Brother, Want a Disc?

At daybreak after the night the water ghosts raided, Lyu Yingyue's message came through. Once she received Ji Jue's reply, she informed him directly: [Someone will likely visit Quancheng in two days. Please receive them. You don't need to do much—just cooperate as best you can.] A simple message, yet Ji Jue detected an odd undertone. He didn't know how she spoke to others, but when communicating with him—perhaps due to Ye Xian—Lyu Yingyue rarely used such imperative phrasing. Even when she needed him to do something, she would at least explain the context rather than being so brief and blunt. Unless, in her view, whatever this matter entailed could not be known by outside ears. At the same time, she didn't want him asking questions. To this, Ji Jue simply replied: [I will be ready.] As if sensing that Ji Jue had caught her drift, Lyu Yingyue's final message carried a hint of approval: [Very good.] After that, neither of them brought up the matter again. Not until this morning, when an unfamiliar number dialed Ji Jue's personal phone. The caller informed him that he had been introduced by Warden Lyu, would arrive at three in the afternoon, and politely requested an appointment. Ji Jue naturally expressed his full cooperation. Now, with five minutes still remaining before the appointed time, someone was already waiting at the door. His appearance, however, took Ji Jue completely by surprise. A man in his thirties who looked like a programmer fresh out of the metropolis, dressed in a plaid shirt and cargo pants that clashed wildly with the wilderness, carrying a backpack. Rather than an envoy, he looked like a tourist sightseeing in a big city. "Mr. Ji, it is an honor to finally meet you." He introduced himself with an amiable smile. "My humble surname is Chen, Chen Haiqiu. Just call me Xiao Chen." "You're far too polite, Mr. Chen." Ji Jue shook his hand without hesitation and replied, "Please, come inside. Accommodations have already been prepared for you. Follow me." To welcome this heavyweight guest of unknown origin, Ji Jue had expedited the reconstruction of the Xinquan Grand Hotel. The guest room had already been tidied up, with guarantees that no Haizhou-specialty twin-tails were lurking about. While it could hardly be called home-like luxury, in the wilderness, clean and tidy already counted as five-star. "What a shame. I have a flight booked tonight from Chaocheng back to Midtown, so I can't stay long," Chen Haiqiu waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing serious, no need to go to such lengths. If you could just find somewhere for us to sit down, Mr. Ji, that will be plenty." Since that was the case, Ji Jue brought him straight to his office in the Haian Industries compound. After exchanging polite pleasantries along the way, Ji Jue asked as he prepared tea, "I don't recall seeing you at the Security Bureau?" Ji Jue had met nearly all the mid-to-high-level personnel of the Security Bureaus in Haizhou's two major central cities, Yacheng and Chaocheng, or at least had some impression of them. Yet this guest was completely absent from his memories. Curiously, the man wore a Chaocheng Security Bureau badge around his neck, which put Ji Jue somewhat on guard. "Ah, I belong to another department, also operating under Warden Lyu's dispatch. We collaborate with the Security Bureau quite often. When traveling, a Security Bureau badge is far more convenient." Chen Haiqiu took off the badge with a smile, offering no further explanation about his actual organization. He accepted the teacup Ji Jue handed him, took a polite sip, and set it down. Next came the actual business. "Please rest assured, this is neither an investigation nor an audit—merely an inquiry to understand the situation. You can relax." Ji Jue's expression grew even more solemn. Everyone knew that whenever someone said that, nobody believed them, and it usually meant a trap was waiting. Seeing that his words had backfired, Chen Haiqiu gave a helpless chuckle, pulled out pen and paper, and spoke frankly: "My visit today is mainly to handle a few matters. "First, could you walk me through what happened a few days ago in detail? Specifically, the beginning, middle, and end of the raid on Xinquan by those pirates from the Thousand Islands." Ji Jue naturally had nothing to conceal about that. Although he omitted certain unimportant details, edited out things that couldn't be said, and touched up his own heroic image and maneuvers, at least sixty percent of it was genuine truth. To his surprise, Chen Haiqiu didn't dig into or question any specifics regarding the Wild Gathering or the Northern Realm. For the most part, whatever Ji Jue said, he jotted down. Instead, he repeatedly pressed for details regarding the other Exaltation-tier assailant who had mounted an ambush. Ji Jue had video recordings prepared for that anyway, so there was no need to hide anything. After going over the specifics and asking for a copy of the relevant footage, Chen Haiqiu set down his pen and paper. "Aside from this, do you have anything to add?" Chen Haiqiu rested his hands on the desk, looking at Ji Jue with a subtle smile. "Huh?" Ji Jue feigned surprise. "Did I leave something unclear?" "Think about it a little more carefully," Chen Haiqiu reminded him patiently. "Any evidence, or perhaps... other... remnants?" "Oh, oh, oh! Heavens, look at my memory—I get so busy I forget everything." Ji Jue slapped his forehead as if the memory had just struck him. From under the desk, he fished out a crate and slid it across. "The gentleman from the An family did bring something back at the time. "Take a look—is this what you're looking for?" When the crate opened, a chill spilled outward, revealing a frozen severed limb preserved within. Instantly, the faint, foul stench of sulfur began to drift into the room... For a split second, the polite smile on Chen Haiqiu's face stiffened. His entire body seemed to tense up instinctively. His gaze turned razor-sharp, as if facing a mortal threat. Yet very quickly, after confirming it was harmless, he relaxed once more. "Indeed, this is it. No doubt about it." He leaned in close, inspecting it thoroughly with continuous nods, but a look of doubt gradually crept across his features. "Though... why has the aura faded so much?" Inside the crate before Chen Haiqiu, the fractured arm was still emitting a pungent odor, and tiny sparks rose faintly from the jagged wounds. Yet the corrupted spiritus that had once practically brimmed within it had dwindled drastically, lingering only faintly. It had become little more than an empty shell. "Beats me." Ji Jue shook his head with equal bewilderment, looking thoroughly naive and brimming with the rustic innocence peculiar to the wilderness. "Perhaps too much time passed, so it evaporated?" Saying that, he let out a sigh of deep regret. "I did my best to preserve it. Sadly, the Association lacks the technique and foundation for this sort of thing—we're still far behind the Profound. "Otherwise, we could have handled it much better." "..." Chen Haiqiu hesitated, his expression turning increasingly conflicted. *Brother, do you seriously think I'm blind?* *What's with this innocent little lamb routine?* *Putting aside Ye Xian's ties with Kanemoto before her excommunication, and setting aside what kind of filthy toys you used against Pacquiao—back during the Desert Sea Rally, you barely even bothered hiding it!* *Who do you think pulled an all-nighter rushing to Kunwu to clean up your mess?!* "...Is... is that so?" Chen Haiqiu wiped away sweat, barely keeping his composure. "Yes, absolutely, that's precisely how it is." Ji Jue nodded firmly without a shred of hesitation, speaking solemnly: "We craftsmen of the Association have always upheld Supreme Good and rejected Vile Folly. We share an irreconcilable enmity with the Profound—how could we possibly have anything to do with Stagnant Rot?!" Chen Haiqiu sighed and cast a glance at Ji Jue, suddenly beginning to understand why Lyu Yingyue regarded him so highly. Talent and skill aside, this sheer thickness of skin and the ability to tell bald-faced lies with absolute conviction was already beyond the reach of ordinary men. He wouldn't be able to match it in a lifetime. Good thing he had come fully prepared, or he wouldn't even know how pathetic he might look right now. Better to get on with the procedure before his blood pressure spiked out of control. "To preserve and archive the specimen, I need to take this away. That said, I certainly cannot take such an important trophy for nothing." Saying that, he lifted the backpack resting by his feet. Like a magician, he drew out two aluminum carry-on cases and set them before Ji Jue. Blunt, forceful, and straight to the point. There was no pretense of opening with exorbitant demands and haggling down step-by-step. Even if he saved funds on these expenses, it wouldn't benefit him a single cent. Giving it away, however, earned him personal goodwill... Why not do a favor and make everyone happy? "Before I came, Warden Lyu told me you were searching for some materials out there. As it happens, the warehouse had plenty in stock. See if they suit your needs." "Oh, how could I possibly accept this? Ahem, well... goodness..." Ji Jue's lips offered polite demurrals with an embarrassed expression, but his hands moved with fluid grace straight to the cases, popping them open right before Chen's eyes. Then, he fell silent. The case on the left was packed to the brim with various standard Association storage containers, so heavy an adult man couldn't lift it with one hand. Every single item was something Ji Jue had spent these past weeks putting up bounties and listings for across the Wild Gathering, the Ring of Taiyi, and the Balance Chamber of Commerce platforms. Not only that, to throw off prying eyes and mask the materials required for Pan Ying and Chunjun, he had mixed in a massive quantity of obscure materials, rare supplies commonly used by craftsmen, and various consumables. Naturally, there had been few responses, and those that did exist were stuck in protracted negotiations. High-end materials were always sellers' markets with prices but no inventory. Countless listings had hung there for years before Ji Jue even entered the picture. Closing a deal without being ripped off was already impossible, and sky-high markups were the norm... and even then, one had to rely on pure luck. Yet Chen Haiqiu had simply filled the entire prescription, delivering it straight to Ji Jue's doorstep. He had even vastly doubled the quantities. As for the quality, it went without saying. The vast majority of materials required for tempering Pan Ying and forging Chunjun were gathered in a single stroke with plenty to spare, and the rest were items Ji Jue's workshop already had on hand. Preparations could begin immediately. The other case appeared somewhat sparse, containing only a single item. A fist-sized, amber-like pink crystal—natural salt crystal aggregated and transmuted within the leylines, exceedingly costly and exceptionally rare in the world. Though its uses were few, its greatest effect was that once infused with spiritus, it could guarantee absolute internal stability for a thousand years, storing high-tier blessings without any dissipation. Right now, fine golden threads formed a dense web sealing the salt crystal inside and out. A brilliant radiance swirled within like stars, casting an ambient glow that illuminated Ji Jue's eyes. It was the rarest, hardest-to-find, and most critical final piece in Chunjun's blessing chain. A legendary blessing of the Ascension path... —[Dragon Stride, Leopard Metamorphosis]! Its effect was straightforward: soul remodeling akin to rebirth! Once a Celestial Chosen of the Ascension path had accumulated enough and attained sufficient comprehension, it helped their soul shatter its final barriers and break past former constraints, undergoing an unparalleled qualitative transformation like a butterfly bursting from its cocoon. When that time came, no matter how agonizing the old wounds or curses, they could be cast off completely. The remodeled soul could even detach from the flesh, existing independently to roam the mortal realm. When combined with various other blessings, it could encompass seas and mountains in a single thought. Only a blessing such as this could fuse the myriad phenomena within Chunjun, drawing from the swordsmith's own spiritus to sublimate a truly unique sentience. A profit! A monstrous profit! This transaction was simply too generous—generous didn't even begin to describe it; it was practically a gift. Even with the bizarre nature of the spiritus within that severed arm, it hardly warranted such colossal value. No wonder An Neng had specifically warned Ji Jue before leaving not to squander it and to make sure he demanded an exorbitant price. As it turned out, before Ji Jue even had the chance to open his mouth, he was already nearly dizzy with delight. Even if the lion hadn't opened its maw, he couldn't stop the other party from forcefully stuffing it full! *Why didn't you say so earlier?!* *If you had told me sooner, I wouldn't have siphoned off so much—I'd have left you at least a third of it!* Ji Jue could barely keep the corners of his mouth from curling upward. Wrenching his gaze away with great effort, he let out a quiet, extended breath. Of the five blessings currently needed for Chunjun—[Transcendent Vision], [Sudden Premonition], [Ascendance to Truth], [Embrace Simplicity], and [Dragon Stride, Leopard Metamorphosis]—he now held four in his hands. As for the remaining [Embrace Simplicity], the Tong family had picked up leads in just a few days and was doing everything possible to secure it. In the Nine Forms heritage, this blessing chain was known as [Reaching the Sublime]. By combining the spirit of Ascension with the alternation of phenomena, it catalyzed a qualitative change, reaching the pinnacle of refinement and generating a sentience and extension unique to the swordsmith virtually out of nothingness. Although recorded in the Association's archives, its profound intricacies and secrets had never leaked out, remaining an exclusive secret technique of the Ye clan. Once Chunjun was forged and Ji Jue had tempered two different Nine Forms blades through his spiritus, his study of Jingzhen could formally commence. A crucial puzzle piece had been completed in an entirely unexpected manner. Yet along with the pleasant surprise, an instinctive vigilance and unease crept into Ji Jue's heart. After all, he truly didn't believe a mere severed limb justified such a staggering price tag. Before taking it further, he needed clear answers. "A mere specimen like this can hardly be worth such a price, right?" Ji Jue asked, shaking his head. "When a cake falls from the sky like this, I'm truly afraid I won't be able to stomach it." "Please rest assured. As a mere errand runner, I don't have that kind of authority. The Dragon Stride, Leopard Metamorphosis blessing was specially requested for you by Warden Lyu. "Besides, while our department can hardly be publicized and comes with heaps of trouble and flaws, our budget is at least quite ample. We never let people work for nothing." Chen Haiqiu chuckled. "However, one thing you guessed correctly—aside from gathering records and retrieving the specimen and other remnants, my visit today does involve another small favor." With that, he reached into his backpack once more, drew out a black plastic case, and slid it toward Ji Jue. It looked just like the cases used for DVDs in a video rental store. Holding it in his hand, it felt even more like one. When Ji Jue popped it open and saw the disc inside, his composure cracked completely. There was no trace of alchemical craftsmanship, let alone a blessing. It was simply an ordinary optical disc. He looked up blankly. *Brother, what are you playing at?* *Did you travel all the way to Xinquan to peddle bootleg discs?* "It is anticipated that in the coming period, Xinquan's population will continue to rise. In a few months, it may very well exceed fifty thousand. "To prevent any mishaps arising from this, I brought this item ahead of schedule." Chen Haiqiu's request was simple: "I hope that over the coming period, you will use your influence to have this played a few times each day throughout Xinquan and the other settlements. Of course, if parts of it can be integrated into your manufactured products, that would be even better." Play a video disc? Utterly bewildered, Ji Jue picked up the disc to inspect it and asked for permission: "Do you mind if I..." Chen Haiqiu shook his head. "Not at all. Please, go ahead." Before long, a player was brought into Ji Jue's office. Once powered on, the disc was inserted. Without even playing it, Deus Ex Machina extracted and processed the data instantly. The information recorded within surfaced in Ji Jue's consciousness. To his astonishment, it consisted merely of several familiar piano tracks. Many weren't even full songs, but short audio clips—melodies played when department stores opened and closed, the chime of sliding electronic doors, a "welcome" greeting, and the beeping prompts of machinery starting up. A wide assortment of sounds, and completely devoid of anything anomalous. It was so utterly mundane that Ji Jue racked his brain without making any sense of it. "All I have to do is play this every day?" "Yes." Chen Haiqiu gave a firm nod. "If it's too much trouble, once every few days works too. You're welcome to copy and digitize it as well. It's just an ordinary disc, no need to be overly cautious." Yet if it were truly an ordinary disc, why deliver it to Ji Jue with such ceremony? And why attach such a massive gift just to secure Ji Jue's careful compliance? Yet perversely, the man offered not a word of explanation. It was impossible to feel at ease. Recalling Lyu Yingyue's previous instruction to cooperate as best he could, Ji Jue had nothing more to say. Having taken their gifts and benefits, he couldn't refuse to do a single thing in return. It was just playing music, after all. Besides, if it really was just playing music... they shouldn't mind if he brought it to someone else for a second opinion, right? Ji Jue set the disc down and nodded firmly. "No problem." "Then my primary mission is complete. A pleasure doing business with you." Chen Haiqiu broke into a smile, stood up, and shook Ji Jue's hand. Before saying his goodbyes, however, he suddenly asked, "There's still a bit of time. Before I leave, would you mind acting as a guide and taking a walk with me?" "I'd be glad to." Ji Jue smiled and nodded without hesitation. Along the way, he covertly shot off a message instructing Isis to keep the underground workshop doors firmly shut, lest their visiting friend inadvertently catch a glimpse of the 'rehabilitation' process. It would be dreadful for PR if word got out—it'd make his establishment look like some ruthless sweatshop or illicit black site. "Where would you like to look?" he asked casually. To his surprise, Chen Haiqiu's gaze turned toward the window, looking into the distance, and then farther still. His eyes fell upon the ruined city standing quietly in the light rain. He said, "Quancheng."