National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 326 - 325: Reward for Mission Completion: Mirror Flower Water Moon

"You were too dishonest. Who else was I supposed to kill?"

Chu He smirked coldly and turned, leaving that place behind.

"DING! Host’s current status detected.

You’ve been busy for so long. It’s time to take a good rest.

Rest for one month. Mission completion reward: Mirror Flower Water Moon!"

Just as he returned to the Great Xia Empire, the system’s notification echoed in Chu He’s mind.

The content of the system notification brought a slight smile to Chu He’s lips.

This was his favorite type of system mission to trigger.

He didn’t have to do anything but enjoy life,

and he would get a generous reward just for relaxing.

Originally, Chu He had planned to return directly to the Royal City of the Great Xia Empire,

but the system’s notification made him change his mind.

Chu He sent a message to Liu Yuzhu, telling her she could contact him directly via his phone if anything came up.

Then, Chu He turned around and headed for a small, third-tier city in the Great Xia Empire,

to experience a bit of everyday life and its slower pace.

Chu He also bought a flat cap and a face mask from a shop by the roadside.

After all, his face was as recognizable as that of any top global superstar,

and most people would know him. Chu He didn’t want to be disturbed because of his identity being revealed.

The city’s name was Haitong City.

Among all the third-tier cities in the Great Xia Empire, Haitong City ranked near the very bottom.

In the early days, this area had been a major disaster zone, the epicenter of the bizarre Evil Spirit invasion,

and it had suffered a long period of destruction.

Its original population of tens of millions was reduced to just a few hundred thousand. One can only imagine the devastation.

It wasn’t until later, when the Great Xia Empire managed to regain its footing amidst the tragic chaos of the Evil Spirit outbreak,

that the city was slowly salvaged.

At the same time, to restore some balance, a portion of the population from other regions was relocated here—it was a necessary measure.

Therefore, even today, Haitong City still looks a little worn down.

Its current population is only a few million, causing this once-great metropolis

to have streets that now seem somewhat empty and desolate.

The roadside shops, however, were dazzlingly diverse and fully stocked. Many snack vendors shouted loudly, trying to attract passing customers.

Chu He arrived in Haitong City just as morning broke.

So, he bought a few meat buns and a cup of steaming hot soy milk from a roadside stall.

As he ate, the golden, savory juices from the meat buns filled his mouth, and Chu He felt it was a delight to his very soul.

He had been working around the clock for some time now. Although he was powerful enough, his mind was nearing its breaking point.

After a simple meal, Chu He rented a house with a courtyard in Haitong City’s old district.

Then he hired a cleaning service and had the entire house cleaned from top to bottom.

Chu He planned to stay here for a month,

partly to complete the mission,

and partly because he truly needed to let himself relax.

Besides, communication was convenient now that he had a phone.

If any situation arose, it wouldn’t be too late for Chu He to leave.

The reason he chose a house in the old district

was because not many people here would recognize him, the famous number one expert of Blue Star,

so Chu He wouldn’t have to constantly wear a mask and a flat cap to disguise himself.

As for his landlords, they lived in the courtyard next door—an elderly couple.

"The house next to this one is ours, too."

The old man said with a cheerful laugh as he handed the keys to Chu He.

Chu He’s gaze drifted to the south.

The houses here were all single-story bungalows with courtyards.

And the courtyard of each bungalow was connected to the next.

He had already heard when renting the place through an agent

that most of the houses here were already rented out.

"You’re quite impressive then, owning three courtyard houses all in a row."

Chu He said with a friendly smile.

The old couple didn’t recognize him at all,

so Chu He simply took off his mask and flat cap, sat down leisurely in the courtyard, and basked in the warm sunlight.

"Well, it’s alright.

My son and daughter-in-law are both doing business in the big city.

One’s a boss, opened a few restaurant chains.

The other is a lawyer.

They originally planned to have us move to the big city to live with them,

but we don’t know anyone there and just couldn’t get used to the life.

So they bought the two courtyard houses next door for us to rent out,

so that we’d have a guaranteed regular income.

And they give us a living allowance every month, too."

The old woman’s face was full of a happy smile.

Just then, a commotion came from the alley.

It sounded like something had overturned, accompanied by a cry of pain.

The old man and woman hurried out of the courtyard to look into the alley, then waved at Chu He. "Young man, come give us a hand!"

Hearing this, Chu He walked out.

He saw a middle-aged woman wearing an apron that looked greasy,

even blackened in some places.

She was pushing a modified electric tricycle,

and the tricycle was loaded with racks, pots, pans, and bowls used for a food business.

Beside her, a high school girl in a school uniform was squatting on the ground, picking things up.

The pots, pans, and many of the vegetables from the tricycle had spilled all over the ground.

The old couple were warm-hearted and immediately went over to help pick things up.

From the way they spoke to each other, they seemed to be very familiar.

Chu He also went over to lend a hand.

The high school girl looked up at Chu He, a flash of surprise in her eyes, but it quickly vanished.

However, while picking things up, she would occasionally turn her head to sneak a glance at Chu He.

Chu He naturally noticed the high school girl’s gaze and understood what she was thinking.

’She must have recognized my face,

but then thought it was impossible for me to be in a place like this. Still, it clearly stirred something in her.’

"Thank you."

After everything that had fallen was cleaned up, the high school girl thanked Chu He.

"You’re welcome." Chu He smiled as he looked at the high school girl.

Looking at her form-fitting school uniform, he felt a pang of envy.

He, too, had once longed for a life in school,

but for various reasons, he was fated to walk a long and lonely path.

This high school girl possessed a natural, unadorned beauty.

Her hair was simply tied into a high ponytail,

with a few disobedient strands falling gently on either side of her cheeks,

like the petals of a newly bloomed flower brushing against a gentle breeze, adding a touch of casual languor and softness to her youthful aura.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves on the crooked tree trunks in the alley, dappling the tips of her hair,

and casting a faint golden sheen on her glossy black locks.

She wore a clean, immaculate school uniform, its blue-and-white design looking especially fresh and refined on her,

and the faint scent of laundry detergent that emanated from her seemed to be the very fragrance of youth.

Her features were exceedingly delicate and beautiful, like a meticulously crafted painting.

Her brows were like distant mountains veiled in mist, her eyes like shimmering autumn pools, and every blink seemed to stir the faintest ripples in one’s heart.

Her nose was straight, her lips naturally pink.

After they finished, the middle-aged woman also came over to thank Chu He profusely. She even pressed a lot of snacks into his hands before leading her daughter back to their courtyard.