Shirley flew down as she arrived before the Everlasting Phoenix Alliance. Their intensive gaze, including everyone's gaze, was on her, but that didn't make her the slightest bit nervous or fidgety. Schleya also appeared beside her like a bodyguard, one of her hands behind her waist as though she hid that crimson blade behind her back, causing many to feel strange.
She wasn't going to attack if they displayed suspicious moves, right?
"Young Inheritor Shirley, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."
Seeing that Shirley didn't stand on ceremony or was hostile to her, Mistress Zahara replied with a faint smile behind her veil.
"If you don't mind, we'll take it to someplace else as the gallery is rather loud…?"
Shirley stared at Mistress Zahara. Her sharp voice, which sounded clear and invigorating, was heartening to hear. However, the unfamiliarity in the tone left her feeling dull, which she quickly hid and smiled.
"We can leave together as I prefer women over men to talk with but not before I collect what's mine."
Shirley turned to look at Egon Zenflame as she stretched out her hand and threw her status plate toward someone.
It was to the Promotion Deacon, who caught it without even looking at it and proceeded to do his thing to make Shirley a true disciple. Quickly, her name appeared on the rankings before her status plate was returned with another throw.
However, she didn't keep it inside but extended her hand towards Egon Zenflame, her attitude as though she was a loan shark.
"Give me my hundred thousand contribution points." At the same time, two jade boxes appeared.
It was the two heavenly resources that she obtained from her inheritances.
However, Egon Zenflame's expression was full of hesitance.
"Don't make me look down on the Fire Phoenix Clan more than I currently do."
Shirley's voice became cold, causing Egon Zenflame to become pale before he shook his head.
"It's not about the contribution points. Young Inheritor, I just want your eminence to listen to what we have to say. The Fire Phoenix Clan is made up of many branches while I'm from the main branch, the Zenflame Branch."
He quickly gestured his hand back to a crimson-robed woman who smiled gently, "This is Lassla, and she is also from the Zenflame Clan. Even if you spoke to Zahara about your concerns, I doubt she could do anything for you since she had been secluded all her life and never spoke to anyone outside her mansion, much less have influence."
"Oh?" Shirley's eyes lit up, "She has never interacted much with the Fire Phoenix Clan? No wonder she gives off a good-natured feeling, allowing me to be free with her as though we are old friends."
"…"
Mistress Zahara almost burst into laughter as she turned her head away. She especially almost burst off as she saw Egon Zenflame's expression become like he had tasted shit. To be fair, it was what Shirley described in polite words, that she was 'pleasant' to be near, and they were 'crap' to avoid.
It was too hilarious to her, who sought to act refined most times.
"Egon Zenflame, I'm warning you. If you keep this up, I will have no choice other than to report that you tried to sabotage whatever goodwill we have garnered from the Young Inheritor."
Although Zahara appeared amused, her voice echoed out in a glacier tone.
"…"
Egon Zenflame clenched his teeth at her, feeling repressed and insulted enough. However, the woman behind him, called Lassla, clenched his wrist, along with him, to calm down somewhat before he exchanged the goods and deposited a hundred thousand contribution points in Shirley's status plate, which held her identity, and wealth and displayed sect status.
Shirley finally became a true disciple, disallowing him to treat her as an equal. She was now his superior in all senses. It wasn't like he didn't give her respect before, but now, even if he wanted to, he couldn't. He could only call her senior sister from now on, causing him to be pessimistic over the turn of events.
Otherwise, she could discipline him through the rules of the Aurora Cloud Gate.
"Here. I transferred the contribution points through the alliance funds, as I said, and protected the name of my Fire Phoenix Clan. I'll hope that you'll leave a good-"
"Enough. I'll take it from here."
Mistress Zahara glared at Egon Zenflame, causing his words to be stuck in his mouth as he coldly glared at her before leaving. The Everlasting Phoenix Alliance also left with Zamok, whose face was rather darker than black as he kept his head lowered in defeat.
However, Shirley's and Mistress Zahara's gaze wasn't on them, but at each other, their gaze seeming to say many things yet couldn't voice out in words.
Shirley also noticed Mistress Yeyin by the side at a distance. She didn't even see her but could feel her presence as Mistress Yeyin, or rather Frostrose's blood, was also within her. She knew the story between the twin sisters went that they were born to the same father but different mothers, yet it was unknown if it was a true story re-presented or a completely different one with some similarities.
After all, a better way to brainwash someone is to mix truth with lies. Nonetheless, knowing what she should and should not say, Shirley opened her mouth.
"I finally got an elder sister to shop with. Mind coming with me to the Treasury to get some items?"
"If a true disciple asks me, how can I decline?"
Mistress Zahara grinned while Shirley couldn't help but admire the way her master spoke to her, using the Aurora Cloud Gate's status instead of her status as the Fire Phoenix Inheritor to address her. Although it seemed like a simple change, unlike the hard-headed Egon Zenflame, who didn't seem to understand how she would like to be approached, she felt that Mistress Flamerose was way better.
'Oops, I must not make a mistake by calling her Flamerose...'
Shirley smiled and flew along with her while Schleya followed behind. As for Mistress Yeyin, she did not choose to accompany them, staying as cold as a block of ice as she stared at them leaving.
At this point in time, Shirley didn't want to confuse them and create an uproar, so she felt that it was first better to know what was going on with Mistress Flamerose.
Soon enough, they arrived at an island where disciples were plenty like the fishes in the sea. But here, even Immortal Kings weren't permitted to fly. Even the hundreds and thousands of disciples who were here had lined up and were silent for some reason, and Shirley only took a few seconds to realize that they were here to collect their monthly wages.
"I've already collected my wages. Is Princess Shirley yet to collect yours?"
"Yes, Mistress Zahara. Schleya, let's go collect yours too~"
Shirley responded with an amicable tone at Mistress Zahara while Schleya lightly nodded.
The other party had actually called her senior during the way to keep the etiquette and hierarchy in check, but how could she accept such an honorific from the one who gifted her the immortal inheritance?
That's why she said that it was better for Mistress Zahara to call her princess as she liked it.
The three of them stepped onto the floating island and continued to walk on a cobbled path. Below them, rivers flowed like they were walking above a bridge while the banks had flowers growing within reach, creating a verdant scenery of beautiful flower passageway.
It wasn't long before they reached one of the many queue lines, but they cut past it.
Just as a few disciples were about to complain, they noticed that the other party was a core disciple. To their shock, there were even two true disciples, causing them to be dumbfounded before they even refused to look at them, afraid that they'll offend them for some reason as they were all beauties.
Sometimes, just a look could cause a disaster.
Meanwhile, Shirley and Schleya didn't know left or right but followed Mistress Zahara all the way until they got their monthly wages from a rather powerful deacon who looked like a battle-hardened veteran distributing the wages and almost reached a massive-cube like structure, causing Shirley to narrow her eyes as she found that this was similar to her treasury, but the inscriptions on it were different, and there was nothing else on it except a gate.
At the foot of this structure was a pathway of pillars.
They walked into the pathway without stopping but looked around. There were twelve pillars, each one actually having a person on top of them. However, they seemed to have their eyes closed, or so Shirley thought when they suddenly opened their eyes and turned to look at them.
This sudden scene caused her to come to a stop as she felt her heart clench.
She saw that they were old and appeared like listless, sickly men.
However, the scary thing Shirley noticed was these old foggies were actually not looking at them but gazing at Nadia was who on her shoulder!
😉