All Things Are Contracts

After leaving the underground palace, Zhanyue flew away on his sword, distancing himself from the troublesome area. With Gong Xiaoyun handling the matter, he naturally didn’t need to worry about it.

This plot resulted in many Alchemists being captured alive, even the arrogant Golden Pill Cultivator disappeared, and other cultivators suffered heavy casualties. It served as a wake-up call to the world that there are no free lunches. However, Night Lord’s reputation became even worse, causing trouble at the Thousand Charms Empire’s border.

But Night Lord’s side also paid a price. Wild Blade was missing, Stonemason died, and two more of the 99 Demons fell, both high-ranking experts. Now, Night Lord’s 99 Demons probably didn’t even have half left. If there was a biggest beneficiary from this drama, it was naturally Zhanyue, who was now hiding in a cave taking stock of his gains.

Stonemason had quite a few good things. Besides common items like illumination stones and purple crystals, an octagonal copper plate caught Zhanyue’s attention. It was engraved with various mysterious symbols – the formation diagram for a small spatial teleportation array. Only with this could one set up a small teleportation array. Night Lord had bestowed such a treasure to capture and transfer Alchemists, letting Stonemason, who understood formations, set it up. Unexpectedly, it ended up in Zhanyue’s hands.

“Never mind, I’ll throw it in first,” Zhanyue couldn’t understand its function yet, so he threw it into his divine communication space. Others might worry about restrictions on stolen goods, but Zhanyue had no such concerns. Once thrown into the divine communication space, any tracking restrictions would be untraceable.

“That thing seems to be some kind of formation tool. It’s a pity I don’t understand formations well either,” the illumination Goddess said regretfully. “Among the Four Symbol Lords, the Azure Dragon Lord was extremely skilled in formations. I wonder if he has any descendants still alive in the world.”

“Sister, let’s not think too much about that. What about the harsh training, the hellish training you mentioned?” Zhanyue asked.

“You still remember that? I thought you had deliberately forgotten. Here, take this,” the illumination Goddess suddenly took out an item and handed it to Zhanyue. It was a set of clothes, the upper part like a vest, the lower part only protecting the knees and ankles. It clearly wasn’t proper attire, not meant to be worn on the outside for others to see.

“It’s… so heavy,” Zhanyue said, looking at the small item. He took off his outer clothes and put it on inside, close to his skin. It felt like he was carrying a huge stone.

“Besides the extra weight training for your physical body, this item will also obstruct the flow of your meridians, training you inside and out,” the illumination Goddess smiled.

“What?” Zhanyue tried to circulate his power. If normally his power flowed like a river through his limbs, now it was just a small stream. He could mobilize very little power.

“You must wear it until you enter the Profound Realm, even when bathing,” the illumination Goddess demanded.

“That’s fine, but this little vest is too small, it’s a bit tight, doesn’t fit well,” Zhanyue complained. Though small, it was indeed a treasure.

The illumination Goddess blushed, unnoticed by Zhanyue, but didn’t say much. The vest was small because it was originally made for her when she was young, naturally not fitting Zhanyue’s body. But due to its special material, Zhanyue could still wear it.

“Let’s go. You’ll leave along the outskirts of the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range, engaging in actual combat with those fierce beasts. I’ll occasionally spar with you personally too,” the illumination Goddess said. Zhanyue didn’t fly on his sword, but walked out alone. He knew that by the time he reached the Eastern Kingdom, he would be completely transformed.

In the Thousand Charms Empire, Myriad Purple City, deep in the palace.

“Why are you back?” The Empress asked, puzzled, looking at Gong Xiaoyun who had hurriedly returned.

“Your Majesty, something unexpected happened when I was going to the Eastern Kingdom, passing through Fanfeng Relay,” Gong Xiaoyun reported the recent events truthfully.

“So you’re saying Night Lord’s people have infiltrated our borders? And are capturing Alchemists on a large scale? These are minor matters. But can Night Lord’s people really control Nightmares? Nightmares actually choosing to cooperate with humans, that’s the real big issue. We must investigate the reasons behind this. You should still go to the Eastern Kingdom’s Academy Town as planned. I’ll arrange for someone to investigate this matter. Also, have someone leak this information to the ambassadors of the Eastern Kingdom and Rising Sun Kingdom, let them pass the message back. Night Lord has no grudge with our Thousand Charms Empire, no need to offend us. His purpose in capturing Alchemists is likely still to deal with the Eastern and Rising Sun Kingdoms. Let them be aware.”

“Yes,” Gong Xiaoyun responded.

“Don’t leave yet. You just said you met Zhanyue, and he even killed a king-grade Nightmare and ambushed and killed one of the enemy? He’s not even in the Profound Realm, how did he manage that?” the Empress asked curiously, her eyes full of light.

“I don’t know either, but he was wearing a strange armor that didn’t seem ordinary. It probably temporarily boosted his cultivation and strength from somewhere else. This boy’s talent is indeed terrifying,” Gong Xiaoyun didn’t dare withhold information, feeling the Empress seemed particularly interested in Zhanyue.

“Very well. Remember what I said before. When you get to the Academy Town, build a good relationship with this boy, help him when necessary. That thing in the Academy Town requires someone with great fortune to obtain it, and Zhanyue is very likely to be that person. If you help him get that thing, it makes sense for him to share some with me. This is your second priority, remember,” the Empress instructed again.

Although Gong Xiaoyun was a bit confused, she nodded. The main thing was, why didn’t the Empress clarify what that thing was? She needed a clear plan, not just guesswork.

The Empress seemed to see Gong Xiaoyun’s confusion and smiled, “Little Fish, you’re still too young. Heavenly secrets can’t be revealed. If I tell you what it is, outsiders might sense it, causing unnecessary accidents. I know it will emerge, but many people don’t know. When it emerges, you’ll naturally know.”

“I understand, Your Majesty. But I’m curious, why does the Wind Lord insist on having the Holy Maiden study at the Academy Town? It’s crowded and chaotic there, not good for security. After all, we can’t prevent the Holy Maiden from interacting with others, right?” Gong Xiaoyun asked. Her other task on this trip was to protect the Holy Maiden, at the Wind Lord’s request.

“Who knows? Perhaps there’s also a high-level person behind the Wind Lord who knows that thing is about to emerge? Wanting the Holy Maiden to try?” the Empress speculated.

“Then if in the end the Holy Maiden and Zhanyue are competing for that thing, what should I do?” Gong Xiaoyun asked a soul-searching question.

“……” The Empress was silent for a moment, then said, “Help Zhanyue. After all, he’s considered my future son-in-law, he’s family.”

“Uh, alright, I understand,” Gong Xiaoyun nodded. After all, the Wind Lord’s request to the Empress was to protect the Holy Maiden, not to help her compete for opportunities. The Empress’s choice was understandable.

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