The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

That's all for today's update, 2500 words. I wrote a total of 6500 words. Goodnight everyone, please vote, give me your feedback, and subscribe!

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Golden Branches Endure Through the Ages: Chapter 163 The Deer-Antenna Boy

The train crew's journey did not find respite after the conclusion of the Tabos incident.

Instead, they immediately received an urgent commission from General Jing Yuan of Luofu—to delve into the Bureau of Works and Construction and find out the root cause of the internal anomalies.

Fortunately, this time there was no need for an approval process, so they no longer had to wait for a long time at the Taibusi before they could go to the Gongzaosi to investigate the truth.

The familiar guide reappeared; Miss Tingyun from the Tianbo Company, with a charming smile, led them through the streets of Luofu.

Throughout the journey, she spoke wittily, subtly gathering information about the train crew's experiences and capabilities, her lively fox ears seemingly capturing every minute detail.

However, her behavior did not attract the attention of the train crew, who simply assumed it was just conversation between acquaintances.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Industrial Construction Company, the sight before them took everyone by surprise.

The craftsmen and apprentices were not working enthusiastically, but rather gathered anxiously outside the door, their gazes fixed on the tightly closed, heavy doorway entwined with unusual vines, a sense of unease and fear filling the air.

“Wow,” Tingyun looked around, his tone laced with a hint of cold mockery, “A sea of ​​people. It seems the Luofu almanac says today: suitable for closing down, unsuitable for starting work.”

Tingyun gently waved her fan, her slender eyes sweeping over the crowd. Her voice was soft yet insightful: "This grotto of the Bureau of Works has stagnated since the star core eroded it, and it is fraught with danger. It is truly perplexing that they are still lingering here and unwilling to leave."

“Perhaps… this is the dedication of craftsmen?” March 7 tilted his head, trying to understand. “Think about that diviner named Qingque from the Taibu Si. Compared to him, the masters here are simply too dedicated!”

She remembered the lazy fortune teller who had found them at the card shop and led them into the tarot hall.

If they hadn't personally found Qingque, even Taibu Si and his group probably wouldn't have gotten in yet.

Walter Young pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses deep and his tone heavy with the weight of life's experiences: "It's just the pressure of survival. Work sustains life, the adult world... sigh, there's no such thing as true ease."

"Uncle Yang!" March 7th patted Walter's shoulder exaggeratedly and joked, "The way you're talking makes it sound like you've been on the job for thousands of years!"

Walter smiled helplessly: "It was just a spontaneous remark, a feeling stirred by the scene."

Tingyun deftly covered her lips with her fan, dispelling the brief heaviness, and then smoothly introduced the functions and importance of the Engineering Bureau—the heart of Luofu's technology and ingenious creations.

Walter decided to first inquire with the anxious craftsmen outside the door. After some questioning, they learned what had happened: the roots of the Jianmu tree inside the Workshop were growing wildly, and the power of abundance was overflowing everywhere like an out-of-control flood.

To avoid being devoured by the mutated plants, the craftsmen had to evacuate urgently, except for the stubborn Master Gongshu, who remains inside to this day.

"There's someone inside?!" March 7th exclaimed in surprise. "Isn't Master Gongshu in danger? Is he already in a vegetative state?"

“There’s no time to lose,” Walter said decisively. “We have to go in.”

Tingyun also put away her fan and said solemnly, "My benefactors are so chivalrous, I naturally cannot stand idly by. Perhaps I can also help with the intricacies of the Construction Bureau."

She had other plans in mind. The powerful energy fluctuations belonging to the Jianmu branch that were faintly visible through the crack in the door made her secretly alarmed.

Even a single branch is so terrifying; the power contained within its main body is simply immeasurable. Enough to shape her physical form.

The moment I stepped through the gates of the Industrial Development Company, the scene before me confirmed the severity of the crisis.

Thick, eerily fluorescent roots emerged from the cracks in the floor tiles and the fissures in the walls, twisting and intertwining, growing wildly.

The air was filled with a strong, grassy smell and a heart-stirring vitality.

"Oh dear," Tingyun said, looking at the scene that resembled a primeval forest, lightly touching her lips with her fan, "It seems we'll have to play the role of unpaid gardeners for this Jianmu tree, my benefactors?"

Before the words were finished, a low, rumbling sound of machinery whirring filled the air. Several strangely shaped metal contraptions blocked the way ahead, flashing a warning red light.

A sprightly old man with a goatee stood on a slightly larger machine, stroking his beard as he spoke in a booming voice: "This is a heavily guarded area of ​​the Construction Bureau. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering! The Jianmu disaster is imminent and extremely dangerous! You must leave immediately, lest you lose your lives here!" His gaze was sharp, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.

“We are not…” Walter tried to explain.

"Enough talk!" Master Gongshu waved his hand, and the mechanism beneath him hummed. "Take one more step closer, and don't blame me for being ruthless!"

The ingenious creations in front of him all assumed attack stances, their cold metal joints creaking, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

"Hey! Wait! We're not bad people!" March 7th exclaimed anxiously.

However, the warnings were ineffective. An encounter was inevitable. The three train crew members worked together seamlessly, quickly dismantling the ingenious contraption blocking their path into a pile of sparking parts.

"Oh dear—oh no!!!" Master Gongshu was heartbroken to see his carefully crafted treasures destroyed in an instant, and he beat his chest and stamped his feet in distress, his beard standing on end.

“My ingenuity! My golden statue! You...you thieves! Pay me back! You must pay me back!” He pointed to the wreckage on the ground, his voice trembling with tears.

"Hey! Uncle!" March 7th stood with his hands on his hips, like a cat that had been provoked, and retorted angrily, "Can't you be reasonable? We've said so many times that we're here to help rescue people! You're the one who wouldn't listen to our explanation and insisted on using these lumps of iron to fight! How can you blame us for this?"

"If we were really the thieves you're talking about, would you still be here talking to us like this? It's impossible."

"Hmph! Sophistry!" Master Gongshu glared and blew his beard. "You are just as rude as that silver-haired brat who forced his way in earlier! You call yourselves envoys of abundance? I'm not senile yet, and you're spouting these nonsense."

"If I could stop him, I would have done so long ago."

"I am not a prophet, how would I know if you are human or ghost? If you were that capable, I would have been a diviner in the Imperial Apothecary long ago!"

“You didn’t even give me a chance to explain. You’re being too arbitrary!” March 7th retorted without backing down.

“March,” Xing calmly interrupted the argument, her gaze falling on the old man, “I think this is the Gongshu we are looking for.”

"Oh!" Upon hearing this, Master Gongshu's anger subsided slightly. He stroked his beard, his tone tinged with pride. "Young man, you have a good eye. I am none other than Gongshu, the chief craftsman of the Imperial Works!"

"You just mentioned... someone went in before us?" Walter keenly caught the key information. "A silver-haired young man?"

“That’s right!” Master Gongshu nodded. “He had silver hair with a few strands of gold, which made him look quite noble. He said his name was Russell, and he was invited by the Yunqi Army to help deal with the mess that was caused by the Construction Bureau.”

“That young man is much more polite than you. Although he also forced his way in, at least he spoke politely!” He recalled Russell’s gentle but unquestionable attitude.

“Mr. Russell did indeed arrive before us.” Walter explained to his companions knowingly, “He possesses the power of abundance, so he must have noticed the unusual activity of the Jianmu tree earlier than we did. It is only natural that he would lend a helping hand when Luofu is in trouble.”

"Then let's hurry and find him!" March 7th said anxiously. "Master Gongshu, what exactly happened deep inside the Workshop? How did Jianmu suddenly come to life?"

"You...you're in cahoots with him?" Master Gongshu was taken aback for a moment, then slapped his thigh. "Oh dear! You should have said so earlier! What a huge misunderstanding! Come on, come on! Follow me to the Creation Furnace! I'll explain everything to you on the way!"

He turned around, called to the train crew and Tingyun, and hurried towards the core area deep within the Industrial Construction Company, where the energy fluctuations were most intense.

Meanwhile, Russell did not choose to go through the main entrance. He nimbly scaled the high wall and silently landed inside the Engineering Department.

The sight before him made him frown: the tangled roots of the ancient Jianmu tree, like greedy pythons, coiled around the ancient buildings and sophisticated instruments.

It was frantically absorbing energy, exuding an intensely rich and suffocating aura of abundance.

Even more bizarrely, when he appeared, the roots of the surrounding Jianmu trees seemed to be injected with new vitality, and they all stretched towards him at an astonishing speed.

Russell sensed no malice from these roots, so he didn't flinch. He simply stood there quietly, his eyes deep in thought.

The wildly dancing roots suddenly stopped in front of him, their tips carefully curling up. Finally, the tip of the thickest root condensed and swelled at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In an instant, a strange, golden, translucent fruit appeared. The fruit gently fell and rolled precisely into Russell's outstretched palm.

He gazed at the fruit in his hand, which was formed from pure, abundant power, and felt the surging life energy within it. Without hesitation, he swallowed it in a few bites.

The flesh melts in your mouth, the sweet and sour juice carrying the refreshing scent of herbs, instantly transforming into a warm current that flows through your entire body. If we follow Russell's understanding, this should be considered a welcoming gift.

Strangely, the surrounding roots did not recede after he devoured the fruit; instead, they acted like guiding servants, parting a path for him and winding their way towards the deepest part of the Workshop—the Furnace of Creation.

“Interesting…” Russell murmured. The last time he was treated so kindly by a plant was when he was facing a drooping branch.

Following the guidance of the roots, he unsurprisingly encountered the stubborn Master Gongshu. After a brief but rather verbally exhausting negotiation, the other party reluctantly allowed him to pass.

Although he never heard what the stubborn old man said in the end, he simply flew over him.

The deeper one goes, the clearer and more urgent the call in one's mind becomes, like the cry of a newborn baby, carrying a pure and intense longing.

[Please...help me...Father...I need...help me...]

It was a slightly deep, neutral voice, carrying a strange resonance that echoed directly in the depths of his consciousness.

“Father?” Russell paused slightly, his mind filled with doubt. “How can I help you?” he whispered in response, while focusing his attention on the source of the call.

It is not a naturally malicious, twisted creation, but more like a primal will, innocent and newly born, swept up by a massive force.

Finally, he arrived at the eye of the storm—the vast grotto where the Furnace of Creation resided.

The sight before my eyes was truly breathtaking: a giant tree, far larger than its counterparts in the surrounding area, with roots that stretched deep into the ground and the base of a massive furnace, stood majestically.

Its thick branches are covered with countless abundant flowers that shimmer with a glass-like luster, radiating a dazzling halo. And the most vital energy of the entire tree is continuously flowing into the center of its crown.

There, a huge flower bud, wrapped in layers of the most resilient roots and the purest abundant power, shaped like a giant cocoon, beats as powerfully as a heart.

With Russell's arrival, the bud's throbbing intensified suddenly, becoming incredibly fast, as if it were about to burst open at any moment. An indescribable feeling of closeness and longing surged forth from it, firmly locking onto Russell.

[Power...abundance...more...shape...I beg you...] The call became concrete and urgent.

Russell closed his eyes, his powerful perception acting like invisible tentacles, as he carefully examined the life essence gestating within the flower bud once more.

Having confirmed that the confusion and dependence were not feigned, he made a decision. He slowly stepped forward, ignoring the branches and vines around him that trembled slightly with excitement at his approach, and went straight to the huge, pulsating flower bud.

"Why do you call me father?" He was still filled with doubt. Since arriving in Luofu, he had never come into contact with the Jianmu tree itself, let alone left any offspring.

This sudden father-son relationship was so absurd it made him want to laugh. He took a deep breath, the rich life force filling his lungs.

However, once he is fully born, I will know what is really going on.

He stretched out his right hand and gently placed his palm on the warm yet tough outer shell of the flower bud.

Without needing to deliberately guide it, the pure and abundant power within the body flows out naturally like a floodgate opening, gently and firmly pouring into the yearning bud through the palm.

This power is not merely a replenishment of energy, but also contains Russell's understanding of and will to shape life forms, guiding the nascent consciousness within the flower bud to condense, take shape, and awaken.

Since the life inside this flower bud calls him father, then he should be instilled with the compassionate worldview of Huai Huai. At least when he truly takes form, he will be one of the compassionate physicians.

With the infusion of immense energy, the petal-like outer shell shone ever brighter, as if life itself was stretching and struggling within it.

A faint, cracking sound, like an eggshell breaking, began to ring out, and the cracks spread.

Russell gazed at the life about to emerge from its cocoon, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Regardless, he was determined to get to the bottom of things once the little one was born, such as the question she was most curious about: why did she call him "father"?

The flower bloomed slowly, just like the epiphyllum, and suddenly golden light shone brightly, spreading abundant power everywhere.

The flower was slowly blooming until Russell could see what was inside, at which point it stopped blooming: a boy with antlers, his arms and legs curled up, was looking at him with incredibly innocent amber eyes.

Then he opened his mouth in a way that was astonishing: "Thank you, Father, for helping me to shape my body."

"Ah Su, did you hear that? You're pregnant." Chui Shi Zhi, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but jump out to take notes when she saw the scene before her, and also exchanged a few words with Russell.

"Ah, so now can you tell me what happened?" Russell crouched down, bringing his perspective level with the antler-wearing boy, and asked.

...............

Image: "Long Night Moon", Location: "Images/1758135086-100445955-113863225.jpg"

That's all for today, I owe one more. I owe a total of 25. Goodnight everyone, I was a bit lazy today.

Golden Branches Endure Through the Ages: Chapter 164 The Embrace of Legacy

Russell gazed at the life form he had created with his own hands—a boy with tender deer antlers on his head.

The boy's clear eyes held a hint of newborn innocence and an indescribable sense of closeness.

“Father,” the boy said, his voice clear and tentative, “you see, I have succeeded. With your power, I have the same form as you.”

He extended his slender fingers, the tips of which were slightly cool, and gently touched Russell's cheek, as if confirming some incredible truth.

“It’s true… just like yours.” He murmured softly, then took Russell’s hand and placed it on his face. His eyes, which had inherited Russell’s jade-like color, looked at him with bright eyes. “Look, my face feels the same as yours. And my eyes, Father, our eyes are the same.”

Russell let the boy hold his hand, feeling the warm touch of the boy's cheek against his palm.

He carefully examined the eyes that shared his own origins—deep within the jade-green pupils, reflected a pure tranquility untouched by the world, and a subtle trace of inferiority born of past experiences.

He searched, examined, and tried to capture any possible impurities.

However, no.

The boy's eyes held only unreserved trust and an intense desire for recognition; his sincere affection for his child was utterly genuine.

Russell's heartstrings were gently touched, and he softened his voice, as if soothing a frightened fawn: "Child, what I see, what I feel."

“But what I really want to ask is not your current state. It’s…why?” He leaned down slightly, bringing his gaze level with the boy’s. “Why did you assume I was your ‘father’ from the very beginning? I really want to know the reason.”

The antler-wearing boy's ears twitched sensitively, as if he were trying to sort out his chaotic thoughts.

“I…I know,” he said honestly, with a hint of shyness, “you weren’t my father before you sculpted this body for me. But…”

He took a deep breath as if drawing courage: "You have the aura of a 'mother' about you, very strong, like...like the warmth and vitality of sunlight filtering through layers of leaves and falling on the soil."

"At that time, my consciousness was in a state of confusion, like I was sinking to the bottom of dark water. The only clear thought was that I longed to be seen, accepted, and... loved. So I desperately wanted to find a family member for myself, someone I could rely on."

His gaze became distant, as if piercing through the barriers of time and space. "When my consciousness was in a daze, like a seed just sprouting, it was 'Mother' who planted me in Luofu."

“He told me to bring the blessing of longevity to the creatures of this land.” The boy’s voice lowered, with a slight tremor. “I don’t know how many years have passed, how the sun rises and sets, how the world changes… Gradually, the people here have changed.”