95 Lies

The delegation's visit was a long-term one, and the first day concluded with Yuan Chen's speech.

At the same time that Yuan Chen and Qiyana checked into the upscale hotel arranged by Piltover, numerous comments about Yuan Chen were quickly spread to every corner of Piltover through reporters.

Suddenly, discussions about the origins of Hex Crystal spread like wildfire, with almost the entire city debating the wisdom of the ancient civilization of Ixialia.

Meanwhile, the Archaeological Society and the Explorers' Society were overjoyed – their operation and development required funding, and raising such funds required the support of powerful families and conglomerates.

Interested only in monopolies and trade, these large families often fund such associations simply to gain fame in the arts and culture world.

Now, thanks to Yuan Chen's involvement, archaeology and exploration have become directly linked to Hex Crystal.

Almost that very evening, members of the four major families approached the two associations and made requests regarding funding for the associations, exploration, and archaeological work related to the origins of Hex Crystal and the Ixialia civilization.

Rose Hotel, second floor lobby.

Looking at the scholars exchanging ideas in the hall below, Qiyana's gaze held a hint of contemplation.

Unlike before, this time Qiyana wore a magnificent gown, the delicate Silk Material perfectly outlining her figure. Holding a glass of mead from Ixialia, Qiyana did not drink it, but merely held it as a courtesy, her golden eyes gazing downwards.

Under the arrangement of the four major families, all irrelevant personnel in the hotel have been dispersed.

Aside from the dignitaries of Piltover, only high-ranking magical engineers like Jayce and Heimerdinger were qualified to enter this hotel and converse with the scholars.

Elite guards from Piltover Enforcers were stationed around the hotel. On the second floor of the lobby, Qiyana could even see Caitlyn and Vi patrolling outside through the glass.

Inside the hotel, the Road Protector from Yishuaoken were stationed—upon their arrival, Road Protector immediately sealed off, detected, purified, and reinforced the entire hotel.

A powerful magical spell enveloped the entire hotel; in terms of defensive capabilities, Piltover's Zodiac Vault might not be as formidable as the Rose Hotel.

The scholars below were also exchanging ideas smoothly—the process of Yuan Chu Axiom Magic was based on a rigorous and precise scientific concept, which was highly similar to the magical engineering of Piltover.

What they have in common is that, after mastering the corresponding techniques, even ordinary people with no talent for magic can wield a certain degree of magical power.

For this reason, it wasn't just the scholars of Piltover who were interested in the Yuan Chu Axiom. The scholars of Yishuaoken were also interested in magical engineering.

At least now, scholars have begun to discuss how to apply high-purity Hex Crystal to the continuous power supply and circulation of large-scale spells.

However, one problem remains...

"Is what you said about the origin of Hex Crystal... true?" Qiyana looked at Yuan Chen, whose body was hidden in the lamplight.

"I consulted Master Odh and Master Tina. Although the scholars studied the Hextech Gemstone while we were resting in the mines, they haven't yet reached the point where they can trace their origins..."

"The truth is not important, and our goal is not to pursue science."

Yuan Chen remained calm in the face of Qiyana's question.

It's certain that this world is completely different from the League of Legends universe that Yuan Chen remembered. At the very least, whether the Shell People actually exists in this world is something that Yuan Chen is still uncertain about.

Because in this world, Crystal Vanguard Skarner has been transformed into the Ixialia Earth Elemental Sacred Beast Skarner, which is still in the testing phase, meaning that Crystal Vanguard Skarner may not actually exist.

If the Shell People still exist, then the Primal Hex Crystal represents Shell People blood and tears. If they do not exist, then the source of the Hex Crystal is the Great Crash of Shurima, the Vidalion Loom, and other areas with high-energy magical metabolism.

Because Hex Crystal are essentially the product of a large amount of arcane magic solidified.

However, all of the above are uncertain speculations—the construction of the League of Legends universe is too rudimentary.

While the exact reason for the creation of Hex Crystal in this world remains uncertain... to be honest, it doesn't matter.

Yuan Chen calmly placed his hand on the oak railing and said:

"Because it's a mystery, a mystery that even Piltover, who uses Hex Crystal, doesn't know the answer to. They only develop the ability to use the crystals; they know nothing about their true origin."

"Or, even if they knew, so what? We have plenty of ways to make others believe they're wrong. And our purpose here isn't to tell them the origin of the crystal, is it?"

The core purpose of Yuan Chen and Qiyana's trip to Piltover was to bring Piltover's top scholars back to Yishuaoken and promote exchanges Ixialia and the outside world.

Whether it's culture, technology, or customs, as long as Yuan Chen returns to Yishuaoken with the delegation of scholars from Piltover, then with the exchange between the two civilizations, the reformist scholars of Yishuaoken, led by Qiyana, will successfully break the balance with the conservatives.

In other words... the truth about the origin of Hex Crystal is not important.

The important thing is to take advantage of information asymmetry and ultimately achieve the desired result.

As for how the scholars of Piltover will react when Yishuaoken discovers that Yishuaoken's research on Hex Crystal is also quite limited... it doesn't really matter.

Because the Yuan Chu Axiom of Yishuaoken and the magical engineering of Piltover have great similarities, and the Yuan Chu Axiom of Ixialia, which have been passed down for thousands of years, are enough for them to study from beginning to end for decades or even centuries.

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's words, Qiyana raised an eyebrow, then looked at Yuan Chen and couldn't help but shake her head, saying:

"When you spoke at the meeting, you were so confident that I believed you were telling the truth."

"If you can't tell, they certainly can't either." Hearing Qiyana's words, a smile curved Yuan Chen's lips.

"Besides, once they actually arrive in Ixialia, they won't have time to pay attention to this. You know better than I do the vastness of the Yuan Chu Axiom; for these scholars seeking knowledge, they would rather drown in the ocean of truth."

"It's a great mockery to hear the word 'truth' from your mouth."

Qiyana glanced at Yuan Chen with a hint of disdain. Though it was disdain, it sounded more like a complaint. Perhaps due to their long-standing experiences and circumstances, Qiyana always held a special kind of trust in Yuan Chen.

Thinking it over, Qiyana said, "What if they discover that your claim that the Hex Crystal originates from Yishuaoken is a lie... or rather, that they've discovered your wordplay?"

"Isn't it normal for research to make mistakes?" Yuan Chen glanced at Qiyana, puzzled.

"Did that scholar's research go smoothly? So what if they made a discovery? Perhaps I should thank them for helping me find the fallacy in the Yishuaoken origin theory? At worst, I'll just apologize; that might make them feel better."

"What else can they do? Turn against Ixialia? Don't forget, while the origin of Hex Crystal is only a speculation, it's a fact that the Hextech Gemstone mines are located within Ixialia's territory. With the raw materials in our hands, do they dare to turn against us?"

"Just turn on them, go to war, and restrict exports. Then we'll sell them a rough stone—a rough stone, not crystal—for 500,000 marks. Let them buy it and refine it themselves."

After a pause, Yuan Chen added:

"And... I'd love for them to discover my mistake."

"Why?" Qiyana was somewhat confused—shouldn't it be better if a lie wasn't exposed?

Yuan Chen said calmly:

"I'm just a half-baked prophet; this world still holds many mysteries and unknowns for me."

"In this situation, if they do discover that what I said was a lie, it means they have discovered part of the truth about this world. I will then be able to obtain more clues, thus better and faster connecting the incomplete future and past that I have seen, making it complete."

"In short... the lies I told were for the purpose of better and faster discovering the truth and reality of this world. Those who exposed my lies only helped me to perfect the future I could foresee."

"They exposed my lies, and I won't be angry. I'll applaud them because they discovered the truth of the world, dispelled the fog of the future, and broadened my horizons."

Sensing the calmness in Yuan Chen's words, and the unwavering confidence that his words conveyed, Qiyana nodded thoughtfully, then couldn't help but chuckle softly:

"I'm starting to understand why a demon would target you... Just what kind of demon is targeting you, causing you such a headache?"

"Look at what you're saying. Even if I were targeted by a demon, I've never killed anyone... Of course, that's beside the point."

Upon hearing Qiyana's words, Yuan Chen shook his head and said, "Let's focus on what's at hand, such as establishing a Hextech workshop belonging to Ixialia."

"Hextech Workshop?" Qiyana was taken aback. "What would we do with a workshop?"

"To better define the formulaic relationship between magical engineering and the Yuan Chu Axiom, we also need a stable, closed, and independent environment to analyze what we have gained along the way."

"And, there's still a lot to do tonight..."