Free Web NovelChapter 337: Chapter 63: Do You Even Understand What Filial Piety Is
Westheid could take no more. No Imperial Citizen could tolerate such a debauched scene.
Though Duke Qinghui did not subscribe to the Imperial’s philosophy, it didn’t stop him from striding forward menacingly.
"What are you doing?!"
The man grabbed the white-haired girl by her slender waist and pulled her off the Black-haired Witch. fгeewebnovёl.com
Elaine managed to break free and quickly moved to the doorway, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. She hadn’t dared to resist much during her encounter with the Pure Holy Spirit.
Finally able to let out a long sigh of relief, she picked up the hem of her skirt and expressed her thanks:
"Duke Qinghui, thank you so much."
Westheid looked at Elaine. The delicate, beautiful face of the Speaker of the Ring of Clear Skies was still pale with fright.
This prompted Duke Qinghui to ask with a hint of curiosity:
"I’m not sure what happened, but she must have been the one who was out of line, right?"
’I know our ancestor is a die-hard fanatic for pretty faces, regardless of gender, and especially loves getting cuddly with beautiful girls, but she’s never tried to force herself on someone before. Has lust clouded her judgment?’ ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
’But that shouldn’t be it.’
’Elaine is indeed very beautiful, but still within the bounds of a mortal. This Holy Land Garden is practically Westheid’s harem; there’s no shortage of nation-toppling beauties here. Not a single one is plain. Never mind those like Reiya and Mivana, who are Extraordinary to Saint and have their own special bonuses. From the Witch Courtiers to the Half-Elf Maids, none are that much inferior to Elaine.’
’Besides, when it comes to Charm, Westheid himself should be the one most capable of incinerating the Pure Holy Spirit’s reason.’
’Or is this damned Holy Spirit Ancestor just a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong? If so, Westheid will have to teach her a good lesson.’
"We... West."
After Westheid let her go, the Pure Holy Spirit knelt on the carpet, one hand on her forehead. She shook her head and said:
"Sigh... Listen to me, West. You know how much I’ve suffered ever since your ancestor Nana left."
’No, I don’t. You’ve never really told me about it before.’
’Speaking of "Nana," are you referring to the founder of the Qinghui Clan? The one who signed the original contract with you?’
Westheid raised an eyebrow, silently watching as the Pure Holy Spirit beat her chest and sighed dramatically before looking at Elaine:
"I always thought I had lost her forever, but now I see that’s not the case. I’ve discovered... she looks so much like your ancestor."
"...I didn’t think so at first, but the more I look, the more she resembles her, you know? Nana’s soul must have transferred into her body. It’s absolutely true! I can feel that Nana has been resurrected!"
Westheid said flatly, "Let me be clear with you. That’s impossible. You’re not a Celestial God, and you don’t have a Sanctuary. No matter how devout the believer, their soul cannot be preserved. It will merely cause a ripple in the Sea of Chaos before dissipating without a trace."
The Duke of Qinghui glanced at Elaine. Although no portraits or sculptures of the Qinghui Clan’s founder had been passed down, if one were to imagine her black hair as white, she did possess a certain air reminiscent of the Qinghui Clan.
"They are simply two similar leaves in the world. You’re being overly sensitive."
The key was that Westheid was certain that the concept of reincarnation did not exist in the world of *Poem of Destiny*. All matter and souls were born from the ripples of the Sea of Chaos, and the destination for all things in the Mortal World was to return to Chaos—unless one underwent Ascension to become a god, engraving their eternal name upon their soul.
Reincarnation was like pouring a ladle of water into the ocean and then trying to scoop that same water back out without losing a single drop.
"Mmm... I know that."
The Pure Holy Spirit made a pitiable sound like a wounded animal. She then looked up at Westheid, glanced at Elaine, and said:
"So, get to making babies! Right now! If you two have a few, one is bound to be as pretty as Nana. Hehe... my Nana..."
To Westheid, the White-haired Ancestor’s demands were nothing new. Every time he held a "small gathering" in the Holy Land, she would inevitably watch with great relish. To the Pure Holy Spirit, the coupling of beautiful people was a recognized form of beauty.
"Huh? HUH!!!"
’But Miss Witch, here in the Holy Land for the first time, had no way of knowing the Pure Holy Spirit’s disposition. She was still treating this great figure of Order, a being far beyond mortals, with the reverence a normal person would.’
’And yet, in just one short morning, the pedestal she had placed the Pure Holy Spirit on had shattered completely. Never mind the immediate psychotic episode, but to then spew such savage words...’
’Damn it, is this really the Holy Land of the Purity Forest? A Holy Sanctuary meant to protect the Borderland is, at its core, a Silver Party Hall?!’
Elaine’s intelligent, beautiful eyes went wide. She then took a subtle step back, even though she knew she had no right to resist. As the weaker party making a request, from the moment she arrived in the Holy Land, she was prepared to bow and scrape, to endure whatever came her way.
Fortunately, Westheid did not agree to the Pure Holy Spirit’s outrageous demand to hold a "small gathering" right then and there.
It wasn’t that Duke Qinghui was particularly reserved; he’d done similar things more times than he could count. When it came to acting wantonly, he was no slouch and could be even wilder than the White-haired Ancestor.
However, Duke Qinghui was very displeased with the Pure Holy Spirit’s attitude of ordering him around. ’What on earth did I do to make you disrespect me like this?!’
"Why should I have to do that? I did say I would satisfy your needs as much as possible, but that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. That’s enough."
Flatly rejected by Westheid, the white-haired girl’s stunningly beautiful face flushed with anger. She clenched her fists and said:
"Don’t you understand the meaning of filial piety?! I’m the reason you all exist, so can’t you even make me a little happy? If you keep nagging, I won’t spare even you!"
’The audacity!’
Hearing this, Westheid pointed at the Pure Holy Spirit in disbelief. It was only then that she seemed to realize her mistake. She covered her mouth with her small hands as her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
But it was too late. Duke Qinghui’s gaze grew even colder.
"...I was just thinking that I felt a little guilty for not visiting you in so long, but it seems you’ve gotten a bit too unruly in my absence. You, come with me."
Westheid had not expected the Pure Holy Spirit to dare speak to him like that. This was no ordinary provocation. He had to take firm action.
Westheid grabbed the white-haired girl’s arm and dragged her across the carpet until she disappeared from view.
Elaine was left standing there alone. She could hear a man’s questioning voice, the maids’ terrified pleas for mercy, loud SMACKING sounds, and then sobbing.
About half an hour later, Westheid returned, adjusting his clothes. He said:
"On behalf of my family’s Holy Spirit Ancestor, I apologize. I shouldn’t have chosen the Holy Land as our meeting place."
Elaine quickly waved her hands.
"No, inviting me into the Holy Land of the Purity Forest is a sign of your trust in me, and I am deeply grateful. It’s just that the great Pure Holy Spirit... was a little overly enthusiastic."
’’Enthusiastic’ was an understatement. A moment ago, the words that came out of the white-haired girl’s mouth were so outrageous Elaine wouldn’t have even dared to imagine them.’
"She is, after all, the Origin Holy Spirit of the Purity People. If I weren’t around, there’s really no one in the Qinghui Territory who could control her. Being fawned over by the surrounding servants has made her get a bit carried away. I have disciplined her thoroughly."
’Wait, isn’t that... normal, generally speaking?’
’Elaine didn’t know the inner workings of the Branch of Prosperity, but similar families were not uncommon in the Mortal World. Most of them revered the higher beings who granted their bloodline power as if they were gods. But from the look of things, was Duke Qinghui the one in charge?’
’Then again, it made sense. The current power and rise of the Qinghui Territory were all thanks to the man before her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had rebuilt the Purity Forest.’
’In the face of absolute power, any system of seniority becomes meaningless. A Reversed Celestial Spirit was understandable.’
"I was a bit late. You’ve been waiting all morning, haven’t you? Please, sit down and have some tea. We can talk things over slowly."
Without waiting for a reply, Westheid clapped his hands. On the lawn in front of the villa, beautiful maids in black and white dresses immediately set out a table, chairs, drinks, and pastries.
The two sat down on the lawn. Westheid said nothing, merely sipping his tea quietly as if carefully choosing his words.
Meanwhile, the Witch Speaker, with her long, raven-black hair, lifted her gaze to observe the man sitting across from her.
’Elaine had long heard of Duke Qinghui’s great fame, especially after Hecate had promoted him in the Witch Council. The entire Ring of Clear Skies had started acting strangely afterward.’
’All of her sisters who went to the Qinghui Territory were so happy they never wanted to return, as if they had been brainwashed, willingly becoming Duke Qinghui’s Courtiers.’
’’Courtiers,’ they called themselves, but to a noble lord, weren’t they just mistresses?!’
’Hecate, Ailu’er... all her former companions had been incessantly inviting her to come over.’
’Little did they know that their behavior filled Elaine with genuine fear. Seriously, what kind of ultimate den of devils was Duke Qinghui running over there?’
’It was terrifying.’
’Now, sitting face-to-face with him, she was beginning to understand why her sisters were so obsessed with Duke Qinghui.’
’The man was ridiculously good-looking. And he wasn’t the Great Demon King, a black hole of pure lust, that she had imagined—the kind who would try to force himself on you the moment he saw you.’
’At least, she couldn’t detect a trace of malice in his eyes.’
Just as Elaine’s imagination was running wild, Westheid finally spoke:
"You no longer have any active contracts, do you?"
Hearing this, the black-haired Witch Speaker placed her hands on her lap and nodded.
"Yes. The several Demons the Ring of Clear Skies had contracts with have all severed their connection to us. Not just the most frequently used one, the Master of Greedy Banquet, but our backup options as well."
Elaine couldn’t help but click her tongue as she spoke of it. She had never expected such a situation to occur.
’If one or two Demons had a fit and broke their contracts, that would be understandable. That was precisely why the Ring of Clear Skies had backup options.’
’But what in the world was going on when the backups all ran away, too?’
’Did you all plan this together or something?’
"Mm, that’s only to be expected. Perhaps you didn’t know, but all the Demons you contracted with are remnants of the Emperor Qianlu."
Westheid said with a faint smile.
