Chapter 4

Chapter 4: My Future Self Is Amazing!!!

Cangcheng, Ten-Lords Commission

The main service hall of the Cangcheng Ten-Lords Commission was spacious and orderly. All manner of people bustled through, and from behind various windows came the steady sounds of calm inquiries and data entry, mingled with the soft rustle of documents being reviewed — painting a picture of efficient, if slightly rigid, governance.

Window A3: Special Affairs Consultation.

"So you're saying Cangcheng will be destroyed next year, and the friend who was with you earlier is a young man from Star Calendar Year 8100 — is that correct?"

A registrar with a kindly face and standard-issue uniform tried his best to keep his tone level, though the corners of his mouth were proving rather difficult to control.

"It's absolutely true! The proof is right here!"

Little Jingliu held the Complete History of Cangcheng high above her head, trying to make the clerk understand the gravity of the situation.

"Mm-hmm, yes, I see."

The registrar took the book, flipping through it with practiced ease, his eyes sweeping quickly across the title page and table of contents.

He didn't actually dislike earnest kids like this. As for the Complete History of Cangcheng... he'd already seen this exact trick three times this year. It was almost always the work of those Fictive Historians.

Only good for fooling innocent children.

"Hmm, the contents are quite... thorough."

The registrar closed the book and slid it back to little Jingliu, a formulaic reassuring smile on his face. "Young lady, your sense of vigilance and love for your homeland are commendable."

"For major warnings involving city-wide safety like this, we have a dedicated procedure... Here's what we'll do — fill out this Anomalous Incident Report first. Write down your findings and the source of this book in detail."

"We'll file it according to procedure and, depending on the situation, refer it to the relevant departments — such as the Divination Commission on Yuque — for preliminary assessment. Does that work for you?"

He handed over a form and a pen, his attitude impeccable.

......

Meanwhile, on the other side —

A registrar named Li Fei, badge hanging from his chest, was leisurely processing Wangshu's case.

"Name."

"Wangshu."

"Gender?"

Wangshu was silent for a beat. "Male."

He'd always been curious — was this intake questionnaire universal across all worlds?

"Age?"

"Twenty-three."

"Age?"

"Twenty-three!"

Wangshu stressed the number. He really wasn't that young — though he'd been born after the millennium, he was already at the age where random kids on the street called him "uncle." Those wretched little brats.

The registrar handling Wangshu's case waved discreetly, seemingly dispatching an attendant on some errand.

"Planet of origin."

"Earth."

Earth? No records of that one.

The registrar was puzzled.

"Which star system?"

"The Milky Way galaxy, Solar System. The Solar System has eight major planets, and Earth is the third planet from the star — that is, the Sun. Oh, and there's one natural satellite: the Moon."

Roughly, anyway. You could also say nine major planets, but Wangshu vaguely recalled that Pluto had been kicked out of the club before he transmigrated.

The registrar cross-referenced internally, until he suddenly recalled some foundational knowledge from the ancient texts — and snapped his head up.

"The Homeworld!"

Wangshu: ...

We're probably not talking about the same thing. Although the Xianzhou's ancestral Homeworld certainly sounded a lot like Earth, the Star Rail universe actually already had its own Solar System.

And based on the timeline, that one should be right around the establishment of the Han Dynasty.

"...What era is your homeland currently in?"

"The imperial system was abolished almost a century ago."

The registrar suddenly became enthusiastic, peppering Wangshu with questions about his homeland — everything from technology to cultural landmarks.

Compared to something as patently absurd as "Cangcheng will be destroyed next year," a Homeworld native suddenly transmigrating to Cangcheng was far more interesting.

As for how the transmigration happened? Could be the Masked Fool, could be some powerful being's minor accident, could even be just the effects of Imaginary turbulence. The universe was vast enough that anything was possible.

Just as Li Fei was enthusiastically drilling into details about Earth's technology and cultural symbols, the attendant who had scurried off earlier returned — dragging along a rather short little girl.

"And this is?"

"A diviner from the Divination Commission."

Li Fei introduced her. Wangshu nodded, curiously eyeing this... not-very-tall diviner.

Was being short a tradition among Divination Commission diviners?

Oh wait, no — the Yuque's future general was actually quite tall. Though she did kind of look like a White Disaster. And Fuxuan's teacher seemed pretty tall too.

"Mind if I ask what she's here for?"

"Bone reading."

Wangshu: ...

Is this bone reading legitimate?

"Hand."

The newly arrived diviner was all business.

The bone reading was very legitimate — even somewhat painful. But the diviner was a little girl, about the same height as little Jingliu, so Wangshu gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

"Well?"

When it was over, Li Fei immediately pressed for results.

"Seventeen."

The diviner was concise.

Li Fei: ...

Wangshu took a moment to process. "Seventeen what?"

The diviner shot him a look. "Your physiological bone age. Seventeen standard years."

Wangshu: ...

When I was seventeen, I was still in high school. You're telling me I'm seventeen?

"Alright, alright, off you go. If you want to settle in Cangcheng permanently, you'll need at least a place to live and a proper job. But seeing how you and that Jingliu kid seem to get along well, it shouldn't be too hard for you."

Li Fei had already stopped looking at him, rapidly inputting information into the Jade Omen Terminal.

A young man who couldn't even confirm his own age — that immediately brought to mind the Masked Fool, or the tricks and constructs of Fictive Historians.

Anything else the boy claimed became even harder to take seriously.

When Wangshu walked out of the Ten-Lords Commission, little Jingliu was already waiting there. She stood with her hands behind her back, watching the flow of people on the street, her silhouette graceful — only occasionally and absent-mindedly scuffing the ground with the tip of her foot.

"How'd it go? Did they believe you?" Wangshu asked.

"Mm... they said they'd report it through proper channels. The key findings will be submitted to the Divination Commission on Yuque for preliminary assessment. That should be enough to prevent the disaster."

"What about your temporary residency permit?"

She kicked at a pebble that didn't exist.

"I think... it went through."

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Wangshu: "@Jingliu Senior, your Cangcheng is so laid-back. They asked my name and age, and that was basically it."

Asta: "That's just how the Xianzhou are."

From head to toe, the Xianzhou exuded a certain arrogance — from how they addressed others to how they treated them, everything radiated a sense of superiority disguised as equanimity.

Jingliu: "Cangcheng's commerce is thriving, and the transient population is enormous. The Ten-Lords Commission processes countless outsider registrations every day. It's probably... a bit lax, admittedly."

Maybe. She didn't really understand this area. If you prioritized commerce, shouldn't you be even stricter about identity registration?

Asta: "By the way, Mr. Wangshu, how old are you?"

Wangshu: "The Cangcheng diviner says I'm 17"

Asta: "Then we're all good."

She still had that photo of Wangshu and the little girl seared into her memory — the girl's small face blushing bright red, looking like she'd been bullied.

Jingliu: "I was 18..."

Wangshu: "..."

Asta: "Um ?"

Jingliu: "I mean, I was 18 at that time."

Her tone, even through the group chat, seemed to carry a wisp of distant wistfulness.

Wangshu: "??!"

Wangshu's expression went blank. He hurriedly called out to little Jingliu, who was skipping along ahead. "Jingliu."

"Hm?" Jingliu looked back, crimson eyes clear and bright.

"How... old are you this year?" Wangshu asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Eighteen!" Jingliu answered naturally, even with a touch of pride. "In about another month, all my academy courses will be finished."

She thought Wangshu was asking about her studies. Her brows and eyes curved into a smile carrying the fresh vitality of youth.

"But don't worry — even though I don't have many feelings for you yet, I'll keep the coming-of-age certification in mind."

Thinking about it, she quietly psyched herself up, then brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.

Then, as if it had only just occurred to her, she asked in return: "Oh right, you still haven't told me — how old are you?"

She'd even braced herself for the possibility that he might be over a thousand. After all, by around Star Calendar Year 8100, she herself would be nearly 2,000 years old. Surely Wangshu couldn't be younger, right?

Wangshu looked at her eyes — bright, yet carrying a hint of apprehension and curiosity — and his throat bobbed.

"Seventeen..."

Jingliu: ...

Her expression froze instantly, crimson eyes widening slightly as she struggled to process the number.

"Seven... seventeen?"

She repeated it unconsciously, her voice going airy.

Wangshu nodded gravely.

Jingliu was quiet for a moment. Then she rose on her tiptoes and ruffled Wangshu's hair.

My future self is amazing!!!