As it turns out, arrogance can make people blind to reality, while conversely, being overly suspicious of everything can be seen as needless worry.
Finding the right balance between the two is a difficult problem, one that not only mortals struggle to understand, but even the gods are not immune to its challenges.
King Tyrese of the Orcs was trembling with fear when the handsome man in front of him spoke: "Fine. I won't make things difficult for you. You and your people will stay in Icebird as security guards for ten years. When the time is up, you can decide for yourself whether to stay or leave."
The man's voice sounded like a spell, and invisible black magic patterns emerged from the void with the sound, instantly binding Tyrese's wrist.
Yun Wei raised his eyes. "How about it? This contract isn't too much, is it? Just to add, my partner is quite jealous, so it's not me signing the contract with you, but you and the Zhuyuan Continent. If you break it, you and your people will also be 'flying away' without a moment's rest."
He hadn't used contract magic in a long time.
After gaining much knowledge, the incantations he used were once again as casual as before, with a Zen-like quality of seeing a mountain as a mountain, not a mountain, but ultimately still a mountain.
But Tyrese did not agree immediately.
He looked at the magician with extreme wariness, baring his teeth as he asked, "This hardly counts as punishment. What tricks are you playing?"
"It's nothing. I'm just glad you didn't lay a finger on that kid." Yun Wei looked at Isaac lying on the ground not far away, playing the villain who had been defeated by the hero, and couldn't help but laugh. "Just consider it a blessing from that kid."
He looked at Tyrese again, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "By the way, by the way, what's his name again?"
Tyrese was silent for a moment before finally answering, "I think his name is Enrico. I'm pretty exasperated with him; that brat keeps calling me 'Cat'... Damn it, how do I look like a cat? I'm clearly a tiger, a big tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead! And guess what? He actually thought I was a cat named Tiger!"
The burly man, with a rugged face, stuck out a few curse words with his neck covered in bulging veins, but what he said was full of cute reduplicated words.
Orcs are indeed quite cute. Yun Wei thought to himself.
He coughed lightly and pursed his lips slightly.
Tyrese then snapped out of his daze, his mouth agape in shock as he yelled, "What did you do to me? How could I have been such an idiot and blurted everything out?!"
His dark face flushed red, whether from shame or anger, it was hard to tell.
"Just some petty tricks, not worth mentioning." Yun Wei calmly accepted the burly man's reproachful gaze and retorted, "Enough with the nonsense. So, are you going to accept these conditions or not?"
Although he still spoke in a tone of negotiation, the Orc King already knew that he had no other choice.
As the black magic runes disappeared into his wrist, Yun Wei also broke free of the water chains that bound Tyrese.
The orc king, who was over two meters tall, stood up in a flash. The moment he raised his head, he brought an overwhelming pressure, and his gaze towards him was even filled with a fierce light.
Yun Wei's heart tightened.
He instinctively fumbled for an instant spell between his fingers, but when he realized that Tyrese was actually looking behind him, he calmly dispelled the condensed elemental bullet.
He then turned and looked around, and sure enough, he saw a small black dot rapidly enlarging in the northern sky.
However, when he realized it was a large, spotted donkey approaching rapidly, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
At that moment, Tyrese said, "You've left the door wide open? You're not exactly honorable, human. You really don't trust me?"
Yun Wei ignored him, as he was trying to identify the two people being carried on Hamel's back. If he wasn't mistaken, they were Joseph and Koro.
Judging from their appearance alone, the changes in these two people are quite significant.
Just then, Isaac took a moment to come to his side and said to Tyrese, "He trusts me. But if it's just about dealing with you, he doesn't need to lift a finger. I know you're not convinced, but we can practice our skills another day."
Tyrese snorted coldly, "I know you, Godslayer. But I'm not that fool, Mastac. You can kill him, but you might not be able to beat me."
Their eyes met, sparks flying in the air.
It was the usual tense atmosphere, and Yun Wei didn't need to turn his head; he was already used to it.
In less than a few breaths, the elven sage had brought Reston's two companions before them.
The other person immediately rolled on the ground and transformed back into that tall, handsome man with a melancholy air.
Just as Yun Wei was about to step forward to exchange pleasantries, his vision suddenly blurred.
The tall and strong Tyrese simply walked past him, and the other man grabbed Hamel's shoulder forcefully. "Is it... Fenrir?"
The way he spoke made it sound like there was a story behind it all.
Suddenly being given a bear hug by a complete stranger, Hamel just wanted to scream, "Help! Master Yun! Tell him to get his filthy hands off me! Hey, who are you? Let go of me right now, you stink! I'm going to die from your stench!"
"It really is you. You haven't changed at all." Tyrese stared intently at the wood elf before him, finally letting go of her hand with reluctance.
"Look at this big guy, it's a pity he's not very bright." Hamel glared at the other man, walked around the strange man, and stood in front of Yun Wei, who seemed to be deep in thought. "My God, Master Yun, it really is you!"
The wood elf exclaimed in an exaggerated manner, but apart from the tone, Yun Wei couldn't detect much sincerity in it.
So Yun Wei asked, "How did you get here? I just heard what Tyrese said. It's clearly very dangerous here, but you still came despite your own safety. I'm very grateful."
Hamel scratched the tuft of hair sticking up on his head and explained, "The little rascals at the monastery saw it with their binoculars. They said the big cat digging the hole had disappeared. I took a look, and wow, it turned out you were back."
It's important to know that the eyesight of elves is no less than that of necromancers.
However, the next moment, Hamel's smile vanished. "Wait a minute, who is Tyrese? Could this person be that seemingly stupid cat?"
A long, slender index finger extended, pointing instead at the imposing orc blocking the light.
Yun Wei didn't say anything, but just nodded, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Tyrese gave a strange, silly grin, as if he had transferred the smile to his own face. "Hehe, Fenrir, we can work together again."
Hamel immediately bristled, "Bah! How dare you call the Father God by his name? I remember now, there's a legend that a greedy cat used to sneak into the Father God's garden and make a mess of everything. Could it be... could it be you?"
Tyrese scratched the back of his head and explained, "Well, I was mainly looking for honey. I accidentally knocked over the fruit."
But he admitted it.
The devout elven sage was clearly enraged and dragged the burly man aside to lecture him.
The two non-human beings go back and forth, one intentionally indulging the other with a compassionate heart. Even though it causes chaos, they actually enjoy it.
Yun Wei shook his head helplessly, then looked at Joseph, his nominal student.
After not seeing each other for several years, the other person has matured a lot, especially their steady eyes, which are like an unsharpened blade.
Seeing Yun Wei looking over, the former alchemy apprentice nodded politely, bowed, and said, "Teacher."
Yun Wei couldn't help but sigh softly, "Joseph, I really don't deserve that title. To be honest, I haven't taught you anything at all."
He is absolutely the most incompetent master in the world.
Joseph shook his head and said with utmost sincerity, "Just by using your name, I have already gained far more benefits than I ever imagined. Moreover, if I hadn't met you, I might still be just an unknown apprentice in the Alchemy City."
"You're too modest." Yun Wei felt even more guilty upon hearing this and quickly took out a ring from his spatial storage. "This contains many rare treasures. Take it and spend it as you please. There are also some gifts for you and Lu Shu. By the way, you and Lu Shu... are you both doing well?"
The newly appointed alchemy master, who had initially been hesitant, became unusually shy upon hearing this. "Thanks to you, we're doing very well. We've been married for over two years."
"Oh! Then I'll miss your wedding banquet." Yun Wei put on a stern face, but there was a hint of amusement in the corners of his eyes. "Didn't he teach you that, as the saying goes, 'One should not refuse a gift from an elder'? Hurry up and accept it, or I'll go and complain to the law firm."
Joseph rubbed his hands together helplessly, but finally accepted the ring.
Yun Wei added, "Isaac and I won't be staying for long this time either, at most until next year's Red Moon. However, as the Dimensional World becomes more and more stable, we can stay for a longer period of time, and then I can teach you everything I've ever learned."
Joseph smiled shyly.
He didn't know what his master had gone through, only that the man looked radiant and even more composed. His heart was filled with longing and a desire to repay him.
But Yun Wei's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Speaking of which, what have you been busy with lately?"
Perhaps feeling he had failed too much, this incompetent teacher actually had the audacity to put on airs.
Fortunately, Joseph, who was always diligent and conscientious, was not afraid of questions involving his expertise. He straightened his chest and gave Yun Wei a brief report on his recent research findings.
Yun Wei nodded repeatedly as he listened.
As Sid had predicted, Joseph had indeed developed his own style after leaving the Alchemy City.
The opponent has put effort into the connection between the magic circle and the magical items. Originally independent magical items can be linked and cooperated through the magic circle, easily achieving a synergistic effect where one plus one is greater than two.
More intelligent, more independent of people.
“In the world of science, there’s a course that covers this, called Automatic Control Theory. The key is to collect feedback in a timely manner and then input new data. Wait here, let me check… Is Isa there?” Yun Wei asked loudly as he searched.
“I do have it here. But are you sure you want to take it out here? Please, my little darling, there’s no rush.” Isaac was exhausted from parrying Enrico’s chain of wooden swords and couldn’t free his hands at all.
Joseph added, "It's alright, teacher, I can give it to you when I have time. By the way, would you like to take a look at Koro first..."
Yun Wei smiled sheepishly, then suddenly realized that he might have forgotten someone. "Uh, where did Koro go?"
He turned around and realized that his most loyal servant was quietly squatting by the ditch that Tyrese had dug out.
That lonely figure looked so pitiful and forlorn.
It felt as if the whole world had betrayed me.
He hurried over and greeted him, "Hey, my village official. Long time no see, you seem like a different person now!"
Yun Wei was just trying to make a joke.
But when Koro turned around, his red, tear-filled eyes still startled him.
"My God, what's going on... Koro, what happened?" Yun Wei asked with a slightly guilty conscience, wondering if he had upset the other party because of his oversight.
Don't blame him for being overly narcissistic.
From the very beginning, he hadn't stopped talking nonstop to others.
Who could blame him for leaving for so many years? Reuniting with friends and partners after such a long separation naturally brought a lot to talk about.
However, Corot's words mercilessly exposed his excessive self-consciousness.
The other person choked out, "The earth has been dug up, and we... we, the Ice Sparrow Flower, have had our connection with the Continent of All Elements severed..."
Yun Wei wondered if he was seeing things.
He truly saw a tear the size of a pea roll out of the thin village official's eye, shatter on the barren soil, leaving only a slightly dark mark.
Koro's feelings for Reston were the most genuine and sincere, far surpassing those of all the others.
Grand Duke Icebird remained silent for a long while.
He lowered his eyes, but stretched out his palm, pointing towards the ditch filled with lifeless seawater.
In that instant, almost everyone looked at him, because they all felt a terrifying magical aura emanating from this magician.
The hard ground was brought to life as earth elemental energy radiating a halo, and then quickly transformed into azure water elemental energy amidst the soft gasps of the crowd.
After a few breaths, everything quietly returned to normal.
The original "boundary" was about thirty meters wide, and in the blink of an eye, Yun Wei expanded it to about one hundred meters.
Koro was completely stunned.
He originally thought that Yun Wei would help him fill in the river channel that the stupid cat had dug, but instead of helping, the other party widened the ditch even further.
If there was still a possibility of lingering connection in the past, now, facing the vast, surging river, Koro felt a long-forgotten surge of anger rising from the depths of his heart.
It is the despair of being tricked, the anger of being betrayed, and the unbearable injustice.
"What do you mean by this? Does making fun of a nobody like me make you happy?" His lips were trembling, but even though the other party was his lord, he dared to question him.
This is absolutely outrageous.
“As you can see, dear Koro village chief, I’m helping to widen the river,” Yun Wei explained gently, his pale face bearing a forced smile that looked utterly menacing in Koro’s eyes.
This was the first time he had attempted such a large-scale elemental transformation, and even a powerful mage like him was feeling exhausted. With Joseph's help, he lazily sat down on the ground.
Koro was furious. He pointed at Yun Wei and stammered, "Why, why?"
Yun Wei was still smiling. "I want to thank you, Village Chief Keluo. You just inspired me. I've only completed a small part. In the coming days, I will repeat this process five or six times until the river is completely connected from west to east."
"This is not a severance, it is a connection, a connection between the North Sea and the East Sea. Do you know that once I have completely opened up Qingcang Bay and the Cuiyun Strait, goods from as far away as Bethlehem Territory can be transported by sea to Resgorod?"
"This is the gift I present to the Continent of Elements upon my return: an unprecedented grand canal! What's there to be afraid of once it's dug? We still have Joseph; let him design a bridge that embodies the essence of alchemy for you."
At this point, Yun Wei actually laughed heartily.
Water transport is so important that even in the distant 21st century, its transportation costs are often only one-thirtieth of those of rail transport.
Not to mention the continent of Zhuyuan, where transportation still relies mainly on animal and human power.
Not to mention the distant past, even Catherine the Great would be determined to personally lead an expedition to the sea to clean up all the unfamiliar and unknown places, so that people could travel freely by waterway.
If ordinary waterways are like this, how much more so are the checkpoints connecting these two major bodies of water?
When that time comes, his Icebird Territory, guarding the north side of the Grand Canal, will not only safeguard the "Gateway to the Wasteland" left over from the previous dynasty, but will also seize a maritime artery flowing with wealth and honey.
This is simply the complete version of the City of World Desire from the Continent of Elements!
He's a true genius; he deserves to be rich!
Thinking of this, Yun Wei became even more satisfied.
Everyone present was stunned after hearing what Yun Wei said.
But Koro, who had been the first to freeze in place, jumped up excitedly. Ignoring the tear stains on his cheeks, he kept apologizing to Yun Wei, showering him with compliments as if they were free.
I don't know exactly how Qin Lushu promotes culture, but it seems everyone in Bingquehualing can use idioms these days—
"My good lord, my most brilliant and ambitious lord, it's all my fault for being so short-sighted that I almost misunderstood your monumental undertaking! You deserve to be punished, you deserve to be punished!"
As he was talking, Koro reached out and slapped himself in the face.
He certainly didn't succeed, because as soon as he raised his hand, Joseph, quick-witted and agile, grabbed it in time.
He heard the other person scolding him, "Where did your usual cleverness go? You dare to doubt your teacher. It's a good thing Hildegard didn't come today, otherwise she would have definitely swept you into the sea with a stick."
"Don't talk about me like that." The village chief of Koro, now energized, immediately launched into a full-blown attack, retorting as usual, "But you, our much-anticipated master, if you can't come up with a bridge design that satisfies me, I'll be the one leading the opposition!"
Joseph immediately fell silent, his gaze drifting towards the surging river. His two bright eyes darted back and forth, as if to say that he was already eager to begin conceiving his plan.
The lord, who was sitting rather slouchingly, watched the interaction between the two with a smile. He asked, "What name are you going to give the Grand Canal? Koro, you can start soliciting suggestions when you get back."
“Alright, that’s easy, leave it all to me.” Koro patted his chest with great enthusiasm and was the first to offer his suggestion, “Since the groundbreaking ceremony is being held between Icebird Flower and Florence… in my opinion, ‘Cuihua’ is a good name!”
Upon hearing this, Yun Wei felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision.
In a moment of disappointment, he even felt that the location of Ice Sparrow Collar in the northeast of the entire region was actually quite fitting.
He gave a dry laugh, ultimately unable to dampen Koro's enthusiasm, and simply told him to go ahead and do it.
Yun Wei thought to himself, anyway, Qin Lushu is there to back him up.
With everyone working together and pooling their wisdom, they can always come up with a name that will be remembered for generations.
Just as the exhausted magician was about to relax and rest, he saw a figure appear again on the southern horizon.
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