Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Chat Group's Second Adaptive Upgrade

"What's going on, little Wangshu?"

Jingliu stood in the doorway, crimson eyes wide. The thick, coppery smell of blood in the courtyard made her instinctively uneasy.

In the yard, little Wangshu was swiftly sheathing his sword, his expression urgent — ignoring the centaur-like... no, half-human-half-horse creatures whose blood was flying in the distance.

"No time to explain. Want to come to the Alchemy Commission with me, little Jingliu? He's badly hurt."

Wangshu sheathed the blade at his waist in a single fluid motion and extended his hand.

But my homework isn't done. Won't carrying two people slow you down? Am I just dead weight right now? Given enough time to think clearly, Jingliu might have considered all of these things.

But the instant that familiar hand reached out — under the gaze of those eyes that said follow me as clearly as words ever could — every shred of hesitation was crushed by instinct.

She didn't waver. She practically threw herself forward, her cold little hand clamping tight around Wangshu's wrist while her other arm locked around his elbow. Together!

"...Mm!"

A few minutes later — the familiar corridors of the Alchemy Commission. The smell of disinfectant and herbal medicine hung in the air, though it couldn't quite suppress the fresh tang of blood. Wangshu sighed. So much for a quiet evening.

"Looks like Cangcheng's about to get lively."

"You killed someone, little Wangshu."

Only now did Jingliu fully come back from the red haze. She stuck close to little Wangshu's side, her fingers unconsciously pinching the hem of his sleeve.

Wangshu was quiet for a moment. He nuzzled the top of Jingliu's head. "A sword is a weapon of violence. No matter how noble the justification, the sword was forged for one purpose: to kill more effectively. To take life."

"From the moment I chose to grip it — to use it to achieve something — I'd already prepared myself to carry that burden."

Jingliu's crimson eyes went slightly wide. She stared at him, dumbstruck. This kind of direct, almost cold yet utterly realistic understanding — she'd never encountered it in the academy's lessons or in anyone else's words.

War was always dressed up as glory and protection. Swordsmanship was praised as art and refinement. The shadow of death was wrapped in layer after layer of rhetoric.

"By the way — the future you told me that."

It wasn't like Wangshu would naturally think of something this brutal yet pragmatic on his own. He occasionally wanted to play the cool, world-weary realist, but he could never quite nail the delivery.

Jingliu: ...

She blinked.

"That makes sense. I was wondering how little Wangshu could possibly say something like that."

She murmured quietly, and her tense shoulders relaxed a fraction. Little Wangshu was supposed to be the sweet one.

So it was the future-her who'd said it... Well, the future-her was a bad person after all. Saying things like that was completely understandable.

While the two chatted, Cangcheng's general had arrived on the scene. Perhaps because there was no Revered Spirit here, the general looked formidable in his own right — tall, angular features, eyes sharp as a hawk's. A strong person's face.

With his arrival, the atmosphere in the Alchemy Commission visibly tightened. Even the air seemed to grow heavier. A storm was gathering.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Jingliu shrank closer to Wangshu, voice pressed to its lowest register, crimson eyes darting uneasily toward the general.

"I'm afraid it's more than a feeling." Wangshu's gaze drifted to the heavy darkness outside the window, his tone weighted. "War might be starting again."

He had some guesses.

After all, the Year 6300 storyline — as the future Ms. Elegy had described — involved Cangcheng's pursuit. And a pursuit was always preceded by a great victory... or at least a decisive advantage.

The usually cool Jingliu showed no interest in this topic. She lowered her gaze and rested her little head on Wangshu's shoulder.

She hated war. War had taken her family away. And she'd had to learn to be strong, to not be a burden to others.

"Oh — right, here."

She suddenly remembered something, fished the delicate data collector from her small pocket, and pressed it back into Wangshu's hand.

Having done so, she seemed to sink back into her low mood. Her small figure looked a touch lonely under the corridor lights.

Wangshu squeezed the cool device in his hand, then looked at the dejected Jingliu leaning against him. He softened his voice.

"Let's go home. I'll clean up the courtyard on the way. When we wake up tomorrow morning, everything will be back to normal — no tripping hazards, no ugly reminders. None of that bad stuff staying in our house."

Wangshu lifted Jingliu's small hand and pointed toward home.

Jingliu raised her head. A flicker of light passed through her crimson eyes, but it was quickly clouded by concern. "Can we just... leave?"

She'd seen the general earlier. As people involved in the incident, shouldn't they be standing by?

"We sneak out. Leave them a note."

Wangshu gave her a mischievous wink, lowering his voice.

"That sounds so unreliable..."

Even though they were the good guys.

"No worries. Trust me — this is a tactical withdrawal."

Wangshu pointed at a nearby Alchemy Commission window. The temptation of going home, cleaning the courtyard, and restoring their peaceful routine — combined with an instinctive urge to flee the oppressive atmosphere in the commission — made Jingliu's heart waver.

She didn't dislike the Alchemy Commission. But today, she genuinely didn't like how it felt in here.

"Let's go!"

Wangshu stood. Jingliu scrambled to her feet in a flurry, quickly falling into formation.

"Would you two like some paper and a pen?"

The ward door hadn't opened. The voice came through first, and only then was the door unhurriedly pushed open from inside.

Wangshu and little Jingliu went stiff as boards in unison.

"Please don't be alarmed. Cangcheng has always been people-first, respecting citizens' freedom. We would never restrict your movements."

The speaker's tone shifted, his smile deepening: "But if you could leave an address, it would make it easier for us to deliver a token of gratitude later."

A Foxian man in a moon-white changshan leaned against the doorframe, pointed ears twitching, his bushy tail swaying gently behind him. His smile was perfectly calibrated.

Wangshu studied him. There were plenty of Foxians in Cangcheng. The thriving commerce here gave them many opportunities, and with Cangcheng's deep ties to the IPC, Foxians were naturally suited to dealing with that crowd.

His reaction was instant — face shifting to a slightly sheepish, caught-in-the-act grin. He naturally stepped aside, passing the writing task to Jingliu: "Little Jingliu, you write it. I honestly can't remember which alley and what house number ours is."

Jingliu: ...

"I'm not 'little Jingliu.'"

She grumbled, but didn't refuse. Having grown up in Cangcheng, she had deep feelings for her hometown. If not for her hatred of war, she'd have been willing to wait here for hours to learn more about the situation.

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Asta: "@Wangshu, the method to delete the data is actually quite simple — it has voice control."

Wangshu: "That smart?"

Asta: "It's a Genius Society product, after all."

One minute later —

Wangshu sent an exclusive red envelope (Asta)

Asta claimed the red envelope

【Multiple instances of mutual assistance detected between group members. Group atmosphere trending positive. Initiating self-adaptive optimization...】

【Chat group is now undergoing its second adaptive upgrade. Please wait patiently — 5:59:59】

Jingliu: "..."

Wangshu: "Finally! It's finally upgrading!"

Jingliu: "Yes. Finally."

【Group member Wangshu recalled a message】

Alright — in truth, Wangshu didn't think the upgrade was that important. Whatever you do, do NOT unlock cross-temporal teleportation! At least give him a little more buffer time.

Asta: "Wahhh, the chat group is finally upgrading."

Asta: "Finally I won't have to face Ms. Herta's questions empty-handed anymore."

Wangshu: "Um... stay calm! The upgrade hasn't confirmed the new module yet."

Asta: "Doesn't matter. At least it gives me a glimmer of hope."