109 Chapter 13 (1/2)

Hei Lian didn't understand the philosophy of Regiis. She admired their equal treatment of women, of course, but everything else confused her greatly. How could a society function that way and not collapse on itself?

The Tier 1 light mage leading the way for her stopped her footsteps at the beginning of a corridor. Turning to her, she addressed Hei Lian without arrogance or servility, ”Wait here. I'll check whether the Chief is free.”

For a brief instant, Hei Lian had the urge to bind the mage in her shadows, render her utterly helpless and revel in her fear. Repressing her urges, she smiled and nodded instead. The woman turned around smartly and walked away, leaving her alone in the hallway.

Walking up to the window, Hei Lian looked up at the steadily darkening skies. The day was at an end.

It had been a busy day. She had to shuttle back and forth between the Heavenly Wolf Mercenaries and the Regiis contingent to work out the problems they had been facing in settling the mercenaries to both their satisfaction.

Thankfully, grandma hadn't brought any cultivators higher than the Dao Domain stage so she had no trouble at all getting the wolves to listen to her. No. The trouble she had was with the Regiis officers.

Back home, everything was quite simple. The strong ruled and the weak served. The logic was irrefutable, really. When your life could be ended by the one in front of you in an instant, you obeyed.

She brought her hand up in front of her face. A jet-black flame lit up in the centre of the pallid palm.

Take that Tier 1 light mage for example. Hei Lian could immobilize her with ease. With the pitiful amount of mana she had in her mindscape, she wouldn't be able to break free. Then she'd just be a puppet for her to control, a frantic mind trapped in the prison of her flesh. And that was if she wanted to control her. She could just as easily roast her from inside her body. After all, no light could reach within a body and where there was shadow, there would be fire – hellfire.

Hei Lian didn't understand. Why wouldn't you kneel to someone who could do that to you? How did all these weaklings dare to raise their heads and look their betters in the eye.

She ached to teach them a lesson. A lesson in subordination they would never forget but she was fettered here. Not by chains of iron and steel, nor by a magical bond like the one her father had shackled her with. No. Her fetters were metaphorical but no less solid for all that.

Clenching her fist, she extinguished the abyssal flame.

Protocol, they called it here. Rules. Regulations.

She understood the need for such things. Specially among people of equal strength. There had to be some sort of standard in place so those with similar levels of cultivation could get along and cooperate without having to fight each other for dominance first. That was what the concept of Face was for. That was the reason for the existence of their honour code.

If you give me face, I shall give you face in return. If you don't, our enmity will be irreconcilable.

Contrary to what the people of Regiis thought, giving face wasn't a show of submission. It was a show of respect. One which would be reciprocated. They weren't animals that would misconstrue every concession as a sign of weakness and reach out for a yard after taking an inch.

For all her so called cunning, the Duchess was as culturally illiterate as the rest of her countrymen, probably considering herself too exalted to bother studying up on the lifestyle of Huaxia. After all, who needed to know how barbarians thought, right?