Chapter 89: An Encounter

Chapter 89 - An Encounter Half a day later, Lordi Payne threaded through the chaos of Alchemy Peak's Grand Market, his storage pouch bulging with freshly bought herbs and raw materials—enough for a marathon of elixir pill crafting. The market's din—vendors hawking elixirs, cultivators bartering in sharp tones—faded as he made for the Lab Hotel, a squat, iron-clad building pulsing with the hum of alchemy arrays. He planned to rent a room for ten days, time to craft his Bone Tempering Pills and use AllFullOS system one-click-cultivation in peace. The hotel's lobby swarmed with disciples, their robes a riot of colors, the air thick with the tang of herbs and sweat. Lordi joined the queue at the front desk, arms crossed, calculating his next moves. A shout sliced through the clamor. "Lordi Payne!" The voice—frantic, familiar—made him turn. Hugo Payne shoved through the crowd, sweat beading on his brow, his face flushed with urgency. "Clan Brother, there you are!" Lordi's brow arched, surprise tinged with wariness. "Hugo? What's got you yelling?" Hugo grabbed his arm, pulling him to a shadowed corner by a pillar, away from the lobby's crowd. His whisper was low, desperate. "I need a favor, Lordi—something important. You have to help me." Lordi eased his arm free, voice cool and guarded. "Slow down, clan brother. What's the job?" Their relationship had always been lukewarm at best—after all, this was the same clan brother who had refused to lend him even ten spirit $tones last time. If it was a minor request, he might oblige. But if it's anything messy? He'd walk. No time for this nonsense. Hugo huffed, irritation flashing. "Just come with me back to Ghost Shade Peak. We're seeing Elaine-chan." "Elaine-chan? Sun Elaine?" Lordi's frown deepened, suspicion coiling. "Why the hell does she want to see me?" "How should I know?" Hugo snapped, his indignation blind, almost proud. "Elaine-chan asked for you. So just come!" Lordi let out a dry laugh and brushed Hugo's hand off his shoulder. Voice still neutral. "Sorry, Clan Brother. I'm swamped with something else right now. I don't have time to entertain your sweetheart." Seeing Hugo Payne's darkening gloomy face, Lordi puzzled, studying him with genuine curiosity, "Hugo, seriously, Why are you so obsessed with that woman?" Deerspring Town wasn't large, but Lordi Payne remembered plenty of pretty young ladies from respectable families. Sun Elaine was striking, yes, but hardly the most breathtaking beauty. So why was his clan brother so fixated? Hugo's face darkened, eyes narrowing to slits. "You're going, Lordi—like it or not." His finger jabbed at Lordi's chest, voice a low growl, teetering on violence. Lordi didn't flinch, his calm a steel wall. "Can you afford the fine for Outer Sect disciples brawling in public, Hugo? Sect law's not kind to hotheads." He leaned closer, voice dropping. "Worship Sun Elaine, lick her boots—your call. Me? I'm not interested." "The fuck... you say?!" Hugo Payne's curse flared, fist clenching, but a smooth, mocking voice cut through the tension, laced with menace. "Lordi Payne, you're free to embarrass your clan brother if you wish. But don't you want to know what the Punishment Crypt found about Chen Huant's case?" Lordi's pupils shrank, a chill snaking down his spine. He turned slowly to see Sun Elaine sauntering toward them, she's in vibrant robe, emerald silk embroidered with gold sparrow. The high slit revealed a flash of toned leg, the curve of her ankle adorned with a delicate chain of jade. Her lips, painted the deep red of pomegranate seeds, curled into a knowing smile—radiant, intoxicating. The scent of lotus and sandalwood trailed behind her, subtle yet impossible to ignore. When she spoke, her voice was a velvet murmur, low and intimate, yet carrying the weight of a blade unsheathed. "The enforcers sent to Lothgar City return tomorrow." Her dark eyes gleamed with secrets as she walked closer. "Think no one knows what you did, Lordi Payne?" Hugo Payne's eyes lit up as Sun Elaine approached, his voice dripping with sycophantic eagerness. "Elaine-chan! What an honor—why grace us with your own presence?" He gaped, nearly tripping over himself in delight. "I-I mean, you didn't have to—" Sun Elaine didn't even glance at him. Instead, she glided past, her gaze locked on Lordi, her emerald robes whispering against the floor, stopping just inches from Lordi Payne. Her voice softened, warm as velvet lure. "Lordi Payne... I came to see you. For your own good." Lordi's eyes narrowed, his tone flat and guarded, every word measured. "And I avoided seeing you—also for your own good." He stood still, voice steady but cold. "You're a smart woman, Senior Sister—you know I'm not Hugo. I don't fall for honeyed tricks or same games as my clan brother. Keep pushing, and we'll both lose face." Sun Elaine's warmth vanished as she snapped over her shoulder. "Step back, Hugo." Hugo hesitated, his fawning smile faltering, a flicker of hurt in his eyes. See this, Sun Elaine's face darkened like a stormfront. "Useless worm. Scram now!" Hugo Payne's grin faltered, casting a resentful glance at Lordi. The words cracked him like a whip, and he scurried back, head bowed, muttering apologies under his breath. The moment Hugo was away, her demeanor melted again, a gentle smile curving her lips, warm and coaxing, a gentle nod as if they were old allies. "I know you're not like Hugo—some lust-addled fool swayed by a pretty face. I'd never play you like that. I'm here to bring you... benefits." She tilted her head, eyes gleaming. "The Deer Spring Payne clan? That's a mere speck in the entire Abyss Pit Sect. Hugo Payne? A weak, useless heir. Your clan brother can't protect you." Sun Elaine stepped closer, her lotus perfume wrapping around him. "But a faction can. Join one, and you'll hear whispers, forsee knives before trouble strikes. If things go wrong, the senior in the faction got your back." Lordi Payne's mind stirred when he heard this, and he glanced at Hugo in the distance. Was this clan brother's infatuation to Sun Elaine truly that shallow? Or was there another calculated game at play? After all, Since joining this demonic sect, he'd met so many fellow Dao, few of them have honest soul. Naivety was suicide here. Miu Toanh, Chen Huant, every "kind" comrade with a blade behind their smile. It doesn't make sense that Hugo Payne is really a lovesick clown. And he's licking the boot of Sun Elaine, a low-tier gold digger? Why? Sensing his silence, Sun Elaine's smile deepened. She closed the distance, fingers brushing toward his chest and her sleeve grazing his arm. "So, Junior Brother, think it over—" Before she finished, Lordi Payne was already three steps back alertly, spirit energy surging around his body like a beast ready to strike. "Senior Sister," he said, voice steel, "let's be clear. The reason why you are here is to recruit me on behalf of a certain faction?" Goodwill? Unlikely. Lordi Payne harboured no affection for Sun Elaine—in fact, he didn't trust her at all. Each time she subtly leaned into him or let her fingers graze his sleeve, instinctively suspicion coiled in his gut. "Was she trying to poison me? Or something even deadlier?" While stepping back, his hand hovered backwards, near the Blade of Life Hater, thumb against the hilt, spirit power simmering, ready to flare. After all, he's in a demonic sect, where spirit $tones could wash away any sin, Lordi Payne knew better than to feel safe. His dealings with Miu Toanh and the other comrades had taught him brutal lessons—if things turned even slightly against him, he had to strike first. Strike hard. Go all out. Leave no room for mercy! "I don't recruit for others. I speak for myself." Sun Elaine's smile stiffened as she suppressed her anger. Standing her ground, she tossed Lordi a coy glance and purred, "For instance, if you're interested in the Lothgar City case... I could share the Punishment Crypt's full investigation results with you." Her words were meant to flaunt her connections—to prove how well-informed she was. But Lordi Payne, already backed by Kinson Wexford, remained unmoved. He sneered. "If that's all, Senior Sister, then I must take my leave." Without another word, he turned to go. "Halt!" Sun Elaine's face darkened. She flung her arms out, blocking his path, her voice sharp as a blade. "Don't push your luck, Lordi Payne. Do you think enrollment into the Abyss Pit Sect makes you untouchable? That you can do as you please?" Her lips curled in contempt. "The outer sect is vast. There are millions of Outer Sect disciples in the Holy Sect—you're just the most insignificant among them." She stepped closer, eyes blazing. "Walk away now, and I promise you'll regret it." When Lordi ignored her and kept moving, Sun Elaine's composure shattered. With a sharp inhale, she lunged—wrapping her arms around him in a desperate embrace. "Don't you dare—!" Before she could finish, a surge of force slammed into her. Lordi Payne shoved her back cleanly, his movements precise. In the same motion, his wrist flicked—the Blade of Life Hater gleamed in his grip. Eyes locked on her, he retreated step by step, putting a safe distance between them. Only when he was certain she couldn't strike did he finally turn and stride away, leaving her seething on the spot. "Elaine-chan!" Hugo Payne had been watching from a distance. When he saw Lordi Payne shove Sun Elaine to the ground, he gasped in shock. Forgetting everything else, he rushed forward and knelt beside her, voice dripping with panic. He rushed to her side, hands fumbling to help her up, heedless of stopping Lordi. "Junior Sister, are you alright?" Sun Elaine, half-sprawled on the ground, shot a venomous glare at Lordi's retreating back. Then—like a viper striking—she seized Hugo's collar and yanked him close. "What the hell? Do I look alright, you idiot?" she shrieked, her voice raw with fury. "Open your fucking eyes! Lordi Payne just molested me!" Hugo froze, mouth agape. "But—" "But what?" Sun Elaine sneered, her grip tightening. "He groped me, soI fought to hold him—and he attacked me, shove me down on the ground! And you just stood there like a useless sack of meat! What kind of man are you?" Hugo stammered, his face crumpled. "Elaine-chan, p-please calm down! Don't be mad! I'll—I'll fix it! I'll call the enforcers, report him to the Punishment Crypt right now! The sect will—" "You idiot!" Sun Elaine spat, shoved him away in disgust, her voice a venomous hiss, cutting him off. "What good will that do? They'll just fine him a few spirit stones—all the $tones go to the Crypt pockets! They won't compensate me! The entire sect will laugh, spread whispers—'Sun Elaine, shamed in public.' Is that what you want?" Her voice cracked as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I did this for you, Hugo. Lordi Payne was your clan brother, rude and vile, but I heard about the Lothgar City case—thought to warn him, save him trouble. I was trying to help him, you know. And he... he did this!" Hugo stared, stunned, his blank gaze fueling Sun Elaine's bitterness. "You spineless worm," Sun Elaine whispered, tears flowing faster. "You don't care about me, do you?" Then her nails dug into his arm as she hissed: "But if you ever did, you'll remember this: Lordi Payne molested me. Say it. Swear it!" —— Meanwhile, Lordi Payne had already ignored the drama unfolding behind him. He weaved back through the crowd. He had no time for gold-digger's lies or clown's fawning. He rejoined the queue at the front desk, renting a D-Grade alchemy lab room and stepping inside. His movements were methodical—checking the room for potential danger and trap, scanning for surveillance charms, testing the door seals. Only when he was certain of his privacy did he act. With a grunt, he hauled the room's built-in Dao furnace into a corner and replaced it with Kinson Wexford's superior model. Next came the ingredients: a pouch of Ghost Placenta, a bag of Cold Iron Grass, Crocodile Tiger Bones, Red Alder Flowers and a big vial of Essence Blood of Enlightenment Stage Demonic Monsters—all laid out with surgical precision. A final inspection. A steadying breath. Then, eyes closing, he called AllFullOS inwardly. "System," Lordi commanded. "I want to practice. Select the skill. Select Alchemy Skill: Bone Tempering Pill!" ~ Ding! *System Notification Chime* [AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0] > All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation SystemTM is at your service! > One-click-cultivation, worry-free-ascension! + [Features] - Intelligent upgrades tailored to your cultivation needs! - Fully automated cultivation: Sit back, relax, and let the system do the work! ... > Cultivation hosting: Initializing... - Friendly reminder: During cultivation, the host will lose control of his/her body. - Do not panic. This is a normal system function. > Initializing body control override... ...