Faruzan swung herself onto the back of the sumpter beast.
Just then, Lu Heng remembered something. A green glass orb appeared in his hand, and he handed it to her.
"What's this?"
Faruzan examined it closely. "A Vision?"
"Yes," Lu Heng nodded. "It appeared the moment you walked out of the ruin. A gift of recognition from the gods, perhaps."
"The gods' recognition…?"
Faruzan immediately accepted it. Under the sunlight, the Vision gleamed with dazzling brilliance.
Her lips curved upward, pride flashing in her eyes. "With my academic standing, of course I deserve it!"
"Oh?"
Lu Heng couldn't help but chuckle.
"What, you don't believe me?" Faruzan frowned. Clearly, Lu Heng had no idea just how profound her scholarly achievements were.
"Of course I believe you." He smiled, then mounted his own beast. "Come on. Let's get back quickly."
Faruzan toyed with the Vision for a moment, glancing sidelong at him.
"What is it?" Lu Heng asked, puzzled.
Faruzan's mind spun. If this man wasn't some hallucination from her dazed state, then how could he walk so freely through the ruin without a Vision?
"That ruin couldn't stop you?" she asked.
"Not at all." Lu Heng shook his head.
"No Vision, and you could still manage that?" Faruzan's disbelief was plain.
Lu Heng knew what she was thinking—that without a Vision, one shouldn't be able to wield extraordinary power.
"The world has changed," he said calmly. "You can't judge someone by whether they have a Vision anymore."
"The world has changed…?"
Faruzan blinked, then sighed. "True… it's been over a hundred years. Who knows what Sumeru City looks like now? Has the Akademiya pushed into new research already…?"
She froze mid-thought.
All the knowledge she had once been so proud of—what did it amount to now? Compared to the Akademiya of this new era, she was already an outdated relic.
No matter how brilliant she had been, she was a genius of a bygone age.
Her chest tightened. Her fingers clenched around the Vision. A crushing feeling settled in—this vast world had no place left for her.
But Faruzan was not someone so easily broken. She shook her head hard, clearing away the spiral of despair.
She was Faruzan!
So what if a hundred years had passed?
At worst… she would just start again. Study anew from the ground up if she had to!
Resolved, she cast a sidelong glance at Lu Heng, a flicker of satisfaction in her gaze.
Lu Heng raised a brow.
What was she thinking now?
Faruzan's expression softened with relief. At least this Liyue student had some talent in her field and the willingness to learn. Whatever had become of her old master's lineage, she still had someone to pass knowledge onto.
Lu Heng quickly guessed her thoughts. For a moment, guilt pricked at him. Was it really right to mislead such an earnest girl?
But then again… he hadn't lied. He just hadn't explained everything. That wasn't the same as deception, was it?
He wondered what expression she'd wear once they reached Sumeru and she discovered the truth.
The thought left his feelings conflicted—half guilt, half anticipation.
Surely this habit of shifting blame had rubbed off on him from Furina and Yae Miko. Once you learned to pin things on others, it became much easier to ignore moral qualms.
The sumpter beast carried them steadily onward.
Faruzan, unused to silence after so long, grew chatty. Luckily, Lu Heng was genuinely interested in her manuscripts, so they spoke of many things on the road.
After a while, she asked, "Why didn't you just bring me out right away?"
"Because I knew it couldn't hold you," Lu Heng answered.
"You were that sure?" She blinked. "What if it had trapped me for good?"
"Then I would have stepped in," he replied with a smile. "But I thought it mattered more for you to escape by your own strength. It wouldn't mean the same if I pulled you out."
Faruzan fell silent. She couldn't deny it—unless she had no choice, she would rather rely on herself than anyone else.
"Well then, I'm glad you didn't make me owe you a favor," she said at last.
"Not so fast," Lu Heng teased. "You were seconds away from losing your grip entirely. And that was exactly when I showed up—"
"Cough! Cough!" Faruzan cut him off sharply. "I was already calculating the solution. I was only a step away. Even without you, I would've—well…"
"Fine, fine!" Lu Heng raised his hands in mock surrender.
She sighed. "Still… I admit, you gave me hope. That mattered. So tell me—what do you want as thanks?"
Lu Heng tapped his chin, pretending to think.
Arms folded, Faruzan shifted uneasily. Please, not something outrageous…
"How about you give me my graduation certificate early?" he said at last, grinning.
"Huh?"
Faruzan blinked, then let out a breath of relief, though the request baffled her. "That's all?"
"I heard graduating from the Akademiya is notoriously difficult," he explained.
"Is it really that bad?" she muttered. Then, waving it off, she added, "Fine! When I've settled back in at the Akademiya, attend my classes. If I'm free, you can even come to my place for one-on-one tutoring. With your talent, I can have you graduating within six months."
"Deal." Lu Heng nodded eagerly.
Another daily mission completed.
He pulled out a page from her notes. "So what does this part mean?"
Faruzan cupped her ear theatrically. "What? Speak up—I'm old, I can't hear you. Call me 'teacher' first."
Lu Heng stifled a laugh. "Teacher Faruzan, could you explain this passage?"
"Much better." She smiled, clearly pleased.
Yes, she was very satisfied with her new student—handsome, perceptive, powerful, and, most importantly, respectful of his elders.
Had the Akademiya's scholars gone blind, to overlook him? Or had they simply grown senile?
No matter. She had met him first. And now she wouldn't be alone anymore.
Her voice grew firm. "Listen carefully!"
She explained with clarity and depth, and Lu Heng found himself actually learning.
By midmorning, the two of them approached Caravan Ribat.
Even before they entered, Faruzan noticed the mercenaries at the gates. Their weapons were of entirely unfamiliar design.
"Have things really changed so much? Even mercenary arms look different…" she murmured.
As they drew closer, the guards caught sight of Lu Heng. Their eyes widened, excitement flashing across their faces as they hurried forward.
Faruzan frowned. Why were they so thrilled? You'd think they'd seen the Archon herself. Surely not because of her. She glanced at Lu Heng.
"Mr. Lu! Is it really you?" one cried.
"It's true—it's him! We're seeing him alive with our own eyes!"
Lu Heng: "…"
This felt a little too much like winning a resurrection match.
"Forgive us, my comrade is just overwhelmed!"
"I can't believe our luck, meeting Mr. Lu here!"
"Are you heading back to the rainforest, sir?"
Faruzan stared. "You're… famous?"
"Not exactly obscure," Lu Heng admitted with a small smile. He turned to the mercenaries. "Hello."
The squad leader quickly waved his men back. "Don't hold him up. Let Mr. Lu through!"
"Thanks."
Inside Caravan Ribat, Faruzan's expression remained dazed. Mercenaries in this remote outpost recognized him instantly… what sort of student had she taken under her wing?
This was no small town. With merchants from Dori's caravans passing through, it was hardly backward.
In truth, almost everyone with access to the network across Teyvat knew Lu Heng's name. No wonder his appearance here caused such a stir.
As people treated Lu Heng with near-religious reverence, Faruzan grew more bewildered.
In the tavern, she sat while Lu Heng ordered food. Around her, mercenaries whispered excitedly about him.
She leaned toward one. "Is he really that well known?"
The man gave her a baffled look. "Don't tell me you don't know Mr. Lu?!" His eyes carried the same pity one might reserve for a country bumpkin.
Faruzan clenched her fists. How humiliating…
"So, he's famous in Sumeru?" she pressed.
"Sumeru? No, no! He's famous across all of Teyvat!"
The mercenary's face glowed with awe. "Mr. Lu is a supreme being—great and generous. He has bestowed countless opportunities upon us. Thanks to him, we wield stronger powers, we have phones, we can learn knowledge once unthinkable. Because of him, maybe my children won't grow up ignorant like me—they could even study at the Akademiya."
What nonsense was this?
Faruzan pressed a hand to her forehead. She couldn't make sense of it at all.
"Don't believe me?" The mercenary pulled out a phone and played a video. "Mr. Lu is so approachable that we can talk to him when we meet. Otherwise, people like us wouldn't even have the right to speak to him."
Faruzan stared at the video, silent.
No wonder he could come and go from ruins at will. No wonder. She had thought him another lost wanderer when he first appeared… and the thought now seemed absurd.
Lost in thought, she didn't notice Lu Heng's return until he spoke. "What's on your mind?"
She lifted her gaze to him. It was hard to reconcile the man before her with the one in that video, but the truth was undeniable.
Her throat dry, she whispered, "Someone like you… shouldn't you be teaching, not studying? Was calling me 'teacher' just a joke?"
Memories of her boasting about her scholarship burned in her mind, now soured by shame. In front of someone like him, all her pride seemed ridiculous.
Her heart ached. Why would he pretend to be ignorant and ask her for lessons? That one phrase—"Teacher Faruzan"—now sounded like mockery.
"Why do you think that?" Lu Heng raised a brow. Then he said gently, "In my homeland, a sage once said: 'When three walk together, there is always something to learn. Take the good and follow it, reject the bad and correct yourself.'
"I may know much, but I am no omniscient god. There are many things I do not understand. In ancient texts and mechanisms, for example, I am nowhere near your level."
His smile was sincere.
"Really?" she asked, still unsure.
"Really," he said, nodding.
Faruzan thought it over. He had a point. She exhaled deeply. "Fine then. I don't care what anyone says. You're my student."
"Of course." Lu Heng poured her a glass of water and slid it across. "Teacher Faruzan, don't be upset."
Arms folded, she turned her head away, cheeks puffed in frustration.
"You could've said something sooner! I made such a fool of myself!"
"Or maybe," Lu Heng countered thoughtfully, "you never asked. After all, no one just goes around bragging about their accomplishments to strangers."
Faruzan froze.
Damn it. That was far too reasonable to argue with.
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T/N:
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