Chapter 484 - I Lied.
Okay, so let's get something out of the way;
The ladies of the Silver moon sect are not virtuous.
Remaining 'pure' is not a prerequisite for them to be able to divine.
Members of the sect were allowed to have sexual relations.
Many of the maidens in the sect already had partners to satisfy their occasional sexual urges and at some point, as was 'inevitable', they would reach the limit of progression in their cultivation.
A condition that would be made known by the speedy aging of said member and they would then 'graduate' which was just a kind way to say they would be kicked out.
They would be kicked out for aging.
For not being capable of eternal youth.
When they reached this milestone, the members would usually then settle down with their partners and finally begin a life. One in which they will be awarded prestige befitting of a once-upon-a-time member of the Silver moon sect.
But, for anyone who had ever been a member of the silver moon sect, this wasn't the start of a new life but the start of a mediocre one.
Once they left the sect, they would lose the ability to divine and also lose the advantage of being privy to the unique cultivation resources and techniques of the Silver moon sect.
None of them wished for such a life and would only accept it once they had no choice.
As such competition was fierce in the Silver moon sect.
After all, the more impressive you prove you are, the more resources you would be granted and cultivation was incredibly important to them.
It allowed them to retain the youth they so desperately needed to remain in the Sect and that was the only future that mattered.
Starting a family, to them, was overrated.
Their drive to cultivate and retain that youth is one of the reasons the Sect contained powerful experts and was not to be messed with.
To Hal, this was why gawking at the ladies of the Silver moon sect while not officially an accepted reason to meet them was not punishable either.
After all, being looked at and having their beauty admired was a sign that they were doing something right and they reveled in that attention.
Not to mention, their virginity was not one to be protected and they were allowed to be attracted to men just as men were allowed to be attracted to them.
So, despite the touch of hostility in the lady's tone, Hal knew she was not really upset.
He also noted from the manner in which the guards acted towards her that she might not just be an ordinary member of the sect.
Of course, this was a bit of a stretch since he had not seen how the guards acted towards other members of the sect and their behavior towards this lady might simply be how they were towards every lady in the sect.
"This is your first time at our sect" the last said.
It was not a question but a statement of fact she was only looking to Hal to confirm.
Hal nodded,
"Yes, it is"
"I will not be discussing any matters involving the sect out here and that includes the waiting list which means if you truly wish for a consultation, you will follow me into the sect" the lady said.
Hal nodded,
"Very well"
The lady turned away from him and walked towards the walls beside the sect gates and placed her hand on the wall she was facing. Just the touch of her hand on the wall seemed to have been enough to activate a Rune circle. Or at least that was what Hal thought it was even though he could not sense any Astral energy coming off of it at all.
That was when he noticed a rune circle was now underneath his feet. This one also not giving off energies that would alert him.
The circle activated and he sunk right into the ground and when next it spat him out, he was behind the sect gates and beholding the beauty of the Impressive structures of the impressive buildings with nothing obstructing his sights.
Then another Rune circle appeared beside him and out of it rose the lady who addressed him with a gesture of her head before she said,
"Follow me"
She walked ahead of him and as Hal followed behind her, he thought to the peculiarity of the Rune circles and how this sect was the first location he would ever tag to actually possess stealthy rune circles.
Yes, the energy of Rune circles could be hidden when dormant but once activated, he always thought he was bound to notice them, and the fact that he had not noticed these was unsettling.
Unless... the circles were not being activated by Astral energy.
The journey was short and they were still not yet inside the sect proper.
They hardly met anyone and the few they met, who were also wearing silver robes that while beautiful lacked the ethereal state-shifting properties of the gown worn by the lady Hal was following, all bowed in respect to the lady.
Reiterating further the assumption Hal already had that she had a high status in the sect.
They were now inside a small but and the lady turned to him,
"Why are you here?" She asked.
Hal smiled lightly,
"What, you don't believe I am here for a consultation?" He asked.
The Lady shook her head but her face was not as stoic as it had been outside the gates.
"No, I don't. I am sure you came here for something else. Since we have not been alerted to your presence before this little conversation of ours, then you must not have come here to rob or harm the sect. Which is why I haven't killed you yet" she told him with a smile as though telling him she could kill him if she wished was amusing to anyone but herself.
Hal raised a brow,
"And yet you don't trust me"
The lady shrugged,
"Why should I? I don't know you"
"Sure you do. I told you my name" Hal said a chuckle as though that was as familiar as they needed to be.
The lady's smile grew wider,
"You told me your name, not your last name. Last names are important. Very important... Especially if you are a Doxon"
That she said he was a Doxon did not come as a surprise to Hal. Not because she was a Diviner as he doubted she divined him personally. It did not surprise him because she was staring right at his sapphire blue eyes which were a sure giveaway to the family name he had no interest in having.
"My mother is a Doxon... But I am not" Hal told her in a low voice.
The lady was now seated in a comfortable position with her gown still looking as ethereal as ever and eyeing Hal who was now leaning against a pillar of the hut in a casual pose as she raised a brow,
"Family troubles... Interesting" said and looked deeper into his eyes as though searching for something.
The longer she looked, the more satisfied she was.
But her satisfaction was not just due to his incredible looks, it was also due to self-satisfaction in herself as though she could see right through him.
As though Hal was an open book she could read at leisure.
Hal noting this smiled to himself,
"I told you my name, why not tell me yours" he said.
"Leona. My name is Leona" the lady told him.
"Beautiful name" Hal said and Leona nodded,
"I like it too." She said.
"Good. Now that we know each other's names, why don't you tell me how high the seal will get me on the waiting list. You see, I am in a bit of a hurry" Hal told her.
He had no way of knowing how high Leona was in status.
For all he knew, she could simply be respected as a senior in the sect. He had no way to be certain she was the one to speak to with regards to what he was here for.
Leona shrugged and stood up from her seat to approach Hal at the pillar he was leaning against,
"YOU are in a hurry, but I'm not" she said with a smile and walked even closer to him,
"Thing is, when I told you I could not discuss the list outside the gates, I lied. Telling you when you could come back for a consultation would not take me more than a few seconds. I wouldn't even need to consult the actual list.
But I have to admit, you... Intrigue me.
You are not leaving here until you tell me exactly what you came here for."
Hal sighed in surrender,
"I wish to meet the Sect head. Or at least anyone who can access the Sect's Treasury and can authorize that I get what I came here for"
Leona was now only inches away from him and smiling with satisfaction.
Hal stretched his hand towards her as he asked,
"Can you help me?"
Before his hand could touch her, Leona grabbed his wrist and said with a sneer,
"Don't..."
She was unable to complete her words as at that time, a pleasurable sensation flowed right from where her hand was making contact with Hal's skin and the pleasure traveled all over her body.
And yet, Leona did not let go.
It was almost as though she couldn't let go and in a matter of seconds, her legs turned weak and she fell against Hal with her face buried in his chest while she breathed in the sweet scent coming off his body.
A scent that sunk her even deeper into the pleasured craving that {Erogenous Touch} had already tossed her into....