Chapter 14: Return

At that moment, inside the hospital ward, Yang Zitian stared at the photo on his phone. It was a picture of Chen Yang after he had saved someone. His bloody arm was particularly striking, while Li Hu, the man clinging to Chen Yang's leg and crying, had been forgotten.

He moved his fingers, posting the photo to his social media feed.

The caption read:

"The Chen Yang, Brother Chen, in my heart, is like a returning God of War, with a hundred thousand soldiers kneeling before him. He is my idol."

It's understandable; kids are often a bit dramatic.

Tang Jie couldn't swallow the lump in his throat. He was a prominent figure at school; when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

He opened his drawer; a dagger with a story lay inside.

"I'm back. I encountered some trouble this time. I hope you can help me intimidate him." He stood before the drawer for a long time, a voice echoing in his mind.

Pick it up, and you'll be someone no one dares to mess with.

That mysterious place, the people are nice, the words are pleasant, and most importantly, food and lodging are provided, carefree. Pick it up, listen to me, pick up the key to that mysterious place.

Ding!

A message notification sounded on his phone.

Tang Jie picked up his phone and clicked on the screen. A photo was reflected in his eyes.

Gradually, he fell into deep thought.

Chen Yang's smile as he stood by the window, the old man kneeling at his feet, the bloody arm where the bone was visible.

The bloody photo brought a tremendous shock to Tang Jie.

Gulp!

The sound of his throat bobbing.

Bang!

Tang Jie slammed the drawer shut, sealing the key to the mysterious place in darkness forever.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong."

He's just a kid... He just likes to bully his classmates, but he wouldn't dare confront this Chen Yang. He's a chilling guy.

That eerie smile, those clear eyes, that bloody arm.

Terrifying, isn't it?

At the hospital, Lin Fan stood at the entrance. A voice echoed in his mind.

[Mission: Complete.]

[Remarks: The creator of the Thousand Hammer Hundred Refinement Technique reveals a gratified smile. The 199th generation descendant, Chen Yang, has finally become a man.]

[Reward: Thousand Hammer Hundred Refinement Technique (Complete).]

[Additional Reward: Qigong Cultivation Technique.]

[Next Arrival: April 1st.]

[Returning!]

A mysterious force pulled at Lin Fan's soul, drawing it towards the sky. A warm feeling, as if returning to Green Mountain Mental Hospital, so comforting.

Gradually, he lost consciousness.

At this moment, Chen Yang's sleeping consciousness awakened.

"Who am I?"

"Where am I?"

The smile was gone, the clear eyes vanished. He was the real Chen Yang, not the Chen Yang dominated by Lin Fan.

Chen Yang looked around in confusion.

He remembered sleeping at home, but how did he end up in the hospital?

Confused, he raised his hand, wanting to scratch his head.

"Ah!"

A sharp pain shot through him.

Chen Yang saw his right arm in a cast and was dumbfounded. Then, a heart-wrenching scream erupted.

"It hurts! It hurts! Mom, where are you..."

Green Mountain Mental Hospital, Ward 666.

Lin Fan woke up and sat on the edge of his bed. It was just past midnight.

00:01.

"What an interesting dream. Just a bit short."

Lin Fan lay down, pulled the covers over himself, a smile playing on his lips, and drifted off to sleep.

Yanhai City, Yanhai Special Department.

The department was located in the bustling city center. To outsiders, it looked like an ordinary commercial building, but it held secrets within, with high-level security. It was nearly impossible for ordinary people to enter.

The Special Department was on the top floor of the building.

At this moment, the room was filled with smoke. Several extraordinary-looking individuals sat there, reviewing the documents in their hands.

"What you have before you is the energy fluctuation detected during the ground subsidence at Mount Tai. According to the data, a considerable number of evil creatures are heading towards our Yanhai."

"The time to test us has come."

The speaker, a man with a square face and a black eye patch, spoke with a serious expression. In the face of such a situation, they had to be extremely vigilant.

There could be no mistakes.

"Leave this matter to me. We Maoshan sect are experts at tracking evil creatures. Besides, the recent graduates from the Maoshan Academy need some good practical training." An old man wearing Taoist robes, a square cap, and a copper-coin sword on his back, missing a few front teeth, said.

He was a powerful figure from the Maoshan sect, Lin Daoming.

"Nonsense! Why should everything be left to you? The Daoist sect is your ancestor. Look at the yellow robes you're wearing; those are repentance robes, worn by those who have broken the precepts. In front of the authentic, you're still green."

The speaker was also an old man, wearing a Hun Yuan cap and a blue Daoist robe. He looked at Lin Daoming with disdain, his meaning clear: You're just a knock-off.

Lin Daoming glared, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to start a fight. "You old geezer are looking for a beating! We are the Maoshan Shangqing sect. In your mouth, we're just Daoist? You've got some nerve."

The Daoist elder chuckled. "Yes, you are the Shangqing sect. Just look at the academy rankings. You're at the bottom. Everyone knows you're a knock-off. How many people would sign up? Unlike our Daoist Academy, we have countless applicants, more than we can accept."

The square-faced man said, "Alright, stop arguing. This matter is crucial to Yanhai City. Whether Maoshan, Daoist, Buddhist, or Medical, everyone needs to take this seriously. If anyone allows these evil creatures to run rampant in the city, causing irreparable damage, you'll all pack your bags and get out, making way for those who are capable."

"Meeting adjourned."

Yanhai City wasn't a huge city, but it wasn't small either, with a population of eight million.

If these evil creatures were allowed to run amok within the city, the consequences would be severe.

Currently, the Yanhai City Special Department was staffed by experts from several major sects. Every year, graduates from these sects would join, replenishing the ranks, battling evil creatures to gain experience, and eventually becoming powerful figures in their own right.

The current key academies were...

Maoshan Academy, Daoist Academy, Buddhist Academy, and Medical Academy.

Known as the four top academies in the Dragon Kingdom, they cultivated countless talents.

The next day, Old Man Zhang opened his eyes and saw Lin Fan sitting on the bed. He habitually took out soy milk from the bedside table; he drank it every day, and wouldn't be happy without it.

"Drink Sprite!"

He tossed a bag of soy milk to Lin Fan.

"Oh!"

Lin Fan caught it and gulped it down. "I had a long dream last night. I became someone else, did a lot of things, met a lot of classmates, but they seemed different from us. They were a bit strange."

Old Man Zhang blinked, then said unhappily, "Then why didn't you take me? Didn't we agree that you would take me?"

"I left in a bit of a hurry. I didn't have time to call you. I'll definitely take you next time." Lin Fan promised.

"You promised! Don't lie to me." Old Man Zhang's anger subsided, then he asked in surprise, "Why have you gotten fatter?"

Lin Fan looked down at himself.

Indeed!

He had gained a lot of firm flesh.