Stronger with More Jobs-Chapter 499 - 247: Glazed Light City!! (20,000-Word Update 5/5)
But soon.
Yan Shouzheng’s deep and grave voice resounded again.
It shattered the tumultuous waves in Fang Qingyu’s heart and interrupted the nearly suffocating atmosphere in the study.
"In any case."
The old man’s gaze swept over the five young and shocked faces in front of him, carrying an undeniable weight.
"You all still have a little time left now."
His voice was firm and decisive, like a final ultimatum.
"Once the time comes, you all should head to the Arctic."
"So..." Yan Shouzheng’s gaze was sharp as a knife, carrying the sternness and advice of an elder, "Make good use of this time! Improve yourselves! Solidify your foundations! Digest the gains from this Ghost Festival! Do not waste a single second!"
"Tier Two..." His voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost ruthless clarity, "Over there, it counts for nothing among the strong."
"Arctic Front..."
Yan Shouzheng’s voice dropped down.
"The order over there is completely different from the Federation you are familiar with, or from our rear..."
"Completely different!"
"That place is a chaotic scene capable of slaughtering Tier Three, where only the strong can survive, and the weak will have their bones consumed..."
"The ultimate killing ground!"
Every word scraped heavily across the hearts of all present.
"Prepare yourselves accordingly."
After saying this last sentence, Yan Shouzheng slowly turned around, facing the desk once more, with his back to everyone.
The study fell into silence once again.
Only the spread-out map depicting the Arctic Great Wall and the cold, dead ice fields silently emitted a suffocating oppressive feeling.
"Yes... Master."
Wei Banmeng, Lu Jiuyuan, and Chu Kuanglan replied with dry voices, struggling to digest the weighty and subversive truth.
Fang Qingyu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the massive enigma in his heart about "Nvba" and "Drought Fiend."
Facing Yan Shouzheng’s back, he solemnly cupped his fists, "Junior understands, thank you for informing us, senior."
Then, he gently pulled Jiang Wei’s little hand beside him.
Jiang Wei seemed to still be immersed in that "crack" sound of shattering, her small hand slightly cool, only waking up when Fang Qingyu pulled it, silently standing up.
The five of them left the study one by one.
The heavy wooden door closed quietly behind them, severing the view of the daunting back facing the desk and the cold map. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Following the winding path back as they came.
The night was deep, the starlight cold.
The unique tranquility and harmony of the Pocket World Blessed Land, yet at this moment, it could not dispel the heaviness weighing on everyone’s hearts.
No one spoke.
Only the sound of silent footsteps echoed in the tranquility.
Chu Kuanglan opened his mouth several times, seemingly wanting to say something, but when he saw Wei Banmeng’s furrowed brows and Lu Jiuyuan’s iron-like solemn face, he finally swallowed his words back down.
The atmosphere was oppressive, like the dead calm before a storm.
Until the five came to the crossroad.
Wei Banmeng stopped, her cold gaze swept over Fang Qingyu and Jiang Wei, and then Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan, her voice carrying a hint of unnoticeable fatigue, "I’m heading back first."
"I’m off too." Lu Jiuyuan stated succinctly.
"Uh... then I’ll also..." Chu Kuanglan scratched his head and eventually just waved his hand, "Captain, Xiaojiang, see you tomorrow."
The three turned around, heading towards their respective small courtyards, their backs extending long under the starlight, each carrying a weight that needed to be digested alone.
Fang Qingyu also led Jiang Wei back to their small courtyard.
Creak——
The courtyard door gently closed.
Sealing off everything from the outside world.
In the courtyard, the fragrance of plants and trees floated in the night air, the tinkling sound of the Spiritual Spring crisp and pleasing, like an isolated pure land.
Yet the air seemed to solidify.
Fang Qingyu didn’t enter the house immediately.
Instead, he stood under the old tree in the yard, slowly turning around, his gaze falling on the small figure beside him.
Jiang Wei still had her head down, looking at her empty right hand.
The plastic stick of the broken lollipop was still subconsciously clutched in her little palm.
The dim corridor light cast a shadow over her lowered face, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow on her eyelids, obscuring the emotions in her eyes.
Only the slightly furrowed, tiny brows could be seen.
As if faced with an incomprehensible puzzle.
Fang Qingyu looked at Jiang Wei, and the enormous riddle in his heart surged once more.
Drought Fiend...
Nvba...
Only a word apart, yet worlds apart in meaning.
One is a doomsday Life Ghost that humans can only expel with all their might, the other is the little girl sitting beside him, holding the title of Divine Reincarnation.
The connection between them, if thought about carefully, is terrifying to the extreme.
He squatted down, trying to make his line of sight level with Jiang Wei.
"Xiaojiang."
Fang Qingyu’s voice was very light, breaking the silence of the courtyard.
Hearing the voice, Jiang Wei slowly raised her head.
Those clear Eyes of Melting Gold looked at Fang Qingyu, her eyes clearly reflecting Fang Qingyu’s concerned face, and also flowing with a trace of...
Confusion.
Extremely pure confusion.
She looked into Fang Qingyu’s eyes and was silent for several seconds.
Then she softly spoke with a voice almost stating a fact, carrying a bit of naive puzzlement:
"I don’t know what’s going on."
"Do you believe me?"
Her voice was very light, carrying a hint of uncertainty even she seemed unsure of.
Fang Qingyu listened to Jiang Wei’s extremely earnest, even somewhat confused retort.
Looking at her clear eyes filled with pure confusion.
First, he was slightly stunned.
Then...
"Pffft——"
Fang Qingyu couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
That laughter broke the heavy atmosphere in the courtyard, bringing with it a sense of relaxed relief.
Reaching out, he gently placed his warm, calloused palm on Jiang Wei’s soft head, gently rubbing it with a comforting force.
