Watching Chief Yi hurried figure vanish down the corridor, the guards secretly wiped cold sweat from their foreheads.
If that young man could make the supervisor show such urgency, his identity must be extraordinary.
Thankfully, none of them had spoken rudely earlier—or they'd surely be punished by now…
Clack, clack—
A crisp sound of high heels echoed from within the Spirit Hall. A moment later, a well-dressed, graceful woman stepped into Aether's line of sight.
"We were unaware of your arrival, Your Excellency. Please forgive our lack of proper welcome…"
She stopped at the entrance of the hall, a sweet smile on her face as she offered a polite apology.
"Eh? Aren't you the big sister who brought us breakfast this morning?" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
It was the very same woman who had delivered breakfast to her and the Traveler earlier!
"Hehe, I am Yi Daizhu, supervisor of the Skywater branch of the Spirit Hall. Greetings, Your Excellency. Greetings, Miss Paimon."
Despite being recognized, the woman showed no sign of awkwardness. She smiled gracefully and gestured toward the hall.
"Your Excellency, please come inside."
Aether nodded and entered the Spirit Hall with Paimon.
"Your Excellency, Miss Paimon, please forgive my offense this morning."
Inside the Spirit Hall's reception hall, Yi Daizhu personally ordered tea and offered it to Aether and Paimon with an apologetic tone.
Soon after, several maids brought over plates of pastries. Yi Daizhu carefully placed them in front of Paimon.
"Does the Spirit Hall want something from me?" Aether asked with a sigh, glancing at the food.
It seemed the Spirit Hall had thoroughly investigated both their movements and habits…
He recalled how, back on the Douluo Continent, the Spirit Hall had far-reaching influence and intelligence. Their reputation wasn't exaggerated.
And yet, even with such a trump card in hand, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang had still managed to stir everything into a chaotic mess.
Some women of the Spirit Hall, even at the moment of death, were still dreaming about love…
"Your Excellency, we harbor no ill intent," Yi Daizhu said, dismissing the maids with a wave before bowing slightly. "We only wish to become acquainted with you."
Aether didn't reply. He simply stared into Yi Daizhu's eyes.
"…"
At first, Yi Daizhu held her smile confidently, but as seconds passed—one, two, three—she eventually lowered her gaze. A faint blush touched her cheeks.
To think that, as both elder and supervisor of a Spirit Hall branch, she would be overwhelmed by this young man's presence.
He really' is just like the rumors… she thought privately.
"Can I eat this pastry?" Paimon's clear voice broke the silence of the hall.
"Ah—of course! These were specially prepared for you, Miss Paimon."
Snapping back to her senses, Yi Daizhu hurriedly explained, "These are local specialties. I hope they suit your taste."
"Hehe~ Thanks! Then I won't hold back!"
Paimon giggled and took a bite. Her starlit eyes lit up with delight.
"Traveler, try this! It's a taste I've never had before—so good!"
She held a pastry up to Aether's face. Feeling the intensity of her gaze, he sighed and took a bite.
It was indeed delicious.
"Well? How is it?"
"It's good… but it would've been better if you hadn't drooled on it so much."
"Hmph! How dare you complain? I was the one who thought of you first when I saw good food!"
Pouting, Paimon stuffed the last piece of her pastry into her mouth and reached for another.
The tension in the room softened thanks to her antics. Yi Daizhu smiled slightly and spoke again.
"Your Excellency and Miss Paimon seem to prefer traveling alone?"
"Mhm."
After getting confirmation, Yi Daizhu paused briefly, gathering her thoughts. Then she knelt on one knee, her voice sincere:
"On behalf of the entire Spirit Hall, I sincerely invite Your Excellency to join us."
Her gaze locked tightly onto Aether.
"…"
He hadn't expected her to be so direct.
The Spirit Hall must've taken serious notice of his actions in Heaven Dou City.
Perhaps they hadn't approached him before due to Qian Renxue's presence. As the young master of the Spirit Hall, she held more sway than any branch leader.
Now that he'd left Heaven Dou City, these people had wasted no time trying to recruit him.
Such eagerness… Could it mean the Spirit Hall's great plan was being advanced ahead of schedule?
"Your Excellency…" Yi Daizhu prompted again when Aether remained silent.
"Paimon and I are just wandering travelers. We're not interested in joining any faction."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"We understand Your Excellency values your freedom," Yi Daizhu responded smoothly. "You needn't worry about restrictions. We only ask you to hold the honorary title of guest elder."
She was well prepared.
From the moment she received orders from above, she'd begun poring over every bit of intel the Spirit Hall had on Aether—no detail too small.
Everything the other sects and royal family had learned during his time in Heaven Dou, the Spirit Hall knew as well.
And what they didn't know—they extrapolated.
In short, they knew more about Aether and Paimon than any other force.
"I'll pass," Aether replied, shaking his head.
Even if his presence here had already disrupted the original course of events—
Like how the trajectory of the so-called Son of Heaven, Tang San, had been thoroughly derailed—
The Spirit Hall's plan for unification still had a ticking time bomb at its core: that woman's hidden intent to bring ruin from within.
That was why, despite holding a winning hand, the Spirit Hall played it to ruin.
When your own leader is your greatest threat, tragedy is the only ending.
Unless…
As Aether drifted deep into thought, Yi Daizhu refused to give up. She spoke again:
"Your Excellency, to be candid… the world may appear peaceful, but beneath the surface, turbulence brews. Our desire to align with you stems from your compassion for the people."
Seeing him glance at her, she continued:
"Your power is beyond question. But even so, you're still only one person.
In the face of a rising tide, you can protect those around you… but the common people of the world…"
She trailed off deliberately, gauging his response.
As she expected, Aether's gaze turned complex.
"…Are you threatening me?" he asked.
_
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