Chapter 8: Submission

Bai Hang, panicked and flustered, lifted their eyes and met Heimu's face, which was just inches away.

The face was so beautiful it seemed unreal: ash‑white long hair, violet‑black eyes, lifeless yet possessing a breathtaking allure, especially the soulless gaze that seemed to see through everything, making her feel there was nowhere to hide.

Under the double pressure of that beauty and aura, Bai Hang's mind seemed to stop thinking, and almost involuntarily, in a voice that only she could hear, whispered:

"M-Master... Master..."

The voice was faint, yet clearly discernible in the silent System Space.

Heimu heard it and instantly sparked Electronic Fireworks in her mind—【Ding! Joy Task completed! Core repair progress +2%!】—but outwardly, she merely paused for an imperceptible moment.

Then, very decisively, almost ruthlessly, she turned on the spot, walked with elegant steps toward the distant panel, leaving Bai Hang with an inscrutable, swaying‑skirted silhouette.

As if the one who just made the humiliating request weren't herself.

Bai Hang stood dumbfounded, watching Heimu Lady's departing back, her mind still processing the overwhelmingly shameful scene, the heat on her face not yet subsiding, feeling like a boiled shrimp.

(Inner thought: I—did I really just shout?! Oh god... Jing Liu... Dan Feng... you must never find out...)

Heimu walked to the panel, looked at the genuinely increased 2% progress bar, and felt a small thrill inside.

(Inner thought: Got it! 2% just slipped into my hands, so easy! And... ahem, that soft "Master" earlier, paired with her panicked little expression and trembling ears, was actually... kind of thrilling? Aha, that guy, even though he's a Fun God, can occasionally pull off something good.)

A barely perceptible satisfaction crossed her face as she refocused on the panel.

The screen listed a long string of names, emitting a faint golden glow:

【Summon Units (unlockable upon meeting "Submission" or "Deep Recognition" conditions):】

Xi Lian

Bai E

Na Ke Xia

Sai Fei Er

A Ge Lai Ya

"Is this what's recorded in the database?"

Heimu stroked her chin.

Earlier, while Bai Hang was still unconscious, she had a deep "communication" with the system and realized this Summon Mechanism wasn't that simple.

She can't just call anyone; the prerequisite is that the other party must "Submission" to her, or at least "Deep Recognition".

Heimu found it quite tricky, even feeling the setup was filled with twisted amusement.

"Submission"? That sounds like something only an evil villain would pursue.

【The Rule is as such, madam. The acquisition of power is never cheap.】

The system responded with a cold, emotionless electronic tone.

"Then how to make them Submission? I can't rely on this face, can I?" Heimu stroked her smooth chin.

She asked, clinging to the last shred of hope.

The system's answer was concise and brutally straightforward:

【Option One: Physical Persuasion. Defeat the target unit in a simulated combat environment, forcing it to acknowledge your absolute power. Note: During this process you cannot use "Emperor III" permissions or Ling Shi-level Power, and must rely solely on your current avatar's basic attributes and non‑permission skills.】

Heimu's mouth twitched: "... How to fight?"

She glanced at her own Lolita outfit, which seemed fit only for tea parties or casting spells, and imagined a hand‑to‑hand clash with Bai E and Wan Di... her mind went numb.

【Option Two: Spiritual Persuasion. Achieve the target unit's Deep Recognition through communication, ideological resonance, fulfilling its obsession, or meeting specific conditions.】

"... So it's just talking?"

Heimu placed a hand on her forehead, feeling a bleak future.

Whether it's Physical Persuasion or Spiritual Persuasion, both seem far from easy.

While Heimu was headache‑racked over the list, pondering which "soft target" to start with, Bai Hang finally recovered from the lingering shame nearby.

She patted her still‑tingling cheek and furtively glanced at Heimu's back.

Just standing there, posture upright, ash‑white hair cascading like a waterfall, the black‑violet dress outlining an elegant silhouette, she became a scene of her own, exuding a mysterious, unique beauty.

It made her think this "Master" was... truly charismatic.

Summoning courage, she whispered, "Um... um..."

The title got stuck again.

Should she call... "Master"?

Just the thought made her face heat up again.

Heimu didn't look back, her gaze still fixed on the panel, and as if offhand, her voice flatly said, "Iron Tomb, Black Tower... are past names, past descriptors. Now, this body is Heimu. You may call me... Heimu Lady."

She offered this option proactively, mainly because constantly using the title "Master" in unnecessary situations felt too shameful, damaging the (non‑existent) aura of authority she tried to uphold.

Moreover, with the Task completed, the humiliating "Master" segment could be put on hold for now.

(Inner thought: Hearing her shout is a bit fun, but I can't let her keep shouting; my own nerve would eventually give out!)

Bai Hang, as if granted a pardon, immediately complied, her tone noticeably brighter: "Alright, Heimu Lady!"

However, the moment Bai Hang's words fell—

【Warning: Detected that the designated title was not continuously used; the "Hu Niang's Submission" Task status is judged as 'Not Maintained', and the 2% repair progress is temporarily frozen. Please ensure the target unit can consistently use the "Master" address in non‑command daily interactions to sustain Joy Energy supply.】

Heimu stared at the panel, where the freshly credited 2% progress bar had turned gray, marked with (Frozen), and she was completely stunned.

(Inner thought:... I 【Beep—】! What does that mean?! And it even retracts?! Aha, you pervert! Must constantly use "Master" as a title?! What twisted ongoing Task is this?!)

She felt a vein pulsing at the corner of her forehead.

She ranted wildly in her mind about this twisted setting, then sighed helplessly.

Suppressing the urge to smash the System Panel, she turned expressionlessly, her violet‑black eyes locking again on the slightly pleased Bai Hang, who could still address her properly.

Bai Hang was startled again by the sudden stare, and her heart went thump.

Only Black Curtain Lady, with her voice that gave away no joy or anger, asked clearly, with an unmistakable tone:

"You, what do you call me?"

Bai Hang didn't react at first, blinked her azure eyes: "He… Black Curtain Lady…?"

Heimu said nothing, only quietly watched her, that look as if saying, "You try saying it again?"

Bai Hang finally had a flash of insight and realized the problem.

"!!!"

Her face swished red again, even more than before.

She lowered her head, fingers twisting the hem, her white Fox Ears drooped, and with a voice a little louder than the first time but still full of shame, she weakly spoke again:

"…Lord… Master…"

【Ding! 'Hu Niang's Submission' status has been restored, 2% repair progress has been unfrozen and reapplied.】

Hearing the pleasant cue in her mind, Heimu, satisfied (with tears streaming inside), turned back and continued studying her Summon List, as if nothing had just happened.

Only Bai Hang remained in place, her heart filled with a silent groundhog‑like scream, feeling her Fox Life had opened a strange and shame‑filled new chapter.