The work of the Alchemy Commission proceeded without a hitch.
Even General Jing Yuan didn't make any rash moves against them.
The atmosphere within the Xianzhou had turned somewhat eerie after the formulas were spread. This was felt most keenly not by the people of the Alchemy Commission, but by the Vidyadhara.
Vidyadhara marrow was the key ingredient for restoring sanity to the Mara-Struck.
This directly implicated the interests of the Vidyadhara. If the Alchemy Commission had truly developed such a formula, it meant the Vidyadhara must have also participated in similar experiments.
Bailu had been much more docile after being "educated" by Dan Shu's words.
No matter how much she hated being controlled, she knew the current climate outside was not exactly friendly toward the Vidyadhara.
The issue of Vidyadhara marrow was tied to the Mara-Struck state.
Once, when Bailu was out on the streets with Dan Shu, she felt the stares of the people around her were... off.
To prevent anything too unfortunate from happening to the Vidyadhara High Elder, Dan Shu usually had Bailu accompany her, learning and exploring at the same time.
"You see, many outsiders have come to the Xianzhou recently."
Dan Shu had already noticed that the number of outsiders on the Xianzhou was unusual. She had known this would happen ever since she decided to walk this path.
As long as one attempts to recreate the miracles of Abundance, it will continuously attract more malevolent beings.
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had only been re-established for thirty years, and already many outsiders had their eyes on the internal movements of the Xianzhou.
"Are they all here seeking longevity? They seem to be looking at me with ill intent." Bailu was terrified that if she were captured, she'd be turned into some kind of Vidyadhara marrow production machine.
Dan Shu replied, "Not necessarily. Perhaps they are hostile forces, or perhaps people who covet the power of Abundance. More likely, they believe they have a chance to take the blessings of Abundance from the Xianzhou. As long as such wishful thinking exists in their minds for even a day, the troubles facing the Xianzhou will be endless."
"What if? What if I'm the one who succeeds? A mere Master Alchemist like me could achieve this much; there's no reason others can't, is there?"
Dan Shu was still underestimating herself. What she had done could basically be described as earth-shattering.
Bailu didn't know what was going on in Dan Shu's mind. She could only clutch the gourd in her arms and patter along behind her.
This woman was too terrifying. Just looking at Dan Shu's lifeless eyes was enough to extinguish any thought of resistance in Bailu.
Bailu was worried that if the Alchemy Commission continued like this, it would attract many unnecessary enemies. She asked in a low voice, "Are the formulas causing trouble for everyone?"
"It's just an inanimate object. How could it cause any trouble?" Dan Shu didn't care about the formulas being exposed; she had more important things to do.
"Fortune and misfortune have no door; they are summoned by man himself. In most cases, when you wield a power you did not create yourself, you will often find it ill-suited to you. Just like the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission..."
Dan Shu was silent for a moment, then continued, "Many on the Xianzhou know she received a blessing from Nous the Eruditor, but what was the actual result? I'm afraid it was less than satisfactory. It is so for the Ambrosial Arbor of the Sanctus Medicus, and it is so for the Dharma Eye of Nous the Eruditor. If you cannot create such an ability yourself, you will easily fall into the traps of others."
"Therefore, for the people of the Xianzhou, the time they believed most fervently in the Sanctus Medicus was, ironically, when they had not yet received its 'blessings'."
Bailu had never heard such heart-piercing words before and was too scared to ask any more questions.
Dan Shu looked at her as one would a child, even patting her little head from time to time to tease her.
Dan Shu said with a smile, "In this regard, the Arbiter-General of The Hunt has played his part well. As long as the Sanctus Medicus continues to spread its 'blessings' throughout the universe, as long as the abominations of Abundance he creates are endless, then those beings will covet the Xianzhou and the Ambrosial Arbor for all eternity."
"And in order to obtain the great power needed to maintain their own safety, the faith of the Xianzhou in The Hunt will be continuously strengthened, gradually seeping into the heart of every citizen."
"Under the endless external crisis of the Abominations of Abundance, the people of the Xianzhou, on the contrary, have been united by this powerful conflict. I just... hm, thought I'd try to bring this conflict out into the open."
As Dan Shu said, faith is often born from want.
"Of all life's sufferings, 'not attaining what one seeks' is the most common. Bailu, do you think the formulas I spread can truly alleviate the suffering of the Mara-Struck?"
Dan Shu led Bailu to a pavilion and slowly sat down on the bench beneath it.
Bailu knew that the Mara-Struck state could only be alleviated. To this day, even she, the High Elder, had no good way to solve the problem.
So Bailu naturally shook her head. "No. Many of those formulas were created by our predecessors, and the pain one must endure to overcome the Mara-Struck state is immense. To rely on formulas to solve the problem is pure fantasy."
Dan Shu, of course, understood what Bailu meant. Bailu herself was an excellent alchemist and naturally knew how effective those formulas would be.
But in Dan Shu's heart, the formulas were not important at all. They were merely a smokescreen for what she was about to do next.
Dan Shu knew that the Xianzhou was now filled with outside 'guests.'
She had never thought from the beginning that she could easily overturn the faith held by The Hunt with just a few formulas.
The purpose of the formulas was merely to make the Xianzhou people realize that the key to solving the Mara-Struck problem still lay with the Ambrosial Arbor, with Abundance.
This was why Dan Shu had to spread the real formulas.
It's not that there is no hope, nor that hope is faint, that is to be feared. What is to be feared is having that hope, only to have it destroyed right before your eyes.
The Hunt once severed the trunk of the Ambrosial Arbor with an arrow, but in reality, the Arbor still displayed an incomprehensibly powerful life force.
The Xianzhou was so cautious that they even had the Vidyadhara guard the seal in the Scalegorge Waterscape day and night.
And Dan Shu knew full well that this seal hadn't been properly maintained for many years. Whether it was still effective would require a special test.
"Lady Bailu, how much do you think the faith of the Xianzhou people will change? They have believed in the Sky-Mender, believed in the Cloud-Walker, believed in The Hunt..."
"But after believing in so many Aeons, has the internal situation of the Xianzhou truly changed that much? The Alchemy Commission has not changed for many years. Even though it heals the sick and saves the dying, it no longer has much connection with the people of the Xianzhou."
"The number of outsiders we have saved has even surpassed the total population of the Xianzhou."
Dan Shu's voice was distant as she said with detachment, "But in the end, I couldn't save the suffering in the hearts of the Xianzhou people. I couldn't even cure my own."