Chapter 975

The three walked to the end of the bathhouse, where there was a device similar to an elevator.

"Please wait a moment." Aglaea stopped her steps.

"What happened?"

"From here upward is the bathhouse gifted to the Goldweave by the council. Originally, besides my comrades, others were strictly forbidden to set foot. You two are honored guests from beyond the heavens; I would make an exception for you, but bringing two people at once still goes against tradition."

"What strict rules."

"It seems that in Aohema, the status of heroes and commoners is not equal." Dan Heng nodded toward Xing, "Don't worry, you go up first. I'll wait here for you."

"You have a gentle and courteous companion. Please come, honored guest."

After boarding the elevator and reaching the second floor, the space here is much smaller than downstairs, yet that makes it feel more private. A bathtub occupies most of the room, the water steaming with a faint heat.

Perhaps because of the hostess's aesthetic, the room is decorated very beautifully; even in the bathtub there is a low table holding several celadon dishes, a censer of incense, and a full assortment of tea snacks and fruit.

"Please sit, Xing. Find a comfortable posture, then close your eyes."

Xing felt a little uneasy and warily asked, "Do I have to close my eyes again?"

"This isn't forced, but… people bathe in water precisely to be frank with each other. Are you willing to trust me?"

——

Demon Slayer.

"Is this woman trying to separate Xing and Dan Heng and then interrogate them alone?" Bu sichuan Shimí glared at Aglaea displeasedly, "This woman has doubted them from the start, and even turned around to make Xing believe her, hehe."

"She should be the leader of the Goldweave. Looking at the whole situation, the survival of the entire Wengfaluosī civilization rests on her shoulders; no matter how careful she is, it's not excessive." Hudie Ren understood her actions; if two outsiders from beyond came to the Demon Slayer Corps and expressed willingness to help them destroy Wu can, Lord Chanwu Shi would likely test them repeatedly.

It's naturally good to be willing to help, but even if the other party had a one-in-a-thousand ulterior motive, it could lead to Aohema's downfall; she dares not gamble.

Bu sichuan Shimí: "How can we challenge the gods with mortal power and then ignite the fire seed? Do we have to kill them all? It won't be as simple as just giving them a beating, will it?"

Hudie Ren nodded: "If the fire seed is something like a titan's heart, then it's likely just killing the titan—but that's also easy to understand: if we can't solve the problems caused by the mad titan, we solve the titan itself. However, I believe there is still a better solution—finding the source of the Heichi, that is, the star core; only by sealing the star core can Wengfaluosī attain true peace."

——

Xing closed her eyes and sat beside her.

"... Thank you, and then please shift a bit to the left; that will be warmer."

Xing moved her body slightly to the left. It's amazing—just shifting a few centimeters made the surrounding water flow noticeably warmer.

"Now, please place your left hand on the table, raise your forearm, palm forward, fingers slightly spread…"

Xing did not refuse.

"Exactly, not bad. Please make up for the belated self-introduction: I am 【Goldweave】 Aglaea, Aohema's tailor, one of the Golden Descendants of Wengfaluosī. Thanks to the trust of my comrades, I am temporarily leading the Golden Descendants' actions."

"Although my main job is weaving fine garments, in my private time I love this bathhouse most. After all, clothing is a barrier that hides one's body and mind… but here we can let go of pretense, and the flowing water will bring us closer."

"Now you can open your eyes, Xing."

Xing opened her eyes; at the moment before her vision was restored, the first thing she sensed was not the scenery but an extremely light, soft touch on her fingertips—like a spider's silk brushing past, or like the thread of dew about to fall but not yet fallen.

A strand of gold thread had somehow wrapped around her fingertip, so fine it was almost invisible, yet tightly connected to Aglaea.

"What kind of trap is this…"

"A trap? Certainly not. Please regard it as a ritual of communication. Moneita (Romantic Titan)'s gold thread entwines us; it can sense the slightest tremor, so we cannot lie to each other." Aglaea's lips curled slightly upward, "Next, I will tell you the truth of this world. Accordingly, I need you to return a small promise. Completing this step of exchange, I can then guarantee your journey in Wengfaluosī will go smoothly."

"What if I cannot make a promise?"

At the moment her words fell, the gold thread connecting them trembled slightly.

"Do you feel it? The gold thread has ripples. It tells me that your sincerity toward Aohema still holds a trace of doubt, and I must dispel this concern."

——

Hunter x Hunter.

"Such strong control." Looking at the gold thread connecting the two, Qi Yue also couldn't help exclaiming, "Not only can it be used to bind enemies, but it can also sense the opponent's psychology; if the thread is fine enough, it could even monitor someone from afar."

Qi Yue finally understood why Aglaea became the leader of the Golden Descendants: besides her ultimate control, she could also use the gold thread to sense other important figures within Aohema, gaining more information about the Golden Descendants.

This is equivalent to a weakened version of Xingqiri's "tuning"; unfortunately, we don't know how far she can extend the gold thread, but if it could cover all of Aohema, then the whole city would be her surveillance network.

"Monitor others?" Xiao Jie widened his eyes, somewhat confusedly asking, "In Aohema, who does she need to monitor? Surely not the civilians, right?"

Qi Yue shook his head: "No, I heard Aglaea mention the 'council'; if I'm not mistaken, that is an organization above Aglaea with greater authority. Although she is the leader of the Golden Descendants, she may not necessarily gain the support of other council members."

Xiao Jie frowned, clearly more puzzled: "Why? Supporting the Golden Descendants' Fire Pursuit Journey—isn't that beneficial to everyone in Wengfaluosī?"

"It is beneficial to everyone, but it involves a key issue: the legitimacy of the 'Fire Pursuit'."

Xiao Jie blinked in confusion: "Ah? What does that mean?"

Qi Yue pointed at Aglaea in the sky: "The source of the Fire Pursuit comes from that divine edict, but the edict is conveyed through the messengers of the 'Three Phases'—that is, Ti Bao and her companions—meaning that besides Ti Bao herself, no one else can verify the authenticity of the edict."

Qi Yue took a deep breath, speaking calmly: "Xiao Jie, have you ever considered that if that divine edict were fabricated by Ti Bao?"