Sinners Misled, Credence Falsified (2024)

(Trailblazer): At a time like this?

(Trailblazer): Something happened at the Artisanship Commission

(Trailblazer): The Ambrosial Arbor is growing everywhere. There was even a deer...

Dan Shu: Many who undertake the far-reaching journey to the Xianzhou are weighed down by a heavy heart and exhaustion... but your steps are bold and steady - a stride worthy of a Nameless.

Dan Shu: A persons's [sic] footfall reveals a lot about their strength and emotions — much like how a person's breath may serve as an indication of their overall health.

Dan Shu: I wouldn't be envious. This is not an innate ability — merely compensation for my visual impairment. Ultimately, nothing I hear or smell can match the vividness of the colors that you perceive.

Qingzu's expression is serious as she completes reading Dan Shu's report.

Qingzu: Those were rewards from the Seat of Divine Foresight — these are gifts from me, personally. You've done so much for the Luofu... for the Xianzhou. This is the least I could do.

Qingzu: Please, take them. You've done so much for the Luofu... for the Xianzhou. This is the least I could do.

Dan Shu: My stay in Exalting Sanctum was supposed to be focused on treating people and delivering medicine, but the Seat of Divine Foresight tasked me with analyzing the prescription... I've been severely delayed.

Dan Shu: I've already concocted some of the medicine in question, but there can't be any further delays. Could you assist me in ensuring it arrives on time?

No problem.

Dan Shu: Thank you. If she's gotten into any trouble, (Trailblazer), be sure to let me know when you get back.

Why me?

Dan Shu: My colleagues were supposed to handle the deliveries, but now healers are needed everywhere... I can't count on them to do it. I thought long and hard, but I realized I had no choice but to ask you. Perhaps you could see it as repaying a favor?

Fair enough.

Dan Shu: The patient in question is a little girl. If she's gotten into any trouble, be sure to let me know when you get back, (Trailblazer).

Dan Shu: This is the medicine. Her house is near the Court of Tranquility, it shouldn't be hard to find her.

(Obtain A Medicine Concocted by Dan Shu ×1)

(Exits conversation)

Arrogant Kid: What's this gotta do with you? You her family or something? Cause you don't look like it. Hmph, you're just trying to be a hero. You sure you wanna mess with the Luofu Trio?

What is this "Luofu Trio"?

Mean Kid: Hahahaha! What a doofus! Who hasn't heard of the Luofu Trio?

Hateful Kid: The Luofu Trio is made up of two — uh... th—three super awesome kids that everyone's afraid of! Even the Realm-Keeping Commission!

I'll call the Realm-Keeping Commission over then.

Arrogant Kid: Go ahead! You think we're scared of you? They'll just put us in detention — we'll be free again in no time...

Hateful Kid: *sigh* Let's leave it, Boss. Detention's detention, but if your dad finds out, you'll get yelled at and start crying again...

Arrogant Kid: Hey! Why'd you bring that up... Hmph, you're right, we shouldn't stoop to this short-lifer's level.

Mean Kid: Did you hear that? The boss is letting you off the hook, so scram!

Hateful Kid: Yeah, the boss doesn't wanna stoop to your level. Now buzz off, before he yells at you and makes you cry!

Arrogant Kid: You idiot! Enough about yelling and crying!

While the three run away provokingly, you take the chance to lead the girl away from this site of conflict.

Can I join the Luofu Trio?

Hateful Kid: You think you can join the Luofu Trio just because you feel like it?

Mean Kid: It's called a trio, which means only two — uh... th—three people are allowed! D—Don't you know how to count?

Arrogant Kid: Haha, look, this short-lifer wants to join us!

Hateful Kid: You don't even know our rules! *clears throat* Section one — no making friends outside the Trio! No boyfriends or girlfriends! All members must devote their youth to the Trio!

Mean Kid: Number two — earning pocket money through chores is forbidden — all sources of income must be "voluntary" donations from other kids!

Arrogant Kid: Number three, no making friends with grown-ups — except your mom and dad.^{[Note 1]} You must fight against all grown-up forces to the end!

Hateful Kid: Number four, the boss never cries. Sure, his dad might yell at him sometimes, and the lyceum abecedaries like to make him stand in the hallway, but those are tears of strength — not weakness!

Arrogant Kid: Hey! Since when did we have a number four!?

Arrogant Kid: Ahem, ignore that last one... If you really, truly wanna join the Luofu Trio, we might be able to make an exception... But tell me, what can you bring to the table?

I have a couple of snacks...

Hateful Kid: Snacks? Not bad, let's see them.

Mean Kid: Fickle outworlder, you think you can bribe the Luofu Trio with a couple snacks? Think again!

You produce two packs of snacks close to their best-by date and give them to the Luofu Trio.

Arrogant Kid: Shh, let's see if they're tasty, first.

Mean Kid: I... guess it couldn't hurt. Good idea, Boss! One pack for you, one for me.

Hateful Kid: Hey, what about me? Where's mine?

Mean Kid: Eat dirt! There are only two packs — just enough for me and the boss. Why would you get any?

Hateful Kid: You always steal my snacks when the boss isn't here. Now that he's arrived in Exalting Sanctum, it's payback time.

Arrogant Kid: Quit it, you two. Both packs are mine, that way there's nothing for you to fight over.

Mean Kid: You can't just take both packs for yourself! Isn't the Luofu Trio supposed to share everything evenly?

Hateful Kid: Evenly? How was it even when you stole my share, hmm?

Arrogant Kid: Who said anything about sharing? Might makes right!

The three children start tussling with each other. You take the chance to lead the girl away from the site of conflict.

I am the Antimatter Legion.

Arrogant Kid: A—Antimatter Legion? Stop bluffing! Why would the Antimatter Legion be in Exalting Sanctum?

We've come to devour children.

Arrogant Kid: D—Devour children? Hahaha... N—Not funny...

Mean Kid: Uh, boss... I don't think they're kidding...

Hateful Kid: M—My mom told me the Antimatter Legion eat children who misbehave... It's not true, is it?

Arrogant Kid: C—C—Calm down! Don't let them scare you!

Hateful Kid: HELP! The Antimatter Legion is going to eat us!

The two children run away immediately, leaving the arrogant kid alone.

Arrogant Kid: Hey! Don't leave me behind!

The three troublemakers flee from the scene. Taking the chance, you lead the girl away from the site of the conflict.

I'm here to hire a fighter.

Arrogant Kid: Hmph! The Antimatter Legion wants me to join them? Hah, looks like my reputation has reached the farthest corners of the galaxy! When do I report for duty?

Mean Kid: Boss, they said "hire a fighter," not "hire you." It might be me they're after!

Hateful Kid: What are you guys thinking? It's me they want.

Mean Kid: Ha, you think the Antimatter Legion would come all this way for you? You're a goody two shoes.

Arrogant Kid: What are you guys talking about!? Obviously, I'm the baddest baddy in the galaxy!

Mean Kid: Yeah, right! You think the baddest baddy in the galaxy would burst into tears whenever they're yelled at by an abecedary!

Arrogant Kid: Say that again, I dare you.

Hateful Kid: Yeah — fight, fight, fight! The winner gets to join the Legion with me!

Arrogant Kid: If it's a fight you want, you're getting it first!

The three children start tussling with each other. You take the chance to lead the girl away from the site of conflict.

Enough of this nonsense, get away from her.

The arrogant kid runs up to you and punches you. You stand strong, unmoving, but the boy falls backward from the reaction force.

The three children flee from the scene while disgruntled. You take the chance to lead the girl away from this site of conflict.

Little Girl: I'm... okay... it's my fault. I shouldn't have wandered off on my own... then I wouldn't have run into those guys.

Little Girl: They always laugh at me for being blind. They like to trip me up, and steal my things.

Little Girl: Th—Thank goodness you were here... Otherwise they wouldn't have let me off so easily...

The little girl takes the medicine and returns the way she came.

You describe what happened to Dan Shu.

Dan Shu: I want to meet the little girl, can you lead me to her?

Dan Shu: Yes...

Dan Shu: One hopes that would be the case...

Dan Shu: ...but that would require someone to be by her side every waking second of every day. In the meantime, she'll have to learn to withstand the darkness — just as I have.

Dan Shu: Yes... by trying my best to change her personal circ*mstances.

Dan Shu: In the meantime, she'll have to learn to withstand the darkness — just as I have.

You send Dan Shu and the little girl back.

(Obtain Dan Shu's Diary (Part 1) ×1)

Dan Shu: Not all incompletions are without remedy. Take my ingenium arm, for example — it doesn't require any invasive surgery and operates by detecting bioelectric signals on my skin.

Dan Shu: My eyes are another story — the optic nerves never fully developed. Transplants are a temporary solution, but they are soon rejected by the superior healing powers of the Xianzhou natives... The entire process is worse than death.

Dan Shu: There are many similar cases... Skeletal deformities, soft tissue defects, congenital heart disease — the list goes on...

Dan Shu: For short-life species, all these problems can be solved with artificial organs and implants. For long-life species, however, they remain as incompletions.

Dan Shu: To give a common example... Did you know that to varying degrees, most Xianzhou natives are plagued by oral diseases and jaw-related conditions?

Dan Shu: For most living creatures, wisdom teeth need to be removed as early possible [sic]... but for we [sic] long-life species, they are as stubborn as boulders. We must endure them for as long as we live.

Dan Shu: You see? This is the truth about the Vessel of Celestials... nothing more than a vessel of the Incomplete.

Dan Shu: For beings transformed by the Abundance, there's a difference. Do you know how Abominations of Abundance and Xianzhou people differ?

Dan Shu: I've given this question much thought, using all the knowledge I've learned from the Alchemy Commission to answer it. But, deep down, I know there is only one correct answer: There is no difference.

Dan Shu: The only difference between us is whether we embrace or reject the long life placed upon us by the Abundance.

Dan Shu: The borisins, known for their ferocity among the Denizens of Abundance, are similar to the Foxians of the Yaoqing genetically... But the Foxians are not abominations — they're Xianzhou people.

Dan Shu: From there, we can say that the difference between an abomination and a Xianzhou person is not one of taxonomy, but one of culture.

Dan Shu: If an abomination aligns with the Xianzhou, then they are a Xianzhou person. If a Xianzhou person aligns with the abominations, they become an abomination themselves. It is that simple.

Dan Shu: Abominations embrace their nature — they change and modify their flesh without care, for the sake of attaining power and strength. However, to the Xianzhou people, these methods are completely taboo.

Dan Shu: Now you know why there are no Incomplete Ones among the abominations...

Dan Shu: I'm just an alchemist — I don't understand them in any detail. I only know that they are a group of Xianzhou people who view themselves as Denizens of Abundance.

Dan Shu: My guess is that they attribute their suffering to their decision to renounce the Path of the Plagues Author. Thus, they seek to save themselves by becoming Denizens of Abundance again.

You pick up a book that has recently gotten popular across the Alliance. Time passes quickly.

(Trailblazer): (Hmm... Tastes a bit strange, but no adverse reactions so far...)

(Trailblazer): (Wait a minute... Argh, my head... What's happening?)

(Trailblazer): (S—Something's wrong — I'm burning up... Feels like I can't breathe...)

(Trailblazer): (Whew... Seems to be calming down a little, but still uncomfortable...)

(Trailblazer): (This doesn't seem right, I'd better talk to Qingzu at the Seat of Divine Foresight.)

(Ends conversation)

(Trailblazer): (It's not that I don't trust Dan Shu... but this doesn't seem like something I should take lightly.)

(Trailblazer): (Something feels off — I'd better talk to Qingzu at the Seat of Divine Foresight.)

(Ends conversation)

(Obtain Brumedew Concentrate Pellet ×1)

You recount everything that happened between you and Dan Shu to Qingzu.

Qingzu turns around and leaves. It was a long time before she returns to the Seat of Divine Foresight hurriedly.

Qingzu: I understand, try not to be too upset.

Qingzu: I understand how you feel... I've also been fooled by someone I regarded as a good friend. It's a dreadful experience.

Qingzu: You're prudent, and that's a good trait to have. Just try not to let your emotions cloud your judgment.

The Diting follows Dan Shu's scent and leads you to the Artisanship Commission.

Dan Shu: So they do. I am Master of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, scion of Merciful Medicus, and I shall lead the entire Xianzhou Alliance onto the Path of Abundance.

Dan Shu: The head? What a crude way of putting it. I am Master of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, scion of Merciful Medicus, and I shall lead the entire Xianzhou Alliance onto the Path of Abundance.

Dan Shu: I lied to you about many things... but I reserve my apology only for deceiving you into taking the medicine. As for the other falsehoods, they were merely in aid of communicating as equals.

Dan Shu: Did you feel the shift? So many Elixir Seekers arrive on the Xianzhou in the hope of obtaining the formula to immortality, but none have succeeded.

Dan Shu: Their aspirations are well-founded. The Xianzhou does indeed harbor the secret to becoming immortal. I admire you, so I thought I'd give you the chance to obtain it.

Dan Shu: Upon ingesting the Brumedew Concentrate Pellet, you will feel the limitless freedom of the form bestowed upon you by Merciful Medicus...

Dan Shu: ...and yet — you don't sound any different. Your breaths are not prolonged, and your presence doesn't feel like it's been altered in any way...

Dan Shu: Why is that? Is your constitution somehow different from the average person?

I host a Stellaron inside me.

Dan Shu: A Stellaron...? That's impossible.

Dan Shu: Even if what you say is true, to host a Stellaron as a short-life species would only spell an early demise. It looks like you are not fated to live a long life.

I don't need to answer you.

Dan Shu: Looks like you have yet to forgive me... I understand.

Dan Shu: I admire your vigilance... What a shame. So many Elixir Seekers arrive on the Xianzhou in the hope of obtaining the formula to immortality, but none have succeeded.

Dan Shu: Their aspirations are well-founded. The Xianzhou does indeed harbor the secret to becoming immortal. I admire you, so I thought I'd give you the chance to obtain it.

Dan Shu: The Brumedew Concentrate Pellet will turn you into a long-life species — you will feel the limitless freedom of the form bestowed upon you by Merciful Medicus... By not taking it, you are foregoing its benefits.

Dan Shu: Such a pity... though as your friend, I respect your choice.

Dan Shu: That which the Elixir Seekers that arrive on the Xianzhou dream of — the formula to immortality. To take it is to initiate the transformation from a short-life species into a Xianzhou person or an abomination... depending on your perception.

Dan Shu: Please believe me when I say that never once have I thought about harming you... I merely wanted to offer you the chance to obtain immortality and freedom.

Dan Shu: Since neither of us is eager to engage in combat, let us respectfully part ways.

Dan Shu: I have been thinking... The Devilish Archer Author is not a benevolent god, nor is Merciful Medicus a malevolent one. Your choice to align with Jing Yuan was simply due to meeting him first.

(Obtain Dan Shu's Diary (Part 2) ×1)

Master Gongshu: It's only a legend... though what with the Ambrosial Arbor having come back to life, I suppose it's no longer absurd...

Master Gongshu: They say that a long time ago, when the Xianzhou Alliance was adrift in deep space, it encountered many unimaginable life forms.

Master Gongshu: Among them were abominations known as heliobi. They existed in the form of pure energy, but craved the sensations and desires of mortal flesh and blood. Sometimes they managed to infiltrate the delves of the Xianzhou in order to bewitch humans and become parasites in their bodies.

Master Gongshu: It's said that mortals parasitized by heliobi would lose their free will imperceptibly, before gradually going berserk.

Master Gongshu: After a prolonged struggle, the people of the Xianzhou finally managed to trap and seal the heliobi in a vessel.

Master Gongshu: That vessel is the Creation Furnace. Our predecessors hoped that by burning the heliobi in the furnace, their energy would gradually be exhausted until they were completely destroyed.

Master Gongshu: I don't know if there are demons in the furnace – perhaps it's all just superstition. However, from the day I started learning from my master, I've looked after the operation of the furnace.

Master Gongshu: Indeed, the flame inside has never been extinguished...

Master Gongshu: Everything happened so quickly. My students and I were caught by surprise.

According to the general, there are traitors in the Alchemy Commission.

Master Gongshu: I'm not overly surprised. The Alchemy Commission's alchemists were once closer to the Arbor than anyone else on the Luofu.

I heard the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus shut down the Alchemy Commission.

Master Gongshu: The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus? Now there's an old name.

Master Gongshu: They say that when the Xianzhou Luofu was first granted the Ambrosial Arbor, the alchemists in the Alchemy Commission wielded tremendous influence. Using the power of the Arbor, they transformed mortal bodies, manipulated the weather, and even brought never–before–seen creatures into being.

Master Gongshu: They called themselves "Saints." Unfortunately, they didn't possess any saintly powers. As soon as the Ambrosial Arbor withered, the alchemists lost their status and were reduced to medical researchers and practitioners.

Master Gongshu: I'm sorry I'm not able to accompany you further.

Master Gongshu: Agh, I've always hated owing a favor. Take these with you – rewards for your tireless efforts.

(Trailblazer): Coming

(Trailblazer): I'm currently handling something, might take a while