"Care for some tea?"
Dan Shu gestured gracefully toward the set laid out before her.
"This tea comes from Fanghu. They say even General Xuanquan was quite fond of it. Though rumors tend to exaggerate, the tea itself is genuinely pleasant."
She spoke casually about the leaves as if this were nothing more than a simple chat.
Sylvia gave a slight nod.
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Dan Shu."
"It's only a cup of tea."
Dan Shu waved a hand dismissively, rising with elegant poise to pour Sylvia a steaming cup.
Sylvia quickly stood to receive it, then asked, "Miss Dan Shu, your eyes…"
"I can hear your heart racing. You seem somewhat tense?"
By revealing her heightened senses so abruptly, Dan Shu seemed to be steering the conversation. Sylvia considered this and decided to play along.
"Hear?"
"Losing one sense forces the others to sharpen. Your scent is quite distinct, and unique. That's why I couldn't help but call out to you."
"Is that so?"
Sylvia lifted the cup to her lips, barely wetting them without drinking.
"Your footsteps are firm, light, and leisurely—not quite what I'd expect from an outsider who journeyed across the stars to reach the Xianzhou. I wonder, what are your impressions of our ship?"
Testing me, are we?
Sylvia's eyebrows rose slightly.
"It's quite different from the rumors outside, but the pace of life is relaxed. To me, it seems like a fine place to settle down."
"Is that so? I hope you enjoy your stay on the Xianzhou."
With that, Dan Shu fell silent, apparently with no further intention to converse.
Sylvia was curious, but reconsidered—within the Alchemy Commission, there probably wasn't much she could do anyway. Dan Shu likely just wanted an initial meeting before making further plans.
With that thought, Sylvia suddenly stood up and, right in front of Dan Shu, picked up her chair and moved from the opposite side to sit beside her.
Then she asked, "I don't know much about the Xianzhou people. Is it truly difficult to heal physical disabilities here?"
Of course, Sylvia knew the real reason, but to steer the conversation deeper, posing a question she shouldn't know the answer to was a good move.
"For the Xianzhou, it's not physical impairment that's hard to cure, but congenital defects. Those like me are called 'Incomplete Ones.'"
Dan Shu kept her gaze forward as she briefly explained the existence of these so-called 'Incomplete Ones.'
"Long-life species differ from short-life species. Our physical conditions are set from birth—appearance, intellect, stature… all permanently fixed at the start. Short-life species can use skill or surgery to mend flaws, but for Xianzhou natives, such methods are futile."
"Using external means to repair a defect triggers severe rejection, lasting until the foreign object is expelled and the body returns to its incomplete state."
Dan Shu's explanation was concise, but to Sylvia, hearing it in person carried far more weight than any in-game text ever had.
"I see."
As she replied, Sylvia subtly flicked her wrist, and several folded sheets of paper appeared in her hand.
Their texture matched exactly that of the secret orders carried by the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus she'd encountered before.
She couldn't be sure she'd taken the right thing without checking the contents, but sitting right beside Dan Shu, it wasn't the time to look.
After all… it was hard to say whether Dan Shu could actually see or not.
And with Dan Shu's sharp senses, if Sylvia hadn't acquired those sleight-of-hand skills, she wouldn't have dared to steal from her.
Though honestly, even if she were caught, it wouldn't be a big deal to Sylvia. That's why she took the risk.
Still, whether this would yield useful intel was another matter.
Sylvia was mainly curious—after their plan regarding Tingyun was thwarted, what was that Emanator of Destruction's current view of Tingyun, and of her? And what was the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus' stance?
"I'm going to take a look over there."
After informing Dan Shu, Sylvia turned away, rounded a corner, and gazed into the distance. Only once she was out of Dan Shu's sight did she carefully unfold the papers.
The style of the paper was indeed the same, but the contents were disappointingly thin.
Part of it was a report to Dan Shu from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
It stated that they had observed Sylvia and Qingque entering the Alchemy Commission.
Another part contained orders issued by Dan Shu.
But the secret missive was only half-written, mentioning Dan Shu's intention to make contact with Sylvia.
There was not a single word about Tingyun or Phantylia.
Not much intel… With just this, there wasn't even enough evidence for the Cloud Knights to apprehend Dan Shu.
Then again, important intelligence would normally be destroyed immediately—why carry it around?
Still, it was a bit of a shame.
The information gained was minimal, and from this first meeting, Dan Shu seemed—whether intentionally or not—to be letting Sylvia learn about Incomplete Ones.
Trying to recruit me?
Sylvia couldn't help but try to view things from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus' perspective, considering what her appearance must look like to them.
She'd ruined their scheme—possibly even disrupted a deal with that Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia.
Yet the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus didn't seem to hold a bitter grudge; they even appeared open to peaceful contact.
Thinking it over, from their viewpoint, Sylvia and Tingyun were merely passing acquaintances—their relationship shouldn't run too deep.
Her alignment with the Xianzhou was likely just a matter of convenience.
Then, considering Acheron's situation… in such a short time, it was unlikely Sylvia would fully commit to standing with the Xianzhou through thick and thin.
Setting aside her own game-based fondness for the Xianzhou and its characters…
She ought to maintain a superficially friendly relationship with the Xianzhou, and nothing more.
Thinking it through, Sylvia realized that as an outsider, she really might be a potential recruitment target for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Especially since Sylvia wasn't from the Xianzhou and lacked the secrets of longevity.
But then the question remained.
While no one could quite pinpoint what Acheron was, the records that could be found made it clear her age was far beyond that of any short-life species.
Plus, the close relationship and interactions between Sylvia and Acheron since boarding the Xianzhou were plain to see.
Everything pointed to an intimate bond between the two.
A short-life species, intimately connected with someone of vast longevity…
Could that short-life individual truly resist embracing the Abundance, resisting the pursuit of longevity?
Even if she could resist seeking it out… what if the means to longevity were delivered right to her doorstep?
Could she resist the temptation then?
The more Sylvia pondered, the more the logic fell into place.
If she ignored the fact that she was the one in question…and simply viewed it from a third-party perspective…she'd have to admit: it looked an awful lot like she'd come to the Xianzhou to join the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.