The Deal

A momentary silence fell. Not just the others—even Ji Jue was caught off guard for an instant. He had never imagined this director would be so open and direct; for a moment, he was actually a little bewildered and puzzled. How the hell could something like this be discussed out in the open? Sure, on the surface this thing looked like nothing more than a living specimen, but weighed on the scales of consequence, it was ironclad evidence that the White Nation Restoration Front possessed weapons of mass destruction and the technology behind them! What was more, it held the occult secrets and technology of corruptive wolf-transformation. If one were to truly talk value, no matter how outrageous an asking price Ji Jue demanded, it would still sell. Who laid their cards on the table like this without the slightest back-and-forth haggling? Wasn't this just delivering himself to Ji Jue on a silver platter to have the price jacked up? Besides, with so many interests involved, didn't people usually turn off the lights, pull the covers over their heads, and cut private deals in the dark? Old man, you really don't give a damn about decorum, do you? No, wait... As the old man grinned widely, Ji Jue's mind raced, and in an instant it dawned on him: this old codger was doing it on purpose! Some things had their advantages done in secret, but there was a distinct brilliance to doing them in the open. Reaching a quiet understanding in the shadows certainly kept secrets better and handled things more smoothly. But laying everything out before everyone's eyes had one massive advantage: simplicity. Deal or no deal, a single hammer stroke would settle it. No more tug-of-war or haggling over pennies—and it saved the most headaches. Even if the Empire weighed the matter afterward and dragged it before the Interim Arbitration Committee, the old codger would have his retort: what's this talk of yours or mine? I bought it fair and square from an artisan, and everyone witnessed it. Clearly marked prices, honest dealing for young and old alike. Ji Jue couldn't help sighing. Who claimed those of the Barren Ruins were rigid and stubborn? Spend enough time around Tianyuan, and even a rock would sprout seven apertures of wit— The old codger hated trouble, so with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the trouble straight to Ji Jue. You get the bargain, you reap the benefits, so you shoulder the hassle. One performance, one payout, and any after-sales headaches are entirely yours to manage. As for the price? Name whatever you want; it didn't matter! The hint had practically been slapped across Ji Jue's face. Did he understand how the Federation worked? The Security Bureau was footing the bill anyway; the old man wouldn't have to pay a single dime out of pocket. It was just a matter of filing a few more invoices. Within a few breaths, Ji Jue was smiling again. "There is one more thing I hope Elder Lin understands. This matter relied on the assistance and guidance of Hunt Finger; the quarry does not belong to me alone. If there is further progress down the line, I hope Hunt Finger will be allowed to participate." "Small matter." Lin Shouyi casually scratched the stubble on his chin and glanced at An Ning. "A thing like this can't bypass the White Stag anyway. Just name a hunter." Ji Jue added, "Furthermore, given that this specimen may involve forbidden technology and the taint of wicked folly, as an artisan—in order to take early precautions and contain potential hazards—I hope the Association can be kept updated in real time as well." "Fine by me. Go talk to them." Lin Shouyi shot Ji Jue a meaningful look. "Anything else?" "There's also Brother Shan, Ji Liu, and Ji Xue. They risked life and limb, their contributions immense. But with your keen eye, sir, there's no need for me to chime in. And since you're already being so generous, I have even less to say." Ji Jue lifted the quicksilver statue and offered it over. "I've been shielded by Warden Lyu since I was young. After becoming an artisan, I received no small share of favors and care from the Security Bureau, and since coming to the Mid-Continent, Brother Shan has sheltered me from the wind and rain. If the Security Bureau isn't treating me like an outsider, then we're all family. Just toss me whatever loose change you feel like—a token gesture will do." "..." In the brief silence that followed, Lin Shouyi's grin slowly faded. Looking at Ji Jue, he suddenly let out a soft chuckle. Without standing on ceremony, he took the statue from Ji Jue's hands. "Lyu Yingyue taught you well." "Just petty cleverness, nothing fit for the grand stage. I've poked plenty of hornets' nests and always troubled everyone to clean up after me. Now that I have the chance to repay a fraction of it, why wouldn't I?" "Good. Very good." Lin Shouyi roared with laughter, patted Ji Jue's shoulder, and called back over his shoulder, "Little Xu!" "Here," Xu Ranshuang answered, raising a hand. "Take Little Ji home for a look around. Since we're family, there's no need to be formal." Without looking back, Lin Shouyi strode into the fissure in the earth, sighing with seeming emotion. "Finally seeing some return on investment. Heh, never thought the day would come when I'd get the better of that little vixen..." He said nothing, yet he had said everything. No matter who Ji Jue was. From this day on, he was one of their own! *** In the Security Bureau cafeteria, Ji Jue once again picked up a bowl of Security Bureau pork cutlet rice. This time, there were two extra cutlets, along with four complimentary side dishes. He had arrived empty-handed, but he left with a cartload and a horse-drawn haul. And he brought someone back with him. "Ah-Fei! Ah-Fei—" Ji Jue pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Finished your homework? I'm doing a spot check on that number theory textbook later. If you can't answer, go back to scrubbing the exterior walls." "Huh?" Dripping with sweat, fresh off the assembly line, Yan Fei nearly blacked out. Then, spotting the older woman following behind Ji Jue, he hurriedly wiped his brow, poured tea, and didn't dare ask a single question. Just as he was about to slip away, he heard Ji Jue's instructions: "Call Ah-Chang out to meet our guest. This is Director Xu from the Security Bureau. In the future, her messages don't need appointments—forward them straight to me." Yan Fei froze for a second, then dashed upstairs in a scramble. Like a gust of wind, he carried the wheelchair back down. Along with his bewildered younger brother. "Hmm, Heart Pivot?" Holding her teacup, Xu Ranshuang took a glance and smiled faintly. "You certainly have a gathering of talents here." "Just a ragtag troupe, a shell company, a sweatshop that can't be shown in public," Ji Jue waved his hand. "It's all thanks to everyone's support." "All right, drop the modesty. That was the first time I've ever seen anyone butter up the old codger so thoroughly with a few words that he couldn't keep his mouth shut from grinning. If he hadn't walked away so fast, he probably would have lost his composure entirely." Xu Ranshuang reached out and pressed lightly on Yan Chang's body, letting go shortly after. "Deficient spiritus, frail constitution, chronic malnutrition... he must have suffered a severe illness before, right? His consciousness was heavily gnawed away. Parasites? Or some spiritus plague? Still, through sheer twist of fate, he actually managed an Autonomous Awakening. Quite a piece of raw talent. A pity he awakened too early and too fast. His physical body was so deficient that it couldn't sustain the soul's consumption—a disharmony of spirit and flesh." "Is it serious?" Yan Fei grew tense, speaking incoherently as he cut in regardless of his station. "He's actually gotten a lot better lately, before—" "Just developmental deficiency. Don't panic, some nourishment will fix it." Xu Ranshuang asked for a glass of water and handed it straight to Yan Chang. "Drink it." Yan Chang instinctively wanted to look back at Ji Jue, but reined himself in. Raising the glass, he tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp. An instant later, he froze on the spot. His face changed drastically, and he began coughing violently, tears and snot streaming uncontrollably. He instinctively covered his mouth, but it was too late. He vomited violently. What erupted from his mouth was a long, squirming clump of gaudy, multicolored worms. They fell into the wastebin Xu Ranshuang had smoothly lifted with a flick of her hand, writhing ceaselessly. The color that had returned to his cheeks faded back to paleness as he panted weakly. Yet as if by illusion, his body felt lighter. Relieved of a heavy burden. "Let's see: excessive hormones, experimental drugs, and even heavy-metal contamination and radiation... this kid really has lived a charmed life to survive." Xu Ranshuang glanced into the wastebin and set it aside. "He was Little Xie's patient before, wasn't he? Well-nursed; that saved me plenty of trouble. Pity Xie was still a bit too conservative—he was probably terrified your teacher would come raise hell over medical malpractice... There won't be any issues after this. Eat plenty, sleep well, and within a week he should be able to walk freely." "Thank you! Thank you so much, Doctor, thank you!" Though Yan Fei didn't fully understand, joy spread across his face nonetheless. "Just a trivial matter. Thank your boss." Xu Ranshuang smiled and said no more. After touring the workshop with Ji Jue, she took the courtesy gifts and waved goodbye. On the table remained two cases. "Come over here. Now comes the main event." Ji Jue tapped on the cases. "To get these, I practically turned the Operations Division's storehouse inside out. You'd better etch your boss's immense kindness into your hearts and repay me with uncompensated 24/7 overtime, got it?" Facing Ji Jue's teasing tone, Yan Chang merely smiled softly, completely unbothered. "Mr. Ji's arrangements are always right. As long as you don't find the two of us dead weight, that's enough." "Right, right!" Yan Fei nodded repeatedly like a bot. "Me too!" Looking at him, Ji Jue felt a sudden surge of exasperation. All those books I made you read, and you still can't even flatter properly! Sigh, STEM majors... He shook his head, opened the first case, and pushed it across. "This one is for you, Ah-Fei." Inside the case, a fiery crystal glowed warm as amber. Flame-light flickered ceaselessly within, rising and churning without end. Occasionally, a sharp, brilliant spark erupted, captivating the soul. A treasure unearthed after scouring through countless collections of the Mid-Continent Operations Division. A legacy of the Highest Good Embers—[Matrix · Red Anvil]! Back in Quancheng, Ji Jue had fought a Profound artisan who shared this very legacy, narrowly winning through the Dissociation Art. The opponent's weapon mastery, along with their transformation and Catalysis of spiritus, remained deeply etched in his memory to this day. As for this matrix, it had been directly extracted by Security Bureau artisans back when Lin Shouyi clashed with the Bureau of Secrecy, after capturing an Imperial artisan alive. Tracing its origin, it was likely a first-generation split peeled from a Celestial-Human's matrix, possessing profound foundations—truly an exceptional rarity. Yan Fei stood stunned for a moment, bewildered. "Huh?" He hesitated, wanting to speak. Ji Jue waved his hand, telling him to speak his mind. After stammering for a long while, Yan Fei stole a glance at Ji Jue. "I feel like... your Non-Offensive should be way stronger than this, right...?" Ji Jue couldn't help rolling his eyes. Beckoning him closer, he gave him a good smack upside the head. "When I tell you to scrape and grind, it turns out looking like a dog chewed on it, and you're still hoping for Non-Offensive? "Non-Offensive? Would you even know how to use it?!" To be sure, a Sage legacy like Non-Offensive was vastly superior in quality to Red Anvil, but if Non-Offensive were truly invincible under heaven, how could there be so many legacies and schools in the world? One had to understand: the rarest and most expensive wasn't necessarily the best, but when it came to the individual, the most suitable was undeniably the best! A matrix like Non-Offensive, with maximum control and a frighteningly high ceiling, had its own flaws. Aside from its numerous harsh requirements, its floor was just as terrifyingly low. Yet Yan Fei, who had undergone an Autonomous Awakening with the ability "Activation," was worst at control. Whatever passed through his hands could hardly undergo smooth transformation or gradual brewing. If Non-Offensive fell into his hands, they would only hinder each other and get in each other's way, condemning him to a lifetime of misery. What matched him best was a type like Red Anvil that carried [Radical Change]. The essence of Red Anvil lay in intensely stimulating all spiritus and material reaction processes, wringing out every shred of potential and possibility from raw materials—either achieving immense success or suffering catastrophic failure. And when using tools, it operated on explosive overclocking, pushing performance to two hundred or three hundred percent. In simple terms: explosion! A Red Anvil artisan focused on Entropy was all about dialing output to the absolute maximum. Brew more potent explosives! Set off the grandest fireworks! For a guy like Yan Fei, it was a match made in heaven. Moreover, even with different matrices, the theories and studies of alchemy remained universal. Whether it was Quicksilver's Fluid Alchemy, Ji Jue's supplemental Three-Phase, his teacher's spiritus transmutation, Kanemoto's corruptive alchemy, or Ye's Nine Forms, all were exceptionally broad and versatile. There was no such thing as being unable to learn them just because you used a certain matrix. Any single one of them was enough for him to practice for a lifetime. At most, the emphasis in application would differ slightly. After listening to Ji Jue's explanation, Yan Fei grinned like an idiot, hugging Red Anvil tight and refusing to let go. Ji Jue then shifted his gaze to Yan Chang. The boy smiled faintly, waiting quietly. "You must have guessed a bit, right?" Ji Jue asked. "I'll follow your arrangement." Suppressing his nervousness and anticipation, the corners of Yan Chang's mouth curved upward. At a time like this, he finally looked a bit like a child. "All right, I won't keep you in suspense. This one is yours." Ji Jue opened the case and let out a soft sigh. "Truth be told, there were other, better options, but the one I picked for you is the hardest. I hope you won't blame me in the future." A composite matrix encompassing both Heart Pivot and Transmutation, renowned for its difficulty and profound mystery—a legacy that had gathered dust in the Mid-Continent Operations Division for over ninety years. Seeing through delusion, extinguishing vexations, sundering confusion, ignorance, and inverted dreams. [Avidya]. The name Avidya was itself an appellation for ignorance and delusion. In scriptures prior to the Chaotic Era, it was regarded as the source of false notions and nescience—the evil root and origin of all living beings' obstinate delusion. Choosing this path meant being destined to perpetually battle one's own nature, seeing through desire and obsessive attachment time and time again, ascending through forty-two sequential stages until reaching consummate perfection. Strictly speaking, its origin was inextricably linked to the Wulou Temple, and even shared ties with the Great Sin; the difficulty of attaining mastery went without saying. Furthermore, it was not adept at stoking desires in the hearts of others, nor could it manipulate people like puppets and playthings. Rather, it required using one's own realization to resolve the pain and obsessive fixation within others. It was exceedingly un-Heart Pivot, and destined to have nothing to do with a life of reckless indulgence. In reality, the Security Bureau's vault held simpler options like [Sixuan] and [Lingtai], but were they truly simpler? Heart Pivot was already a path fraught with twists and hurdles. Once one chose this path, the greatest enemy became one's own desire and fear. Far too many had failed to master themselves, only to be devoured by their own desires and fears in turn. And for a boy who had grown up in a mud pit from childhood, enduring countless torments and agony, the slightest misstep would be an express train plunging into the vortex. "Though Heart Pivot has a dreadful reputation, it isn't shameful, nor is it some underhanded sorcery that can't see the light of day. The things everyone fears, dreads, or envies are actually the least worth mentioning. "You're willing to leave your future to my arrangement, but what I hope for might not be the future you truly desire." Ji Jue let out a soft sigh and released his hand from the case. "You're far more mature than your brother. I want you to consider this carefully. Even if you're unwilling, it doesn't matter; I can swap it for something else. "No matter what you choose in the end, I hope neither of you turns into the kind of monsters that shoved you into the mire in the first place. I hope both of you can become people of consequence." Yan Chang fell silent. In the long silence, he did not look at the case before him. Instead, he looked at Ji Jue, his expression solemn and earnest. "Does Mr. Ji think someone like me can really become a person of consequence?" "Of course." Ji Jue nodded firmly, telling him—telling both of them—as if it were the most natural truth in the world: "I believe both of you can become people of consequence. Even without me, it would be the same. On this point alone, I can guarantee it." Hearing that, Yan Chang smiled, hesitating no longer. "If you think this is better, then I am willing. Because you believe in me even more than I believe in myself." The boy held up the case before him, treating it with utmost reverence. "If I can become someone like you in the future, then no matter how bitter or hard it is, I am willing." "M-Me too!" Yan Fei raised his hand in excitement. Which successfully earned him a gratified smile from Ji Jue—along with a fresh set of number theory exam questions, Advanced Mechanization Design Principles, and An Introductory Analysis of the Four Divisions of Alchemy... Well said! Now hit the books, you little brats! Learn the fundamentals first! *** Before evening had even arrived, at four in the afternoon, a commissioner from the Ring of Taiyi Artisan Association was already standing before the main gate of the Federation garrison base. Master Artisan Aignu—superintendent of the Hundred-Eyed Giant Workshop, specializing in life sciences and bridging both the [Embers] and [Vortex] lineages—examined Ji Jue's appearance. A frame over three meters tall loomed like a giant, yet its flexibility was unnervingly uncanny, as if possessing no bones at all. It genuinely made one wonder what was encased beneath that skin. A stiff smile sat upon the face like a mask. One could not even discern male from female. "Mr. Ji?" He—or she—scrutinized Ji Jue, full of praise. "Truly young and promising. During the last artisan examination, my little brat suffered quite a few setbacks at your hands and hasn't stopped thinking about it to this day." "Ah, well—" Ji Jue instinctively wanted to protest: that was all Lou Feng's doing, nothing to do with me! However, Master Aignu's giant hand patted his shoulder gently, shifting the tone: "The Association owes you one this time. Well done." Owed him one? That was an understatement. Gustav might not have said anything out loud, but in private, his face was probably split with a grin. As expected of the chief he had personally handpicked! This was what it meant to hold the Association close to heart—a paragon of artisans! In this day and age, an artisan who didn't hoard everything for himself was rarer than hen's teeth, let alone one who remembered the Association the moment an opportunity arose and pulled everyone along to make progress together. Even if it was almost certainly forbidden technology, that didn't stop people from studying the principles and weeding out the dross! If there were any brand-new breakthroughs, wouldn't that open up another lucrative frontier and a whole new field? Come on, this was turning a living person into a wolf! Who wouldn't drool over that?! With such a priceless specimen right before him, he still remembered to bring the Association into the fold. What did that show? It showed he was selfless! He didn't think of himself at all! Previously, people had harbored minor grumblings about his Chaosheng background, but no one expected Ji Jue to be such a delight. Truth be told, when Gustav keyed in the zeroes for the contribution points awarded to him this time, he had done it with his eyes closed! Especially Aignu, who had come as the representative—a veteran member of the Association's internal evaluation panel—who found Ji Jue more pleasing to the eye by the second. Kid, your second Golden Ribbon is in the bag. I guarantee it! "Remember to follow me later and head in together." Aignu fished a badge reading 'Association Representative' from a pocket and slapped it into his hand. "During the dissection phase, you'll be my assistant." Ji Jue hung the badge around his neck and followed behind with a smile. A business built for the long haul truly offered boundless benefits... Borrowing the Association's tiger skin as a banner, he had successfully secured a seat at the table!