In those ten-plus hours, Faruzan's emotions had swung wildly.
Even now, after finally calming down, she still felt her day's experiences were too dreamlike.
Fate was truly strange.
It had just hurt her deeply, then immediately let her stumble into something so unbelievable no one would buy it if she told them.
What had she done to deserve being Lu Heng's teacher?
Yet he had acknowledged it anyway.
The sage's words he quoted did make sense, but...
"Ah!"
Faruzan shook her head hard.
Why was she still dwelling on this?
Lu Heng being her student was now set in stone!
Feeling both honored and absurd, she forced herself to stay calm and said, "Fine, that's settled!"
Lu Heng nodded with a smile, then asked, "Want me to fill you in on how the world has changed?"
Faruzan nodded in agreement.
She needed to know these things—she didn't want anyone looking at her like some country bumpkin again.
As they ate, Lu Heng explained while Faruzan listened. What she already thought was fantastical now felt even more unbelievable.
No wonder that mercenary had said what he did!
No wonder Lu Heng had told her you couldn't judge people by God's Eyes anymore!
So now there were these things called cards?!
God's Eyes at least required a god's approval, but cards? You just needed mora to draw them from a shop!
Even if luck was bad and you didn't pull high-tier ones, by common sense, second- or third-tier cards were more than enough for self-defense.
After hearing Lu Heng's rundown, Faruzan stared blankly for a long while before finally spitting out two words: "Insane!"
If it weren't Lu Heng speaking, if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she could never believe such nonsense.
It was like living in the modern world, napping for three days, and waking up to someone saying: "Buddy, aliens landed on Earth and enforced an eight-hour workday with weekends off, paid vacations, and year-end bonuses!"
Sure, it sounded great, but could you hear that without laughing?
It had this impossible beauty to it.
But for Faruzan, it was all real!
As she ate, she sighed, "The world has changed so much—I don't recognize it anymore."
"It's not that bad," Lu Heng reassured her. "Card shops haven't been around that long, and some things are still catching up."
"Catching up..." Faruzan sighed helplessly. "Where am I supposed to get that kind of mora?"
"No problem," Lu Heng said with a laugh. "With your skills, you could easily get a position at the Akademiya. You'd earn a salary, and the organization even hands out cards. Sounds pretty good, right?"
Under the unified system, it was just like working for a company.
Without standout contributions, you got a standard wage.
With notable achievements or merits, you earned rewards.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was a god who rewarded and punished fairly. Even for tiny accomplishments, she'd give something back—because enough small steps could drive a nation's growth and civilization's progress.
Faruzan thought for a moment, then nodded. "That makes sense."
Just like she'd been thinking earlier.
Worst case, she'd relearn everything.
Her expertise in ancient languages might be outdated now.
But she still had mechanics!
That brought up Sumeru's current state.
Modern civilization knew very little about ancient ones!
In other words, the Scarlet King's civilization was a thousand years old, yet much of its tech still baffled people today.
At least the Akademiya scholars couldn't explain it.
But Faruzan was a true standout in mechanics!
After lunch, they went to the restaurant's back courtyard to check on the two grazing Sumeru beasts.
Faruzan crossed her arms, glancing sideways at Lu Heng with a teasing tone. "Even now, you're not still planning to ride these beasts back to the Akademiya with me, are you?"
"Come on," Lu Heng said seriously. "Speed isn't everything. Sometimes the scenery along the way is the most inspiring."
"Hm, good point." Faruzan nodded slightly.
Lu Heng changed tack. "But getting there faster saves time—we could use that for more important things."
"So?"
"So we'll teleport." Lu Heng grinned. "No wasting time on the road this time. We need to get back to the Akademiya soon—lots to do."
Lu Heng didn't have much on his plate, but Faruzan did.
She wanted to see her home, visit her old teachers and friends—even if they were gone, she'd at least say something at their graves.
After that, at the Akademiya, she had two big tasks: announce her return and either take a faculty position or re-enroll in a program to catch up.
In Lu Heng's view, she didn't need to restart studies. In the past century, the Akademiya hadn't advanced much—she'd adapt quickly and soon be at the cutting edge with her abilities.
Besides, ignoring Faruzan and the Akademiya's academics, card shops were the real frontier now.
Forget the cards; even things like phones were ripe for Akademiya research.
So Faruzan and the Akademiya were starting from roughly the same line.
"Alright, let's head back quick," Faruzan said, her expression shifting.
They sold the two beasts to the restaurant. Lu Heng opened a portal, and he, Faruzan, and Tamimi stepped out in Sumeru City's outskirts.
Staring at a city so different from her memories, Faruzan fell silent.
The word "time" usually meant nothing, but when it spanned a huge gap in one person's life, it left you sighing.
"You still..." Lu Heng paused, then asked softly with a sigh, "remember where home is?"
"I..." Faruzan snapped back.
Seeing his careful expression, afraid of hurting her, she sniffled, huffed, and said, "You think your teacher's that fragile? Of course I remember—follow me!"
But the closer they got, the heavier her steps became.
A few hundred meters from home, Faruzan stopped by the roadside, head down, and murmured, "Maybe... we shouldn't go back."
It wasn't that she couldn't face reality.
Just thinking of returning after a century to a familiar place now utterly foreign... it was hard to accept.
Before Lu Heng could speak, Faruzan took a deep breath and walked toward home.
Soon enough.
Seeing the collapsed wall with its gaping hole, the roof caved in, weeds choking the yard, Faruzan gently placed a hand on the gate.
Afraid it might crumble at any second, she pushed it open with extreme care.
The century-worn gate creaked in protest.
Stepping into the overgrown yard, it was clear no one had been here in ages.
Shattered roof tiles lay under the eaves; the door, clearly kicked in long ago, hung crookedly, its edges rotted.
The place was in ruins.
Faruzan entered the house. Sunlight streamed through the roof hole, illuminating opened cabinets.
Treasure Hoarders had obviously ransacked it—anything valuable was long gone.
She went to her old room.
She hadn't liked coming home much back then, so she kept little here.
But seeing her once-familiar home like this weighed heavily on her heart.
Her chest tightened; she wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.
In her parents' room, sunlight filtered through the window. Cobwebs everywhere, mold in the corners, moss on damp walls, fungus on the wooden bed.
A beam of light caught her eye.
Faruzan turned to a dust-covered table.
After the Hoarders' visit, books and ink were scattered, drawers yanked out and dumped on the floor.
On the tabletop sat something like a picture frame.
She picked it up. The glass was shattered, but luckily it had stayed dry on the table.
Wiping away the dust, it revealed not a photo but a drawing.
Colored pencils sketched a smiling man and woman watching a twin-tailed girl on a swing.
Young Faruzan's hand-drawn family portrait now struck her own heart.
She couldn't hold it together anymore—tears poured out.
They fell on the paper; she frantically tried to wipe them.
But after a hundred years, it was fragile. Wiping wrinkled it, and the wet colors smeared her own face.
In that moment, the strong front she'd kept up crumbled further.
Her legs gave way.
Lu Heng caught her quickly.
"Faruzan..."
He wanted to comfort her, but words felt useless here.
How could mere talk dissolve this kind of grief?
"It's gone... everything's gone..."
Everyone and everything tied to her had vanished in time.
In that moment, beyond her own survival, it seemed nothing remained.
"You still have Tamimi," Lu Heng said softly. "And me, your student."
Faruzan, eyes full of tears, turned and buried her face in his chest.
Crying was a healthy release—it helped vent sadness, anger, and bottled-up pain.
After a while, Faruzan had steadied.
Seeing his shirt soaked with her tears, she looked down, avoiding his eyes, and murmured, "Sorry..."
Lu Heng didn't reply. He just handed her the frame.
It was restored to perfect condition. Faruzan clutched it like a treasure, guarding it carefully to avoid any more damage.
"...Thank you," she whispered. "Let's go."
"Okay."
Leaving the yard, Faruzan glanced back one last time.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Nothing here held her anymore.
Hugging the frame, she looked up at Lu Heng firmly. "Got time?"
"Yeah." He nodded.
His sure answer eased her. She said, "Then please come with me to see my teachers and friends."
"Sure." He nodded again.
That afternoon, Lu Heng and Faruzan visited many places.
Ordinary people from her era were gone.
She met a friend's child—now eighty years old. Upon learning who she was, he thought hard before recalling his parents mentioning her name a couple times.
"Time..."
"It's terrifying."
Luckily, Faruzan was resilient; the pain didn't break her.
"Where to next?" Lu Heng asked.
"The Akademiya!"
Faruzan exhaled lightly. "People have to look forward and keep moving. First, I need to take care of myself." She had to prioritize her own well-being now.
Though he'd known she wouldn't stay trapped in sorrow, seeing her like this truly put Lu Heng at ease.
"Why are you looking at me like that—so relieved?"
Faruzan crossed her arms, pouting in annoyance. "I'm the teacher here, the elder, remember?"
"Hah." Lu Heng chuckled. "Remember that sage quote? You'll teach me ancient languages and mechanics, but my strengths are worth learning too, right?"
"There's that logic again!"
Faruzan was stunned.
But he was right—she couldn't argue.
"I don't care!"
Probably embarrassed and angry, she stomped her foot and warned through gritted teeth, "You'd better forget everything from today!"
The proud senior Faruzan would never let anyone see her weak side.
Interesting.
Lu Heng turned serious. "I never saw Teacher Faruzan bawling her eyes out!"
"Who told you to say it out loud!" Faruzan glared, eyes wide. "You're done for—triple homework!"
Lu Heng couldn't stop smiling. "Come on, to the Akademiya."
"Wait for your teacher! I'm exhausted from crying—legs won't move!" Faruzan called quickly.
"Ride on Tamimi." Lu Heng suggested.
"Good disciple, brilliant idea!" Faruzan's eyes lit up.
But Tamimi was tall; she couldn't reach.
Lu Heng stepped on one of Tamimi's legs, bent down, and reached for Faruzan.
She took his hand, and he pulled her up.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he lifted her onto Tamimi's head to sit.
Seeing her flushed, fidgeting with her hands, Lu Heng teased, "Hey, Teacher Faruzan, why's your face red?"
"The sun!"
Faruzan turned away, cheeks puffed, refusing to meet his eyes.
"That sun must be brutal."
Lu Heng leaped down, patted Tamimi's body, and said, "Let's go—back to the Akademiya."
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T/N:
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