Beastmaster of the Ages

”Exactly! That’s why I have no choice. Even with all I’m capable of, I’m in urgent need of order fragments. However, I’m unable to conduct any transactions under the watchful eye of the antiquitean imperials. So, all I can do is to secretly reach out to people to save them and be paid in order fragments,” Tianming sincerely said.

”That’s why....” Chen Tianyong nervously looked at Tianming.

”After filtering through many candidates, I picked you. You’re a sixth-level foundationeer, and that’s an opportunity for me. Rest assured. Since I’ve shown myself, I’ll heal you in exchange for your order fragment. However....”

”What’s the catch?!” Chen Tianyong desperately asked.

Tianming sincerely continued, ”Your power is a threat to us, but also an opportunity at the same time. Think about it... we’re just two inexperienced youths. Once we save you and you recover your powers, you’ll easily be able to subdue us. No matter how you swear or promise that you won’t harm us, it’s still a risk we can’t afford, right?”

”You aren’t wrong about the risk, yet you’ve shown up. The fact that you’re discussing this with me means you have a way to mitigate the risk, right?” Chen Tianyong said.

”Yes!” Tianming said candidly.

”Pray tell.”

Tianming pointed at Zi Zhen. ”This friend of mine is a special specter. As I deal with your xeno fatigue, she’ll plant something in your body that won’t affect your health, power, or stop me from getting rid of the xeno fatigue. However, it’ll make you subservient to our demands. That’s why I said that you’re an opportunity for us. In exchange for saving you, I want your service. I want you to protect us as we go about procuring more order fragments. In other words, you’ll be one of us!”

As powerful Chen Tianyong was, Tianming’s Imperial Sword Prison might not be able to do much, so he felt more confident about relying on Zi Zhen’s hexapath eyes.

Chen Tianyong fell silent for a moment when he heard that. ”If you’re trying to scam me for the order fragment without intending to save me, or perhaps you weren’t capable of saving me in the first place, I wouldn’t be able to do anything against that, would I?”

Tianming nodded. ”That’s right. Your only option is to choose to trust us. However, before she makes her move, I’ll prove to you that I can deal with xeno fatigue without any harm to myself. After that, if you consent, we’ll proceed as we’ve discussed.”

Zi Zhen added, ”If all we wanted was your order fragment, I could just take it from you in your xeno-fatigued state.”

Tianming continued, ”However, that isn’t the way we do things. We’ve come to make a deal with full sincerity. That’s how we encourage even more people to deal with us. And to facilitate those deals, I really do need someone powerful like you.”

Tianming paused for a moment. ”Senior Chen, I’ve already said what I need to. The final choice lies with you. If you aren’t willing to go through this, I’ll find it a huge disappointment. However, I won’t take your order fragment by force, out of sympathy for sufferers of xeno fatigue.”

Chen Tianyong intently listened to all that and suddenly smiled. ”Then you’ve found the right person.”

”Why would you say that?” Tianming seemed a little taken aback.

”I still have regrets in my life. If you couldn’t tell already, I’m destined to perish before I get to address them. However, you’re giving me a chance, even if I can’t verify how true it is for now. I’m about to become an invalid anyway, so why wouldn’t I take your bet?”

”If you lose the bet, you’ll lose a grade-six order fragment. It’s quite a big loss.”

”Do you think something like that is of use to someone in my current state? It’s no different from a rock.” Chen Tianyong took out a jade box and tossed it to Tianming. ”I’ve lived for a few thousand years, so I can read some things from your words and behavior. If you’re really someone who would come to disappoint me, then I’ll have to praise you for your amazing acting. I’ve already made up my mind, so let’s not waste time. I haven’t known what it’s like to live for a long time, so come at me! Both of you at once.”

Tianming was shocked that he got the order fragment before doing anything. He didn’t expect that Chen Tianyong would be so straightforward. ”I will not disappoint you, Senior.”

He pocketed the order fragment. The fact that he didn’t run right away gave Chen Tianyong the answer he needed. He laid down on the ground of the ruins and shut his eyes, placing his hands on his chest as he waited for fate’s judgment. He seemed incredibly anxious, from how his body shook and how wildly his heart was pounding.

”Xeno fatigue is far too terrifying, to the point that my negotiations with the afflicted have mostly gone smoothly. No matter how small the chance, they’re willing to take the risk, even if it means being put under complete control....” Tianming could almost feel the pain that Chen Tianyong had experienced from that leap of faith.

”I knew he’d agree,” Zi Zhen said, having gone through that herself. Being tricked or controlled paled in comparison to being afflicted by xeno fatigue!

Tianming would make sure not to let someone who trusted him to this degree down. Being made a hexapath slave would only be temporary anyway, since they could simply operate on mutual trust once they established it—just like Zi Zhen and him.

”Let me go first, then,” Tianming said. He wanted to relieve the pain Chen Tianyong was feeling first to reassure him that they were legitimate.

”Okay.”

Tianming landed on Chen Tianyong’s face and looked at the curse vortex there. Zi Zhen made her way to the side of his head and took her fiendish, six-iris form. She looked not too different from Chen Tianyong. As she knelt beside him, her hell foundation fortress manifested and all of the eyes within its hexagonal holes opened up. Her own hexapath eyes began shining like glowing spirals in darkness.

”Senior Chen, you’ll finally be seeing some light after all your hardship. Congratulations.” Tianming pressed his palm against the curse vortex and activated the Order Relic. Instantly, the curse energy from the vortex began being sucked up!

As the smoke wafted toward Tianming’s body, Chen Tianyong’s body shook from the sudden wave of relief. That was proof enough of Tianming’s claims to be able to deal with xeno fatigue. It was completely different from the medication he had taken to suppress the symptoms to date.