However, the moment her fingertips touched the other's glove, and even after the brief handshake was completed, her brain seemed to lag, suddenly processing the terrifying information contained in the latter half of the other's sentence!
Herrscher of Corruption?!
Elysia's flawless smile froze for a moment.
A flash of disbelief quickly crossed her sapphire eyes.
(Herrscher of Corruption? That... Twelfth Herrscher?! )
(She's joking, right? She must be joking!)
"You... you really know how to joke, Madam Herta, right?"
Elysia tried to defuse the sudden tension with a light tone, instinctively trying to withdraw her hand from the other's.
However, the moment she moved, she discovered—she couldn't pull it away.
Madam Herta's seemingly casual grip on her hand now tightened like the strongest shackles, firmly securing her slender fingers in her palm.
Elysia exerted a slight force, trying to break free, but found the other's strength far exceeded her expectations.
She looked up, meeting Madam Herta's lightless eyes that were fixed on her.
That gaze was terrifyingly calm, as if saying, "I am not joking."
Immediately after, as if to confirm this silent declaration, an extremely subtle aura, like a cold tide, slowly emanated from Madam Herta, passing through their clasped hands to Elysia.
(This is... the Herrscher's aura?! That feeling of being able to corrupt everything... it can't be wrong!)
Elysia possessed the complete Remembrance of the Previous Era. She knew better than anyone what the Herrscher of Corruption meant—it was an existence that was practically a natural enemy to them, the Flame-Chasers' memories, who relied on the Elysian Realm's data space!
In the face of true corruption authority, their data bodies were like a buffet laid out before a gluttonous feast, utterly defenseless!
(No way, no way?! How could a... "Herrscher of Corruption" get into the Elysian Realm? Is it a new trick from Honkai? Or...)
(This is big trouble.)
Even Elysia, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't help but feel a little flustered at this moment.
Luofu Immortal Boat
Baiheng stood at a busy street corner, looking at the list of target names and general activity areas in her hand. It felt more brain-racking than planning a complex flight route. Although Guinaifen was taken care of, there were still so many people.
Baiheng thought furiously.
Directly delivering gifts? Too obvious.
Waiting for them to come? Too inefficient.
She couldn't possibly cause accidents and'stage' encounters with everyone like Guinaifen, could she?
She looked around with a worried expression, her gaze finally falling on a snack vendor nearby who had a loud voice and thriving business.
Watching the vendor happily collect money, hand over goods, and chat cheerfully with customers, an idea lit up in her mind with a 'buzz,' like a starship engine igniting.
(That's right! If I can't deliver precisely, then... cast a wide net and catch many fish!)
She weighed the seemingly ordinary yet surprisingly spacious brocade pouch at her waist.
The quantity of "goods" Madam Herta had given her was simply astonishing, more than enough to fill a small starship warehouse.
And frankly, these items were genuinely exquisite. The plush dolls were soft and adorable, the ornaments shimmered with light, the necklaces were delicate and unique. Even she, who was accustomed to the Xianzhou's intricate creations, found them to be of superior quality and pleasing in appearance, definitely good products that could attract passersby's attention.
(If I sell these as ordinary goods, letting them circulate naturally on the Luofu, surely a few of them will, by chance, fall into the hands of the target individuals?)
The more Baiheng thought about it, the more brilliant this plan seemed. (Although she completely didn't understand what Madam Herta was doing... but she had said these things were absolutely safe, just ordinary decorations, they wouldn't explode.)
She recalled secretly checking several plush dolls and ornaments herself, pulling them forcefully, and even soaking them in water (?). She indeed found no dangerous aspects—except that the faces of those plush dolls, for some reason, always made her feel a bit familiar, seeming... faintly like Madam Herta?
(Hmm! It's settled then! I'll be a peddler, winning by quantity!)
Baiheng was highly efficient; she acted as soon as she thought of it.
She quickly found an unused, clean, and sturdy vending cart in the market near the dock.
Next, she meticulously arranged a batch of the cutest and most sparkling small ornaments and plush dolls, categorized and neatly stacked on the shelves at the back of the cart, just as she used to arrange her starship cockpit. She also hung a string of wind chimes at the front of the cart as a signboard.
Looking at her peddler's cart, which instantly became dazzling and quite attractive,
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