# Chapter 2: The Chosen Faction
This faction naturally needs no further explanation. They would venture deep into the Dead Silence, completely resolving the problem—at the very least, Su Xiao would sever the karmic ties with the Dead Silence.
Whether to hold the current position or to open the seal and enter the Dead Silence, the two viewpoints had reached an irreconcilable divergence.
The representative of the conservative faction was, of course, the Dean of the Holy Scar Academy, Grand Sage·Tuerz. Anyone who subsequently joined the conservative faction could essentially be considered as siding with him.
The Duke's current remarks were a representation of this. He chose to stand with the conservatives, yet no matter how one looked at it, the Duke was not the type for conservatism. Su Xiao speculated that it was that old fellow who had founded the Steam Divine Cult, symbolizing steel, who had made a choice between the conservative faction and the Chosen faction.
The Duke's stance was undoubtedly terrible news. This meant that starting tomorrow morning, their side and the Steam Divine Cult would once again be hostile. The good news was that Su Xiao had long anticipated this and had reserved the filial son·Kranke.
Madame Smoke glanced at the time, covered her mouth as she yawned, and said, "It's getting late. Shall we talk in your office?"
"..."
Su Xiao looked Madame Smoke up and down, causing her to furrow her brows. She said, "I know I have mature charm, but you don't need to stare like that. And don't forget, I have no interest in the opposite sex."
"Have you lost your mind? Taking my side in this situation."
Su Xiao deliberately said this, which nearly made Madame Smoke punch him. The corner of her eye twitched, and after frantically comforting herself internally, she calmed down and said, "Of course... not. This was the intention of that old immortal in our council. If not for his orders, I..."
Madame Smoke still couldn't resist the urge to throw a punch at Su Xiao. She took out a black lady's cigarette, lit it to calm herself, and barely suppressed this pent-up frustration.
"Xiusi."
Su Xiao had Xiusi open the spatial ghost gate. As everyone walked inside, spatial fluctuations had just begun when he felt someone jab his shoulder from behind. They were all on the same level of status and identity, yet Madame Smoke didn't put on any airs. It could only be said that Madame Smoke's vengeful temperament was actually quite reassuring—at least one didn't have to guard against traps like when cooperating with the Duke.
A moment later, at the Treatment Institute, Deputy Dean's Office.
Su Xiao and Madame Smoke sat across from each other at the desk, with Lisi standing by the side serving tea.
"First, tell me the secret you know."
Su Xiao spoke. In the previous transaction, besides the 5,000 ancient gold coins, there was also a secret as a bonus.
"I know a meditation method. You blade users often meditate, so you definitely won't miss this."
Madame Smoke leaned comfortably back in the leather chair, her black smoke dress slowly burning like black flames.
"Oh? Tell me more."
Su Xiao was always interested in meditation methods.
"This secret method doesn't change how you meditate. Instead, it uses soul power to enhance your meditation efficiency. The stronger your soul, the higher your meditation efficiency."
Hearing this, Su Xiao's expression turned serious. He extinguished his cigarette and asked, "More specifics."
"I don't know the specifics either. Only the Beast Master of the Wasteland beyond the walls knows this method, so you'll have to go seek his guidance."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak, just calmly looked at Madame Smoke. The situation was like someone suddenly coming to you, saying, "I know a place with a lot of gold." After you inquire, that person says with great seriousness: "Of course there's a lot of gold in the gold vault."
Su Xiao rubbed his brow and said, "This... is the secret you know."
"Exactly. Just tell me, does anyone else know about this? If others don't know, isn't that a secret? Any problem?"
Madame Smoke raised her hand, then extinguished her cigarette.
"Uh..."
Even Baha was stunned. He had a belly full of sarcastic remarks brewing, yet found nothing to say.
After confirming that Madame Smoke knew nothing else, Su Xiao felt slightly disappointed and said, "This secret of yours really suits your temperament."
"You!"
Madame Smoke wanted to punch Su Xiao again, but then she laughed herself. As things stood, now that she had chosen to side with him, she wouldn't be easily schemed against. Confirming this, she felt much more at ease. She certainly didn't want to be used as a pawn after siding with Su Xiao.
"Let's get down to business. According to that old immortal on my side, as a Chosen One, the first thing you need to do is go to the entrance of Dead Silence City, then open the door and enter..."
Madame Smoke began to narrate the details. First, many years ago, the entrance to Dead Silence City had been sealed. The only way to open it was known to the Saintess lineage.
Following Su Xiao's usual style of conduct, he would "visit" the current Saintess tonight, then "invite" her for a detailed discussion.
The problem was that the Saintess lineage were descendants of the Holy Priest. To capture her at such a critical juncture would cause any faction to lose face, leading to an outbreak of chaotic warfare. This was precisely what the Holy Scar Academy wanted to see—they would use this opportunity to completely suppress the matter of the Chosen Ones going to Dead Silence City.
The current Saintess was quite peculiar. This 32-year-old mature lady had already divorced three times. No need for surprise—the Saintess of High Wall City was naturally permitted to marry; otherwise, the lineage couldn't have been passed down generation after generation.
When the Saintess married, her title changed from Saintess to Divine Maiden until she gave birth to a daughter. Only when her daughter came of age would she inherit the title of Saintess again.
The current Divine Maiden's amorous nature was well-known throughout the city. Even so, she still had many suitors.
Speaking of this peculiar Divine Maiden, Madame Smoke said with a smile, "White Night, why don't you sacrifice your charm and bring her back?"
Madame Smoke was, of course, joking. She was certain that the Divine Maiden wouldn't dare to set her sights on the man across from her. Because even with her own strength, when sitting opposite this man, she subconsciously had to use her aura to block the drifting blood energy.
If the current Divine Maiden saw Su Xiao and was within the range of his unconsciously spreading blood energy, as an ordinary person, she would be considered brave just to speak clearly.
"Seduce the Divine Maiden?"
Su Xiao felt this plan wasn't bad. He himself naturally couldn't do it—he was well aware of his own blood energy. But he had subordinates, such as...
Su Xiao turned his head to look. Old Chaman, sitting by the door, said urgently, "I'm not going! I love my wife very much."
"Pfft~ cough cough~"
Madame Smoke, choked by her tea, looked at Old Chaman in surprise. She sincerely felt that the Treatment Institute was full of talented people, and... Old brother, you're 70 this year, right?
"No one's fucking talking about you. With those wrinkles on your old face, a mosquito landing could get crushed. Xiusi, what about this matter~"
Baha spoke with a mischievous smile. Although Xiusi couldn't speak, he was definitely up to the task. Moreover, as a transcendent who could join the Treatment Institute, his aura was naturally extraordinary.
Xiusi's face reddened, and he shook his head, meaning he couldn't do it—he had never done such a thing.
Su Xiao opened the drawer and took out a stack of gold pounds—a brand new, unopened bundle of 10,000 gold pounds.
Xiusi looked up, his eyes going straight. Seeing this, Su Xiao took out two more stacks and placed them on the table. Witnessing this, Xiusi quickly wrote in his small notebook:
'Lord, I can definitely do it!'
Seeing this, Baha said, "Ah~ no can do. Xiusi, you're pure and chaste. How could you go seduce someone?"
Hearing this, Xiusi shrank his head and somewhat embarrassedly wrote in his notebook: 'Not really... I've secretly been to the Pleasure Pavilion... a few times. Really just a few times.'
"No wonder you opened your spatial ghost gate next to the Pleasure Pavilion last time. So you'd already been there to experience the exciting programs. Don't worry, this time you just need to have a meal with her."
Baha said with a laugh. Xiusi nodded, hesitantly came to the desk, meaning—does this 30,000 gold pounds belong to him now?
Su Xiao took out another 10,000 gold pounds and said, "After this matter, you need to go into hiding for a while."
Su Xiao's plan was simple: have Xiusi make contact with the current Divine Maiden. There was no need for flirtation or anything—just sharing lunch or dinner once or twice would be enough.
After that, directly capture the Divine Maiden. If any problem arose with the Divine Maiden now, Su Xiao's side would naturally be the prime suspect.
That didn't matter. They would then announce to the outside world that the Divine Maiden had eloped with Xiusi. If anyone came to Su Xiao demanding the Divine Maiden, he would kill one for each who came. His capable subordinate Xiusi had been seduced away by the Divine Maiden—why should they come to him demanding someone? If he didn't go to the Saintess lineage demanding someone, that was already out of consideration for face. How dare they come demanding someone from him?
After hearing this plan, Madame Smoke across the desk was completely dumbfounded. She asked, "Have you... been scheming against me all along?"
"Occasionally."
"Occasionally..."
Madame Smoke savored these two words. After a moment, she changed the subject and said, "Even if you have a way to deal with the current Divine Maiden, there's still a problem. The Saintess lineage doesn't know where the entrance to Dead Silence City is. Only those from the Academic Faction know.
That old immortal in our council said that the entrance, the opening method, and the key are respectively held by the Academic Faction of the Healing Church, the Saintess lineage, and the Treatment Institute. You lost the key before, and now you've found it. So you and the Academic Faction are now on equal footing."
After hearing this, Su Xiao fell into thought. Things had become troublesome. Only the Academic Faction knew where the entrance to Dead Silence City was, and they had the advantage.
Meanwhile, South City District, Holy Scar Academy.
The library was brightly lit. Grand Sage·Tuerz sat by a small round table, reading a nearly half-meter-thick massive book. This stern, hawk-nosed old man always felt his knowledge reserves were still insufficient.
"Have you considered it clearly? You can't deal with the Law Annihilator. But with our entry, the situation changes."
A masked woman in a black tight-fitting suit spoke.
"You? Who are you again?"
Grand Sage·Tuerz closed the book and looked at the newcomer.
"We are... Arcane Eternal Star."
The Crow Woman removed her mask. Almost simultaneously, spellcasters appeared throughout the library—over a hundred of them. These people probably never dreamed that in the void, where they rarely met their match at the same rank, they would come here only to become scraping technicians.