“What brings you here?” Hunter interrupted her staring, his tone a little dissatisfied. But maybe the lady didn’t notice it or even if she did, she showed no outward reaction to it.
Giving Hunter a soft look, she walked further inside the room with a small smile. Her steps not hesitant like her smile.
“You might have noticed that I… have taken charge of most things here,” Aerial revealed slowly, gesturing around vaguely to suggest her point that she was monitering the inn and the transmigrators under the roof, “you both are 567th and 568th members respectively, with many more to join. Currently, everyone is gathering information. We plan to convene next month when more members are present,” she looked at both of them as she added, “we might have to secure an auditorium this time; the count exceeds 5000 members, a large infusion of transmigrators might I add.”
“Golden World missions are not easy,” Hunter emphasized as a matter of fact. Only, Aerial felt he was suggesting she was inexperienced, so a trace of dissatisfaction flashed in her eyes, “I am aware,” she reminded him, “but sometimes there are less transmigrators involved. This time the count is too high.”
“Maybe, I don’t always keep track of statistics,” Hunter replied.
“But you should, I heard you have a good track record with mission completion.”
Hunter shrugged, “I might.”
“I have heard you are good with illusions,” she added, beaming, “even I am not that good.”
Hunter just stared, neither refuting her nor acknowledging her.
“I have rarely seen you with others,” she pointed towards Shen Yu, “Is he your brother? Cousin?”
“I am Shen Yu,” Shen Yu pointed out abruptly, and watched as she gave him an absent minded look.
“Oh…” she reacted belatedly, “Yes, Shen is not of Japanese descent. I forgot. So are you two friends?”
Shen Yu frowned when he saw her glinting eyes, she was really odd. “I know him as my school senior, he has been helping me out with my cultivation.”
“I see,” she nodded, her expression very proper but showing the right amont of gossip. “Forgive me for being rude, but I just realised that Shen is a clan belonging to an ancient righteous sect, right?” she asked in sudden surprise, “I don’t see how Hunter will help you with your cultivation in that case.”
She didn’t say it rudely, and to anyone else it would look like genuine interest, but Shen Yu still noticed her strange look.
Looking away from her, he shook his head, “That is between me and him, Lady Liyi.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Oh, pardon me then, this sister is just curious and asked too much.” She twiddled her thumb guiltily.
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Shen Yu watched Lady Liyi as she held the conversation very naturally with Hunter, yet she didn’t get to the point exactly, which was very confusing, as if she was delaying the inevitable.
And Shen Yu was right, in fact Aerial really didn’t have much to converse with, so she was delaying getting to the point. She didn’t want to sound too abrupt.
And to distract herself from losing her nerves entirely, she extended an invitation for Shen Yu to join her on the couch, which he refused, so she also couldn’t just sit on the couch without permission. To her, it looked like both occupants of the room were deliberately making trouble for her.
She hadn’t met Hunter before, but just by standing in front of him she felt his natural oppression. It wasn’t a targetted assault in any way, but Aerial had been to many places with her father and brother, so she could see that Hunter wasn’t just a paper tiger, he had a weight in his presence which reminded her heavily of those immortal lords whom her father always tried to curry favor with.
She grit her teeth, wondering if she should have stayed away, but…
Hunter didn’t offer her any seat even if he saw her uncomfortable look, he just sat there staring at her with a bored look on his face which inadvertently put some psychological pressure on her.
“I’ve engaged with almost every transmigrator in the central city,” she continued calmly, deciding to just get it over with, her voice carried the weight of several perspectives. “Each transmigrator harbours their own unique plans and thoughts; so the coordination for this mission is bound to be chaotic.”
She appeared resolute as she continued, “Those unwilling to adhere to the rules are destined to be excluded. What’s more, we have five formidable participants this time—they are all immortals.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow at that, not very shocked by the revelation, just wondering why she was so vocal about it, “Golden missions have many immortals, it is nothing new.” He pointed out as if it was common sense.
“That is not what I am concerned about,” Liyi finally added. Her tone suggested she was not playing games with them.
“What are you worried about then,” Shen Yu asked, a little anxious in his heart, fearing she was here to ask for something drastic… he made sure to hide his internal monologues, which inadvertently made his voice softer but it didn’t mean he wanted her to continue going in circles. He could sense she wanted something from them, or rather Kai. And something about her niggled at the back of his mind, though he couldn’t recall what.
Aerial wasn’t someone who deliberately made things difficult for others even when she was at a disadvantage, that was beneath her decorum, she wasn’t petty like Hunter, so she didn’t hide anything when she said, “I am worried these immortals will have their own little considerations, and they would create trouble within the group. Infighting amongst power houses always ends up creating more issues than its worth.”
“And I wonder why Lady Liyi is sharing so much of her… troubles with us?” Hunter probed rather directly.
Lady Liyi smiled amiably at him even when the other party didn’t return her protocol, “I have heard you are good with completing mission tasks, so if there is trouble, I will ask for your help.”
“Some might say I am a rogue,” Kai pointed out.
She agreed wholeheartedly, even she didn’t find him ‘safe,’ but her father insisted on involving Hunter in her plans if she ever encountered him. With no other choice, she had to let Hunter be her referee.
While perfectly capable of handling her own affairs, enlisting him as her helper seemed more effective than sweet-talking him into a unified front. Having a friendly attitude, she hoped to boost his male pride. Knowing Hunter wasn’t easily entangled, she chose a different approach than attempting to beauty trap him.
“You’re a very capable person; I don’t mind asking for help when I am in need.” She deliberately lowered her stature in front of him to please his ego.
But much to her annoyance, he didn’t even blink when he rejected her proposal,” Your lot just want free labor and I am not that free.”
Shen Yu tried not to laugh when he saw Lady Liyi looking stumped, and it didn’t take long for her to start making amends. “I will compensate with three high level props once the mission ends. I just hope to have a sucessful mission.”
“I am not short of props Lady Liyi,” Hunter said seriously, “I don’t want these things, but I won’t not be tempted by something else… but the question remains,” he paused, “Are you wanting me to help organize things because you’re the hostess, or is it because your father’s one of the immortals involved this mission, and you aim to guide the mission with your family’s reputation? Or perhaps you’re looking to take charge in the meeting by sheer numbers from your faction?” Hunter asked, trying to grasp exactly what she had in mind. “Depending on the interests involved I would make the decision.”
Aerial forced a small smile on her face, “Though we are a righteous sect, my faction… and family, actually my entire circle has no ill intention towards the demonic cultivators. This is not some ancient era where people distinguish other people for their cultivation path-”
“How high sounding,” Hunter commented nonchalantly, making Aerial embarassed for some reason. It was clear that she didn’t want to answer Hunter’s previous question.
Shen Yu just gave her a short nod when he saw she had turned to him for support. Unfortunately he wasn’t her ally.
He refrained from intervening without cause, especially when it was evident that she sought Kai’s assistance, labeling him as her ‘helper’—essentially another term for ‘henchman’. So the ball was in her court for a reason.
Hunter continued speaking as if he didn’t notice Aerial’s discomfort. “We can’t predict what will happen during group missions; they’re quite unpredictable. While nothing is set in stone, too much discord could lead to penalties for every misstep. Managing the entire process is no small task, and seeking support for the matter just seems like an unexpected request to me. I believe you don’t need assistance; your faction is more than sufficient to handle the matter.”
Aerial nodded, her petite face tense, as if even nodding took a toll on her. If Hunter hadn’t looked so uninterested, she might have mustered the courage to maintain at least a semblance of a smile. But everyone knew that he had just decided to reject her hand for partnership. If it was someone else, they would be jumping up and down in excitement when Aerial contacted them, but Hunter remained distant.
“If your father wants cooperation,” Hunter interrupted Aerials mood swings rather abruptly, “there’s no need to send you to me. I know you might be capable, but you’re not my type.”
Suddenly flustered, Liyi shook her head, “It’s not for that—”
“Then why are you here? There’s no reason to meet us in the first place, hostess to venue or not; I don’t take well to tailing,” Hunter asked sharply.
Frustrated, Aerial bit her lips; she hadn’t known her father’s motive, but it seems he wanted to grab Hunter’s attention for some business cooperation, inadvertently directing her to entice him in one way or another.
Hopefully she hadn’t messed it up for him, if Hunter really made a fuss about it later, he would only look more petty. It wasn’t exactly her fault, he was the one who was so unapproachable.
Aerial didn’t actually need his help; she was just the hostess, responsible for gathering everyone in one place. If Hunter had supported her, she might have planned to secure a high-end position with her faction. However, her excuses were just to show Hunter that she was a little helpless yet took responsibility seriously. She thought she could win him over by stroking his ego, but this man turned out to be very difficult to handle.
She knew he was targeting her to get back at her father; there might be a grudge there somewhere, but she wouldn’t know.
“I will take my leave then; I am sorry to intrude. I will send the venue and the time when more guests have entered the city.” And with that, Aerial hastily left the room as if someone had stepped on her tail. Neither occupants stopped her, it was better for her to leave like this.
~
Meanwhile the live broadcast was full with people who were judging each other’s idols. The hunter fans were laughing at the Aerial fans for their idol’s dig, while the Aerial fans looked like they couldn’t handle their goddess being provoked for no reason. Wasn’t she just asking for cooperation in a round about way? Why did Hunter refuse her?
[MuseGoddess: My goddess was perfectly polite the entire time, and she was just asking for a little help, why is Hunter being so mean to her, he didn’t even offer tea!]
[Darkshadow109: The tea was your goddess herself, there is no need for extra bitterness.]
[Steangerdanger:…6…. to be honest I don’t get either of them, but one should always be generous to a lady, Aerial looked so abashed when Hunter dismissed her. That is kind of a hooligan behaviour.]
[BlackWhiteRose1: Are we all seeing the same broadcast? I just cringed so hard, I never realised that people like Aerial would even suggest that Immortals could be handled at will. And what, she plans for world peace? How childish! And immortals are not crazy idiots, they can handle themselves well. She just wants Hunter to make a fool of himself.]
[Figleaf: She wanted to partner with him, get that through your thick skulls. All_are_idiots.jpg. Hunter knew this as well, but he could have rejected her properly, instead of pointing out her trickery, everyone knows that Hunter doesn’t likes to get involved with others, so she just lowered her stance to make him join. There is nothing wrong with her approach. She is still innocent and simple, so it is easy for others to notice her approach. Veterans like Hunter should help her if they can.]
[10373: I think her father made her seek him, but that happens all the time, several factions join together to dominate a mission in hopes for better rewards. There are many who want Hunter to join their faction, she isn’t the only one.]
[YigulivesHunter: Yo Yo Yo, do I see a fanwar? Hahahaha this is crazy, you all should see yourselves.]
[17staramet: I am not judging but the way Aerial behaved was very shameful. She just decided that she could manipulate hunter? Are you kidding me? Hunter is her Senior, so shouldn’t a junior be less arrogant and more straightforward. I noticed the contempt in her eyes, but many fans here are blind, including some Hunter fans]
~
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Thanks for the chapter