"What are you doing? Where are you from?"
A Cloud Knight blocked Noldrei's path.
Noldrei leaned forward to peek inside. "I'm an outworlder who was recently brought in by the Alchemy Commission to test some elixir recipes. What's going on in there? Did something happen? Why aren't we allowed in today?"
"Test elixir recipes?!" The two Cloud Knights blocking the way were stunned.
"Yeah, you Xianzhou people rarely take elixirs, right? So outworlders like me are needed to test the recipes. You didn't know? Because of the Xianzhou people's special constitution, they rarely need medicine, so most of it is sold to outworlders."
Having spent so much time inside, Noldrei was well-versed in these matters. He spoke as if it were common knowledge. "Outworlders come from all over the universe. The differences between people are vast, so you need a lot of different people to test the recipes. I was one of them. The Alchemy Commission even paid me a decent wage."
It was a good thing the Cloud Knights were wearing helmets, or their pitiful and sympathetic expressions would have been on full display.
One of the Cloud Knights explained, "Don't bother. The people from the Alchemy Commission have all gone on strike. They even blew up the alchemy furnace, the 'Aurum Alley.' They feel they've contributed so much to the Xianzhou without getting the treatment they deserve, so they're petitioning to disband the Alchemy Commission. As for the elixir testing, that's over."
Noldrei feigned shock. "Then what about my wages? They promised to pay me after I tested the elixirs and they saw the results."
"This..."
The two Cloud Knights looked at each other, unsure how to handle this.
They were only responsible for blocking the road. The follow-up procedures hadn't been decided yet. They had no idea how to deal with these outworlders.
"You... don't tell me you didn't even consider this problem?"
Noldrei looked at the two Cloud Knights suspiciously.
They wouldn't dare admit to that. One quickly explained, "No, no, it's just that we're not in charge of that. You'll need to go to the Realm-Keeping Commission and find the person who handles this sort of work. And... and we don't know how many people are affected. After all, it all happened so suddenly. It'll take some time."
Noldrei didn't really care if the Cloud Knights could handle it. He was more interested in seeing how Dan Shu had dealt with the loose ends in the Alchemy Commission.
And he wasn't the only one asking. Many other outworlders who had been experimenting with the Alchemy Commission were also stopped here.
The entrance to the Alchemy Commission had turned into a bustling marketplace, with a diverse crowd of people gathered, waiting for a resolution.
"So, when do you think this can be resolved?"
Noldrei didn't make things difficult for these grunts. After all, who among them hadn't secretly glanced at the recipes Dan Shu provided when they were off duty?
For all he knew, these Cloud Knights were probably wondering if the Alchemy Commission had really solved the problem of the Mara-Struck.
"That... we don't know..."
"You can see the smoke rising over there. That's where the alchemy furnace blew up. It'll probably take some time to repair it."
The Cloud Knights weren't telling the whole truth.
For example, many of the tools in the Alchemy Commission were tied to the Ambrosial Arbor. There was a lot of equipment related to modifying the Arbor, and under Dan Shu's machinations, most of it was either destroyed or broken, leaving very little for the Xianzhou.
The Cloud Knights didn't elaborate on the deeper details, but in their eyes, Dan Shu was an absolute madwoman who had decided to take all the blessings of Yaoshi with her, letting the Xianzhou people stew in their regret.
'What a ruthless woman!'
If the common folk of the Xianzhou knew that the equipment they could have used was destroyed because of a conflict of faith among the higher-ups, Jing Yuan would probably have to resign in disgrace.
Noldrei didn't press further. Like a helpless outworlder, he turned and left the Alchemy Commission.
But in the blink of an eye, Noldrei transformed into a delivery bird and flew inside, unnoticed.
Soon, he saw the unfortunate Dragon Lady, Bailu, being questioned about Dan Shu.
The little girl was complaining loudly, "I already told you, I don't know anything about what she did. She didn't even tell me before she did it. I only saw her promoting the faith of Yaoshi a few times. As for what she was actually doing, I have no idea."
Bailu was just another unlucky victim. She had no clue what Dan Shu had been up to.
"Lady Bailu, please calm down. We're not suspecting you. We just want to know what exactly happened inside the Alchemy Commission. The Aurum Alley has been destroyed, and it will take a great deal of effort to repair it. There are very few trustworthy people left in the Alchemy Commission, and the Artisanship Commission will need time to find old records for such an ancient artifact."
"So, Lady Bailu... just tell me in detail about Dan Shu."
Judging by her uniform, the questioner was from the Realm-Keeping Commission. Her main job here was probably to find out the truth behind the Alchemy Commission's turmoil.
Colluding with foreign enemies, bringing in a Stellaron, and even openly reviving the Ambrosial Arbor.
The Arbor was so massive that even outworlders at Starskiff Haven could see it clearly. Everyone knew that the Xianzhou's long-severed Ambrosial Arbor had been revived.
Now, the entire universe knew about the major event on the Xianzhou.
It was likely that even more people would come in the future, seeking a taste of immortality.
The people of the Realm-Keeping Commission felt a sense of dread just thinking about the problems the Xianzhou would face in the future.
The Luofu couldn't even protect a dead Ambrosial Arbor. How were they supposed to protect a living one?
Bailu was sick of the repetitive questioning.
They didn't believe her when she told the truth, and they just kept trying to coax out the answers they wanted to hear.
What kind of interrogation was this?
"I already told you, I don't know anything about it."
The Realm-Keeping Commission official pressed on, "But according to other members of the Alchemy Commission, you were the only one who was always by Dan Shu's side."
Bailu was furious. "Isn't it obvious she was using me as a shield? It's not like I wanted to be by her side! Could I have refused the Alchemy Commission's control over me? That's Dan Shu we're talking about, a woman who could push out the head of the Alchemy Commission and take control of the entire place as a mere Preceptor."
"I'm a Vidyadhara Dragon Lady without even a proper title. At best, I have a pretty name. Could I have refused such a powerful person?"
"Is there something wrong with your head? Do you want me to slap you a couple of times with my tail to clear your mind?!"
"If you people keep this up, we Vidyadhara will have to seriously reconsider our alliance with the Xianzhou!"
The Realm-Keeping Commission official wanted to believe Bailu, but given the current situation, the Vidyadhara had done too much within the Alchemy Commission. The foundation of trust between the Vidyadhara leadership and the Xianzhou was completely gone.
Noldrei sighed to himself. Dan Shu's final blow had struck right at the fissure between the Xianzhou's allies.