On a bustling pedestrian street somewhere in Guangzhou, Ming Yu carried large and small bags while marveling at the sights on both sides of the street.
Although the name was the same, this Guangzhou was completely different from the one he knew. Not only did it lack the familiar historical buildings, but even the architectural style was vastly different. In terms of technology alone, the city before him was decades ahead of the one in his memory.
But the biggest similarity between the two was the bustling prosperity.
Fortunately, the salary Ming Yu had saved up over the past six months was quite substantial, and Higokumaru was sensible and considerate, so there was no need to worry about financial problems for the time being.
"It seems Big Bro Yu isn't very familiar with Guangzhou either."
Beside him, Higokumaru, who was taking small bites of a cream ice cream, glanced up at the curious Ming Yu and mumbled softly.
"Yeah, although I'm supposed to be considered a native of Shenzhou, my hometown is just too far from here."
Hearing Higokumaru's words, Ming Yu explained with a smile, his gaze falling on the girl beside him.
The girl was wearing an exquisitely styled white off-the-shoulder dress, her fair and delicate calves visible below her beige low-heeled boots. Her long, soft pink hair was tied into a simple ponytail with a red ribbon. A bit of white ice cream still stained her thin pink lips, adding a touch of charm.
After ending the mission to find Jiu You ahead of schedule, Ming Yu followed through on his earlier promise, using the remaining time to make it up to Higokumaru by taking her to explore the renowned city of Guangzhou.
Ming Yu had performed exceptionally well on the mission to find Jiu You. Aside from the unexpected encounter with Anti-Entropy, he had completed the set task in less than two days.
In fact, to be on the safe side, he had even entered the underwater cave where Jiu You was located and killed a batch of Honkai Beasts at the entrance to ease the difficulty of the subsequent conquest.
Of course, he only went a short distance into Jiu You, and only to confirm that the place was indeed Jiu You. After all, if he accidentally broke Chiyou's seal, he would be completely unable to deal with it with his current strength.
On the other hand, even when facing Anti-Entropy's attack, he had achieved a complete victory, not only preserving most of the branch's forces but also capturing nearly a thousand prisoners.
Even the Principal couldn't find fault with Ming Yu's accomplishments.
Although Theresa's attitude towards Anti-Entropy was likely on the moderate side, not advocating for major conflicts, this time it was Anti-Entropy that had attacked first. Ming Yu was merely retaliating, which could be classified as self-defense.
As for how Theresa would respond after learning that Anti-Entropy was also after Jiu You, that was none of Ming Yu's business. His mission was only to find Jiu You; that was something for the Principal to consider.
Until Theresa's next order came, Ming Yu was a completely free agent. Although he had correspondingly lost command of the branch, he could take this opportunity to relax.
And after learning of Ming Yu's travel plans, Wei Ying thoughtfully arranged a dedicated driver and guide for him. Ming Yu's strength had already won the conviction of the Valkyries of the branch, and his own status deserved such treatment, even if his official assignment had no connection with the branch.
Ming Yu accepted Wei Ying's kind offer without hesitation. After all, there was a distance between the branch base and Guangzhou city, and without a ride, Ming Yu couldn't possibly take Higokumaru for a joyride in his Soul-Etching Armor, could he?
Even without considering Higokumaru's attitude towards this mode of travel, at the Soul-Etcher's speed, the wind would certainly not be something an ordinary person could withstand. And Higokumaru's body, in some respects, was even weaker than an ordinary person's.
So, even for safety reasons, Ming Yu found it hard to refuse Wei Ying's suggestion.
And after bringing Ming Yu and the other to the city, the Valkyrie acting as the driver tactfully fell far behind them, showing no intention of approaching until ordered.
"Then where is Big Bro Yu's hometown?"
Her azure eyes darted around as Higokumaru asked with a light laugh.
Even to Higokumaru, Ming Yu was still a man shrouded in mystery. Although Ming Yu rarely deliberately hid things from her, whenever his past was mentioned, he would always be vague and never answer directly.
"That place... it's very, very far away..."
A trace of nostalgia appeared on his face as Ming Yu sighed deeply.
By now, he had grown accustomed to his current identity. Apart from important information, his memories of the other world were gradually fading.
The people and things that were once important to him were now like dream bubbles, visible but unreachable.
But even so, how could Ming Yu completely forget?
All he could do was bury it deep in his heart.
"Big Bro Yu is always like this, never telling me anything."
Higokumaru turned her head to the side, puffing out her cheeks and pouting.
Looking at the girl's slightly puffed cheek, Ming Yu smiled to himself, gently shook his head, and said in a slightly more serious tone:
"That place is in the Unseeable Boundary. Even I can't find it!"
For some reason, after saying these words, Ming Yu felt a sense of relief.
Although Ming Yu had already let go of his obsession with the past, being able to share the secret hidden deep in his heart with someone in another way still made him feel much more relaxed.
"Really? Then when we have time in the future, I'll help Big Bro Yu look for it!"
Higokumaru suddenly turned her head, her right eye suddenly turning a brilliant golden yellow. She winked playfully and said in a half-joking, half-serious tone.
For Higokumaru, whose body was composed entirely of Honkai Energy, minor physical changes were naturally not a problem. Ming Yu had even suggested she change her hair color before they went out, but the girl had flatly refused.
"Alright, when we're free later, we'll go look for it. Maybe we'll really be able to find it, you know."
Squinting his eyes slightly, a casual curve formed on Ming Yu's lips as he replied with a light laugh. As for how much seriousness was in his words, perhaps even he himself didn't know.
But Higokumaru didn't seem to mind. She soon changed the subject, talking about interesting stories from St. Freya.
For example, a certain hanger-on who was said to be the Principal's niece, a certain three-no-girl who broke thirty-four game records in the school, a certain black-haired, long-straight-haired girl who left behind a legend at the twenty-third food festival...
Listening to the girl's gentle voice, Ming Yu's lips unconsciously curved up, and from time to time, he would also ask Higokumaru a few questions.
Gradually, Ming Yu's tense mind relaxed, and even the anxiety he had been feeling about Chiyou and Anti-Entropy faded away considerably.
At this moment, he was not some A-rank Valkyrie of the Far East Branch, needing to worry about the series of events that might be triggered by the exploration of Jiu You. At this moment, Ming Yu was just an ordinary person, listening to the girl beside him chatter on.
The spring sun was just the right amount of warm. The figures of the young man and the young woman gradually faded into the distance, disappearing into the bustling crowd.