This trip to the Luofu had been full of little twists.
For 'Georios', the most surprising part was Fu Xuan's sudden shift in attitude.
Once everything was out in the open, the Master Diviner stopped acting so bashful. Instead, she quite boldly expressed her admiration and longing to be like her.
She even went as far as suggesting she'd like to follow 'Georios' on her travels to learn from her.
Needless to say, the ever-smiling Jing Yuan stopped smiling pretty quickly after that. If a subordinate as reliable as Fu Xuan got headhunted, the General's life would turn into a total nightmare.
Fortunately, 'Georios' wasn't looking to hire, and the places she was headed weren't exactly guest-friendly.
Otherwise, she might have agreed just to see the look on Jing Yuan's face for the sake of a good laugh.
Despite the rejection, 'Georios' did exchange contact info with Fu Xuan, telling her she could reach out whenever she wanted and that she'd reply as soon as she was free. Fu Xuan was over the moon.
She broke into a beaming smile that was a far cry from her usual meticulous, stoic self. Even Jing Yuan was a bit dazed, sighing about how much Diviner Fu truly adored her.
Of course, it wasn't that kind of love; it was pure idolization. Fu Xuan had tried so many paths herself, only to find they all led back to her predicted fate.
Yet, that tragic ending had been forcibly rewritten by 'Georios'.
If she had already been an Aeon back then, it would be one thing—after all, mortals can't calculate the divine. But the shock for Fu Xuan came from the fact that when 'Georios' intervened, she hadn't ascended yet.
That realization hit Fu Xuan just as hard as the moment she realized her own prophecy was coming true. Over time, that shock evolved into the kind of devotion one feels for an ultimate icon.
Fu Xuan left the Seat of Divine Foresight clutching her jade abacus with a look of pure satisfaction. 'Georios' didn't plan on lingering much longer either; she had to get back to the fringes of IX to continue her research on the Permanence Equation.
However, before departing, 'Georios' made a stop at the Alchemy Commission.
After asking around for a bit, she found Hyacine, who was currently studying under Dan Shu.
The little Hyacine had fully embraced local customs, even changing into Xianzhou-style attire.
With her pink hair and that distinct, cute foreign look, it was clear the folks at the Alchemy Commission had taken a real shine to her.
Hyacine spotted 'Georios' standing outside, her eyes flashing with surprise and delight. She gave a subtle little wave, though she stayed in her seat since she was in the middle of her duties.
Instead, it was the chubby little Pegasus, Little Ica, who came flying over toward 'Georios' with a series of happy chirps.
"Beep-beep~!"
Little Ica flew excitedly to 'Georios', clinging to her arm to convey its joy. Thanks to a specialized Synesthesia Beacon, even though Little Ica just made digital noises, its meaning was surprisingly easy to grasp.
"Little Hyacine is acting as an assistant to her teacher right now and can't step away. What brings you to the Xianzhou Luofu, Madam Bai Ming?"
'Georios' reached out and hugged the soft, squishy mechanical creature. It felt great to hold.
"I had some business with the Xianzhou, so I stopped by. I figured I'd see how Hyacine's studies are coming along."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted curiously toward Dan Shu.
This was the blind woman who, in the original timeline, had founded the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Now, however, she didn't seem nearly as gloomy.
It looked like her best friend had likely survived the war. It made sense; Dan Shu's friend was in logistics, and with front-line casualties being so low, the rear was perfectly safe.
She wondered if Yukong and her partner were still alive. They were front-line pilots, so their safety wasn't as guaranteed.
'Georios' waited for a while. Once the consultations hit a lull, Hyacine leaned over and whispered something to Dan Shu.
A look of surprise crossed Dan Shu's face before she smiled, stood up, and walked over to 'Georios' with Hyacine.
"Hi~ Long time no see, Bai Bai!"
Dan Shu, who was about to offer a formal greeting, froze. She clearly hadn't expected Hyacine to use such an affectionate nickname.
'Georios' let go of Little Ica and waved with a smile.
"It hasn't been that long, but it's good to see you. And this is?"
"This is my teacher at the Alchemy Commission, Madam Dan Shu. Teacher, this is the Savior of Amphoreus, Madam Bai Ming. Or... maybe on the Xianzhou, I should call you the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions?"
"Ahem..."
Dan Shu evidently couldn't bridge the mental gap between "Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions" and "Bai Bai." After a slightly awkward cough, she gave a formal salute.
"Chief Alchemist Dan Shu of the Alchemy Commission greets the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions."
"No need to be so formal. Besides, that title is a bit too flashy. Just call me Bai Ming."
Dan Shu was visibly flattered—mostly because she hadn't expected an Aeon to be so easy to talk to. She was so stunned she couldn't find her words immediately.
Hyacine, on the other hand, just giggled. "Bai Bai's title is so cool! Maybe I should talk to the others and come up with a special title for you back in Amphoreus too."
"Aren't they already calling me the Savior?"
"Oh, just 'Savior' isn't punchy enough!" Hyacine waved her hand dismissively, then couldn't help but burst out laughing herself. "Teacher, can I take a half-day off to go for a walk with Bai Bai?"
"Go ahead. Stay as long as you like."
Dan Shu wouldn't dream of speaking so casually to an Aeon.
She couldn't help but admire Hyacine; knowing exactly who Bai Ming was, the girl still acted completely natural. Dan Shu knew she could never do that.
'Watching' Hyacine and the Arbiter walk away with her ears, Dan Shu's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she ultimately held back.
She had wanted to beg the Arbiter to grant her sight. But she didn't dare. Who was she, a mere Chief Alchemist, to ask for a favor from an Aeon? Especially since she wasn't even a follower of Elation.
Lost in thought, Dan Shu sat down in a nearby pavilion. Before long, another alchemist sought her out.
"Dan Shu? Why are you hiding here? Something on your mind again?"
"Yufei, you're here."
"Of course I am. I heard a rumor that some big shot came to the Alchemy Commission to see your little apprentice?"
Yufei was burning with curiosity. Dan Shu nodded calmly. "Yes. It was the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions, Madam Bai Ming."
The expression on Yufei's face froze. "The Arbiter of what?? You've got to be joking!"
"You tell me."
On the other side, Hyacine knew how famous 'Georios' was on the Xianzhou, so she led her toward the coastline.
It was away from the crowds and offered a nice view of the sea. Hysilens had always been curious about a real ocean, but unfortunately, she hadn't come along.
Hyacine and 'Georios' didn't talk about anything heavy. They just chatted about Hyacine's experiences studying on the Luofu. Hyacine hadn't even used 'Georios's' influence to get in; she'd entered the Alchemy Commission on her own merit.
Once inside, her personality and her years of experience from Amphoreus quickly caught Dan Shu's eye, and she became her personal student.
"Teacher Dan Shu is really good to me. It's just a shame her blindness can't be cured. So, my goal now is to cure the 'natural defects' of the Xianzhou people!"
Hyacine looked incredibly determined.
Her goal was clearly genuine, but those kinds of ailments tied to the Paths were notoriously difficult to solve. Each one was a monumental challenge.
Just as 'Georios' was about to offer some encouragement, she glanced back the way they had come and said with a smirk, "Well, you'd better stay firm in your resolve then, Hyacine."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Hyacine tilted her head in confusion. But soon, the sound of heavy panting drew closer.
"Sister Yufei?"
Yufei, who had rushed over in a desperate hurry, didn't even stop to greet Hyacine. She went straight to the ground, kneeling before 'Georios' with a heavy thud.
"Yufei of the Alchemy Commission implores the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions: please, restore the sight of my friend, Dan Shu."
"Sister Yufei?!" Hyacine gasped.
She finally understood why 'Georios' had said what she did.
If an Aeon stepped in, all of Hyacine's hard work might become redundant.
'Georios' didn't agree immediately. She looked down at the Xianzhou native.
If she recalled correctly, Yufei was Dan Shu's "best friend"—though the vibe between those two was definitely a bit more than just platonic. That "best friend" label felt a little thin.
With that thought, the corners of 'Georios's' mouth curled up.
"Since you know my title, tell me: what can you offer in exchange for an Aeon's intervention?"
"..."
Yufei fell silent for a moment, then lifted her head with iron determination.
"My life, my soul, my memories—everything I have to give. I've heard rumors that you're on the Luofu to take roots of the Ambrosial Arbor for research. I am a living Xianzhou Native; I offer myself as a subject for your human experimentation."
"..."
That one sentence stunned Hyacine, 'Georios', and even Dan Shu, who had just caught up out of worry.
It wasn't like she was hurting for test subjects. But was there really "nothing going on" between Yufei and Dan Shu?
That level of resolve was almost terrifying... jumping straight to volunteering for human experimentation.
If Dan Shu heard that, could they really keep calling each other "best friends"? Wouldn't it be too awkward to even sleep at night after such a heavy confession?
As 'Georios' let her mind wander through these amusing thoughts, a spark of inspiration hit her.
She thought of a fun way to solve this—and maybe earn some extra Emotion Points while she was at it.
After all, no matter how big the secret of Originium was, progress across the universe had stalled lately. The hype was bound to die down eventually.
So, 'Georios' quietly used the power of Trickery and Elation to add a new rule to the Originium.
She looked at Yufei and asked, "Have you ever picked up an Originium?"
Yufei blinked, caught off guard.
Why bring that up out of the blue?
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL