The conversation went much smoother than Anbaixiu had anticipated.
The merfolk high priestess before him had an exceptionally candid personality. It was not that she was foolish, but rather that she suffered from very little persecution mania.
Anbaixiu envied that. Only people who had rarely been deceived could foster such an attitude.
For someone like Anbaixiu, who had spent hundreds of years drifting through danger and exile, someone offering him a cup of wine would have him immediately wondering if it had been poisoned.
This merfolk Ariel, however, was strictly methodical. As long as Anbaixiu presented logical deductions, she would neither argue for the sake of arguing nor leap to malicious assumptions.
Anbaixiu recounted every detail regarding Aeolus to the high priestess, from his origins and seemingly mentally deficient behavior to his innate abilities tied closely to the ocean.
Upon hearing that Aeolus was searching for a woman named Ariel to marry, the high priestess scowled with fury.
"That Goddess of the Scourge actually dares to reach into the domains of other deities. She truly is insane."
No woman of high status and great power could tolerate being forcibly dragged off to be someone's wife. This was no romantic tragedy of star-crossed lovers, but a struggle involving race and faith, far bloodier than any domestic melodrama.
The high priestess had already made up her mind. If that ugly brute dared to utter a single word about marrying her, she would use the trident in her hands to shove him straight into an undersea volcanic crater.
Anbaixiu, however, was careful not to state anything as absolute fact. He added, "The above is merely my speculation. Aeolus has consistently claimed to be a worshiper of Talos. For now, we cannot determine with certainty which deity is truly pulling the strings behind the scenes."
The high priestess shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Regardless of which deity lurks behind this Aeolus, his actions disrupt the order of the ocean. Eadro above, this ocean is chaotic enough already, with trouble brewing one after another."
At this point, the high priestess could not help but glance at Anbaixiu.
The greatest trouble in the ocean had been caused by the very lich before her. He had banished an entire kingdom, drastically expanding the Azure Sea.
The high priestess asked, "There is a question I would like to ask. Just what method did Your Excellency use to banish an entire kingdom?"
Anbaixiu chuckled. "High Priestess, you are being a bit too direct. To anyone, that would be a monumental secret."
The high priestess was blunt. "I have heard that you, Master Ultraman, are very fond of pearl dew. I can privately gift you some, and if you ever need more in the future, you may trade with our merfolk at any time."
"Deal," Anbaixiu agreed without a second thought.
"Oh? You didn't even ask for the price."
"Naturally. What I consider now is no longer a question of cost. Distribution channels are far more important than the price of goods," Anbaixiu said calmly.
The elves had already begun establishing air transport routes, and the trade routes across several kingdoms had been cleared by Anbaixiu. No matter what was sold along these lines, even if the merchants took a loss on their transactions, massive profits would still flow into Anbaixiu's pockets.
Thus, Anbaixiu did not care about the price at all; he only cared about acquiring a greater variety of commodities and specialties.
He did not engage in the petty business of buying low and selling high. He simply established a commercial network, letting suppliers and distributors shoulder their own profits and losses while he skimmed his cut. As long as this commercial network maintained its monopoly, Anbaixiu would never lose.
Having already intimidated the entire world to the point where no one dared raise their voice against him, doing business naturally meant building platforms and setting rules. Why would he bother acting like a mere peddler?
However, the merfolk high priestess understood none of this. Despite the merfolk tribe's large population and immense influence, and despite never wanting for food or drink, their commerce remained a primitive cycle of barter and internal communal circulation. Explaining these complex concepts to her would be tedious, so Anbaixiu simply tossed out a few keywords and left the high priestess to ponder them herself.
Since he had agreed, Anbaixiu did not hide much either, offering a brief explanation of how the Kingdom of the Unholy Hymn had been banished.
The high priestess listened in astonishment, unable to hold back a sigh of admiration. "That friend of yours was truly magnificent. To think that you even foiled a hell lord's plot. Divination wizards are indeed even more formidable than the rumors claim. But according to what you said, the price to banish a kingdom is immense?"
Anbaixiu nodded. "The Goddess of Fate does not permit anyone to recklessly manipulate what belongs to Her. My friend perished completely, leaving behind not a single trace. Therefore, I generally do not resort to such measures."
The high priestess caught the implication behind his words: if pushed into a corner, this lich would rather destroy his own soul to drag his enemy down with him.
Divination wizards were far too scarce in this world; no one understood the true difference between Anbaixiu and Mister Misfortune. Severing the threads of fate was a feat Anbaixiu genuinely could not perform. He could only hope Harvey would mature quickly so he could be wielded like a nuclear weapon.
Still, it did not matter. In the eyes of others, they were both legendary divination wizards. Even if Anbaixiu could not do it, the difference was negligible in their minds.
"Master Ultraman, I understand the intelligence you have provided. This is indeed a grave matter that must be reported to the deity. I shall conduct the ritual as soon as possible."
The high priestess had made her decision. Anbaixiu was far more terrifying than the Silent Night Pirates, and all the more worthy of cooperation.
Yet Anbaixiu spoke up. "Could you allow me to converse with Goddess Eadro? Beyond delivering this intelligence, there are a few matters I would like to discuss with the Goddess."
The high priestess gave Anbaixiu a look, unable to refrain from saying, "Master Ultraman, do you realize what you are saying? An attitude like that borders on blasphemy."
What did he mean by "discussing matters with the Goddess"? What status did a mortal possess to speak such words? Mortals were merely living beings under divine rule. The wind, rain, thunder, and lightning of the world—everything was created by the gods. Given such an unequal divide, how could a mortal dare ask to "chat" with a deity?
Prayer was a humble supplication for divine attention, not sending a message to a deity and expecting a prompt reply.
This lich's attitude was profoundly improper.
Anbaixiu smiled faintly. "Trust me, I hold the utmost respect for every deity. But I truly have important matters to communicate with Goddess Eadro. This matter has nothing to do with the merfolk tribe, however; consider it my personal request."
Though reluctant to indulge such a borderline blasphemous demand, the high priestess nonetheless replied, "I will report it to the Goddess, but I cannot guarantee whether She will be willing to grant you an audience."
"Of course. I await your word."
The secret conversation concluded swiftly, with both sides obtaining what they desired. The high priestess acted with decisive speed, immediately initiating a grand sacrificial rite.
Goddess Eadro belonged to the True Neutral alignment. She had no taste for blood sacrifices, favoring only vibrant, thriving life.
Sacrificing to Goddess Eadro was therefore quite simple. By offering up the tribe's most bountiful harvest to prove that the merfolk were living prosperously, the Goddess would gladly commune with Her worshipers.
The merfolk presented their most meticulously cultivated corals and seaweeds, alongside the fattest fish they had reared, while the high priestess led the gathered merfolk in a soaring song of praise.
Anbaixiu waited to the side, thinking to himself, *The singing voices of these merfolk are truly magnificent. No wonder so many people want to capture one as a slave. If I formed an idol group and had them tour the continent for concerts, I wonder how much money they could rake in.*
Aige leaned in curiously and asked, "If Eadro is truly summoned, are you confident you can convince Her to share Her faith with me?"
Every deity, even a conceptual deity, had a use for faith. Although the God of Alchemy did not actively demand worship, had he possessed a vast flock of believers when he was severely wounded previously, he would not have tumbled all the way down to a lesser deity.
Such was the power of faith, something precious to every god.
No matter how True Neutral Eadro might be, would She truly permit Aige to share in Her faith?
Previously, Anbaixiu would have given himself only a fifty percent chance. But after witnessing the Lady of the Mists, Leira, being taken in as a subordinate deity by the Oak Father, Silvanus, he had gained considerable insight into such matters.
Faith was vital to deities, which was why they could never forsake their believers. In times of hostility, one threatened to slaughter the other's flock; in times of cooperation, one demonstrated how they could aid the other's worshipers. So long as there was no irreconcilable clash of stances, it was fundamentally nothing more than negotiating a business deal.
And Anbaixiu's status was truly different now. He could offer many things that even gods would find enticing.
Had he not helped the God of Alchemy recover from a lesser deity to an intermediate deity in a short span of time? His influence over this plane had grown so immense that even deities could not afford to overlook him. He had earned the right to sit across the table from a god and cast down his bargaining chips.
Furthermore, countless deities had been dropping hints that a great divine war was imminent. The elves intended to strike against Lolth, the sea deities were beginning to vie for faith, and the wager between the Lord of the Dawn and the dragon gods was nearing its final resolution... Eadro was no fool; She would need allies too. At a juncture like this, She would be far more amenable to cooperation.
In the end, it was simply business. Since Anbaixiu had the confidence to put down his chips, he had the confidence to win the gamble—or even achieve a win-win outcome.
The only remaining concern was whether Eadro would grant Anbaixiu an opportunity to speak.
As the sacrificial ceremony proceeded, Aeolus grew increasingly restless. He desperately wanted to strip away that merfolk high priestess's mask to see clearly whether she was his wife. Yet having promised Anbaixiu to wait patiently, he found the suspense utterly torturous.
Just as Aeolus felt on edge from head to toe, an eerie voice echoed inside his mind: *"Pitiful mortal, toyed with like a sea turtle, yet blind to the truth. Aeolus, did your father send you here just to be a fool duped over and over again?"*
The voice was grating, resembling some sharp implement scraping across bone, fluctuating with erratic, neurotic pitches.
Aeolus looked around in shock, yet could sense no one speaking to him. Everyone seemed captivated by the sacrificial ritual, paying him no heed whatsoever.
*Who on earth are you?*
The moment the thought formed, the bizarre voice responded: *"You wish to know who I am? You wish to find your true wife? Then come find me. I will tell you the entire truth. If you do not believe me, then stay here and remain a sea turtle, hahahaha!"*
The neurotic laughter gnawed at Aeolus's nerves, giving him a splitting headache.
Aeolus glanced around once more. Confirming that no one had noticed him, he dissolved into the seawater and swam toward the direction indicated by the voice.
No matter who it was, as long as they could guide him to Ariel, Aeolus was willing to take the chance.
Only after he had vanished did Aige and Anbaixiu turn their heads in mild bewilderment. Why had that boy suddenly run off? Had something happened?
Before they could react, however, the sacrificial ceremony seemed to yield its result.
A beam of divine light descended upon the merfolk high priestess, causing her body to radiate iridescent hues.
A calm yet majestic voice issued from the high priestess's lips:
"As you wish, student of the God of Alchemy. I shall grant you an opportunity to explain everything."
Chapter 419