Chapter 478: This Time, That Time

These words, rather than saying they accept the apology, are more like a reminder.

The dead are already dead; saying anything else is just a waste of words.

Cheng Shuili says this only in hopes that Tai Bai will no longer cause problems in the future, and that no one will die because of his mistake again.

Tai Bai opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, but in the end he said nothing.

That "It's okay" and the following calmly extreme words made him feel an indescribable… sense of defeat more than any angry accusation.

Zhi Nu and Qing Qing "tsk"-ed, seeming to think the scene ended a bit too quickly, not satisfying, but Cheng Shuili had already stated her stance, so she couldn't press further.

"Since the parties involved have accepted the apology," Beichen said at the right moment, hammering the point home, "then this matter ends here. Tai Bai, your mistake will be dealt with internally."

Tai Bai lowered his head, his shoulders sagging slightly, and silently nodded.

Beichen's gaze turned to Cheng Shuili and Qin Wen: "You may return now. Remember, the echo has arisen, the road ahead is long; take care of yourselves."

Zhi Nu put a professional gentle smile back on her face and waved.

The pure white space began to fade again, the familiar sense of weightlessness and dizziness enveloped, and Cheng Shuili felt the falling sensation once more.

Only this time it didn't last long; she landed on the vehicle's floor.

The last time she emerged like this was because she smashed the energy stone statue in the Instance space.

Cheng Shuili rubbed her rear, lifted her gaze with a hint of doubt toward the vehicle's ceiling. This time there was no special circumstance; the system shouldn't have teleported her out like this, and now this situation…

It really makes it hard not to suspect those systems of settling personal grudges.

Cheng Shuili massaged her tingling tailbone and stood up, bracing the vehicle's floor.

The familiar furnishings inside the vehicle came into view, and the air still held the lingering dust scent from the previous ventilation; compared to everything in the Instance, this place felt immensely reassuring.

On the other side, Qin Wen landed a step after Cheng Shuili, his posture fairly steady, but his expression was a bit dazed, clearly surprised by this crude teleportation method.

"Ah…" Qin Wen, after steadying himself, subconsciously rubbed his arm and muttered, "Why is it like throwing trash, so casual?"

He found a spot to sit, and Qin Wen, following his habit, opened the regional channel for a glance.

The announcement had vanished only a short while ago, and now the regional channel discussion was all about the two of them!

Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa! Did you see that golden announcement just now?! A server-wide announcement! The kind with special effects! I almost ripped the steering wheel off by the roadside!

"Saw it! My eyes almost blinded! It's Wu Ya Dalao again; I wonder if the boss is annoyed by the announcement. Just hearing it makes me a bit annoyed."

"This time it's not Wu Ya herself, but also Qing Qing Dalao! Qing Qing Dalao is still a lone wolf; does that mean lone wolves still have hope?"

"Upstairs, don't invert cause and effect. Qing Qing is strong because she's inherently strong, not because she's a lone wolf! Also, what's this 'ending' thing, does it have something to it?"

"It's more than just something! That's a first clear! It's an ending Instance! The announcement said it's the first time ending! Has this ever been said before? No!"

"Effectively curbed abnormal issues and saved over a thousand players' lives… the value, my god, Wu Ya and the other should have a halo of light above their heads."

"A thousand?! Really? That's exaggerated! Can a single Instance involve so many people?"

"If the announcement says so, how could it be false? The Instance is open to everyone; involving so many is normal. Also… did anyone notice? This announcement's specifications are completely different from before, feels like the highest tier; looks like Wu Ya and they really did something remarkable."

"Upstairs is right! When Zhi Nu posted an announcement before, it was just pinned; this time, gold light spread, the sense of pressure maxed out, my legs went weak."

"So this time Wu Ya is a world‑class vindication, right? Even Qing Qing's single kiss made chickens and dogs ascend to heaven?"

"Hey, what does 'chickens and dogs ascend to heaven' even mean? Our Qing Qing Dalao can achieve such feats together with Wu Ya Dalao; she can't be a simple character. She's the idol of all our lone‑wolf players!"

"Am I the only one who noticed that under Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji's leadership?"

Aside from these arguments, the rest is just blowing rainbow farts.

Qin Wen watched the rapidly scrolling messages in the regional channel, his mouth involuntarily curving upward.

All the discussions were like honey, making her heart feel sweet.

"I have to share this with Wu Ya to see," the thought naturally popped up.

Although Wu Ya Dalao seemed indifferent to this, after all it's their shared moment of glory!

Qin Wen, excited, clipped several particularly representative discussion excerpts, his fingers deftly operating, and packaged the information via private chat to send to Cheng Shuili.

Cheng Shuili, upon receiving the message: "……"

At first she thought Qin Wen had discovered something important, sending so many messages, and immediately wore a serious expression, reading them earnestly.

But after reading just one, Cheng Shuili realized something was off.

If this sentence: "Wu Ya Dalao and Qing Qing Dalao are really too strong, over a thousand lives, I would have to save one person a day, that would be over a thousand days, a full three years! They actually saved them with just one Instance!" is considered normal.

Then the following sentence: "Qing Qing Dalao! Your and Wu Ya Dalao's silhouettes will be forever etched in my barren road memory, becoming an undying starlight guiding my way!"—what is that?

Cheng Shuili, patiently scanning quickly, confirmed they were all flattering "nonsense" about the two of them, and finally she couldn't hold back…

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】:?

She had taken part in so many Instances, yet this was the first time she saw these things in private chat.

Qin Wen replied almost instantly, sending a slightly plaintive meme with text: "Boss, everyone's praising us! Can't you see? How fun!"

Cheng Shuili looked at that line, twitched her mouth and didn't reply.

The other side persisted, asking again: "So Wuya Lao Da, regarding what I asked in the Instance, me joining Black Feather—what do you think?"

Cheng Shuili, with a completely businesslike expression, said, "Go find Xinxue; if you meet Black Feather's recruitment criteria, she will handle your initial test."

【Qing Qing's one kiss】: Do I still have to go through this process? When Wuya Lao Da first invited me as a special combat force, it wasn't like this!

Cheng Shuili, unchanged, said: "This time, that time."