Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Jiang the Wealthy – Yucheng
Perhaps it’s because the hall holds many treasures, a place where Spiritual Energy converges.
Many artifacts have successfully undergone Spirit Transformation.
Magnolia Hearne was able to hear the voices of the artifacts.
They want to return home, but that’s not all they want.
Magnolia Hearne’s past life involved struggling and scraping by in the Demon Clan, which taught her to strive and fight for what she wanted.
But she happened to join the Taoism Academy.
There, she learned the meaning of "protection," what it meant by homeland.
The wishes of the artifacts were something she wanted to protect.
So she spent some time planning a way to separate from her original body and escape.
She brought them back to the country.
The dean of Sea City scolded her for being reckless, yet still stepped in to negotiate with the Security Bureau.
Eventually, she was tasked with the responsibility of housing the artifacts.
"At that time, the Security Bureau didn’t have much money, they only allocated enough for me to build a little museum to house them."
Magnolia Hearne said this with some disdain,
"You say, back abroad, they were cramped in a glass cabinet, that’s settled, but returning home only to feel stifled, what’s the point?"
So with a grand gesture, she directly came up with a plan for an Artefact Village.
Not only should each artifact occupy its own room, but they should live comfortably and with style.
"The folks at the Security Bureau thought I was crazy to want to build a village. They couldn’t provide more funds, only land; I had no choice but to raise the money myself."
At this point, Magnolia Hearne suddenly pointed to Luca Jennings, smiling,
"That’s when I contacted your father."
Luca ’Rich Man’ Jennings: ...
Luca Jennings’ face was impassive, but he clearly remembered.
After he made a certain ’request’ of her, she disappeared for nearly two months.
During those two months, she was completely out of contact, someone who used to appear frequently in his life suddenly vanished.
A day, a week, a month.
He waited and waited for her to reappear.
Even though he spent a large sum buying several important artifacts at an international auction.
Even though he let the media widely publicize this event.
She still did not show up.
Luca Jennings thought she might have... given up.
He had been abandoned.
This realization was like a sharp spike piercing his heart; several times, he severely condemned her irresponsible behavior internally.
Until two months later, she showed up with a smile, holding a so-called proposal.
At that moment, Luca Jennings finally realized—
He had fallen for her.
As the excellent heir trained by Old Sir Jiang, Luca Jennings was skilled in business, and had made countless major decisions.
Every investment and project he committed to had never failed.
Logan’s unique tourism development village plan was his worst investment.
Yet, at the same time, it was his most satisfying life investment.
Because, although the project was shelved after the village was built and all initial investments went down the drain...
He married a beloved wife.
Scarlett Jennings and Donovan Jennings had no idea there was this layer of history between their parents.
Looking at Luca Jennings, who was clearly taken for a fool and yet not upset, even with a hint of affection in his eyes, Donovan and Scarlett simultaneously fell silent.
Who could have thought their dad was actually so lovesick...
This really didn’t seem fitting.
Putting aside these thoughts, Scarlett Jennings finally figured out Magnolia Hearne’s connection with the inhabitants of the Artefact Village and began to ponder again.
Samuel Chalmers had previously discussed matters with her on the rooftop at night, now the first to know her thoughts,
"Have you decided how to help them?"
Previously aware that the artifacts wanted to sacrifice the village’s hundred Spirit Transformed artifacts to ensure Elizabethan Manor’s preservation for the thousands of other artifacts, Scarlett had expressed her desire to assist them.
Now things had calmed down, Scarlett could try to explore her bold idea.
Jade Bennett and the village chief learned for the first time that Scarlett intended to help them reunite their Half Soul Avatars, facial expressions inevitably surprised.
But after the surprise, they politely refused,
"This matter really was long decided by everyone, Scarlett you shouldn’t..."
Before Jade Bennett could finish, Scarlett interrupted her,
"I understand your concerns, so if my idea can be realized, it can fulfill your wish to return home without limiting your lifespan to mere decades, as well as continue your original plan."
Magnolia Hearne, as one of the planners of that project, and responsible for the crucial publicity aspect, couldn’t help but ask,
"What idea?"
Ideally, she would prefer not to watch the artifacts achieve everything at the cost of living less than a century.
Scarlett smiled as she met Magnolia Hearne’s slightly eager gaze,
"The key to this idea requires a special Grace."
She looked at the village chief and asked, "Is the Jade Cabbage we brought earlier still here?"
The village chief didn’t know why she suddenly mentioned the Jade Cabbage but nodded nonetheless,
"It is, the little Grace’s original form is damaged, it’s been locked in the ’reflection room’ as punishment for days."
The Jade Cabbage assisted in imitation and forgery, Jade Bennett strongly condemned this, saying she should remain in her damaged form forever as a reminder of the lesson.
Magnolia Hearne didn’t know the origin of the Jade Cabbage or why it was key, but Jade Bennett quickly connected the dots.
"You wouldn’t be thinking..."
She sounded surprised as Scarlett nodded,
"The Grace for Jade Cabbage has, due to her creator’s obsession, gained a special ability after Spirit Transformation, which is ’perfect replication.’"
"The Black Mist Organization utilizes her ability to create forgeries; we can use her ability as well, but we’ll create not replicas, but your avatars."
Scarlett looked seriously at Jade Bennett and the village chief,
"She can perfectly replicate your original form, as long as you impart a wisp of Soul Breath onto the replica, making it a perfect avatar."
Although this would be somewhat tricky, and would require considerable Spiritual Power along the way, it could preserve the Soul Life of the Spiritual Objects.
Of course, Jade Cabbage previously could only perfectly replicate Jade, to replicate other artifacts would require continuous supply of Spiritual Energy,
learning to control more Spiritual Power manipulation skills, expanding understanding from Jade to other objects, and... replicating hundreds of artifacts.
This would be a long process of research and replication.
Scarlett wasn’t expecting to achieve this in one fell swoop, fortunately, the artifacts had ample time.
They had enough time to prepare gradually.
Magnolia Hearne agreed it was doable, adding further,
"Such replication cannot appear out of thin air; to ensure authenticity, the Jade material and various other materials must closely resemble the original, which requires quite a bit of money; we should get the Security Bureau to fund us!"
They couldn’t keep pulling from their own funds.
These funds should come from the state.
Scarlett also thought it reasonable, "I’ll prepare a detailed plan to submit to the Security Bureau Headquarters."
Magnolia Hearne: "I’m familiar with this, let’s do it together."
Scarlett accepted, "Okay."
Here the group finalized the plan.
Meanwhile, still locked in the little black box, Jade Cabbage:
Feeling an inexplicable chill on the original form, sensing someone plotting against me...