Chapter 1322
Chapter 1322 - 1308: War Envoy
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9 min read
If changing species could elevate one’s tier directly, ninety-nine percent of professionals would agree without hesitation.
It’s not that they lack affection for the purely human species, but rather, those who truly embark on the path of a professional realize the higher their tier, the more non-human they have become.
"Spirit Vision, constantly reminding you that everything your eyes see is false and deceitful. When you look in the mirror, the monster within it is smiling at you..."
"Mirror Phobia" is common among new professionals, but at the mid to high-level, they usually become numb to it.
Having seen many companions transformed into Magic Monsters, gotten used to strange whispers and screams around them, and having seen mutations on their own and their companions’ bodies... not using Spirit Vision to look in mirrors has become a habit.
This doesn’t mean that regular professionals really can’t see; many researchers have actually tested this. What seems to be an omnipotent "Spiritual intuition" is actually a result of Spiritual Vision. It only leaps out to warn or guide you when you can no longer deceive yourself... no matter if you like it or not, you’re always seeing it, it’s just your body pretending not to know.
This is a self-preservation instinct of a living being, after all, "observing" is itself an interference. "Knowing too much" is also one of the top three causes of death for professionals.
But the stronger the professional, the less they are able to deceive themselves.
At the Rule-level, gaining formidable Undying-nature often also means that their bodies are completely "contaminated".
The other side of Soul and Body Unity, which makes no distinction between the two, is also alienated from the normal human "ecological structure".
The evolution of a professional is inevitable, but there may not be just one path..."
"...Its power is more like a guidance, an interference from a higher level."
Lu Ping’an, who had understood the power of the Life system in the courtyard, made a wish that was the most likely to be realized and the most effective under the current circumstances.
Lu didn’t have much affection for human beings themselves; perhaps, that was one of the reasons he was relatively friendly towards the Exotic Races...
"Actually, we Easterners overall treat the Exotic Races quite well, especially those who ’recognize our culture’. After all, we are..."
"A cultural ethnic group? I can understand that from reading your book. It gave me a sense of ’affinity,’ or shall I say, ’Great Unity’?"
If you take the money, you have to do the work.
Even as a Professor, he sincerely taught, and facing Lulu, a diligent student, Lu Ping’an took the time to give her lessons.
"First of all, that’s not my book... It’s good that you understand this aspect, but humans are very complex; you can’t generalize them all... Well, I seem to be rambling. The people and events you encounter are more complex than I face, so you should have known earlier that you can’t equate race with behavior."
Lu Ping’an was teaching her to prepare her for interactions with the Eastern Country Elite after she landed.
"Professor, if your places are divided into countries, what reason do I have not to hold out for a better offer? Perhaps other countries might be more suitable for us..."
Although it was a sensitive remark, she said it with a smile; Lu Ping’an knew she wasn’t serious, or else she wouldn’t have said it so directly... She was still testing, wanting to know more, to understand Earth and humans further.
"Didn’t I tell you before? Being a freelance mercenary is very dangerous, and in this regard, mercenaries and professional soldiers from the West are probably the same; they have a long history of piracy..."
Lu Ping’an frankly narrated some of the history of Earth, of course, with a certain "subjective consciousness" bias.
But actually, in his view, cooperating with the Eastern Country was indeed the best practice, especially for a member of the Long Hand Clan like Lulu.
As far as he knew, although the Nirvana Plan was being implemented vigorously, most other countries were still following the traditional "pirate route" in their attitude towards the Exotic Races and their worlds... Consider the bandits of the Silent Mountain Range and the world development companies on the Green Planet, and you could pretty much understand.
"We are a cultural ethnic group. If you recognize our culture, you will receive friendly treatment; over there, however, the land of Chosen Theory and Racial Superiority abounds, not to mention the current situation on Mercury 42 (under Eastern Country’s influence), you just need to experience a little to know that we would be your best... no, your only choice..."
In a way, Lulu was indeed the most suitable emissary.
She had been "saved" by humans from a young age, received human training and education since childhood; her only name was a human one, and she was also one of the main authors of the Eastern cultural system’s "Mentor Theory".
Naturally friendly towards Easterners... this was actually quite rare. When you harbor divisions or even malice, your every action is easily discernible to those experienced diplomats.
And if they were indeed "well-intentioned alien friends," the Eastern Country was often quite generous.
Her "double-sided" identity also easily gave the elites of the Eastern Country a basic level of fondness, and indeed, personal likes and dislikes of diplomats could influence the initial relations between two countries.
Lu Ping’an’s role as a Professor might not necessarily affect the final negotiation outcomes, as after all, the One-Eyed Marshal had long ceased adjusting plans based on personal preferences.
But letting Lulu know more would help her make accurate judgments and also speed up the time it took to reach a "result."
"I see, it seems that you truly are our best choice, and the terms I can offer should make the treaty go smoothly, shouldn’t they?"
"No, if I’m not mistaken, it’s actually the opposite... Those professional diplomats will play Tai-Chi and delay the time, making you anxious about your homeland’s warfare to gain more leverage."
Standing on behalf of Lu Ping’an and the entire Lin Nu’s Church, he also hoped to quickly sign the treaty and then secure the reinforcements to start the return journey.
But even if Lu Ping’an didn’t mention it, Lulu knew that the more urgent you appear, the more they will drag you along to get better compensation.
"Or, I could try reaching out to other human nations, at least make such a gesture to facilitate our later negotiations..."
𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"That, I don’t know; you’ll have to decide for yourself. But based on my personal guess, you might anger the Eastern Country Elite. After all, you are the one seeking help this time, they don’t lack one like you, but you truly need the Eastern Country’s support..."
Subtly, the Salvation Army, Lu Ping’an, and even those lords left on Mercury 42 had already stood on the same front, all hoping that the treaty could be settled quickly and that the reinforcements could depart immediately.
"How about the Evil God Church? Aren’t they always looking for a new world? Mercury 42 is large enough..."
"It can’t accommodate cultists either; they are experts in causing trouble and self-destruction. The most troubling part is, they are very likely ’seeds’ of the Exotic Realm Evil God and the Outer Gods, it’d be a big problem if they come seeking."
The content of their conversation was quite unconventional, but such exchanges not only allowed Lulu to thoroughly understand human society but also avoided some potential missteps and pitfalls.
"How powerful are you, really..."
Yet some questions were still to be asked by Lu Ping’an, as these directly related to the level of reception on the Eastern Country’s side and many negotiating tactics that could be employed.
"By human standards, eighth-tier... but if I use some methods, and if my subordinates are my legion, then more. Namely..."
Alright, Lu Ping’an completely understood why his spiritual intuition had always been alerting him of danger.
"Oh, does this mean I also have a substantive supporter now..." Although the feeling was subtle, Lu Ping’an indeed became quite amiable.
And after the exchange, Lu Ping’an also roughly knew her professional makeup.
"The main Path is a soldier... uh, a battlefield commander?"
An eighth-tier war messenger could indeed be seen as possessing a marshal’s stature.
But after she played a couple of ranked battles with great interest, no one else played with her.
Perhaps normal war messengers lack combat power, but at the level of the One-Eyed Marshal, too many "common sense" things are no longer credible.
Exchange is mutual, and after learning some of Lu Ping’an’s past, Lulu grew to trust this "mediator" even more.
"When I was at the fourth-fifth tier, I pursued criminals over thousands of miles and went to the Exotic Realm to kill a traitor of our ethnic group..."
Thus, with some filters enhancing her perspective, she started to see Lu Ping’an as a true hero.
It seemed his childhood image of a "savior" was increasingly overlapping... no, it was becoming clearer that the past heroic shadow was becoming more distinctly a real person.
The continued hypotheticals and answers also made Lu Ping’an, who typically avoided exertion, properly fulfill the responsibilities called upon him as a mentor.
— End of Chapter 1322 —