Chapter 92: The Legend of the Scale

Wang pondered over the widespread legend that echoed across the entire continent. The tale went:

There exists a petite, adorable girl who appears before those with strong desires, innocently asking about their wishes and then helping them come true. Any wish is permissible, as long as it is within the realm of human imagination, for the girl can make it a reality. However, the girl adheres strictly to the principle of equal exchange! Before granting a wish, the person must first pay an equivalent price. Beyond the realm of merchants, everyone who has seen the girl feels as if they are facing an absolutely fair scale. One side of the “scale” receives the price, while the other holds infinite promise. The girl is both cruel and, in her existence, more comforting than a dream. In these fair trades, ten ironclad principles are unquestionable:

1. Both parties in a transaction must act with absolute willingness.

2. Once a price is promised, it must be fulfilled, no matter how many years it takes.

3. The form of exchange is not limited to “barter”; anything valuable is accepted by the girl.

4. Once a wish is formally made, it cannot be revoked or altered.

5. Wishes made by different people cannot conflict; wishes cannot include invalidating another’s wish.

6. Wishes cannot be manipulated, such as “My wish is to have three more wishes”; the girl will ignore such attempts.

7. Person A can wish for Person B to benefit, and as long as Person A pays the price, the transaction is considered valid (in this case, Person B’s will can be disregarded).

8. Wishes must follow the law of cause and effect.

9. Those who maliciously violate these principles will be severely punished.

10. The judgment of “equivalence” is decided by the girl.

As time passed, the legend did not fade with the turning of the ages but instead spread even wider. Unbeknownst to those involved, she was given a name, or rather, a title: “The Scale of Gain and Loss”! The peculiar name carried the hopes of some. Many speculated about the girl’s true identity: elf, deity, or demon, with various theories abounding. Among the countless who discussed this as mere gossip, Wang was one of them. Not long ago, Wang did not yearn for such external forces, for she had no wishes of her own. It was only today, as the feeling of impending death grew clearer, that she suddenly realized: she did have a wish! Compared to Little Eagle and her other family members, Wang was most worried about Cai. The girl lacked power and her lifespan was far shorter than that of the magical race……

When a youthful voice rang out, Wang was certain it was not a hallucination. The girl from the legend, with her distinctive ponytail, truly stood before her. “Do you need me?” The girl’s small finger tapped her round, childlike face, and as she raised an eyebrow, her ponytail seemed to sway along with the motion. Gestures like pointing at one’s face and raising an eyebrow suggested an outgoing personality. However, the reality was quite different. On the girl’s petite face, there was no expression other than calm, as if her features were sculpted from still water. As per the custom of meeting someone’s gaze, she stepped back with her left leg, bent slightly at the waist, and lowered her head until it was parallel to the ground. After the necessary courtesy, the girl’s pupils contracted, and her gaze fixed on Wang as she spoke softly, “I sense a girl’s deep longing. Speak it, and I shall fulfill it, be it a thousand wishes or ten thousand thoughts!”

Many who heard the legend mistakenly associated the girl with the magical race, for how else could she appear and disappear so mysteriously? In reality, this assumption was completely wrong. At the very least, it could be confirmed that the girl was definitely not of the magical race! Her power was profound and elusive, even in her prime, Wang could not fathom the strength hidden within that small frame. In the martial arts stories popular on the eastern continent, wasn’t there often a type of person? The “hermit” at the peak of the martial world, who, weary of conflict, sought new pastimes. Some of these people enjoyed taking disciples, while others would hand out martial arts manuals at the slightest disagreement…… Wang, with her vast knowledge of eastern tales, dared to conclude: the girl before her was likely one of these “recluses”! Her passion was not to dominate the nations nor did she seem interested in wealth and honor; if Wang’s guess was correct, the girl’s greatest joy lay in “the process of equal exchange with various people”.

“Girl, are you ready to state your wish?” There was no urgency in her tone, but as Wang pondered the girl’s identity, the latter hoped she would quickly focus. Pausing her thoughts, Wang set aside Cai’s surprise and delved into the matter at hand: “Something intangible…… can you provide that?”

“There are many intangible things; which one do you mean?”

“Power! Power strong enough to protect oneself anywhere!”

Upon hearing this, the girl’s slightly raised eyebrows immediately dropped, and her voice held a hint of relief: “That’s no problem at all! You don’t even need to take anything from me; you already possess that level of power within you!”

“Are you saying……”

The girl’s short fingers, like new spring bamboo, pointed at Wang. Not out of disrespect, but as a reminder, the girl said: “The power is within you, girl. If you wish to enhance it for the girl beside you, I am more than happy to assist.”

Wang nodded, and with the girl’s permission, she began to dance in a waltz-like rhythm, her right arm outstretched, fingers splayed wide. An incantation began, and the summoning spell formed into glowing runes, weaving around the girl’s shoulders like dancing ribbons. As the incantation ended, a phantom scale materialized before their eyes, and the girl grasped it. Instantly, black particles appeared on Wang’s body, while white particles separated from the girl; the dual-colored particles gathered on either side of the scale, materializing into numerous small spheres that fell onto the scale’s ends. “Girl, although this is not our first ‘equal exchange,’ I must explain the rules again to ensure you understand the cost you are about to pay.” Wang heard the girl’s words but did not fully comprehend them, attributing it to the girl mistaking her for someone else. According to the girl’s subsequent explanation: the principle behind wish-granting is the ultimate application of contract magic. The scale itself is a magical artifact that allows both parties to enter into a contract simultaneously. The black spheres represent “the price paid.” If someone harbors a strong desire, the black spheres will appear around them.

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