Chapter Forty-Six: An Unspeakable Secret, The Tea Party Turns Into a Marketplace p2
Within the desolate grey garden, in the seemingly abandoned lost Kingdom.
The elegant woman, shrouded in the mystical veil, sat languidly at the head of the round table, twirling her fingers.
Sensing the swirling black mist, she straightened up, a fleeting smile appearing on her lips.
“Amethyst, you’ve arrived.”
She looked at the hazy grey figure emerging from the mist, her voice soft.
“……”
Luo Ling looked at the empty round table and didn’t approach.
Was this another private summons?
Being alone with this enigmatic and dangerous woman, even knowing she likely meant no harm, was unsettling.
And…
Perhaps due to feminine intuition, Luo Ling felt a sense of danger, increasing her wariness.
Seemingly sensing Luo Ling’s hesitation, the leader’s expression turned serious.
“They’ll be here soon. You’re just early, Amethyst.”
The leader paused, her gaze lingering on Luo Ling. “However, are you this eager? Because of the tea party, or because of… me?”
Luo Ling ignored the leader’s suggestive tone, simply walking over and sitting down.
As long as she wasn’t alone with her.
The leader didn’t seem offended by Luo Ling’s coldness, simply observing her with a smile, as if Luo Ling was the only source of amusement in her otherwise boring existence.
Soon, the other tea party members emerged from the mist. Unlike Luo Ling, they had matters to attend to before arriving, preparations to make.
Unlike Luo Ling, who had been left alone in her apartment, with nothing to do.
However, upon entering the garden, they all noticed the leader’s intense gaze on Amethyst, but remained silent.
Only Iris, the last to arrive, asked directly, “Leader, why are you staring at Amethyst?”
“I wasn’t staring.”
The leader averted her gaze, returning to her usual languid posture.
“Oh…”
Iris looked at Luo Ling strangely. Why was the leader treating this newcomer so differently? Could it be, as the other members had suggested, that she had a thing for Naraku Godchosen?
This Naraku Godchosen wasn’t a good person. Last time, she had taken advantage of her, appearing in her twilight Kingdom and devouring her precious sapling.
It had cost Iris considerable resources to heal it, a painful memory.
Iris had decided that she wouldn’t allow Amethyst into her Kingdom again, no matter what.
“The tea party has begun.”
The leader said softly.
The members’ expressions turned serious.
“Amethyst, as the newest member, you may begin.”
The leader looked at Luo Ling, her eyes filled with interest. “I wonder if you’ve brought anything that interests me today.”
“…Perhaps.”
This was Luo Ling’s first word to the leader since entering the lost Kingdom. She hadn’t forgotten the information she owed her from their previous transaction.
“First, I have the information on the path to godhood, as promised.”
Snowdrop, the only one uninterested in godhood, promptly sealed her senses.
Luo Ling paused briefly, then listed the information she had. “Related to Philosopher, the Company, and the Harbingers of Calamity.
“Two pieces of information on Philosopher, three on the Company, and four on the Harbingers, all carefully selected and related to the path to godhood.
“Please, choose.”
Silence fell upon the tea party, even the leader was speechless.
After a moment, the leader finally spoke.
“I will verify the information’s authenticity. Any falsehood will be detected.”
“Certainly, be my guest.”
Luo Ling nodded calmly, looking at the others.
“Since this is my first transaction with you, I’m not very experienced. How about this, one petal per piece of information, buy three get one free, the entire package for just six petals.
“This is my best offer. Any takers?”
“…Amethyst, are you serious?”
Camellia couldn’t help but interrupt. It wasn’t that she was being impolite, but… who did business like this?
This was the Witches’ Tea Party, attended by Godchosen and God’s Favored, not a wholesale market!
Information on the path to godhood, even the leader wouldn’t offer such a bulk discount…
Although the discounted price was tempting, if this was just a joke…
It would be unforgivable!
Other beings might hesitate before such an outrageous act, but not Amethyst, Naraku’s Godchosen.
The infamous, universally despised Naraku Godchosen, anything was possible.
Even if the current Amethyst seemed normal, anything related to Naraku was suspect… who knew when these fanatics would suddenly snap.
Even among the eccentric Godchosen and God’s Favored, Naraku Godchosen were in a league of their own.
“Whether it’s a joke or not, why don’t you try it and see, ladies… sisters?” Luo Ling said with a smile, almost calling them “grandmas.”
Her answer didn’t alleviate their doubts, only deepening their silence.
Not just Camellia, but Moonflower, Iris, even the leader, all were stunned by Luo Ling’s wholesale offer.
In just two months, she had obtained so much information…
All related to the path to godhood.
Even if her God was Naraku, the being of “Omniscience,” even if she could wield a Taboo’s Authority, this was still… too much.
The tea party members had also been gathering information, using their own methods and resources, but two months was too short, only uncovering a few clues.
The purpose of this tea party was to combine their fragmented information, hoping to piece together a small part of the path to godhood, a gradual process.
Yet, one of them claimed to have excavated half the mountain already, offering it wholesale.
Gradual process?
More like a rocket launch!
It was hard to believe.
After a long silence, the leader finally spoke.
“I’ll pay.”
She offered six petals, which merged into the floral pattern on Luo Ling’s forehead.
Luo Ling felt a warmth on her forehead as the amethyst flower pattern became more complete.
Including the petal from their previous transaction, she now had seven, the pattern still incomplete, requiring about three more.
Unfortunately, the three petals she had received from Moonflower for her hair had already been used to repay her debt. Otherwise, it would have been a complete flower.
“I haven’t felt any benefits from these petals yet. Perhaps I need a complete flower?”
Luo Ling pushed the thought aside, gathering the information into a memory fragment and sending it directly to the leader’s mind.
With the hair strands, Luo Ling could use some simple Puppet Ballad abilities even in her other forms, though anything too complex required more than a single strand.
Sending a memory fragment was still manageable.
Seeing Luo Ling’s method, the leader was surprised, then a smile appeared on her lips.
“How interesting…”
Amethyst.
She was becoming more and more intrigued.
She wanted to…
The leader closed her eyes slowly, her smile widening under the watchful gazes of the tea party members, until she finally chuckled softly.
Although just a faint chuckle, it stunned the other members, even Moonflower, who had known the leader the longest.
The cute, childish grandmotherly loli’s jaw dropped as she stared at the leader, rubbing her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating from exhaustion.
She couldn’t understand why Amethyst, a Naraku Godchosen, could elicit such a reaction from the usually indifferent leader. Could it be… because of her Naraku Godchosen identity?
…Seriously? The leader had such a strange taste?
The leader opened her eyes, her gaze now intense and almost predatory, unlike her usual calmness.
But the oppressive feeling quickly vanished.
The leader returned to her usual languid demeanor, looking at Luo Ling with a smile. “Amethyst, you’ve kept your promise. Between us… we’re even.”
Meaning, Luo Ling had brought something she was interested in, settling the debt from their previous transaction.
But… this “something” wasn’t the information on the path to godhood, as the leader had already paid for it. She wasn’t in the habit of tipping.
As for what it was, the leader didn’t say, and Luo Ling didn’t ask.
However, settling her debt with this woman was a good thing. Luo Ling had been prepared to offer even more sensitive information, but it hadn’t been necessary.
“Okay.”
Luo Ling nodded, relieved.
The meaning of this exchange was clear to both the leader and Luo Ling, but to the other tea party members, it was a different story.
What promise?
What did she mean by “even”?
What was going on?!
They exchanged glances, their gazes shifting between Luo Ling and the leader, their suspicion growing.
Had these two been conducting secret transactions behind their backs?
Their relationship seemed to have developed beyond their understanding…
As if they shared secrets only they knew.
“Her information is genuine.” The leader declared. “And… worth far more than the price.”
Six petals for so much information, not just a few words, but complete memories.
Although Amethyst had filtered and concealed some information, mostly related to her identity and abilities, the crucial parts were complete and unaltered.
These memories, if carefully analyzed, were worth far more than six petals, perhaps even sixteen.
Of course, considering Amethyst was selling to multiple people, a lower price was understandable.
She would remind her next time.
Not just genuine, but a bargain!
The tea party members were stunned, their shock evident even through the mystical veil.
This was coming from the leader, who, although possibly involved with Amethyst, was always truthful regarding tea party transactions.
She was the leader. If even she engaged in deception, the tea party would lose its purpose.
“I’ll pay!”
Iris was the first to speak, rushing towards Luo Ling, then hesitating, her expression turning awkward.
“B-but… can I pay later?”
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