Chapter 488 - The Answer Is...
Leona's eyes widened at the news of why Hal was here.
Even Corrina's eyes were widened as she momentarily forgot to glare at Hal who was smiling slightly at the Silver moon sect head.
Neither of the two had known that was why he was here and now, while they were able to keep their curiosity tempered and not ask questions, for now, they were definitely intrigued.
Hal monitored their expressions with his astral sense and noted from it that whatever it was that he came here for, while they might have seen it, they had known what it was for.
The Sect head mirrored his smile,
"Oh you will stay here till you get it?" she inquired.
Hal nodded,
"So could you please give it to me?" He asked.
"That's it? You're just going to ask for it and not even offer up any compensation? Blue gems perhaps" the Sect head inquired.
Hal knew the sect head was mocking him. Even if he could offer her a mountain of blue gems, he doubted that could get her to give him what he came here for.
He hated the distance between them because as charming as he indeed was, he highly doubted he could work his charms over that distance and get her mind so muddled that she gave it to him.
So he opted for the best possible way... Compromise.
Hal shrugged,
"I have nothing to give. Neither was I authorized to give anything in exchange. Surely your sect is not in want for wealth."
The Sect head sighed,
"No, we are not. With the amount of consultation we offer, we are rich in blue gems. Wealth is the last thing that we desperately need. That said it would have been far more interesting to watch you offer all you have only for me to eventually still say no." She said.
"How about a service then?" Hal asked.
"Excuse me?" the sect head said with her perfect eyebrows raised.
"How about I offer you my services in exchange. You see I am a little strapped for gems at the moment. It's the whole point of my working for the Princess to even try to get this for her. For some reason, she thought I was the best for the job."
The sect head rearranged herself but she did so with a mocking smile on my face her lips,
"You want to offer me your services?" She asked and there was a sweetly dangerous edge to her tone that should have chilled Hal to the lines but he acted oblivious to it.
As well as the overall tension in the air not just from the Sect head but also from her daughter Corrina.
While Leona wondered if she should tell to Hal to not be stupid.
Hal nodded and raised his hands,
"Yes, I do. It's all that I have that is of value and I have been told the work of this hands of mine is absolutely priceless."
Leona blushed even harder when she thought she sensed a sexual innuendo in Hal's words.
"You want to offer me services with your hands?"
There was now no way Hal could ignore the dangerous edge in the Sect head's voice. Neither could he ignore the thick tension in the air.
His eyes widened suddenly,
"Oh come on, what the hell are you thinking about? Get your mind out of the gutter! My intentions are absolutely pure.
When I say the work of my hands, I actually mean it in the sense that maybe I can offer my assistance with certain menial labor you might have around the sect.
Maybe even take care of a few miscreants looking to cause trouble.
How could you even think I was that perverted?"
Of course, despite the indignation in his voice, the sect head did not believe a word of what he had just said.
He was that perverted and she felt his words should be interpreted as such.
There was a pause and then Hal added,
"Also, I could offer my services by assisting you with your coming troubles"
Three sets of eyes snapped towards his handsome face just as the Sect head said,
"Can you now?" There was every bit of skepticism on her face but Hal caught something else in her reply,
"You're not going to ask me how I know of those coming troubles."
The sect head shrugged,
"You would have to be an idiot not to figure it out after Corrina very clearly mentioned I already had enough to worry about.
What I really want to know is how you think you can help?
How you, a Cosmic Phenomenon realm expert, can help in an issue that worries a Saint like me?"
Hal shrugged,
"It's simple really. All you need is a boost. Any boost. Whether conventional or unconventional. I can offer you that... As long as you let me make contact with the source, I am absolutely sure I can offer you that well-needed boost" he said.
"Source?" The sect head asked with a raised brow.
Hal nodded,
"Yes, the source of your 'foreseeing' abilities. Let me make contact with it and I assure you that you will get through the coming troubles with superb ease." He said with a light smile.
If anyone else had said this, the sect head would have laughed and most likely killed them on the spot for such impudence but because it was Hal, she found herself unable to do so.
Sure he was handsome, incomparably so, and was the type to surely set her heartbeat racing back in her maiden years but that was not the reason she let him live... For now.
There was just such confidence in the way he spoke that was a healthy, delicious mix of (Did she just say delicious?) Confidence and charisma.
However, while it did stop her from killing him instantly, it did not stop her from bursting into laughter.
"Hahahahaha, my gods, you have to be kidding me. Did you actually expect that to work?
That I would believe you could actually have something to offer other than your glib tongue which I am quite tempted to cut out of your mouth right now?"
Hal shrugged,
"I was only presenting what I had to offer in exchange for what I want which by the way, you have absolutely no use for and would just sit in your treasury collecting dust" he said.
"Needing it is not the point. I am holding onto this to slow down this harmful struggle for power that is casting darkness over the Haron Empire" the sect head said.
Hal chuckled.
The sect head's eyes flashed,
"Is something funny?" She asked.
Hal nodded,
"Of course. The fact that you think holding on to this will actually slow anything down is a tad bit naive" he said.
Leona gasped.
Corrina took a step forward,
"How dare you?" She snarled.
"Stay back" the sect head ordered her daughter.
"Mother..." Corrina began but one look from her mother shut her up.
"Continue. How is it that I am naive?" the sect head asked Hal who eyed Corrina for a while before he continued,
"There are many others vying to rule the continent and a vast majority of them don't give a damn about whatever the First Emperor left behind. Even if you found whatever it was and destroyed it, that won't change anything.
There will always be conflict and I see no reason why you should bother yourself to stop them. Focus on your immediate environs.
Let those who wish to kill each other kill each other and vie for your own survival."
The sect head frowned,
"That's selfish"
Hal smirked,
"And what? You're selfless?" He asked.
"As the chief diviner of the Haron continent, I have to be" the sect head said but Hal shook his head,
"You don't have to be. You choose to be. Anyway, there is really no point in holding on to it. If you don't want my help in your coming troubles, that is fine, but you should know that there are others after whatever the First Emperor left behind.
Eventually, they could come after it.
I feel it would be best you just give it up before that happens."
Silence...
Then the Sect head smiled,
"Nice try but the answer is still no" she said.
"What?!" Hal was indignant.
The sect head rose to her feet,
"Maybe I am naive. Maybe I am selfless to a fault but I will do all I can to stop the Empire from falling to ruins. If things continue as they are, the future of this continent is... Dark.
You made a good case.. Albeit a selfish one and for that I will spare you but I will not give you what you came here for."