The group beating lasted a full half hour.
Of course, to avoid the rumor that they were bullying an elderly person, Pei Guang even had Bailu help rejuvenate Todd's body a bit.
Back when they wiped out the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, Pei Guang had taken a bunch of the their's concoctions. Bailu weakened the effects and gave one to Todd, then used the Vidyadhara's power along with a tool Pei Guang had taken from Phantylia to make Todd's body youthful again.
Now Todd's body looked to be in his twenties or thirties, and his lifespan had been somewhat extended.
Sounds good? But Bailu had her own intentions.
If he dared steal Vidyadhara eggs, then he clearly didn't respect her status as a Vidyadhara High Elder!
Same as always: death on the Luofu isn't the worst punishment. Being captured and taken to the Ten-Lords Commission is true suffering.
But since the Commission's people were being blocked by Pei Guang, before they could take Todd away, Bailu decided, just as Pei Guang had suggested, to film a whole series of promotional videos featuring Todd.
Throughout the process, Todd kept crying out for help.
"Help…"
"Please, I know I was wrong!"
"I'm a criminal! I indeed committed one of the Ten Unpardonable Sins in the Xianzhou Alliance! I demand to be arrested through official procedures!!!"
Despite the beatings, Todd only shouted louder the more he got hit. Outside Scalegorge Waterscape, hearing Todd actually asking to be arrested, Pei Guang turned to the Ten-Lords Commission staff sitting in front of him, enjoying afternoon tea and snacks.
"Oh my? Seems like your tea break is over. He doesn't need me to hold you back anymore. Go ahead and arrest Todd."
Yes, during the wait, Pei Guang had kindly brought out tables, chairs, and an assortment of food and drinks from his storage, letting everyone enjoy a cheerful group meal.
Normally, as employees of the Ten-Lords Commission, they wouldn't let external factors interfere with their duties. But this was a special case, and with Hanya leading this operation, once she said it was fine, everyone took the chance to experience a unique workday.
As the Commission entered, Bailu and Dan Heng also stopped beating Todd.
Yes: by the end, it was just Bailu and Todd left.
Most of the others had gotten their hits in, felt satisfied, and then joined the Ten-Lords staff for tea and snacks.
As for the surrounding Vidyadhara eggs, they were visibly upset about this tea party. As transformed eggs, they too wanted to enjoy the tea! But without mouths, they missed out on both snacks and the show.
Todd was taken away. On the road, he kept muttering under his breath, "I… criminal! I… am being taken away…"
But when Hanya inspected Todd, she noticed something strange. His face still looked like an old man, but his body was nothing like an elderly person's: in fact, it looked like a young outworlder's body!
Indeed, under Pei Guang's guidance, Bailu had only rejuvenated Todd's body while leaving his face old. Not only that, she also left him with a few ailments: incurable arthritis, chronic rheumatism, osteoporosis…
These wouldn't prevent Todd from living a few more years, but they would certainly make those years far more painful.
Moreover, while he would live longer, the rest of his life would be spent inside the Ten-Lords Commission. In that situation, staying alive might be worse than death.
Escape? Rescue? Not a real concern. Pei Guang had already placed a marker on him. If something like that ever happened, Pei Guang would personally hunt him down and drag him back.
And once Hanya dug deeper, things got even worse: this outworlder really had become younger, and his body now contained the power of Abundance.
That power could only have come from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus's side.
This added to Todd's crimes!
In addition to committing one of the Ten Unpardonable Sins, he was now implicated in colluding with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and sabotaging the Luofu: all major crimes.
Thinking of all this, Hanya looked coldly at the dazed Todd and said, "You think getting caught is the end? What awaits you is a lifetime of imprisonment and punishment from the Ten-Lords Commission."
If he were merely an outworlder from an enemy faction, the Ten-Lords might still allow him a relatively calm life for various reasons. But someone who committed grave crimes on the Luofu? No such luck.
As it happened, the cell next to Dan Shu was empty. Placing Todd there would be perfect.
Todd was then taken away by Xueyi and the rest. The Ten-Lords Commission had professionals who would determine the full extent of his crimes.
As for his punishment, the Commission would handle it according to procedure. If his actions involved the Intelligentsia Guild, then the Xianzhou Alliance would demand an explanation from them—or even the Interastral Peace Corporation.
If not, then only Todd would be dealt with. Thanks to Pei Guang and Bailu's rather chaotic methods, his body had returned to that of a healthy adult. It's no exaggeration to say he could easily live another forty or fifty years.
But those forty or fifty years would be spent as a detained entity in the Commission, and he'd be punished according to his deeds. The Ten-Lords Commission manages life and death within the Xianzhou Alliance.
If that's too abstract, think of it like a cyber-underworld: where the Ten Lords are cyber-judges. And though it's "cyber," their punishments are far more terrifying than any mythological underworld.
What awaited Todd was a lifetime of punishment, up until the moment his body naturally died…
But being taken away was only the beginning. For Todd, his social death was just getting started.
After he was dragged off, Pei Guang helped Bailu edit a promotional video set in Scalegorge Waterscape. It was certain that even centuries after his death, the "documentary" starring Todd would still be there for future generations to watch.
Once Todd had been taken away, Hanya, who hadn't left, approached Pei Guang. "You did a great job with this mission. This is a medal of courage awarded to you by the Ten-Lords Commission."
This was a circular medal. On the front were the three large words for "Medal of Valor", while the back bore the Ten-Lords Commission's logo.
The font used was a custom artistic style commissioned by the Commission itself, distinctive enough to make an impression even if one couldn't read it.
Pei Guang's eyes lit up completely at the sight of the medal. "So pretty! Definitely collectible: I'm very satisfied with this reward~"
Hanya continued speaking: "This medal isn't just for looks. With it, you can act under the name of the Ten-Lords Commission within the Xianzhou Alliance, participating in special operations that only the Commission is allowed to intervene in. Every time you complete one of these operations, you'll accumulate points based on the mission difficulty.
These points can be exchanged within the Commission for any weapon, equipment, or item. If you're low on credits, points can be converted into credits too. No need to worry about identity verification—you're our ally. Once you present the medal, even the most junior Cloud Knight will recognize your status.
Also, when you carry the medal, if there's a Commissioner nearby who needs assistance, you'll receive a notification. You can choose freely whether to accept or reject the mission. Everything is entirely up to you."
Hanya rattled off the explanation like she was suddenly possessed by a chatterbox spirit. As for how the medal determined friend or foe? Simple: the medal was embedded with tech that could connect with any official personnel from the Xianzhou Alliance to verify identity.
This was a move made by the Ten Lords themselves. Drawing on game mechanics from various worlds and the traits shown by players and Pei Guang, they developed a plan tailored specifically for him.
Ordinarily, the Ten-Lords Commission wouldn't need help from outsiders: but due to the special nature of "players," making Pei Guang an ally was considered strategically beneficial for the long-term stability of the Xianzhou Alliance.
Once Hanya had fully established ties with Pei Guang, the Ten Lords crafted a series of strategies.
Of course, these plans had already been discussed with the Jing Yuan and the other generals, and everyone agreed with the proposal. That's why, whenever Pei Guang boarded a Xianzhou ship, missions deemed difficult for locals would be issued based on local needs.
The mission system wasn't mandatory either: if Pei Guang was in the mood to do them, he'd earn points and rewards. If he didn't want to, the Alliance wouldn't suffer a loss.
However, to Pei Guang, this reward was highly significant. His eyes were practically glowing. "What? With this, I can trigger special events? Not bad, not bad. But wait: is this medal a one-time item? What if it breaks or gets lost…"