Chapter 55: A Ritual of Departure

“Xi Xi, where should this go?”

“That one, you don’t need to bring. You can just leave it here.”

“Understood.”

Bai Li placed a small ornament back on the shelf, then continued helping Lin Xi pack her luggage.

“Clothes, daily necessities, and various other items are almost all packed.”

Lin Xi inspected the contents of her suitcase.

Despite its outwardly normal dimensions, its internal capacity was several times larger than its physical volume.

This, of course, was a supernatural item.

It expanded its internal space to accommodate a greater quantity of belongings.

Beyond such suitcases, there were also supernatural items ranging from mere storage pouches to entire secret chambers.

Being immensely useful for both daily life and combat, these items were highly sought after.

This popularity spurred significant advancements in both the powers of espers with spatial abilities and the related technologies.

Consequently, their prices gradually decreased to a point where even an ordinary student, by saving diligently, could barely afford one.

The one they currently possessed had been almost free.

After all, Bai Li commanded an organization that included several members with creation-type supernatural abilities, allowing them to acquire such items directly through connections.

As for why they didn’t utilize magical space for storage, the primary concern revolved around mana consumption.

While they could indeed employ such a storage method, they weren’t specialists in that particular field.

Storing small trinkets or items similarly crafted with mana would have been acceptable.

However, packing an entire suitcase would necessitate continuously maintaining an equivalent amount of mana to match its volume.

Perhaps only cultivation fanatics, those who incessantly trained every waking moment, even during meals or bathroom breaks, would resort to such an inefficient method.

Yet, their current departure wasn’t for training; it was merely a temporary relocation to another city, akin to a journey.

“But since we’ve joined the Arbitrators, shouldn’t we be able to use the warp gates that are normally only accessible to high-ranking Weichangzhe members?”

“Wouldn’t it be simpler to just transport the luggage directly?”

Indeed, they had ultimately joined the Arbitrators.

However, due to the unique nature of the Arbitrators themselves, their public identities remained, for the time being, those of students and Weichangzhe members.

Other Arbitrators also maintained various auxiliary occupations, either for concealing their true identities or simply for personal enjoyment.

This was primarily because Qing Lan had explained and promised them numerous advantages.

For instance, even an ordinary Arbitrator member wielded power comparable to an executive of a Weichangzhe branch.

They would also gain immediate access to a wealth of exclusive resources and intelligence.

In comparison, the benefit of directly waiving the university entrance examination process simply by joining seemed almost negligible.

Most importantly, the Arbitrators were a hotbed of talent, boasting more high-tier combatants than the other three organizations combined.

Therefore, in most situations, they merely needed to focus on their growth and development, only occasionally being called upon to assist with larger missions.

“Hmm… it’s not that we *can’t*, but if we don’t have any luggage, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“So, it’s about the sense of ritual?”

“Something like that.”

In Lin Xi’s view, slowly moving with luggage was an essential part of the experience.

Otherwise, traveling by train with empty hands simply wouldn’t feel like a proper journey.

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t truly a trip.

After all, their destination wasn’t particularly far from Tiangong City.

Even the supernatural beast organization under Bai Li’s command had already extended its operations there.

They could easily connect with them at any time, even from that location.

“If that’s the case, couldn’t we just teleport most of the items over first and only keep a few things with us?”

While the suitcase did possess spatial expansion, it wasn’t capable of holding all of a person’s belongings.

Currently, Lin Xi was meticulously categorizing her items into ‘very necessary’ and ‘less important’ to make her choices.

However, if they followed Bai Li’s suggestion, there would be no need to worry about such distinctions; they could simply teleport everything.

Warp gates weren’t the type of magical item whose consumption increased with the quantity of items transported.

“Uh…”

Upon hearing Bai Li’s suggestion, Lin Xi froze in place, her expression akin to silently exclaiming, ‘Why didn’t you say so sooner?’

“Even if we can teleport many things, there’s still a limit to how much we can store, so we’ll still need to make some choices…”

Sensing Lin Xi’s thoughts, Bai Li quickly offered this reassurance.

“…Alright, I suppose I should thank you, Xiao Bai, for bringing up this method.”

“Anyway, I’ll start getting ready.”

“You’re welcome. By the way, ‘I’?”

Bai Li detected a subtle implication hidden within Lin Xi’s words.

Lin Xi, not one to speak in riddles, immediately clarified.

“Exactly. My things can be packed by myself from this point on.”

“But Xiao Bai, you’ve been helping me all this time, haven’t you even touched your own belongings?”

Until dusk, Bai Li remained at Lin Xi’s house, showing no intention of returning to her own home.

Even though she was practically cohabiting with Lin Xi now, not all of her personal items were stored there.

“So, hurry back and pack your things.

Don’t come back until you’re done, and once I finish up here, I’ll come over to help you.”

“This… I understand, but there’s no need for help.

I don’t have many personal items.”

Having no other choice, Bai Li obediently walked out the door, heading towards her original residence.

Her residence was neither particularly far nor particularly close to Lin Xi’s house.

However, given its somewhat secluded location and the lack of any real necessity, Lin Xi had never actually stepped inside her original home.

‘Still, it’s better if she doesn’t come,’ Bai Li murmured.

She stood before a door that bore the slight marks of time.

Her abode was situated in an older rental apartment.

For this very reason, the rent was relatively low, and the living conditions were far from ideal.

Compared to Lin Xi’s home, this place resembled a slum, a haunt for delinquents and various underground workers.

And in truth, it wasn’t far from that reality.

“Isn’t that Bai Li? What brings you back so suddenly?”

A man with a somewhat fierce countenance appeared, addressing Bai Li with the question.

“Nothing much, just here to terminate this rental.”

“Terminate it? You’ve found somewhere else to live… I suppose that’s normal, considering how long you’ve been away.”

“More or less. I’m heading to another city soon.”

“That’s good then.

It seems you’re ready to let go.

After all, this place has never been peaceful, and a girl like you staying here would likely be quite dangerous.

Just recently, a rather infamous local thug was found dead nearby, and your parents’ situation was quite complicated.

I’m not much for comforting people, so it’s good that you’ve come to terms with it yourself.”

“No need for comfort… No, it’s nothing.”

Hearing the landlord’s words, Bai Li instinctively replied, then paused, refraining from saying anything further.

“There’s nothing left inside.

You can rent it out to others whenever you wish.”

With that, Bai Li turned and departed, without a trace of lingering attachment to the place.