The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. A girl with pink hair and purple eyes, dressed in gorgeous clothes, walked in with steady steps.

She stood tall and straight, with an extraordinary air about her. A delicate eye on her forehead emitted a faint, all-seeing light. She was none other than Fu Xuan, the Grand Diviner of the Immortal Ship Luofu, one of the Six Emperors.

"Nice to meet you all." Fu Xuan's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Walter, his divine eyes flashing slightly. "No, I should say that I have already foreseen meeting you all. I am Fu Xuan, the Grand Diviner."

Her words carried a unique rhythm, which, though not intentional, naturally revealed the aloofness of someone in a superior position.

“When friends come from afar, we should welcome them with fine wine and show them the hospitality of a host.” Fu Xuan’s tone changed and became pragmatic. “However, the timing, location, and people’s support are all unfavorable at this moment, so the banquet must be postponed. The most urgent task is to deal with the current affairs.”

March 7th nudged Xing beside her with her elbow, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a low voice, clearly puzzled, "Hey, Xing, why is she talking so...convoluted? I think I understand every single word, but when they're put together, it's like I don't understand anything?"

Xing looked equally bewildered, tilted her head slightly, and replied in a similarly breathy voice, "How much better do you think I am than you? But... you sound really impressive, like a big shot."

Fu Xuan was not able to detect their subtle movements and whispers.

She frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her purple eyes. Her voice suddenly rose a few decibels, carrying a clear reproach: "Hey, hey, hey! Isn't it rather impolite to whisper among yourselves while you're talking to someone? You two."

Fu Xuan's gaze locked precisely on March 7th and Xing: "If you have any objections to my way of speaking, you may speak frankly. Why bother discussing it in private?"

She cleared her throat, and an invisible aura spread out, instantly grabbing the attention of the three train crew members.

Walter Young stepped forward and spoke calmly, breaking the brief awkwardness: "My Lord, my apologies. I am Walter Young. You are probably already aware of part of the purpose of our visit."

Without much small talk, he concisely and clearly recounted to Fu Xuan the threat posed by the Star Core Hunters, his contact with Kafka, and the information she revealed about the Star Core and the crisis in Luofu.

His narrative was focused and logically clear, culminating in his core demand: "Therefore, we request that Kafka be escorted to the General's residence for General Jingyuan to make his own decision."

Fu Xuan listened quietly, his face expressionless, as if he had everything under control.

She crossed her arms and tapped her arms lightly with her fingertips. After Walter finished speaking, she slowly took out a document from her sleeve bearing the vermilion seal of the Shence Prefecture and unfolded it.

"The matter of escorting them is none of the concern of the Star Train crew." Fu Xuan's voice carried a hint of bureaucratic detachment as he displayed the document to everyone. "Here is General Shence's edict: 'Anyone who captures a Star Core Hunter shall be handed over to the Grand Diviner's Office for interrogation by the Qiong Guan Array to ascertain their true intentions and the movement of the Star Core.'"

She put away the documents, glanced at Kafka, and then returned her gaze to the train crew. "To avoid any unforeseen complications and to ensure the safety of this important criminal, I have come personally to receive Kafka and escort her back to Tabuan for trial."

"Wow! We don't have to go with this dangerous woman anymore?" Upon hearing this, March 7th's face immediately showed a relieved expression.

She patted her chest and whispered to Xing, "That fight just now was really tough. If Uncle Yang hadn't stepped in and stabilized the situation, we would have almost been finished!"

"Don't worry, my mom won't beat us both to death. At least she won't kill me." Xing's thinking was quite unconventional as she stated her conclusion.

March 7th remained silent, only conveying a look that you should understand.

Walter Yang, however, was not as relaxed as March 7th. His brow was furrowed, and the explosive information that Kafka had thrown out during their brief conversation kept replaying in his mind—about the Star Core, about the "script," and about the shadows lurking deep within Lov.

The amount of information was enormous, but the time was too short; it all felt like a tangled mess in my head.

“Fu Taibu,” Walter said in a deep voice, his tone sincere, “when Kafka contacted us, she revealed some… very crucial and fragmented information concerning the current crisis in Luofu.”

"Time was of the essence, and we were unable to go into detail. I wonder if the Grand Master might share the interrogation information with us after the interrogation?"

Fu Xuan seemed unsurprised by Walter's request. She nodded slightly, her divine eyes gleaming with a hint of barely perceptible arrogance: "This is a reasonable request, and I grant it."

"The Grand Diviner has thoroughly observed the thoughts and intentions of mortals on the battlefield, as clear as a mirror, leaving no room for concealment. Once I have clarified the truth behind this woman's words, I will select the essential points and explain them to you all."

Her words were filled with absolute confidence in the esoteric arts of Tabu.

“Thank you very much, Lord Diviner.” Walter nodded in thanks.

“The auspicious time has arrived; we should not linger.” Fu Xuan said no more, turning his gaze to Kafka, who was bound by an invisible force. He raised his hand, signaling the accompanying Cloud Cavalry to step forward, “Escort her back to the headquarters!”

Two elite Cloud Cavalrymen immediately stepped forward and carefully fastened specially made shackles engraved with energy-suppressing runes onto Kafka's wrists.

Kafka remained calm throughout, even sporting a faint smile, as if she weren't the one being taken away. Only when she passed Walter did her gaze seem to linger for a barely perceptible moment.

The three members of the train crew also followed the escort to Tabushi, hoping to obtain firsthand intelligence. They were also curious about how many secrets Kafka still held that they were unaware of.

.........

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Shence General's mansion was completely different.

Led by the Cloud Cavalry guards, Russell entered Jing Yuan's elegant study, where he usually handled official business.

The room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and ink, and even the sweet aroma of pastries.

Jing Yuan, the chief of the Luofu Immortal Ship and a general of the Divine Strategy Army, was sitting leisurely at a large chess table.

He seemed to be taking a nap, but in his hand was not a chess piece, but an unfolded bamboo scroll, which he was engrossed in reading.

On the chessboard, black and white pieces are intertwined, forming an unfinished endgame.

On the small table next to it, a pot of tea was steaming, and several plates of delicate Xianzhou tea snacks were placed beside it.

Jingyuan's expression was one of rare relaxation, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Hearing footsteps, Jing Yuan slowly opened his golden eyes, which always seemed to be smiling, and casually placed the bamboo slip on the chessboard.

"Mr. Russell has arrived." Jing Yuan's voice was gentle and calm, carrying the warmth that a host should have. He gestured for Russell to sit down. "Thank you for your trouble, sir. The compassionate physicians have been dedicated to healing the wounded in Luofu. It should be the time for Luofu to do its best to entertain its distinguished guest."

"However, due to the frequent unrest in various places, we are short of manpower and our preparations are rushed. We have been negligent and hope that you will forgive us."

Russell didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly on the cushion opposite Jingyuan.

He casually picked up a uniquely shaped tea snack and popped it into his mouth, then naturally picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of hot tea, his movements fluid and unrestrained.

"General, you're too kind." Russell swallowed his snack, picked up his teacup, smelled the aroma, and praised, "Excellent tea! Clear and sweet with a long aftertaste. General, you are a connoisseur of tea."

He took a sip of tea, put down his cup, and looked directly at Jing Yuan: "Between us, let's skip the formalities. General, you must have something more important to discuss with me now? But... has something happened to Physician Cihui?" His tone carried a hint of barely perceptible worry.

Although the compassionate physicians were recruited by him with the good intention of healing, many of them held a fanatical faith in pharmacists.

Russell himself was a follower of the Pharmacist and was well aware of the complex, even hostile, attitude of the Celestial Ship towards this Star God. He was still able to control his reason and understand the boundary between healing and faith, but others... it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't clash with the people of the Celestial Ship.

Jing Yuan's smile deepened, seemingly appreciating Russell's frankness: "Sir, you are overthinking it. Physician Ci Huai has a skillful and benevolent heart, saving countless wounded people. Everyone in Luofu is grateful to him. How can there be any conflict?"

"It is the chaos in Luofu that has caused all the physicians so much trouble, and Jingyuan feels truly uneasy about it."

Upon hearing this, Russell's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly: "That's good. As long as they don't cause trouble for the general."

He leaned forward slightly. "So, what does the general need me to do?" He keenly caught the seriousness deep in Jing Yuan's eyes.

Jing Yuan picked up a white chess piece, rubbing it between his fingertips. His smile remained, but his eyes sharpened: "It's so refreshing to talk to smart people."

He gently placed the chess piece on a vital spot on the board. "Huanlong... this Lord of Annihilation has no intention of letting us live in peace."

"The spies she planted in Luofu have kept us running around like headless chickens. The Grand Diviner Fu Xuan used the Qiong Guan Array to deduce the recent fortunes of the Ten Kings, and the divination showed... a minor misfortune."

He paused, tapped the edge of the chessboard with his fingertips, making a crisp sound: "All signs point to 'Thunderclap'."

“Hu Lei?” Russell’s eyes narrowed. “That rich civilian war criminal imprisoned deep in the ghetto… a quasi-commander? He should thank the ghetto’s cages for protecting him.”

“Exactly.” Jing Yuan nodded. “Although this beast has been worn down for many years in the prison and its ferocity has been greatly reduced, a centipede does not die easily. Its remaining strength is still a huge threat. The judges of the Ten Kings’ Court… may not be able to completely suppress its full-scale counterattack.”

Russell immediately understood Jing Yuan's intention: "So, General, you want me to guard the last line of defense of the Prison of the Dead?"

He raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone tinged with amusement: "General, are you sure those judges in the Ten Kings' Court who hate Abundance to the bone would agree to let an Abundance Envoy guard their most important prison? That sounds... a bit ironic."

Jing Yuan chuckled softly, his laughter ringing out clearly in the quiet study: "If it were anyone else, let alone entering the Netherworld Prison, even setting foot on Luofu Mountain would be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

“But you… Mr. Russell, are an exception.” His gaze deepened. “If the judges of the Ten Kings’ Court knew that you were in charge, they would probably be more worried about the lives of the prisoners than their own safety.”

"There are many criminals there who have been sentenced to death, but because they cannot be killed completely, they can only be imprisoned indefinitely. If you go there, things will actually become simpler."

"'The strictest father in the bountiful destiny'—this title carries considerable weight within the Ten Kings Division." Jing Yuan's voice carried a hint of emotion.

"As for Huanlong... her conspiracy is still brewing in the shadows, and I must keep a close eye on her personally."

“So I’m at my wit’s end, Mr. Russell.” He spread his hands, his smile carrying a hint of helplessness and an undeniable plea, “Therefore, Jingyuan has no choice but to shamelessly ask for your help.”

.........

There's one more today, two more to go.

Golden Branches Through the Ages: Chapter 151 Poisonous Pills Cause Harm

Russell paused for a moment, then picked up his teacup and took another sip, seemingly weighing his options.

After a moment, he put down his teacup, making a slight clinking sound: "Alright, I'll help you with this."

He looked up at Jing Yuan, his eyes calm yet carrying an invisible pressure, and said, "However, General Jing Yuan, let me make this clear from the start. If that Hu Lei falls into my hands and I kill him on the spot... then the judges of your Ten Kings Division, don't come after me."

"Haha!" Jing Yuanlang laughed, as if he had heard something interesting.

"Sir, you are overthinking it. In my opinion, the officials of the Ten Kings' Court are probably hoping that you can take action and clean up those heinous criminals in the prison. If it weren't for the prohibition of the Luofu Law, they would probably have invited you to be the executioner long ago."

He suppressed his smile and his tone became serious: "To be honest, before Jingyuan and you formed an alliance, you already had quite a few 'admirers' within the Ten Kings Division."

"Your style of hunting down scoundrels, pursuing villains, and impartially rewarding and punishing is the ideal judge in their eyes. Therefore, your journey to the Ten Kings' Court will encounter far less resistance than you imagine."

“Worshippers? The Ten Kings Bureau…worship a Bountiful Envoy?” Russell’s expression turned extremely strange. He stared at Jing Yuan, as if trying to confirm whether the other party was joking.

"General, you are the messenger of the hunt, not the messenger of superstition. Are you trying to weave some kind of fantastical story for me?"

“Absolutely true.” Jing Yuan said calmly, his eyes sincere. “Your achievements in hunting down evil creatures and cleansing sins, as well as your impartiality and strictness in never letting a single fish escape the net, are enough to illuminate the way forward for the judges and jailers of the Ten Kings’ Court who deal with darkness and sins every day.”

"They worship the order and judgment you represent, not the destiny you walk in. Please don't be surprised by this."

“Alright…” Russell accepted this explanation, which sounded somewhat absurd yet logical. He stood up. “If it were merely a matter of guarding the Ten Kings’ Office, the general could have simply sent a cavalryman to deliver the order. Why bother your personal guards to invite me to the Shence Prefecture? Surely… there must be something more important, or rather, more urgent?”

The smile on Jing Yuan's face slowly faded, replaced by a deep solemnity.

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the tranquil scenery in the courtyard. His back looked somewhat heavy.

“Sir, you have discerning eyes.” Jing Yuan’s voice deepened. “The reason I invited you here is indeed because there is a more troublesome and urgent matter…”

He turned around, his golden eyes devoid of any smile, only filled with cold worry: "Recently, something has happened within the Cloud Cavalry Army... Many experienced and meritorious veterans have suddenly and collectively unleashed their demonic power!"

"A mass outbreak? Not just isolated cases? This is bad." Russell's expression instantly turned extremely serious.

“Yes.” Jing Yuan’s voice was filled with suppressed sorrow. “The number of people involved was large, and the outbreak was extremely sudden and violent. They… shouldn’t have done this. Logically speaking, given their temperament, it should have been at least a hundred years before the Demonic Yin Body manifested.”

"However, within just a few days... the longevity poison in their bodies went out of control like ignited explosives."

He sighed heavily, as if releasing all his sorrow, and said, "This is also one of the main reasons why there is a severe shortage of manpower in various parts of the Luofu Immortal Ship, making it difficult to cope with the chaos. They should be the backbone..."

The air in the study seemed to freeze. Russell's eyes were sharp as knives: "Before promoting my method for suppressing the demonic body, what were your main methods for suppressing the demonic body?"

“It’s the Heart-Clearing and Demon-Suppressing Pill refined by the Pill Refining Department,” Jing Yuan replied immediately. “Although this pill cannot eradicate the hidden dangers of the demonic body, it can effectively alleviate the erosion of the longevity poison and delay and suppress the onset of the disease.”

"Although the Dan Ding Si has been infiltrated like a sieve by the Medicine King's secret teachings..." He spoke of the Medicine King's secret teachings with a cold hatred in his voice, "Dan Shu has always been in charge of it. With his superb medical skills and alchemy expertise, he should have been absolutely sure of the purity and safety of the elixirs. We have always trusted him."

"Pills?" Russell frowned. "Do you have any samples? Show them to me immediately!"

“Of course I have one.” Without the slightest hesitation, Jing Yuan quickly took out a delicate small porcelain bottle carved from green jade from a brocade pouch at his waist. The bottle was warm and smooth, indicating that he carried it often.

"This is the latest batch of 'Heart-Cleansing and Demon-Suppressing Pills' issued by the Pill Refining Department. Each batch of pills is personally inspected by the Pill Refining Master, and she has confirmed that this batch is correct. I had always thought there was a problem in some other part of the process..."

Russell took the porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and poured out a pill the size of a longan, with a warm color and a faint herbal fragrance, into his palm.

Instead of drawing a conclusion immediately, he brought the pill close to his nose and took a deep sniff.

Then, he extended two fingers, the tips of which emitted a faint, vibrant emerald green light as he gently pinched the pill.

With a soft "poof," the hard pill instantly turned into fine powder between Russell's fingers.

The powder didn't dissipate; instead, it was enveloped in a layer of emerald light, hovering above Russell's palm. He closed his eyes, his powerful perception acting like the most precise instrument, deeply analyzing every trace of medicinal property contained within the powder.

The whole process took no more than a minute.

When Russell opened his eyes again, the usual gentleness and composure on his face had completely vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness that could freeze the air.

The emerald light in his palm suddenly vanished, and the medicinal powder was instantly annihilated by an invisible force, turning into nothingness.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing Jing Yuan like an ice pick, his voice low and terrifying: "General Jing Yuan... are you sure that Lord Dan Shu is a very experienced physician?"

Jing Yuan's heart sank, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head. The icy, bone-chilling anger emanating from Russell was something he had never felt before.

He forced himself to remain calm: "Dan Shu has been in charge of the Pill Cauldron Department for many years. Her experience, medical skills, and alchemy expertise are among the best in Luofu. The Medicine King's secret teachings have repeatedly attempted to poison the pills to create chaos, but she has always seen through and thwarted them. Mr. Russell... what... have you discovered?"

His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. If what he thought was true, it would be the worst possible outcome.

"How many Cloud Cavalry soldiers are still taking these Mind-Clearing and Demon-Suppressing Pills?" Russell did not answer directly; his voice was as cold as if it had been squeezed from an ice cellar.

"This is... a standard pill specially issued to veterans with merits and profound cultivation within the Cloud Cavalry Army to suppress the demonic Yin Body."

Jing Yuan's face turned extremely grim. "Currently, the number of people still taking it... conservatively estimated, exceeds one hundred thousand. Could it be that this pill..."

“Yes!” Russell abruptly interrupted him.

"Just as you feared at this moment! This pill, on the surface, can indeed temporarily suppress the symptoms of the demonic body, giving people the illusion of improvement."

“However—” his voice was filled with anger, “it’s more like a carefully disguised delayed-acting poison! It provides about a week of relative calm after ingestion, with mild effects, making everything seem normal. But after a week…”

Russell stepped forward, closing in on Jing Yuan, his icy rage almost tangible: "It will act like the most vicious catalyst, wildly stimulating, enticing, and detonating the latent poison of immortality within the drug user, causing them to irreversibly fall into the demonic realm at a speed far exceeding natural limits! Never to recover!"

He stared at Jing Yuan's instantly pale face, and spoke each word as if struck by a heavy hammer: "The person who can design and refine such a vicious pill must have extraordinary knowledge of pharmacology, and their meticulous and ruthless mind is appalling!"