Chapter 52

Chapter 52: The Senior Is Law-Abiding

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Wangshu maintained his vigilant posture, scanning the surroundings, while splitting a thread of consciousness into the group chat. He decided to share the good news first — put Asta at ease.

Wangshu: "Almost done. The Xianzhou longevity method situation."

Jingliu couldn't accept it: "...That fast? You didn't steal it, did you?!"

That was Cangcheng — her homeland. The place she'd idealized countless times across her long memory.

Asta: "Wahhh, Wangshu."

March 7th was also indignant: "I feel cheated by the Luofu. They told me stealing immortality there was one of the Ten Unpardonable Crimes!"

Double-standard Xianzhou!

Jingliu corrected weakly: "You weren't cheated. It is one of the Ten Unpardonable Crimes."

Asta: "Wahhh..."

Wangshu hastily added: "Can I just say it was a fair trade?"

March 7th's little brain clicked instantly: "??? Trading doesn't count as stealing? Oh, you sneaky Xianzhou people — burying loopholes like that."

Jingliu, even weaker: "It does count. And the penalty is worse."

Wangshu: "But I really did trade fairly."

Xing: "Maybe it's a different era. Every era has its own standards, and the gray areas between different Xianzhou probably vary too."

Xing seemed to have collected herself, though she was still a bit downcast.

Wangshu: "Could be. After all, Cangcheng's chief strategist is currently concocting forbidden Age of Divine Descent elixirs right in front of me."

Wangshu sneaked a glance at Jiye, who was actively refining with remarkably practiced hands. He had a strong suspicion this man was a secret inheritor of the Yaoshi Esoteric Tradition. Screenshot!

Wangshu: "Jiye_alchemy.jpg"

Jingliu: "Isn't that a Borisin?"

Wangshu: "That's the elixir's effect."

Jingliu: "..."

Jingliu felt her worldview crumbling. She hadn't been present for the Hoolay incident, but she'd heard about the Martial Exhibition afterward.

So in Cangcheng — her homeland — the upper echelons didn't even take Xianzhou prohibitions seriously?

And there was a strong possibility that in the future, this very formula leaked out — from Cangcheng, no less?

March 7th: "Sounds really familiar."

Wangshu: "It seems to be the same drug the Borisin used at the Martial Exhibition — just with the effects reversed. But functionally very similar."

March 7th: "Then I think I know how the Borisin developed that drug. Oh wait — I heard there was a mastermind behind it all... I think I've figured out the whole picture now."

March 7th: "@Jingliu, Senior — your Xianzhou has moles."

Jingliu: "..."

Wangshu: "Senior Jingliu probably didn't know. After all, she was law-abiding her whole life. She likely never touched the gray areas."

Jingliu: "..."

It was such a straightforward, even complimentary statement. Why did it sound so strange?

March 7th: "Senior Jingliu was LAW-ABIDING?!"

Jingliu: "..."

Wangshu: "Gotta go. But Ms. March 7th — I'd recommend borrowing Senior Jingliu's power too. That way you get training at night, and the Senior gets a mood boost."

Chatting was fun, but the elixir was done. The flames guttered out, leaving only a few dull-gray pills. Wangshu looked at them and felt a twinge of resistance.

"Relax — they've been high-temperature sterilized. And they're no longer really related to the Borisin."

Jiye offered lighthearted reassurance.

They were absolutely still related! Wangshu's internal monologue protested, but he popped one in anyway. Xing's Preservation energy circulated through him, confirming nothing strange had been left behind — just a temporary external transformation.

His scalp itched. A pair of Borisin ears gradually emerged atop his head, and coarse facial hair sprouted. His whole appearance roughened dramatically — from a refined youth to a rugged warrior.

"So ugly."

Wangshu instinctively drew his sword, using the mirror-smooth blade to examine himself. His lip twitched.

Jiye laughed: "The ugly part is the Borisin. What's it got to do with Wangshu?"

Wangshu paused. He realized that compared to these centenarian foxes, his mental fortitude still had some catching up to do.

"True. The ugly part is the Borisin. Nothing to do with me."

Rahu was a barren planet — most of it undeveloped. But as they followed the trail of life-signs forward, something verdant appeared in the distance, jarringly out of place against the desolate surroundings.

Wangshu stopped, looking down. At his feet, several stubbornly resilient weeds — dark red verging on black — forced their way through the gravel, displaying an almost eerie vitality.

"Such concentrated longevity aura." Jiye remarked.

"Longevity aura?"

Jiye explained: "Areas where genes are contaminated, causing organisms to degrade into long-life species, produce this particular aura."

This was another of the Xianzhou's Ten Unpardonable Crimes: Compelling Degradation to Long-Life.

Closely paired with Coveting Deathlessness. On the Xianzhou, these were two distinct offenses with different descriptions.

Noticing Wangshu's contemplative look, Jiye quickly added: "But this method always comes with severe drawbacks. Like the Borisin becoming so hideous and bloodthirsty, or the Wing-Crafters growing wings and having their body structure dramatically altered."

"You wouldn't want this kind of immortality, right?"

Wangshu: ...

He was quiet for several seconds before finally asking the question that had been circling his mind: "Mr. Jiye, are you really a Xianzhou native?"

Far from being offended, Jiye thumped his own chest: "Genuine article. Born and raised Cangcheng native! Also a merchant."

Wangshu went completely silent. He was discovering that the gap between one Xianzhou and another was quite real.

Jiye dialed back his smile, voice softening: "Of course, don't judge all of Cangcheng by me. Without a Revered Spirit, Cangcheng often has to compromise during negotiations and trade agreements. I'm an exception, not the standard."

They pressed forward. The signs of life grew denser, overlaid with a camouflaging barrier — from a distance it looked barren, but up close it had the raucous energy of a frontier boomtown.

With Wangshu's stats, the two moved at blistering speed on foot. They slipped in undetected — successfully infiltrating the settlement!

Borisin everywhere. Wing-Crafters. Even creatures that appeared to be insectoid Marionette Octopi and Houyhnhnms.

"As expected... quite the guest list."

Jiye's gaze swept the scene, voice grave.

This confirmed the worst fears. The Abundance followers' assembly here was far larger and more diverse than anticipated — and this was just one site. It looked like nothing more than a temporary outpost.

Wangshu surveyed the area. He had only one thought: How had Hoolay managed to lure all these beings here?

When Rahu awakened, no one here would survive. They'd all be buried alongside Cangcheng.

"Wangshu..." Jiye's voice pulled him back. "We regroup here in one hour. If you're not comfortable gathering specific intelligence..."

He paused, accounting for Wangshu's age and likely lack of espionage experience, and offered a more flexible approach: "Just try to look like an ordinary Borisin warrior out for a stroll. Don't arouse suspicion. Safety first."

Jiye politely prepared to separate for the time being. The kid wasn't dead weight, but he was still young.

"Mm, sure."

Wangshu nodded. He had his own plans: "Actually — I'm sensing a strange spatial fluctuation near the town center... I want to take a look."