Dan Shu possessed a rare and remarkable talent—she could replicate the ancient formulas of the Old Disciples of Sanctus Medicus entirely by herself.
Someone like her would never go to waste, even if she ultimately ended up working for both Koolur and Jarilo-VI.
Lucian did feel a bit of sympathy for her situation, but that sympathy didn't change the fact that she had committed crimes and therefore deserved redemption through labor.
In the end, after their leader's sudden disappearance, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus within the Alchemy Commission became disorganized and completely leaderless.
Each member began acting on their own, without coordination or restraint, and before long, every last one of them was captured by the Cloud Knights.
Yanqing never expected it to be this easy to eliminate the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
He used to see his general worrying day after day, feeling helpless and frustrated when facing this group of sneaky rats that always slipped through their grasp.
But now?
Lucian had used some unknown method, and somehow, those rats had leapt straight into the cage entirely on their own.
At this point, the Alchemy Commission barely had any people left at all, since Lucian had personally captured most of them himself.
'Terrifying... I can't believe these terrorists had infiltrated the Alchemy Commission this deeply. If it weren't for General Lucian's help, it could've turned into a disaster later...'
Yanqing thought silently, admiration written clearly all over his face.
After finishing giving instructions to the Cloud Knights, he immediately ran off to find Lucian.
From now on, while the first person he admired the most was still Jing Yuan, Lucian had now become the second.
"General, why did they expose themselves like that?"
Yanqing, his eyes shining, immediately asked Lucian as soon as he found him beneath a tree, watching the spectacle with Bailu.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Once you master sword intent, you'll get it."
Lucian couldn't help but make up a random excuse on the spot.
Explain it?
What was he supposed to say?
Using the power of an Emanator of Abundance to make them reveal themselves?
Meanwhile, the moment Yanqing heard the words 'sword intent,' it was as if a switch had flipped in his mind.
"General Lucian!" Yanqing, with even shinier eyes, exclaimed with a ragged breath. "How can I cultivate sword intent like you?! How can I become a sword immortal?!"
Seeing him like this, Lucian raised his brows, then nodded thoughtfully.
"Umu, I see that your bones are exceptional—you're a true prodigy in the way of the sword..." Lucian said with amusement, acting mysterious. "Well then, since fate brought us together, I shall impart to you my Supreme Sword Manual."
Supreme Sword Manual!
Hearing such a grand name, Yanqing hesitated no longer—he immediately bowed, almost dropping to his knees. If he didn't already have his general as his mentor, he would've actually knelt right now, pleading for Lucian to take him as a disciple.
Now that he thought about it, with so many people respecting Lucian, his skills had to be the real deal.
No way would he just fool a kid like him, right?
"Please, teach me, General!" Yanqing exclaimed with a serious expression.
"Alright, listen carefully..."
Lucian nodded, his expression turning solemn.
"First of all, the essence of the Supreme Sword Manual is this: if there's no woman in your heart, your sword will move like a god."
"The first sword—forget the one you love."
"The second sword—cut off your infatuation."
"The third sword—sever your ties to the mortal world."
"Only then can your sword open the gates of heaven."
Hearing Lucian's teaching, Yanqing blanked out, having never heard such teachings before.
Nevertheless, although he didn't fully understand them, he was still utterly shaken to his very core.
'No woman in your heart, and your sword opens the gates of heaven...? Is that what it means to be a sword immortal?'
Yanqing thought solemnly, repeating the line over and over, but then paused as he realized something.
"But… General, you said no woman in your heart, but you and Master Diviner..."
Yanqing suddenly realized the contradiction in the teaching.
Lucian raised his hand and knocked on Yanqing's head.
"I only had women after I attained my sword intent. Have you attained your sword intent yet?" Lucian asked, shaking his head with disappointment, as if hating iron for not becoming steel. "You're still young, yet your head's already full of women. Forget about becoming a sword immortal like that."
Seeing his genuine look of disappointment, Yanqing suddenly understood.
"I see... so that's how it is… I've learned my lesson!" Yanqing cupped his hand, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you for your guidance, General. I'll never forget this kindness!"
He made up his mind.
From today onward, he would stay away from women entirely, so no woman would ever enter his heart to distract his swordsmanship!
===
A while later, inside the Seat of Divine Foresight, Yanqing finally returned to report.
"A woman only slows down my swordsmanship."
As Yanqing reported everything that had happened at the Alchemy Commission to Jing Yuan, he then spoke about Lucian's teaching with complete seriousness.
Jing Yuan's response?
He was completely speechless.
'Is that supposed to be Lucian's swordsmanship principles?' Jing Yuan thought with an incredulous expression. 'No woman in his heart? Really?'
Every woman around Lucian could form an elite squad—Jingliu, Baiheng, Fu Xuan, even Feixiao and Yueyu.
Who knew how many more were hidden in the shadows?
Only someone as innocent as Yanqing would fall for Lucian's nonsense.
"General, I'll return to my sword training now."
Leaving these words behind, Yanqing hurried off, eager to practice the so-called Supreme Sword Manual.
Jing Yuan, seeing his lieutenant's retreating figure, could only sigh helplessly.
"Ahh, what a waste... a perfectly good swordsman, ruined by him..."
Just as Jing Yuan's words fell, Lucian had suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind Jing Yuan.
"I'll be honest, that kid's not bad." Lucian remarked with a casual smile as he walked around Jing Yuan's desk, then sat before him. "He'll be a real sigma male someday—someone who can handle big things."
"Hahh..." Jing Yuan sighed again and forced a smile. "Alright, let's not talk about him. Tell me about the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus—I heard you caught her?"
"Yeah, she's useful alive. At least she won't cause more trouble for the Luofu." Lucian nodded casually. "So, about this favor... how are you planning to repay me?"
Upon hearing this, Jing Yuan gave a bitter smile.
"C'mon, my Master Diviner's already living in your house, my master's yours too, my friends are yours too—isn't that enough already?"
"Personal matters and official matters are separate things." Lucian shook his head, his expression turning completely serious. "I won't ask for much—just give me the 'Jade Abacus of Allying Oath,' and we'll call it even."
At this, Jing Yuan froze.
He couldn't help it.
What Lucian requested was a priceless item to anyone outside the Xianzhou Alliance, because it effectively allowed one to receive unconditional support from the Xianzhou Luofu—it was, in essence, a military command token.
However, on second thought, wasn't Lucian already part of the Xianzhou Alliance?
As long as Lucian was not planning anything detrimental to the Xianzhou Alliance, giving it to him was not a problem.
In the end, without another word, Jing Yuan took out the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath from the safe hidden beneath the desk, split it cleanly in half, and then handed one piece to Lucian.
"Alright. From now on, I'll be counting on you to look after the Luofu."
If nothing else, for what Lucian had done with Jingliu, Baiheng, Teng Xiao, and the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, he had already earned the Xianzhou Luofu's gratitude. As such, Jing Yuan trusted him completely.
Lucian took the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath with a faint smile.
Now, the Xianzhou Luofu was officially aboard his ship.
An Emanator of Abundance holding the Xianzhou Luofu's Jade Abacus of Allying Oath—how could the Luofu possibly explain that away later?
"Good. From now on, I'll take the Luofu with me for the ride. You definitely won't regret this decision."
Right after saying this, Lucian rose, calm and composed, and left the Seat of Divine Foresight normally through the door.
Along the way, he pocketed the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath, then wondered how the Stellaron Hunters would adjust their script now.
Elio would soon discover that he was on Herta Space Station, on Jarilo-VI, on the Xianzhou Luofu—and that even the critical item for the Astral Express was now in his hands.
By then, Elio would probably go bald trying to figure it all out.
Lucian just had to wait for the Stellaron Hunters to come knocking, begging to join him.
Next, he had to think about whom to pull in next.
Once his forces were strong enough, even those Lord Ravagers would have to take him seriously.
===
As Lucian left, Jing Yuan rubbed his temples in exasperation.
"Now the Alchemy Commission's workforce is half gone, so they can only manage small-scale operations..." Jing Yuan muttered in distress. "No choice—I'll have to request reinforcements from the other Xianzhou ships to fill the vacancies."
He immediately contacted Marshal Hua and arranged for personnel from the other Xianzhou ships to be stationed at the Xianzhou Luofu's Alchemy Commission.
Among them was a vidyadhara woman named Lingsha, assigned as the new Cauldron Master of the Xianzhou Luofu's Alchemy Commission.
===
A while later, Lucian returned from the Seat of Divine Foresight straight to his new house in Fyxestroll Garden.
After the purging of the Alchemy Commission was concluded, he had left Bailu with Jingliu and Baiheng, who were probably eating and drinking to their hearts' content in the Exalting Sanctum by now, so he didn't need to worry about them.
Just as Lucian lay down on the sofa, his drink still untouched, his phone suddenly vibrated.
He took out his phone and glanced at the screen, seeing that it was a call from Cocolia.
[Lucian, there's a strange person causing trouble in Belobog. We can't handle him.]
"Strange person? Who?"
[I don't know—he wouldn't say his name, just kept asking who brought the scrap iron here.]
[He's been asking around all over the streets, grabbing people and demanding answers like a madman.]
[I've sent Silvermane Guards to catch him, but they couldn't even get close to him. I'm worried something might go wrong, so I called you.]
"Got it. I'll head back right away."
Ending the call, Lucian stood up, preparing to return to Belobog to see what kind of lunatic was making a scene there.
Surely it couldn't be Aha, right?
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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