Chapter 554: Chapter 146: Song of Hell Seventh Seat Slave Master

Quietude Canon Law School.

When he heard that Li Xin had come to class, Old Chen immediately called him over.

The tea was of good quality, and Li Xin drank it with satisfaction. Old Chen didn’t nag him about attendance.

"I saw you at Philson’s apprenticeship ceremony, standing with the family of the apprentice. Do you know Lin Xueyin?" Chen Rutang asked.

"That’s my sister," Li Xin replied.

"Oh, it’s your sister, is it? That’s good. At her age, she should be in the Grace Class, right?" Chen Rutang filled Li Xin’s cup with a smile, "This tea is of a royal grade, each dean of the Canon Law School gets only two packs a year, isn’t the aroma great?"

Although the Royal Family doesn’t hold power, their honor remains, and they still grant rewards yearly, as they are the nominal monarchs.

"It’s aromatic," Li Xin said. "Xueyin was supposed to be in the Grace Class, but Grandmaster Philson discovered my sister’s extraordinary talent and insisted on taking her as a disciple, crying and pleading. I had no choice."

Chen Rutang’s eyes widened, wondering if this kid was bragging or playing the fool. Still, it wasn’t unheard of for Philson to take a final disciple; without exceptional talent, it wouldn’t make sense.

"Having a good mentor is a stroke of good fortune for young people, but have you considered that while the Celestial Principle School is a school of thought, the scholars tend to be older? It’s good to build a foundation over a few years, but shouldn’t you come to the Canon Law School for comprehensive improvement when the time comes, or advance on parallel tracks?" Chen Rutang said, smiling like a kindly grandfather.

"Ah, you’re right, Dean. I almost forgot — I heard even Divine Revelation approached the Celestial Principle School, probably for this reason." Li Xin responded with a perfectly placed expression.

"Nonsense! I’m not accusing you; I’m talking about Divine Revelation. That place is too showy, unable to settle down. As for the atmosphere, our Quietude is the best and most free, so don’t be misled." Chen Rutang said, "Cultivators must settle down and accumulate!"

"Dean, as soon as I heard about it, I argued back, telling Aunt that even if my sister wanted to join the Canon Law School, Quietude would be her first choice. Only if Quietude didn’t accept her would she consider other schools. Whether a school is good depends on the leadership of its dean," Li Xin said sincerely while sipping tea.

"You’re an honest kid. While it’s true, we should also be humble. Let’s settle it, then — since we’re all on the same side, we can just go through the formalities." Chen Rutang chuckled, feeling a weight lifted off his chest.

Such a deal of buying one and getting one free hadn’t come around for a long time.

"Dean, I’ll return to class, then. Cough, cough — do you have any more tea? I’d like to take some home for Aunt to try; she hasn’t tasted such good tea," Li Xin said.

"Yes, of course! There’s an unopened pack here!" Chen Rutang nodded with satisfaction. "Even if they’re relatives, good wine fears seclusion in a deep alley; you should express your gratitude properly."

Li Xin left with the tea, content. In the dean’s office, Chen Rutang stroked his beard, enjoying the company of a filial child, which is a tradition among Beijing people.

Suddenly, his smile faded as he glanced at the tea leaves in the drawer, with only two or three brews left. It pained him a little, but he soon hummed a tune cheerfully.

Lately, Li Xin had been spending more time at the Canon Law School than with the Night Patrol. He attended several classes with Huerta, cleansing his mind. The youthful and sunny campus life at the school dispelled the gloom of dealing with secret incidents.

Saturday.

At noon, Kathy brought fine wine, and Lin Fei didn’t work overtime. Instead, she and Li Xin went to the market for ingredients. It was Li Xin who cooked, a weekend delight for Kathy and Lin Fei.

"Where’s Xueyin? It’s the weekend; isn’t she coming back?" Kathy asked curiously.

"She sent word with Justin, saying she needs to stay at the academy to finish her homework. The people there have been very good to her, and she doesn’t want to let them down," Lin Fei replied, both happy and a bit concerned; the child had grown up so quickly.

"That girl has her own ideas. She didn’t have much foundation when she joined the Celestial Principle School, so time is probably tight," Kathy chuckled. "To top it off, she’s the mentor to many scholars’ juniors, and she is inherently ambitious, not wanting to lose face."

As they chatted and enjoyed delicious food, Lin Fei cleaned up, while Li Xin and Kathy moved to the second-floor balcony to bask in the afternoon sun. The weather was still cold, but it wasn’t a big deal for the two Awakened ones.

"The Little Flayer case runs deep," Kathy said, "it’s related to the Song of Hell."

Upon hearing "Song of Hell," Li Xin couldn’t help but frown. This organization seemed to be everywhere; he was aware of their formidable power. Each singer had the level of a Great Angel, and the Dragon Mother, capable of single-handedly challenging a Divine Angel, was only ranked ninth. The thought alone was daunting.

"Which singer is it?" Li Xin asked.

"The seventh singer — the Slave Master," Kathy replied. "He’s said to be a puppet master. Six years ago, his Apostle committed the flaying case, causing panic with the collection of human skins and attracting the attention of Dragon Capital, leading to a widespread hunt that captured and executed several Apostles."

"What happened to the Slave Master?" Apostles were just minions.

Kathy shook her head. "He escaped."

"He just got away like that?" Li Xin’s eyes widened.

"A well-prepared escape route from the start makes an Angel difficult to capture, especially a puppet master — it’s impossible to know which is the real body," Kathy explained. "Still, after offending the Church Court, he paid a price."

It seemed influential figures within the Church Court had intervened.

"Then who surfaced afterward? Another Apostle?"

Kathy shook her head. "Probably not. The Song of Hell is cautious in its dealings; neither side wants to break ties, so it likely stopped. Later, the targets were all original embryos parasitized with modified worms."

Li Xin’s gaze sharpened. "The Church Court’s?"

"Some are associated with the Church Court, but many aren’t. Moreover, all the dead had cannibalized others," Kathy continued. "The main body implanted with modified worms transforms them into original embryos through their Spiritual Cultivation. But the process is excruciating and fraught with temptation. Typically, the Church Court would choose faithful members with a Spiritual Ability equivalent to three lives for implantation. Yet, in practice, they often pick those with low cultivation. Even if they fail, the worm can be shifted to another embryo for cultivation, enhancing efficiency."

"This process frequently leads to uncontrollable situations, and the Church Court opts to turn a blind eye?" Li Xin asked.

Kathy nodded then shook her head. "They handle it if discovered, but they don’t actively seek it out. On this matter, the Church is still relatively strict."

Li Xin understood; not only the Church, but cults and some Secret Organizations also obtained original embryos through such means to harness the power of a Divine Being. All parties were aware.