NOVPUB
Chapter 81: The Aftermath
Aldrian hadn’t expected such a question. He looked at the elf who had accompanied him for most of his time in the Ivory Empire. He already considered Sylphia a friend, part of his family, someone he cared for. They often talked about their adventures and experiences, but never about women.
He was at a loss for how to answer. Did he like that type of woman? Aldrian knew what she meant—she must be referring to Arin. From the outside, Arin’s clothes might resemble something a prostitute would wear, but he never judged someone based on appearances. Now, with Sylphia’s question, was she asking if he liked women who wore scanty clothes?
He is also human, a man, and he hasn’t reached the point where he sees worldly lust as nothing more than flowing water, he’d be lying if he said he had no reaction when seeing a woman like that. Did he like it? Of course! For him, it’s just another way to give his eyes some enjoyment.
But restraint and self-control were crucial. He didn’t want to be ruled by his own lust, didn’t want to become a slave to his desires. He had to remain in control.
Sylphia blushed after asking the question. She didn’t know why, but seeing the way Arin dressed and interacted with Aldrian had made her wonder. Did Aldrian like that style of clothing? She wasn’t naive—she knew men often enjoyed seeing women dressed provocatively for their own entertainment. She simply wanted to know if Aldrian felt the same way.
Aldrian coughed and looked at Sylphia.
"Well, if you’re asking if I like women like Miss Arin’s type, I have to say I don’t judge people by their appearance. I need to know what kind of person someone is before I can decide if I like them or not. Maybe her style of dress isn’t appropriate for some, but I’m more interested in who Miss Arin is as a person—her personality, her morality, and so on. Not the way she dresses." He finally gave his answer, though it was a diplomatic one.
"So, if someone dresses like a harlot, you can still not like them if they’re not good people by your standards? And also vice versa?" Sylphia asked, her curiosity growing.
"Of course," Aldrian replied, sipping his tea.
"Hmm, I see. Then do you prefer a good woman in revealing clothes, or a good woman in more appropriate attire?"
Aldrian almost choked for the second time. He could tell Sylphia was digging for more precise information about his preferences, but this level of detail? He hesitated, then decided to read her thoughts. Though it felt inappropriate and he disliked breaching her privacy, he needed to understand why she was suddenly asking such specific questions.
When he reached her mind, he was stunned for a moment before retracting his technique. Aldrian smiled and looked at Sylphia with a gentle expression.
"I like them all," he said calmly. "If a woman wants to wear loose clothes, that’s fine. If she prefers something more appropriate, that’s fine too. But here’s the thing: I may not seem like it, but I’m quite possessive. I prefer a woman who knows how to present herself respectfully in public. When we’re alone, though, she can wear whatever she wants. That’s just my opinion."
Sylphia listened closely as Aldrian continued.
"But Sylphia, you don’t have to be anyone else. You’re perfect as you are. I’ll like whatever you wear, even—"
Before he could finish, Sylphia’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. She quickly stood up and stomped her foot.
"Aldrian, you scoundrel! I didn’t ask if you like the way I dress!" she shouted, too flustered to meet his gaze. With a swift movement technique, she dashed away from the scene.
When he read her mind, he found that Sylphia was curious about his preferences and wanted to try to make him more comfortable and closer to her. He smiled at her effort to make him happy, but on the other hand, this could lead to something else.
He wondered if Emperor Ladwin and Empress Elaria knew their daughter could be so forward with him. This could easily turn into something serious, but he sighed and decided to let nature take its course. For now, he would enjoy the time he had to relax more freely.
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After their meeting, Arin wasted no time in informing her sect, and soon enough, the news reached the other two great sects. The events in Dual Horns Peak City were too significant to stay confined.
When the sect’s higher ups learned what Aldrian had done and the conditions he had set, they immediately agreed to the first two terms. As for the last two, they wanted to meet with Aldrian personally to either negotiate or make a final decision.
When Arin heard that, she release sigh of relief, fortunately they don’t instantly reject his demand. Sometimes they are quite stubborn if it’s the matter of their pride as the demonic cultivator and will not let anyone even threaten even an ounce of their kind.
That very same day, envoys from the three great sects arrived in the city. They publicly declared the Yu family innocent, while branding the city lord’s manor as guilty for collaborating with the devils. They also announced that the city lord’s manor, in league with the devils, had orchestrated the Yu family massacre.
When the people of the city heard this, it caused an uproar. The city lord’s manor, which many had never suspected of being involved with devils, was revealed to be the true betrayer. Many citizens had long found the circumstances surrounding the Yu family massacre suspicious, and now their doubts were confirmed—raising even louder voices of protest throughout the city.
At the same time, the three great sects launched a purge operation to cleanse the city of any remaining devils. This operation caused further shock, as most of the citizens had no idea that devils had been hiding among them all along.
With all the actions taken by the three great sects, many people began to believe that the destruction of the western peak the previous night was also their doing. It was no surprise, given that the expert responsible was powerful enough to slay a middle Emperor-stage beast and obliterate an entire mountain.
These events marked the second day of Aldrian’s stay in the city, which had now been set ablaze with action. As for Aldrian, he decided to take a leisurely stroll to enjoy what he couldn’t the day before. While walking through the city, he observed various attractions and occasionally saw the ongoing purges carried out by the three great sects.
While wandering through the outer district, where many people bustled by, Aldrian’s attention was drawn to a man was stabbed to death and pinned to the wall of a building. Upon closer inspection, Aldrian raised an eyebrow in recognition—it was Commander Jin. It seemed his fate had been sealed. This wasn’t the first such scene Aldrian had come across; similar executions were scattered throughout the city.
He didn’t dwell on it, nor was he concerned about the remaining devils within the city. With the power of the three great sects and the information he had provided, Aldrian was confident that the city would soon be rid of them.
On the third day, the envoys informed Arin that they wished to meet with Aldrian. They decided to extend a formal invitation to Aldrian as a special guest at the upcoming tripartite meeting between the three great sects, which would be held the following week.
The meeting was directly connected to the devil infiltration and the recent events in Dual Horns Peak City. They decided to hold the meeting at the Thorny Flower Garden, considering it was much closer.
Arin, of course, happily escorted them to the Yu family manor. When they arrived at the Yu family manor, they noticed the family’s sign had already been restored to its place on the front gate, signaling their name had been cleared. From inside the manor, they could hear the cheerful sounds of children playing, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere that had loomed just days before.
Upon entering, they found that the Yu family manor had mostly been restored to its former state. Although a few areas still needed repairs, the overall structure was functional again. The envoys were then led to the same pavilion where Aldrian had previously met with Arin.
Aldrian, as the host, was already waiting for them in his new red-black robe, which he had bought the day before. He chose to follow the local custom by wearing a robe instead of the noble clothes typically used by northern noble families.
The envoys, like everyone who saw him for the first time, were shocked by how young he looked. They had also heard that he was only at the Earl stage, which they found hard to believe. Who would accept such a claim?
The envoys who came this time were no joke; all of them were at the low Emperor stage and held high standing in their respective sects. With that in mind, they finally met the man who had caused all this uproar.
