Chapter 109: Side Quest? (Revision)

The smell of burnt food, gunpowder, and a faint hint of blood mingled together, irritating the nostrils of everyone present.

This fringe area of the Fourth District now resembles a ruin bathed in the aftermath of war.

Yue Chengzhang leaned on the long sword forged from his own energy, its brilliance now slightly dim, and slowly straightened his posture.

His gaze swept over the scarred scene.

The Supervision Bureau's reinforcements were efficiently clearing the battlefield: searching for survivors, arresting injured but not dead Undercurrent members, setting up quarantine zones—everything orderly, yet unable to conceal the horror the explosion had just caused.

Sha Yufeng, pulled from the ruins, was already in a deep coma and was immediately taken to the Supervision Bureau's special medical center.

The other Undercurrent members were either dead or captured; this operation, privately orchestrated by Sha Yufeng, ended in a disastrous defeat.

Technicians, amid the burning wreckage, painstakingly retrieved several partially intact Gloomy Fluorescent Stone fragments, which became crucial samples for subsequent research.

Su Jingchuan immediately confirmed the safety of the students.

Qi Hengyu and Shen Zexi leaned against a ruined wall, receiving bandages; both bore injuries of varying severity, yet their eyes remained bright, appearing untroubled.

After this battle, the tacit understanding between them seemed to have deepened.

But what left him speechless was Ying Duo.

The fellow, covered in dust and ash, looked as if he'd just taken a stroll outside and returned.

He was now squatting beside a shallow pit freshly cleared, tilting his head as he watched a Supervision Bureau technician carefully place several Gloomy Fluorescent Stone fragments, flashing unstable pale green light, into a specially made isolation box.

His gaze was hollow and lifeless, showing no trace of the agility he displayed in the fight.

Amid the chaos, Su Jingchuan walked to Yue Chengzhang's side; his complexion was somewhat pale, not just from energy depletion but also from swirling doubts.

He looked at the still-wet blood at Yue Chengzhang's mouth corner, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hesitation.

"Captain Yue, are you okay?"

"Minor injuries."

Yue Chengzhang exhaled heavily, and the dimly glowing light sword he used to support his body completely vanished.

"Thanks to you this time, especially those students; their performance exceeded expectations. Afterward I'll apply for some credits for them as thanks."

Su Jingchuan nodded, but his brows remained tightly knit.

He fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help speaking, his voice pressed low.

"Captain Yue, when you fought Sha Yufeng earlier, I thought his combat technique... seemed familiar."

Yue Chengzhang turned his head, his golden eyes meeting Su Jingchuan's, his tone showing no abnormality.

"Familiar? You must be mistaken. Sha Yufeng's methods are ruthless and cunning, but his foundation is crude; they should be far from any school you know."

"I know, his learning is indeed unlike, even could be called rather clumsy..."

Su Jingchuan struggled to articulate, his eyes filled with confusion and recollection.

"But those avoidance moves' power habits, and a subtle variation during a close-range block... that feeling was very like him."

The last three words he said lightly, yet they struck the invisible barrier between them like a heavy hammer.

The air seemed to freeze for an instant.

Complex emotions flickered deep in Yue Chengzhang's eyes; he turned his back to Su Jingchuan, his voice still steady, yet bearing the undeniable authority of a captain.

"Jingchuan, you're too exhausted, and you miss your brother too much."

"When one's mind is tense, it's easy to hallucinate. Su Jingming's gun-fighting art is a school of its own; you should know best that someone like Sha Yufeng could mimic it? Don't overthink it."

Su Jingchuan stared at Yue Chengzhang's upright silhouette, opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the remaining words.

He rubbed his brow, a hint of fatigue appearing on his face.

Yue Chengzhang let out a silent sigh in his heart.

The former Su Jingchuan was a reckless youth who would explode at the slightest spark; his older brother, always wearing a gentle smile, repeatedly pulled him back from danger's edge, patiently teaching him to control his emotions and guiding him onto the right path.

Since Su Jingming's sacrifice, Su Jingchuan forced himself to curb all sharpness and impatience, striving to emulate his brother's manner, becoming calm and responsible.

He became a teacher, partly to continue the responsibility his brother once entrusted to him.

Yet deep inside, he still refuses to believe his brother died in that mission; he had long tangled with Yue Chengzhang, after all, he was the sole survivor of that operation.

Yue Chengzhang was well aware of Su Jingchuan's thoughts.

But some matters Su Jingchuan need not know.

He will settle that past incident with the Undercurrent.

"Side Quest Triggered?"

A green-headed figure suddenly emerged from between them, none other than Ying Duo.

He glanced at Su Jingchuan, then at Yue Chengzhang, his golden eyes flickering with some yearning.

"You're talking about Teacher Su's brother? Is he strong? Missing? Or dead? Should we consider posting a missing‑person notice or something?"

Su Jingchuan and Yue Chengzhang were both taken aback by the sudden interjection.

With their perception, they hadn't noticed Ying Duo's approach at first?

Perhaps the previous topic was too heavy; neither paid attention, and they tacitly chose to skip the subject.

Su Jingchuan quickly wore a gentle expression, as if the earlier heavy conversation never happened, and turned to Ying Duo with a caring tone.

"Ying Duo, are you okay? Any injuries?" he tried to shift the topic.

Ying Duo's attention was indeed diverted; he brushed off the ash and gave a thumbs‑up.

"No injuries during the run, cleared without a scratch."

Su Jingchuan listened to his game‑like report, a vein at his temple twitching.

He inhaled deeply, maintaining a "gentle" smile, yet the smile still carried a hint of gritted‑teeth bitterness.

"No injuries? That's great. It's getting late; if you rush back to school now, you might still make today's class. Ying Duo, you haven't met your homeroom teacher yet, have you?"

His voice was soft, yet carried an unsettling, hair‑raising pressure.

Ying Duo's golden eyes blinked innocently.

However, Su Jingchuan's "Devil's Whisper" had not ended.

He seemed to suddenly recall something, his gaze passing over Ying Duo and landing on Shen Zexi and Qi Hengyu, who were receiving bandages not far away, and the smile on his face grew increasingly "gentle."

"Oh, right, Shen Zexi, Qi Hengyu, you two came to the Fourth District today—did you get leave from the school?"

"I recall the freshman handbook clearly states that freshmen cannot leave the Academy at will during the first semester without special reason and instructor approval."

Previously, because Su Jingchuan hadn't thought of this, Shen Zexi and Qi Hengyu had believed they'd luckily escaped disaster; now a chill ran down their backs and they froze in place.

Shen Zexi gave a dry laugh: "Professor Su, this...... there's a reason......"

Qi Hengyu pressed his lips, offered no excuse, only his eyes showed a sense of resignation.

Standing aside, Min Tianyou, who had already finished his tasks, watched this dramatic scene, couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a completely schadenfreude expression.

Fortunately, he had initially chosen to enter the Supervision Bureau directly; although there are many rules, at least he doesn't have to face the embarrassment of being caught by an instructor.

He silently stepped back, hid himself in the shadows, and decided to quietly watch the show.