"Jingliu, want to go to the canteen together? Seems like there's fresh mushroom stew shipped from Aurum Alley today!"
Approaching noon, a familiar classmate enthusiastically proposed the idea.
After all, one had to drag someone along for lunch. Ideally, it would be the independent, cool Jingliu; if not, someone else would do.
Jingliu was just about to agree but suddenly thought of Wangshu. She shook her head with a melancholic tone: "I can't. I'm not eating at the Academy at noon. Someone is already waiting for me at home."
Aren't you an orphan?
The classmate hesitated to speak, but asking such a thing would be more or less presumptuous.
"You..."
Are you living at a relative's house recently?
That wasn't right. Didn't Jingliu have no relatives or friends left? She was always alone in the Academy like a big sister figure—strong and cool, a bit chunibyo, yet inexplicably reliable.
"You haven't been scammed, have you?"
Hearing this, Jingliu's crimson eyes slanted slightly upward. Instead of getting angry, she raised her chin. Using a cool tone that implied 'you wouldn't understand' mixed with helplessness:
"No, I got myself a boyfriend."
After dropping this line, she directly propped herself up with one hand in the hallway and leaped easily off the tall building, leaving behind the classmates in disarray at the classroom door.
The wind howled, messing up her gradient blue-and-white hair. Upon landing, her fair calves bent slightly to cushion the pressure. Afterward, she tidied her hair as if nothing had happened.
This height was truly child's play for a Celestial Physique. According to incomplete statistics, an adult Celestial Physique could completely skydive from outer space orbit without sustaining serious injuries.
"When did Jingliu pass the exam for the Adult Qualification Certificate?"
About a dozen seconds later, an unknown classmate voiced everyone's inner thoughts.
The Xianzhou placed no restrictions on matters like romance, especially during wartime. However, for Xianzhou natives whose average lifespan before the onset of Mara reached 800 years, the age of 18 was truly too young.
The view shifted to outside the Academy. Jingliu hummed softly, gazing into the distance.
Her own stall at the Academy intersection wasn't too conspicuous. After all, commerce in Cangcheng was flourishing, Outworlders were countless, and the competition among small stalls at the school gate was extremely fierce.
"Looks like sales this morning weren't very good."
Jingliu stood on tiptoe, but alas, her height was truly not outstanding. She could only see her stall from afar, but not the familiar Little Wangshu.
When she went thump-thump-thump running over, only then did she realize the batter in the large bucket was down to the bottom, and the ingredients were mostly used up. Business seemed much better than she had imagined.
However, Little Wangshu, who should have been standing here waiting for her to finish school, was currently conversing in the shadows not far away with a 'female' possessing lustrous white skin and an outstanding temperament.
"Truly improper."
Jingliu muttered quietly, unable to clearly articulate what that subtle displeasure in her heart was.
She took a deep breath, her face instantly switching to a brilliant smile. She walked over quickly from behind, enthusiastically hugging Wangshu's arm, her voice and smile enchanting.
"Who is this beautiful big sister? Little Wangshu."
Looking closer, the other party seemed even better looking. Especially when the woman discovered her little actions, her light laugh was like peach blossoms in spring, yet seemed to carry a sense of alienation.
"Uh, actually, this person seems to be a big brother..."
Wangshu was currently still having a headache. Huoshi Swarm King? Is this a mob that should be spawning in your Cangcheng?
On a battlefield of The Abundance, for a Propagation Swarm King to appear... even if it was the Huoshi Swarm King with the weakest frontal combat ability, this was very unreasonable!
"Big Brother?"
Jingliu tilted her small head, narrowing her crimson eyes.
"Doesn't look like it to me. Little Wangshu, you have to maintain good vigilance against strangers."
Good-looking women were the best at deceiving people, just like her future self. Although her future self looked icy cold, wearing a black silk blindfold with red light faintly emanating from the corners of her eyes, pressing people with cold air, she looked like a bad woman at a glance!
Wangshu sighed but maintained his smile: "Many thanks to this mister, but if you want to thank me in the future..."
"No need for thanks. I am not a Cangcheng native either; I simply do not wish for Cangcheng's beautiful scenery to be destroyed by the offspring of Propagation."
Setsuna nodded slightly, paying no heed to Jingliu.
Not a Cangcheng native again. Did you Cangcheng not have any stronger locals?
Oh, indeed not. Otherwise, it wouldn't have reached the point where, after entering the encirclement, they couldn't even hold out until the allied forces arrived for support.
Setsuna added another sentence: "The IPC values profit, and wandering prodigals who love to venture have also found the trend of the times here. Everyone has their own pursuits and their own needs, that is all."
Cangcheng was fine right now; it didn't need a Swarm King to disturb the situation.
After speaking, he stayed no longer, turning to merge into the bustling stream of people. It was just that from far away, one could vaguely see him take a bite of the Jianbing pancake.
Only when that figure with peach-pink hair tips had completely disappeared from sight did Little Jingliu let go of her hand and sniff with her nose, though she smelled nothing.
"What were you two chatting about? So mysterious."
"He taught me a very practical method to hide one's own aura."
Not giving Jingliu time to continue questioning, Wangshu shrugged: "I don't know why he would teach me this kind of thing for free either."
It seemed that the Huoshi Swarm King leaving Cangcheng was very important to him.
Sounded like a mystery was about to be solved?
No, no, no!
[Promising Future Chat Group]
Wangshu: "Setsuna_Wangshu_Interaction_Image.jpg"
Wangshu: "@Jingliu, Senior, the offspring of Propagation indeed came looking, but a reclusive expert suddenly popped up in Cangcheng and taught me a method to hide my aura. Do you recognize him?"
He had a cheat code.
The future Senior Jingliu, as a long-life species who had lived for nearly 2000 years, had likely eaten more salt than Wangshu had eaten rice.
Jingliu: "Shuhu..."
Wangshu: "..."
Asta: "Isn't this the big boss of Cangcheng at the current stage?"
Asta had already gone through Cangcheng's history during this period. She felt that cracking it wouldn't be difficult, but Shuhu was indeed a danger that could not be ignored.
Jingliu: "Shuhu has thousands of incarnations. In matters not involving large-scale wars between the Xianzhou and him, nothing he does is surprising. However!"
Jingliu: "In this picture, is there someone hugging your arm right now?"
Jingliu: "Don't you lead the me of that time astray."
She felt a bit of heartache again. Men really did turn bad once they had money. She didn't know how much financial aid Asta had given him, but Wangshu had only been in Cangcheng for three days, and already there were girls who could hug and cuddle him.
It was too ridiculous.
Wangshu: "..."
Wangshu: "Mn, I won't lead Little Jingliu astray."
Asta: "Shouldn't the issue to focus on right now be why the current big boss taught Wangshu a skill?"
Wangshu: "...That's right. Senior Jingliu, your focus is so off. You should put your mind on proper business."
Jingliu fell silent for a moment, feeling a bit of heartache again. In her view, Cangcheng surviving and herself being able to grow up happily and joyfully were both very important matters.
Jingliu: "Have the offspring of Propagation caused any trouble?"
Wangshu: "Not yet. The Swarm King that came seems very easy to talk to."
Jingliu: "Swarm King?! Are there still Swarm Kings active now?"
________________________________________
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