C13 New Journey

"Little guy, time to get up quickly..."

Feng Yixiu was roused from his slumber by the faint sound of someone calling his name. He groggily opened his eyes to find Zhou Kangming standing at his bedside, watching him intently.

Instinctively, Feng Yixiu grabbed his phone to check the time; it was exactly 5 o'clock.

"Mr. Zhou, it's only 5 AM! Isn't this a bit too early?" Feng Yixiu protested with a look of resignation.

He had been told to meet at 7 o'clock in the morning, so waking up at 5 seemed excessively early.

"Better early than late," Zhou Kangming said with a chuckle, flicking Feng Yixiu's forehead. "Ruyu has been waiting outside for you for quite a while. Would you really make a young lady wait that long?"

"Okay, okay! I'm getting up right now!" Without another word, Feng Yixiu leaped out of bed and dashed to the washstand as swiftly as the wind.

"This kid... it seems Ruyu is the only one who can handle you," Zhou Kangming said, shaking his head in mild exasperation.

A short while later, Feng Yixiu, dragging his suitcase behind him, arrived at the entrance of the charity house. There, a small sedan was waiting, evidently arranged by Zhou Kangming.

After helping them load their luggage into the trunk, Zhou Kangming gazed at Feng Yixiu and Shen Ruyu for a long moment before speaking. "Kids, Cilding is nothing like our small town. Here, you had me, this old man, to look after you. But from now on, you're on your own."

"Grandpa..."

Feng Yixiu and Shen Ruyu simultaneously embraced Zhou Kangming, tears streaming down their faces.

"Children, I made you breakfast this morning. Make sure you eat it on the road," Zhou Kangming said, wiping away their tears before handing over the breakfast.

Taking the meal from Mr. Zhou, the two climbed into the car, casting lingering, reluctant glances back at him.

As the vehicle slowly pulled away, Zhou Kangming remained at the entrance of the charity house, watching the car until it vanished from sight, before he finally turned to leave.

Feng Yixiu came to realize that sometimes, one only understands the true value of something after it's gone, like the love of family...

Roughly twenty minutes later, the pair arrived at the entrance of Northride School. To their surprise, despite thinking they had gotten there early enough to beat the crowd, the school gate was bustling. They had clearly underestimated the eagerness of parents and the community for Fighters.

At that moment, the entrance to Northride School was teeming with people. While there weren't many students, a considerable number of adults were present. Most were parents seeing their children off, along with the faculty and leadership of Northride School.

Feng Yixiu and Shen Ruyu, each pulling their own luggage, appeared somewhat forlorn amidst the throng.

Once everyone had checked in, the students, guided by their teachers, prepared to board the buses bound for Cilding City.

The homeroom teacher of class nine, followed by Feng Yixiu, Shen Ruyu, and Lee Kaiyuan, moved with a briskness that seemed to stir the air around them. It was no small feat for one class to boast three students with the Battle Companion bloodline.

In other classes, having even one such student was considered impressive, but three from a single class was nothing short of miraculous.

After personally escorting the trio onto the coach, the homeroom teacher intended to offer words of unity and support. However, recalling the past conflict between Feng Yixiu and Lee Kaiyuan, he bit back his initial speech. After a moment's thought, all he could muster was, "Try to keep the fighting to a minimum..."

This left everyone on the bus bewildered. Typically, a teacher's farewell speech would be filled with words of encouragement, leaving them to wonder what he meant by advising them to fight less.