Cupid called me? Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart sink. He had just heard from Heraxini about his own long-standing feud with Cupid, and now he was being summoned. Especially considering he had slept with his mother’s maid, planting the seeds of discord. Ah, is this not the classic tale of a particularly outstanding half-brother from a Western background, whose very excellence has earned the envy of the legitimate heir? He sighed with quiet resignation. Cupid had long held a grudge against him, yet never killed him—clearly, he respected the lineage of the divine blood. Even though Zhang was a son by a lesser birth, he was still a descendant of the goddess of beauty. Hellen had once said that if the goddess learned of a half-brother infringing upon a close attendant, she would expel him from the island of Paphos, at most from the household. Not kill him. Therefore, it was unlikely that Cupid would act against him over Hellen’s matter. Moreover, Paphos itself faced threats from the followers of the Light God, making it precisely a time when reinforcements were needed. With that thought, Zhang Yuanqing regained his composure. "Well, Cupid's character is quite 'difficult'—he can't be understood by ordinary standards. If all else fails, I'll just unleash my full power and take on him head-on to see how well Menia holds up..." Zhang Yuanqing silently employed emotional manipulation, attempting to influence Menia's mood, only to be astonished to find that Menia's emotions remained as rigid as a block of iron—no matter how hard he tried to shape them, they wouldn't yield. Wow, at least peak level eight! Even with my full power, I might not be able to overcome her. What a lapse in etiquette! Zhang Yuanqing instantly regained his composure and offered his younger brother's humble smile: "Ah, esteemed Goddess Menia, I'll go see Cupid right away. But could you kindly tell me where he is?" Menia replied coldly, "The western garden." Zhang Yuanqing nodded immediately, quickly oriented himself, and headed westward. Heraxini, with her deep green hair, followed closely behind, steadfast and devoted—her presence a true embodiment of loyalty, as if she would follow him through life and death. Unlike her brother Amine, who naturally embodies desire, Heraxini represents love within desire. There are several gardens within the castle, adorned with flowers, fruit trees, and man-made ponds, offering a most pleasant view. The two walked westward along a paved path for a while, until they reached the western garden, where they spotted a child of about five or six loudly scolding several slave overseers. He had fair skin, a round face, and large, bright blue eyes—very endearing. Behind him, a pair of white wings gently fluttered, carrying him slightly above the ground. In his left hand, he held a small bow; in his right, two arrows—one golden, one grayish. "Knophin," Cupid said, arms crossed, glaring at one of the slave overseers, "I told you to extract one hundred baskets of black stone within three days, and you have failed to meet that obligation." The slave kneeled down with great apprehension, pleading, "Lord Cupid, the black stone is as hard as Athena's shield, and our tools and personnel are insufficient. Oh, great Cupid, I am not here to justify myself—I only ask for a few more days." Cupid descended, hovering above the slave's leader, his charming face displaying a look of sharp, mocking amusement. "Ah, my slave Knophen, then go forth and ask the followers of the Sun God whether they would be willing to grant us time to prepare our weapons." He rose again and turned toward the soldier holding a spear stationed nearby, saying, "Send him out to sea!" The head slave, Knophen, his eyes filled with despair, trembled and pleaded, "No, no, please don't do this. The followers of the Light God have sealed off this sea region; anyone who attempts to sail will be killed. Cupid, my wife and children still need me..." His plea went unheeded, and he was carried away by two attendants. Cupid then turned to another slave leader, smiling and saying, "Hals, where are the fifty siege engines? I heard Eriphus say you've only completed twenty." Having just witnessed the fate of Knophen, the slave named Hals trembled and fell to his knees, unable to offer any defense, only hoping for a lighter punishment. Cupid tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then broke into a playful smile, "Hals, I've heard you are deeply devoted to love, truly devoted to your wife..." He turned to one of his attendants and said, "Bring over a mother sheep." The attendant hurried off and returned not long after, bringing a white mountain goat with a curved horn. In Halus's startled gaze, Cupid nocked his golden arrow, smiled widely, and said, "I punish you—for betraying your love for your wife and falling in love with a goat." The golden short arrow flew forth, piercing the hearts of both Halus and the goat in succession. Halus's body stiffened; though his chest was struck, he showed no wound and no blood. Yet his gaze upon the mother goat changed, now interwoven with desire and love. With eager longing, he unfastened his belt, revealed his naked body, and rushed toward the goat. The attendant laughed heartily and kicked the goat. Startled, the goat fled, and naked Halus pursued it. Together, man and goat gradually receded, vanishing from sight. "He is truly a devil!" Herasini seemed already accustomed to Cupid's antics, grasping Amini's hand and whispering, "My dearest Amini, you must never let Cupid get angry—otherwise, he'll make you fall in love with the sheep as well." Cupid's bow and arrows were likely high-tier dominion artifacts, possibly even rule-based ones. Zhang Yuanqing's face darkened like still water: "Has my work not been completed yet?" Herasini murmured, "Of course! Cupid assigned you to produce two thousand arrows within two days, yet only provided six craftsmen—this is an impossible task. The lightning stones are highly unstable and must be handled with great care, or they will explode. Therefore, the craftsmen are extremely cautious when polishing the stones, and producing two thousand arrows within two days is simply unattainable." Done—now I too shall become a sheep knight! Zhang Yuanqing's heart gave a sudden jolt. Recalling Cupid's strained relationship with Amini, it was clear this was a deliberate test from the former. — Assigning an impossible task and then using it as an opportunity to punish, settle personal grudges. The first crisis of the副本 unfolds... Zhang Yuanqing quickly activates his thinking, pondering how to navigate through the challenge. If he is to fall in love with the mother sheep, it would be better to let him die—no, let Cupid die instead. However, Cupid has four siblings who are his full siblings, and with such a strong opposition, there is no chance of victory; the S-tier副本 would immediately fail. Therefore, a direct confrontation is not yet feasible—only a strategic approach is possible. Cupid's third punishment targets a young man with long black hair, wearing a one-piece long robe, who is both handsome and radiates a bright, sunny demeanor. This slave commander has several lovers and is highly popular among women, so Cupid shoots him with a lead-gray arrow, rendering him incapable of loving anyone. The next two slave commanders face the following penalties: one is required to sacrifice his beautiful daughter, while the other sees his wife fall in love with someone else. After settling the matter with the slave chieftains, Cupid finally turned to Zhang Yuanqing and Herasini. "Oh, Amini, the embodiment of justice on the island of Paphos—how do you find my punishment thus far?" Herasini watched Amini with growing anxiety. Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully. "Your grace, the punishment you have meted out is just and fair. I have no objections." Indeed, before meeting Cupid, Zhang Yuanqing had considered bowing immediately and offering humble submission to resolve the tensions between both parties. But having witnessed Cupid's behavior, he quietly abandoned that idea. On one hand, Cupid's difficult temperament made it unlikely that yielding would prove effective; on the other, bowing immediately would have meant showing no respect to the wronged party. Nevertheless, he still chose to yield. Hearing this, Herasini exhaled deeply, relieved. Cupid crossed his arms and laughed heartily. "Ah, the god of justice of Paphos—your courage and integrity, I still prefer the way you were before." The attendants joined in laughter. Then, with a round, endearing face once again tinged with mockery, his eyes dark with determination, he said: "Though you say this, it cannot conceal the fact of your negligence, Amini. You failed to complete your task within the prescribed time. Therefore, I shall punish you by making you fall in love with a sheep." Zhang Yuanqing quickly replied: "Most noble Cupid, I willingly accept your punishment. Yet I believe this course of action is not prudent." "No, there is no room for further delay," Cupid said, turning to the attendants and gesturing for them to lead the mother sheep, while eagerly drawing his bow and aiming it at Amini. Heraxini looked utterly defeated. Zhang Yuanqing quickly thought through his options and exclaimed: "The goddess of Light is now threatening the island of Paphos. We must unite, Cupid. I can guarantee that by this time tomorrow, I will have completed two thousand arrows. Should you punish me by making me fall in love with the mother sheep, I shall be separated from her—this would be highly detrimental to the island." "Apollo narrowed his eyes: 'What if you still can't complete the task by tomorrow?'" Zhang Yuanqing immediately replied, "Then I shall fully bear Apollo's punishment." Apollo tilted his head, pondering, and said, "I'll give you one more day. If, by this time tomorrow, you haven't delivered two thousand arrows..." He chuckled softly, deliberately omitting the consequences, then扇ed his snowy wings and took flight back to the towering bell tower. Zhang Yuanqing breathed a quiet sigh of relief. When he heard the news of his failure, he had been subtly influencing Apollo's mind. Though the stubborn child's determination was as strong as that of his sister, Menia, there had been a slight impact when given ample time. Against the backdrop of the crisis facing Patras Island, this subtle influence had finally succeeded in persuading Apollo, allowing them to narrowly weather the storm. Herasini pulled Amini along, speaking softly: "Amín, my work is done. I'll help you with the arrow-making, too. I was so tired yesterday that I fell asleep before the sun even set. Hmph, Helen—what a fool she is—she took advantage of the opportunity." Her face was full of concern, fearing that her beloved would fall for the ewe. "Dear Herasini, thank you for all your kindness and support," Zhang Yuanqing said, allowing Herasini to lead him toward the workshop. Although Ammini was a servant of the goddess, the status of a divine servant far surpassed that of a mortal. Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand, signaling them to continue working, then picked up an arrow, holding it firmly. After a few seconds, the item information appeared: 【Name: Thunder Arrow】 【Type: Weapon】 【Function: Paralyzes, Explodes】 【Description: An arrow crafted from a crystal that channels lightning. Upon striking an enemy, it explodes and generates a powerful electric current to paralyze the target.】 【Note: As a consumable item, it has no cost.] The maximum number of arrows available was 500, with 1,500 remaining. To complete the task by tomorrow was nearly impossible unless I had sufficient craftsmen. He still couldn't afford to clash with Cupid just yet. Honestly, he kept being targeted by him—given Cupid's nature, the conflict seemed irreconcilable. Well, he truly didn't want to reconcile with someone so unyielding! Yet, at this moment, he was indeed under pressure—someone had to yield. Zhang Yuanqing decided to carry out the task thoroughly. He subtly employed a magic illusion, blinding the six craftsmen and the five senses of Hesarini, then expelled three master-level yuanshen spirits and the ghost bride. "Master!" "Lord!" The spirit attendants bowed respectfully. Zhang Yuanqing instructed, "Produce one thousand five hundred arrows." He pointed at the craftsmen busily at work and said, "Do it!" Four spirit attendants immediately gathered around the craftsmen to observe their arrow-making process. Zhang Yuanqing then took out the little red hat, summoned the Lady Yin Yao, and issued the same command. Thus, among the spirit attendants, another shade body was added. The arrow-making process was simple, but the key lay in the careful polishing of the crystal stones—any slight mishap could cause the stones to explode, potentially resulting in the craftsmen losing their arms. After observing for several minutes, Lady Yin Yao and the four spirit attendants began to work on the arrows themselves. Zhang Yuanqing then shook the little red hat again, releasing ten more shade bodies—five under his control and five under Lady Yin Yao's. They joined the workforce. ... The remote mountain, the ancient Xiahou Aotian gazed at the half-rotten temple gate, spoke softly, "Who is outside?" As he spoke, he opened his inventory, quietly withdrew a mechanical crossbow, and concealed it behind him. "Lord, I am a local herbalist from nearby. I came into the mountains to gather herbs, but encountered heavy rain. I would like to seek shelter in the temple—would you kindly grant me permission?" A soft, delicate voice came from outside. It sounded so gentle and alluring. Women... Xiahou Aotian's vigilance eased somewhat, and he said, "Come in." The temple gate creaked open, and a slender young woman, shielding her head with her sleeve, hurried in gracefully. Xiahou Aotian observed her—about twenty-eight years old, beautifully poised. Her hair, damp and clinging to her fair, graceful face, streamed with rain, and the water had soaked her dress, accentuating her elegant figure. She carried a bamboo basket filled with freshly gathered herbs. She glanced at the fire and hesitantly asked, "Lord, may I warm myself by the fire?" Xiahou Aotian looked at her and suddenly asked, "Are you here to kill me?" The woman's expression stiffened, standing there stunned, as if she hadn't expected him to say such a thing. After a few seconds of uncertainty, she replied, "Your Grace, what makes you say that?"