The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

He strolled leisurely, his gaze sweeping over bustling streets and ancient alleyways. When he saw someone with a sickly face or walking with difficulty, he would step forward and extend his hand.

His jade-green pupils were gentle and calm, and a faint light shone from his palms, causing the illness to quietly dissipate.

He did not deliberately publicize his name, but the reputation of this silver-haired young doctor with miraculous medical skills and a gentle demeanor spread rapidly like ripples from a stone thrown into a calm lake.

Soon, more and more people on the Immortal Boat learned that a wandering healer had come to Luofu, who could cure all diseases with miraculous healing skills and did not charge a penny.

Patients with intractable diseases, whom the Dan Ding Si had declared helpless to treat, came to him as if grasping at a last straw.

With the help of enthusiastic residents of Xianzhou, a simple yet vibrant free clinic stall was set up on a street corner.

Russell sat behind his stall, intently relieving the pain of each patient. More than the magnificent and wondrous scenery of the fairy-tale island, he cherished the ordinariness of this moment: feeling the ease and gratitude of life freed from suffering, listening to each word of thanks. This filled him with immense fulfillment.

He was, he is now, and he will be in the future—they are all the same.

"Mr. Huaixiu! Mr. Huaixiu!" A hurried voice broke the silence. A breathless agent in the uniform of the Sky Ship Bureau pushed through the crowd, his face showing anxiety and a hint of awe. "We've finally found you! The Sky Flight Bureau requests your presence at the Sichen Palace!"

Russell looked at the newcomer and asked gently, "Young man, why are you in such a hurry? Has the Sky Ship Company encountered some troublesome matter?"

The commissioner wiped his sweat and spoke rapidly: "It's about you calling on the compassionate doctors to support Luofu! Something...something has gone wrong."

"The situation?" Russell frowned slightly. "Please speak."

The commissioner took a deep breath, his face filled with disbelief: "Your influence... is truly astonishing! The Sky Ship Administration has received over hundreds of thousands of applications for entry into the country! The Sky Flight Administration is finding it extremely difficult to make a decision, so please, you must go and discuss how to handle this matter!"

"Hundreds of thousands of ships?!" For the first time, a clear look of astonishment appeared on Russell's calm face. He had anticipated a response, but tens of thousands of people would have been the limit; he never expected it to reach such a terrifying scale.

The number of hundreds of thousands of ships means that the number of compassionate doctors responding to his call has exceeded one million.

The underlying complexity exploded in Russell's mind instantly. He immediately stood up and quickly packed up the items on the stall. "Let's go now, there's no time to lose."

He decisively spoke to the commissioner, then followed him, hurrying through the crowd towards the Sichen Palace.

……

Hundreds of thousands of ships. Carrying countless compassionate physicians blessed with abundance, skilled in both combat and healing. This thought swirled in Yu Kong's mind, causing her fingers, gripping the jade tablet, to turn slightly white.

Are they really here to support Luofu? Or... is this massive, well-organized medical force itself a threat?

Although the entire universe knows that the compassionate physician adheres to extremely high ethical standards, such a large group applying to enter the Luofu Immortal Ship has long exceeded the scope of ordinary medical assistance.

This is no longer as simple as General Jingyuan privately entrusting Huaixiu to find a physician to fill the vacancy of the Dan Ding Si Kong (a position in the Imperial Alchemy Bureau).

It has suddenly escalated into an extremely sensitive and significant diplomatic incident. The Luofu Immortal Ship is not incapable of arranging and deploying these ships, but how will it subsequently receive and accommodate this million-strong force?

Each question weighed heavily on the mind of the Sky Ship Captain, Yu Kong.

After much deliberation, Yu Kong realized that the only way to properly handle this "storm" caused by good intentions was to appeal to the heart of the storm—Huai Xiu, the recognized leader of the compassionate physicians. There was no other way.

Only his will could calm this raging torrent. His very existence was key to stabilizing the situation.

Meanwhile, on the interstellar route to Luofu…

"Too slow! What are these people at the company dawdling about?" A young doctor on a hospital ship complained as he looked out the porthole at the slowly crawling ship traffic.

Soothing music was playing over the ship's loudspeaker as a group of elderly doctors sat together, enthusiastically discussing the latest cell regeneration technology. However, this academic atmosphere could not completely dispel their inner anxiety.

"Try to understand, the procedures have to be followed." His companion said, but his gaze kept drifting out the window. "But then again, Lord Huaixiu is in Luofu... what if we miss him..."

"Pah! Don't talk such unlucky things! We will definitely see him!" The young doctor immediately interrupted him, his eyes shining with an almost pious light. "That is Huai Xiu! The guiding light that leads us! The universe is so vast, how rare is the chance to be in the same place as him!"

This dedication stems from the faith they have cultivated throughout their long lives. The unique "mark" of compassionate healers has played a crucial role in enabling them to spread their reach across the stars—it severely punishes evildoers while generously rewarding those who relieve suffering.

For compassionate healers, alleviating suffering in the world is an eternal mission, a mission that requires almost an infinite amount of time to complete. The imprint of compassion fulfills this: as long as they continue to practice the way of salvation, life will continue.

The suffering of the universe is like an inexhaustible sea, and they are the tide riders who never back down.

Ahead, a patrol boat bearing the logo of the Interstellar Peace Corporation was attempting to maintain order. An employee on board, holding a megaphone, spoke in the company's characteristically programmed tone: "All ships, please wait patiently and proceed in order according to the instructions of the Star Orbit Administration..."

"We're here to treat the wounded! Luofu desperately needs support! You're wasting lives!"

The captain of a ship carrying a compassionate healer couldn't help but shout on the public channel, his voice filled with suppressed anger. The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Just then, the company employee on the patrol boat suddenly changed his expression, looking down at the latest emergency instructions he had received on his wrist. The instructions were concise and stern.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. When he looked up again, he forced an extremely unnatural, almost obsequious smile, and his voice suddenly rose, filled with unprecedented enthusiasm and a hint of panic: "Uh... esteemed physicians of compassion! I am so sorry! I have just received the highest priority order from headquarters!"

"All company personnel, do your utmost to ensure the priority, rapid, and safe passage of the Tzu Chi Medical Ship fleet! Please! Please proceed first! We will immediately clear the way for you! We wish you all the best in your journey to Luofu!"

He practically shouted it out, frantically directing the patrol boats to clear the main channel while repeatedly bowing to the surrounding medical ships.

This dramatic turn of events startled the compassionate physicians, who then burst into understanding chuckles. They knew, of course, what the company feared—not them, the physicians themselves, but the envoy behind them who could easily unleash a cosmic storm.

No one wanted to take responsibility for angering him or even triggering another global catastrophe.

As the waterway began to be cleared more quickly, the ships of the compassionate physicians, filled with even greater urgency, sped toward the Luofu Immortal Ship like a flock of birds returning to their nests.

Even with all the employees doing this, the efficiency remained terribly low. There were numerous bottlenecks, and Dr. Cihui had already forced the employees to take leave, leaving them to manage the situation themselves.

Supervisors at various congestion points, unable to cope with the situation any longer, relayed this information upwards…

……

Chapter 1 of Today

Golden Branches Through the Ages: Chapter 138 The Company's Assistance

"Doctors?" At the Interstellar Peace Corporation's air traffic control center, a young employee looked at the densely packed, varied ship markings on the monitor screen and couldn't help but swallow. "These doctors don't look like they only know how to wield a scalpel."

The senior manager beside him scoffed, swiping his finger across the screen to pull up several blurry combat footage clips. "Fists and feet? Weapons? Poison? They're proficient in far more than that. Their hands are better at saving lives than at killing. Wasn't the lesson from that interstellar empire ten years ago profound enough?"

In the footage, the massive wreckage of the fleet floats like cold tombstones in a desolate star field.

It was once a vast power spanning several star systems, boasting immense national strength and a formidable military. But it all came to an end with a conflict—the deaths of several compassionate physicians within the borders of this interstellar empire.

"No one knows the specific reason. It may be a misunderstanding, or it may be the arrogance of some people in the empire."

The supervisor's voice lowered as he continued, "The important thing is, they're dead. And then? Relying on its past strength in single-handedly repelling the antimatter legion, the Empire actually declared war on the arriving Physicians of Compassion."

"At first, they did have the upper hand, even destroying quite a few of the medics' ships..."

The young employee stared incredulously at the image of the Imperial fleet's triumphant cannon fire: "Are they insane? How dare they kill Physician Cihui?"

"They underestimated the cost." The supervisor turned off the video, and the image froze on a desolate starry sky.

"The deaths of Physician Cihui touched Huaixiu. And then?" The supervisor spread his hands, making an explosion gesture, "One system day, just one system day! This empire, along with its vast territory, was completely wiped off the star map."

"The news spread faster than the empire itself collapsed. The company later assessed that the empire's actual duration... was probably even shorter."

The office was deathly silent. The young employee finally understood why everyone on the shipping route reacted with alarm yet had to greet him with a smile whenever they saw the logo of Dr. Cihui.

"So, do you understand why the higher-ups gave a strict order to make way for them?" The supervisor patted an employee on the shoulder. "These doctors are the most benevolent people in the universe. Cooperating with them will make us a fortune; being their enemy?" He pointed to the wreckage image on the screen, "That's what will happen."

……

The atmosphere at the headquarters of Interstellar Peace Corporation was heavy and subtle. They had gathered here once again after receiving reports from the heads of various congestion points.

They began discussing whether to do everything in their power to help the compassionate physician travel to Luofu.

“Think of Gaia III!” A well-dressed executive, representing the “moderate” faction, tapped the table. “That planet has a hellish environment, but it’s rich in minerals.”

“Our traditional environmental remediation plan involves huge investment, long cycle, and extremely high risk, and the profit margin may even be swallowed up by the cost.”

"And the result? With the intervention of Physician Cihui, the entire planet became habitable again in just three days, and mining operations immediately commenced! How much time and how many credits were saved? It's incalculable!"

Another executive chimed in with a hint of awe: "That's not all. Although the special drugs they develop can only be sold at normal cost price, it's entirely beneficial to the company's reputation."

"The value of this for future market expansion is immeasurable. More importantly," he looked around at everyone, "look at our own staff! How many of our outstanding employees are themselves compassionate physicians? This is no longer just a matter of fate."

He pulled up the internal data stream: "Look at the composition! Memory Doctors, Sea Patrol Rangers, the entire Immortal Strangers faction... even,"

He paused for a moment, then displayed a blurry but striking image—a figure in the iconic white coat of a compassionate physician, deftly flipping a coin with a sinister smiley face printed on it.

"...And the Fools of the 'Tavern'! An organization that can attract even a bunch of crazy people who only care about having fun—you should weigh the power and...inclusivity behind it!"

"That's the problem!" Dai Da from the market development department, sitting across from us, looked ashen-faced. "The larger and more deeply they operate, the more our 'efficient methods' are hampered!"

"In the eyes of those compassionate doctors who also serve as sea patrol rangers, our market development department is nothing but 'scum' to be eliminated! Expecting them to help us 'pacify' the newly conquered planets?"

"Ha! The fact that those 'kind' doctors didn't come knocking on our door because of the smell of blood and tear us apart like wolves is already a blessing from the Amber King!"

The "efficient methods" he mentioned are precisely the "forceful plundering" creed upon which the market development department built its reputation: to subdue the planet with overwhelming force and quickly incorporate it into the economic system for exploitation.

However, the cost was high – the subsequent suppression of the resistance was protracted, and the slightest misstep could lead to a sharp decline in population, ultimately leaving no one available.

"So what?" the moderate executive retorted sharply. "Like before, turn the planet into ruins and then spend several times the money and time to rebuild it? To appease them?"

"If killing off the entire population of a planet to obtain its resources is considered efficient, then I have nothing to say."

"Haven't we learned our lesson from Tsegnia? Can we afford to bear Huai Xiu's wrath? If we anger this Envoy of Abundance, things will get interesting if the company can't even protect you."

He pulled up the latest channel congestion report. "Look at it now! Because their leader is in Luofu, the entire orbit is making way for them! This in itself is a silent deterrent!"

The head of the market development department looked at the dense dots of light on the screen, representing countless compassionate medical ships that almost blocked the waterway, and his expression changed constantly.

Finally, he slumped back in his chair, gritting his teeth and muttering, "These doctors... they're like a fucking swarm of insects! One dies, and their pheromones instantly spread throughout the starry sky, and the others immediately put down their syringes, grab their guns, and swarm in! Simple! Brutal! Effective!"

He had to admit that, faced with compassionate physicians who had virtually unlimited lifespans (as long as they continued to do good) and were highly organized, the cost of pure violent plunder was prohibitively high.

The moderate executive smiled confidently: "Instead of confrontation, let's go with the flow. Collaborative development and gentle guidance will allow the planet to 'willingly' integrate into the economic system."

"Our efficiency may not be as fast as yours, but we excel in stability and sustainability. As for costs? In the long run, they are much lower." He pointed to a successful case study on the screen, a collaboration with compassionate physicians, "Look, the 'Gaia III' model is the future."

Thus, the brief meeting ended in a one-sided manner, with all the members present reaching a consensus on this point: to do everything in the company's power to assist Dr. Cihui in traveling to Luofu.

……

The air traffic control center at this moment.

"Attention all departments! Highest priority order!" The supervisor's roar echoed throughout the area via communicator. "All dispatchers, immediately enter 'emergency monthly leave' mode!"

"Paid! Immediately! Now! Transfer all your waterway control authority to... uh, to the representatives of the Compassionate Physicians who are currently waiting in line for passage! Repeat, transfer to the representatives of the Compassionate Physicians!"

"Paid monthly leave?!" The young employee was dumbfounded.

"Yes! Paid leave! Effective immediately! Stop talking nonsense and transfer authority quickly!" The supervisor spoke rapidly, but his face showed a hint of relief.

"As mentioned above, Physician Cihui is our friend! We must do everything in our power to provide them with all the assistance we can for their important journey to Luofu."

After a brief moment of astonishment, a small cheer erupted in the control center.

Paid leave! This is practically a legend in the company! The employees quickly began handing over their responsibilities, their faces beaming with genuine joy.

Soon, the suffocating channel congestion began to ease at an astonishing speed. The compassionate physicians, granted temporary dispatch authority, were remarkably efficient, and their ship's communication channels were filled with cheerful messages.

With their engines at full power, the ships sped towards the Luofu Immortal Ship like a galaxy breaking free from its restraints.

That indomitable spirit seemed to be declaring to the entire universe: nothing could stop them from going to pay homage to the "Resurrection" who guided their path—not even the Star God!

……

"Oh my, Yu Kong, what brings you here?" Jing Yuan, who was handling government affairs at the Shence Mansion, asked curiously upon seeing Yu Kong's arrival.

"General, do you know how many ships have applied to enter Luofu right now?" Yu Kong asked Jing Yuan with a smile.

"It seems our Lord Yukong is troubled by the arrival of the ships. However, given Huaixiu's influence, it's quite normal for there to be tens of thousands of ships. But I believe this won't be a problem for our Yukong's captain," Jing Yuan said with a smile as he stood up and approached Yukong's projection.

"General, the number of ships summoned by that Abundant Envoy for the Compassionate Physician has exceeded 200,000. This time, there are at least tens of millions of physicians. There are more than enough physicians to fill five immortal ships. What do you think we should do?" Yu Kong crossed his arms and looked at Jing Yuan thoughtfully.

Jing Yuan's eyes, which had been narrowed, suddenly widened. He retorted to Yu Kong, "You know Yu Kong, I hope this is just a joke you're playing on me..."

Yu Kong didn't say anything, but his eyes told Jing Yuan: Do I look like the kind of person who would joke with you like this?

"Hmm... I understand. I'll handle it properly. For now, I'd like to trouble our most diligent Sky Master to help me stabilize the situation for the time being," Jing Yuan said with a smile, trying to persuade Sky Master.

Yu Kong nodded and said, "General, no matter what, your strategy of allying with Huai Xiu is absolutely correct. Luo Fu has found a very powerful ally. It's just that such a large-scale operation is a bit troublesome."

"Alright, my distinguished guest will be arriving soon, so I'll stop here for now. I'll do my best to handle the reception arrangements. As for the remaining issues, that's for you to resolve yourself, General. That's all for now."

The projection of Yu Kong disappeared, leaving only Jing Yuan with a worried expression. He wasn't worried about trivial matters, but rather stunned by this sudden happiness.

…………

This is the second chapter today, and there's one more to come.

Golden Branches Endure the Ages: Chapter 139 Jingyuan, No Longer Cautious

Jing Yuan did not sit down after Yu Kong left. He paced back and forth, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his temples, his gaze repeatedly sweeping over the Star Chariot Sea strategic sand table on the table. The points of light representing enemy and friendly forces flickered, reflecting his contemplative eyes.

The news brought by Yu Kong that tens of millions of compassionate doctors would be arriving forced him to reassess his current situation.

The allies' strength far exceeded his expectations. His initial intention was simply to ask Russell (or rather, "Huai Xiu") to gather a group of compassionate physicians to gently fill the vacancies in the Pill Refining Department after the elimination of the Medicine King's secret lineage, ensuring a smooth transition. Their mission would end once the new batch of physicians was fully capable of taking over the Pill Refining Department.

Russell's call for "voluntary participation" attracted millions of people, which is something that would shock anyone.