Not long ago, when seeking the medicine, Chen Li had met the most ancient of the Xianzhou Medicine-Seekers and gifted him a Starstone.
Ostensibly, it was just a souvenir, but in reality, Chen Li was curious to see how many Star Jades he would receive for giving it away.
But now, that Starstone had taken on a far greater significance.
Although for Chen Li, he had given the stone away only a few days ago, for the Xianzhou, it now held thousands of years of history. As a crucial element at a turning point in Xianzhou history, that Starstone had witnessed the transformation of the Xianzhou people from a short-life species to a long-life one.
Chen Li couldn't even be sure how many Entries were on that Starstone now, or how brightly they would shine.
Perhaps even Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt, had once stood before that stone, gazing up at the beautiful yet mysterious gem.
Its value was immeasurable.
Furthermore, Chen Li might be able to use the Starstone to witness the entirety of the Xianzhou's several-thousand-year history from a unique perspective—perhaps it could even trigger his [Extraction] skill.
As a condensation of the energies of time, space, and fate, it wasn't impossible for a Starstone to record history. But Chen Li had never encountered one that had existed for so long, so he wasn't certain.
"What? You mean if I want to get this Starstone before this is all over, I'll have to sneak into the Ten-Lords Commission and take it myself?" Chen Li's eyes went wide.
Are you kidding me? Aren't you the General of the Xianzhou?
"If you wish to obtain the Starstone after everything is concluded, then as long as you can prove your identity and your contributions, it can naturally be returned to its rightful owner. But to get it before then would involve the Ten-Lords Commission," Jing Yuan explained.
The original Medicine-Seeker of the Xianzhou Alliance was, in fact, still alive.
The average age of a Xianzhou native is over a thousand years. This doesn't mean they can only live that long, but rather that by that age, they are expected to fall to the Mara and be taken away by the Ten-Lords Commission. The Xianzhou people were truly a long-life species.
That original Medicine-Seeker was currently imprisoned within the Fyxestroll Garden. As one of his relics, the Starstone was once displayed as a precious gift before the Aeon of the Hunt appeared. Afterward, it was moved into the Fyxestroll Garden as well.
"Oh, I have heard that the Ten-Lords Commission is a department independent of the six Xianzhou Commissions. Because of their unique duties, they must maintain absolute independence. So what you're saying is, you, the General, have no authority over the Ten-Lords Commission?" Chen Li mused.
The Ten-Lords Commission was the body responsible for overseeing the lifespan and laws of the long-life species, guiding those about to fall to the Mara, and imprisoning those who committed the ten unpardonable sins. They managed all matters concerning life, death, sin, and the Mara, and were not subject to the control of the Six Charioteers.
"No, it's that the procedures can't be completed in time. Of course, organizationally, the Ten-Lords Commission is indeed independent of the Six Commissions," Jing Yuan said.
The nature of the Ten-Lords Commission was special; it had to guarantee its own independence and purity. Any connection of interest with the surface society could pose a huge hidden danger that could shake the Alliance. For this reason, its members were all individuals completely disconnected from society.
But as long as the paperwork was in order, with Jing Yuan's authority, retrieving a single Starstone wouldn't be a problem.
"..."
"Of course, if you truly need this item urgently, I can arrange for someone to take you into the Fyxestroll Garden to get a closer look at it. If your methods are clever enough, you could even pull a switcheroo. At the very least... the Starstone you showed me is identical to the one recorded in the Ten-Lords Commission's archives." Jing Yuan toyed with the Starstone Chen Li had just produced to prove his ownership.
"Forget it. I'm a law-abiding citizen," Chen Li shook his head.
Besides, if I have to steal something that's already mine and get caught, wouldn't I look like a complete idiot?
"It was just a suggestion." After learning the Starstone's purpose, Jing Yuan was no longer concerned about the one in the Fyxestroll Garden. Its priority had never been high, as no one had ever figured out what it was actually for.
Although it sounded strange for a Xianzhou General to suggest breaking the law, desperate times called for desperate measures. Jing Yuan was anything but rigid. On the contrary, he was very good at deploying surprise tactics.
And Chen Li was clearly that surprise tactic.
"Alright. I can wait. It's fine, I'm not in a hurry," Chen Li shrugged.
"Then regarding Lord Ravager Phantylia, do you have a plan?" Jing Yuan asked.
"Don't worry, leave Phantylia to me. You just need to minimize the impact of the Ambrosial Arbor's revival," Chen Li said.
That's right, Chen Li had no intention of stopping the revival of the Ambrosial Arbor. The event involved a wide range of factions, and both he and Jing Yuan had different goals.
Chen Li's goals were too numerous to mention... because he stood to gain so much from this incident.
As the General, Jing Yuan naturally had to consider the interests of the Xianzhou itself. The Luofu had significant problems. First, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had been gaining traction in recent decades, stirring up trouble. Second, the Vidyadhara of the Luofu were not without their own issues. And now, they were being targeted by Phantylia.
In the original timeline, the Luofu being turned upside down was not without reason.
Therefore, Jing Yuan wanted to use this opportunity to clean out the festering wounds on the Luofu.
"If we know in advance that the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus plan to throw a Stellaron into the Ambrosial Arbor to revive it, I can indeed minimize the damage and impact. But if the seal on the Arbor is broken, the consequences will be far-reaching. Only the Vidyadhara High Elder can use their authority to reseal it with the help of the ancient sea. But the current High Elder's situation is... very complicated," Jing Yuan said with concern.
In fact, during the Arbor's revival in the game's plot, the impact on the Xianzhou's residents wasn't that significant. The most affected areas were the Alchemy Commission and the adjacent Artisanship Commission, which were shut down due to the appearance of Abominations of Abundance. Of course, out of sight of ordinary citizens, the Cloud Knights were fighting arduous battles.
With advance preparation, the losses could be reduced even further.
Furthermore, Chen Li had a plan that could ensure the Xianzhou's safety.
It was just a little... unscrupulous.
Or rather, exceedingly unscrupulous.
"Don't worry. The Xianzhou's High Elder will return," Chen Li said meaningfully.
"Dan Heng?"
"In a little while, the Luofu will become a great vortex of fate. Everyone connected to it will return, not just Dan Heng. And if you're still worried, I can give you this." As he spoke, Chen Li took out a flower.
"This is?"
"Curio: Ephemeral Bloom."
[Ephemeral Bloom]: Effect: Upon use, this Curio will cause a lifeform to display its most beautiful state. However, it will only become beautiful, with no power increase, and will revert to its original form after a period of time.
Side Effect: Consumes a massive amount of energy. Insufficient energy may cause the lifeform to perish.
A negative Curio, but not entirely negative.
This was the Curio that had popped out this morning after Chen Li had casually tossed 10 Miracle Crystals into the Recycler before bed last night.
Just as the Recycler's initial description stated: it would recycle unused Entries from Chen Li's forging that he didn't save, allowing them to ferment on their own. When Chen Li threw in crystals, the power of miracle would coalesce them into a Curio.
But because the Entries were all strange and mismatched, the combinations were often illogical and unreliable, making it very easy to produce negative Curios.
From 10 crystals, Chen Li had gotten five Curios, and this was the only one that was even slightly useful. The rest were utter trash.
Oh, that wasn't entirely fair. The other four negative Curios were excellent for screwing people over.
After Chen Li explained the Curio's effect to Jing Yuan, the general fell into deep thought.
"What do you think? Kills two birds with one stone, right? It can briefly add a scenic spot to the Xianzhou for people to enjoy, and you won't have to worry about the Stellaron-infused Arbor causing trouble. Because it'll be too busy trying to stay alive," Chen Li said.
"A Curio... this one seems perfectly suited. You're a genius."
"You flatter me. And no matter how badly your Cloud Knights are injured in this incident, I can do my best to ensure you don't lose a single soldier," Chen Li added.
"Physical injuries are secondary. The more worrying issue is the Mara-Struck problem." Jing Yuan stared at Chen Li for a while, then suddenly spoke with a heavy tone.
"Huh? I have to deal with your Mara-Struck problem too?" Chen Li scratched his head.
Technically, he did promise Jingliu he would forge a Curio for her that could suppress the Mara. It wasn't impossible to re-conceptualize a single-target Curio into one with a group effect...
"If you can devise a method to solve the Xianzhou's Mara-Struck problem, the Xianzhou Alliance will give you anything you ask for!" Seeing that Chen Li's expression was one of hesitation rather than outright refusal, Jing Yuan quickly pressed.
"Then I want your Xianzhou Marshal!"
"Impossible. The position of Marshal can only be succeeded by a General... no, wait a minute, what did you just say?" Jing Yuan was about to give a firm refusal when, halfway through his sentence, he realized something was wrong.
You want... what?
What do you want to do to our Xianzhou Marshal?!
As expected of a blasphemer. He dared to think of anything.
Considering this, his audacity to demand a blessing directly from the Aeon of Abundance no longer seemed so difficult to understand.
"Excellent, it's settled then. I'll consider how to forge a group-effect Curio that can suppress the Mara. This is going to be a bit difficult..." Chen Li muttered to himself as he finally started eating the osmanthus cakes Jing Yuan had brought.
Chen Li wasn't in a hurry to negotiate what the Xianzhou would have to pay. He could choose not to take anything, but they had to give.
Discussing the reward beforehand was a transaction. Asking for the reward after helping them? Not only would they give more, but they would have to thank him for it as well.
This was the optimal solution for maximizing benefits that Chen Li had concluded after countless troubles since gaining his transmigrator talent. The only downside was that your fist had to be big enough.
Fortunately, Chen Li's fist was truly big enough.
"..."
Whether it was the act of eating the teacup and teapot after finishing the tea before finally eating the osmanthus cakes, or his blasphemous designs on the Xianzhou Marshal, or even the fact that he was seriously considering how to solve the Xianzhou's Mara-Struck problem—all of it was an eye-opening experience for Jing Yuan, a Xianzhou General who had seen it all.
And just as Chen Li had expected, Jing Yuan was already beginning to consider what kind of reward his side could offer.
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