Roy stepped into the bamboo hut on Mount Lu.
The interior was simple—a bamboo bed, a bamboo chair, and a table where sandalwood incense burned, filling the space with an ethereal fragrance reminiscent of a grand temple.
Luo Hao knelt on a cushion, a Nine Heavens Jade Pendant zither resting on her lap. Her jade-like fingers plucked the strings, conjuring a melody as clear as a mountain spring.
She wore a flowing, embroidered palace gown with a hundred-flower-patterned skirt trailing behind her. Surprisingly, she had applied light makeup, her dignified beauty laced with an indescribable allure. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, tied only with a white ribbon, while her snow-white neck bore a faint blush. Her phoenix eyes shimmered with intoxicating charm, and her cherry-like lips invited endless reverie.
Yet, amidst this breathtakingly enchanting scene, an air of cold, unyielding pride lingered around the sect master, making it impossible to discern whether she was a delicate beauty or a peerless conqueror.
Roy's eyes flashed with admiration, but he remained silent as he walked over and sat on the cushion opposite the sect leader, quietly listening to the lingering melody that filled the air.
After a long while, as the music gradually faded, Roy clapped his hands and said, "...Sect Leader's skill with the zither is as fluid as flowing clouds, and the melody is utterly captivating!"
Luo Hao rested her jade-like hand lightly on the zither, lifting her head slightly to glance at Roy. Though she said nothing, her expression conveyed her thoughts clearly.
Roy paused, then added helplessly, "...Sister's music is so enchanting it could lure fish from the water, as sublime as the lofty mountains and flowing streams!"
Hearing this, Luo Hao's cold demeanor softened slightly, revealing a proud yet gentle smile.
"At times, I truly suspect that my virtuous brother is a man of the Heavenly Dynasty!"
Luo Hao fixed her dark, penetrating gaze on Roy, his figure fully reflected in her eyes. "...'The waterfall cascades three thousand feet, like the Milky Way tumbling from the heavens!' Such poetry is not something an ordinary foreigner could comprehend. Even among Campiones, few can truly grasp the culture of another land. That old fool Voban has lived three hundred years, yet ask him a single line of Chinese poetry, and he'd be utterly clueless."
Roy chuckled, thinking Luo Hao's intuition was quite sharp. At his core, he was a man from China, and many of his habits were hard to change.
Luo Hao, however, shook her head and said, "...My subordinates once investigated your past, but they found no information about you."
As if worried Roy might take offense, she quickly added, "...I did not order them to look into you. This was their own initiative. If it displeases you, I'll have them skinned alive to lift your spirits."
Truly befitting a demonic sect leader—her principles were as ruthless as they came. Even though her subordinates had merely been diligent, she spoke of flaying them without hesitation.
Such was the simple, unadorned, and rather dull life of a tyrant.
"Sister, there's no need for that. Wouldn't it dishearten your followers?"
"Whether their hearts grow cold matters not to Luo Hao. But since my virtuous brother does not mind, I shall let it pass."
Her self-centered reasoning left Roy at a loss for words.
"To welcome you, my virtuous brother, I, Luo Hao, have even changed into a maid's attire to play the zither for you. Surely such hospitality has satisfied you?"
Roy wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a faint blush dust Luo Hao's snow-white, immortal-like cheeks. Even for the sect leader, such an act—dressing as a servant and playing music for another—must have been unheard of for many years. Or perhaps she had never done it before, and this was her first time.
It was then that Roy suddenly realized—Luo Hao was, after all, just a woman. No matter how unrestrained and domineering she was, akin to the legendary 'Invincible East,' she was still a woman. Only, she lacked the softness typical of her gender, replaced instead by sharpness.
"Merely being allowed to step into Sister's bamboo hut is already a joy beyond words for me."
Without ceremony, Roy picked up the jade jug on the low table before him and poured a cup of emerald-green wine. Its fragrance filled the air, intoxicating the senses.
Luo Hao watched him with appreciation, accepting the cup he offered and draining it in one go.
Wiping her crimson lips with her sleeve, Luo Hao suddenly tossed a jade slip toward him.
Roy took the jade slip, knowing it was a type of arcane technique—just like in cultivation novels, where mystical methods were used to seal content within jade slips, making them readable like books.
With a puzzled glance at Luo Hao, Roy skillfully unraveled the arcane array on the jade slip and began examining its contents.
"This is..."
Roy was slightly taken aback, his lips parting in surprise.
"This is a gift from your elder sister to you, dear brother. Originally, I intended to personally venture into the Netherworld to slay that detestable Heretic God. However, since I owe you a favor from last time and know you have a grudge against Him as well, I'll leave this opportunity to you."
Luo Hao spoke with bold generosity, as though her decision had been an arduous one.
Seeing this, Roy could only smile and say, "...Then I'll graciously accept. Thank you, elder sister!"
The contents of the jade slip were none other than the coordinates of the Netherworld, specifically the location of the Heretic God Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
The Netherworld lacked spatial concepts like direction or dimension. In that realm of the mind, reaching a specific place required knowledge of its coordinates, for the Netherworld was a vast labyrinth. Finding a particular individual there was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
Though it was unclear how Luo Hao had pinpointed Susanoo-no-Mikoto's hiding place, given her temperament, handing this information over to Roy was no small gesture.
The mere fact that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven had been sealed by Japan had enraged her, prompting her to declare, "How dare others imprison a deity of our land?" As for Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who had schemed against the Great Sage, Luo Hao's hatred burned even fiercer.
By nature, Luo Hao should have personally descended into the Netherworld to slay Susanoo-no-Mikoto and ease her mind. Yet despite knowing the coordinates, she suppressed her impulse and instead granted Roy this opportunity. Anyone familiar with Luo Hao would likely think the sky was about to fall.
The self-proclaimed, willful, and unrestrained Cult Leader had actually learned to consider human relations—truly, the sun must have risen from the west.
Roy, too, harbored deep disdain for Susanoo-no-Mikoto. Back in Tokyo, it was that supposedly reclusive god who had caused trouble. Though no dire consequences had ensued, the mere fact that He had dared to meddle had already sealed His fate in Roy's eyes.
'But I really don't need these coordinates.'
Roy found it somewhat amusing. Previously, he hadn't sought out Susanoo-no-Mikoto simply because he didn't know where He was hiding. Now, even without Luo Hao's help, Roy already had his own source of information.
When utilizing the power of the Eight Great Fairy Kings to activate Aisha's authority and journey into the past, Roy hadn't merely fulfilled his ritual needs. During his time in antiquity, he had also accomplished something earth-shattering—
He had cuckolded the Last King, Veeraj, by bedding his wife, Janaki. As an Earth Mother Goddess, Sita had not perished but lived on into the modern era, residing within the Netherworld.
***
[T/N: If you're confused about what's going on with the names of Last King and his wife, I changed them to "Veeraj" and "Janaki." Don't ask why but from now on I'll use these names in the original's place.]