings, the residential complex also had plenty of flowers and greenery, along with ponds and pavilions.
The ground was paved with flat, spacious slabs of sesame-white granite.
Just as he was walking toward his building, Ye Xing’s ears twitched. His keen hearing detected something rapidly plummeting from high above.
Ye Xing quickly looked up. From a seventh-floor apartment, a large hand was sticking out of the window, holding a dustpan. With a casual tilt...
In an instant, the trash and paper scraps from the dustpan scattered in the wind, and dust rained down. At the same time, two rotten apples plummeted at an incredible speed, heading straight for Ye Xing’s head.
(Still having a bit of writer’s block, so just one Chapter today. Things should go much more smoothly tomorrow!)