CHAPTER 68
Secret High Order: The Hall Of The Subservient
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Lela stepped forward.
"As a Demoness of the Coven, I know basically all the Mystic Arts stored here and exactly where to find them. I came here specifically for this Art."
She held up a strange, almost white book bound in what looked like scales.
"I just let you play around for an hour in case you found our company boring," Lela explained, her tone dripping with confidence. "But this... this is what you really need."
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Lu Xie arrived within close proximity of the duo and reached out, collecting the book from Lela's hand.
As her gaze turned serious, Lu Xie could see Lela grinning from her peripheral vision.
"I bet you didn't find anything interesting, hmm?" Lela said smugly, eyeing the tattered yellow manual in Lu Xie's other hand. "What is that? Toilet paper?"
Lu Xie ignored the jab and focused on Lela's choice.
The book Lela had chosen was exquisite. The cover was crafted from pale cream scales that felt cool and smooth to the touch, embellished with delicate lilac patterns that shimmered under the light. Each page whispered of quality, crafted with more care than most parents gave their children.
This was clearly a Master's life work.
In stark contrast, the Infinity Flow manual Lu Xie held was a tragedy. Its pages were yellowed and dirty, looking less like a profound art and more like the ramblings of a madman scribbled during a sudden, unhinged epiphany. It was an eyesore.
Lu Xie opened the exquisite book.
'Hmm... One Word Mantra? An exquisite meditation mantra ... interesting.'
She became immersed instantly.
Lela, expecting praise, frowned when she saw Lu Xie ignoring her to read. Her eyes then drifted to the "trash" Lu Xie was clutching.
"Uhh? You picked that?"
Lela pointed at the Infinity Flow manual in shock.
"That strange book is basically a decoration we use to fill empty shelf space! I think the last person who borrowed it used it to stabilize a wobbly table!"
"Hmm!"
Lu Xie gave a nonchalant grunt, flipping a page of the Mantra. From that moment on, her sense of hearing was cut off from the outside world. She was in the zone.
Lela continued talking, explaining the intricacies of the One Word Mantra, giving advice on cultivation, and even listing the dietary restrictions required.
Lu Xie heard none of it.
Only after digesting the full content of the book did she finally regain her senses. She blinked, the world rushing back in.
"...and that is exactly what you should do," Lela concluded, looking expectant.
"Uhh?" Lu Xie asked subconsciously, looking up at Lela with the blank expression of a cow chewing grass.
"Pfft!"
Trisha, who had been standing quietly in the back, suddenly snorted, trying desperately to hold back a laugh. seeing the "Quadruple Honorary Genius" look so dumbfounded was a sight she never thought she would witness.
Lela's eye twitched.
"Forget it! You will figure it out on your own!"
Lela, now slightly angry at having wasted her precious breath on deaf ears, spun around and stormed away, leaving the duo behind.
Lu Xie and Trisha stood stunned for a moment, forgetting to follow as they watched Lela's angry crimson back disappear into a corridor.
"You two might as well grow roots where you stand!" Lela's exasperated voice boomed from overhead.
The reawakened duo quickly scrambled, hurrying to catch up with their furious Martial Guide.
...
~The Hall of Subservience~
The trio walked out of the Hall of Wonders. However, instead of heading home, Lela led the duo to another grand structure.
It was an open-air pavilion but with several stacked on layers, dominated by a massive tall board, no less than ten meters tall. Written upon it were lists of missions and rewards, it was like a waterfall of possible opportunity.
Above the pavilion hung a plaque that stated: "The Hall Of The Subservient."
It was a strange, submissive name for a Hall in a Cultivation Sect. However, Alia's memories quickly informed Lu Xie that this was one of the most mysterious—and vital—halls in the Coven.
The missions on the massive board were placed by unknown figures and were ranked from Fifth Grade to First Grade based on difficulty.
The higher the grade, the higher the rewards. One could even swap the rewards for something more suitable to their needs if the points were high enough. Taking on missions was the fastest way to gain resources, far better than waiting for the meager monthly stipends.
Just as Lu Xie believed they were here to pick a dangerous mission for her, she suddenly remembered the Hall's other function.
Monthly Stipend Disbursement.
It suddenly made sense why the crowd was three times thicker than normal. It was the first week of the month. Naturally, people were swarming like locusts to get their free handouts.
"Greetings, Demoness Lela~"
A voice—dripping with so much honey it could give a diabetic a seizure—suddenly greeted them.
Lu Xie quickly eyed the figure blocking their path.
He was a young man, ironically not much younger than Demoness Lela herself. He possessed a certain kind of "grace"—if by grace, one meant the swagger of a peacock in a hat.
Lu Xie hadn't seen him during her induction. She initiated a Face Identification Scan using Alia's memories.
Target– Valia.
Identity–Grandson of a powerful Priestess, aka Head of this Hall.
Reputation–A Dandy. A Braggart.
Goal– His unwavering, delusional determination to add Demoness Lela to his harem.
With this realization, the awfully bitter look on Lela's face became entirely reasonable.
"You are more astonishing each day, Lela~ You don't seem to age a day! In fact, you look younger! Like a dewdrop on a morning rose!"
Valia began pouring Lela with praise as though singing hymns for a deity, completely ignoring Lu Xie and Trisha as if they were invisible air.
This made his praises even more grating to Lu Xie's ears.
"Ah! I almost forgot to tell you!" Valia continued, not letting anyone get a word in. "I too will soon be promoted to a Lord! My welcoming ceremony is in just a week's time. It would be my life's dream—nay, the purpose of my existence—if you could accompany me as my partner!"
He took a breath, but only for a millisecond.
"Aren't I amazing? My grandfather was really proud when I broke through recently! I must be a genius! Hahaha! If I was born a bit later, I would have certainly been one of the Seven Yogis! No, I would be the first ranked Yogi! The King Yogi!"
Lu Xie felt a headache coming on.
She remembered now. Apart from being talented in the martial way, Valia was also a Rap God of Nonsense. He spoke so fast that people around him could hardly process the sheer volume of his ego.
Lu Xie turned to look at Lela.
The Demoness had a dry, frozen smile on her face. She hadn't even been given an opportunity to speak—not that she wanted to.
However, Lela couldn't slap him or disparage him here. Not in the Hall of the Subservient. Not when his grandmother, the Hall Head, was likely watching from a high window.
Lela was trapped in a Simp Vortex