Arrogance!

Karen carefully straightened his divine robes. Going to meet an esteemed Temple Elder naturally required dignified attire; it was the most basic mark of respect. After neatening his own clothes, Karen bent down and helped Little Kanna tidy hers as well. His movements were smooth and unhurried, without the slightest trace of panic. Thoroughly dead, Kuroin still stood where she was, her open eyes fixed straight on Karen like an attendant presenting a salute of attention. Karen casually hung his mask over her sword. What was removed was the mask upon his face; what was brought into the open was a direct confrontation. Karen wasn't worried that keeping the mask on would give Xiti an excuse to strike him down as an "intruder." This was Pangxi Manor, the home of Elder Xiti's family; whether he took off the mask or not had little bearing on his actual predicament here. However, once the mask was off, Karen no longer had to keep "catering" to that elder. There would be no unspoken tacit understanding of a private encounter, and none of that counterfeit warmth. In short, let everything be laid out in broad daylight. There was no need to demean himself by dancing to her tune. Taking Little Kanna's hand, Karen walked toward the exterior stairs of the Council Hall. Along the way, he passed Degunar and Nasri. Both of them recognized Karen and knew his identity. Even though the scene was in utter disarray and they were still reeling from immense shock, they instinctively bowed: "Greetings, My Lord." "Greetings, My Lord." Neither of their voices was loud—rather subdued, in fact—but their posture was impeccable. From this, one could see that even though this was a premier family within the Church of Order, the ecclesiastical hierarchy had thoroughly permeated the estate; the phenomenon of recognizing only the family and ignoring the Holy See did not yet exist here. After Karen walked past, Degunar and Nasri exchanged glances, seeing only shock and helplessness in each other's eyes. They truly hadn't expected that the opponent their ancestor had arranged for their sparring match would turn out to be Karen. The anger they had originally harbored toward Karen for executing a member of the Pangxi family in front of the Council Hall had already mostly dissipated by now. The Church of Order had an enduring tradition of suppressing powerful families within the church, and the current High Priest had drawn even sharper lines around that tradition, reducing the Temple's control over the church to an all-time low. And the Pangxi family, which possessed a living Temple Elder, was naturally a prime target for suppression. If the number two figure of the Whip of Order suffered some "accident" in their family manor, it would be virtually tantamount to lighting the fuse on an already fraught conflict. What the ultimate fallout would be if the Holy See and the Temple tore away all civility and entered open opposition remained unknown. The only certain thing was that the Pangxi family would inevitably be reduced to cannon fodder sacrificed in the clash. Puyuesen was no longer there; only a pile of clothes and scattered mechanical parts remained. He had accompanied Karen in the form of a puppet, which had completely fallen apart under the backlash of the Siren's mental tsunami. Karen reached the roof of the Council Hall. The first thing to catch his eye was a barbecue grill; the charcoal was still burning, crackling crisply from time to time. And then, the silhouette of a woman dressed in black divine robes bordered with gold. When you weren't looking at her, everything around felt ordinary; but the moment your gaze fell upon her, nothing else remained in your sight. This wasn't because Elder Xiti was overwhelmingly beautiful. Although over two hundred years old, she appeared to be in her early thirties, with a gentle, dignified grace worthy of being painted on church murals, but it wasn't exaggerated to such an extent. It was purely because with her at the center, everything in the surroundings was bound and drawn inward—including one's own perception. She stood there, and in doing so, commanded the very space. This was the realm of a Temple Elder—a magnificent manifestation of a godhead fragment, and even more, a leap in the level of life itself. Karen bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Elder Xiti." The silver ring on his fingertip trembled twice. In fact, the silver ring had reacted earlier down below, signaling the presence of two distinct auras of godhead fragments. Ruling out the extreme case of Elder Xiti having condensed two godhead fragments on her own, it meant two Temple Elders were present. Now that the distance had closed, the feedback was even clearer, yet the other was nowhere to be seen. Xiti didn't utter a word; she merely watched Karen. However, Karen didn't wait for Elder Xiti's response. Having performed his greeting naturally, he straightened his back. His gaze no longer held hers, either; he forcibly tore it away and let it fall onto the grill. *Mm, premium smokeless fruitwood charcoal.* If one used fire-attribute crystals to roast meat, it might look sophisticated and high-end, but without the infusing essence of charcoal smoke, the barbecue would lose that layer of flavor. Karen also noticed the ungrilled meat in a nearby tray; it was marinated and looked well-seasoned. Xiti still said nothing. Karen simply walked over behind the grill, picked up the utensils, and began grilling the meat. Two seasoned cuts were laid out on the grill plate one after another, flipped at the proper moment, and gently pressed along their edges. The technical threshold for grilling meat was low, but if one sought the finest texture, controlling the heat and timing was crucial. Karen took a clean plate, removed the meat, and swapped to a fork to offer a piece to Little Kanna. Little Kanna opened her mouth and ate it, and Karen ate a piece himself. Then, he laid out more meat to grill. Rohan, who existed outside ordinary sight, couldn't help wanting to chuckle at the scene. This young man was using the most placid manner imaginable to convey utter disregard for a Temple Elder. Ordinarily, as a Temple Elder himself, empathy should have made him feel indignant on her behalf. Yet witnessing how Karen had previously seized and reversed control of the Council Hall's formation had already piqued his admiration. And seeing how skillfully he grilled meat now—only someone genuinely tranquil at heart could pay attention to such culinary details at a moment like this—made Rohan's heart itch with temptation. If only this boy could be his student! Then he could grill meat while discussing and imparting formation techniques with him. *Phew...* What a marvelous picture. This was precisely why Karen had been so well-liked by senior elders like Piro and Liwen back then: what teacher wouldn't want a student blessed with extraordinary talent yet possessed of a steady, mature character? Not only did it drastically lower teaching difficulty and effort, but one could also delightfully savor the pleasure of passing down knowledge in proper order. What's more, barring any accidents, the student's accomplishments would surpass one's own, and one would become the shoulders he stood upon. Therefore, at this moment, Rohan hardly cared about Xiti's feelings anymore. Even though he and Xiti had been friends for nearly two hundred years, a student like Karen was someone he might never encounter again in all of his four hundred years of life! Had it not been for Xiti's series of baffling antics that had dragged the atmosphere down to freezing point, and the fact that appearing now might make Karen mistake him for being cut from the same cloth as Xiti... Rohan might have revealed himself long ago to barbecue alongside Karen. Even so, Rohan kept a close watch on the shifts in Xiti's aura—no longer out of concern, but out of wariness. Xiti's silence hadn't been intentional. Karen's detached nonchalance had repeatedly stifled the words in her throat, because no matter how she opened her mouth, she would look foolish. Having stayed aloft in high places for so long, those below had always known how to play along with her. Once that compliance broke down, she was the first to feel unmoored. Xiti closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and finally spoke: "Do you have no intention of explaining yourself at all?" Karen put down the tongs, stood up, faced Elder Xiti, and replied respectfully: "Reporting to the Elder: everything that needs explaining was stated in the judgment. If you wish to review it, once I return and compile the trial dossier for this case, you may send someone to retrieve it at any time." "Do you know where this is?" "Pangxi Manor, your home." "And who was the one who died?" "I haven't had the time to investigate the criminal's lineage and familial ties yet. I will dispatch someone to complete the records later." "She was a direct descendant of my bloodline." "Oh, so that was it. My congratulations, Elder. You had a descendant of remarkable talent." "What gave you the delusion that such bureaucratic platitudes could quell my wrath or compensate for your disrespect toward me?" "Are you angry? I thought you would be pleased, for I purged a bad seed from your family, thereby preserving the Pangxi family's devout fidelity to Order." "Heh." Xiti let out a cold laugh and took a step toward Karen. In an instant, a terrifying pressure crashed down from above. "Roar!" Little Kanna raised her head. Her body instantly transformed into a bone dragon and soared into the air, using the dragon race's physique to shoulder the descending pressure. "None of what you said matters to me. In fact, I would be more than happy to watch you perish in your complacency." Xiti took another step. Little Kanna's draconic form sank, the weight bearing down upon her several times heavier than before, yet she held on stubbornly. Karen was not intimidated by this terrifying aura; facing Xiti, he remained completely calm. He had long shed any psychological fear. Remembering that this formidable woman had once been strung up on a cross like wet laundry by his grandfather, it was nearly impossible to feel any instinctive terror toward her. If anything, it almost made him want to laugh. "I loathe you. From the first moment you appeared before my eyes, that feeling was overwhelmingly intense." "I am terribly sorry. I originally assumed your invitation would lead to a pleasant audience. I was pleasantly surprised, even fortunate, and had looked forward to learning lessons from you that would serve me for a lifetime. "I never expected you summoned me purely out of spite. That was my oversight, Elder." Xiti lifted her hand, and the pressure around them intensified once more. Karen felt his bones shudder from head to toe, as if a mountain were pressing down on him. Yet he stood firm, his posture unyielding and his expression devoid of the slightest ripple. Xiti's hand touched Karen's cheek. He could feel no warmth from her palm; this posture felt like pressing one's ear against the caldera of an active volcano to listen. The dreadful power that could erupt at any second was enough to vaporize him in an instant. From beginning to end, Karen offered no resistance, knowing full well that in terms of individual strength, an unbridgeable chasm lay between them. "I am already imagining the sight of crushing your skull. Do you like that picture?" Karen's eyes swept across the surroundings. The Council Hall stood atop the highest peak on one side of the manor; from this vantage point, everything within sight belonged to Pangxi Manor. After deliberately scanning the manor, Karen answered: "I trust your aesthetic sense, Elder. It would surely be a beautiful sight. But I fear that crushing just one might not be satisfying enough, and the picture would be too monotonous." "Young man, you are exceptional, but you seem to have overestimated your own importance and singularity. That only makes you look childish." "Under Order, all are equal. I have always considered myself merely an ordinary believer of Order, different only in the duties assigned in my service to it. "Of course, before you, I am unquestionably the youngest and most naive. "Thank you for your reminder. I ought to reflect and examine myself. Perhaps the nature of my post within Order has indeed bred arrogance and complacency, and perhaps deep inside I lost my way, thinking that standing slightly higher meant the world revolved around me. "Upon my return, I will certainly reread the *Light of Order* to deepen my understanding. "No matter how high I stand, I merely tread upon the rules of Order, a negligible cog in its operation. "I should not stray from it, let alone hold it in contempt; "for, "I am not nearly as important or sacred as I imagined myself to be." "Do you know? Your insolence is urging and cajoling me step by step to cast you into the endless abyss. You brought this upon yourself." "Indeed. My insolence, my immaturity, my foolishness are gradually burying me, burying my reputation, burying my family... Ah, fortunately, I am an orphan with no family to be buried with me. Quite lonely, really." "Even if that dog Foden were standing here, he wouldn't dare speak to me like this." "I wouldn't have dared either, originally, because there was no need." Xiti's fingers slowly tensed. The horrifying pressure officially began constricting Karen, while overhead, several bones in the little bone dragon's body began to bend. "Heh. Do you think I would be bound by these words of yours? It seems you don't understand my temper at all." "As long as one is human, one has a temper. It's just that the tempers of us believers have always been constrained by faith." "Before my fingers bend any further, change how you address me. Perhaps then you won't die, and you can return to keep serving as your minister and eventually take over from that dog Foden." Karen froze. Rohan froze as well: *Xiti, how on earth did you manage such a clumsy pivot?* Karen asked, "Is that... truly possible?" "You can try. My temper is such that whatever I set my mind upon, I spare no effort to push, execute, and see through to the end." A faint smile curled at the corners of Karen's lips. Originally, he had indeed contemplated becoming Xiti's student; it wasn't out of the question. Xiti was easier to fool, easier to sway, and to an extent, more willing to take action; she wouldn't merely talk, but would actively strive to carry things through for you. But now, Karen had abandoned that thought. If he truly had to choose an external ally from within the Temple, Xiti was definitely not a wise pick. Even if he managed to secure her support, her extremism would push all the moderates straight into the opposing camp. Having such a teammate on one's side could sometimes inflict more harm than an enemy, because her pattern of behavior was more counterproductive than a double agent's. "Very well, my respected... Elder." Karen didn't utter the word "Teacher." He gave Xiti no way out. Xiti's fury was nearing its breaking point; her face twitched visibly. The charcoal in the grill flared up slightly higher than before. This was a silent reminder from Rohan, and even more, a declaration of his stance: *He rejected you, so he is mine now.* Karen wasn't worried that she would actually kill him, for his most perilous moment had been when he slew Kuroin with the scythe. If Xiti had struck him down in a fit of rage back then, he might truly have been done for. Conversely, since she hadn't struck then, no matter what she said now and no matter what pressure she exerted... she could not kill him. Aside from Xiti's bottom line of foolishness exceeding Karen's initial estimates, in all other respects she was remarkably easy to read and manipulate. Xiti withdrew her hand, and the colossal pressure blanketing Karen and Little Kanna vanished in an instant. Karen reached up and gently rubbed his sore shoulder. *Praise be to the High Priest, praise be to Tyrannus, and praise be to the High Priest who commands Tyrannus.* In the past, given a Temple Elder's transcendent status and Xiti's volatile temperament, facing today's "humiliation to her face" might well have gotten him crushed into mincemeat. And the punishment Xiti would face might amount to nothing more than solitary reflection behind closed doors. Now, however, as the High Priest continually suppressed the Temple, its "status" had been whittled down again and again. The Temple Elders had gradually shifted from being the "mouthpieces" of the God to mere "mascots" imbued with divine attributes. Just as Count Rekar often said: A pirate's tolerance toward you never stems from mercy, but because he sees the armada backing you. "I will not kill you," Xiti said, biting her lip. "I will break every bone in your body, toss you out like a pile of sludge, and once the church hospital heals you, I will break all your bones again. I will make everyone in the church see what price must be paid for profaning a Temple Elder!" She had backed down from killing him, yet she remained unwilling to yield. "That dog Foden won't stand up for you, and even the High Priest won't hold a grudge against me over this, because I have already displayed the most extravagant magnanimity!" Xiti raised her hand again. But just as she was about to point at Karen, she saw him raise both arms, a cluster of the Fire of Order blazing from his palms. Karen, who had offered no resistance earlier, was actually preparing to cast a spell now. "Heheheh..." Xiti chuckled derisively. "Do you have any idea how primitive and laughable your feeble struggle looks in my eyes?" *Karen:* *I know—just like the tone and manner you used when facing my grandfather back then.* *Xiti, you should thank Diss. Diss preserved his devotion to Order and his love for the Church of Order; otherwise, there would be no explaining how you managed to walk away from Mink Street alive.* Karen said earnestly, "I will resist, Elder." "Then let me see how on earth you intend to re—" Xiti broke off mid-sentence. She saw the Fire of Order on Karen's palms spread across his entire body, and the black flame shifted into an eerie blue glow—the telltale sign of soul fire beginning to burn. "If you wish to discipline me, I will resist by burning my soul to ashes." "You..." Xiti's chest heaved. A Temple Elder who possessed divinity—and who to a degree had long considered herself on the threshold of "godhood," beyond mortal rank—was provoked by sheer fury back into raw, mortal humanity. Karen extinguished the flames on his body. By now, Little Kanna had shifted back into human form, her white hair disheveled and blood trickling from her nose. She wiped it twice with the back of her hand, smearing the blood all over her face. Karen bent down and used the sleeve of his divine robe to wipe the bloodstains from her face. As he cleaned her up, he scolded Little Kanna: "You're not a little kid anymore. Why are you still acting so naive and childish?" Then Karen straightened up and turned to Xiti. "The grilled meat tasted truly wonderful. Thank you for your hospitality." With that, Karen bowed and took his leave with utmost courtesy: "Since you do not intend to kill me, I shall take my leave alive." Karen took Little Kanna's hand, turned, and walked toward the exit. Watching Karen's retreating back, Xiti said coldly: "When the day comes that Norton is no longer in that seat, I hope you will still be as arrogant as you are today." Karen didn't stop, continuing to lead Little Kanna away. Little Kanna looked up at Karen, and Karen looked down, meeting her eyes. Little Kanna smiled, and Karen smiled as well. *Don't worry.* *When that day truly arrives,* *I will show all of you what true arrogance is.*