Jiang Yan felt his scalp prickle under the collective gaze of the assembled immortals.
"W–what? Did I… say something wrong?"
Under their stares, his voice grew uncertain.
"Among the immortals, the most idle one," said Cloud Retainer calmly.
"Among the immortals, the one most respected by his peers," added Indarias.
"Among the common folk, the immortal with the highest reputation," spoke Songdust.
"Isn't that you, Wood Spirit Immortal Lord Jiang Yan?" said Guizhong, a strange glint in her eyes.
Jiang Yan: "???"
"Huh?!"
He slammed the table.
"How is that possible?! How am I the most idle one?!"
"I've got plenty to do, okay?!"
The immortals exchanged glances—then burst into laughter.
"If opening treasure chests counts as official business, then yes, you're quite busy," said even Morax, chuckling.
Jiang Yan: …
Damn it!
What's wrong with opening treasure chests?!
It's not like I'm eating your rice!
And opening chests is how I get stronger—of course it's serious business!
"Then it's settled. Among the Seven Stars, the seat of the Immortal shall be yours," said Morax, stifling a laugh.
Jiang Yan opened his mouth to protest, but Morax cut him off:
"This was your proposal. And among us, your name carries the most weight. By every measure, you're the most suitable choice."
That shut Jiang Yan up.
Wait—why had he pushed to establish the Seven Stars early again?
Oh, right—so he could slack off.
But somehow, instead of being freer, he'd just given himself more work...
Hiss… Jiang Yan began to doubt the meaning of life.
"Well then, regarding today's meeting—Jiang Yan, draft a detailed plan and go over it with Guizhong and the others," said Morax, standing to signal the end of the meeting.
"Oh, and make sure it's thorough and precise, our 'appointed member of the Liyue Qixing,'" he added mischievously as he left.
That hit harder than a Garen ultimate—silence and a critical strike in one.
"Sigh…"
As the immortals departed, Jiang Yan's soft sigh was all that remained in the now-empty chamber.
That night, the little room that belonged to Jiang Yan stayed brightly lit.
No choice—he had brought this upon himself. Even in tears, he had to see it through.
A week later, Morax and the immortals gathered at the foot of Tianheng Mountain.
At the summit, Morax gazed into the distance while the others lounged around a stone table, sipping tea leisurely.
"That's where we'll build the capital," said Cloud Retainer, pointing south toward a vast, empty stretch of land.
"The scenery's not bad," remarked Menogias.
"Well then, Jiang Yan, time to get to work," said Morax, turning with a smile—
Only to find that Jiang Yan had vanished.
"Where's Jiang Yan?" he asked, bewildered.
"He just ran off. Not sure what he saw, but he looked very excited," said Guizhong, taking another sip of tea.
"Hm?" Morax glanced down the mountain.
There, a silver-haired figure was sprinting full-speed toward the neighboring peak.
"This brat…" Morax shook his head helplessly.
And what could possibly excite Jiang Yan that much?
Naturally—a treasure chest.
Indeed, Jiang Yan had just spotted the silhouette of a Luxurious Chest!
Right there, nestled in the mountain ahead!
Heh. No treasure chest can ever escape my eyes.
These eyes—they are the measure of all things!
There it is!
Halfway up the slope, Jiang Yan's eyes gleamed.
At the summit stood the chest, resplendent under the sunlight.
Unable to contain himself, he clapped his hands together.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
With a rumble, the earth and trees surged upward, and a massive wooden dragon carried Jiang Yan aloft through the rising dust.
Little treasure chest~
Here I come!!!
But just as he was about to reach it, Jiang Yan froze.
Standing before the Luxurious Chest was a familiar figure.
His eyes widened in shock.
That thing…
That damn creature he'd been hunting for a hundred years!
It was back!
Yes—the very same demon beast that had stolen his precious chest a century ago!
The one that looked suspiciously like a weasel!
And the creature had spotted him too.
It shot Jiang Yan a mocking glance, hefted the Luxurious Chest, shook its rear tauntingly—
Then bolted away at lightning speed.
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