Chapter 27: Masters of Wild Speculation

Shi Dahai was only the beginning. Over the days that followed, more and more people summoned their life-bound artifacts.

At that moment, however, no one could have foreseen the grand occasion this would become.

Incense smoke curled through the elegant room in Zhaoge’s small residence reserved exclusively for Chi Yixuan. As Luo Yanxing lowered her head and placed the gift she had prepared on the table, she seized the opportunity to glance ahead.

A translucent screen stood between them, preventing her from seeing the man clearly. She could only make out a tall, slender figure with straight shoulders.

“There are one hundred spirit stones and one artifact inside. Please accept them, Immortal Master.”

Before someone of higher status, Luo Yanxing did not dare act presumptuously in the slightest, even though the gift she had brought was already enough to tempt a cultivator. Without waiting for the person behind the screen to ask, she tactfully began explaining the purpose of her visit.

“To be honest with you, Immortal Master, I would never have dared disturb you if I had any other choice. Last time, my caravan became lost in the desert, and my subordinates nearly lost their lives. It was only thanks to your pills that we escaped disaster. You are also aware of what happened afterward. We signed contracts with the Artifact Refining Workshop and Medical Workshop under your name, then brought a shipment of goods back to Silver City to sell.”

“Zhaoge’s pills and armor plates are of exceptional quality. Who knows how many lives they could save once brought back? We quickly found suitable buyers after returning with the goods. Unexpectedly, that drew the hostility of Strange Treasure Hall.”

“Simply because Zhaoge’s pills and armor plates far surpass its own, Strange Treasure Hall began deliberately suppressing us. Yesterday, I heard that it not only intends to forbid the Swift Wind Trading Company from ever selling pills and armor again, but also demands that we reveal Zhaoge’s location. It has even declared that it will seize Zhaoge’s formulas.”

“If Strange Treasure Hall merely wanted to suppress our business, we could endure it. At worst, we would stop dealing in these goods. But you and Zhaoge have shown us great kindness, Immortal Master. We truly cannot pretend nothing is happening. Moreover, Zhaoge’s location is unusual. I fear Strange Treasure Hall’s cultivator hall master will soon come looking for you. After considering the matter from every angle, we had no choice but to trouble you.”

Guilt filled Luo Yanxing’s face.

“If we had not acted so rashly in our business dealings, Strange Treasure Hall would not have noticed Zhaoge so soon. Please accept this gift as our apology, Immortal Master. Otherwise, no one in our trading company will be able to rest easy.”

Chi Yixuan sat there throughout the entire speech like an attentive listener, never making a sound.

In reality, he was not usually this quiet at all. He had already been chatting away with his life-bound artifact inside his head.

“Tsk, tsk. She really is a merchant. Luo Yanxing certainly knows how to talk. Had I not visited Silver City and already learned a few things about Strange Treasure Hall, she might actually have fooled me.”

“She has clearly been unhappy with Strange Treasure Hall’s monopoly for years. The moment she saw the quality of Zhaoge’s pills and armor plates, she realized she had found an opportunity. She immediately signed a contract and took the goods back with her, yet now she claims she did it to help more people.”

“She is clearly afraid of Strange Treasure Hall’s cultivator, so she came bearing gifts in the hope of gaining the protection of another cultivator. That way, she can compete against Strange Treasure Hall. Yet she has shifted all the blame onto Strange Treasure Hall instead.”

“Still, not everything she said was false. Strange Treasure Hall has always been overbearing. There is no way it could have monopolized the pill and armor trade throughout Donglai Kingdom without resorting to plenty of dirty tricks. She dares say all this because she is certain Strange Treasure Hall really will act that way. She does not have to worry about her story being exposed in front of me later.”

By the end, Chi Yixuan could not help laughing.

“She obviously brought this gift as a bribe, yet she called it an apology. Now she has made it embarrassing for me not to accept it. And the moment I do accept it, I will have effectively declared which side I support.”

“She is quite interesting. Almost everything she said was true and closely matched the facts. She merely changed the order and phrasing, and suddenly made herself sound noble.”

The life-bound artifact said, its tone growing increasingly cold, “Your Majesty, this may not have been the speech she originally prepared. When they left last time, they clearly had not realized Zhaoge was located inside Nameless Valley. Yet this time, they came in broad daylight, and her words all but openly pointed out our conflict with Strange Treasure Hall. She was clearly certain that you would help them.”

“Once they saw the valley’s location and considered how many people live here, they would naturally assume you settled here to save these human sacrifices. They certainly do not know that every one of them can provide points to increase your cultivation. Naturally, they concluded that you are softhearted.

“That is why she described the bribe as an apology and exaggerated Strange Treasure Hall’s malice. She wanted to arouse your sympathy so that you would naturally take their side.”

By the end, the life-bound artifact’s true objective was exposed.

“Your Majesty, merchants are cunning and shameless. To think she would dare challenge your authority. You should—”

“Force them to join Zhaoge so we can enslave them more conveniently, right?” Chi Yixuan suddenly interrupted.

The life-bound artifact fell silent. After a moment, it gave a quiet, “Yes.”

Chi Yixuan’s answer was the same as before.

“There’s no need.”

Chi Yixuan did not lack the points those few people could provide.

Besides, Luo Yanxing and her people were different from the servants. The servants had already come from humble backgrounds. Chi Yixuan had also saved their lives and guided them, while the threat from Strange Treasure Hall had given them an additional push. As a result, they had quickly submitted to him.

Since he could just barely be considered a good employer, their sense of belonging to Zhaoge had also grown stronger and stronger.

Luo Yanxing and her people were different, especially Luo Yanxing herself. She was clearly intelligent and cunning, with excellent judgment and decisiveness. She also possessed considerable wealth. Someone like her would never pledge loyalty to another person easily.

Moreover, they currently had an excellent opportunity for cooperation, and Luo Yanxing was willing to work for him. Why do something that would only make everyone unhappy?

Zhaoge was still developing and under construction. There was truly no need to create resentment for no reason.

On the other side of the screen, Luo Yanxing held her breath nervously.

According to her judgment, this cultivator was unusually kind and benevolent. But she was the one asking for help, so anxiety was unavoidable.

Finally, after a moment, the clear voice of a young man came from behind the screen.

“Go back. Strange Treasure Hall’s cultivator is nothing to fear.”

At those words, Luo Yanxing relaxed completely. A smile appeared on her face. After saluting, she took her leave.

Even after Luo Yanxing had been gone for quite some time, the life-bound artifact remained silent, apparently still somewhat displeased.

Chi Yixuan, meanwhile, had already opened the gift chest with delight.

“Come to think of it, we are the ones who profited this time. Song Dianlai died long ago, so Strange Treasure Hall no longer has a cultivator who can threaten her business. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know that. She eagerly rushed over to deliver gifts to us. I don’t have to do anything at all. I can sit at home and receive a whole chest of gifts for free!”

The life-bound artifact finally cheered up.

“Spirit stones and artifacts are extremely rare on the Easternmost Continent. She must have paid an enormous price for this chest of gifts. These cunning merchants have been outsmarted by their own cleverness!”

Chi Yixuan stored the spirit stones in his inventory, then took out the artifact.

“Appraisal: Book of Truth. Record another person’s spoken words upon its pages to test whether they are true or false. If the statement conflicts with what the tested person subjectively believes to be fact, the writing will fail. Lower mystic grade.”

Chi Yixuan was surprised. This was the first time he had ever seen a mystic-grade artifact.

Even the highest-grade artifact in Song Dianlai’s home had only been upper yellow grade. Luo Yanxing had actually managed to obtain a mystic-grade artifact!

But after thinking about it, ordinary people lacked the discernment needed to identify an artifact’s grade. Perhaps Luo Yanxing had no idea what grade this artifact was.

After all, even a lower mystic-grade artifact was a fine treasure worthy of a Golden Core cultivator. Had she known its value, she would not have given it away so easily.

“We really found a treasure this time. Now I never have to worry about anyone lying to me again.”

Chi Yixuan carefully reread the appraisal description. His gaze settled on the phrase “subjectively believes to be fact,” and he felt a little disappointed.

“It would have been better if it could test objective facts. Then I could try questions one by one until I discovered a way to return home.”

“Oh well. It’s only lower mystic grade, after all.”

He fell silent.

The life-bound artifact knew its master was thinking about home again. Unwilling to let him sink any deeper into those emotions, it said, “Your Majesty, this book will not be very useful in your hands. Why not temporarily give it to the servants?”

Chi Yixuan thought that made sense and summoned Qiu Ping’an to collect it.

Soon, the artifact had passed through the hands of every servant.

Guo Qianshan and the others had already returned. After hearing that criminals had entered the valley to cause trouble, they were furious. Before they could go beat up the Dragon-Tiger Gang members again, Qiu Ping’an dragged them over to admire the artifact with him.

This was the first time any of them had touched an artifact.

They knew that even the lowest-grade artifact was something only cultivators could afford. Previously, the two stewards from Strange Treasure Hall had obtained two artifacts because they were relatives of the hall master. They had treated those artifacts like priceless treasures and flaunted them every day.

Of course, the servants did not know this artifact’s grade. Nor did they understand why the Immortal Master had entrusted something so precious to them.

But they were very good at thinking.

Ma Hongxuan said, “The Master plans far ahead. There must be a deeper meaning behind this.”

Everyone exchanged glances, but none of them could figure it out.

Then Qiu Ping’an spoke.

“Today, the Master met Boss Luo of the Swift Wind Trading Company. There was a screen between them.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.

After a moment, Ma Hongxuan said, “I have heard that certain members of Donglai Kingdom’s imperial clan and nobility receive visitors from behind curtains or screens to display their exalted status. But the Master never did that before!”

Wan Tianyou suddenly said, “Could it be that…the Master is gradually recovering his memories?”

Everyone trembled in unison.

Realization dawned on Guo Qianshan.

“That’s right. The Master is actually an emperor whose honorific title is unknown to us.”

Qiu Ping’an’s eyes went unfocused as well.

“Thinking about it carefully, there have been signs all along. Perhaps the Master was once merely an ordinary person. His innocent nature led him to be deceived and sold into the slave market. But after suffering through those hardships, he awakened the memories of his previous life and learned his true identity.

“However, he has not recovered all his memories yet. Instead, he is slowly remembering his former life. That is why his habits have begun to change.”

“So that’s how it is.” Ma Hongxuan immediately looked remorseful. “The Master was once a person of exalted status. Naturally, he must be different from ordinary people. We should have handled these mundane affairs properly on his behalf. This was my oversight.”

Sorrow filled Fan Huilan’s eyes.

“Who knows how much suffering the Master endured before? Had we only met him sooner.”

Wan Tianyou raised a hand toward the heavens and swore, “Were I given another chance, I would rescue the Master sooner! I would never allow him to suffer in the slightest!”

Everyone nodded together. They looked as though they desperately wished they could all be reborn as a group.

Their gazes were resolute, and their objective was perfectly aligned.

What an extraordinarily harmonious team.

Only Chi Yixuan, watching them from afar, was so embarrassed that his toes practically dug into the floor.

Heaven knew that none of this had crossed his mind when he brought out the screen.

At the time, there had been only one thing on his mind.

The original body’s enemy was the Tyrant Blade Sect. Luo Yanxing was a merchant who traveled from place to place. The more often his face was exposed, the greater the danger.

Therefore, he had decided that from now on, he would conceal his appearance whenever he went outside or met strangers.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten to avoid Qiu Ping’an at the time.

How could he have forgotten just how bizarrely imaginative these people were?

Great. Now the title of “ancient emperor” had gained an additional setting: “his memories are gradually awakening.”

Had he been twelve years old, he would certainly have found it thrilling and inspiring.

But he was already in his twenties.

All he felt was overwhelming secondhand embarrassment and shame.

After experiencing this sort of thing several times, he had already decided never to watch the servants’ private gatherings again.

Yet for some reason, the life-bound artifact had insisted on showing this one to him.

Sensing the life-bound artifact’s faint excitement, Chi Yixuan suddenly understood.

The life-bound artifact was the one who wanted to watch.

It must have believed it had finally found a group of kindred spirits!

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