Chapter 29: Ate
“You’re telling me this crucial information *now*?”
Scathach’s words were like a bucket of cold water on the excited Zhenxian. The grey-haired commanding beauty furrowed her brows, unconsciously biting her nail. “A Chanter… this is bad…”
“What Chanter? What’s that?” Yonglan didn’t know much about the internal divisions of the Holy Descendants. However, even he could see that even the noblest Saintly races had their ranks. Scathach, as an Executor, was certainly not as high-ranking as the Masters. But it seemed the Masters weren’t the highest echelon among the Saintly either?
“A performer of Life’s Movement,” Scathach answered Yonglan’s confusion. The Inquisitor smiled with a hint of pride and arrogance. “They are the most pure-blooded and noble of the Holy Descendants. Tracing back, they even date back to the ancient Heroes who first followed the Primal King. No… perhaps they are the Primal King’s most unadulterated offspring!”
“While all beings can claim to be descendants of the Primal King, it’s clear that the Chanter bloodline is the most legitimate and pure!” The Inquisitor’s head was practically in the heavens. This arrogant demeanor was a shared sentiment among the Saintly, the only difference being that some were more reserved and modest, while others didn’t even bother to act. *The Golden Blood flowing in our veins was bestowed by the Primal King! We are connected to the Primal King’s bloodline!*
Zhenxian’s expression turned grave. “The Chanters have extremely strict requirements for purity and piety. They highly value bloodline purity. Without the guarantee of our own Masters, we probably wouldn’t pass any review.”
If the reviewer were Yingxing, Zhenxian felt it would be a sure thing. This was because Zhenxian had already invested enough time and effort to earn sufficient Achievements with Yingxing. Furthermore, High Master Yingxing was among the Saintly Masters with the gentlest attitude towards Fiends. As long as the pretense was maintained, High Master Yingxing wouldn’t create any procedural hurdles. After all, for a Saintly Master, being able to ‘convert’ Fiends could be considered a form of merit.
But a Chanter… that was entirely different. Her preparations were almost completely wasted.
Scathach twirled a strand of hair around her finger and said indifferently, “That’s why I said you were daydreaming. If you have the courage to face a Chanter directly, then go ahead. I’ll watch with great interest how you humiliate yourself.” The Inquisitor stepped aside, signaling her subordinates to clear a path.
Zhenxian looked at the opened passage before her, hesitating to step forward. In the end, Yonglan patted her shoulder and said, “Since we’re here, we have to at least try.” The grey-haired beauty paused for a moment, then returned to her usual smile, letting out a soft breath. “Hoo— You’re right. There’s nothing to fear from failure. It’ll just mean waiting another ten years.” The grey-haired Hram unconsciously clutched Yonglan’s sleeve as they walked towards the tower.
…
At the top of the tower, outside the Artifice control room where Life’s Movement was located, Yingxing, clad in a white robe, nodded and bowed. “Sister Ate, thank you for your hard work in debugging.” The object of his respect was a tall and elegant Nun. Her waterfall-like long hair cascaded down to her waist. Her eyes, hidden beneath a golden-brown bangs, were covered by a black veil, giving her a pitiable appearance. A touch of subtle red graced her lips. Around her swan-like slender neck hung a gold and ruby pendant, yet her shoulders and the expanse of white skin below were exposed. Her white and grey Nun’s habit, in addition to exuding solemnity, also carried an air of extreme forbidden allure and sacred inviolability. The thin silk fabric was pulled taut, showcasing its softness and weight, molded to her body to reveal her perfect, captivating waistline. A gold and ruby waist adornment encircled her slender waist, forming a mysterious gold rune at her lower abdomen. Below it hung a long blue hem, inscribed with characters of unidentifiable origin, reaching all the way to the ground. Two pendants dangled from either side of the waist adornment. The high slits revealed tempting snow-white skin, through which the incoming light shone brilliantly. Despite appearing as a devout Nun, she herself could be considered a sin.
Ate folded her hands in front of her abdomen and nodded slightly. “It’s nothing. This is my duty. The melodies produced by Chang this time are very… very beautiful, with a higher completion rate than the past few decades combined.”
Yingxing placed a hand over his chest. “By the grace of the Primal King, our efforts in education here have been fortunate. All for Life’s Movement!”
Ate nodded. “Brother Yingxing, on the way here, my eyes have already witnessed the prosperity of Chang. You have built this city-state very well. If you don’t mind, could I see Chang’s recent reports?”
“Of course!” The Chanter from the capital was also an Inspector, specifically sent to examine the work of various city-states. Yingxing dared not delay and immediately handed a tablet to Ate. “All data and accounts since the last inspection have been compiled, Sister Ate. Please review.” The nobility and pride of the Holy Descendants made corruption almost impossible within the race—stagnation was another matter, but in terms of work, they were extremely honest, and there was no need to worry about deception.
Ate took the tablet, lifted the black veil from her eyes, and her dazzling golden irises quickly scanned the information on the screen. The flickering images made one doubt if Ate had seen everything clearly. However, for the Holy Descendants, such worries were unnecessary—it was merely quantum reading, something they could do even without the aid of Artifice.
“Tap—”
After a moment, the vast sea of data was perused. Ate closed her eyes, organizing and recalling the information received. After a brief pause, she slowly said, “It’s not much different from the previous cycle. Everything is on track. I can give excellent marks for the construction of Chang. There are a few issues… Firstly, have you received too many refugees recently?”
Yingxing replied, “The surrounding wars are becoming more frequent, especially from the Unified Empire. Those Dragon Species have become almost insane, indiscriminately attacking bordering city-states and Kingdoms. Some ancient Kingdoms have also been razed to the ground.” The Nun with golden-brown hair sighed with a compassionate tone, “The Great Wheel of Life, created by our Lord, has become so turbulent in recent years. It is worthy of our collective mourning.”
“I will report the threat of the Dragon Species to the Holy Domain. Also… I saw in the data just now that you seem to have established the position of an Optimizer in Chang.” Ate changed the subject, suddenly inquiring.
Yingxing paused and said somewhat awkwardly, “That’s correct. I authorized this matter.” Ate’s expression showed a hint of displeasure. “…Brother Yingxing, aren’t you being a bit too hasty?”
