KyokaSuigetsu
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Chapter 51: When Lingsha Was Still Called Danzhu
🕑 Added 2025-04-27 17:03:02 +0000 UTCWith the Dragon Elders giving you the green light at every turn, your promotion was smooth and unimpeded. Eventually, you replaced Yunhua and became the new Preceptor of the Alchemy Commission.
You didn't rush your ascent, advancing step by step at a natural pace.
To those unaware of the truth, you were a humble, gentle, and well-connected medic, beloved by all.
Your promotions were perfectly timed—people might have remarked that your rise was unusually smooth, but given your kindness and impeccable reputation, no one found it suspicious.
Without raising any alarms, you smoothly ascended to the position of Preceptor of the Xianzhou Luofu's Alchemy Commission.
Due to the aftermath of the Danfeng's Rebellion, the Vidyadhara had suffered heavy losses, relations between the Vidyadhara and the Xianzhou natives had deteriorated, and with Jing Yuan having just taken office, the once Vidyadhara-dominated Alchemy Commission saw the re-emergence of the Denizens of Abundance.
With your deliberate indulgence, the Denizens of Abundance rapidly grew in strength.
However, the current leader of the cult was either an idiot or had deluded himself along with his followers—he actually tried to recruit you into the Denizens of Abundance.
"As a devoted student of medicine, you must understand its limitations. The deeper you delve, the clearer it becomes—only by revering the Abundance can we cure the affliction of 'mortality' and attain eternal life, free from illness and suffering."
You glanced at the tea he had nearly finished, your expressionless face suddenly breaking into a smile.
"Has anyone ever told you that your recruitment pitch is terrible?"
The leader froze, then flushed with anger. "You—!"
Coldly, you cut him off. "In just the last month, the Divination Commission has sent three covert teams to investigate the Alchemy Commission. If I hadn't covered for you, you'd have been exposed already. You fool."
"You truly have no self-awareness," you sneered.
Your words left the leader pale one moment, flushed the next.
Before he could retort, you continued, "What I want is for the Denizens of Abundance to serve me, not the other way around."
"You—! Arrogant! You have no right—!" He shot to his feet, jabbing a finger at you.
Just as he was about to unleash a torrent of curses, the poison you had slipped into his tea took effect. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.
"Impossible! I am blessed by the Abundance—how could I be poisoned!?" he howled between convulsions.
You found it almost amusing. Among your research subjects, the most numerous were the Abundance-worshipping Emanators, followed only then by the Vidyadhara.
No one understood the weaknesses of the Abundance's followers better than you.
Slowly, you rose to your feet, looking down at him with icy detachment.
"Do I have the right now?"
His blundering into your trap allowed you to effortlessly seize control of the Luofu's Denizens of Abundance from the shadows.
From the Alchemy Commission to the Scalegorge Waterscape, the Vidyadhara's strongholds on the Luofu were now entirely under your control.
You had become the shadow sovereign of the Vidyadhara.
And now, you could finally begin the next phase of your plan—studying the Luofu's greatest taboo, the divine relic of the Abundance sealed deep within the Scalegorge Waterscape: the Ambrosial Arbor.
Only after securing complete control over the Vidyadhara and establishing an impenetrable veil of secrecy did you turn your attention to the Arbor.
Steady, cautious, methodical, and ruthlessly goal-oriented—even Hao Ren would've been impressed.
The Arbor had always been there. Had the Denizens of Abundance left it untouched because they wanted to?
Of course not. Even at the Luofu's most chaotic and vulnerable moments, the Arbor remained heavily guarded—the cult simply never had an opening.
It wasn't until much later, when the Luofu was weakened internally, with leadership in disarray, the Denizens running rampant, the Dragon Elders complicit, and the Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia, lurking at their borders—
Only under such extreme circumstances did the cult finally succeed.
That alone showed how difficult it was to approach the Arbor.
As for why your simulated self went to such lengths? The answer was simple: the Abundance's power within the Arbor.
Despite your thorough preparations, the power of an Aeon was not so easily harnessed. Though you possessed extraordinary talent in medicine, the Abundance's energy proved an insurmountable wall, and your research progressed at a glacial pace.
But you were patient. You had time. Even if progress was incremental, you were certain you would eventually succeed.
The long years of research were tedious, and as the Preceptor of the Alchemy Commission, you couldn't afford prolonged absences.
Thus, while studying the Arbor in secret, you maintained your public persona—the humble, gentle, scholarly medic, a man devoted to healing.
And then, a little girl named Danzhu barged into your life.
A newborn Vidyadhara, she had displayed unparalleled talent in medicine from a young age. Everyone praised her as a prodigy, the future Preceptor of the Alchemy Commission.
She was sent to the Commission and became your apprentice.
To you, she was just a troublesome child.
To protect your secrets, you kept up your kindly mentor act around her.
What you didn't expect was how persistent she was—always hovering around you, asking endless questions.
Most children are energetic, partly due to temperament but mostly to get their parents' attention.
The Vidyadhara are different. Born from eggs, they have no parents; their teachers fill that role.
To maintain your facade, you patiently answered every one of her questions.
But the more you indulged her, the more she clung to you.
Even a pet grows on you over time, let alone a person.
Danzhu brought a splash of color to your otherwise monotonous existence, and gradually, you grew accustomed to having her around.
As time passed, Danzhu grew older, and you noticed she was becoming more… serpentine.
Not only did she still stick to you like glue, but she also developed a habit of sniffing you.
To avoid leaving traces, you had to meticulously cleanse yourself after each research session and do something you'd never done before: use incense.
The very first day you tried it, Danzhu—with her unnaturally sharp nose—immediately noticed, and the little leech began her antics anew.
