CHAPTER 70:
Secret High Order: The Holy Gan Valley
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He dusted off his sleeve where she had touched him.
"And again, it is a Ceremony, not a party. It is exclusive. So I can only invite very few people. Your Martial Guide will suffice."
He gritted his teeth.
"I will treat you to something nice later. As well as your three pet cockroaches... and even your three thousand ant friends if you like. Just... stay home."
Lu Xie stared at him. 'This guy is impossible. He's immune to shame AND annoyance?'
"Then I would have to decline," Lela suddenly spoke up.
Her voice was cool, calm, and final.
>>>>>>>>>>>~^~<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Unknown Heavens~
Hall Of The Subservient~
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"Just as my Martial Apprentice has said, I do not go anywhere without her."
Lela's voice was smooth, seizing the opening Lu Xie had created.
"We have bonded very well since yesterday and have been glued together. If my apprentice cannot attend, then I cannot attend. It is a package deal."
She rejected him flatly, using the opportunity to turn and walk away, with Lu Xie and Trisha following closely in tow.
As they moved, Lela shot a side glance at Lu Xie, her eyes gleaming with new respect.
"You are useful after all."
"That was clever," Trisha added, sounding genuinely impressed.
Lu Xie basked in the glory of their praises, puffing out her chest slightly. 'Finally, some recognition.'
However, their victory lap was cut short.
A figure blurred and blocked their path once more.
To no surprise, it was Valia. Again.
He stood there, panting slightly, but his smile was wider than ever.
"Fine! You can bring them along," Valia said, his voice strained but determined.
Trisha blinked. "What about Mei Mei, Wei Wei, and Pei Pei?"
"Bring them along!" Valia threw his hands up. "In fact, you can bring a whole zoo! Bring a circus! Bring the ants! I will welcome them all with open arms!"
His begrudging expression faded away like smoke, replaced by a terrifying cheerfulness.
"I believe that is settled then!"
He threw a sarcastic wink at Lu Xie—a wink that sent shivers down her spine—before swaggering away, disappearing around a corner before they could reject him again.
Lu Xie stood frozen.
"What was that?" she asked, genuinely baffled. 'Have I become rusty after thirteen years? My Anti-Simp Tactics failed?!'
"Let it be," Lela sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "He cannot actually force us to show up. Words are cheap. If we don't show up at his ceremony next week, what can he do? Kidnap us from our residence?"
She chuckled. "But I did like the fact that you tried standing up for me. It shows how reliable you are. Hehehe."
Lela cooed, covering her mouth.
"Mei Mei, Wei Wei, and Pei Pei... really? Pet cockroaches? I never knew you were this humorous!"
However, Lu Xie was bitter. Her anti-simp plan had failed.
"What do those names even mean?" Lela asked suddenly, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.
It was then Lu Xie discovered she had slipped up. When naming her "three pet roaches," she had reflexively used the standard language from the Nine Heavenly Realms instead of Lark, the local language spoken here.
Lu Xie quickly covered, thinking fast.
"It is just something I came up with! Mei Mei means 'Pretty Roach,' Wei Wei means 'Mighty Roach,' and Pei Pei means... 'Spitting Roach.'"
"Buhahahahaha.....!"
Lela and Trisha let out a cacophony of uncontrollable laughter, clutching their stomachs. The idea of a "Pretty Mighty Spitting Roach" was too much.
They only calmed down when an alien voice cut through their mirth.
"Demoness Menlela!"
The trio turned. An Elder in brown robes, whose eyes were entirely white without pupils, approached them.
"You must be here for Alia's monthly stipend."
"Yes, I am," Lela answered flatly, her demeanor instantly shifting back to 'Ice Queen.'
"Ahhh! You don't need to face all these crowds next time," the Elder said with a servile smile. "The Yogis' stipends are usually sent directly to their residences monthly. Just send a word to our Hall next time, and it will be delivered."
He gave a wooden bead to Lu Xie. She quickly realized it was a Storage Artifact—a spatial tool used in this world.
Lu Xie wasted no time in snatching the bead. Free things were nice, after all.
"I know about the delivery," Lela interjected, stepping forward like a protective mother hen. "But I came here personally to ensure my Martial Apprentice receives... adequate benefits. I hope you were generous with the stipend."
She gave the Elder a pointed look, ready to haggle over benefits like a housewife fighting over vegetable prices.
The Elder's smile widened. "We were already instructed to add a little surprise for Yogi Alia... from Lord Valia."
"A surprise?" Lela raised an eyebrow.
She took the bead from Lu Xie's hand for a second, sending a wisp of her Spirit Sense into it to ransack its contents. After a moment, the black wisp returned to her forehead.
Lela's eyes opened, flashing with genuine joy.
"How sincere," she murmured. "Pass my thanks to Valia for me, would you?"
Without waiting for a reply, she handed the bead back to Lu Xie and led the duo out of the Hall.
But Lu Xie suddenly stopped.
A sight on the massive Mission Board had caught her attention.
Amongst the displayed list of First Grade Missions, there was one that read:
> MISSION: Retrieve the 7th Yogi from her family.
> STATUS: COMPLETED.
> BY: Huge & Yuge.
Lu Xie stared at it. That was the mission that had brought her here. The official record of her "rescue."
As she watched, the text dissolved, to be replaced by a new First Grade Mission.
"Are you interested in taking a mission?" Lela suddenly whispered in Lu Xie's ear, her breath hot.
Lu Xie jolted back.
"I wish! I'm too weak to take up any mission," she lied, keeping her gaze focused on the board.
The new text finalized:
> MISSION: Acquire Ten Fuji Drops and a Great White Gadher's Apple.
> LOCATION: The Holy Gan Valley.
> REWARD: 500,000 Contribution Points, 10 High-Tier Pure Natural Energy Stones– With Benefits.
Lu Xie sighed in disappointment.
She hadn't just been curious; she was hoping for something easy that she could claim to earn resources quickly. But alas, First Grade Missions were First Grade for a reason.
The Holy Gan Valley.
With Alia's memories of this world, the name sounded surprisingly eerie.