The first thing Lu Zheng did upon returning home was to put all his combat gear into the gourd, carrying it with him.
The second thing…
Lu Zheng tried putting his car into the gourd, then tested crossing between worlds. Sure enough, he could bring it along freely.
“So, I now have a thousand-cubic-metre portable warehouse,” Lu Zheng murmured to himself. “Isn’t this just brilliant?”
A thousand cubic metres. He could carry bulk goods with incredible convenience.
However, Lu Zheng still didn’t dare to bring high-yield crops or machinery.
As he’d always said, such things had too great an impact and could cause unpredictable consequences.
He wasn’t short on luck light. Why take unnecessary risks when he could develop steadily?
Not to mention, the jade seal’s extraction of luck light had limitations like distance and time.
In the end, the jade seal only siphoned small amounts of luck light belonging to the Heavenly Dao. Lu Zheng couldn’t drastically alter the world or go head-to-head with this world’s Heavenly Dao.
Though he didn’t know the exact nature of this world’s Heavenly Dao…
Safety first!
So, Lu Zheng only filled the gourd with daily necessities, snacks, and dried fruits, turning himself into a mobile warehouse before halting his shopping spree.
Lu “Doraemon” Zheng, achievement unlocked!
Anyway, he was a lifestyle player. Conquering or saving the world wasn’t on his task list. If the sky fell, taller folks could hold it up. His job was to grow quietly and, well, date on the side.
Yes, on the side, truly!
…
After working out at the gym, Lin Wan rested, panting.
“Time flies,” Lin Wan said. “The New Year’s coming up again.”
“So…” Lu Zheng picked up her words with a smile. “Come home with me this year?”
Lin Wan turned, meeting his gaze without shying away, and nodded with a soft smile. “Sure.”
“We’ll spend New Year at my place, then visit yours on the second day, stay in Shandong for a few days, and come back,” Lu Zheng said. “By the way, you get normal holidays, right?”
Lin Wan nodded. “I just started, so I don’t need to be on duty. Normal holidays for me.”
“Great. Can you take a few extra days off? We could go on a trip.”
Lin Wan looked startled. “Another trip? Where to?”
Seeing her expression, Lu Zheng grinned. “What’s that look?”
“You know what this look is,” Lin Wan said, pursing her lips. “You don’t have any idea what’s happened on our past trips?”
*Slap!*
Lu Zheng clapped, sending a ripple through the air. “This time we’ll stay domestic. I refuse to believe something will go wrong!”
Lin Wan said faintly, “Forgot about the Suzhou wild boar incident?”
Lu Zheng: “…”
“Are you going or not?” Lu Zheng said firmly.
“Going!” Lin Wan giggled, hooking her arm around his and giving him a quick kiss.
…
Unknowingly, another year had passed.
Compared to last year, Lu Zheng had grown significantly in both cultivation and experience. He’d gradually revealed his unique traits to Lin Wan, forming a special understanding between them.
His parents and Lin Wan were his ties and emotional anchors in the modern world, so this year, Lu Zheng unhesitatingly brought Lin Wan home.
Then…
In front of Lin Wan:
“Interpol? Coordination department? That’s a great job, high-end and safe!”
“Wow, you have such a great figure, so pretty. Lu Zheng is lucky to have you!”
“Don’t worry. If Lu Zheng misbehaves, call us. I’ll go to Haicheng and sort him out!”
“Eat some fruit. What do you like? Let Lu Zheng’s dad cook. His cooking’s pretty good.”
…
Behind Lin Wan’s back:
“When did you two get together?”
“Have you… you know?”
“Have you met her parents?”
“What does her mum think of you?”
“When are you planning to get married?”
“When are you having a baby?”
“I’m telling you, have one while you’re young, then maybe two more. I’ll come to Haicheng to help raise them!”
Lu Zheng: Σ(°△°|||)︴
…
Bringing back a few bottles of reishi wine infused with stalactite essence, Lu Zheng gave his parents a massage with true qi, clearing their bodies of any hidden ailments.
He didn’t teach them cultivation. They were older, and he couldn’t always be there to guide them.
So, he wasn’t in a rush, focusing on maintaining their health and extending their lifespan. Future matters could wait.
Over the past year, his parents showed no signs of aging. Their appearance and vitality made them seem younger. Strangers thought they were in their thirties, while acquaintances privately asked how they maintained themselves.
“What did you tell them?”
“We said keep a good mood, eat healthy vegetables, and focus on wellness.”
…
After two meals with relatives from both sides, earning a wave of praise and envy, Lu Zheng took Lin Wan on a flight to Shandong.
…
Compared to Lu Zheng’s relatives, Lin Wan’s were far more numerous. Shandong was known for its large population and love for big families.
Accompanying Lin Wan and her mother to several gatherings, Lu Zheng displayed his martial skills, calligraphy, and musical talents. Combined with Lin Wan’s promotion and raise, her mother gained significant face among relatives.
After three days with Lin Wan’s mother, with the holiday nearing its end, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan took advantage of the quieter tourist period to climb Mount Tai.
This time, nothing happened!
…
After a lively New Year, life returned to calm.
Lin Wan resumed her regular work, while Lu Zheng continued jumping between worlds.
Haicheng’s weather grew warmer, but Tonglin County got colder. Lu Zheng donned his wolfskin coat.
He’d meant to give it to Liu Qingyan, but she refused, so he made it for himself. Now it was perfect to wear.
…
The alloy staff Lu Zheng ordered from the factory also arrived.
Made of special alloy steel, it was wear-resistant, scratch-proof, hard, and tough, with added alloys making it twenty percent denser than regular steel.
So… a solid alloy staff, nearly three centimetres in diameter and one point six metres long, was too heavy for most people to lift!
Lu Zheng tested it without using blood qi. He swiped his embroidered spring saber across it, leaving not a single scratch.
The staff’s surface was etched with fish-scale patterns for grip. Lu Zheng swung it around, finally understanding the concept of “death on contact, injury on a graze.”
He gave the alloy staff to Hou Ping, who loved it dearly. After becoming a demon, Hou Ping’s strength had surged, and he wielded the staff effortlessly, carrying it everywhere.
“Buzz!”
Twelve strands of luck light were credited.
…
Delivering the alloy staff settled one matter. Afterwards, Lu Zheng spent his days at Peach Blossom Ridge, enjoying the snow, playing snowball fights with Liu Qingyan and her sisters. Half a month later, the man with ill intentions toward Shen Ying didn’t appear, but Yuan Jing’s summons did.
“There’s still half a month until the New Year, but Master said we’ll meet friends in Jizhou and spar with fellow disciples, so I’m notifying you, Junior Brother. We’ll meet at the North Gate tomorrow morning to set off.”
The Great Jing Dynasty spanned the Central Plains, with nearly a thousand li around the capital directly governed, plus twenty-seven regions and one hundred eighty-three prefectures. Each prefecture oversaw a dozen or so counties spanning over a hundred li, plus countless towns and villages. The vastness was staggering to Lu Zheng.
Yizhou belonged to the Lingbei Region, roughly in the southern part of the Great Jing Dynasty. Jizhou, in the Sanjiang Region, was in the central-eastern part, separated by the Yinan Region.
The furthest Lu Zheng had been was Yizhou’s prefectural capital under Tonglin County and the neighbouring Wanfu County in Yaozhou.
“So…”
Lu Zheng took a deep breath, his expression serious. “Am I finally leaving the newbie village?”
