'Cipher' was feeling beyond awkward right now.
The main issue was that if the Vidyadhara ever got wind of this ability, they'd be over the moon about it.
After all, it meant the continuation of their race. And with her own strength, she wasn't exactly worried about them harboring any ill intentions.
But the problem lay in the method... it was, to put it lightly, morally questionable.
Was she really supposed to just watch as Vidyadhara women lined up at her door to conceive, only to waddle out one by one with growing bellies?
That was a bit too much "slice of life" for her.
Especially when it came to something as vital as racial survival; she could easily imagine people ignoring their own partners just to come begging for a child.
The very thought made her vision go dark. If she actually went through with this, she had a feeling her reputation in the cosmos would take a turn for the bizarre.
To be fair, 'Cipher' didn't think she had any weird fetishes in that department.
She had envisioned many paths—maybe hand-crafting them herself, or having the Vidyadhara contribute bloodlines, or even something as far-fetched as concocting a divine medicine for Propagation.
She just never expected it to go in this direction.
Her reputation was taking a nose-dive!
Ruan Mei, standing beside her, waited for a good while until 'Cipher' finally calmed down. Only then did she ask with curiosity:
"What's the matter? It doesn't look like bad news."
"...It's not 'bad' per se, but it's not great for me. I can now enable any female Vidyadhara to conceive an egg. Once it hatches, it becomes a new individual."
Ruan Mei blinked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"Is such an ability not good? You could even use the survival of their race as a bargaining chip to recruit a powerful Vidyadhara tribe as your subordinates."
Compared to 'Cipher's' moral compass, Ruan Mei's bottom line was clearly much lower. Although the Vidyadhara kept a low profile, there were several powerful branches among them.
"Even if you aren't interested in that sort of thing, I think it's an excellent choice for an exchange of interests."
The key was that 'Cipher' possessed enough personal strength and influence. In Ruan Mei's eyes, this ability was pure, unadulterated power.
"...That may be true, but you really don't care about the hit to my reputation at all, do you?" 'Cipher' couldn't help but jab at her.
"Why care? It's not as if it's something terrible."
"..."
"..."
'Cipher' shook her head vigorously at the response.
"How is this not terrible? If I just snapped my fingers and sent you back home with a child on the way, wouldn't you find that absurd?"
"Hmm... if the offspring could inherit this unique ability of yours, I wouldn't mind."
Ruan Mei spoke with a perfectly natural expression, dropping a terrifyingly casual bombshell. It made 'Cipher' realize once again that, in certain aspects, she simply couldn't see eye-to-eye with a genius.
Then again, abilities from the System could never be inherited by offspring. So, that hypothesis was a moot point, destined never to happen.
Seeing 'Cipher's' reaction, Ruan Mei knew her suggestion had been rejected. She didn't mind much; it was just a passing thought, and she hadn't expected it to work anyway.
Rather than such ethereal matters, Ruan Mei was currently more interested in something else:
"Using the power of Propagation to catalyze the birth of new Vidyadhara... I'm curious how you manage to bypass the conflicting influence of these two forces. Could you demonstrate it a few times?"
At the very least, Ruan Mei felt this was no easy feat.
It was one thing to create a Swarm or a Vidyadhara separately. But trying to harmonize those two powers within a single entity was nearly impossible to stabilize, let alone allowing a new individual to be born.
Thus, Ruan Mei desperately wanted to observe the process.
Even if the activation of the power was a "black box" to some extent, since it involved the power of Paths, the mutual reactions between those Paths would always leave a trace.
Using that as a clue, Ruan Mei might find the answer she sought. If she did, she felt she could finally find a way to begin an experiment for a man-made Emanator.
"...I know you're curious, but this ability isn't something I can use alone. Calm down. Why don't you go out for a seawater bath and relax a bit?"
'Cipher' felt Ruan Mei's train of thought was getting dangerous.
Plus, ever since they arrived at the Fanghu, they had been cooped up in this mansion for days without stepping foot outside. Since they were here, 'Cipher' figured she ought to take Ruan Mei out for a stroll.
Ruan Mei knew she was changing the subject. However, the fact that she could study the Permanence and Vidyadhara so directly was indeed thanks to her.
Furthermore, as she said, this ability required the cooperation of a female Vidyadhara.
Clearly, neither of the two people here fit the bill.
So, accompanying 'Cipher' wasn't a waste of time. At the very least, they had to wait for General Xuanquan to reappear before making further plans.
"Fine. Speaking of which, the Xianzhou Fanghu is quite the vacation spot. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Tons. I wandered around quite a bit the last time I was here. Because it's a self-governed region for the Vidyadhara, the style is very different from the other ships. It's quite fascinating."
As 'Cipher' introduced the sights, she and Ruan Mei packed up their equipment and left the estate with the token in hand.
Just as 'Cipher' and Ruan Mei began to unwind on the Fanghu, General Xuanquan was starting to develop a headache.
It wasn't anything else; it was the matter of the Vidyadhara egg.
Normally, this news might have sent a shockwave through the Alliance. But since it was an internal Vidyadhara issue, the Xianzhou authorities weren't in a position to pry too much.
Adding to that, General Xuanquan had clarified that the plan was still in the experimental phase, and the results would only be confirmed after the new life hatched. Since it also involved Bai Ming, the Alliance's attitude remained steady, merely instructing Xuanquan to keep a close watch.
But then...
Jing Yuan—heaven knows what was going through his head—insisted that his deputy was a Vidyadhara. He claimed she was deeply concerned upon hearing the news and wanted to visit the Fanghu to investigate the details.
So, he proposed sending his assistant, Qingzu, to the Fanghu for a visit.
And as if one ship wasn't enough, or perhaps feeling that a solo visit would seem too deliberate, Jing Yuan had egged on the old gentleman from the Zhuming to join in as well, claiming they also wanted to send someone over to take a look.
Then again, General Xuanquan knew a bit about the situation of the Luofu's Vidyadhara.
The new High Elder wasn't lacking in strength, but the inheritance of the High Elder title seemed to be lacking something.
Coupled with a constant obsession with forging research and issues with their past identity, their control over the Luofu's Vidyadhara was mediocre at best.
Though they hadn't spoken of it, Xuanquan could roughly guess why Madam Bai Ming didn't go to the more familiar Luofu but came to the Fanghu instead.
Therefore, Xuanquan could understand Jing Yuan's proactive behavior to an extent.
If this really worked—or even if it just looked like it worked—Jing Yuan's capabilities could help his good brother gain more of a voice.
For Xuanquan, she could understand Jing Yuan's perspective, but she also understood why the Preceptors insisted on sidelining the new High Elder.
The Transmutation Arcanum was certainly a major factor, but it wasn't everything.
Jing Yuan and Yingyue's past life were closely entwined, and now that the latter could roughly recall those memories, their relationship made things simple.
If Yingyue had truly taken full control of the Luofu's Vidyadhara back then, it would have been a simple matter for Jing Yuan to intervene in Vidyadhara internal affairs.
But a High Elder was a High Elder. If they were truly marginalized by the Preceptors, the power taken away might never be recovered.
Xuanquan didn't want to see that happen either.
Unfortunately, with the distance between them, she—a General of the Fanghu—found it difficult to understand the intricacies of the Luofu's Vidyadhara. Even if she wanted to help, she didn't have the energy.
So, after thinking it over, Xuanquan agreed. Because the position of High Elder on the Luofu had been vacant for far too long, regardless of other issues, someone needed to sit in that seat to stabilize things first.
However, while giving her consent, General Xuanquan offered a few warnings, hoping Jing Yuan wouldn't do anything out of line.
In short, Xuanquan, who had planned to return to 'Cipher' after dealing with the rumors, ended up being delayed even further.
Furthermore, she would have to ask the others if they were willing to meet the guests. If they weren't, Xuanquan could only take the visitors to see the Vidyadhara egg and be done with it.
Having finished these trivialities, Xuanquan finally found the space to ask her adjutant:
"Are Madam Bai Ming and Madam Ruan Mei still at the residence?"
"Reporting to the General, the two ladies went out not long ago. They are currently touring various Delves on the Fanghu."
General Xuanquan was momentarily stunned, then nodded with a smile.
"I suppose that makes sense. Being cooped up in a room doing research for days would make even a genius feel stifled. It seems I was the one lacking in manners."
"Do you need me to send someone as a guide?"
"No need. Since nothing was prepared beforehand, sending someone now would be inappropriate. You go and handle the reception for the envoys from the Luofu and Zhuming. Contact me when they arrive."
Xuanquan told the others not to disturb them. As for her, she planned to pay a visit and chat once they had finished their fun and returned home.
--+--
One day later.
After a good rest on the Fanghu, 'Cipher' and Ruan Mei returned to the house and met with Xuanquan, whom they hadn't seen for a while.
Xuanquan, who usually wore a face of stern justice toward outsiders, was much more relaxed in 'Cipher's' presence. After a brief exchange, Xuanquan mentioned the visitors.
"There aren't many coming. The Luofu group is led by the Vidyadhara Qingzu, and the Zhuming group is led by a woman named Lingsha. Six people in total. My plan is to just let them see the new Vidyadhara."
As Xuanquan spoke, her eyes kept drifting toward the nutrient tank in the courtyard. The little dragon curled up asleep inside was simply too captivating to ignore.
Meanwhile, 'Cipher' was marveling at the choice of visitors. She hadn't expected to hear familiar names; it was a bit of a surprise.
If she remembered correctly, Qingzu was an assistant who worked alongside Jing Yuan. As for Lingsha, she was the future Cauldron Master of the Luofu's Alchemy Commission.
Even though they came from two different ships, if you really thought about it, weren't they all from the Luofu? She had a feeling Jing Yuan was up to something.
But she put that aside for now.
"As long as they aren't looking for us, you can arrange it however you see fit."
"I understand..."
Xuanquan nodded; it seemed she didn't intend to force a meeting. It was normal enough—geniuses usually weren't fond of tedious social etiquette.
Just then, Ruan Mei winked at 'Cipher', seemingly hinting at something.
'Cipher' didn't even have to guess to know what it was. Earlier, this woman had been asking for a demonstration of the new ability.
Now, with experimental subjects practically delivering themselves to the door—subjects who could help solidify the "lie" within the Alliance—it was a win-win in Ruan Mei's eyes.
Ruan Mei's logic was sound, but she completely ignored one issue: the ladies might not be willing.
From a racial standpoint, the Vidyadhara would likely be very eager. But as individuals? That was a different story.
Still, setting that aside along with the bizarre optics, 'Cipher' herself wanted to try her hand at it.
For instance, she wanted to verify if the Vidyadhara egg created by this ability would remain viable after her 'Cipher' character card expired.
The idea that the ability would fail once the lie was exposed theoretically shouldn't affect the creations of the ability, but it was better to be sure. As for how to explain it, that was easy enough: she could just use the excuse that "the experimental phase may result in failure."
So, it all boiled down to whether 'Cipher' was willing to throw her dignity out the window.
To throw it, or not to throw it?
'Cipher' struggled for a moment. Ultimately, curiosity won out. She looked at Xuanquan and spoke tentatively:
"General Xuanquan, actually, I've developed a new plan. It no longer requires using a Saint Graph for bestowal. Instead, it allows the Vidyadhara to conceive their own offspring."
"Really?! So soon?! It's only been a few days!"
General Xuanquan considered herself a woman of the world, but this news caused her to lose her composure.
She couldn't help it; when it came to the survival of her race, it was hard for someone in her position to stay calm.
"Don't get excited yet. Let me finish. This plan is currently only on paper. There's no guarantee of success, and an experiment is needed to judge its feasibility."
"Whatever you need, I will prepare it. The Fanghu offers its full support."
Xuanquan thought it might require resources or something similar. But soon after she spoke, she realized something.
The phrase "allow the Vidyadhara to conceive their own offspring"... did that mean "conceive" in the literal sense?
Xuanquan's expression became slightly subtle, and 'Cipher' nodded sheepishly.
"The General has likely guessed it. This experiment requires the body of a Vidyadhara to gestate a new egg, which is then produced to await hatching."
"Ahem... it—it's actually physical gestation?"
General Xuanquan cleared her throat, looking a bit embarrassed herself.
She had just remembered that, at the very beginning, she had told them that if they needed to conduct any experiments, they could just use her.
Which meant...
Xuanquan imagined the scene and, for a moment, was completely at a loss for words.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL