Chapter 143: The Luofu's Abomination Isn't as Pretty as the Yaoqing's
"Hey, hey, hey! Didn't you say not to act rashly? Why did you jump in first!" Sushang complained, even as she unhesitatingly drew her greatsword and followed him into the fray.
Luocha simply shook his head, the faint, pleasant smile on his lips unchanging as he, too, joined the battle.
These low-level Mara-Struck were no match for the trio. Within just a few swift exchanges, the last of the shambling creatures was struck down, collapsing into dust.
"Miss, are you alright?" Sushang sheathed her sword with a flourish and hurried toward the woman they had just saved.
"An obvious question," the other party's voice replied, entirely cold and devoid of any discernible emotion.
"Sorry, I didn't see any blood, so I thought you were fine," Sushang said, only to then notice the unusual, polished luster and complex patterns at the woman's joints. A flicker of realization crossed her face. "So you're... an Ingenium Puppet?"
"Motor mechanisms damaged. Unable to move." The puppet, who identified herself as a Judge, spoke with that same flat, mechanical tone. "Are you a Cloud Knight? Good. Please escort me to the Department of Fortunes immediately."
"Ah... about that..." A troubled look clouded Sushang's features. She turned, scratching the back of her head as she faced Dan Heng and Luocha with an apologetic wince. "Luocha, Quiet Man, I'm so sorry, but it looks like we're going to be delayed again. This lady is a puppet Judge from the Ten-Lords Commission. As a Cloud Knight, I have to focus on her orders."
She sighed, the sound laced with genuine annoyance. "Sorry. If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have dragged you two along. You probably would have reached your destination by now if you'd gone on your own."
"I know a bit of medicine," Luocha stepped forward, his voice as warm and gentle as ever. His gaze settled on the immobile puppet. "Why not allow me to try and see if I can alleviate your injuries first?"
"Uh, you don't understand..." Sushang quickly interjected, pointing at the puppet. "She's a puppet, not a person of flesh and blood. A regular doctor's methods probably won't work on her. It's safer to just get her to the Department of Fortunes as soon as we can."
"It's no matter, Miss Sushang. Please, leave this to me."
Luocha offered a slight, reassuring smile and walked unhurriedly to where the Judge lay on the ground. From the folds of his robes, he produced a simple, ancient-looking pendant, letting it dangle from his palm.
"This shouldn't hurt, but you might experience some strange sensations... perhaps an ache, or a tingling. Can you endure it and remain still?"
As he spoke, a shimmering, vibrant green light began to emanate from the pendant. It flowed outward like a gentle, warm current, softly enveloping the puppet's damaged joints.
"It is useless. This body is a mechanical creation, not a mortal frame of flesh and blood," the puppet's voice stated, still perfectly emotionless.
"Mechanical or flesh, they are all but physical forms," Luocha chuckled softly. "As long as you do not mind the methods I employ..."
The green light seemed to take on a life of its own. Like ethereal threads of glowing energy, it seeped into the minute gaps between the puppet's precise machinery.
"...Miraculous."
A moment later, the faintest, almost imperceptible hint of surprise flickered in the Judge's cold, synthesized voice.
She tentatively moved her arm. The joints that had been completely stalled now rotated with smooth, fluid strength, allowing her to push herself up from the ground and slowly rise to her feet.
"How—how did you do that? That's not medicine at all!" Sushang's eyes widened, her face a mask of pure disbelief.
"Abundance..." Dan Heng, who had been observing silently from the side, offered a calm, one-word judgment.
Luocha didn't deny it, simply tucking the pendant back into his robes with a serene expression.
"Good. There is no need to return to the Department of Fortunes. The mission continues," the Judge declared. "According to the laws of the Ten-Lords Commission, I do not concern myself with external matters. However, since you assisted in my escape, I will offer a word of advice: leave this place as soon as possible."
Her mechanical head turned, her optical sensors seeming to scan the area. "I am here to restore order and capture the wanted Stellaron Hunters. One of them displays extraordinary swordsmanship and wields a divine weapon. They are extremely dangerous..."
At the mention of the Stellaron Hunters, Dan Heng's posture stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"If not for a strange occurrence, my operational lifespan might have been terminated here," the Judge continued, not noticing Dan Heng's subtle reaction.
"A strange... occurrence," Dan Heng repeated in a low voice, his gaze lifting to meet the puppet's.
"Follow me." The Judge offered no further details on the nature of this "occurrence." She simply turned, her actions a clear signal for them to follow.
She led the three of them through the debris-strewn streets to a location with a slightly more open view, then raised a hand to point into the distance.
"I have never witnessed such a sight with my own optical sensors before."
What she pointed to was the colossal, shadowy form piercing through the clouds. Its gnarled branches spread like a cancerous growth, radiating an ominous, unnatural vitality—the Ambrosial Arbor.
"Is that the Luofu's Ambrosial Arbor? It's my first time seeing it so close," Sushang murmured, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and apprehension.
"Aren't you a Cloud Knight?" Dan Heng asked, a hint of confusion in his tone.
"Cloud Knights don't exactly go out of their way to sightsee the Ambrosial Arbor," Sushang replied, scratching her head. "Besides, I haven't been stationed here long. The Abomination of Abundance on my home ship, the Xianzhou Yaoqing, is a moon. I think it looks much prettier than the Luofu's big tree."
"I heard the Ambrosial Arbor had long since withered," Luocha mused, his gaze fixed on the corrupted tree. "How could it suddenly grow and spread like this?"
"It is the work of the Stellaron's corruption. There is no other explanation," the Judge's answer was firm, without a trace of hesitation. "I must return to the Ten-Lords Commission as soon as possible. I am still damaged and my movement is restricted. I shall requisition your assistance for a time. Once we find a Starship Skiff Jetty, you will be free to act."
The Judge withdrew her hand and turned back to the three of them.
"Um... there's really no way around it..." Sushang looked between Dan Heng and Luocha, shrugging helplessly. "According to Luofu law, all citizens have a duty to assist the Ten-Lords Commission in their cases."
Just then, the Judge's "gaze" suddenly fixed on Dan Heng's face. Her cold, mechanical voice seemed to pause for an infinitesimal moment.
"Your appearance is very familiar."
Dan Heng's heart clenched, but his expression remained a stoic mask. He said nothing.
After a brief, tense silence, the Judge spoke again, her voice having returned to its steady, synthesized tone. "...No matter. I have cross-referenced the portrait records of the Shackling Prison. There is no matching entry."
"I'm really sorry about this..." Sushang explained again on the Judge's behalf, an apologetic look plastered on her face. "When the Ten-Lords Commission requisitions a Cloud Knight for assistance, I have to comply. I've delayed you both again... once we get the Judge safely to a jetty, I'll treat you to a meal to make up for it!"
"I did not expect such a short walk to present so many twists and turns," Luocha chuckled and shook his head, turning his amiable gaze to Dan Heng. "It seems we are temporarily 'people of the Ten-Lords Commission' now. What do you think, Brother Dan Heng?"
"I'll help," Dan Heng replied, his nod brief and his words concise.
"Good. A man of few words," Luocha smiled. "It seems we won't be able to stay out of this matter after all."
Sushang clapped her hands together. "Then let's find a Starship Skiff Jetty as soon as possible and send this Judge safely on her way!"
As they began to walk, Sushang's curiosity finally got the better of her. She fell into step beside the puppet. "To be honest, it's my first time seeing a Judge of the Ten-Lords Commission up close. What exactly are you responsible for?"
"Managing the lifespans of the Long-Lived species and handling all matters related to the Mara-Struck," the Judge's answer was short, clear, and carried a business-like solemnity.
Sushang nodded slowly. "Then it's indeed probably for the best if a person never has to see you in their entire life..."
"Indeed," the Judge's voice replied, utterly devoid of emotion.
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