Preparing to Move

With Geronimo captured, the City of Alchemy finally settled into complete peace. The petty lords had come to accept reality: caught in the pincer between two great kingdoms, there was no "chosen destiny" for them. The protagonist who could rally crowds with a single cry and shake the world was not any of them, but rather that lich marching under the banner of "love and peace." Master Ultraman, whom few had known before, had truly become famous across the continent during this period. Not only because he had brokered peace between the Golden Kingdom and the Silvermoon High Court, but also because he was a lich. Come on, you're a lich! Bringing an end to a war went completely against everything your ancestors stood for! Naturally, plenty of people believed it impossible for a lich to be so noble as to save the world; he had to be plotting something. Perhaps the lich planned to frame both the dwarves and the elves—holding peace talks on the surface while secretly orchestrating assassinations to throw the war into deeper chaos. Conspiracy theories like this had always had an eager audience. Even the followers of the Goddess of Pain, the brutal Flaying family, firmly believed that Anbaixiu was preparing a grand scheme to bring agony upon the world. Every single virtuous deed was merely part of the plan. This conspiracy theorizing peaked after the dwarven delegation was wiped out. Everyone felt this was undeniably the lich's design: first the dwarven delegation perished, next would come the elves, and then both nations would completely lose any chance of reconciliation. The City of Alchemy would be reduced to ruins, its countless corpses claimed as the lich's spoils—perhaps he even intended to build an undead kingdom. What a vicious, calculating plot! Truly worthy of an evil lich! Even the Ryan Empire, far on the other side of the continent, had issued a proclamation: if Anbaixiu truly provoked a war intentionally, they would intervene when necessary to safeguard the local human population. The implication was clear: they were preparing to bypass the desert and deploy their armies. Large-scale teleportation was outrageously expensive, but the Ryan Empire would do anything for humanity's sake; one could never reason about costs with a bunch of madmen like that. Yet just as all these conspiracy theorists waited for Anbaixiu to carry out his nefarious plot, the dwarf king and the Elven Queen jointly issued a statement: mediated by the lich, the two nations had signed an armistice. The elves would send no more troops against the City of Alchemy and would relinquish all claim to the lands they had already "seized," while the dwarves would pay a certain price to "purchase" the entire territory of the City of Alchemy. As for the exact price, neither kingdom made it public. Yet the elves genuinely withdrew their forces. The Twilight Guard previously dispatched all returned to the Silvermoon High Court, the signed magical contracts were completely annulled, and the elves truly handed over such an enormous nation to the dwarves. Outsiders had no way of knowing what had transpired behind the scenes. But with the armistice signed, it could hardly be a fake, could it? Before long, the armies sent by the dwarves began making contact with the lords of the City of Alchemy. The occasional fools who put up stubborn resistance were swiftly crushed, and the dwarves took control of the entire territory of the City of Alchemy with utter ease. A flood of immigrants poured in, founding new settlements. There might still be friction between immigrants and locals in the days ahead, but large-scale warfare was unlikely to break out again. This lich had truly averted a massive war that would have engulfed tens of millions. Even the Ryan Empire, which despised liches the most, was forced to state officially that although Anbaixiu's motives remained unclear, his actions had in fact drastically reduced human casualties. Originally, Anbaixiu had carried a bounty of three million gold coins on the Ryan Empire's wanted posters, but now his name was removed—an unprecedented first. This was the first time the Ryan Empire had ever offered a positive evaluation of an undead creature, a monumental event destined for the history books of multiple nations. The latest supplement of Legendary Spells no longer featured some elf loli waifu on the front page; sharp commentary on Anbaixiu from various scholars dominated most of the space. Some argued that Anbaixiu's benevolence across racial lines was a betrayal of his own kind, yet to other species he was undoubtedly a praiseworthy hero who should be held up as a model for other undead, perhaps paving the way for peaceful coexistence between the living and the dead. Neutrals claimed he was the sole beacon of light among undead beings, and that Anbaixiu's existence proved the undead had a good side. All theses proclaiming that the undead were inherently evil would have to be rewritten, and any relevant discussion could no longer overlook this savior lich. Others clung to conspiracy theories, arguing that Anbaixiu's plot simply hadn't been exposed yet. To an immortal lich, a war lasting a few short years was no longer than a brief slumber; his schemes could span centuries and outlast generations. Until the truth was laid bare, one could never let their guard down against a lich. Anbaixiu read every review with great care, noting down the authors' pen names. He intended to send them a few letters to see who wanted first-hand material on the "Benevolent Lich." As long as they paid a handsome appearance fee, they could interview him face-to-face, or even delve into rather scandalous topics. The authors of these sharp critiques had been overshadowed for years by web novel authors writing trash like "Eighty-Year-Old Elf Lolis." Now that they finally had a major event to dissect, the interview rights ought to be worth quite a sum. Still, that was petty cash. What held true value was the mountain of gold delivered by the elves. A literal mountain of gold. A total of 1.2 billion gold coins, piled high into an actual mountain. Dazzled by the mountain of gold, Anbaixiu was so thrilled that he didn't move for hours, merely basking in the charm of gold with his very soul. Summoning the Golden Throne, which had shrunk into a small seat, Anbaixiu set it to vacuuming up the mountain of gold like a whirlwind. The Golden Throne began to expand rapidly, regaining its massive, opulent form, filling Anbaixiu with a profound sense of security. After absorbing tens of millions of coins, the Golden Throne stood ten meters tall. Sitting atop it, Anbaixiu seemed rather diminutive, like a child perched on a giant's seat. What was more, Anbaixiu noticed distinct engravings beginning to emerge across the throne. The exquisite reliefs appeared to depict an ancient sacrificial rite, with countless billions of beings prostrating before something radiating brilliant light. "These reliefs look somewhat familiar." Anbaixiu had a hunch that these reliefs didn't merely represent the Golden Throne's faith-for-gold mechanism; they likely held a deeper meaning. Still, there was no hurry. He could ponder it at his leisure later. Stashing the rest of the gold coins into his private space, Anbaixiu knew that with this wealth, he wouldn't lack research funds for a very long time. Having finished, Anbaixiu handed a thick notebook to the Elven Queen, who was growing rather impatient. Ever since Catherine had crawled out of the dragon's belly, she had been hiding away from sight. Word was she took ten baths a day, keeping it up until today just to rid herself of that nauseating stench. Seeing Anbaixiu hand over the notebook, Catherine hurriedly flipped it open to inspect it. The notebook detailed the precise principles of the sealing technique, as well as blueprints for an assembly line capable of mass-producing sealing scrolls. Thoroughly versed in magic, Catherine knew at a glance that it was genuine, and tears welled in her eyes. After living in terror for so many years, the elves' mana addiction could finally be cured. The sealing spell would suppress all mana, turning those elites into ordinary people. The elven population approached nearly a hundred million, and roughly fifty million would need to be sealed. With fifty million elves completely stripped of combat power, the Silvermoon High Court would enter a weakened state lasting several centuries. Should outsiders discover this secret, the elves would undoubtedly face immense trouble. Despite so many side effects, Catherine was already more than satisfied as long as those tens of millions of elves could survive. Catherine said to Anbaixiu, "The Silvermoon High Court will enter total isolation. We likely won't open our borders for five hundred years. But don't worry, we'll still deliver the magical materials promised to you on time. As for those anti-magic weapons, I've already conferred with Queen Rose. They will be delivered in batches to the Underdark." "Splendid. That saves me the freight costs of secondary transport." Anbaixiu gave a brilliant smile. Honest, dependable, and considerate partners were his absolute favorite. Soon, however, Catherine said, "But I won't be going to the Underdark. According to our agreement, I'm working for you, not Queen Rose." Anbaixiu felt a little awkward. How had the Elven Queen suddenly grown so sharp, guessing he had planned to send her away? "Why not? Both of you are queens. Surely you'd have plenty to talk about." "Lady Rose's lifelong goal is to destroy Ryan. If I serve her, she'll do everything in her power to use me against them. The elves are about to enter a protracted period of weakness; I cannot bring new enemies upon my people. So don't even think about tricking me into going to the Underdark." Catherine's expression was resolute, carrying the aura of someone ready to sacrifice anything without fear for her people. "So you insist on sticking with me? I'm a lich, you know. Ryan is my enemy too." "Your only enemy is poverty. I figured that out long ago. Ryan has already rescinded your bounty; they won't provoke you for no reason." Frowning, Anbaixiu said, "Wouldn't it be better to just return to the Silvermoon High Court and be their queen?" Catherine's expression dimmed slightly, and she explained, "I can't face them yet. I'm not a qualified queen. I lack experience, which makes me far too naive. In a crisis, I lack the resolve and easily buckle under the weight of responsibility. There is still so much I need to learn." "You certainly know yourself well," Anbaixiu remarked. Seeing that Anbaixiu didn't offer a shred of comfort, Catherine gave a soft huff. "That's why I need to learn from you. Your cunning and coldness are more terrifying than any novel villain I've ever read about. Following you, I'm sure I can learn a lot. Don't worry, I won't cause trouble for you. As tuition, I can share my legendary boon with you." Catherine kept a few thoughts buried in her heart, unsaid. The reason she insisted on following Anbaixiu was actually that he was the only non-elf she knew. Catherine didn't want to face any elves right now. Guilt had tormented her for far too long; call it avoidance, call it weakness, she desperately needed to catch her breath. And having never once left the Silvermoon High Court before, Catherine was startled to realize that Anbaixiu was the only "outsider" she knew. Though cold and ruthless in appearance, this lich didn't seem dangerous, nor did he reek of the repulsive rot typical of other undead. Leaving home for the very first time, slightly socially anxious, she felt Anbaixiu was a decent choice. Anbaixiu had intended to refuse, but upon hearing Catherine's price, he hesitated. Catherine's Selfless Sharing could share her legendary power without side effects. Anbaixiu was already a legend himself, so accepting the share wouldn't afflict him with mana addiction. A legendary boon like this—only a fool would turn down something free! "All right. In that case, you can temporarily be my assistant. But let's get one thing straight: you pay for your own meals." Catherine rolled her eyes at him. This lich truly cared about nothing but money. "What are your plans next, then? Do you intend to stay here and remain a lord under the dwarf king?" Catherine asked curiously. Anbaixiu shook his head. "No, I'm preparing to move. I have a friend who got rich by grave-robbing. I'd like to give it a try too."