Chapter 640: Coercing Abdication

Lei En looked up toward a window on the third floor of the villa, where Mrs. Ilaysha was situated; ever since he and Viola entered the garden, a pair of eyes had been peering from behind the window, thinking themselves unseen, but simply unwilling to pay attention.

"After seeing her, I'll handle the negotiations; you just watch, and don't speak lightly," Lei En whispered.

"Fine," Viola nodded slightly.

Having finished the instructions, Lei En opened a portal and led Viola through it.

It was a luxurious living‑style reception room, warmly and comfortably arranged, with a sound‑dampening formation hidden in the walls, and its location was highly concealed.

"Peeping is not a good habit, Marchioness," Lei En said to Ilaysha standing by the window.

Viola bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty."

"I long for all beautiful love, so I couldn't help glancing a few more times; please excuse me, Chairman Lei En," Ilaysha explained without changing expression, gracefully seated herself on the spacious, soft sofa, and gestured to the opposite sofa, "Please, both of you, have a seat."

Lei En shrugged indifferently and sat down with Viola.

At this moment Ilaysha's demeanor on the salon was entirely different; her delicate face bore little smile, no longer the aristocratic lady of socialite grace, but she assumed the bearing of a Saint Rank transcendent.

She poured three cups of black tea on the coffee table, made a welcoming gesture, and lifted a cup to taste herself.

Viola hesitated a bit.

Lei En, without a hint of doubt, lifted a cup, took two sips, and praised, "Fine tea."

Ilaysha's eyes showed surprise, "Aren't you afraid the tea has a problem?"

"By my assessment of the lady, we have conflicts but not to the point where you'd resort to poisoning," Lei En smiled confidently, "You wouldn't have the nerve either."

In fact, the Soul Eye could instantly tell whether Ilaysha had poisoned the tea, and she had not.

Even if the tea were truly poisonous, she wouldn't fear it.

She possessed ninth‑level "Poison Resistance" and a robust physique; few poisons in the world could kill her.

Ai Lun E Si's world is filled with countless supernatural forces; poisons are relatively weak, and under various wondrous spells, even deadly toxins have little effect and seldom play a decisive role.

But the most important thing is that Mrs. Ilaysha lacked the courage to poison.

That is the truth, yet it is hurtful.

Mrs. Ilaysha's expression changed as soon as she heard it; she slammed the teacup onto the table with a thud, and, displeased, said, "Young man, before you stands a Destruction Sorcerer, the Chosen One of the Longhaired Lady, representing His Pontiff among the countless believers on earth; you should choose your words more carefully."

"I understand."

Lei En replied coolly, still showing little respect.

Ilaysha couldn't help but feel her anger rise.

She had been moving within Nuosiruier for many years; anyone who saw her was expected to be deferential, even Elder Naiser had to show respect before her and dared not offend her lightly.

Who would have thought she'd hit a wall before a man in his twenties.

Lei En tilted his head slightly, his gaze calm and unruffled, as if looking at an ordinary transcendent, almost asking, "I know, so what?"

If Ilaysha were a Holy Soul Wizard, I would indeed have to be wary, but she is not.

A sorcerer is also a caster, yet still falls short of a Holy Soul Wizard's power, and this is the Oriense Empire, a realm ruled by Wizards; entry into the Supreme Council is a world apart, and not every Saint Rank transcendent enjoys supreme status.

The Pontiff title of the Beauty and Goodness Church may be a lofty honor to others, but for me, backed by the Mo Du faction, it requires no particular concern.

Viola wanted to become Pontiff, and I would certainly support her.

That means I will eventually have to lay my cards on the table with Ilaysha; there's no need to maintain that false courtesy, better to apply pressure now and open the way for the subsequent negotiations.

The atmosphere in the reception room stiffened.

Ilaysha stared intently at Lei En, her ample chest rising and falling, runes surfacing on both skins, her eyes brewing multicolored elemental energy that formed waves of elements around her, seemingly ready to strike in anger at any moment.

Viola lacked such confidence, silently wiping a bead of sweat for Lei En, but she recalled Lei En's earlier warning and remained silent.

Lei En faced the Destruction Sorcerer's hostility calmly, sipping his black tea with a light, untroubled demeanor.

The Soul Eye actually locked onto her, observing her emotional shifts.

Ilaysha's anger was largely feigned.

She suddenly smiled, "Indeed, a heroic figure," then turned to Viola and said, "Viola, you've found a good man."

Viola silently exhaled in relief and, with a hint of pride, replied, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."

"I apologize for my earlier actions," Ilaysha said in a very sincere tone, "We are all the Longhaired Lady's Chosen Ones; we should help each other, work together to spread her teachings, rather than let jealousy harm you."

"But I swear in the Lady's name, Viola, I bear no ill will toward you."

"You must have felt it too; when you first arrived in Nuosiruier, you brought the Phonograph and the Camera. I was truly delighted, eager to help you run the company and promote these two inventions to attract more believers."

"It was a momentary lapse of judgment; I hope you can forgive me."

After speaking, Ilaysha rose, bowed to Viola, and from Lei En's perspective a bottomless chasm became visible; he could only avert his gaze, lest he look improperly.

This heartfelt apology instantly put Viola in an awkward position.

She momentarily didn't know how to respond, and turned to look at Lei En.

"What a schemer!"

Lei En let out a cold hum in his heart.

Ilaysha truly lived up to her reputation as a socialite who had mingled in Nuosiruier's upper circles for years; adept at reading hearts and judging people accurately, she knew she was hard to handle here, so she shifted the focus onto the inherently kind Viola, hoping to win Viola's sympathy and understanding, making it difficult for her to cause further trouble.

Ilaysha's earlier anger was feigned, and now her apology is also feigned; it's merely a stalling tactic.

"This woman is all drama."

Stage performance is also an art; truly worthy of being the president of the Empire Art Association, she has almost merged acting into her instincts, and ordinary people truly can't resist.

Fortunately, Viola wasn't easily fooled and didn't immediately accept the apology.

"Madam, please rise," Lei En said in a sarcastic tone, "You are a Destruction Sorcerer; we cannot afford such a grand courtesy."

Ilaysha looked up, her gaze meeting Lei En's mocking eyes.

The sorrowful hue on her face vanished quickly, she slowly sat back down, and in a calm voice said, "I am willing to apologize; whether Viola accepts it is none of my business."

The Soul Eye observed her emotional shift and altered its stance once more.

"There was never any need to apologize," Lei En, controlling the other's rhythm, laughed, "If apologies were effective, what would a Holy Swordist need to do?"

Yi Lai Sha kept a composed face, "What do you mean?"

"Your salon is well organized, I've heard it's famous in Nuosiruier?" Lei En retorted, and without waiting for an answer continued, "Everyone knows you are the president of the Empire's Art Association, and you hold salons to spread the teachings of the Longhaired Lady. That's not wrong, but if someone, under the guise of the salon, secretly spreads the worship of an evil god within Marlinge Manor…"

Mrs. Yi Lai Sha finally could no longer sit still, and she denied loudly, "It never happened."

Viola's expression also changed dramatically.

Worshipping an evil god is the Empire's gravest crime; no one dares to be associated with it, and it must not be spoken of carelessly.

"Whether this is true or not, you should know better than I do, Madam. Tomorrow we can have a Holy Sword Knight inspect the manor, and it will be clear."

Lei En leaned back on the sofa, relaxed in posture, yet his tone showed no looseness at all.

He was not speaking carelessly.

After entering Marlinge Manor, the All-Seeing Eye surveyed the entire layout and every person; no hidden corner could escape, and each person's fire of faith was seen clearly.

In just a few minutes, Lei En identified several evil‑god followers.

They worship the Lord of Chaos, a minion of the Abyssal evil god who most easily infiltrates human realms, luring others with sensuality and lewdness, causing them to fall and become evil‑god followers. Yi Lai Sha's salon, in name, promotes the Longhaired Lady's view of love—pride, extravagance and lust, and chaotic relationships—exactly the best cover for Lord of Chaos's followers.

As a Divine Chosen, Yi Lai Sha's own faith is beyond question.

But she permits evil‑god followers to breed and grow within her manor; even if she is unaware, she must bear great responsibility.

Seeing Lei En's solemn oath, Yi Lai Sha felt panic inside.

Just as Lei En said, she actually harbors doubts.

Since her salon became increasingly famous over a decade ago, many people have come by reputation, doing some out‑of‑line deeds in the manor's secret rooms, making it dirtier and dirtier; she later noticed some clues, dared not speak up, yet the problem persisted.

Sometimes she had to suspend the salon under other pretenses, but the longer the suspension, the more inexplicable pressure she faced in Nuosiruier from all sides.

People kept asking for the next salon's date; she could not tell whether the askers were normal or already fallen.

Secret investigations yielded nothing.

Lord of Chaos's followers are the most cunning; unlike blood‑soul‑raging degenerates, their appearance and thoughts are indistinguishable from ordinary people, only their deity comes from the Abyss, and after death their souls fall into the Abyss, becoming minions of the evil god.

They also covertly communicate, forming an underground force.

Yi Lai Sha suspects that such an evil‑god faction exists in Nuosiruier, entangled deeply with her salon, even using the salon as their contact point. Thus each time the salon is suspended, these evil‑god followers strike secretly, forcing her to continue.

The many benefits the salon brings also make her reluctant to report to the Justice Church.

Yi Lai Sha can only barely control the situation, carefully vetting each guest's background, trying to prevent evil‑god followers from infiltrating.

This is her greatest secret, and also one of her weaknesses.

She didn't expect Lei En to catch her.

Yi Lai Sha's mind was in turmoil, but her face remained calm as she said nonchalantly, "Which city in the human realms has no evil‑god followers? They are like weeds, never eradicated. Ignorance is no crime; even if a few evil‑god followers are uncovered in my manor, what does that have to do with me?"

Lei En saw that she was merely strong on the outside but hollow within.

He shook his head, spread his hands and said, "Whether you are guilty is not for me to decide. Keep this sentence and later explain it to the Grand Arbiter; perhaps he will spare you."

The Grand Arbiter is the Pope of the Justice Church.

The Justice Church is not the Beauty and Goodness Church; as one of the Empire's three gods, its power and strength exceed the latter by more than a hundredfold.

The current Grand Arbiter is Lu Si Pe Er Mian Xia.

This Holy Sword Knight, praised as the 'Justice Sword Saint', is the Chosen One of Ti Rui Er and the world's strongest Holy Sword Knight; it is said he has reached Thirty-level, his power unfathomable.

He controls the entire Empire's judicial system, commanding the 'Silver Hand Holy Sword Corps' and the 'Sword of Order' as two major supernal forces; the Justice Temple spreads throughout the Empire and beyond, and his actual authority rivals that of Holy Soul Wizards, even surpassing the reputation and status of several lone Holy Soul Wizards.

Yi Lai Sha's pupils contracted imperceptibly for a moment.

She has seen the Justice Sword Saint a few times and knows his formidable strength; what is even more awe‑inspiring is Lu Si Pe Er's cold hostility toward all evil demons, his subordinates show no mercy.

But she is of Saint Rank and a Divine Chosen, so she need not be so afraid.

The Pope of the Beauty and Goodness Church does not yet give Lu Si Pe Er Mian Xia cause to direct his anger at her; by finding some connections, she should be able to clear her name.

Yi Lai Sha comforted herself inwardly.

"Feel free to report to the Justice Church; if they can help catch the evil‑god followers, that would be even better." She sat down again, a face of indifference.

If it weren't for the Holy Soul Eye, one might have been deceived by Yi Lai Sha's performance.

"Since the Madam is so confident, I am reassured." Lei En nodded, "I will report to Lu Si Pe Er Mian Xia later; I'm sure he will be very interested."

After speaking, he stood up, "Viola, we take our leave."

"No need to see me off." Yi Lai Sha lifted her red tea and sipped leisurely.

Lei En was about to open the portal, then, as if recalling something, turned back and said, "I almost forgot, Madam, someone asked me to forward a letter to you."

He produced a statement with a few lines of text and gently placed it on the tea table.

"A letter?"

Yi Lai Sha was somewhat puzzled, picked it up and read.

Viola was also learning of the letter's existence for the first time; she had never heard Lei En mention it before and couldn't help being curious.

But Yi Lai Sha lost composure after only glancing at the letter's contents twice.

"Is this true?"

A hint of panic rose in her eyes; she seemed even more frightened than when Lei En had threatened her with evil‑god followers, and her hands began to tremble.

Lei En laughed, "Whether it's true or not, Madam, you'll find out soon."

Yi Lai Sha's complexion changed dramatically.

The Holy Soul Eye also saw her soul's hue shifting constantly, locked in fierce struggle, while Lei En had already opened the portal and was ready to step through.

"Speaker Lei En, please stay!"

Yi Lai Sha hurriedly called out to stop him; after Lei En sat down again, she forced a smile, lifted a hand to flick her red curls, and, barely regaining composure, asked, "Speaker Lei En, what do you want?"

Lei En ignored her allure and said firmly, "Please abdicate, Madam, and relinquish the papal throne and the presidency of the Empire's Art Association."

(End of Chapter)