Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Hua Xue… Chemistry? The Transmission of Information—Strangely Reasonable

On the day they left Lu Lake City in southernmost Yuzhou, Qin Chongli finally received Du Yinsui’s complete homework without missing pages. From that day onward, the diligent Du Yinsui seemed to have returned, submitting her calligraphy practice daily without delay. This saved Qin Chongli considerable effort in lecturing, giving him genuine comfort in his old age.

Yet Qin Chongli observed Jiang Wu and Du Yinsui with growing unease. Their current strangeness differed from before Lu Lake City—when Jiang Wu hadn’t hovered around Du Yinsui who’d often giggled secretly. Now Jiang Wu circled Du Yinsui again, but Du Yinsui kept pushing him away…

Fearing they’d quarreled, Qin Chongli secretly pulled Chu Xiulan aside, asking her to mediate. Unexpectedly, his daughter-in-law didn’t mediate at all—instead serving him an extra bowl of rice while telling him to eat more and meddle less… Provoked, Qin Chongli devoured two extra bowls!

But Qin Chongli’s worries faded as quickly as they surfaced. External threats outweighed internal tensions.

Their final destination was the Jin Kingdom. Originally planning to head south through Yuzhou into Yizhou before turning west, they noticed stark differences upon entering Yizhou after three days of travel.

Yizhou felt unnervingly "tight." Unlike chaotic Daizhou, this western frontier of Zhao Kingdom appeared prosperous with well-fed citizens and disciplined soldiers. Yet Du Yinsui felt deeply unsettled. Having only traveled southward for two days without seeing Yizhou’s entirety, she couldn’t pinpoint why. Perhaps she simply disliked everything associated with Prince Cheng’s domain.

As a post-apocalyptic survivor, Du Yinsui never ignored her instincts. After one extra day of hesitation, she decided to retreat north to the Yuzhou-Yizhou border before turning west. They’d follow this boundary westward to where Liangzhou met Yizhou, then head southwest. Later they’d choose whether to trace the Western Desert border to Jin Kingdom’s frontier or cut directly through Western Desert.

This detour around Yizhou’s perimeter added significant distance compared to crossing directly. But returning to Yuzhou’s border settled Du Yinsui’s nerves.

Fortunately, as the group’s decision-maker, Du Yinsui faced no objections despite the backtracking. Only…

The last antidote pill obtained from Agu in Old Cave Village had to be consumed.

Luckily, while traveling southwest, they discovered one previously missing medicinal ingredient for the antidote. Regional variations likely explained this; reaching Jin Kingdom should provide the remaining components. Du Yinsui prayed the detour would proceed smoothly—they must complete the antidote before its effects expired. Full detox might be impossible, but securing the formula was essential.

Avoiding Yizhou inexplicably lightened everyone’s spirits. Back in Yuzhou, Jiang Wu produced several paintings. Though lacking fame for high prices, he became the group’s first successful earner.

Most subsequent travel along the Yuzhou-Yizhou border kept them within Yuzhou. Upon entering Liangzhou via this route—before deciding whether to follow the Western Desert boundary or traverse it directly—something peculiar occurred.

At Hui City in Liangzhou, they stayed an extra day to sell Jiang Wu’s new paintings. After visiting art shops and completing sales, lunchtime arrived. They considered returning to the inn or grabbing street food when nearby teahouse drums announced new storytelling.

Hearing "Class Sixteen of Haisi’s First Academy" amidst the clamor, Du Yinsui froze—her feet rooted despite the nearby fried cakes’ allure.

In Hui City’s Shengxing Building, a new storytelling performance called "End Times Saga" emerged, recounting a tale set in a fictional era. The protagonist was a young man named Hua Xue. At the story’s start, Hua Xue studied in Class Sixteen of Haishi First Academy during a critical imperial examination period when the world suddenly transformed. Mutated animals appeared out of nowhere. To protect loved ones, Hua Xue—who had just gained a great opportunity—evolved from a helpless scholar into a formidable figure.

Du Yinsui and her group stayed in Hui City for three extra days, booking a private room at Shengxing Building each afternoon to hear the entire "End Times Saga" trilogy. Unlike older performances based on myths or daily life, this one crafted a bizarre new world, and Hua Xue’s journey from student to powerful figure captivated crowds. Shengxing Building was packed throughout the three days. Of course, Du Yinsui—initially in a hurry—didn’t delay just for a fresh story. Time travel alone was staggering; traveling with someone from her original world felt absurd. Traveling with someone she knew from that world seemed utterly unreal. But the strangest part went further.

After listening attentively for three days, Du Yinsui confirmed that "End Times Saga"—already popular in Yizhou and recently performed in Qiongzhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, and Liangzhou—was less a story and more a message. A message from the person who’d crossed worlds with her. Though adapted to fit this world’s logic, it overflowed with key details. Hua Xue’s Class Sixteen mirrored Du Yinsui’s own apocalypse experience: twelfth grade, Class Sixteen at Haishi First High School. When the world changed, Hua Xue endured the early mutations at the academy. The teachers’ methods for organizing mutant beast kills, a teacher’s public bravery versus private breakdowns, and the survivors’ desperate breakout for survival—all these hidden details screamed shared memories.

It had to be her. Teacher… Wen Junzhi, chemistry instructor for Class Fifteen next door. Years later, even in a new world, Du Yinsui vividly recalled accidentally seeing Wen Junzhi’s vulnerable side early in the apocalypse. Wen Junzhi had swiftly evacuated everyone to the best-stocked cafeteria, lured low-level zombies one by one into empty rooms so each person could claim their first kill, and forged the necessary ruthlessness. A teacher like a sword and an anchor—relied on, admired, even feared—yet who secretly cried in stairwells from fear and exhaustion. Du Yinsui had stumbled upon her and been fiercely ordered to keep it secret. Now, reshaped, that secret surfaced in this world’s storytelling. Blending shared experiences with altered facts created Hua Xue, the hit character. Hua Xue… Chemistry. The coded message felt annoyingly fitting.

In the story’s finale, Hua Xue chose between preserving future civilization and protecting loved ones. So that was why, during their psychic chat in Central City’s underground palace, the psychic—who’d swallowed a zombie crystal to reach her—knew Du Yinsui’s name instantly. Wen Junzhi was involved too. Then… Was Wen Junzhi present at Central City’s explosion? Did she, like Du Yinsui, scatter into light and soar beyond the clouds? How did she know Du Yinsui was here? Du Yinsui reeled with shock and questions. The performance revealed the sender and extended a meeting invitation. Most startlingly, several odd points in "End Times Saga" collectively pointed to the Jin Kingdom.

After lingering three days and leaving Hui City in Liangzhou, Du Yinsui felt heavier-hearted. But before she drowned in old thoughts, a new crisis yanked her back. Days after departing Hui City, they were tailed. A six-person group followed at a distance for two days, radiating trained-fighter vibes. Traveling on official roads, the pursuers stayed nonviolent, smelling more wary than murderous, so Du Yinsui couldn’t tell if they were targets or fellow travelers. To investigate, she decided to linger an extra day in Wushan County.

By mid-morning the next day, her group on the inn’s second floor hadn’t left, and the six downstairs showed no movement. Worse, shortly after breakfast, as Du Yinsui debated shaking them off, testing them, or attacking first… a pigeon scent wafted around the six, followed by fresh malice. They meant trouble. But Du Yinsui’s group wasn’t the exiled, stone-tool-reliant team anymore. Blades hidden under the carriage were retrieved when the followers appeared; the pouch in her robe now held dizzying powder instead of sand. If only she’d found a place to learn poison techniques—they could’ve eliminated them stealthily at night. Still, the pursuers were trained fighters, while Du Yinsui and Jiang Wu relied purely on raw strength… Yet Du Yinsui never expected that despite their readiness, what came… wasn’t the six downstairs.