Inside the bedroom.
Andrew Han first searched online for transportation to Sunfield Township, settled on taking a coach, then glanced at his phone.
He thought about this.
Andrew Han finalized his travel plans and casually glanced at his phone.
"Leonard Gao’s invitation—I’ll decline for now and talk again before the semester starts. Same goes for Dong Quhan."
"And Monica Zhang wants to treat me to a meal?"
"Does this count as a date? Forget it, I’d better not accept. If Uncle Zhang finds out, he’ll come knocking. I’ll just pretend I didn’t see it."
Andrew clicked into the Senior Class 7 group chat and was surprised to see his classmates organizing a short trip—the destination was Sunfield Township, and they were leaving tomorrow morning.
What a coincidence.
When filling out college applications, Cathy Feng had mentioned it.
Andrew Han had originally been tempted to join, but lately he’d been training hard, his mind filled with thoughts of martial strength and yearning for the day he could truly enter the Martial Arts World. So he couldn’t participate in this short trip.
Not only could he not go, he really ought to discourage others from going.
Sunfield Township was rumored to have supernatural dangers, possibly ghosts. But then again, if it were truly dangerous, the authorities would have sealed off the area. He was going there precisely to deal with such things.
"Your dad’s right," Linda Chen added, patting Andrew’s shoulder. "You’re going to Sunfield Township for this trip, do you have any pocket money left? I’ll give you two thousand later."
"Even if I wanted to stop them, what reason could I give? They’d probably think I was crazy. Not only would my efforts be wasted, I’d likely face suspicion and misunderstanding."
He pondered for a moment.
Still worried, Andrew sent a message to the trip organizer, Jason Jiang, subtly mentioning that Sunfield Township was a bit chaotic and suggesting they travel there another time.
Too bad.
Jason Jiang never replied.
This short trip had been planned for a while, but as classmates joined or dropped out, it was postponed to the end of July.
Andrew Han glanced at his phone and stepped out the door: "Even though I’m not joining, the class trip makes a perfect excuse."
...
In the living room.
Suppressing his excitement, Andrew hugged his younger sister Lucy Han, letting her soft little hands pat his chest as he gently explained his excuse.
William Han and Linda Chen exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
They thought their son was going on a short trip with his high school class, never guessing his real goal was to investigate supernatural events—and earn a reward of two hundred thousand yuan.
"Son, when you go out tomorrow, pack some extra toiletries," Linda Chen reminded.
"No need, it’ll only be two or three days. It’s just a short trip," Andrew waved his hand. He wasn’t going to relax—he’d accepted an auxiliary investigation task.
Even if it was just auxiliary, he still had to give it his all.
Besides, after rational analysis... with his strength beyond the norm and mastery of martial techniques, he was more than just a standard assistant. In short, he was an assistant qualified to fight on the front lines.
"It’s good to get out, son. You’ve been training so hard lately, you ought to relax a bit." William Han leaned back on the sofa, sipping his tea.
He felt a bit sorry for his son.
Recently, Andrew's martial arts training had been even more intense than his senior year studies.
"Your dad’s right," Linda Chen added, patting Andrew’s shoulder. "You’re going to Sunfield Township for this trip, do you have any pocket money left? I’ll give you two thousand later."
"That’s too much," Andrew shook his head.
Round-trip coach fare was only about a hundred yuan. As for lodging, the local Guardian would handle it—no need to worry.
Most importantly,
He was about to become a man with two hundred thousand in cash—two thousand couldn’t move him anymore.
But Linda Chen wouldn’t take no for an answer. She pulled out her phone and transferred two thousand to Andrew’s Alipay.
No mother could bear to see her son leave home with hardship. As the saying goes, better to be poor at home than on the road.
"Alright, just take it. Your dad wants to ask—what major are you planning to choose at the Academy?" William Han pressed his son's arm and asked with a smile.
"I haven’t decided yet."
Andrew Han pondered inwardly, suppressing his eagerness, while chatting casually with his parents and playing with Lucy Han. As for the upcoming trip to Sunfield Township, he felt not a trace of nervousness—only excitement and anticipation.
Facing monsters and ghosts—he’d waited too long for this.
This time, he was curious... could those things withstand the thirteen thousand pounds of force he could muster with Raging Downpour?
——
The next morning, at dawn.
Andrew Han practiced the Complete Solar Pillar Manual as usual. Only when the sun rose above the horizon and sunlight flooded the land did he finish the stance and quietly collect his thoughts.
He had two assets to rely on.
First, his strength beyond the norm; second, the Raging Downpour technique.
According to Master, only the true essence of a technique—or Rank One fused force and martial inner strength—can harm monsters and ghosts. If he wanted to face those things head-on, proper technique was the only way to defeat them.
"Ahem, I’m overthinking it."
"Unless I run into them alone, the local martial artists will surely handle the fighting." Andrew Han shook his head and packed his backpack.
A moment later.
Andrew Han put on a clean light blue short-sleeved shirt and dark jeans, then stepped out to the kitchen next to the living room.
Linda Chen had already prepared breakfast and was about to call Andrew out.
"Mom, I have to leave right after I eat, can’t be late." Andrew said, eating quickly.
"Slow down, don’t rush. Your dad and Lucy are still sleeping in. Later, your dad will drive you." Linda Chen chewed slowly, nagging gently.
Last time Andrew went to Jiangnan City on his own, she’d worried endlessly.
But this time, heading to Sunfield Township for the trip, he had no friends there, and she sensed her son’s mood was tinged with excitement and anticipation.
It’s just a trip—what’s the big deal?
Linda Chen didn’t think much of it and reminded him, "Once you’re at the Academy, it’ll be rare to travel with your high school classmates. Treasure it—don’t just focus on martial arts."
"Mm, mm."
Andrew mumbled in reply.
After a while, he finished breakfast quickly, slung on his backpack, stopped his mother from waking his father, left alone, took a taxi to the Riverdale Coach Station, and set off for Sunfield Township.
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...
On the coach.
The coach, which was usually packed, felt empty.
It was late July, and few people were heading back to the township. Plus, it was still before nine in the morning, so there were only about twenty passengers.
Vroom vroom.
The coach sped down the provincial road toward the township.
Andrew Han sat in the fifth row on the right, leaning against the window, looking outside.
The steel-and-concrete city gradually faded away, replaced by vast fields planted with rice and other crops, and sometimes people herding small livestock.
These sights were completely different from those in the city.
Especially since this was Andrew’s first trip to Sunfield Township, where he’d soon encounter those things. A strange feeling surged in his mind—perhaps it was the taste of freedom.
"The sky is vast, the earth boundless," Andrew murmured.
Beside him sat a young woman, a faint smile on her lips, wearing white earphones and engrossed in a popular TV drama.
Sip.
She held a cup of milk tea, taking a sip now and then.