Chapter 129: Above the Tower

Lei En's mind went blank for a moment.

Wasn't the witch appearing before them Luo Jue's lover De Laier Sha?

"She is the Silver Star Duke? One of the Empire's Twelve Holy Soul Wizards?" Lei En's mind nearly short‑circuited, feeling as if a war hammer had hammered his head.

But someone was even more shocked than him: Luo Jue.

The demon hunter, usually cold‑faced, now had his eyes wide open, pupils dilated, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground, his gaze tinged with bewilderment and doubt.

"Y‑you…" Zuo Er Tan was even more flustered, pointing at De Laier Sha, stammering for a long time without managing a complete sentence.

The mysteriously charismatic witch smiled at Lei En and Zuo Er Tan, turned to the stunned Luo Jue, and called softly, "Luo Jue."

Her voice was still that familiar, and every gesture exuded charm.

Hearing his own name, Luo Jue snapped out of his reverie, his whole body trembling, and he replied with a complex expression, "D…Your Grace, Duke, are you really called De Laier Sha?"

"Of course, this is my true name; few know it," De Laier Sha's lips curled. Her gaze swept over the three of them, and she laughed softly, "I apologize for keeping it hidden before; I hope my identity doesn't affect our relationship."

The Silver Star Duke's words sounded light and his tone friendly, yet Lei En and Zuo Er Tan both felt an inexplicable pressure.

She is a Holy Soul Wizard, a transcendent above Level 20!

The two quickly nodded to indicate they were fine.

Luo Jue's expression suddenly returned to calm; after a few seconds of silence, he asked abruptly, "Did you use the Suggestion Technique on us?"

De Laier Sha's complexion changed slightly.

Upon hearing Suggestion Technique, Lei En's mind instantly cleared.

The Suggestion Technique is a mental‑type "psychological suggestion," a spell of five rings or higher; when cast it shows no movement yet has astonishing effect, subtly influencing the target and unconsciously fulfilling the caster's intent.

Often, Suggestion Technique is more useful than direct "mind control."

The spell leaves no trace, works long‑term, and can even permanently alter a person's thoughts; even if later the target is told it was Suggestion Technique, they remain unaware and willingly accept the status quo, unwilling to revert.

As a Holy Soul Wizard, De Laier Sha's Suggestion Technique surely exceeds five rings.

When she walks outside and doesn't want to be recognized, merely supplementing with Suggestion Technique can make people overlook her identity.

Even knowing she is a legendary witch and hearing that the Silver Star Duke is female, people's minds automatically discard that possibility, not linking the two.

Luo Jue is a legendary demon hunter, Zuo Er Tan has lived in Longshande for years; both are well‑versed, yet never doubted De Laier Sha's background.

Clearly, this is the effect of Suggestion Technique.

Only Lei En found it both laughable and tragic; he truly didn't know the Silver Star Duke was a woman.

In his memory, he had heard of the Silver Star Duke before, but as a poor student from a small town, he knew nothing about this eminent figure.

Even without Suggestion Technique, Lei En couldn't have guessed De Laier Sha was the Silver Star Duke.

He usually mentions Longshande's ruler to Viola, and both refer to her as Duke; the honorific doesn't specify gender.

Lei En speculates that any noble or transcendent with some standing should know the Silver Star Duke is female.

Viola assumed he knew, so she didn't point it out.

"No wonder when I led Wilt outside Luo Jue's room last time, he got so scared, lost all fighting spirit, and just wanted to run away."

"So he recognized De Laier Sha's identity."

Lei En immediately understood many things.

Viola founded a record company, and the Silver Star Duke generously gave up half the shares, likely having known it was his invention long ago. He had been tinkering in Zuo Er Tan's workshop for over a month, while De Laier Sha often hung out with Luo Jue right under his nose.

When she first became a combat wizard, De Laier Sha intentionally recommended herself for entry into the Silver Star Academy and Wu Shi Ta, but later never mentioned it again.

That wasn't because she forgot; she knew she had obtained a pass card for the Silver Star Academy.

Moreover, his ability to secure the academy pass within a day was likely also at the behest of the Silver Star Duke; Alchemist Master Krifis's patronage wasn't solely due to his status as a combat wizard.

Lei En's mind was clear, knowing he had long since broken free of Suggestion Technique.

This is the effect of Truth Will.

But after merging with Truth Will, he had never seen De Laier Sha, so couldn't immediately guess her identity.

Luo Jue and Zuo Er Tan had just had the Suggestion Technique lifted.

Zuo Er Tan harbored no resentment about this.

Only Luo Jue, who had been intimate with De Laier Sha, sharing a bed for months, exchanging countless sweet words, suddenly learned his bedside companion was the lofty Silver Star Duke; such a massive secret left his heart a swirl of emotions, feeling deceived and unsure how to face it.

Most importantly, were his feelings truly sincere, or influenced by Suggestion Technique?

Luo Jue himself couldn't tell.

Lei En used his Soul Eye to glance quietly, noticing Luo Jue's soul color shifting constantly; his emotions were relatively stable yet very complex.

He suddenly felt some sympathy for Luo Jue, a legendary figure who seemed to have been duped.

The Silver Star Duke's lips moved, but ultimately gave no explanation.

"Come back with me first."

She raised her hand, cast a spell, and with a booming sound instantly created a towering portal before them, stepping through first.

"You know I dislike portals," Luo Jue muttered, forcing himself to walk in.

Lei En and Zuo Er Tan followed at the rear, passed through the portal, and emerged inside a spacious, luxurious chamber.

The floor was covered with a thick carpet, dozens of crystal lamps cast bright light, the area spanned over three hundred square meters, the ceiling height exceeded five meters, resembling several rooms merged together without walls, divided into distinct zones; the décor and furnishings were meticulously arranged, each detail revealing the owner's extraordinary status, like a palace from a dream.

Lei En's perception was extremely sharp, detecting magical currents everywhere.

Around them there were no walls, but a massive transparent glass screen wall, allowing a direct view of the outside; under the black night sky, an entire city unfolded before their eyes.

From here one could overlook the whole Longshande.

Lei En instantly realized this was at the top of Wu Shi Ta, likely the highest floor, the Silver Star Duke's residence.

At that moment, De Laier Sha stepped out of the room onto the spacious balcony, saying nothing, silently gazing down.

Lei En and the two followed outside; seeing the scene beneath the high tower left them speechless for a long while.

(PS: I had to go out today, came back late, almost missed the deadline, so I could only write half a chapter. Planting a flag, tomorrow at the third watch!)

(End of chapter)