CHAPTER 477: CHAPTER 477: RETURN TO BOUNDARY CITY

Qianfeng Ling Mountain, on the Cloud Viewing Platform.

"We’re returning to the Boundary Land today," Yu Sheng glanced back at Zheng Zhi, who was still sunbathing in the rocking chair by the door, and at Changfa and Snow White playing badminton in the nearby open space, then looked at True Man Yuanling and said, "In a while, No. 66 Wutong Road will ’transfer,’ and the Cloud Viewing Platform will revert to its original state. There might be some spatial fluctuations, just giving you a heads-up."

"Understood," True Man Yuanling stroked his beard, feeling a bit sentimental, "Although I knew you’d leave eventually, it’s still a little sudden... I’ve grown accustomed to you living here. Are you sure you won’t stay a few more days? The air on this mountain is good, it’s beneficial for the kids."

"Ah well, we’ll leave a ’gate’ anyway," Yu Sheng couldn’t help but laugh, "I’m just moving the house back, the Teleportation Gate to the valley will remain on the Cloud Viewing Platform, so the kids can come over anytime—the same goes for you, come to the ’valley’ anytime to find me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of No. 66 Wutong Road was pushed open, and Hu Li walked out carrying a door on her shoulder, speaking as she walked: "Savior! Where should I place this?"

Yu Sheng casually pointed to a spot near the mountain wall on the Cloud Viewing Platform: "Just stick it there, I’ll enchant it."

Then Yuanling and Yuan Hao watched Yu Sheng walk over, watched as he drew arrays and used blood in a flurry of activity; the door suddenly began to "grow" like something alive, with proliferating structures resembling nerve and blood vessels gradually merging the door with the mountain. Seeing this, Yuanling couldn’t help but nudge Yuan Hao with his elbow: "Brother, you’re skilled in Artifact Refining, can you make sense of this?"

Yuan Hao felt melancholic: "What can I make sense of, you drank my three-hundred-year-old Spirit Frost Brew..."

"Brother, you’re not thinking clearly. By clinging to material things, you’ll find it hard to pass your tribulation next time... Okay, I won’t speak further."

While the two Old Immortals were chatting, Yu Sheng had already completed the "setup" for the fixed door. He clapped his hands, raised one for Hu Li to help lick the blood clean, and looked satisfied at his finished "masterpiece."

A seemingly plain wooden door was set into the mountain wall on the Cloud Viewing Platform, surrounded by a rough and patchy fusion structure. On the left, there was the scenery of Immortal Mountain and Cloud Sea; on the right, there were spiritual pavilions and towers surrounded by Spiritual Energy—the style of the door between them resembled a jade screen worth eight million missing a piece, then repaired with electrician’s tape...

Erin sat on Yu Sheng’s shoulder, a little Puppet floating near her head holding its arms observing for a long time, finally couldn’t help but say: "So damn ugly..."

Yu Sheng seriously replied: "To be honest, it is."

Yet despite everything, there were admirers present; Xuan Che, who had come early to "witness the ceremony" with his masters and uncles, earnestly remarked after hearing Yu Sheng and Erin’s conversation, "There’s a sort of return-to-simplicity, Great Way to Simplicity feel to it."

"Simple or not, this is how it is, my craftsmanship has its limits," Yu Sheng chuckled, then casually took a small bowl from Luna nearby and beckoned Yuanling and the others, "Come on, there’s one last step."

Yuanling curiously leaned over to see a little blood in the bowl.

"What’s the meaning of this?"

"Gate-opening permission verification," Yu Sheng casually explained, "Only those who have undergone my ’Blood Transfer’ can open these Teleportation Gates, and after ’Blood Transfer,’ you can see No. 66 Wutong Road like Zheng Zhi—adding this restriction prevents people from randomly trespassing, and allows you to come find me anytime. It’s simple, just touch yer finger in it."

Yuan Hao blinked, chin in hand: "...What’s the principle behind this?"

Before his words landed, Yuanling grabbed his hand and dunked his finger in the bowl: "Stop thinking so much, try it first! Che’er, you come too!"

"No rush, no rush," Yu Sheng watched merrily from the side, "If there’s not enough, I got more..."

Then he looked up at the surrounding disciples of Qianfeng Ling Mountain, who had recently become familiar, "Anyone else who wants can come, or anyone you know who’s been playing with the kids in the valley these days can come and try... everyone come dip, it’s free anyway..."

...

Boundary Land, Boundary City, old town, Wutong Road.

Deep in the old street, a small narrow open space lay empty, with no pedestrian figures around the vacant space, only a few uninhabited houses standing around it, as if the whole area was forgotten by this bustling city, almost like a "cosmic hub."

Then suddenly, the tranquility of the open space broke.

The narrow alley shook suddenly, causing waves of spatial ripples; several originally tightly connected houses were instantly "spread apart" by some invisible force, unfolding and smoothing out dimensions akin to folds tucked in an unseen dimension. The open space expanded dozens of times in the blink of an eye, gradually calming after several intense oscillations.

Yet no one could detect these seemingly fierce changes—even if there were an ordinary person standing here, they would only feel everything was normal, believing it’s how it’s supposed to be.

A small house with a parcel collection point sign suddenly "landed" at the nearby road junction, at the "critical point" between the open space and outer street.

Then, in the air ten meters from the little house, a door suddenly opened, and Yu Sheng walked out from inside.

Before him was no longer the auspicious cloud of Qianfeng Ling Mountain, but the familiar old streets and alleys. In the distance, the bright sky was divided by tall buildings of the city, and the aroma of braised meat wafted from the small restaurant at the end of the street. In his ears, distant car horns and music played—a bit noisy, yet reassuringly familiar.

Yu Sheng walked to the open space at the door, took a deep breath in this bustling giant metropolis, and stretched lazily: "Ah—finally back."

A silver-haired head nuzzled his arm, then the demon fox girl mimicked him by stretching lazily, taking a deep breath, and then her eyes lit up: "...Uncle Wang’s braised meat is ready!"

"Go ahead," Yu Sheng laughed as he petted the fox’s head, "pack some for me too."

Before he finished speaking, a silver streak flashed before his eyes as Hu Li dashed away like a runaway Samoyed. Yu Sheng quickly shouted after her, "Tuck in your ears! Change your hair back! Tail! Ah, the tail—"

"It’s fine," Erin said while wobbling on Yu Sheng’s shoulder, casually waving her hand. "She often forgets to tuck her tail when going out... She just says she’s from the anime world if someone asks."

Yu Sheng was stunned: "...She knows about the anime world now?"

Erin smirked proudly: "I taught her!"

Yu Sheng thought that the naive fox girl would eventually be corrupted by Erin, who seemed to love chaos.

But then he remembered how Hu Li seemed to tirelessly teach Erin how to dig holes and burrows.

Luna seemed innocent enough usually, but every so often, a bunch of candidly taken, high-definition blackmail photos would appear in the database of the Otherworld Inn.

Let’s just say that’s the travel agency’s corporate culture.

Yu Sheng sighed: "Ah, after all, I’m the more stable and reliable one among us."

The little puppet started pawing at his hair: "Why are you suddenly being narcissistic?"

Yu Sheng paid it no mind, casually blocking the mischievous little claws, then instinctively looked in a certain direction.

The next second, he saw a familiar figure riding an electric bike turning up at the distant intersection.

Li Lin arrived, not wearing his Special Service Bureau uniform, but a loose sport shirt, raising his hand to greet from afar.

As he got closer, he parked the bike in front of the small shack with the courier collection sign, gazing up at the "Star Express Wutong Road Collection Point" sign with mixed feelings akin to seeing his work station come to life running around after months in Special Service.

"Finally back. I bought a new electric kettle here and haven’t had the chance to use it yet..."

As he spoke, Zheng Zhi pushed the door of the small shack open and emerged, greeting Li Lin enthusiastically: "Hey Brother Li, you’re here—let me tell you, your electric kettle works great..."

Li Lin: "..."

"Long time no see," Yu Sheng walked over and patted Li Lin’s shoulder, "I heard you took a vacation recently?"

"I’ve been back for a while, just went on a mission earlier, got a bit polluted in the Exotic Realm and rested for a few days," Li Lin turned his head, putting aside his kettle-related woes for now, "Can’t compare to the big deeds you accomplish outside—oh right, long time no see, Erin and Luna."

He paused, looking at Yu Sheng: "Staying for a while this time? Leaving again?"

"No plans for a long journey, even if I go out it will be just opening a temporary door," Yu Sheng said casually, then laughed, "Don’t worry, next time I ’move’ I’ll make sure to tell you and Zheng Zhi in advance."

"That’s good," Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief, "You don’t know, the other day I just went to the supermarket for a bit, came back found my workstation gone, then got dragged out on field duties by the captain..."

As he rambled on, Yu Sheng listened, feeling more awkward by the moment, but luckily the awkwardness was soon interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing.

"Mine," Yu Sheng said as he took out his phone from his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, "Your director."

Li Lin became instantly quiet.

Yu Sheng answered the call, hearing Baili Qing’s calm and slightly magnetic voice: "It’s me—are you back? If you’re not busy, could you come to the Special Service Bureau?"