Jingxing: Could the Mara-Struck Be Caused by Xianzhou Natives Straying from the Path of Abundance?

Fu Xuan chose Green Conch Crossing as his first spectator spot.

That was a Fanghu. According to historical records, on the third day of the battle, the outposts of the Denizens of Abundance would break through from here.

The two arrived a day early, parked their Starskiff at an abandoned Tidewatch Pavilion downstream, and then waited inside.

The pavilion is very dilapidated and looks like it hasn't been repaired in a long time.

A layer of white frost-like rust had formed on the railings, and the wind blowing from the beach carried aquatic plants, mud, and a slight fishy smell.

The paint had long since peeled off, and touching it left a trail of dust. Several tiles were missing from the corners of the pavilion, and withered branches hung from the exposed rafters.

Jingxing simply laid his sketchbook out on his lap and began practicing sketching.

"Won't painting this kind of scenery affect your mood?" Fu Xuan stood to the side and observed for a while before asking.

"Why would it affect your mood?" Jingxing asked rhetorically. "This bleak scenery, though somewhat depressing, has its own unique charm. Beauty isn't limited to positive atmospheres."

"I don't understand you Pathstrider of Beauty." Fu Xuan curled his lip, turned his head and simply sat down to the side, picking up the Jade Abacus and flipping through the information.

Jingxing refocused his attention on the painting, carefully sketching the withered branches and fallen leaves beside the pavilion.

But as he drew these lifeless objects, he couldn't help but ponder the Path that best symbolizes life.

"According to the information I saw at the Dual-Phase Paradise, the Path of Abundance is embodied in selflessness, altruism, and healing—it seems very positive. But why are the Denizens of Abundance like this?"

"Could it be that they went astray in fulfilling their Path? And because they went astray, they became irritable, destructive, and lacking in intelligence—could this be interpreted as the Yaoshi's punishment for those who strayed from their Path?"

Thinking of this, Jingxing suddenly asked, "Fu Xuan, given the Xianzhou's attitude towards Abundance, does that mean that any Pathstrider embarking on the Path of Abundance is a target of the Xianzhou's attacks?"

"How could that be?" Fu Xuan looked at Jingxing with an expression as if he were a lunatic. "In your heart, are we just blockheads stuck in two directions? As long as they haven't harmed anyone, and are only dedicated to Abundance their Path to help others, we will not only not attack them, but also help them when they need it. In fact, the Xianzhou has allies who are also fulfilling their Path of Abundance in the outside world. Moreover..."

"And what?" Jingxing asked curiously when he saw Fu Xuan hesitate at the end of his sentence.

"And to be honest, isn't the Xianzhou Alliance actually the largest Denizens of Abundance's organization in the universe?" Fu Xuan looked at the Jade Abacus in his hand and continued with a wry smile, "After all, our longevity comes from the blessing of the Plagues Author."

"That seems to be true." Jingxing twitched the corner of his mouth. "Then, thinking about it this way, doesn't the Xianzhou Alliance have deviated from the Path of Abundance? And those who deviate from the Path will surely be punished by the Aeon..."

Could the Mara-Struck fall into this category?

Fu Xuan seemed to see through Jingxing's thoughts and reminded him, "Even before the Plagues Author was known as the Plagues Author, the Xianzhou already possessed Mara-Struck."

"Alright. Looks like my idea was flawed." Jingxing shrugged and continued drawing. After finishing the background, he was now taking advantage of Fu Xuan's inattention to draw her leaning against the railing, looking at Jade Abacus.

The garrison arrived early the next morning.

The Pearl-Bearers lined up on both sides of the ferry crossing, their uniform gray armor pressing forward. There was no cheering drumbeat, only the occasional clinking of the pearls on their armor.

The Cloud Knights surged in from another route. Most of them came from Luofu and Yaoqing Xianzhou. Although they belonged to different groups, their steps looked even more orderly than those of the Pearl-Bearers.

"They look well-trained," Jingxing remarked after taking a sip of tea brewed by Fu Xuan while sitting atop the pavilion.

Fu Xuan nodded in agreement. "Although I always hope that General Jing Yuan will step down and make way for a more capable leader, I have to admit that he is a skilled military commander, and I still have a lot to learn from him."

Unlike the solemn military discipline on this side, the Denizens of Abundance Allied Forces on the opposite bank was clearly in complete chaos. The Borisin were shouting and jumping on the shore, piling up the loot at their feet; the Houyhnhnms were at the forefront, their hooves digging in the mud like a group of wild beasts bound by ropes; the Wingweavers squatted on the rocks, their wings half-open, like a row of large birds waiting for the wind.

Jingxing leaned on the railing, looking at the standoff on both sides, unsure how to describe his feelings at that moment.

He had expected his heart to race as he witnessed war for the first time. But it didn't. Instead, he felt a dull ache in his stomach, causing Jingxing to furrow his brow.

"You seem very nervous," Fu Xuan asked from beside him.

"It seems so." Jingxing rubbed his stomach. "Are we just going to watch here?"

He felt that if he could keep himself busy, his stomach might not feel uncomfortable anymore.

"Let's just watch here for now," Fu Xuan said, swinging his legs. "Your opportunity is very valuable to us; we can't use it here."

The words had barely left his mouth when the bugle sounded.

The first to move were the Houyhnhnms on the opposite bank of the river. They surged across the shallows like a torrent, their trampling waters bursting into a vast expanse of white mist. The Pearl-Bearers rushed forward without hesitation, their bluish-gray array denting upon contact, yet firmly withstanding the Houyhnhnms' onslaught.

The next second, the Wingweavers leaped high from the reef, bypassing the front ranks and rushing straight towards the Cloud Knights reinforcements coming from the rear.

One of the Pearl-Bearers was knocked down on the beach by the Houyhnhnms, but was immediately dragged back by his comrades, and then someone else took his place.

An arrow struck a flag bearer of the Cloud Knights, but he merely swayed and then raised his flag even higher than before.

The crossbow bolts made a short whooshing sound as they slashed across the water; the shallows were churned into a blood-red muddy mess. Jingxing watched for a while, then simply turned his head away.

"Let's go back to the Starskiff," Fu Xuan said, supporting him. "Going straight to the front lines right away is too much of an impact for you."

However, before Jingxing Fu Xuan could speak, Jing Xing bit his lip, flipped over, and leaped to the edge of the battlefield.

He did not attempt to harm the Denizens of Abundance, but instead silently channeled the Beauty energy of the people, sweeping it over the wounded soldiers who had been sent to the rear.

If "Temperance" can eliminate the branches of the Qiong Sang, then it can surely eliminate the pain that appears.

One by one, the wounded soldiers soon noticed something amiss.

"Is the recovery speed faster than usual?" A Cloud Knights rubbed his arm, quite surprised.

"Maybe it's because you've spilled the blood of those Abominations of Abundance on the other side?" his companion lying next to him joked.

"Go to hell! If you're going to Mara-Struck, remember to hurry up and finish it off." He spat, then grinned. "Fine, a quick recovery is a good thing. You little brat, Bu Li, your grandpa's back!"

Jingxing, who had retreated into the shadows, watched the Cloud Knights take up their weapons again and rush to the battlefield, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.