Star Odyssey

Chapter 2647 – Relationship

The Three Monarchs Universe was separated into three different regions: the Lower King Domain, the Upper King Domain, and the Emperor Domain. Only people from the Emperor Domain were allowed to freely travel between the Upper and Lower King Domains, whereas people from the two lower domains struggled to gain entry to the Emperor Domain. The only way for them to enter the Emperor Domain was to have the right connections.

However, there were a few individuals who were allowed to travel freely between the three domains, among whom included the Crystal Bank’s employees.

After humans moved beyond the more primitive stages of development, economics began to play an increasingly crucial component in civilization. The Crystal Bank, much like the Mavis Bank, controlled the Three Monarchs Universe’s economy.

In the Emperor Domain, the Crystal Bank's headquarters was shaped like a massive ring that was far larger than any planet. It slowly spun in place, like a clock hanging over the Emperor Domain.

Thump, thump, thump. A man stood outside a door, clearly.

"Enter," a female voice ordered. Her voice sounded steady, competent, as well as touched by the passage of time.

The man entered and bowed. "Collector."

A woman sat in front of him. She was not beautiful in a conventional sense, though her appearance was rather noticeable. Her eyes were incredibly sharp, and the moment they rose when she glanced at the man, he felt as though she could see completely through him, which caused his heart to tremble.

"How is it?" she asked.

The man answered respectfully, "It has not reached the standard limit yet."

"Then go and check it again," the woman commanded before lowering her head once more. It was impossible to see what she was looking at.

The man stepped out, thought for a moment, and then knocked on the door again.

"Enter."

The man approached the woman, "Collector, the standard limit has been reached. It is ready to be replenished."

"Hmm," the woman responded, "Well done."

"Thank you, Collector." The man wiped the sweat from his brow. His job was to determine when it was time to replenish the rainbow wall with monarch essence. People did not tend to last long in this position, though not because the job was difficult. Rather, people did not stay because the job was too simple. It was so simple that it only required a glance, but no one could come to an agreement on how to interpret the information from that glance.

Every time the man submitted a report, he felt like he was flipping a coin.

Everyone who knew Shui Ningqiu understood that the woman had a certain limit in her mind, though no one knew exactly what it was.

The man left, a complicated expression on his face. He had no idea how much longer he would be able to keep his job for. He might not be so lucky the next time he delivered his report. Luckily, he had reacted quickly this time, as it had allowed him to keep his job.

"I’m going to the Mo Courtyard," the woman stated indifferently. As soon as she spoke, two people stepped out from behind her. Each one was a Retainer, and they were the experts responsible for Shui Ningqiu’s safety when she left for the imperial treasury, which was located in the Emperor Domain and under the Mo Courtyard’s protection.

The two experts trailed behind Shui Ningqiu like two shadows as she headed towards the Mo Courtyard.

One of the two bodyguards was actually Lu Yin in disguise. He was rather surprised at his luck, as he had not expected to leave for the imperial treasury almost as soon as he arrived. He had only intended to make some observations and take note of when Shui Ningqiu made her trips so that he could plan accordingly.

As for Cang Bi, there was no way he could actually monitor Lu Yin.

In the Three Monarchs Universe, the Mo Courtyard’s status was second only to the three Monarchs themselves. The Mo Courtyard served as the sword and shield of the three Monarchs, and the fifteen Semi-Progenitor-level experts in the Mo Courtyard were tasked with protecting the Emperor Domain. Even other universes had no choice but to respect the Mo Courtyard.

Even if other parallel universes had more than fifteen Semi-Progenitor-level experts, such powerhouses were usually not a part of a unified force. Only the Three Monarchs Universe could gather every Semi-Progenitor-level figure into a single unit, and their combined force was something that could not be ignored.

In the past, the Fifth Mainland had only been home to seven Semi-Progenitors, which served to properly frame the strength of the Mo Courtyard.

Since the imperial treasury was under the Mo Courtyard’s protection, only a peak powerhouse could force their way into the place.

There were also undoubtedly additional methods of protection and surveillance within the imperial treasury as well.

Shui Ningqiu was very familiar with the Mo Courtyard, to the point that making her way to the imperial treasury was like returning home.

Lu Yin was quite curious, as he had previously heard that the leader of the Mo Courtyard was a peak Semi-Progenitor level expert who was on the cusp of reaching the Progenitor level. With that breakthrough, the Three Monarchs Universe would gain another peak powerhouse. The man’s name was Chen Le.

The entrance to the imperial treasury was directly below the Mo Courtyard.

As the small group traveled, no one noticed that Lu Yin had swapped places with the original bodyguard. Not even a peak powerhouse could be certain to notice anything was amiss, let alone the people of the Mo Courtyard.

The entrance to the imperial treasury was rather ostentatious, as it was surrounded by three statues that portrayed the three Monarchs. Monarch Luo’s statue stood at the center, with Monarch Mu’s to the left and Monarch Xing’s to the right.

There was a man standing before the entrance itself, and when he saw Shui Ningqiu approaching, a frown appeared on the man’s face. "Replenishing the rainbow wall so soon?"

"There’s nothing that I can do about it. The fighting has been too intense lately," Shui Ningqiu replied as she walked forward. Once she was within three meters of the man, a smile blossomed on her face, which was a sharp contrast to her previously cold demeanor.

The eyes of the man at the treasury’s entrance lit up. "This time, I want 50 million flourishing crystals."

The man was Fu Yuan. According to what Lu Yin had learned from Luo Lao'er, this man worked with Shui Ningqiu to embezzle flourishing crystals from the imperial treasury.

Each time Shui Ningqiu accessed the treasury, the two would embezzle a small amount of flourishing crystals. As time passed, Fu Yuan had managed to amass a sizable fortune. Once Chen Le succeed in his breakthrough to the Monarch realm, Fu Yuan intended to replace the man as the leader of the Mo Courtyard. He was determined to obtain that position.

"50 million? That’s going to be rather difficult," Shui Ningqiu quietly replied, "With Monarch Mu gone, the Three Monarchs Formation is no longer reliable, and the rainbow wall is slowly weakening. Taking that much might draw Monarch Luo's attention."

Fu Yuan frowned. "I don't have enough flourishing crystals to become a peak Demi-Monarch."

"Counting from when you became a Demi-Monarch to now, you’ve taken no less than a billion flourishing crystals, which is an absolutely astronomical amount. Things are far from ideal right now, so you should cut down on how much you’re taking for a while. If Monarch Mu returns and the Three Monarchs Formation stabilizes, then I can get you 100 million." Shui Ningqiu was very hesitant to agree.

Fu Yuan's voice dropped low. "Chen Le is about to break through and become a Monarch. The competition for his position in the Mo Courtyard is fierce. You won’t want anyone else to take his position, do you? You've taken just as many flourishing crystals as me, and out of 10 billion, no one will notice 50 million missing."

Lu Yin was able to hear the entire conversation, as the two bodyguards were completely trusted. No one would ever imagine that Lu Yin had replaced one of the two.

No matter what Fu Yuan said, Shui Ningqiu refused to give him as many flourishing crystals as he wanted. Eventually, Fu Yuan only received 10 million crystals.

For Demi-Monarch, 10 million flourishing crystals was such a small amount that it was not even worth mentioning, no different from 10 million star essence to one of the Fifth Mainland’s Semi-Progenitors. However, Fu Yuan had been embezzling funds for a very long time, and the total amount that he had obtained in this manner was astronomical. There was only one reason why he would be gathering so much wealth; he intended to attempt to become a peak Demi-Monarch.

Similarly, Shui Ningqiu had been saving up her flourishing crystals in order to break through to become a Demi-Monarch, as she was still only a peak Retainer. 

Both of them had their own goals. 

The information that Luo Lao’er had obtained claimed that the two had been in a relationship during their youth, which was how they had managed to form their current partnership. It was also possible that Shui Ningqiu had already known that Fu Yuan was part of the Mo Courtyard and that she had proactively reached out to him.

Regardless of how it had started, the thieves that the two were supposed to be protecting the imperial treasury from were none other than themselves.

Fu Yuan quickly retrieved 10 billion flourishing crystals from the imperial treasury and then left the Mo Courtyard along with Shui Ningqiu. The two started moving towards the rainbow wall, as this was Fu Yuan's task as a member of the Mo Courtyard. 

Lu Yin remained calm and silently watched everything unfold, never showing any abnormal behavior and simply mirroring the other bodyguard’s actions.

He had glimpsed the unbelievable amount of flourishing crystals held within the imperial treasury, which he estimated to be at least one trillion. If anything ever happened to Monarch Luo, the wealth of the imperial treasury would be enough to maintain the rainbow wall for a good amount of time. This was a strategic resource of the Three Monarchs Universe. 

This cache of flourishing crystals would also be the ideal if he intended to cultivate monarch essence.

The Mo Courtyard was a fair distance away from the rainbow wall. Just like usual, Fu Yuan and Shui Ningqiu made the journey with a spacecraft and took their time. They could have covered the distance much quicker if Fu Yuan rushed over with his own strength and carried Shui Ningqiu along, but doing so would make it difficult for them to discuss various matters. 

As they traveled, Fu Yuan took away his 10 million flourishing crystals, only after which did Shui Ningqiu breathe a sigh of relief. "Our top priority needs to be maintaining the status quo. We can’t afford any accidents at all."

"I know," Fu Yuan replied, still rather upset.

Shui Ningqiu also stayed rather quiet. 

Suddenly, someone reported, "Collector, a member of the Mu family has been spotted up ahead." 

Shui Ningqiu and Fu Yuan were both surprised. "Someone from the Mu family?"

Soon, they met with Old Lady Mu.

"So, it's the Collector's vessel. No wonder it looked so familiar." Old Lady Mu's calm face betrayed a hint of coldness, which made Shui Ningqiu feel as though she was being looked down on. Still, she did not dare to offend Old Lady Mu. Shui Ningqiu was well aware that the only reason why she had beaten Old Lady Mu in the contest to become the head of the Crystal Bank was because Monarch Luo had wanted to limit the Mu family’s influence.

While Monarch Mu had gone missing, Luo Zang was still alive, and the Mu Family's influence would not diminish in the slightest unless someone took Luo Zang’s place as the heir apparent to the Three Monarchs Universe.

Old Lady Mu then turned to look at Fu Yuan. "It has been a while."

Fu Yuan replied politely, "It has indeed been some time, Senior."

"Why are you here, Senior?" Shui Ningqiu asked with a voice that carefully portrayed a high degree of respect.

Old Lady Mu casually replied, "Oh, nothing much. I heard from someone that there have been some discrepancies between how many flourishing crystals have been withdrawn and how much you have been supplying to the rainbow wall, so I came over to check on things."

Both Fu Yuan and Shui Ningqiu's faces grew pale.

"Senior, who spread such slander? Baseless accusations should not be spoken lightly!" Shui Ningqiu replied in a stern voice.

Fu Yuan remained silent, but his face showed he was similarly unhappy.

Old Lady Mu remained unruffled. "Regardless of whether the claim is true, we'll know as soon as we check. Collector, bring out the flourishing crystals that you're taking to the rainbow wall. The flourishing crystals from the imperial treasury that are specifically intended for the rainbow wall contain monarch essence that is unique to Monarch Luo, which makes them different from what is circulated in the economy, as they cannot be counterfeited."

Shui Ningqiu felt her heart start to drop. She had just given Fu Yuan 10 million flourishing crystals, which meant that, if Old Lady Mu were to check the delivery, they might as well confess to stealing the flourishing crystals. That could not be allowed to happen!

"Senior, delivering the flourishing crystals to the rainbow wall is not a minor task, and this is not something that others can check on however they please. After all, this task was assigned to us by Monarch Luo himself. If we allow you to check on us due to a mere rumor, it would allow others to take the same liberties. What if one of Aeternus’s spies takes advantage of such an opportunity to steal the flourishing crystals? Who would be held responsible?" Shui Ningqiu retorted.

Old Lady Mu’s brow furrowed. "Are you unwilling to cooperate with me?"

"This is not about willingness, but rather that what you are asking is impossible." Shui Ningqiu stood her ground. Given the situation, she absolutely could not show the slightest opening.

Old Lady Mu looked back over at Fu Yuan. "What is your position on this matter?"

Fu Yuan replied, "Senior, if you wish to inspect the Collector's delivery of flourishing crystals, I would need to ask how you intend to prove yourself to be Old Lady Mu. If you are an Aeternus spy disguised by using abilities we cannot see through, wouldn't you simply steal the flourishing crystals the moment we expose them to you?"

Old Lady Mu sneered. "If a spy could deceive you with a disguise, why would they need such a trivial amount of flourishing crystals?"

"While it might be considered a trivial amount, they have a strategic significance," Shui Ningqiu insisted, "If this supply of flourishing crystals is not delivered in time, it could trouble the rainbow wall, which would be a very serious matter."

Fu Yuan stepped forward. "Senior, if you insist on inspecting this batch, that can be arranged, but we need to first report this matter to Monarch Luo and ask him to decide."

Old Lady Mu sneered again. "You two certainly play off each other well enough, just like what the whistleblower said would happen. The two of you must have been inseparable in your youths."

Shui Ningqiu and Fu Yuan were struck with horror at this comment. This was a catastrophe, as they had clearly been discovered.