Flame Sovereign couldn't take it anymore. [Utter nonsense! When has the Magic Circle ever shorted a Grand Archon's funds? Her own fault.]
Yu Yu, skeptical, "You're secretly hoarding money, aren't you?"
Feng Ye lost her cool. "Just say what you want, all at once."
"The Magic Circle has no manors—that's true," Feng Ye cut her off. "Getting one directly? Impossible."
Yu Yu gasped, "I don't have a title!"
The wolf was just furious—how could she boost wolf favor fast?!
Feng Ye, smug, "That's your problem. The Circle doesn't care."
Yu Yu sank into thought. "The Grand Archon has no manor?"
Feng Ye, firm, "Absolutely not."
"What, you want me to ask Chang for one?"
Yu Yu perked up. "Does the Grand Archon have a title?"
Feng Ye: "…Probably?"
A bad feeling crept in.
Yu Yu clapped. "Then you can buy a manor with the Circle's rewards and give it to me!"
"With your skills, you'll snag a cheap, awesome manor, saving me steps. Perfect!"
Feng Ye froze. "You want me to buy you a house?"
Yu Yu said seriously, "Proxy purchase! I'll pay—with Circle funds!"
Feng Ye pointed at herself. "I'm the Grand Archon?"
Yu Yu, deadpan, "Yup, you are."
Feng Ye: "You're asking me to proxy buy?"
Yu Yu caught on, grabbing her arm, teary-eyed. "Grand Archon! I'm your adorable subordinate! Don't you like me?!"
She wailed, "I heard great leaders quietly solve their team's problems, giving without seeking thanks, humble in deed. You're so great—can't you help your stellar subordinate with a housing issue?"
"Just a flick of your hand, and it's done! Right? Isn't it?"
Feng Ye's head spun.
Yu Yu's spiel even dipped into complex Xia dialect, taking ages to parse.
Feng Ye mulled it over. "Who's the Grand Archon here, you or me?"
She'd been Grand Archon forever, yet this was her first reverse hostage situation.
Eye-opening.
Yu Yu whipped out four golems, saving the gold limited edition for Senior Chong—gotta touch that tail, so it's the good one.
"Grand Archon, look!"
They were still flying over the city. The golems started dropping.
Feng Ye waved, catching them midair. "…I see."
Exhausted, outtalked by Yu Yu, and nagged by pig teammates, she surrendered.
Feng Ye sighed. "Fine, I'll get it. Making me buy a manor… you love tormenting me, huh?"
Other Grand Archons: […]
Stunned.
First time seeing Feng Ye cave. Was this real?
The shady crook had this day?
Yu Yu, worn out, sighed deeply. "Grand Archon, you're so stingy. I'm exhausted."
Another day of wanting to jump ship.
Feng Ye, dark-faced, "Say that again?"
Yu Yu: "Points too, right?"
Feng Ye, darker, "How many points from your legendary quest? Let's calculate."
Yu Yu dodged, "Give rewards first, then I'll tell you my points."
Their haggling left everyone floored. Meng and Felix exchanged glances, both seeing shock in the other's eyes.
Felix: "Surname Leona?"
She echoed Meng's doubt. When was her teacher this agreeable?
What scheme was she brewing?
Or… was Yu Yu just that persuasive?
Felix sank into deep confusion. They flew to the Magic Circle branch, finally settling on rewards.
[Submitted Golem Successfully: +100,000 Magic Circle Points, +10,000 Gold, +0.001 Magic Circle Favor] x4
[Submitted Spell 'Mass Revival': Identified as Lost Inventory, Verified by Silver Moon Grand Archon Feng Ye, Submission Successful]
[Gained +128,000 Points (Lost School, Double Points), +20,000 Gold (Double), +0.001 Magic Circle Favor]
[Submitted Spell 'Healing Grace': Identified as Lost Inventory, Verified by Silver Moon Grand Archon Feng Ye, Submission Successful]
[Gained +512,000 Points, +160,000 Gold, +0.01 Magic Circle Favor]
Yu Yu gasped for air, counting zeros.
Were these numbers real?
The golem rewards were heavily discounted due to all the help—she got that, so fine.
But no one said submitting spells would be this valuable!!!!
A fourth-ring spell, 160,000 gold?! Was that legit?!
Feng Ye, catching her shock, said coolly, "Spellcasters' power comes from spells. Restoration's a lost school, so spells are pricier. We all need to learn them. The Circle's price isn't surprising."
Yu Yu, dazed, overnight rich, "I—I'm loaded?"
She spotted a loophole, grabbing Feng Ye's hand. "Grand Archon…"
Feng Ye: "Hm?"
"The manor purchase I delegated…"
Feng Ye said calmly, "Relax. The Circle gave you plenty—more than enough."
Yu Yu said solemnly, "Can we pretend it didn't happen?"
Feng Ye: "Oh?"
Yu Yu's eyes were filled with tears, "Leave me some! Don't spend it all!!!"
She feared this shady Grand Archon would blow all her gold on the manor!
Feng Ye gave a gentle smile. "Would I? Am I that kind of Grand Archon?"
You are! You totally are!
Feng Ye: "Don't trust me? Buy it yourself."
Yu Yu couldn't ditch this rare chance, nor risk Feng Ye's chaos. Rumor was, reaching high-tier could earn a viscount title, but her advancement, how to advance, and when the Duchess would ennoble her—all hinged on the Circle, or rather, the Grand Archon.
Dragging it out was uncertain.
Such a golden opportunity, forcing the Grand Archon to handle it—how could she let it slip?
She just hoped this shady woman had some conscience.
Don't burn all her rewards.
Yu Yu sniffled. "Grand Archon."
Feng Ye had obviously realized what was going on. She smiled and asked, "Hmm?"
Yu Yu: "Conscience, conscience, conscience!"
Triple conscience cry.jpg
The stream erupted in laughter.
Who? Who? Who got triple-called for conscience by a junior spellcaster?!
Gui Fan: [Let's see Feng Ye's conscience, Q1!]
Guang Chen: [1]
Xue: [1]
Chang Ming: [1]
Qiong: [1]
Dai: [1]
A long row of 1s, vividly painting Feng Ye's image, leaving all in awe.
Flame Sovereign pondered, then…
Flame Sovereign: [1]
Feng Ye: "!!!"
Her face twisted, then she forced a smile. "I'll behave."
Yu Yu: "…"
You'd better!
Or I'll make all Silver Moon sing of your dramatic past!
Meng: "…"
Felix: "…"
Both seniors were dazed.
Yu Yu really wasn't a Leona?
Unnoticed, they'd reached the Magic Circle branch.
Yu Yu gaped at the sprawling complex. "This is?"
Feng Ye, casual, "Lynx Academy, next to the old king's palace."
She explained, "Circle branches usually take the form of mage towers or academies. The town hall you saw in Silver Moon? Rare."
Then Yu Yu saw the real battlefield.
A high-tier spellcaster struggled against a monster—a blood-red tumor dozens of stories tall, radiating ominous crimson. Intestine-like tentacles thrashed, and a black-robed spellcaster lured it step-by-step from the field.
Yu Yu froze, overwhelmed by an anomaly's malice, like a heavy manhole cover trapping her in a sunless well.
Evil, frenzied, hysterical.
A screeching, nail-on-chalkboard voice whispered in her ears—muttering, raving…
'Hvar, where are you?'
'Hvar, is that you?'
'Hvar…'
Meng: "Yu Yu!"
She yanked Yu Yu, snapping her gaze away.
Yu Yu, stunned, "Senior…"
Meng frowned and said seriously, "Didn't I tell you not to stare at anomalies? Were you listening?"
Yu Yu blinked. "I meant to, but somehow forgot…"
Something had hooked her gaze, drawing her in. Checking her corruption, Yu Yu saw it hit 17—in just moments, from so far away…
The Grand Archon, closest to Yu Yu, stood with hands behind her back. Now she spoke softly, "That's an anomaly."
"A level-four anomaly's true form. Its rule: don't respond," she met Yu Yu's eyes, lips moving soundlessly, "or else…"
Her meaning was clear, though unsaid.
Feng Ye only mouthed the word, but Yu Yu knew: Hvar
Yu Yu couldn't help asking, "But so far away, how's it in my ear?"
Feng Ye folded her hands calmly, "That's why it's level four."
Her gaze pierced the buildings, toward the approaching allied forces.
"This is the outsiders' first battlefield."
"But level four's too tough, so we're having it drawn away."
Yu Yu pressed, "Those seniors, so close—how do they handle corruption?"
Feng Ye glanced at her. "Corruption rises easily, but not always."
"When it's stubborn, it slows. Hard to clear, but it won't spike like a newbie's."
"They're veterans. Don't worry."
Yu Yu frowned.
Meng: "They've got Guardians, trained from Pioneer camps. Level four's manageable. Relax."
Yu Yu pushed, "What's level four's rank?"
Meng thought. "Roughly your A-grade."
Yu Yu's brow twitched.
A-grade?
"What's the highest?"
Meng: "Highest? Evil gods."
Yu Yu: "Besides those?"
"Level seven."
Yu Yu went blank. "Seven?!?"
Meng: "Anomalies can grow."
"Once, on the mainland, there was a weak anomaly, 'Fire Thief Moth.'"
"At first, it only snuffed out unattended oil lamps, harmless."
"Then another anomaly, 'Shadow of Darkness,' appeared. Together, their lethality climbed."
"It began extinguishing magic lamps, then devoured eternal light arrays. Later, even Excellencies' will-lights were briefly swallowed."
"Mainland deaths surged because of them."
"Back then, the sun and moon still shone, and not all stars were false."
"After ravaging the world, it targeted the sky."
"At first, it ate moonlight, gradually longer each night, turning evenings into anomaly slaughter-fests."
"Then, unsatisfied, it devoured sunlight."
Yu Yu's hairs stood on end. "What happened?"
Meng said calmly, "It became a level-seven anomaly, Sun Devourer."
"Twenty, thirty years later? The sun was gone."
"Maybe not 'eaten,'" Meng's tone held a strange detachment, "but we never saw it again."
"It lost interest in worldly lights and vanished."
"And 'Shadow of Darkness'?"
Meng closed her eyes. "Too dangerous, unlike the slow-growing Sun Devourer. Seniors found its core, wrapped it in will, and banished it to the void."
"Will-wrapped?" Yu Yu paled.
Meng nodded lightly. "Like Grand Archon Wu Feng, I suppose."
"There's always a way," she said, leading Yu Yu into an academy building, "if you're willing to pay the price."
Yu Yu knew those seniors were likely legends, plural.
By the Circle's scale, S-grade was only level five?
Yu Yu resolved to warn the Federation to survey for similar anomalies, seal or destroy them early.
But how to seal anomalies?
She'd heard the Thousand Will Eight were training with Guardians to fight anomalies.
The Circle wielded power, but Senior said Guardians were civilization's bedrock.
The Circle could fight, but anomalies needed Guardians.
Hope it worked.
Yu Yu didn't want her sun gone. She glanced at the Grand Archon. "Grand Archon, allocate spots for high-will folks."
"I feel like we can't survive without Guardians."
"How do I check will? I'll blanket Rong City."
Feng Ye meant to spark Yu Yu's urgency, but hadn't expected Meng to scare her with the Sun Devourer. She chuckled, "You're not high-tier yet."
Yu Yu was confident, "I leveled up! Once I allocate points, I'll have 17 Spirit!"
Feng Ye paused "Don't worry for now, let's make some preparations."
How could Yu Yu not be anxious? "I am so anxious. I feel like I can't survive any longer!!!"
This time Feng Ye really laughed, "That's not necessary. Although the anomaly will grow, it will take time."
"Their birth is related to obsession, and their evolution is related to killing."
"By grasping these two points, we can actually curb their birth and growth."
Yu Yu went numb. "How's that possible?"
The Federation's barely managing, and control obsession? Growth?
Feng Ye smiled but said nothing.
Yu Yu looked at her depressedly.
You're messing with my head, aren't you?
Just 'cause I called you stingy?
What a petty Grand Archon!
Then, a familiar voice approached.
She's here! She's here! With her lively robe, she's here!
"Little Yu, got my golem?"
Yu Yu duang-ed the golem out, proud. "I brought it. Senior, do you want to inspect it?"
Chong actually checked, stroking it while secretly chatting with colleagues. [This isn't one of the Excellencies' custom golems, is it?]
Mithril golems, priciest standard model.
But back when the Circle's rich Excellencies were everywhere… yeah.
Custom variants flew around, some pricier, more valuable.
Chong thought this was one.
No clue why Yu Yu picked this one for her, free of charge.
Chong never imagined she'd be this valuable!
Xue: [Probably. Submit it later.]
Chong pouted, miffed. "Last time I got it, now I submit again? Can't I keep it for a few days?"
"So many at once—enough for you to dismantle for ages."
Xue: […Don't be so willful.]
Chong: "Nope, this cost me my tail. Wanna come touch it instead?"
Yu Yu was already rubbing her hands in glee.
Heh.
No wolf tail, huh?
I'll touch Senior's tail!!! (crossed out)
Moments later, Chong pulled Yu Yu into a room. Yu Yu squinted.
Huh, an exclamation mark.
How'd Senior nail the spot?
But was an exclamation mark as vital as a tail?
Was it?
No way!
Yu Yu's eyes sparkled, thinking Senior was the best, keeping her word!
The others waited outside.
Feng Ye settled their spat. [Stream it, and you can keep the golem for now.]
They'd need time to craft magi-tools or smelt golems anyway.
Chong: [Deal!]
Yu Yu had turned off her stream to protect Senior's **.
What if the tail looked bad?
But she never expected Chong to restart the stream herself.
Yu Yu's excited little eyes reappeared for all to see.
The stream hadn't lost a soul—maybe gained some.
Gossip, humanity's unshakeable nature.
Chong turned. "Hurry, I'm busy."
She had work left.
Yu Yu crouched, heart pounding, and lifted Chong's robe.
Tail tail tail tail!
Show me the tail!