A few days before he left for the holiday, Ah Jun had already made an appointment with Xiao Xi in his letter to meet at a Weibo food street in Su Nan City before 5 PM today —— Su Nan City is adjacent to Zhebei City. They are brother cities, but they belong to different countries and camps.
Su Nan City marks the first stop of Ah Juns spiritual journey. As the capital of Qilin Commandery—one of the Five Commanderies—this trip coincides with Xiao Xis participation in a culinary competition here. The two teenagers have planned to meet at the food street, after which Xiao Xi will accompany Ah Jun to the main city of Qilin Commandery.
After all, it was a strange place to be, and it was always good to have a friend to look out for. Then Ah Jun was about to undergo the first test of the plan.
From White Tiger County to Southern Jiangsu City, one needs to first pass through a secret passage and then cross Zhebei City. Although Ah Jun has never been to Zhebei City alone before, he felt very calm and strolled leisurely because he had studied the route in advance and had the help of his wristband.
Along the way, his intuition would occasionally alert him that they were being watched. Ah Jun turned to look around ——Oh, no misunderstanding—turning out it was mythical creatures and animal friends gradually coming into his sight, all greeting him. Yet most showed no aggression, merely appearing as friendly greetings: "Hello, buddy."
Of course, not all the strange beasts are so friendly, there are some who are malicious, but they cant get close, even dont get a chance to show up.
The child continued his leisurely journey, unaware that a shadow was occasionally moving beyond his sight—— This was the trail Ah Jun had sensed—the silent guardian who had been watching over him. Though not family or friend, this person had known the boy for years, while Ah Jun himself remained completely unfamiliar with her.
She was Ai, the man mentioned by the elders at the gate. She was a secret guard expert who had come to Baihu County many years ago and was directly under the jurisdiction of the chieftain.
Of course, Ai is also a member of the Guardian team and a sister to Qing, but their sisterhood is both deep and plastic. They quarrel every once in a while and make up again after two days.
When Ah Jun left the city gate, Qing asked the elder about her childs safety. At first, Qing did not get a definite answer and looked anxious, but when she learned that her sister would follow Ah Jun all the way, she calmed down immediately.
After all, Ais abilities were on par with her own. This was something Qing Dajie knew all too well. The two sisters always enjoyed sparring together, though Qing usually had the upper hand. But she understood Ai only used light touches—after all, it was just practice and they were sisters. There was no need for real combat; friendship came first, competition second. Of course, they still had to show some respect to their team captain.
If they really started fighting, it was hard to say. At the very least, they were evenly matched... Because Qing remembered clearly that once two people had an argument and fought because of anger, and they fought for a day and a night without winning.
Qing is impulsive, while Ai is calm. Qing is good at high burst, while Ai is good at prolonged war. Qing is used to strength, while Ai likes strategy.
When Aigang arrived in White Tiger County, the day after Ah Juns walk, when the chieftain told her that the secret task was to look after a child, she resisted and was a little displeased. Wasnt it a waste of talent?
But when the patriarch patiently told her the whole story, she reluctantly accepted it —— However, at the beginning, Ai still had prejudice and incomprehension towards Ah Jun.
After secretly supervising Ah Jun, Ai gradually came to understand this pitiful yet capable child... Through several subsequent events, the witness Ais initial mindset evolved from mere supervision to protection, ultimately transforming into guardianship. Her resolve as a guardian also solidified, taking root and blossoming within her heart.
Now that the child has grown up and can protect himself, Ai—who considers Ah Jun like a family member—still insists on her own way. This isnt just following the clan leaders orders, but more a genuine passion and stubborn determination from the heart—— Yet even she herself cant explain why this usually rational side of her has become so emotional.
While protecting the children in the shadows, Ai looked through the hole in the mask at the future of the guardian world, while dealing with the successive beasts. Before long, the fallen beasts had covered the road.
At this moment, Ah Jun was still absentmindedly humming a tune, strolling leisurely while admiring the scenery, completely oblivious to the —— Ais concerned gaze. Without turning her head, she stepped on an alien beast that had attempted to charge at Ah Jun again. After all, even these creatures have their obsessions—they kept struggling while extending their claws toward Ah Jun.
After a moment, Ai carefully looked at the mess along the way and looked a little resentful —— The people of the Monster Authority are so negligent. So she quickly summoned her little parrot and complained again.
As lunch approached, Ah Jun finally emerged from the Mist Forest, arriving at Zhebei City. The devastation from the catastrophe fifteen years prior had left this metropolis in ruins. Yet through citizens unity and relentless efforts, years of reconstruction have revitalized Zhebei City, restoring its former vibrancy.
Azur carefully shuttled through the busy streets, where people came and went, cars and tall buildings. It was completely different from his hometown, with its gorgeous appearance and high popularity.
At this point, the child still has to cross the city and walk straight north... along the way, he will pass qingqiu, a sacred place that has sheltered and protected disaster victims countless times.
As he was used to the original rhythm, Ah Jun still felt a little uncomfortable when he first arrived in Zhabei City, but as a young man, he soon fell in love with the place.
At lunch, Ah Jun prepared to check in for a popular food according to his own research strategy, but due to his physical condition, he had to choose what he could eat.
The boy wandered to the nearest food street, eyeing and inquiring about various delicacies in search of his ideal meal. However, the vendors were not pleased with his relentless probing. Their patience dwindled as he pressed detailed questions that made them suspect he was an undercover inspector investigating their business. The vendors smiles gradually turned to stern expressions of impatience, their faces growing increasingly anxious...
Whats more, the boy seemed to be in trouble——After all, Ah Jun didnt quite understand the bosses concerns, and he was too embarrassed to say his own difficulties directly, so he just asked questions here and there. Finally, like being mistaken for a thief in his childhood, he was expelled by the owners of this place.
Of course, as a child, it is absolutely impossible to understand, human heart —— in order to take care of their own body, what is wrong with this?
—— Ah, well, people need face and trees need skin. So Ah Jun had to leave the busy food street with frustration and helplessness, and sat down in a quiet corner of the nearby park.
Now he felt a growing dislike for the place, missing the taste of home—— After calming down, Ah Jun couldnt wait to savor his familys cooking. The hearty lunch prepared by his brother-in-law was both exquisite and delicious. Yet these moments made him regret having ventured into this unfamiliar territory to seek sustenance – it felt like a self-inflicted embarrassment.
Whats more, the bento in this house is automatically heated. The hot food makes the children feel comfortable in their stomachs and feel much better in their hearts —— Hmm! Its still a warm home.
After lunch, Ah Jun sat there for a while, took a liking to the gorgeous city, and then hurried away.
After arriving at the junction of Zhebei City and Sunan City, the child came to the periphery of Qingqiu County —— Ajun gradually slowed down his pace and admired the magical place that he had only read about in books.
In the center of the Qingqiu County reserve, there is the majestic Tu Mountain, on the top of which stands a thousand-year-old divine tree, the marriage tree. It stands tall and straight, with an ancient and lush appearance, which can be called a masterpiece of nature, which is really amazing.