Chapter 944: Pale Justice

Lei En, with Ai Luo Tixiya, teleported, after three relays, arrived at Marlinge Manor on the western outskirts of Nuosiruier.

Viola was not at home, and Lei En did not disturb anyone in the manor, instantly teleporting away.

The next second they were high above.

"We've arrived."

Lei En pointed at the endless buildings and streets below, turned and said, "Ai Luo Tixiya, this is Nuosiruier."

"What a huge city!" Ai Luo Tixiya exclaimed in awe.

She had spent half a month in Gotham City; although Gotham already has over 1.5 million permanent residents and is a world‑class metropolis, it still fell short of Nuosiruier, its urban area being only a third of the Imperial Capital's.

This is the place where the teacher had lived for centuries.

It is also the headquarters of the Justice Church!

Ai Luo Tixiya stared at Nuosiruier, quickly recognizing landmarks: Floating Shell Castle, He Palace, Temple of Truth, and so on, matching each to the teacher's description—both familiar and strange. She had seen this city countless times in dreams; now she finally arrived!

"Is that the Naiser Floating City?" she asked, seeing a massive object in the distant sky.

Lei En nodded, "Yes."

"So big!"

Ai Luo Tixiya let out another gasp of amazement.

It was her first time seeing a real floating city; its size dwarfed Lei En's Star Destroyer by dozens of times, and even from afar she felt a powerful shock.

Finally, Ai Luo Tixiya's gaze fell upon a majestic, grand building.

It was a temple, and in the square before it stood a huge sculpture. The whole thing was cast in gold, shaped like a balance scale, with a sword as the central axle, its tip pointing down, plunged into the center of a thick codex.

Tiriel's Holy Emblem Codex Scale!

Justice Temple!

Ai Luo Tixiya stared blankly at the temple and the scale—this was the place she had longed for.

Yet somehow, with the Justice Temple so close, she suddenly felt a pang of fear, an urge to turn and leave.

Lei En gave no urging.

He saw Ai Luo Tixiya's thoughts; once she appeared at the Justice Temple there would be no turning back. If she never went to the Justice Temple, the church hierarchy wouldn't know she existed, and she could continue as a follower of Tiriel, a holy swordsman, practicing Tiriel's doctrine.

But once the church sees her, it must either accept her or eliminate her.

There is no third outcome.

Yet the Justice Church's chance of accepting a demon holy swordsman is vanishingly slim, and Ai Luo Tixiya already knew the ending; it would be better to stay far from the Justice Temple, never learn the answer, and keep the last sliver of hope as solace.

After a long while, Ai Luo Tixiya remained silent; the soul‑eye saw her heart in fierce struggle.

Lei En broke the silence, "You can still leave now."

"No!"

Ai Luo Tixiya finally decided, "Regardless of the result, I must deliver the teacher's news and relics back to the church."

Lei En stopped persuading, "Prepare yourself; I'll teleport you down."

The succubus took a deep breath, then nodded.

A positioning teleport spell fell, sending her to a street just a few hundred meters from the Justice Temple; Lei En stayed invisible, watching from afar.

Ai Luo Tixiya manifested, but did not dispel the concealment "Charm" effect; she wore the repaired Arbitration Armor, bore a silver holy sword, and walked step by step toward the Justice Temple, expression solemn, stride steady, like a true pilgrim.

The surrounding pedestrians immediately noticed her.

"Arbitrator!"

Someone shouted, recognizing the armor on Ai Luo Tixiya as the sign of a church senior "Arbitrator".

People cast their gazes, eyes full of surprise and curiosity.

The Justice Church officially has only a little over twenty Arbitrators, almost all of whom are Legendary High-rank holy swordsmen, their power and status just below Grand Arbitrator Lu Si Pe Er and the three Arbitrators; once granted divine favor, they can instantly ascend to Sword Saint and receive the title.

Most Arbitrators are male; only four are female.

But none matches the one before them, because she is too beautiful!

Whether male or female, when people see her for the first time they cannot look away; they swear they've never seen such a beautiful lady in their lives. Some men stir, including some transcendants, but the Arbitrator's status makes them reverent, so they dare not approach.

Under the stare of countless eyes, Ai Luo Tixiya reached the temple.

She fixed her gaze on the towering Justice Temple, stepped onto the plaza, came before the Justice Scale sculpture, paused at its base, stared for a few seconds, then half‑kneeling, performed the standard holy swordsman prayer to Tiriel, bowing slightly and beginning to pray.

A powerful spiritual force radiated from her.

Many pedestrians involuntarily followed behind Ai Luo Tixiya; those who had doubted her Arbitrator status now felt the unfathomable spiritual power and finally believed that this lady of unparalleled beauty truly was an Arbitrator!

On the steps before the Justice Temple stood holy swordsman guards; the disturbance beneath the scale alerted them, and at the head was a Legendary holy swordsman, the church's "Judge".

He hurried forward.

At first glance he was also dazzled by Ai Luo Tixiya, then saw her armor and the massive spiritual force, his face changing instantly.

He had seen every Arbitrator of the church, but did not recognize this one.

"May I ask who you are?"

The Judge asked very cautiously.

Ai Luo Tixiya kept praying, hoping for Tiriel's response, and ignored the Judge.

He glanced at the growing crowd, sensed something big was about to happen, and instantly gathered a cluster of silver light on his hand, shaped like a long sword, which flashed and shot into the Justice Temple, sending a message to the High Priest and another on‑duty Arbitrator.

Seconds after the mental transmission, two sword lights flew out of the temple and fell instantly.

Two figures emerged within the sword light.

The crowd immediately recognized them, gasped, and half‑kneeling, paid their respects:

"We have seen Your Majesty!"

"We have seen Lord Mi Er Dun!"

The two at the front were none other than the Pope of the Justice Church, Tiriel's earthly representative, Grand Arbitrator "Sword Saint" Lu Si Pe Er. Beside him stood "Sword of Protection" Mi Mi Dun, one of the three church Arbitrators.

Lu Si Pe'er's hair was gray‑white, but his face and build still resembled those of a strong middle‑aged man.

He wore a face of authority, never smiling or joking.

Just a glance at Ai Luotixiya changed his expression, and instinctively he drew his Silver Holy Sword to strike.

Guardian Sword Mi Mi Dun almost lost composure in front of the crowd.

Ai Luotixiya's disguise had limited effect on Saint Rank strongmen, and before the Sword Saint proficient in mental swordsmanship it was utterly ineffective; the two saw through her true identity at a glance.

Demon!

She is a succubus!

Lu Si Pe'er stayed calm, glanced at the onlookers, and signaled Mi Er Dun not to act rashly. He had already guessed the succubus's purpose and was praying to Ti Er Rui, hoping for a divine response. He snorted inwardly; it was impossible.

The two silently watched Ai Luotixiya pray.

Bang bang bang…

A rapid footfall echoed from the temple; people turned and saw a squad of Holy Swordsmen sprinting over, each exuding a legendary aura.

Order Sword!

This was the Justice Church's elite transcendent legion; members of the Order Sword were at least High Sword Holy Swordsmen, and those stationed at the Justice Temple headquarters were all legends.

They surrounded Ai Luotixiya, separating her from the onlookers.

Ai Luotixiya was still praying.

Her face was extremely devout, but as time passed, the Justice Scale before her remained still, and Ti Rui Er gave no response; she gradually showed disappointment, growing more disheartened, becoming numb, and finally opened her eyes toward the heavens, filled with sorrow.

"Hum."

Mi Mi Dun let out a cold laugh.

Ai Luotixiya finally regained her senses, looked at the surrounding Order Sword, finally focusing on Lu Si Pe'er, clenched her right fist under her left shoulder, and, as a Holy Swordsman, saluted him: "Ai Luotixiya has seen the Grand Arbiter."

Lu Si Pe'er did not accept her courtesy, and asked lightly, "Where did you obtain your armor and Holy Sword?"

"Granted by my teacher," Ai Luotixiya replied, bowing her head.

Lu Si Pe'er seemed thoughtful.

Mi Mi Dun asked gravely, "Who is your teacher?"

"Granvite Arbiter," Ai Luotixiya uttered a name, a trace of sorrow and recollection on her face; it was what her teacher had told her, buried deep for a very long time, never spoken aloud, and even in the Empire language.

The Holy Swordsmen around them exchanged puzzled looks upon hearing the name.

They had never heard of that Arbiter.

Lu Si Pe'er and Mi Mi Dun both paled; of course they knew who Granvite was. It was a long time ago, about four hundred years ago, when Granvite, to practice Ti Rui Er's doctrine, received the divine grant to ascend to Sword Saint and left the Church.

Unexpectedly, after his departure there was no word; the Church had once searched for Granvite's whereabouts, only learning that he entered the Abyss and vanished thereafter.

Now there is finally news, but it brings trouble back to the Church.

A succubus Holy Swordsman!

Lu Si Pe'er examined Ai Luotixiya again, "Come in and speak."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ai Luotixiya behaved very obediently, easing the uneasy Holy Swordsmen nearby. It is not uncommon for Holy Swordsmen adventuring abroad to take on disciples; each year one or two Holy Swordsmen report to the Church, and as long as their identity and background are verified, their faith is steadfast, they can gain the Church's approval.

Lu Si Pe'er led, and Ai Luotixiya followed.

Mi Mi Dun intentionally fell a few steps behind.

The Holy Swordsmen crossed the plaza, ascended the steps, entered the Justice Temple, and the onlookers, seeing no more spectacle, dispersed.

But they did not know that, just after entering the temple, Lu Si Pe'er suddenly turned and barked, "Remove your armor and Holy Sword."

A vast surge of mental power erupted, pressing down like a sky‑covering weight, warping the space inside the temple.

The Holy Swordsmen turned pale, nearly suffocating.

Ai Luotixiya trembled all over; she bore most of Lu Si Pe'er's mental pressure, and the resilient Willpower she forged in the Abyss kept her from falling, but Lu Si Pe'er's actions signaled that the Church would not accept her.

This sank her heart, and she whispered, "I will return the teacher's relic to the Church."

"That's best."

Lu Si Pe'er lifted the mental pressure; the stagnant air suddenly eased, yet he still stared intently at the succubus, his sharp gaze like a blade, ready to strike at any moment.

Ai Luotixiya struggled to shed her armor, leaving only a thin leather lining on her body.

The fiery figure made the Holy Swordsmen stare wide‑eyed.

Although they were Holy Swordsmen who had refined mental power, possessing Willpower far beyond their rank and innate mental shields, not knowing Ai Luotixiya was a succubus caused them to lower their guard and involuntarily fall under the "charm" temptation.

Only Lu Si Pe'er and Mi Mi Dun remained clear‑headed.

"The sword is the servant of justice!"

Lu Si Pe'er loudly recited a doctrine; his voice rang like a great bell, striking the Holy Swordsmen's hearts and bringing them back to their senses.

Mi Mi Dun stepped forward and took the Arbiter's armor and Silver Holy Sword, his face showing no hint of emotion.

Ai Luotixiya felt great reluctance in her heart, yet did not resist.

"Send her to the dungeon."

Lu Si Pe'er ordered, "Mi Mi Dun, you guard her personally; no one may approach the cell she is in."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Mi Mi Dun said coldly to Ai Luotixiya, "Will you walk with me, or shall I force you inside?"

"No need to trouble you," the succubus replied, her heart ashen, her tone numb.

She followed behind Mi Mi Dun through the temple, soon vanishing from the Holy Swordsmen's sight; each was bewildered, not understanding why Your Majesty and Lord Mi Mi Dun treated Ai Luotixiya so harshly, even with hostility.

Lu Si Pe'er, without offering an explanation, warned, "The events of today must not be discussed privately; I do not wish to hear rumors spreading in the Church."

The Holy Swordsmen promptly replied affirmatively.

Ai Luotixiya was locked in the Justice Church's underground prison, where a spatial sealing array was set; the walls were cast from metal, etched with runes that suppress mental power and spells, making even a Saint Rank strongman trapped inside unable to escape.

Behind the prison railing, Mi Mi Dun conducted a brief interrogation.

He wanted to know Ge Lan Wei Te's whereabouts; the two had been very close friends back then, and when he learned that Ge Lan Wei Te had long been dead, his soul devoured by a Demon, he instantly lost any interest in pursuing further.

He didn't even want to know how Ai Luo Ti Xi Ya became a Holy Swordsman.

To him, it was meaningless.

"Your Excellency the Arbiter," Ai Luo Ti Xi Ya asked after a long silence, "how will the Church deal with me?"

"Trial, secret execution," Mi Mi Dun replied coldly.

"I am a follower of Ti Rui Er!" Ai Luo Ti Xi Ya protested, "how can the Justice Church execute a devout follower?"

Mi Mi Dun was unmoved, "You are first a Demon, then a follower. The Church cannot allow a Demon to become a Holy Swordsman; accepting you now could cost a far heavier price later. I'm sorry, but for the Church's greater good, you must disappear."

Ai Luo Ti Xi Ya fell into utter despair, her faith shattered, and she said miserably, "Is this what they call Justice and Order?"

Mi Er Dun turned his back on her, saying nothing further.

After a while, he suddenly whispered, "Justice…," but as soon as the words left his mouth he sensed something amiss, spun around sharply, and found Ai Luo Ti Xi Ya missing from the cell; where she had been, a faint ripple of void was still settling.

Mi Mi Dun's expression froze.

(End of Chapter)