197 Return.
Shi Lang and the others all met Cara after she dismissed all the supporters of General Rui and appointed new people to replace them. They said farewells and Shi Lang provided Cara the further method to cultivate.
Zysha had decided to stay back with Cara. She liked it here among the people. Shi Lang knew that the big cat was hoping to gain a humanoid form, but he was unable to help her with alchemy because he only had some basic language about it.
Just because he had a life before this did not mean he was the super genius or something and will know everything in the times like this. Shi Lang was a loose cultivator and used to live his life at the edge. In the later stages of his cultivation, he was left behind by his peers because he did not have any resources and status in the world.
If someone was to ask him the biggest regret, then he would probably say that it was the moment he gave up the chance to get inside a sect because he did not want to be bounded.
Shi Lang patted Cara on the head and said, “If you have any trouble, you can contact me anytime you wish. Okay?”
Cara nodded with slightly red eyes. She did not want him to leave, after all, these Terrans were all something that meant real family to her. Shi Lang sighed and hugged the girl, finally, the empress could not hold it in and she wept bitterly.
She wanted to say don’t go, but she was aware that Shi Lang had a house and a family of his own. So, she kept it in. Shi Lang patted her on the back gently and said, “Zysha look after her.”
Zysha nodded and said, “You be careful, the stronger you are the more people look at you.”
Shi Lang nodded and said, “I understand what you mean. Do not worry, I will be careful.”
That said, he wiped the tears off the cheeks of the cat in his embrace and said, “I will come back to see you more in the future. Now, do not cry. What if your mistress made me sleep on the floor?”
Cara stuck out her tongue and said in a low voice, “You deserve it, meanie.”
Shi Lang ruffled her hair and boarded the spaceship with the rest of the people, and they set off on the journey to their home. Rosa and Quinn have decided to travel through the Neomonian territory, they will collect a batch of spirit grass Shi Lang had asked from Nexa. Then they will continue to the Federation.
Shi Lang and the rest were different than the normal Terrans now. They could endure the longer duration of space jumps better. As the people were managing the ship and moving through the space, Jenkins said, “Lang, what do you think home would be like now?”
Shi Lang shrugged his shoulder and said, “I expect it to be enriched with the spiritual energy just like the Arcadia. However, I am not sure if the government had allowed this. After all, the effect of the spirit energy was too miraculous, there is a chance that the people might not understand this and misuse the powers. Moderate and control exposure policy should be introduced.”
Rosa nodded and said, “Indeed, even a geek like me can now take on a seven-star Terran with no problem.”
The rest of the people also became very excited as they talked about their experiences in Arcadia. The journey back home was very fulfilling and they were eager to get back home and meet the people they have missed.
…
It took one week, when the spaceship carrying Shi Lang, Amelia, Jenkins, Darcx, Quinn, and Instructor Rosa, entered the atmosphere. The event was covered and broadcast throughout the world.
The people were all aware of the war, and the alliance of the three empires. The entire delegation had become heroes for the youth of the Federation. The ship landed on th spaceport and when the hatch door opened, Shi Lang and the others stepped down.
They found the military unit giving them the guard of honor. In the distance, they could see the president of the federation and the entire cabinet and opposition leaders standing to welcome them. Shi Lang spotted a lot of media as well. Behind the leaders stood the family members of the team, even the first general had come over in person to welcome his son.
Shi Lang walked forward through the guard of honor and the others followed behind him, they first met with the president and the cabinet ministers. Shi Lang was very sensitive to the spirit energy and he could tell that the air now contained a slight hint of the spiritual energy in it.
After they exchanged a few polite words with the leaders they came to greet their families. Shi Lang did not speak much and directly embraced his aunt and mother. He said, “Missed you.”
Luna and Mila patted his back with slight tears in their eyes. He looked at the two men standing behind the ladies and said, “Old Boys, how are you two doing?”
The men chuckled and scolded him for calling them names in public. The situation was warm and affectionate. Shi Lang met General Edwards and the two promised to have an extensive discussion when they have some time.
When they were about to leave the spaceport, they were surrounded by the media. Shi Lang decided to throw out a bone so the dog the paparazzi does not hinder him and his private life.
Reporter: “Major Lang, are you one of those secret officers that the cabinet has disclosed to the world earlier?”
The first question was a shock to Shi Lang, he was not regretting coming forward. To the world he was a normal soldier, the existence of the secret divisions was kept from the media in the past.
However, in recent times, due to the events like the war and alliances, the government had told the Federation about the existence of a unit that could even take action against the cabinet. The world was in shock, but when they found some actions performed by the secret divisions, they were in awe and all of the people wanted to be part of them.
The president only kept the identities of the operatives a secret and the documents related to them and even the identities of the people related to them were sealed. If someone wanted to check who was Captain Ace, they will need the entire cabinet to authorize the verification. The location where all these files were kept was not the digital world, but the old-school analog files. The location of the storage, someplace even the cabinet did not know, only the secret division had the knowledge.
Shi Lang was hinted at by the president about this so he connected the dots and said, “No, I am but a normal soldier.”
Reporter Two: “Major Lang, how was your experience in the allied empires, were you mistreated in any manner?”
Shi Lang shook his head and said, “No, it was a pleasant experience. We had a great time out there, a lot of things were learned from the people there.”
Reported Three: Major Lang, what do you plan to do now? Our sources inside the cabinet have told us that your entire team is up for promotions and awards. How do you feel?”
Shi Lang smiled and said, “To be honest, we did not wish for any promotions and awards. We are soldiers and we just did our duties. I would like to implore you all to not patronize us. The real heroes are those brothers and sisters of mine who could not make it back from the war. They are the real reason why we are safe now.”
In the second half of the statement, his voice had become emotional and it seemed as if he would cry. The reporters did not want to be called wolves, so they let the people pass.
General Charlotte took Shi Lang and his family inside the six-seater military vehicle. Shi Lang took the steering and let the others sit in the back. While Amelia sat in the co-pilot seat.
The elders asked them a lot of things like how they felt in the foreign place and other things. Shi Lang and Amelia replied to all the questions with no hesitation. Suddenly Charlotte asked, “Lang, what do you two think about getting married?”
Shi Lang did not hesitate and said, “I do not mind, I will do whatever Amy wants to.”
Amelia cast him a glance and blushed slightly. Her temperament has become stronger than she was in the past due to the cultivation. Spirit energy made her feel really confident about herself. She said, “How about when we turn twenty-two?”
She touched the ring on her finger as she said this. Shi Lang said, “It is too young but I do not mind. We can do just that.”
Charlotte said, “You two are twenty at the moment, so that leaves two years for us to plan and organize everything.”
Shi Lang chuckled and said, “Mom, we do not want any high and lavish wedding.”
Amelia nodded and said, “These ceremonies are a mundane thing mom. We both love each other and we do not want anything more than your blessings. So, you all can take it easy.”
Luna nodded and said, “Fine, it will be a normal wedding, but we will call all the relatives and friends. You can forget anything less than that.”
Shi Lang and Amelia shook their heads as the car drove into the city.