Chapter Fifteen: The First Transaction, The Tea Party Concludes
“Information on the ‘path to godhood,’ the price is three petals. Any takers?”
After a moment of silence, Snowdrop sealed her senses again. The remaining three had made their decisions.
They exchanged glances, then nodded to the leader.
“We’ll pay.”
Intricate patterns, resembling various flowers and corresponding to their code names, appeared on their foreheads.
A portion of these patterns dimmed, transforming into a force that flowed into the leader’s hand.
“Transaction complete.” The leader twirled her fingers, a faint smile playing on her lips as she looked at Luo Ling. “Amethyst, what is your decision?”
Luo Ling pondered for a moment, then asked,
“First, I don’t seem to have any petals. Second… I want to know, what is the path to godhood?”
“You can pay later. You can exchange information or items for petals with me or the others.” The leader said slowly. “The path to godhood, of course, is… the path to becoming a god. You can also understand it as becoming a high-order ‘Grotesquery’ wielding an Authority.
“The appearance of the White Witch has proven that this path is possible. Usurping godhood with a frail mortal body doesn’t seem impossible.”
The leader paused, her gentle tone laced with a hint of enticement.
“So, Amethyst, are you… interested?”
Luo Ling remained silent.
She was the White Witch herself, so she knew her situation intimately.
Unless one possessed “Devour,” or a similar Authority, replicating her path was impossible.
Even then, it would be incredibly difficult, practically… impossible.
If it weren’t for her sister willingly sacrificing herself, offering everything to her, Luo Ling could never have grasped the “Kingdom” Authority, let alone replace the Sequence Grotesquery, the Puppet Ballad.
Even if she possessed the Puppet Ballad’s abilities.
So, was the leader’s offer a lie?
…That seemed unlikely.
Could there be other methods, besides “Devour,” to replace a high-order Sequence Grotesquery?
This stirred a ripple in Luo Ling’s thoughts. Besides the Puppet Ballad, her second ability, “Naraku,” was incredibly powerful. Even its innate ability was terrifying, let alone its subsequent advancements.
But correspondingly, it was far more difficult to advance than the Puppet Ballad.
Firstly, her rapid advancement in Jiangcheng County was due to constantly encountering the Puppet Ballad’s avatars, gradually consuming its power.
Ordinary Grotesqueries and Sacred Relics were far less effective, offering minimal benefit for advancing her second ability.
The Company did possess Naraku’s Sacred Relic. Scientist’s remains, containing all traces of Naraku, had been processed and stored in the Company’s vault.
However, the price…
Cen Xiangyun had mentioned that it would take ten of her annual bonuses to accumulate enough points, effectively dashing Luo Ling’s hopes. She could only wait for another opportunity.
Moreover, Naraku’s advancement was also related to Luo Ling’s quest to uncover the truth of “Devour.”
If the leader’s “path to godhood” was indeed viable, Luo Ling couldn’t afford to miss it.
As for the petals…
Coincidentally, Luo Ling possessed some information that the tea party members would definitely be interested in.
“I’ll pay.”
Luo Ling nodded.
The moment she agreed, a familiar gaze from afar fell upon her, a strong sense of being watched washing over her.
“Is this… Order?”
No, not the will of Order.
It was its opposite, Chaos.
And this gaze was completely different from the one she felt when signing the Company contract.
That time, the gaze of Order had been a reactive response, cold and mechanical, a mere instinctive reaction of its will.
But this gaze, Luo Ling could truly feel an unknown entity observing her.
The intense gaze vanished in a flash, and Luo Ling felt a burning sensation on her forehead.
Moments later, a pattern resembling an amethyst flower appeared on her smooth forehead, though it was completely dim.
Three petals turned grey, forming a subtle connection with the leader, signifying Luo Ling’s debt.
The leader examined the three amethyst petals with amusement, sensing them briefly before putting them away and nodding to Luo Ling.
“Transaction complete.”
She extended her hands, her slender fingers delicately tapping the void.
“Now… it’s time to reveal the truth.”
Ethereal starlight flickered and scattered from her fingertips, a faint chant echoing around them.
In this moment, she was a bard.
“Begin.”
The mystical veil couldn’t conceal her gaze, piercing through everyone, revealing the information to those who had made the transaction.
In a trance, Luo Ling seemed to see an eternal flame, a lone figure sitting beside it, as if waiting for something.
Countless threads, dyed in various colors, extended from beneath the figure.
Dazzling crimson, gentle white, and mostly a deathly grey between black and white, like an endless web, connecting to everything on the earth.
Subtly, he seemed to sense something.
The indistinct figure slowly turned around. The next moment, starlight surged, engulfing everything in sight, blocking his gaze.
“As you can see,” the leader’s languid and elegant voice continued, tinged with a hint of weariness, “Philosopher has once again embarked on the path to godhood, wielding the Authority ‘Traveler.’
“But the problem is, we don’t know which deceased God ‘Traveler’ belonged to…”
Philosopher?
The Harbingers…
Luo Ling’s eyes narrowed.
The leader had just revealed the Harbingers’ plan for godhood, and the subsequent information was even more unsettling.
Even the Company, who had clashed with Philosopher numerous times and possessed the Taboo Slate, didn’t know his specific Authority and Path. Yet, the leader casually revealed it, proving that… “anything can be a bargaining chip at the tea party” was indeed true.
Furthermore, the leader’s power…
To be able to observe a being wielding an Authority and even block their gaze, even without an Authority herself, she must be incredibly powerful.
“Even a deceased God, can their Sequence truly be usurped?”
Camellia asked gravely. “Last time, he attempted this path and failed. Even with the White Witch’s example, we don’t know how she achieved godhood. The Harbingers couldn’t possibly have that information.”
“Indeed, but there are differences.” The leader nodded in agreement, then whispered, “In fact, the White Witch’s appearance was an accident, merely proving one thing – the Sequence positions of Gods aren’t immutable. They can be replaced.
“Even without this incident, Philosopher would still choose to embark on this path again, because it’s essential for achieving the Harbingers’ ultimate goal… It seems his plan is taking shape.”
Silence fell upon the tea party.
Camellia remained deep in thought, her chin resting on her hand. Moonflower and Iris were unusually serious, seemingly calculating something.
Luo Ling knew that this information and the revealed truth weren’t meaningless. A specific target was currently performing the ritual for godhood, which meant…
Replacing him and seizing the fruits of his labor wasn’t impossible.
No one at the tea party mentioned this, likely pondering their own strategies.
However, Luo Ling gleaned more from this information.
For example, the church secretly nurtured by the Harbingers in the slums.
Perhaps… that was also a part of the path to godhood.
“Which God’s position is Philosopher targeting?”
Moonflower asked.
Grotesqueries were unspeakable concepts. Each high-order Grotesquery represented a specific concept. Only by knowing which God Philosopher coveted, and the concept that God represented, could they deduce his path to godhood.
“Shrouded in a veil of secrecy. Philosopher concealed everything from the very beginning.” The leader shook her head. “Although I’m not incapable of piercing through the veil, the… price is too steep.”
In other words, she refused to make the transaction.
“Doesn’t the Company publicize the Grotesquery Sequences on the Taboo Slate?” Luo Ling asked. “Isn’t ‘Traveler’ listed there?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not.” The leader replied. “Although the Taboo Slate records all God and Grotesquery positions, if a Grotesquery hasn’t manifested, its corresponding position on the Slate won’t appear.
“Furthermore, if a God perished within the disordered Boundaries, their true name would also disappear. The God wielding ‘Traveler’ might be such a case.
“However, based on my personal speculation… I suspect the Company is deliberately concealing this information, choosing not to disclose it.”
After all, the Taboo Slate was in the Company’s possession. Although they periodically publicized its contents, what they chose to reveal was entirely up to them.
Theoretically, the Company couldn’t conceal or alter the Slate’s contents. This concerned the safety of the entire Awakened world. What if a Taboo manifested, but only the Company knew and avoided it in advance?
Therefore, the Company had signed a contract with Order regarding the Slate’s contents.
Of course, there were always exceptions, even the smallest possibility existed.
Besides, the Godchosen and God’s Favored present were all on the Grotesque side, harboring no goodwill towards the Company, viewing their contract as worthless.
…A certain exception, with her foot in both camps, was a Company member, at least for now.
“If you can find information on ‘Traveler,’ I can exchange it for information regarding the Realm of Nothingness.” The leader looked intently at Luo Ling, her voice alluring. “Amethyst, you must be very interested in the Realm of Nothingness, after all, it’s…”
The leader trailed off, but Luo Ling knew what she meant.
Because the Realm of Nothingness was related to the Seventh Path, even closely related.
It was a difficult offer to refuse.
However…
“I… don’t think I can.” Luo Ling said.
She wasn’t an Other Shore Awakened One, nor did she possess any related abilities.
If the Speakers could divine it, that would be another matter, but clearly… if an Other Shore Awakened One could do it, so could the leader.
It was simply a matter of price.
Luo Ling hadn’t forgotten the state of a certain old man from Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital…
“Is that so?” A knowing smile played on the leader’s lips. “But I don’t think so. I think you can do it.”
The leader had smiled more today than in the past few decades, causing the tea party members to glance at Luo Ling repeatedly, wondering if it was because this Naraku Godchosen was unexpectedly normal.
After all, a normal Naraku Godchosen could uncover all the secrets of the world.
Wait, normal Naraku Godchosen were abnormal. In that case, this newly joined Miss Amethyst was the abnormal one in this group of lunatics…
“Two petals.” Moonflower declared decisively, then said in a sweet, childish voice, despite the mystical veil, “Sister Amethyst, just sell it to me, okay~?”
Since the leader believed Amethyst could obtain this information, she was likely correct.
Those who had paid for the information were all investigating Philosopher’s path to godhood. Knowing more information meant another competitor. Moonflower was well aware of this.
She knew that the other two were thinking the same thing, but they couldn’t bring themselves to imitate her cutesy act.
“Same as Moonflower, I’ll offer two petals.” Camellia said gently. “Miss Amethyst, sometimes, monopolizing isn’t a good thing. Also, a word of advice, petals aren’t just for transactions. They also offer considerable benefits to yourself.”
“Sister Amethyst, two petals from me too! Also, a word of warning, Sister Moonflower is at least a few hundred years old, don’t be fooled by her!”
In my eyes, you’re also an old woman.
Luo Ling looked at the fist-pumping Iris, resisting the urge to retort.
Even with Iris’s apparent age, calling Luo Ling “sister” was strange, since Luo Ling was, strictly speaking, still a minor.
Sixteen was indeed underage.
“I’ll… try my best.”
Luo Ling felt helpless. How could she possibly obtain information of this level…
If the God of “Traveler” had perished within the disordered Boundaries, like the Puppet Ballad, where could she find this information?
But if the Company was deliberately concealing it…
Wait.
If the Company was concealing it, it meant that the publicized Sequences were incomplete.
And the publicized contents of the Taboo Slate were all transcribed.
There was a way to confirm this.
By examining the original Taboo Slate…
“Could it be that the leader knows I’ve joined the Company?”
Luo Ling slowly looked up, meeting the leader’s gaze.
But shrouded by the mystical veil, she couldn’t discern the leader’s expression or read her thoughts.
The leader didn’t speak, merely observing Luo Ling with amusement, as if she could never tire of the sight.
A strange woman.
“By the way, Sister Camellia, I’d like to ask, what exactly are ‘petals’?” Luo Ling pointed to her forehead. “Will there be any problems if I’m in debt?”
She didn’t want to owe the leader any petals, fearing that she might use it against her.
“Heh, I’m not sure about that, but it’s best to pay it back.” Camellia said with a smile. “The benefits of petals can only be experienced firsthand. If you want some, you can trade with us, as long as you have something of value.”
This was a Naraku Godchosen!
A Naraku Godchosen pursuing “omniscience,” capable of normal communication, most importantly, capable of normal communication!
Who knew how many secrets she held…
Camellia was eager to see what Miss Amethyst would offer in exchange.
Her smile widened.
Meanwhile, Moonflower and Iris perked up their ears.
They were also anticipating Amethyst’s first bargaining chip.
“Something of value?” Luo Ling pondered. “Perhaps, I’m not sure.
“…Would the White Witch’s hair count?”
Camellia’s smile froze. The others’ expressions mirrored hers, even the leader paused, a look of surprise appearing on her face.
“Another unexpected turn of events. How intriguing…”
Camellia composed herself and said,
“Miss Amethyst, you mean… the White Witch’s fungal threads?”
Hair and fungal threads were two different things.
If it were the White Witch’s fungal threads, although difficult to obtain, it wasn’t impossible.
Whether from the remnants of the miracle in Jiangcheng County or the several out-of-control Incubation Barriers in Victoria, some dead fungal threads remained.
The main difficulty lay in distinguishing which ones belonged to the White Witch herself, but it wasn’t impossible.
But hair…
That was a part of the White Witch herself.
In other words, a part of a High-Risk Grotesquery.
And… crucial material for researching the path to godhood.
“No, no, I mean hair, or rather, ‘spores’.” Luo Ling waved her hand. “Are you interested in the White Witch’s spores?”
Luo Ling’s silver-white hair in her White Witch form was almost cumbersome. Plucking a few strands to sell wasn’t a problem.
She had originally planned to sell them to the Company. It was just hair, it would grow back.
Selling them to the tea party was the same, though she wasn’t sure of their value.
Camellia, shrouded in the mystical veil, was speechless. Her fidgeting fingers, clasped over her abdomen, betrayed her inner turmoil.
“Sister Amethyst, you wouldn’t try to trick us with the hair of the White Witch’s Godchosen, would you? I know you have one with you.” Iris peeked out from behind the others, her tone serious. “Our transactions are conducted under the leader’s watchful eye. Deception is impossible!”
“My deepest apologies.”
The usually taciturn Snowdrop repeated her earlier words, staring intently at Luo Ling.
“Of course it’s real, absolutely genuine.”
Luo Ling said firmly. She could even pluck some on the spot.
Shrouded in the grey shadow, all her information was concealed. Only her vague form was visible, more effective than “Kingdom.”
“Three petals!”
Hearing Luo Ling’s assurance, Moonflower rushed over, her small form snuggling against Luo Ling, and said coquettishly,
“Sister Amethyst, just give it to me, please~?”
Decisiveness was Moonflower’s forte.
“Holy shit, you old hag, you fucking—!”
Iris nearly choked.
Luo Ling gently pushed Moonflower away, coughed awkwardly, and said,
“Anyone’s fine. Then… I’ll sell it to you.”
Luo Ling had intended to sell several strands, but judging by the current situation, that was unlikely.
Rarity increased value. Since they valued her hair so much, she could sell more later.
“Thank you, Sister Amethyst! You’re surprisingly innocent~”
A glint of cunning flashed in Moonflower’s eyes. This trick always worked on newcomers.
However, Luo Ling simply couldn’t be bothered to haggle. It didn’t matter who she sold it to. Whoever spoke first would be the sucker.
“Moonflower beat me to it.”
Camellia sighed regretfully, though she seemed unperturbed.
Iris, however, looked conflicted. So, Sister Amethyst had this kind of preference.
Hmm…
In that case, maybe she could too?
“S-Sister Amethyst…”
Iris approached Luo Ling hesitantly, tugging at her clothes.
“……”
Luo Ling took a step back, looking at Iris with a strange expression.
Had this woman misunderstood something?
But this small step shattered Iris’s composure.
“AAAAAHHH!”
Iris shrieked, her form dissipating instantly as she fled the lost Kingdom.
The other members couldn’t help but chuckle, even the usually stoic Snowdrop struggled to maintain her composure.
With a head full of questions, Luo Ling handed her hair to Moonflower, who treasured it like a priceless artifact. She even tried to give Luo Ling a kiss, but Luo Ling raised her hand to block it.
She had only shared such intimate gestures with her sister, her only family. She wasn’t accustomed to it with others.
“This ‘spore’… is indeed genuine.” The leader looked at Luo Ling with a knowing smile. “I wonder, can you obtain Naraku’s web?”
“Perhaps.”
Luo Ling shrugged.
“I look forward to it.”
The leader smiled again, then lowered her gaze and whispered,
“This tea party… is concluded.”
As her voice faded, the swirling grey fog surged forward, completely engulfing the grey garden.
Returning to nothingness.
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