Daziel didn't reply, his gaze drawn to the next cargo crate.
Inside, nestled within the crate, was a strangely shaped incense burner – the Golden Toad of Dense Clouds.
He moved closer, crouching down beside it.
Daziel had encountered countless enchanted devices in his time and was intimately familiar with the distinctive form of the golden toad.
Yet, something about this one felt… off.
Its eyes burned with an unnatural crimson, and a faint, black mist seemed to emanate from its body – a stark contrast to the familiar Golden Toad of Dense Clouds.
A prickle of unease shot through Daziel's heart. Something was definitely wrong with this golden toad.
He subtly drew the club from behind his back, its weight settling reassuringly in his hand.
"This incense burner…" Daziel began, his voice casual, "Is this also part of your company's shipment?"
"Indeed! A prized acquisition of our company, the Golden Toad of Dense Clouds incense burner! Just burn the special spices, and it'll bring tranquility and even extend one's lifespan!" Scott declared with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Daziel remained silent, slowly raising the club, almost imperceptibly.
He knew, with a growing certainty, that this was no ordinary Golden Toad of Dense Clouds. This was an enchanted device, and likely far more dangerous than anything he'd anticipated from the original reports…
After a tense few seconds, the golden toad's scarlet eyes flickered, then swiveled abruptly.
"Mr. Daziel! Watch out!" Sushang's warning cry pierced the air.
Anticipating the attack, Daziel was already in motion. As the golden toad tensed to spring, he swung the club with brutal force, slamming it down upon the creature.
Thunk!
A dull thud reverberated, but to Daziel's surprise, the golden toad didn't shatter.
Common golden toad monsters were notoriously fragile. Logic dictated that such a blow should have pulverized it. Yet, this one remained stubbornly intact, lunging towards Daziel with surprising speed.
"Careful!" Sushang yelled again.
Daziel braced himself to swing again, but just as he moved, an arrow whizzed past his ear, striking the golden toad with pinpoint accuracy.
Whoosh-
The golden arrow, propelled by immense force, tore through the golden toad, finally obliterating it in a shower of fragments and black liquid.
Daziel glanced back. Yukong's bow had materialized in her hand as if by magic.
It was indeed Yukong who had loosed the arrow.
Daziel returned his attention to the shattered remains of the golden toad. Scattered fragments on the ground, they still emitted wisps of black smoke and a faint, acrid odor of burning. He frowned, deep in thought.
The aura emanating from the golden toad had been unmistakable – far beyond that of a typical enchanted device.
"What in the world is going on here?!"
Yukong's voice, sharp and authoritative, cut through the air. She strode to the fragments, kneeling to examine them closely.
"Mr. Scott," Yukong's gaze, now fixed on Scott, was like burning embers. "What is the meaning of this enchanted device?"
The forced joviality on Scott's face crumbled instantly, replaced by a flicker of raw panic.
"This… this… there must be some mistake, it shouldn't have activated…" Scott stammered, scrambling for an explanation.
"Enough of your excuses!" Yukong's voice was laced with icy disdain. "This is clearly not a mere incense burner, but an enchanted device. What was your purpose in smuggling this into your shipment?!"
"Master Yukong, please, hear me out! This is not solely our company's fault…" Scott desperately tried to argue.
"Silence!" Yukong's sharp command silenced him. "The evidence is right here before us. Do you still deny it?!"
"I… I confess, this golden toad belongs to our company." Cornered, Scott could only concede, nodding weakly. "However, I implore Mr. Daziel to continue the inspection! The Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce's goods haven't been scrutinized yet!"
Scott pointed a trembling finger at Mingxi, his voice rising in desperation. "Their goods must be contaminated too! You can't single us out! Their goods are the reason our golden toad malfunctioned!"
Daziel was genuinely surprised.
He had anticipated Scott resorting to bribery, mirroring the original scenario, to deflect suspicion. He hadn't expected this blatant admission and desperate deflection.
Why this sudden change?
A sheen of cold sweat broke out on Mingxi's brow. Scott's sudden tactic had thrown her into disarray.
"Now that the source of the issue is found, perhaps we can conclude the investigation…" Mingxi suggested weakly, her voice trembling, her eyes darting nervously.
She knew, with a sinking feeling, that there were indeed compromising elements hidden amongst her goods.
Yukong's gaze shifted between Mingxi and Scott, her expression unreadable. "Since Mr. Scott has made a formal request," she stated slowly, "the Sky-Faring Commission cannot be seen to favor the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Daziel, please proceed to inspect the goods of the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce."
"…Understood." Daziel nodded curtly.
Daziel moved towards the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce's cargo crate, opening the first box.
A jumble of various goods lay inside, appearing perfectly ordinary at first glance.
But Daziel knew better. It was often the most innocuous exteriors that concealed the darkest secrets. He meticulously examined each item, his senses on high alert, leaving no detail unchecked.
Daziel opened another crate, revealing several sealed glass vials.
"And what are these…?" Daziel picked up a vial, holding it up for closer inspection.
Within the clear glass, a light blue substance drifted lazily, resembling clusters of tiny bubbles.
The bubbles shimmered with an alluring beauty, flecked with delicate pink spots. Daziel sensed a captivating, yet unsettling, aura emanating from them.
He recognized them instantly. Dream bubbles – the highly regulated, almost universally prohibited kind.
Unlike ordinary dream bubbles meant merely to store memories, these held a far more insidious cargo: memories of the unsavory kind.
Inhaling these tainted dream bubbles plunged the user into a vortex of hallucinatory madness and addictive fantasies, notoriously difficult to escape once ensnared.
Enchanted devices… they possessed a rudimentary awareness. It was the energy fluctuations, the intoxicating fumes released by these bubbles, that the golden toad had inhaled, triggering its violent awakening.
In essence, this device was… intoxicated.
It sounded absurd – an enchanted device fueled by human addictive substances – but the evidence pointed squarely in that direction.
"Secretary Mingxi," Yukong's voice resonated again, laced with undisguised accusation. "Care to explain these?"
Mingxi's face drained of color. "I… I have no idea… This… these must be…" she stammered, struggling to fabricate an excuse.
"Perhaps," Yukong interjected, her tone glacial, "it was merely 'worker negligence' during inspection that led to these 'accidentally' being included?"
"I… I will launch a thorough investigation into this matter, immediately…" Mingxi's voice dwindled to a whisper, all pretense of authority vanished.
"Hahaha! I told you your little Chamber of Commerce was rotten to the core!" Scott crowed, his earlier panic replaced by triumphant gloating.
Yukong surveyed the two figures, Mingxi and Scott, her gaze unwavering. "The evidence is now irrefutable," she declared, her voice ringing with authority. "Mr. Scott, your company's clandestine possession of enchanted devices, coupled with the attempt to smuggle them off-world, deliberately compromising your goods – the transgression is inexcusable. Secretary Mingxi, your Chamber of Commerce's lax oversight has allowed prohibited goods to infiltrate your shipments, making your responsibility undeniable."
"Formal penalty notices will be issued to both of you shortly. Fines will be levied, and exhaustive investigations will commence. Do you have any objections?"
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Hey there! I'm Wallnut-chan! 🌸 I'm translating this fanfic and restoring some +18 scenes that were cut from the original work—since explicit content isn't allowed in China. I went through everything carefully and reinserted the scenes while staying true to the story! Hope you enjoy it!
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