"Is this what you meant by 'accomplices,' Chen Li?" Staring at the wanted poster, Qingque gritted her teeth so hard they might have shattered.
"Qingque, I know we just met, but you know me. I've been framed." Chen Li walked innocently to her side, watching the short, pink-haired figure retreat into the distance.
"Framed? How exactly were you framed? Are you saying you didn't trespass in the Six Charioteers' meeting room?"
"That's not it. I did break into the meeting room, but I was accidentally teleported there."
"Then is the 'framing' you speak of the part where you weren't holding a divine object of Abundance?"
"Not that either. I really do have an ear of wheat that the Aeon of Abundance personally plucked from behind her own back."
"…And you still say you were framed?! I'm going to report you right now!"
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down. Have you forgotten the pact we made? I forge a Curio for you, and you can't harm me." Chen Li tossed the Compulsory Transaction Gold Coin in his hand.
"You bastard!" The sight of that coin made Qingque's fists… clench.
"Actually, Qingque, you could try to think about it from a different angle. I was standing in the alley behind you just now, and your superior didn't even notice me. That proves her 'all-seeing eye' of divination is useless against me, which in turn proves I can really forge a Curio for you that will block her divination." Chen Li tried to soothe her.
The short, pink-haired girl who had just left was Qingque's superior, the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan.
He had no idea why she had come all this way just to catch Qingque slacking off, but in any case, Qingque had been caught red-handed. Fu Xuan had then given her a task: take Chen Li's wanted poster to the Palace of Astrum so they could update the images of wanted criminals across the Xianzhou.
Then, muttering to herself about why she couldn't divine his location, Fu Xuan had walked away.
"Is this really about slacking off at work right now? I'm about to become a wanted criminal just like you!" Qingque was so angry she didn't even feel like playing mahjong anymore.
"Relax, they can't catch me. So you don't have to worry about being implicated."
"What makes you so confident?"
"Because I have you as my accomplice, of course."
"…"
"Alright, just kidding. Here, here, this name card is for you. This way, you'll know I'm really not a remnant of Abundance." Chen Li handed his last blank name card to Qingque.
Qingque was extremely reluctant to take it, because the last thing Chen Li had pulled out was that gold coin, which had turned her into an accomplice.
But thinking about her current situation, she figured it couldn't get much worse. Resigning herself to her fate, she took the card.
The name card, made from Miracle Crystal, possessed the power of "Belief." After a few seconds, Qingque stared at Chen Li in astonishment.
You really are a Curio Forger?
You weren't lying to me?
"It's impossible for me to be a remnant of Abundance, because the Aeon of Abundance isn't worthy of having me as a remnant," Chen Li declared.
He wasn't belittling the Aeon. The philosophy of the Path of Abundance was quite benevolent, something Chen Li agreed with, and the Aeon herself was a top-tier existence in the universe.
But that had nothing to do with him.
With a complex expression, Qingque nodded, believing his words.
"So what exactly is your situation?" Now that she knew Chen Li wasn't a remnant of Abundance and understood he had been framed, the guilt of aiding a wanted criminal vanished.
Every three-year-old on the Xianzhou knew about the love-hate relationship between Abundance and The Hunt.
"I accepted a commission earlier from a Borisin. They wanted me to help them get an audience with the Aeon of Abundance to fight off the invading Xianzhou fiends. Considering your world has a lot of value, I came over."
"And then… you offended the Divine Bow, the Lord of the Hunt?"
"Oh, not quite. It might be because things I've done in other worlds 'moved' the Path of The Hunt in this world. That, plus a Curio I have that aligns perfectly with The Hunt, made your Hunt Aeon take a glance at me."
"Oh, a glance from an Aeon. That's pretty normal."
"No, no, not a glance. He really looked at me."
"???"
"Then he saw the divine object of Abundance in my hand, saw the huge crowd of Borisin standing next to me, and casually shot an arrow this way. Sensing the danger, my ability teleported me to a safe place—which happened to be the conference table in the Six Charioteers' meeting room."
"And you're still alive? That's amazing." Qingque was stunned once again.
Who in the Star Rail universe didn't know that the Hunt Aeon never missed?
That was the nature of The Hunt. They could even make the bullet hole exist before the bullet was fired.
Certain Emanators of The Hunt could even fire an arrow that would hit themselves hundreds of years in the future, just as they were about to become Mara-Struck, preventing themselves from making a grave mistake.
"Maybe your Aeon wasn't trying to kill me? Although I was holding an ear of wheat plucked from behind the Aeon of Abundance, I'm innocent."
"Huh?"
"Perfect timing. Let me show you something cool." Having already led Qingque to a secluded, deserted spot, Chen Li mysteriously pulled out a Miracle Card.
"Look, this is me." Chen Li pointed at the small figure on the card's cover, who was receiving a blessing from the Aeon of Abundance.
"And who's that next to him?" After a single glance, Qingque, who didn't dare look directly at the image of the Aeon, quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, that's the first envoy your Xianzhou sent to seek medicine. We were seeking it together at the time."
"What?"
"I even advised him back then to tell the Xianzhou people to practice family planning, but he probably didn't listen. But in the spirit of 'an encounter is fate,' I gave him a small gift. This one." Chen Li took out a Star Stone and tossed it to Qingque.
"Oh, so you're the blasphemer from the history books who received the grace of Abundance?" Looking at the Star Stone in her hand, Qingque dodged to the side, staring at Chen Li in disbelief.
"Wait a second, what do you mean, 'blasphemer'?" Chen Li was confused.
"According to historical records, alongside the Xianzhou's most ancient medicine-seeking envoy, there was another equally lucky but insolent and arrogant person who came before the Aeon of Abundance and brazenly demanded endless blessings. Did you know? Before the Xianzhou people were afflicted by the poison of Abundance, you were always used as a cautionary tale," Qingque explained.
"Is that so? Am I that famous? What about now?" Chen Li puffed out his chest.
It seemed his words back then had indeed made a significant impact on the Xianzhou's envoy.
And since he was used as a cautionary tale back then, he must have become the most forward-thinking medicine-seeker in the Xianzhou records by now.
He had to be given a positive evaluation, at the very least, right?
"Oh, now nobody knows who you are."
"What?"
"It was too long ago, and topics like your 'family planning' were too ahead of their time. Some people think your existence was fabricated. The only reason I know about it is because I stumbled upon it in an ancient book in the archives," Qingque said with a shrug.
The Xianzhou had a bad habit when it came to recording history.
Some events spanning thousands of years were covered in a single stroke, while others that lasted only a few years were described in painstaking detail.
Although Qingque's performance had always been mediocre, what was that saying?
You can pretend to be a novice, but you can't actually be one.
As someone who walked the Path of Erudition, Qingque was exceptionally well-read.
"Dammit."
Fuming and shivering!
When will us obscure historical figures finally get the respect we deserve?
"Alright, don't be angry. I really believe you were framed this time." Qingque patted Chen Li's shoulder sympathetically.
"This won't do! You Xianzhou people are just too rude!"
"Ahem, let's talk about something else. For example… logically speaking, does this mean you're older than the Divine Bow, the Lord of the Hunt?" Qingque looked at Chen Li curiously.
How did you live for so many years while still being so weak?
"Don't let your imagination run wild."
"But…"
"I'm an outlander, understand? The passage of time in your world is meaningless to me. As far as I'm concerned, meeting the Aeon of Abundance was just something that happened a few days ago."
"Oh. I don't get it, but I respect it," Qingque said, reluctantly convinced.
Because she truly couldn't comprehend how someone could live for so long and still be so weak.
If I could live from that long ago until now, I'd be the Aeon of Celestial Jade by now!
"I feel like you're looking at me strangely," Chen Li said, eyeing Qingque suspiciously.
"Not at all. Let's talk about the present. How do you plan on getting your wanted status revoked?" Qingque asked.
"Ah, I have a plan."
"What plan?"
"Now, Qingque, you believe I was framed, right?"
"Right." In Qingque's eyes, Chen Li had no reason to become a remnant of Abundance.
"Then if you become the General, can't you just revoke the wanted order?"
"Huh? What do you mean, 'if I become the General'?"
"First, I'll help you become the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission."
"Wait, wait, wait, why is the topic jumping around so much? And assaulting a Master Diviner is a serious crime," Qingque said hurriedly.
"Who said anything about assaulting a Master Diviner?" Chen Li looked at her strangely.
"Then how else would you make me the Master Diviner?"
"By getting the current Master Diviner promoted, of course. Then the position will be vacant, won't it?"
"Huh? The next step up from Master Diviner is General. Are you planning to assault the General?"
"Nope. We just need to get your General promoted too."
"Above the General is the Arbiter-General! And stop with the nesting dolls! Besides, above the Arbiter-General is the Divine Bow himself!" Qingque waved her fists.
"You just don't understand Curios. You just keep dreaming big; leave the rest to me."
"I don't want to! I just want a stable job until I retire! I don't want to be the Master Diviner!"
"Hah, you should have said so earlier."
"I'm starting to suspect you're a spy sent by the Master Diviner. Are you sure that helping me become Master Diviner and helping the Master Diviner become General is what I want, and not what she wants?" Qingque retorted.
It was a well-known fact on the Luofu that the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission wanted to become the General.
"Good point. Qingque, go talk to your boss. Let's make this deal happen."
"…You might as well just go find the General of the Luofu yourself. Use the same routine on her that you used on me, and she'll believe you," Qingque said with her hands on her hips.
"Good point."
"But meeting the General is a hassle. It's definitely not as simple as meeting me," Qingque said.
"Ah, I have a plan."
"Stop with the plans!" If she didn't know he was really a Curio Forger, Qingque would suspect he was a Masked Fool.
"This plan is guaranteed to work. You'll regret it if you don't listen."
"Fine, let's hear it."
"If you report me, once I'm captured, won't I be able to meet the General?" Chen Li said.
"Hiss… good point!"
"Oh, right, remember to split the bounty with me. Speaking of which, how much is my bounty?"
"About 1 million credit points worth of Patrolling Amber."
"Is that all? The Stellaron Hunters are worth tens of billions of credit points. How come I'm only worth a million?"
"I don't know. It feels like the General who issued the order doesn't really want to catch you. Otherwise, the reward wouldn't be so low."
"This won't do. I need to raise my bounty. If I summoned the Aeon of Abundance to the Xianzhou, how much do you think my bounty would go up?"
"Calm down. A little is better than nothing. Our goal isn't to earn credit points, is it?" Qingque instantly grabbed Chen Li's arm.
"Fine."
---o---
"…"
"…"
Qingque: So what you're saying is, after I reported you, the Cloud Knights successfully found you based on my tip, and you successfully allowed yourself to be captured. The plan is halfway to success.
Dad: Correct.
Qingque: By the way, can you please change your screen name first?
Dad: No.
Qingque: Fine. But what's going on now? Why has your bounty increased? And why is there an added charge of colluding with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
Qingque didn't understand, but she was greatly shocked.
The original wanted poster Fu Xuan had given her stated that Chen Li was suspected of being a remnant of Abundance for holding a sacred relic and had disturbed the order of the Six Charioteers' meeting.
However, while the order looked serious, it didn't actually level any concrete charges against him, nor did it say anything like "kill on sight."
It felt like there was room for negotiation.
The charge was ambiguous. At worst, it was one of the "Ten Unpardonable Sins." At best, it was a misunderstanding.
But now, the second version of the poster not only doubled his bounty but also explicitly added the crime of colluding with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Of course, there was good news. The good news was, she got the bounty.
It had taken Qingque quite a bit of persuasion to convince the clerk from the Palace of Astrum not to publicize her identity and to just let her take the reward.
She did this to avoid gaining merit and getting promoted.
Qingque had been doing this for years.
Never take credit, cultivate her colleagues, let them get promoted, and have them as her backing.
In Qingque's view, a promotion was a terrifying thing because it meant more work.
Dad: It's a long story.
Qingque: Then make it short.
Dad: I was broken out of jail halfway there by the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Qingque: Huh?
Dad: Okay, can't talk now. I'm chatting with some of their lackeys. Once I sort them out and become their leader, we, the good guys and the bad guys, will join forces to control the entire Luofu, and then advance on the Xianzhou Alliance! When that happens, you'll be the Arbiter-General, and I'll want the original Arbiter-General.
Qingque: Wait, hold on…
What do you want to do to our Arbiter-General?
Qingque suddenly felt that the history books' assessment of this person as a "blasphemer" was not the least bit biased. This guy really dared to say anything.
---o---
Far away, Chen Li opened his eyes after finishing his chat.
He held the fragrant, half-man-sized ear of wheat that constantly radiated a healing aura, a cup of tea in his other hand, looking completely calm and composed.
Before him stood several civilians dressed in Xianzhou attire, looking at the divine object in his hands with a mixture of anxiety and longing.
"Want it?" Chen Li glanced at the group, whose minds were in turmoil due to the divine object of Abundance in his arms.
These people were all members of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, afflicted with the Mara. They had suddenly appeared while the Cloud Knights were escorting him to the Shackling Prison.
After successfully breaking him out and taking him to a hidden location, they had swallowed some pills to suppress the branches growing out of their bodies, returning to their original appearances. This gave Chen Li the opportunity to see their true forms.
"Hey, kid, don't get too arrogant. We saved you. You should recognize the situation you're in," the first brainless villain, unable to suppress his agitated desire, jumped out.
Chen Li remained silent, merely waving the divine object in his hand.
The next moment, the body of the disciple who had pointed at him suddenly transformed into its Mara-Struck form. The branches and leaves that grew from his unrestrained life force began to wither rapidly.
This life force transformed into a golden light, which slowly condensed and automatically flowed into the ear of wheat in Chen Li's hand.
The divine object of Abundance seemed to have received some great nourishment. The empty spot where the 49th grain had been, which Chen Li had plucked again, instantly began to sprout a new bud.
The disciple's body withered like a dried husk, but he was still alive.
"Do you really think someone of my power could be captured so easily by the Cloud Knights? My original plan was to infiltrate the Shackling Prison, stir up some trouble inside, and then use the opportunity of meeting the Xianzhou General to trigger his Mara, turning an enemy into a friend, disrupting the Xianzhou, and offering victory to Lord Yaoshi. But you fools ruined my plan. Also, keep your hands to yourselves," Chen Li snorted, his gaze toward the Disciples turning even colder.
He could feel that the divine object in his hand had some kind of special suppressive effect on these Mara-afflicted Disciples who were only held back by pills, but he hadn't expected it to manifest in this way.
"Divine Envoy, please forgive us! This person just joined the Disciples not long ago. I suspect he is a spy sent by the Cloud Knights. I will have him dragged out and executed immediately," the squad leader of the Disciples said, trembling.
"It's fine. I'm not a petty person. Have him copy the scriptures 100,000 times," Chen Li said with a wave of his hand.
At the same time, he scoffed at the leader's words.
A new recruit participating in a jailbreak?
Who are you trying to fool?
What's the difference between that and claiming he's a temporary worker after something goes wrong?
"Thank you for your mercy, Divine Envoy."
"I have always been clear in my rewards and punishments. Although you are fools, for the sake of the jailbreak, I will give you this. Divide it amongst yourselves."
Chen Li casually plucked the newly formed grain and tossed it to the squad leader.
He had no interest in a fruit grown from absorbing another's life force.
If he wanted eternity, he could just extract an Eternity Entry and inscribe it on himself. He didn't even need the Hourai Elixir.
However, Chen Li felt no remorse for his actions. The proof was… he had just received another Merit Coin.
He wasn't surprised at all. What kind of good people would be in the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
Instead of letting it go to waste, better to put pressure on others.
What if the guy really was a Cloud Knight spy?
Didn't he spare his life? At worst, he could just stuff a grain of wheat into him and restore him.
"Thank you for the bestowed medicine, Divine Envoy!" the squad leader said excitedly after catching the divine medicine floating before him.
Wealth moves the hearts of men.
It was clear that he was very excited right now.
"Alright, all of you may leave now. And bring your leader to me."
"My lord…"
"I don't want to hear any excuses from you. Otherwise… how can you be sure you won't become the next divine medicine to be consumed by others?" Chen Li looked at the squad leader playfully.
"I'll do it at once! Retreat, retreat quickly!" The squad leader instantly became terrified.
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had managed to lie dormant on the Xianzhou for so long without being uprooted precisely because they used single-line communication, with strict management between upper and lower echelons. But the squad leader couldn't care less about that now.
Seeing his companion, who had been dragged away nearly sucked dry but still alive, and the illusion of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood behind this Divine Envoy had already stripped him of any courage to resist.
"Divine Envoy… what a nostalgic title," Chen Li said with a sigh.
The last time he had heard that title was half an hour ago.
And the last person who had called him that was now less than dust.
He wondered how long this kid would last.
Dad: Alright, done. I've fooled them. You have no idea, I was scared to death.
Qingque: That's good. As long as you're okay.
Dad: When it comes to improvising, I'm a professional. I once even posed as a priest to save a little boy who was about to be taken away by another priest.
Qingque: What kind of nonsense is that? What now?
Dad: We wait. Since I have nothing better to do, I plan to run off with all their wealth. We'll split it seventy-thirty.
Qingque: I get a share?
Dad: You get 0.03%, I get 99.97%.
Qingque: You call that seventy-thirty? Forget it, I wasn't planning on taking it anyway. I just hope the Xianzhou will be safe. I can't believe the Disciples are so deranged now, daring to stage a public jailbreak.
Thinking about this, Qingque inexplicably felt she had been dragged into an endless vortex of trouble.
According to the logic of Xianzhou's Phantasmagorias (which were like movies), her next step should be to cooperate with Chen Li, using the convenience of their communication to actively assist him while he was undercover, gradually infiltrating, gathering evidence and intelligence, and finally wiping out the Disciples in one fell swoop.
Chen Li would clear his name and become an honored guest of the Xianzhou.
She would be recognized by her superiors, get promoted and a raise, and reach the pinnacle of her life.
Qingque: Chen Li, I've suddenly figured it out. We should probably stop contacting each other. Overtime is too tiring.
Dad: What kind of nonsense are you talking?
Qingque: Oh, sorry. I just had a nightmare.
Dad: …
Qingque: So what should I be doing now?
Dad: Go get me some fries and a milk tea, extra sugar.
Qingque: …
Dad: What else? Go tell your boss that your accomplice has successfully infiltrated the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and their annihilation is just around the corner, then get recognized by your leader, get a promotion and a raise, and walk towards the pinnacle of life?
Qingque: I'll go get you that milk tea right now.
"Honestly, getting dragged into trouble for no reason… Oh well, I'll endure it for the sake of that Curio that will stop my boss from divining my slacking," Qingque clenched her fist.
"Qingque, I told you to go coordinate with the Palace of Astrum. Why are you here buying milk tea? Are you slacking off again?!"
The next moment, a pleasant but terrifyingly familiar voice sounded out.
"Ma-Master Diviner, what are you doing here?" Qingque had just approached the milk tea stall when she saw the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan, holding a cup of milk tea.
"I-I, of course, divined that you were once again not attending to your duties, so I was waiting here specifically for you," Fu Xuan said with a straight face.
However, as she said this, she subconsciously touched her forehead.
She couldn't possibly say that she had been trying to divine the whereabouts of that villain for ages, found no trace, and got so tired that she wanted to drink some milk tea to relax, could she?
Honestly, to think I'd be so tired I couldn't even predict being caught buying milk tea by Qingque.
It's all that villain's fault.
You'd better not let me catch you, or I'll stomp you to death!
---o---
"Looks like it's had its fill." Chen Li was still in the ancient-style room with Xianzhou architecture, sitting on a chair. But compared to before, he now held a golden card in his hand.
On the card was the image of the Longbow of Peace, which had been left behind after the Hunt Aeon shot an arrow at his location.
Curio: Longbow of Peace (True Name Gestating…)
New Entry: [The Hunt]
The Codex Card in the Omni-Archive could reflect the status of a Curio in real-time, reminding Chen Li to perform appropriate maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.
Curios could be upgraded. Besides using Crystals, they could also receive minor upgrades as they created more and more miracles.
For example… an aesthetic upgrade.
Power is temporary, but style is eternal. The current Longbow of Peace had the air of a sovereign ruler.
The Longbow of Peace was completely undamaged after being hit by the arrow of light from The Hunt. In fact, a large amount of The Hunt's power now clung to the Curio's true form.
"A Hunt Entry with such high brightness… I could use it to forge a new Curio or simply reinforce the Longbow of Peace again." While waiting for the leader of the Disciples he was supposed to meet, Chen Li got down to his real work.
Just as he had once hoped that ordinary items with special properties produced by his own hands would gain more precious Entries through the trials of time, Curios could also gain new Entries after prolonged use.
And because Curios performed miraculous deeds, the quality of the Entries could be even better.
Newly generated Entries couldn't exert their effects until they were reforged by Chen Li.
However, the Hunt Entry on the Longbow of Peace was different, as it truly contained the blessing and power of the Hunt Aeon.
But that didn't mean he could just freeload off The Hunt's power without spending any Crystals.
The current manifestation of the Hunt Aeon's power was indeed stronger than the Longbow of Peace, but the biggest problem was that Lan's arrows of light did not distinguish between friend and foe.
That was what bothered Chen Li the most.
Even if the Aeon intended not to harm others, it wasn't something he could fully control.
For example, when the Denizens of Abundance once invaded the Fanghu Xianzhou, the Hunt Aeon received a distress call and shot an arrow over, directly destroying one-fifth of the Fanghu.
The invaders were annihilated, but so were many of the Xianzhou's native inhabitants.
This incident caused significant psychological trauma to countless Xianzhou people, even shaking the faith of some.
Was it that the Hunt Aeon didn't want to protect these people? Of course not.
It was just that this was already the minimum output of his power.
This was one of the reasons for the Hunt Aeon's not-so-great reputation in the Star Rail universe—the price of his salvation was too high.
And controlling the price to within an acceptable range was what Chen Li pursued.
He had no interest in simple, crude destruction.
Knock! Knock! Just as Chen Li was about to get moldy from waiting and was considering chatting with Sparkle to find some fun, there was finally a knock on the wooden door of his room.
"Come in."
Creeak! As the door was pushed open, a familiar figure appeared before Chen Li.
"Yo, I didn't think you'd show up in person. Should I say long time no see, or is this our first meeting?" Chen Li looked at Dan Shu as she walked in, a playful smile on his face.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dan Shu. I am the Master of the Alchemy Commission, and also the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus." Dan Shu's eyes were slightly milky, indicating she was blind. Her expression remained unchanged despite Chen Li's snarky tone.
"You can just call me Dad."
"…" Chen Li's self-introduction made Dan Shu open her mouth, but she didn't know what to say.
Although she was blind, her subordinates were not.
Dan Shu was well aware that Chen Li only appeared to be a teenager.
"What, you feel my age doesn't warrant you calling me that? Heh, foolishness!" Chen Li snorted, a card appearing in his hand, which he shot toward Dan Shu.
Hearing the whoosh of air, Dan Shu subconsciously dodged to the side and raised her prosthetic limb, made through artisanship, to block. But the card just landed gently in her hand.
Not only was Dan Shu blind, but she was also missing an arm.
To become the Master of the Alchemy Commission under such circumstances was a testament to her extraordinary talent.
"Try to read it," Chen Li said softly.
Dan Shu hesitated for a moment, then relaxed her mind and accepted the information the card seemed to want to convey.
The next moment, a grand scroll unfolded before her mind's eye.
He is the nurturer of all living beings, the god of the blessed land, whose aim is to make life flourish without end. He is the Aeon who never refuses a prayer, who cannot bear to witness decay and sickness.
May all sentient beings receive what they seek!
Dan Shu personally witnessed the scene of the Aeon of Abundance plucking an ear of wheat from behind her back and bestowing it upon a medicine-seeker.
No, the person wasn't pleading; he was demanding.
Demanding with righteousness, demanding without being servile.
"You are… the blasphemer?"
From the very beginning, Dan Shu knew this newcomer was not simple, nor did she know if he was good or evil. She never expected to witness a figure from the history books with her own eyes.
Even for the Xianzhou people, who could live for hundreds or thousands of years, that part of history was a moment worth remembering.
However, ever since the Xianzhou began to follow in the footsteps of the Demon Bow to hunt down anything related to Abundance, this piece of history had been buried.
It was only because she was the acting head of the Alchemy Commission that Dan Shu was qualified to read the various books related to Abundance stored within, which was also the capital she had used to build the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
"I hate that word," Chen Li denied.
What do you mean, blasphemer? I had a great chat with the Aeon of Abundance.
The Aeon didn't even say anything.
"My apologies."
"It matters not. You children are too young to understand the relationship between us envoys who are devoted to Abundance and the Merciful Medicus. That is why you have attached the label of 'blasphemer' to this matter," Chen Li said, indicating he held no grudges.
"Then, Dad… what is your purpose in coming here now?" Dan Shu asked, a hint of worry in her heart.
After realizing that the person before her was truly an ancient being, Dan Shu no longer cared about the title "Dad."
The man was older than the Demon Bow, Root of Calamity. What was wrong with calling him Dad?
And her worry was not without reason. Dan Shu had thought a potential partner had arrived on the Xianzhou, but it turned out to be a grand patriarch.
Setting aside the fact that the divine object from the Aeon in his hands could arbitrarily extract the blessings of Abundance from others for his own use, the power he had accumulated over countless years alone was not something she could stand against.
She had originally come out to meet him because she thought he was a potential partner.
"I am utterly disappointed in your Xianzhou." Chen Li slammed his hand on the table and began his performance.
It was also a way to hide the corner of his mouth, which he could barely keep from twitching after being genuinely called "Dad."
"Disappointed?"
"Yes, disappointed. After I first met your Xianzhou's medicine-seeking envoy, I instructed him to use the power of Abundance with restraint. But you people just wouldn't listen."
"Did you say those things?" Dan Shu didn't recall reading anything like that in the ancient books.
"Do you know better, or do I? Would I lie to you? Were you there at the time?"
"…" Dan Shu was speechless.
"I remember back then, after becoming close friends with that envoy, I gave him a token and told him that if the Xianzhou ever ran into trouble, he could seek me out. I didn't expect to wake up from a nap to find that the Xianzhou had already embarked on the treacherous path of The Hunt!"
"What's wrong with our Path of Abundance? We haven't harmed anyone. We place a miracle there, and when you want a miracle, we give it to you. In the end, the world is destroyed, and you blame us! Is there any justice in that?"
"Labels like 'World Destroyer' have even appeared. How ridiculous is that?"
Chen Li rambled on and on from his seat, and Dan Shu, who was being lectured until she could barely lift her head, could only listen.
Although she didn't understand why this envoy of Abundance kept saying the word "miracle," she figured that a miracle of Abundance was indeed a miracle, so she didn't dare to object.
"Phew… Alright, I've said my piece. If you have any questions, ask them now." After ranting for a long time, Chen Li twisted his neck and asked.
The reason his critique was so impassioned and immersive was mainly that he wasn't talking about Abundance; he was talking about Miracle.
The two situations were indeed quite similar.
The Aeon of Abundance would grant a blessing to anyone who came before her seeking one.
The Miracle system would help realize the wish of anyone who obtained that ball of light.
The starting point for both was good.
"The envoy's words are deafening and enlightening. We are thoroughly illuminated. Does the envoy have any other profound insights?" Dan Shu, who had been used as a stand-in and scolded for half the day, asked, bracing herself.
"Profound insights? No profound insights. Let's fuck them up!" Chen Li said casually.
"Then does the Divine Envoy have a general plan?" Dan Shu's eyes lit up as she pressed on.
If you're talking about fucking them up, then I'm wide awake!
Originally, Dan Shu had been worried that this "Dad" would find out about the current state of the Xianzhou and choose to lie low for a while, or propose some nonsensical plan that would disrupt her own. But now, she had no such worries.
As long as you want to screw over the Xianzhou… no, I mean, guide the Xianzhou back to the correct path, then we're on the same side!
Damn that Demon Bow, Root of Calamity!