All Things Are Contracts

“Actually, I haven’t formally become his disciple. The elder just agreed to help me with a favor, and he said you might be able to assist me,” Zhanyue explained truthfully.

“Not his disciple? That makes sense. He doesn’t take disciples lightly,” the Empress nodded, then asked, “What favor does he want?”

“Does Your Majesty know of the Bai family from Alchemy Capital?” Zhanyue inquired.

“As one of the four great pill-making families, of course I know of them. Get to the point,” the Empress said impatiently. She had been sleeping soundly before being suddenly summoned. If there wasn’t something interesting to discuss, it would be a waste.

“As you command.” Zhanyue recounted Baizhi’s situation honestly. The Empress and her maid listened with great interest to this gossip.

“Hmm, Baizhi fled an arranged marriage, met you on the way, and you spent a year together adventuring on Ghost Island. Your feelings must be deep? It’s just like those stories in novels. You’re not trying to deceive me, are you?” the Empress said languidly. These matters were trivial to her.

“I wouldn’t dare deceive Your Majesty. My strength is limited, and I’m no match for the Bai family. I can only seek outside help,” Zhanyue said sincerely.

“But why should I help you? We don’t know each other, and offending the Bai family, while not a big deal, is completely unnecessary,” the Empress asked. “That old fool thinks highly of himself, but his reputation means nothing to me. When I needed him, he was nowhere to be found. Hmph!” Due to her master’s situation, the Empress harbored resentment towards the Alchemy Daoist, who was her master’s junior.

“Uh…” Zhanyue was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected the Empress to dislike the Alchemy Daoist so much. The old Taoist had seemed so confident, but apparently he wasn’t as respected by others as he thought. However, Zhanyue overthought the situation. If the Thousand Charms Empress didn’t respect her master’s junior, why would she summon Zhanyue to her bedchamber in the middle of the night? The Empress’s words were more an expression of her dissatisfaction, standing up for her master.

“I’m willing to exchange an eighth-grade pill formula for Your Majesty’s assistance,” Zhanyue offered.

“An eighth-grade pill formula? Another one? While the Bai family values it highly, it doesn’t mean much to me. Fine, present it,” the Empress said after some thought. Though she spoke dismissively, she still had to give face to her master’s junior.

Zhanyue reluctantly took out a pill formula and had the maid deliver it to the Empress’s hand.

The Empress lay on her bed, propping her head with one hand, and lazily yawned. She took the pill formula from the maid, but upon seeing it, she was shocked and sat up straight.

“Where… where did you get this?” the Empress asked excitedly. What Zhanyue had given her wasn’t the Soul Healing Pill formula the Alchemy Daoist had imagined, but the Longevity Pill formula. To ensure the Empress would be willing to help, Zhanyue had brought out something truly valuable.

“I obtained it by chance in the territory of another race,” Zhanyue said.

The Empress read and reread the contents of the formula, her face filled with surprise. “How do I know this formula is genuine? This is the Longevity Pill formula. You must know its value!” One pill could extend life by 10 years, two pills by 15 years. While the increase in lifespan might not seem significant, for those at the end of their lives, an extra 15 years could truly change their fate. Much could be accomplished in that time.

“Your Majesty, I have a completed Longevity Pill here. I found it along with the formula,” Zhanyue said, taking out a jade bottle.

The Empress took the bottle and immediately sniffed it. She felt a wave of comfort wash over her, as if her whole being had become more energetic. What outsiders didn’t know was a great secret – the Thousand Charms Empress was also an eighth-grade alchemy master! The world knew of three great pill-making masters, but that didn’t include the Alchemy Daoist or the Thousand Charms Empress. With her skill, she could naturally judge the authenticity of the pill, even if she had never seen one before. With both the formula and the pill to verify, the Empress was nearly convinced of Zhanyue’s claims.

“Do you know the value of what you hold? Is it worth it for just one woman?” the Empress asked curiously.

“It’s worth it. I obtained this formula quite easily. I don’t think it can compare to Baizhi. Not to mention my feelings for her, even Baizhi’s innate talent for pill-making alone is beyond its worth,” Zhanyue said decisively.

The Empress fell silent for a moment, sighing inwardly: “If only my master’s junior had half, no, even a tenth of this young man’s attitude. He and my master wouldn’t be in their current situation. They clearly had feelings for each other, yet wasted a lifetime… Unlike this boy who’s like a bull in a china shop, trading a mountain of gold for his wife. He truly values relationships.” The Empress couldn’t help but look at Zhanyue again.

“I’d like to meet this girl who’s worth more than these pills and formula,” the Empress smiled, then added, “I never shortchange those who have done me a service. This formula is not only incredibly valuable, but it also helps me with a big problem. Gong Xiaoyun, bring brush and ink.”

Soon after, the maid brought the imperial edict, brush, and ink to the Empress. After some thought, the Empress immediately wrote out an edict and then took out the imperial seal to stamp it. However, the moment the Empress took out the imperial seal, Zhanyue felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart, just like when he had seen the Goddess statue and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. He could sense that the special feeling came from the bed, from the imperial seal in the Empress’s hand!

“No… it can’t be. The imperial seal of the Thousand Charms Empire is my contract object?” Zhanyue’s mind was in turmoil, but he didn’t dare to ask or say anything. He couldn’t very well say, “Your Majesty, this imperial seal is my contract object. It should be returned to me.”

If he dared to ask the Thousand Charms Empress for the imperial seal, he’d likely become fertilizer for the flowers by tomorrow. This matter would require careful consideration.

Soon after, the maid brought the imperial edict to Zhanyue. After reading it, his breathing became rapid. He couldn’t believe the contents of the edict – it seemed too… too frivolous. The conditions given in the edict far exceeded Zhanyue’s expectations, making his efforts worthwhile.

“Well? Will this edict help you?” the Empress asked.

Zhanyue nodded rapidly like a pecking chicken. It would help, it would definitely help. He had secured an immense backer for Baizhi.

“Gong Xiaoyun, see the guest out. I’m feeling tired,” the Empress dismissed him.

After Zhanyue left, the Empress’s excitement hadn’t subsided. She instructed Gong Xiaoyun, “Later, go to Alchemy Capital. After he announces the edict, bring him and that girl called Baizhi back here.” The Empress feared that if Zhanyue suddenly produced the edict, the Bai family might not believe it. So she added an extra layer of insurance by sending her personal maid to support Zhanyue.

“Yes,” Gong Xiaoyun nodded, her beautiful eyes also filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Despite saying she needed rest, the Empress didn’t sleep. Instead, she vanished from her bed in a flash, reappearing in a forbidden area of the imperial palace.

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