Chapter 78

Behind the mountain at the royal temple

Not long after Elara and the others left, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the temple.

He glanced at the forest path below, which was covered in corpses. The corners of his well-shaped lips curved slightly with interest. His tall figure moved like a shadow, quickly darting into the blood-scented forest with incredible lightness, looking like a flashing ghost from afar.

Within seconds, he had checked the entire area around the temple. His long figure returned to the front of the gate. He leaned lazily over the stone railing, resting a strong forearm on it, supporting his chin, and chuckled in a low voice.

"So many of the Blood Garment Tower's Earth-ranked people were killed in such a short time... hmm... what a shame. I arrived a bit late. Otherwise, I could've watched it all happen."

He looked at the corpses again, then turned his gaze away from the motionless bodies. He glanced at the temple gate and instantly flashed inside. He stood in front of the stone lantern Elara had just touched.

"Phoenix Star..."

He murmured, reaching into the stone lantern with a well-shaped hand. A few seconds later, his eyebrows lifted slightly, and he spoke with surprise.

"Gone?"

Someone took it? That Phoenix Star?

He suddenly let out a low laugh. Amusement filled his voice. "So bold?"

From the window across from the stone lantern, there came a creaking sound. The wind blew in, carrying faint sounds from far away.

His ears twitched slightly. He withdrew his hand and thought about the sacrifice ceremony held today by the Plumera State. He also remembered that Elara had come alone to present the offering.

"Princess Elara..."

He repeated her name slowly. When he said the last word, his lips lifted slightly.

As the sounds from afar grew louder and closer, he gently touched the cold stone lantern. His figure moved slightly and then vanished from the spot like a ghost.

Inside the Princess's manor

Oswyn was stunned by Elara's sudden question. At the same time, Elara asked System 92 in her mind.

"So my body can really be treated by him?"

Just when she pulled her hand back earlier, System 92 suddenly spoke and said Oswyn could try.

"Yes, Master. Don't worry. When he checks your pulse, I'll block all the abnormal signs from your body so he won't notice anything strange. Let him try. Though your condition is very serious, with Oswyn's talent in medicine, he's probably the one in this world most likely to help improve and regulate your body."

Elara raised an eyebrow. "You mean he could bring me back from this half-dead state? Can my shortened lifespan be extended after the treatment?"

"Uh... that part won't work, Master, sorry. Lifespan can only be extended by national fortune value. But if he can understand your body's condition and relieve or even cure it, then before your life ends, you can live like a normal person."

Fine then. Even if her life can't be extended, at least she won't feel so constantly drained anymore.

As soon as System 92 finished speaking, Elara looked up at Oswyn. Seeing that he was still frozen, she calmly placed her wrist, which she had just pulled away, back into his hand. Then with a slight smile, she said in a relaxed voice:

"Oswyn, I just thought it over. I realized that I can't rely only on my own sense of things. I should trust a professional physician like you to judge. So please continue checking my pulse."

Already confused and conflicted, Oswyn looked even more puzzled. He clearly didn't understand why she had changed her mind again.

Before he could react, Elara placed one hand on the edge of the bed, propping up her chin with her thin fingers. Her pale face held a cheerful smile as she gazed at him.

"As the heir of the Divine Healer Valley, you're dedicated to saving lives. Even those poor people outside can get your help. My condition is so bad now. As a seriously ill patient, half a step into the grave, I also need your care. You, the famous heir of the valley, wouldn't just let me die, right?"

Still not fully recovered from the confusion, Oswyn raised his chin with a bit of pride and answered without thinking.

"Of course. The Divine Healer Valley exists to save lives. We never turn our backs on those in need."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the smile on Elara's face widen. She gently squeezed the hand she had placed back in his, full of praise and approval.

"Good. Then from now on, you're responsible for my health. You must treat me well and help me return to normal as soon as possible."

At that moment, Oswyn finally started to process what was happening. He looked at her smiling face, then at the hand she held. His previously confident expression began turning red and green.

This woman… tricked him again, didn't she?

This was the second time.

This woman. How does she manage to fool him every single time?

In the evening

Elara lay in bed and rested for a while. Suddenly, the sound of System 92 echoed in her mind.

Ding. Congratulations, the identity and faction of Captain Yang has been changed. You've gained 50 points of National Luck. Your current total National Luck is 70 points.

Elara opened her eyes when she heard this sound.

System 92, why was this National Luck added just now?

Also, this time she got 50 points. That was more than the last time.

Master, the reason Emory didn't get any National Luck points before was because he hadn't met all the people familiar with Captain Yang. He hadn't been recognized by them again yet. But now that the National Luck reward has been issued, it means Emory has fully blended into the role of Captain Yang and hasn't raised any suspicions.

These 50 points are the initial reward for Emory fully taking on Captain Yang's identity and shifting his faction's stance. If you let him perform more actions that go against Captain Yang's past behavior but help Plumera State, you'll continue gaining National Luck points from him.

Any act that changes the decline of Plumera State and helps it revive will be rewarded with National Luck.

Elara nodded and told System 92 to store the 70 points. She sat up and looked at the stack of memorials on the table in front of the bed.

She had been staying at the merchant estate for a while, so these documents had been left for Mathias to handle. But Mathias had been sent by her to take care of the shops in Plumera Capital, and the rest of the papers hadn't been finished.

After resting most of the afternoon, Elara felt she had recovered some strength. She wanted to call Mathias over to deal with the documents and also ask if he knew anything about the stone plaque hidden inside the stone lantern at the royal temple.

That stone plaque was still in her sleeve. She had already studied it for a while earlier, but still couldn't make sense of it.

Unfortunately, when she sent a servant to call Mathias, they came back saying he hadn't returned yet.

Then Elara remembered. After giving Mathias the bamboo slips at the temple, she had told him to go take care of some final matters. He really shouldn't be back at the residence yet.

She rubbed her temples and looked at the pile of bamboo slips and memorials. She really didn't want to waste energy picking through all the flattery and nonsense to find useful information.

But she couldn't just leave that pile sitting there untouched.

After a moment, she said to the servant respectfully waiting outside the bed curtain:

Go call Scholar Fu.

She had talked with Emory about this unlucky scholar quite a bit. There were many conditions related to him in their agreement.

Elara had said before that she wanted to speak with this unlucky scholar. But too many things had come up, and she hadn't had the chance yet.

Now that Mathias was busy elsewhere and she lacked help, it was a good time to have this scholar try handling things. At the same time, she could also tell him about the terms Emory had mentioned.

Scholar Fu arrived quickly.

His clothes were different from the first time Elara had seen him in the garden, but his aura was still clean and gentle. Though a bit thin, he stood tall and upright, with an elegant and refined air.

Your Highness.

This was the first official meeting between Elara and the unlucky top scholar since she entered this body.

But unlike others who feared or disliked her, his face showed none of that. His expression was calm and composed, as if seeing her was no different from seeing anyone else.