Chapter 145: Blame It on the Crimson Brew

From this day onward, Ye Chong's life became a busy routine. Every moment of his day was completely filled, and the Mad Nut seemed determined to test the limits of his endurance. For the first time, Ye Chong realized that the profession of a reagentist demanded an extremely high level of physical stamina. If his own physical strength had not far exceeded that of ordinary people, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

Once again, Ye Chong brought amazement to the Mad Nut. Beneath his rather slender appearance lay physical endurance far surpassing that of normal people, as if he possessed an endless supply of energy. Furthermore, his comprehension was exceptionally high, and he picked up techniques with astonishing speed. His slender, fair hands were remarkably agile, as though they were naturally born to be a reagentist, arousing intense envy even in the Mad Nut. To "torture" Ye Chong, the Mad Nut ended up sacrificing her own time. She drank far less alcohol than before, and on many occasions, she completely forgot about drinking altogether. Naturally, Ye Chong was not foolish enough to remind her. Gradually, the Mad Nut completely forgot her original intention, and as she taught Ye Chong with increasing dedication, she unconsciously began to treat him as her true student!

With one teaching wholeheartedly and the other learning with equal fervor, Ye Chong's progress was exceptionally rapid!

Ye Chong was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief because this phase of his studies had concluded, and the Mad Nut specially granted him a few days off. By now, Ye Chong was entirely competent in the preparation of strengthening fluids. After all, for a true reagentist, as long as the formula was known, the process was actually a very simple matter. From the perspective of the old man, Ye Chong's learning tasks had already been completed.

Enjoying this rare moment of leisure, Ye Chong casually used some small bone fragments to carve some miniature objects, practicing simply to keep his hands from becoming stiff, though one certainly could not expect any artistic talent from him. What he was carving turned out to be mecha models. Ye Chong had not brought his specialized carving knife, so he used the dagger Gu Shaoze had given him.

Ye Chong looked at the finished work in his hand with satisfaction, then slid the dagger back into his waist pouch. Suddenly, he noticed the droplet-shaped ruby he had taken from the little girl. Remembering all the information Mu had provided about this kind of stone, Ye Chong felt a surge of deep curiosity.

"Mu, is it true what you said about the ruby changing color when it comes into contact with alcohol?"

"Mm, based on the database records, that should be correct! Besides, the worst that can happen is that you test it and find out for yourself!" Mu replied indifferently.

"Right. A test will reveal the truth. Hmm, the Mad Nut should have plenty of alcohol here!" Would the Mad Nut ever run out of liquor? Of course not.

Ye Chong found the Mad Nut. She was leaning against the door, sitting on the floor, holding a wine glass, and staring blankly out the doorway in a daze.

"Can I borrow some of your alcohol?" Ye Chong felt it was better to ask directly. Although they were teacher and student, Ye Chong could not treat the Mad Nut the way he treated the old man, perhaps due to the age difference.

"Alcohol?" Roused from her reverie, the Mad Nut turned her head and looked at Ye Chong with extreme astonishment, seemingly caught off guard by his request. As her gaze swept across Ye Chong's right hand, her pupils suddenly dilated, and her breathing abruptly turned heavy!

Could it be that she recognized the ruby? This thought flashed through Ye Chong's mind. With his sharp eyes, Ye Chong saw the Mad Nut's fair hand tremble, causing a few drops of liquor to splash out. Almost simultaneously, Ye Chong took a tiny step forward and reached out his right hand like lightning.

Plop. One of the liquor droplets landed precisely on the ruby in Ye Chong's right hand. In the blink of an eye, the previously inconspicuous ruby seemed to act as if it had drunk alcohol, taking on a faint flush of red at a speed visible to the naked eye. Then, this pale red blush spread outward like ripples in water. Instantly, the reddish hue covered the entire stone. The droplet-shaped ruby now resembled a pale red piece of jade, warm and delightful to the touch.

The transformation did not stop there. The red grew deeper and deeper. Within a mere few minutes, the ruby shifted from pale red to an exceptionally alluring, deep crimson. The entire pendant looked precisely like a fresh drop of blood, so vivid it seemed as though it might drip.

With all his attention focused on the ruby, Ye Chong completely failed to notice how the Mad Nut's complexion drastically changed along with the transformation of the stone in his hand! The Mad Nut stared fixedly at the ruby in Ye Chong's hand, her face filled with disbelief as her expression shifted uncontrollably.

Holding the ruby, Ye Chong could feel that the stone in his hand seemed to have come to life, radiating warmth just like a droplet of semi-solidified blood. Ye Chong could not help marveling inwardly; it was truly wondrous! He wondered if this trinket might possess any other wondrous qualities worth anticipating.

Right at that moment, Ye Chong caught a faint, refreshing fragrance. He was momentarily stunned, as the transformations described by Mu did not mention any scent. Ye Chong brought the necklace close to his nose, thinking—it wasn't the pendant. Ah, it turned out to be this very old-looking cord. However, the scent was truly delightful, imparting a profound sense of tranquility.

"Smells nice, doesn't it? Don't underestimate this inconspicuous cord. It is woven from Sky Lantern Grass. Its texture is extremely sturdy, and the moment it encounters even a slight amount of heat, it releases a fragrance that calms the heart and clears the mind. It is quite difficult to acquire!" The Mad Nut's voice drifted over softly.

"Sky Lantern Grass?" Ye Chong raised his head, only to discover with a start that the Mad Nut's face was frighteningly pale, her eyes locked intently on the necklace in his hand.

What is wrong with her? The question arose in Ye Chong's mind. Although he had no idea what was actually happening, he could clearly tell that the Mad Nut was behaving abnormally.

"Sky Lantern Grass is a plant native exclusively to Guanghua Star. Locally, people believe it represents peace and auspiciousness, so they like to use it as an ornament. Among the local reagentists, it is also considered a superior material." The Mad Nut's soft voice drifted through the room, while her eyes still did not leave the necklace in Ye Chong's hand.

Ye Chong reached out and handed the necklace toward the Mad Nut.

The Mad Nut hesitated, as if struggling internally. Mist gradually welled up in her eyes, finally filling them like a pool of water as tears silently streamed down her pale cheeks. Her lips had lost all color from being clenched too tightly. Tremblingly, she extended her right hand, slowly reaching toward the necklace in Ye Chong's palm.

When her fingertips touched the droplet-shaped ruby, the perceptive Ye Chong noticed her body give a sudden, sharp shudder. At that moment, Ye Chong completely understood that this necklace genuinely shared a profound connection with the Mad Nut.

Taking the necklace from Ye Chong's hand, the Mad Nut could no longer contain herself. She covered her mouth with her left hand and began to sob softly.

Ye Chong quietly walked away.

Back in his room, Ye Chong was communicating with Mu.

"Mu, do you know what is going on here?" Ye Chong first expressed his confusion. From beginning to end, he had been completely in the dark.

"Based on her reaction, this necklace probably shares a very deep history with her!" Mu's response lacked its usual vigor.

"History?" Ye Chong still could not figure it out.

"Ten to one, it belonged to some close relative of hers."

"Her relative? How do you know?" Ye Chong asked, puzzled.

"Sigh, you don't even understand such a simple problem? Well, I suppose it's true that someone like you would never waste time watching movies or things of that sort. It's completely normal that you don't understand! However, do you happen to have any better ideas?" Mu asked with a tone of mockery.

"No!" Ye Chong replied with exceptional bluntness.

"Well, there you have it!"

"Mu, are you sure nothing is wrong with you?" Ye Chong asked with concern. Accustomed to Mu's endless chatter, the sudden quietness made Ye Chong feel very unaccustomed.

"A problem? Would I have a problem? The probability of that is extremely low. Even logical errors that would be fatal to ordinary optical intelligence simulations are not entirely fatal to me. So you don't need to worry about that, Leaf. As for my current state, it is because Mu and I are attempting to restore a portion of our damaged data, and ninety percent of the optical brain's resources are dedicated to that task," Mu explained.

"Damaged data? Is it from the archives preserved from the past?" Ye Chong asked.

"Yes. We discovered that a portion of it has a certain possibility of being repaired, so we started trying some methods to restore it, though right now the results do not seem very promising!"

"Oh, don't rush it!" Ye Chong could only offer such comfort.

*Knock, knock.* A knock sounded at the door.

With Ye Chong's sharp hearing, he had long since caught the sound of the Mad Nut's footsteps. As for the act of knocking, it genuinely surprised him; bursting in directly seemed much more in line with her usual habits.

Raising his head, the Mad Nut walked into the room. Her eyes were severely bloodshot and swollen, and tear stains still lingered on her face. As soon as she entered, she blurted out, "Where did you get this necklace?"

Where did he get it? Ye Chong was about to speak when he suddenly realized that if he told the truth, wouldn't his relationship with the Guardians be exposed to her? Ye Chong prudently chose to remain silent. When it came to the Mad Nut, Ye Chong could not afford to trust her the way he trusted old man Heizi.

"Speak!" Seeing Ye Chong remain silent, the Mad Nut grew frantic.

Ye Chong continued his silence. He understood that maintaining this stance was the best way to protect himself right now.

A strange glint flashed in the Mad Nut's eyes, as if some realization had flashed through her mind. She let out a soft sigh. "Are you really not going to say anything?"

Ye Chong, still intending to keep silent, suddenly found the imagery before his eyes growing increasingly blurry. Various colors began to spin, and Mu's anxious voice seemed to arrive from a very distant place. Ye Chong felt somewhat dazed, completely unaware of what was happening. He had just intended to call out to Mu when darkness fell before his eyes, and he lost consciousness.

The Mad Nut looked at Ye Chong collapsed on the floor and let out a soft sigh. "Little Leaf, I didn't want to do this either, but since you wouldn't talk, I had no choice but to find out myself!"

The Mad Nut immediately secured all the exterior doors. Then, paying no heed to Ye Chong lying unconscious on the floor, she hurried into the innermost room, carefully retrieving several vials of reagents from the corner of a shelf.

With intense concentration, the Mad Nut's hand movements became a dazzling blur. Had Ye Chong been awake at this moment, he undoubtedly would have marveled at her operational proficiency and exquisite skill. Before long, a pale purple reagent appeared before her.

Carefully holding the reagent vial up to the light, several extremely fine silver beams of light could be clearly seen amidst the pale purple radiance.

"It should be correct!" the Mad Nut muttered to herself.

Hurrying over to Ye Chong, the Mad Nut squatted down and placed the reagent vial right beneath his nose, opening the stopper. Pale purple mist drifted upward in wisps, interspersed with tiny, minuscule silver sparks. The mist slithered into Ye Chong's nasal passages like a spiritual serpent.

A fleeting look of apology flashed through the Mad Nut's hazy eyes, only to be instantly replaced by a resolute determination.