Start with iron blocks, upgrade them into armor summoners.

After arriving at kindergarten with Bai Zhiqing, just like yesterday.

Just like last time, she left quickly.

But this time Xing Yun didn't leave. Instead, he went to Grandma Xu's side and started discussing dropping out of school.

The two little girls were playing nearby, saying their final goodbyes.

When Xing Yun finished speaking and left, Su Nian stood not far away and walked towards the classroom, turning back every few steps.

Seeing this, Xing Yangyang waved and shouted, "Niannian, I'll come find you to play again in a few days."

Xing Yun rubbed Yangyang's head, glanced back at Su Nian, and whispered, "Don't worry, Yangyang, it'll be quick."

……

After half an hour.

Administration Bureau, Residential Area B.

The corridor was lined with light blue cushions, and the walls were painted with cartoon animals. Every few meters there was a warm yellow wall lamp.

Yangyang walked down the corridor ahead, her steps much lighter than when she first arrived.

She would stop every now and then to look at the giraffe stickers on the wall, and then squat down to touch the soft mat on the floor, as if to confirm that they were real.

"Dad, this place is so beautiful," she called out as she turned around.

Xing Yun followed behind, smiling, "I'm glad you like it."

At the end of the corridor, a woman in a white coat stood there. She looked to be in her early thirties, with short hair, round-framed glasses, and a folder in her hand.

"Are you Mr. Xing?" she greeted him. "I'm the administrator of the family quarters, my surname is Lin. Captain Zhou has already told us about it."

She crouched down, looking Yangyang in the eye: "You're Yangyang?"

Yangyang nodded and moved closer to Xing Yun's legs.

"My name is Lin Qiling, you can just call me Aunt Lin." She smiled, her voice gentle. "There are many children here, shall I introduce you to them?"

Yangyang looked up and glanced at Xing Yun.

"Go ahead." Xing Yun patted her head.

Lin Qiling reached out her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then placed it on Yangyang's hand.

She led Yangyang forward, and after a few steps, Yangyang looked back as if to confirm that his father was still there.

Xing Yun waved to her.

Yangyang waved and then turned around and followed Aunt Lin into the activity room.

The door to the activity room was open, and Xing Yun could hear sounds coming from inside.

"Children, this is our new friend, Yangyang..."

"Hello everyone..." Yangyang's voice was soft, but earnest.

"Yangyang, how old are you?" a childish voice asked.

Five years old.

"I'm five and a half! Older than you!"

"I'm five and a half years old too!"

"You're lying, you just turned five last month..."

The children's chatter blended together, interspersed with Yangyang's soft laughter.

Xing Yun stood in the corridor and listened for a while.

Zhou Hai leaned against the wall next to him at some point.

"She's stronger than you think," Zhou Hai said.

Xing Yun replied, "It's nothing," and didn't say anything more.

"Most of the children here are family members of the team members." Zhou Hai took a cigarette out of his pocket, glanced at the no-smoking sign on the wall, and then put it back. "Some know what their parents do, some don't. But they're all doing quite well here."

Xing Yun nodded: "I know."

"That's good." Zhou Hai straightened up. "Let's go, I'll take you to see someone."

……

Administration Bureau, -1st floor, training room.

The door was closed, but you could hear sounds coming from inside through it.

It wasn't the sound of fighting, but the crisp clanging of metal colliding, one beat after another, very rhythmic.

Zhou Hai pushed open the door.

Inside was an empty room, with the floor and walls covered in gray cushioning material.

A man stood in the center of the room, holding a sword, hacking at the training pole in front of him.

The sword has ice-blue patterns on its blade, and with each strike, a layer of frost forms on the training post.

The man heard the door open, sheathed his sword, and turned around.

Wearing a black trench coat, with messy hair and half-open eyes, he looked like he had just been dragged out of bed.

Xie Jiu'an.

"They're here?" He glanced at Xing Yun, then at Zhou Hai. "This is the newcomer you were talking about?"

"Hmm." Zhou Hai stepped aside to let Xing Yun in. "Xing Yun, codename White Tiger. This is Xie Jiu'an, Captain Xie."

"Don't call me Captain Xie," Xie Jiu'an yawned, "Just call me Old Xie."

Xing Yun nodded: "Old Xie."

Xie Jiu'an looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on his right shoulder: "Are you injured?"

"It's nothing."

Xie Jiu'an slung his sword over his shoulder, walked over, and circled him: "I heard you're quite skilled?"

He turned and walked to the wall, took a training wooden sword from the shelf, and threw it to Xing Yun.

Xing Yun caught it; it felt much lighter than the White Tiger Howling Moon Blade.

"Shall we have a fight?" Xie Jiu'an stretched his neck.

"I...I'm injured." Xing Yun was stunned and blinked.

"I know." Xie Jiu'an put the sword aside and took a wooden sword from the shelf. "So I don't need any special abilities. It's purely a sword fight."

He shook the wooden knife in his hand; there were several deep scratches on the blade, as if it had been used for a long time.

"Are you coming or not?"

Xing Yun gripped the wooden knife and stood in front of him.

"Come."

Xie Jiu'an charged towards Xing Yun with a knife in one hand.

His swordsmanship looked lazy, but each strike perfectly blocked Xing Yun's path.

Xing Yun blocked more than a dozen knife wounds, which aggravated the injury on his right shoulder, slowing his movements by a beat.

The next second, Xie Jiu'an's knife was already at his ribs.

After an hour of fierce fighting.

Xing Yun leaned against the wall of the training room, panting heavily, his whole body covered in sweat.

His right shoulder injury was aggravated countless times, causing his entire arm to tremble with pain.

My ribs also ache dully, like someone has poked them with a stick.

He was indeed stabbed by Xie Jiu'an's wooden sword.

Xie Jiu'an stood opposite, barely out of breath, still twirling the wooden sword in his hand.

"His foundation is alright, but not as strong as I thought."

Xing Yun was too exhausted to refute.

Xie Jiu'an walked over and reached out to help him up: "Let's continue tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Xing Yun frowned.

Zhou Hai walked over and spoke up for Xie Jiu'an: "Now that you've moved here, you can receive more systematic treatment. Your injuries should be fully healed in a couple of days."

"That's right, be here at 9 o'clock sharp tomorrow." Xie Jiu'an raised his eyebrows at Xing Yun.

"I understand." Xing Yun put the wooden sword back and stretched his sore arm.

"Let's go," Zhou Hai said, "to see your daughter."

……

Family area, activity room.

Xing Yun stood at the door and saw Yangyang sitting on the carpet, building blocks with a little girl.

She built a crooked tower, and the little girl added another piece. The tower wobbled, but didn't fall down.

The two children looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

Lin Qiling, sitting next to him, nodded to Xing Yun when she saw him.

"Yangyang," she whispered, "Daddy's here."

Yangyang looked up, saw Xing Yun, her eyes lit up, and she wanted to run over, but then she glanced at the building block tower in front of her.

"Dad, wait for me! I need to finish building this!"

Xing Yun leaned against the doorframe and smiled: "Okay."