This guy is way too bold, this isn't even the Southern Continent.
Su Cheng thought blankly.
But considering he had dared to appear openly last time at the temple, right inside the prayer room of the God of Purity, he probably had the confidence to handle any situation.
Before she had time to reply, the nobles in the room cast jealous and resentful glances at her one after another.
The black-haired man continued to look at her with a smile.
He didn't say a single word, but the people around him stood up successively, hurriedly straightened their clothes, and left in silence.
Su Cheng stood stiffly at the door, completely unwilling to step inside.
She didn't even want to take another look at that overly breathtaking face.
The magnetism radiating from him was utterly beyond reason; even a single extra glance would stir up fantasies and desires.
It was an impulse entirely divorced from emotion or rationality.
She completely understood the nobles who had just lost their composure.
They might be lustful on a normal day, or perhaps not, but under the influence of divine power, they would all turn into fools, losing themselves completely in his presence.
Su Cheng: "...Never mind, I just got lost."
The black-haired man leaned back against the sofa. "You can still come in, my dear."
He wore a grayish-white silk shirt, the scarf at his collar hanging loosely over his chest, looking exactly like a young aristocratic lord returning from a banquet.
A wide-buckled leather belt outlined a crisp waistline, his trousers clung tightly to strong thighs, and tall leather boots wrapped around slender calves, every contour of his muscles clearly defined.
Sitting back on the sofa now, with one leg bent and the other stretched out, his well-proportioned yet powerful physique was on full display.
Su Cheng: "...No. Actually, I am leaving."
She said the words, but when she tried to move her feet to leave, her legs felt completely disobedient.
Just because she had looked at him a couple more times, she now instinctively yearned for more.
The black-haired man let out a chuckle. "Why is that?"
"Because I don't know you," Su Cheng said weakly. "Unless it's necessary, I don't like talking to strangers."
"Hah," he smiled again. "What a cruel lady."
That deep, melodic voice was like a blade dipped in honey, slowly carving a slit across her eardrums.
His Common Tongue was exceptionally pleasant to hear, completely free of any regional accent; every perfectly standard syllable crawled right into her cochlea.
It felt like velvet brushing down her spine, wrapped in a damp heat; the warmth lingered around her ears, as if it were already licking at her cartilage and veins.
In that instant, Su Cheng felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end one by one.
An ambiguous heat burned all the way from her throat down to her tailbone, and a tingling sensation filled with sparks exploded down her spine.
She felt her palms grow hot, fine sweat seeping between her fingers. She wanted to step back but couldn't move, her legs seemingly bound by invisible silken threads.
The fire gathered and burned within her flesh and blood, like melting mountain snow pooling through the stream paths of a hidden valley.
Su Cheng tried desperately not to think about her terrible state.
"So—"
The black-haired man spoke with keen interest. "This lady who dislikes talking to strangers, are you from the Circle of Silencers?"
"Hmm," Su Cheng looked down at the ring on her hand. "This kind stranger who likes to strike up conversations has rather good eyesight."
He hummed softly. "I've heard some interesting rumors about the Silencers. It's said that you aren't satisfied with merely uncovering the secret knowledge of the surface, but also seek the gaze of the void?"
Su Cheng froze slightly.
The void.
The last time she heard this word was when Zane talked about the God of Light. He said that the God of Light was busy dealing with threats from the void.
What kind of threat in there required the God of Light to deal with it personally?
Of course, this might just be an excuse, but even as an excuse, it had to make logical sense.
Therefore, there absolutely had to be very dangerous existences within the void.
Su Cheng: "...I am only a peripheral member. I don't know about these things. Right now, I mostly just want to understand the Six-Descent Theorem of the Triple Deconstruction Source Magic Array."
The black-haired man raised his eyebrows slightly. "Where did you hear about this?"
Su Cheng: "?"
She had merely casually mentioned the contents of a book. Since it was a book sold in a bookstore in the imperial capital, many people should have read it.
Was this really worth a deity specifically asking about?
Su Cheng: "...In a book, of course."
"Is that so?"
As he said this, his expression turned somewhat subtle, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't elaborate.
"If you don't know, I can tell you—"
He paused. "Some of your core members claim to be able to communicate with an ancient creature in the void. That entity is known as the Origin Sage, and it also bears the title of the 'Serpent of Truth'."
Su Cheng touched the twin-snake ring on her finger. "Hmm, if that's the case, I think what they are seeking... is perhaps just some forgotten perspective, a kind of wisdom that hasn't been distorted by the mortal world."
"Oh?" The black-haired man rested his chin on one hand, adopting a probing posture. "Origin? As far as I know, the essence of wisdom lies in understanding and insight, not in blindly following a certain voice, especially one from an ethereal outer plane, a world where even the rules of time and space are different from here. If you truly pursue wisdom, shouldn't you rely on your own reason and observation? Only the ignorant need to be led by the nose by external forces, right?"
Su Cheng immediately felt a headache coming on. "Reason and observation are certainly important, but they are also limited by the environment we find ourselves in."
She herself was full of questions regarding this transmigration and her bizarre change in identity.
If there truly was an evil god who could answer her questions, she wondered if they could see through her origins.
Moreover—
No matter what, there was at least one person, or rather, one existence in this world who knew her true origins.
The voice she heard after she killed Lin Yun.
What was that thing?
How did it manage to do all of this?
These were still mysteries that plagued her.
"Furthermore," Su Cheng shook her head, organizing her thoughts, "...I have visited some ruins left by the war a thousand years ago. The history known by the nearby residents is worlds apart from the actual facts. What we see and feel may never have been the truth. I believe there are many manifestations of ignorance, but being content with the narrow patch of sky before you and refusing to acknowledge that there is a vastly broader world out there is definitely one of them."
Just like the war between the God of Light and the God of Darkness, the Church and the secret cults, or those even more ancient histories—many truths have been buried.
"Then," the black-haired man smiled, "how can you be certain that what you have obtained isn't an even grander lie, a trap designed to lure people deeper astray? What if the 'truth' demonstrated by a certain existence is just another form of bondage?"
Su Cheng hesitated to speak, "...Perhaps what they seek is not blind faith, but understanding and enlightenment, a broader perspective. As for traps, doesn't true wisdom include the ability to discern them? If a person wants to gain something, they must always bear some risk. I shouldn't need to explain that, right? Besides, I'm not a core member of the society, so there's a lot I don't know. I only joined to study magic with others."
He clapped lightly. "Well said. Let's just hope that when you gaze into the void, the void doesn't gaze back in ways it shouldn't."
With that, he stood up and walked into the inner room. The heavy curtain fell swiftly, cutting off her line of sight.
Su Cheng: "???"
Was he angry or what?
Su Cheng really hadn't expected him to just let her off the hook; for a moment, she was a bit bewildered.
"...The Lightless Ruins? Are you sure?"
Standing by the outer door, she was just about to leave when she suddenly heard footsteps in the corridor.
Su Cheng hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but upon hearing such a keyword, she couldn't help but step to the side, leaving the door slightly ajar as she leaned silently against the wall.
"Yes, the people of the Aulu family have said..."
Several people were conversing in the hallway.
"Wait, what are the Lightless Ruins?"
"You don't know? It's another plane. Its entrance is located in the wastelands in the far west of the Northern Continent. It's an incredibly desolate place with highly unstable rifts that lead to shattered planes, which is why demons occasionally appear there. Although the Church has a garrison in the west, the area is simply too vast for them to monitor entirely, so they can only guard key strongholds..."
Su Cheng couldn't help but focus her attention on their conversation.
This entire world was composed of countless planes.
For example, the Northern and Southern Continents existed on one plane, while the Divine Realm was on another. These were massive planes.
The rest varied in size.
The rules of time and space could differ across each plane. Some were connected to one another, while others were completely isolated.
"...The entrance to the Lightless Ruins is extremely difficult to find, and it doesn't appear on a regular schedule. With bad luck, one might spend centuries and still fail to locate it."
"So that group relied on luck to find the entrance, entered that plane, and even managed to bring back a lot of things? There are so many messy planes out there; what's so special about that one..."
"I suggest you read a few more books, Viscount. The Lightless Ruins are rumored to be the place where... fell."
Su Cheng swore she tried her best to listen, but the pronunciation in the middle was incredibly bizarre, as if an obscure foreign word had suddenly been inserted.
"Yes, many dragons died there. I heard dragon bones are scattered everywhere, including those of ancient dragons. You know, right? The strength of those ancient dragons far exceeded that of modern giant dragons."
The strongest dragons people could see nowadays were the giant dragons; ancient dragons had practically become the stuff of legend.
And most people hadn't even heard of them.
"I do know about that, but I always thought they weren't real?"
"Who said that? They are the ancestors of the giant dragons! Just as wyverns and sub-dragons share the bloodline of giant dragons..."
"So basically, each generation is weaker than the last?"
"Are there any dragon bones in today's auction?"
"...There were supposed to be," someone said hesitantly. "But Her Highness Cassiopeia is currently negotiating with the Duke. She wants to buy the dragon bones beforehand."
The surroundings instantly fell silent.
Someone sneered, "That's not surprising."
She hadn't spoken until now, letting the others chatter away. The moment she opened her mouth, the rest immediately shut theirs.
Su Cheng immediately guessed that this person held a significant status.
"If it's truly a rare item, Cassiopeia will likely buy it to curry favor with the Archbishop—"
The woman sneered again. "In that case, I should go see the Duke as well."
After a brief silence, the others voiced their agreement.
"...Indeed. If you bid openly, the host will only make more money. The Duke would certainly be happy to see that happen."
"Hmph, that guy is cunning and greedy, all he cares about is raking in money..."
Su Cheng waited until their footsteps faded away before stepping out of the room. Glancing at the empty corridor, she returned to the banquet hall.
She had confirmed some highly important information.
Once the auction began, these VIPs would likely be seated in private boxes. When the bidding started, regardless of who ultimately won the item, she wouldn't necessarily be able to quickly uncover their identity.
But things were different now.
Judging by that person's tone just now, there was a ninety percent chance she was royalty, highly likely another daughter of the Emperor.
The Emperor's many children were vying for the position of heir. They formed alliances and held grudges against one another, but they also had their own respective factions backing them.
Therefore, they most likely weren't short on money.
Even if many buyers were fighting over the dragon bones, it might end up as a battle between sisters in the end.
As long as she could pinpoint the buyer's identity, the initial difficulty of getting her hands on the goods later would be significantly reduced.
The crowd in the banquet hall had grown slightly, making it quite lively now.
Su Cheng walked to a corner of the hall, recalling fragmented scenes from the original novel and pondering if there was a way to obtain the item ahead of time.
Suddenly, a familiar figure caught her eye.
A beautifully proportioned young man stood amidst the crowd. Even with half his face obscured by an exquisite mask, his long, snow-white braid, interwoven with a few strands of pale blue hair, stood out.
The exposed lower half of his face revealed delicate contours, a high-bridged nose, and lips as red as coral.
His eyes, framed by the gold-trimmed edge of the mask, featured azure irises that seemed to surge with shimmering waves.
His tall, slender frame was clad in a fitted formal suit, accentuating the lines of his narrow waist and long legs.
Su Cheng: "..."
She truly hadn't expected to run into Xiao Lan here.
His highlighted hair color and facial features were far too recognizable; she could spot him from a mile away.
Considering this was a gathering of elemental mages, and this guy practiced both magic and martial arts and undoubtedly possessed a rank, it wasn't surprising that he had received an invitation.
Of course, judging from the process of obtaining an invitation, not just any elemental mage was qualified to enter. It seemed one also needed a certain level of status.
Logically, it made sense. Ordinary mages had limited financial resources, so there was no need for them to attend an auction.
As a core member of a top-tier mercenary group like Silver Wings, and being so young himself, it was normal for Xiao Lan to receive such treatment. Besides, one look at the guy told you he wasn't lacking in funds.
At this very moment, the silver-haired boy was standing in the crowd.
Several people surrounded him, chatting. Some clearly wanted to fish for information about the mercenary group, while others were interested in him personally.
Some were peddling rare goods, some were trying to discuss business, and others were sending him subtle, adult-oriented hints.
Xiao Lan looked somewhat uncomfortable, but he bit the bullet and humored them, politely declining several invitations in a row.
Su Cheng noticed someone pressing close to him, their shoulders almost touching.
The silver-haired boy quietly sidestepped, avoiding contact with the person. His movement seemed entirely casual, as if he merely wanted to grab a snack from the table.
She had only been looking for a few seconds when Xiao Lan suddenly turned his head, his beautiful blue eyes locking onto her.
Su Cheng: "..."
She was still wearing Vanessa's face, so it should be fine, right?
It should be fine, right?
Right?
Xiao Lan suddenly walked over.
Su Cheng had been standing in front of the balcony door. Seeing him approach, she simply slipped outside. The silver-haired boy seemed a bit puzzled, but he pushed the door open and followed her out.
"Miss Kahn?" Xiao Lan's voice was clear and melodious. "I heard them talking about you."
Su Cheng blinked. "Hmm?"
His gaze as he studied her held a hint of curiosity and a touch of confusion. He seemed to realize something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"I know of the Ring of Silencers, especially the great name of Mr. Loki, and of course, Mr. Lore. They are both exceptionally outstanding potion and magic array masters. Naturally, they have also made significant contributions to the field of elemental magic..."
The silver-haired boy stepped forward as he spoke, his curly braided hair swaying gently behind his back.
His sharply contoured, pointed ears stood upright, and an intricately patterned platinum bone stud gleamed in the night, accentuating his skin that was as flawless and pristine as the first snow.
Su Cheng mentally beat Camus to a pulp.
Who said no one would ask!
Xiao Lan stopped a step away from her, maintaining a polite social distance.
"I heard the Aulu family gave them invitations, and I thought I might have the honor of meeting them."
He said with some regret, then quickly added, "Of course, I am also very honored to meet you, Miss Kahn. I heard that the society's standards for recruiting new members are extremely strict. I believe you must be highly authoritative in your field of expertise."
Su Cheng felt that he probably hadn't recognized who she was.
Maybe Camus could actually be reliable for once?
If the God of Lust and Filth had recognized her, it was because of a deity's power, but that didn't mean Xiao Lan could too.
"...By the way," the silver-haired boy spoke softly, "I heard that Mr. Loki has a student who is proficient in blood magic and memory magic. I wonder if you are acquainted with him?"
Su Cheng: "?"
He couldn't be talking about Camus, could he?
But was he really proficient in memory-related magic?
Su Cheng: "...I haven't met this person."
Xiao Lan nodded slightly. "So he does exist. Could I trouble you to pass a message to him for me?"
Su Cheng frowned at him.
Judging from Camus's tone, he and Vanessa had never met.
Even if Vanessa could get an invitation from this Mr. Loki, it didn't mean she had the face to ask Mr. Loki to pass a message to Camus for her.
Su Cheng was just about to give a vague answer. She didn't mind helping, but she couldn't agree too readily, lest it arouse suspicion.
Su Cheng: "I can't guarantee—"
A faint, burning pain suddenly flared up on her back.
Su Cheng: "..."
You've got to be kidding me.
Su Cheng thought of a certain deity in the room, then looked at the boy in front of her. "If you promise me one thing, I'll find a way to help you."
That bastard would probably just mock her anyway; she didn't want to ask him for help.
Xiao Lan furrowed his brows slightly. "Could you please tell me what it is first?"
Su Cheng took a deep breath and, throwing caution to the wind, said, "I like you very much. Before the auction starts, I want to spend a brief, happy time with you."
Xiao Lan: "?"
The boy revealed a look of astonishment.
There was no shortage of people who had confessed their feelings to him, some quite explicitly. However, the Miss Kahn in front of him looked completely different from those people.
How could she propose such a condition?
Xiao Lan sighed. "...Miss Kahn, could you perhaps change your request? I actually already have someone in my heart."
Su Cheng: "?"
Never mind then.
"Although we have only met a few times," Xiao Lan continued, slightly lowering his head, "I often think of her. I suppose what people call liking someone might just be this feeling."
