You Xue did not choose to return to the slums.
It was indeed her home, and the only place she could go back to.
But she herself had been tracked and attacked.
It was obviously unrealistic to still imagine that place was safe.
So You Xue went to Scar Workshop.
Actually, today was also a workday.
She hadn’t taken any leave at all, nor had she anticipated such a serious emergency.
“You Xue, why are you so late today?”
Seeing the girl with ashen-white hair walking slowly over, Sanjian Ying asked with some surprise.
“And your complexion seems a bit off too…”
You Xue shook her head and denied it.
“Something happened on the way. It delayed me a little.”
“You, child.”
Sanjian Ying seemed about to say something, but all those words coalesced into a single sigh.
Her gaze swept over You Xue, who stood quietly by her side.
“Something must have happened, right? Before, you were always fine. I’ve never seen you miss work, and you almost never took leave. But now…”
Sanjian Ying’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.
“I know this is your own business, and you don’t want to tell me. But at least tell me—are you safe right now?”
You Xue was silent for a while.
She lowered her head, letting her ashen-white hair slide from her shoulders, obscuring her view.
The reason she didn’t tell Sanjian Ying what she was going through was because she knew Sanjian Ying was a good person and would likely try to help her.
You Xue didn’t want Sanjian Ying to get entangled in the vortex of other forces.
It was truly dangerous.
Let someone like her, who was already on the verge of death, handle this kind of thing.
She didn’t need anyone else’s help.
“I’m fine.”
You Xue lifted her head, trying to appear sincere.
“I’ve just run into a little trouble recently. It has something to do with my friend. I can handle it.”
Hearing You Xue’s words, Sanjian Ying thought for a moment.
“Your friend… that boy you met at the Academy?”
You Xue paused, then nodded.
“Sort of. There’s some misunderstanding between us, but it’s nothing major.”
Sanjian Ying’s furrowed brow finally relaxed a bit.
“Misunderstanding?”
She raised an eyebrow, curiosity in her tone.
“Did he bully you? Ah, I really can’t interfere in this matter, but for the sake of my employee’s mental health, if you need it, I can stand up for you.”
You Xue quickly waved her hands, thinking to herself, ‘I shouldn’t have said so much.’
She had no idea what cliché scenario this person’s mind was fantasizing about now.
“No, it’s just some misunderstandings. Sister Ying, don’t overthink it.”
“Alright, alright. I overthought it.”
She paused and blinked.
“You’re so eager to explain—that makes you even more suspicious, you know.”
You Xue was completely at a loss for words now.
She felt that no matter which direction she explained, the other party would conjure up a dramatic emotional entanglement.
“Okay, I’m just joking. I’m glad to know you’re fine now.”
Sanjian Ying put away that teasing expression and became a little more serious.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
You Xue was relieved that the other woman didn’t press further.
She tilted her head and asked.
“What?”
“Since we just delivered the amulets to the new students at the Academy, at the end of this month the Academy will take these freshmen to the city outskirts to make contact with those demon beasts.”
Only when Sanjian Ying mentioned this did You Xue realize that the plot had already advanced to this stage.
In the original story, the combat drill wasn’t a major plot point.
It only described the protagonist group’s first contact with demon beasts and their battle with them.
The plot might have been a bit boring, but it was still indispensable, because it was during this segment that Su Li took the first step in developing the true power of his supernatural ability.
You Xue’s thoughts churned, but her expression remained calm.
She just said.
“And then?”
Seeing that You Xue seemed somewhat interested, Sanjian Ying continued.
“As one of the suppliers for this batch of amulets, we have to send someone to the site to verify that these seals are functioning properly. And if any problems occur on site, we can handle them immediately.”
Sanjian Ying’s gaze shifted to You Xue’s face.
“So, You Xue, do you want to go? The Academy’s instructors will be stationed at the position, so it’s very safe. I’m confident our products are flawless anyway, so think of it as a break. Want to go clear your head?”
You Xue lowered her gaze.
She hadn’t considered this matter before.
In the original story, Su Li didn’t encounter any danger, so logically, she had no reason to go.
“I’ll go.”
But in the end, she still agreed.
You Xue thought, ‘I’ve already altered many plot points from the original story. It’s unrealistic to blindly predict events based on memory now.’
Even now, Su Li was far from reaching the point where she could confidently let him handle things alone.
Plus, she still had enough time, so there was no reason not to do this.
This time, she would just watch from a distance.
As long as she wasn’t discovered and the plot proceeded perfectly, that would be good enough.
“Alright, it’s settled then.”
Sanjian Ying pursed her lips and smiled.
“I’ll go back to work now.”
“Go ahead.”
Sanjian Ying nodded.
You Xue knew that the other woman didn’t actually care much about her work performance, but she still always tried to finish her own tasks first.
After all, she had received so much kindness.
She couldn’t just take the other’s goodwill for granted, could she? That wouldn’t be right.
After that batch of amulets was completed, there wasn’t much work left each day.
You Xue returned to her workstation but didn’t start working immediately.
Instead, she raised her hand and touched her left eye through the eye patch.
Ever since she had used the power from the Dragon’s Eye, she had noticed that this eye felt off.
It was only now that she had time to check.
It still hurt.
The burning pain from before was gone, replaced by a kind of fatigue—a pain that felt like it came from overexertion.
She replayed that battle in her mind.
The pained expressions on those people’s faces, the way they fell.
She stood in the middle, watching everything coldly, without any emotional fluctuation—even with a hint of satisfaction.
She was undeniably the one who had done all that.
But that feeling—anger, brutality, apathy…
What was she going to become?
You Xue couldn’t see the answer.
Having only read the original work, she naturally couldn’t truly predict everything that would happen.
But she also couldn’t give up this power.
She didn’t want to become a burden like the childhood sweetheart in the original story.
You Xue looked at her slender wrist.
The corners of her lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.
It wasn’t much different from her previous life.
After all, she was already a poor girl suffering from an incurable disease.
Having one more ailment wouldn’t make much difference.
She hung her head.
As long as she didn’t lose control and hurt Su Li, that was enough.
Her pale blue eyes were somewhat gloomy.
So it was best not to meet Su Li.
After warning herself like this, You Xue first chewed two painkillers.
These things shouldn’t be addictive, right?
She swallowed them, thinking that the effect probably wasn’t that strong, since her pain wasn’t being suppressed all that much.
So she didn’t think too much about it.
She took out a special engraving knife and began her work for the day.
Don’t overthink.
Just focus on what needs to be done now.
You Xue thought so.