"Such a sinister power." Jingliu held the blade between two fingers, feeling the biting chill seeping from the [Cursed Blade - Thousand Demon Daggers], yet her face resembled that of a child receiving a long-promised toy from her parents—pure, unfiltered delight.
And what she was thinking… was to charge straight into the Borisin tribes and finally unleash the sword-intent she had been suppressing for far too long.
She had never liked killing; it was only that the Denizens of Abundance truly deserved death, so she had no choice but to grasp the edge of steel.
Perhaps swordsmanship was simply straightforward by nature, or perhaps after winning so many battles, the skill naturally extended and deepened through experience.
In any case, after countless life-and-death struggles, she had risen to the position of swordmaster.
If only she had obtained this blade back then—this weapon that could absorb the strength of those who died—had it accompanied her all the way, her power by now would have climbed several more tiers!
This [Cursed Blade - Thousand Demon Daggers] possessed abilities so strange that if it were any other situation, she would never use it lightly.
But since its targets were the Denizens of Abundance… that made everything different.
Fortunately, their vitality was stubbornly tenacious; to this day they still hadn't been completely wiped out.
Denizens of Abundance… you are in for quite a blessing.
"Interesting—and… very practical."
"Isn't it?" Sylvester nodded in deep agreement.
Practical?
Watching the little girl in her snow-white clothes, smiling as bright as a blooming flower… among the three from the IPC, Jade—normally the calmest—began to tremble inside.
If the earlier misunderstanding hadn't been cleared up, then would the three of them have already…
Just imagining her own head separated from her body, her life-force drained dry by the cursed blade, made her shiver from the spine outward.
She reached toward the guest table to take a cup of tea to warm herself, only for her hand to bump into two others.
She looked up—Topaz & Numby and Aventurine wore similarly unpleasant expressions.
The three exchanged glances and shook their heads in silence.
There was no need to say anything. The lingering terror in each other's eyes already said everything! At this moment the three had perfect wordless synchronization.
And immediately after, a soft, bitter laugh.
This kind of "tacit understanding"… they would rather not have!
Some rejoiced, some worried. A few crisp clap clap sounds echoed into everyone's ears.
Feixiao applauded lightly and congratulated, "Now you not only possess unmatched combat strength, but also a powerful weapon at your side. I'm starting to envy you."
Jingliu returned a smile, but still said discontentedly, "A pity… even with all this, it's still not enough to kill that pestilent progenitor of abundance."
Hearing that, the three from the IPC were utterly speechless.
You're still not satisfied?
The [Samsara Elixir], the [Cursed Blade - Thousand Demon Daggers]—these are curios that even the IPC's board members couldn't obtain after exhausting their fortunes, and villains from the Annihilation Gang wouldn't get even if they risked their lives!
And you? You lift a hand, open a few trash cans, and receive them without much effort. Is there anything in the universe more unfair—more like a pie falling directly onto your lap?
Even those who opened golden curios rarely gained more than you have!
Go outside and ask around—actually, no need for that; we have statistics right here. Please take a look.
Your haul has already surpassed 99.99% of the universe!
As for killing the Aeon of Abundance—that grand ideal should be left to beings on the level of the Aeon of The Hunt.
That is not something us mere mortals should be contemplating!
"You… always eye the mountain across, thinking it's higher." Feixiao scolded Jingliu's dissatisfaction with a laugh, just like ordinary friends teasing each other.
But what she didn't say was: Jingliu and that outworlder named Luocha truly did have a god-slaying plan.
Its core lay in the so-called remnant embryo of Propagation they had brought—the remains of Tayzzyronth.
Whether they could succeed or not was uncertain, but it undoubtedly gave the Xianzhou Alliance a glimmer of hope.
For mortals to even hold a chance at slaying an Aeon—this faint thread of possibility was enough to stir hearts.
Before this, the only comparable achievement was Zandar uplifting Nous into an Aeon!
But such matters were hardly for outsiders to hear.
She smiled at Jingliu, subtly shifting the topic. "Well? Three cans and such great rewards—do you want to keep opening more?"
Jade, ever perceptive, stepped forward before Jingliu even answered. "To witness a powerful Curio such as the [Cursed Blade - Thousand Demon Daggers] emerge—we too have been greatly enriched. The expenses for today's trash cans will be covered entirely by the IPC. Please, no need for restraint."
A joke. Whether Jingliu wished to keep opening cans—how could they decide that?
Better to offer a favor and play a small, strategic gesture. Though it wasn't much, on the Xianzhou—especially among the swordsmen—relationships and owed favors were everything.
To establish goodwill with her now might yield great benefits in the future.
Just as Sylvester had said: the universe is vast, life is vaster still. Given enough time, everything eventually becomes useful.
"Then I shall accept with some shame, and not refuse further." Jingliu offered a polite line, then immediately walked toward the shelf without the slightest hesitation.
Jade's eyebrow twitched.
Accept with shame? Then at least pretend to refuse a little…
Sylvester lifted a porcelain bowl, took a slurping sip of hot tea, and smiled faintly.
This was the way of old Xianzhou folk—exchange of favors, and all the expected polite formalities.
Only, little Jingliu's formalities… felt a bit too procedural.
Jingliu used levitation, selecting three trash cans that she found pleasing to the eye.
With three clang clang clang sounds, the lids sprang open, each emitting a different color of light.
When the glow faded, three curios fell onto the counter.
A sheet of yellow paper with a red sigil, a cup of drink, and a neatly packaged outfit.
Seeing these, Jingliu looked toward Sylvester with expectation.
Her earlier gains had given her even greater hope for this draw.
[Spirit-Calling Talisman: Attach it to a corpse dead for no more than seven days, and it can summon the soul. The user may converse with the spirit, and it will answer all questions.]
[Mixue Lemonade:Classic edition. No explanation needed.]
[Classic Superman Bodysuit:Wearing it grants the user superhuman abilities.(Note: City-level power)]
Seeing Jingliu's curious gaze, Sylvester chuckled. "The first one is a [Spirit-Calling Talisman]. You can use it on someone who passed within seven days—once the talisman is affixed, you can summon the deceased's soul and converse with them. Up to one hour."
After hearing this, Jingliu's brows, as delicate as frost on willow leaves, tightened slightly. It wasn't valueless, but compared to what she truly wanted, it was indeed far too lacking.
"Spirit-calling… Xianzhou folklore has long spoken of it, though most were just tricks by street mystics. I didn't expect to see the real thing here."
Feixiao tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe it could help with tricky unresolved cases? It could quickly grant justice to victims."
This thing wasn't resurrection—only a temporary return of the soul for a brief conversation.
Besides legal cases, its only other use might be helping families say farewell.
But either way, it wasn't something satisfying. The talisman's effect was simply too minimal.
Though wondrous, to Jingliu it held little appeal.
She immediately asked about the next Curio. "And this drink?"
Sylvester glanced at the snowman logo on the cup, then turned to look at Feixiao.
If they printed a chibi version of the Three No's General on it, it might look pretty cute.
Turning back, he said lightly, "A cup of affordable lemonade. Known for its cheap and friendly pricing."
"..."
Jingliu fell silent.
It seemed… after obtaining the [Cursed Blade - Thousand Demon Daggers], her luck had run out?
Jade stared expressionlessly.
But the three from the Corporation felt somewhat balanced at heart.
If she drew another top-tier Curio using their funds, they really would die of public shame.
Jingliu shook her head and asked about the final item. "And this?"
"Oh, that. It's not an ordinary outfit."
Sylvester rubbed his chin with a smile. "Wear it, and even someone without strength to truss a chicken can gain superhuman power!"
===BREAK===
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