Extra: Feather and Poison (1)

The extra chapter, consisting of 20,000 words, is released for free; the rest is chargeable.

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Chapter 1: Stars Calendar Year 255, Nineteen years ago, Pearl Duchy capital, Tears Reflected City.

Reception room of the Pearl Branch of the Four Directions Chamber of Commerce.

"I'm very sorry, Lord Galio, our guild did acquire some of these materials some time ago, but they've all been bought up by our clients." Vice President Charles held a purchase list in his hand, his tone full of regret and helplessness.

He doesn't need to personally greet ordinary customers.

The man sitting opposite me right now is Galio, the Dark Grand Magus Mentor nicknamed "Black Raven".

However, this guest's request was rather tricky.

The list was densely packed with a large number of rare alchemical materials.

Not only are there many different kinds, but the quantity is also enormous; it's not something that can be easily collected.

"I'm sorry, our chamber of commerce is powerless to help."

Galio's expression remained unfazed, his eyes filled with gloom.

A sense of oppressive power emanated from him, making the air seem heavier. The cups on the coffee table shattered, shards of porcelain scattering everywhere, and steaming tea spilled out.

Charles, however, calmly picked up his teacup. "Lord Galio," he said, "Our merchant guild is simply open for business; there is absolutely no reason for us to refuse to sell our goods."

Galio's expression changed slightly.

Despite his intimidating presence, the businessman remained calm and defiant.

Clearly, the other party is not someone to be trifled with.

Galio composed himself, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I didn't control myself well, sorry."

There's no point in staying any longer.

Galio retrieved his list of requirements, got up, and left the reception room to continue his visit to the next chamber of commerce.

Back on the street, the wind blowing in my face carried a faint, almost imperceptible, fishy smell.

It wasn't pungent; rather, it was more like a hallmark of this coastal capital.

The Pearl Duchy is world-renowned for its seafood.

This area boasts a thriving aquaculture industry, a massive fishing industry, and a complete processing industry. Various seafood caught from the sea are processed into foods that can be preserved for a long time and continuously transported to various places.

Seafood is a pillar of the country's economy and a major food source for its people.

"Lord Galio!"

Suddenly someone called out to him.

Galio stopped and saw a man dressed as an officer hurrying towards him.

The other party approached and bowed respectfully. "I belong to the Star Feather Chamber of Commerce. I've heard that you are currently purchasing a large quantity of alchemy materials."

Galio's eyes lit up immediately. "Your company can supply goods?"

The officer slightly turned to the side and gestured invitingly, "Please, sir, come to our humble chamber of commerce for further discussion."

****

Led by the other party, Galio quickly arrived at the Star Feather Chamber of Commerce's headquarters.

When he entered the reception room, he found two young men already there, seemingly waiting for him.

Galio had initially only glanced at the prince casually, was suddenly taken aback. "Your Highness?"

The person who arranged to meet him was none other than the Crown Prince of the Star Empire, Xialike.

Xialike gestured for him to sit down. "Master Galio, the amount of materials you need is enormous. Especially some of the rare materials; gathering them in a short time will be extremely difficult."

Galio slowly sat down, his expression somber.

He was well aware of this.

The fact that mentor Russell was assassinated by Zijin is still unknown to outsiders.

He planned to conduct an unprecedented large-scale teleportation, moving the entire White Bone Fortress to the distant Northern Lands, where he would establish a new foothold.

This is also an unprecedented attempt, a feat that will shake the academic world.

If successful, he will be recognized as a titled scholar.

"Excuse my bluntness," Xialike leaned back in his chair, speaking calmly, "Two million gold coins, you can't come up with that, can you?"

The materials on that list were initially estimated to be worth two million gold coins.

Xialike Like paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, with such a huge volume of purchases, once the buying spree begins, market prices will inevitably rise rapidly."

"The final cost will definitely be much higher than this figure."

The high-end alchemical goods market has always been like this.

High prices, low production capacity, and a very limited market size mean that even the slightest disturbance can cause drastic fluctuations.

Moreover, this list includes many strategically controlled materials, which are inaccessible to anyone without a truly powerful background.

Galio remained silent for a moment before finally speaking slowly, "Since Your Highness has come to see me personally, you must be confident that you can accomplish all of this."

He raised his eyes and looked at Xialike.

"In that case, let's state our conditions directly."

Xialike's gaze was deep and unfathomable as he uttered a single, understated sentence. "I want the ' Myriad Phenomena Prism '."

Galio's eyes narrowed sharply.

He didn't even ask how the other person knew he had the stone.

It was a mysterious and magnificent gem, deep and clear, as if it held endless secrets.

It is said to be closely related to the essential mysteries of dimensions and space.

As a researcher in the field of teleportation, Galio went to great lengths to obtain it.

However, like the scholars who had held it in the past, he studied it for many years without achieving any substantial results.

Galio did not answer immediately.

He picked up his teacup, sipping his tea while lost in thought.

If we can obtain these supplies, then the largest interdimensional teleportation in history will be within our grasp.

Besides the honor of being a "titled scholar," the power manipulation and insights gained from this massive teleportation could very well become the opportunity for him to climb the ladder of transcendence, allowing him to take a significant step towards the Saint Rank.

Xialike didn't urge him, and waited quietly.

The room was completely silent, save for the soft sloshing of the tea.

Finally, Galio slowly put down his teacup and looked up at Xialike.

"Make a deal!"

****

The deal wasn't successfully completed until a month later.

The "Myriad Phenomena Prism" were inlaid with Celestial Gold by royal craftsmen and made into an exquisite and luxurious ring.

"The box isn't finished yet." Meiwu'er handed the embroidered bag to Xialike, which was lined with soft velvet.

"No."

Xialike took the bag, carried it in his hand, and walked towards the Royal Library.

There, bookshelves stood in rows, and under the bright lights, countless books were neatly displayed.

The air was filled with the scent of paper and ink.

Xialike walked past several rows of bookshelves and soon spotted a beautiful, slender figure.

Her figure was more slender and graceful than that of a human, with her shoulders slightly exposed and her skin covered with a layer of fine down, exuding the unique delicacy and lightness of the Feather Race.

Hearing footsteps, Chloe looked up at him and nodded slightly.

He then lowered his head again and continued flipping through the book in his hands.

Xialike Like glanced around and noticed that almost all the books on the bookshelf where she had stopped were newly added. Judging from the titles, most of the books were related to the Feather Race, covering various aspects such as physiology.

Chloe's lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement in her expression. "You arranged the procurement?"

The Royal Library originally contained many books related to the Feather Race, but not to this extent.

Xialike shook his head, then stepped forward and put an arm around her waist. "If I really want to understand the Feather Race, a more direct approach will suffice."

Chloe rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

"I've noticed you've been very busy with your business association lately. What brings you here to see me?" she asked casually.

"I'm done." Xialike tossed the bag to her. "I've got this."

Chloe reflexively reached out and caught it.

Curious, she weighed the bag in her hand. Inside was a hard object the size of a pigeon egg, and it was quite heavy.

"You mobilized so much of the Chamber of Commerce's funds and resources," she looked up at Xialike, "Just to get this?"

As she spoke, she untied the bag and emptied its contents.

What landed in my palm was a ring set with a transparent gemstone.

Chloe initially thought it was some kind of antique jewelry, but after a quick glance at the marks and patterns on the Celestial Gold setting, she determined that it was newly made.

She was momentarily stunned.

"You paid such a high price just for this ring?" Chloe's voice was full of surprise.

However, the moment her fingers touched the gemstone, a faint yet profound light flashed by.

In that instant, the confusion on Chloe's face vanished, and she froze on the spot.

"Myriad Phenomena Prism!"

Then, she suddenly realized what Xialike was doing.

Almost instinctively, she raised a hand and covered her mouth.

"Are you... insane?!"

There were other people around in the library, so Chloe had to keep her voice down. Her eyes were filled with astonishment, shock, and even a complex mix of emotions that were hard to define.

"You said back then," Xialike looked at her leisurely, a smug look on his face, "That you would agree to marry me if I could get you something ranked high in the ' Mysterious Things '."

"I truly cannot obtain the number one ranked Divine Favor Scepter."

"But I've already taken the second one."

For a moment, Chloe was completely at a loss for words.

She put down the book in her hand, grabbed the bookshelf beside her with one hand, and tried to calm her disordered breathing.

With each rise and fall of its chest, even the downy feathers on its shoulders trembled slightly.

Xialike stepped forward and gently took her hand.

With his other hand, he picked up the ring from her palm.

"Is it okay?" he asked in a low voice.

Chloe took a deep breath and finally made up her mind.

"----Can."

She turned her head away, but her ears were already turning red.

Chloe had assumed that Xialike's next step would be to slip the ring onto her finger.

Unexpectedly, Xialike pulled her into his arms, grabbed the back of her neck with his other hand, turned her face towards him, and kissed her.

"----Um----you----"

Chloe's symbolic struggle was quickly suppressed by him.

Section 2 SS

Dear Stacy:

Although it's a bit embarrassing to talk about, now that someone has actually obtained the "Myriad Phenomena Prism," I must accept his marriage proposal as agreed.

We cordially invite you to be a bridesmaid at this unconventional wedding.

I'm sorry, but among the people around me, I really can't think of any other young, unmarried woman with such a thick skin. Zijin doesn't count; if she knew about this, she might blow up the palace.

We also sincerely invite scholars of white.

If we are fortunate enough to have him take time out of his busy schedule to attend, both Xialike and I would be extremely honored.

Please convey my deepest respects.

Chloe, a nervous little bird, wrote this by hand in the City of Radiance of the Star Empire.

SS

After putting down her pen, Chloe raised her hand and rubbed her face.

She never imagined that she would one day write such a letter.

Chloe carefully folded the letter paper, which was decorated with feather patterns, and placed it in the envelope. She then dripped sealing wax onto the seal and stamped it with her personal seal.

She rolled up the envelope and finally tied it to the leg of an owl.

The owl, having already eaten and drunk its fill, flapped its wings and flew out of the open window.

Chloe leaned back in her chair, seemingly still recovering from the shyness of writing the letter.

A breeze blew in from the window, carrying a hint of autumn chill, which gradually cooled the heat on her cheeks.