Chapter 103
Xia'er picked up a clean towel from the side and wiped the blood off her face, a hint of confusion crossing her features.
She closed her eyes and focused intently.
Indeed... she could faintly hear some murmurs, but they weren't strong enough to interfere with her thoughts.
No... her consciousness had definitely been altered, but in her role as the "Instigator," she couldn't perceive these changes from within; it all felt perfectly normal to her.
Xia'er lifted her gaze to the mirror in front of her.
The reflection smiled back, her lips curling to reveal white teeth still stained with traces of blood.
The smooth promotion filled her heart with joy.
Humming a familiar tune from her past life, she cleaned up the blood in the washroom, slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, and opened the door.
As soon as she stepped out, she spotted a silver suit of armor standing not far from the entrance, facing the washroom as if it had been watching her all along.
"Are you a creep?"
Xia'er asked curiously.
After speaking, she flared her nostrils slightly, inhaling the air, still able to catch a faint whiff of blood lingering in her nose.
"Where did I put the tea? I could use a cup to rinse my mouth... Want some? Oh right... you can't drink, my bad."
With a smile, Xia'er sidestepped Nia and headed toward the kitchen.
"You... drank the Instigator potion?"
A metallic hum emanated from within the armor. "I sensed it just now..."
Xia'er quickened her pace, and Nia followed closely behind.
Nia instinctively felt that Xia'er was different now.
She watched as Xia'er rummaged through the kitchen, finally pouring herself a glass of water, then holding it in her mouth while looking at herself in the reflection.
After a long moment, Xia'er swallowed the water and said, somewhat displeased, "You should've told a joke just now."
"A joke...?"
Nia realized she was struggling to keep up with Xiaer's train of thought.
"Tell a joke. If I laugh, the water will spray out of my nose, and it’ll wash away the blood in there... Oh, wait."
Xia'er seemed to have thought of something, turning her gaze toward Nia. "You know about the Holy Dawn Sect, right?"
"I know."
Nia nodded, her mind racing with thoughts on how to persuade Xia'er to take a break.
It was clear that Xia'er had consumed some kind of potion, but Nia still wasn't sure which one it was.
After all, Xia'er had at least six bottles of first-tier potions on her.
"On the 23rd, the 'Luminous Bishop' from the Holy Dawn Sect will arrive... the Redemption Society, the Goddess of Salvation Church, and the Dedton Group will all be there. It’s going to be quite the spectacle..."
Xia'er said, shaking her head lightly, her expression turning slightly serious. "But stirring the waters like this brings up a problem."
"That is, it makes it easy for that 'Luminous Bishop' to notice something's off and then lurk around, investigating in the shadows—this is all because we don’t know the identity of that 'Luminous Bishop.'"
Hearing this, Nia nodded slowly.
Xia'er was right; the waters were muddied, but the different organizations couldn't work together sincerely, making it easier for the 'Luminous Bishop' to detect anomalies.
Moreover, no one could guarantee that there weren't any spies from the Holy Dawn Sect within those organizations, especially in the Redemption Society and the Dedton Group.
If the regional general agent had been infiltrated like a sieve, who could be sure about the situation within the Dedton Group?
However, the purpose of this plan was to stall the Holy Dawn Sect's investigation; as long as they could delay it, that would be a success.
Afterward, they just needed to gradually shift the suspicion away from Aivina.
"You think the situation no longer poses a threat to Aivina, huh?"
Xia'er suddenly spoke, looking at the silver armor in front of her.
Nia paused slightly.
"The 'Missionary' Jidi has already started investigating Adele. By now, she should have figured out that Shiren's virus wasn't created by him, and soon she'll shift her focus to Adele."
"Adele reported Shiren, she created the antidote, and all of Shiren's belongings are in the hands of the Redemption Society and the Goddess of Salvation Church. The sealing items have already been taken by the Goddess of Salvation Church..."
"As long as we kill Adele, the trail will go cold."
A strange glimmer flickered in Xia'er's dark red pupils, and Nia slowly relaxed her tightly clenched fist.
Suddenly, Nia tightened her grip, stepping forward to grab Xia'er's collar, lifting her off the ground.
"Instigator!"
Even through the metallic hum, Nia's voice was laced with uncontrollable anger. "You drank the Instigator potion?!"
Nia felt that if she weren't a suit of armor right now, she would be drenched in cold sweat.
Just moments ago, while on high alert, Nia had entertained the extreme thought of eliminating Adele to completely free Miss Aivina from danger.
Moreover, she had been seriously considering the feasibility of it all.
It was only when a sudden alarm rang in her mind that she snapped back to reality.
Xia'er had just drunk the potion?! How could she possibly influence a third-tier?!
And there were so many potions to choose from. If Xia'er had wanted to take the "Detective" route, Miss Aivina could have even guided her all the way to "Crown Guard."
But why did she choose to drink a potion that was the complete opposite of what Miss Aivina would want, and one that was dangerous and evil—the "Instigator"?
If Miss Aivina found out about this...
"Calm down, calm down,"
Xia'er said with a smile, raising her hands in a soothing gesture. "I was just making a comparison. Adele is my friend; I wouldn't do anything to her."
"However, I do have a method here that could potentially resolve this trouble once and for all..."
"But I need you to help me out a bit..."
Xia'er began slowly, "Come with me to the Dedton Manor to sort this mess out."
Looking at Nia, Xia'er felt a twinge of disappointment.
Relying solely on the "art of negotiation," "charm," and the abilities of the "Instigator" to influence a third-tier was still somewhat challenging.
To successfully instigate a third-tier to do her bidding, she would have to tread carefully, subtly implanting ideas over time until their boundaries were compressed enough to allow for her requests.
But clearly, Xia'er and that "Luminous Bishop" were headed for a confrontation; there wouldn't be any opportunity for her to slowly talk her way through.
It seemed extreme measures were necessary... just like the sacrifice she had envisioned before.
Previously, Xia'er had some reservations.
Such a grand sacrifice would surely require a significant amount of her blood, and it might even necessitate sacrificing her own flesh.
The old Xia'er would never have been able to endure that.
But the current Xia'er possessed the exclusive sealing item, the Echo of the Silver-White Timebinder.
She could activate the pocket watch at the moment of sacrifice, and when her blood was nearly drained and her flesh was on the brink of being offered, she could rewind time, returning to a moment of complete victory.
In that case... even if she sacrificed her entire self, it wouldn't matter.
However, this idea needed to be tested in simulation. Even if Nia refused, Xia'er could find Yulisi to accompany her to the Dedton Manor.
She just didn't know if she, now an "Instigator," could earn Yulisi's trust.
It was easy to imagine that even if she gained that trust, Yulisi wouldn't treat her like a saint, helping her as devotedly as she had in previous simulations.
Nia held Xia'er up, her heart in turmoil.
To be fair, she couldn't trust a single word from the "Instigator," not even from Xia'er.
But this Xia'er, in Miss Aivina's heart, held a different status.
If she said something to Miss Aivina... it might change her thoughts.
If Nia were to express her deepest desire right now, it would be to snap the neck of this smiling beauty in front of her and bury her in a remote wilderness, ensuring that Miss Aivina would never be influenced by her.
But... none of this would escape Miss Aivina's notice.
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