Chapter 47: Theatrics
"Absolutely not, let's take him to the guild such that we may discuss the offer in greater depth."
Ellia firmly rejected the idea of killing him just to acquire the compass.
"I have sworn a vow to obey a code of ethics, even if I personally cannot fulfill your request we may have something of interest at the guild, please come take a look."
Ellia respectfully extended an invitation.
Old Wu looked at the pair, between the killing intent in Lyra's eyes and the noble invitation of Ellia he of course chose to visit the guild of Elysium.
…
Feng Zhiming set course for the guild of Elysium.
He had learned from asking around that the guild was a neutral faction, one that valued only a few things.
Feng Zhiming did not know just how powerful this faction was at the moment.
"If we are unsure about their strengths, why are we going there?"
Anissa asked as she walked beside him, her hand resting on her blade.
"Do you know the best method to fight a faction more powerful than yourself?"
Feng Zhiming asked as he donned a dusty and dirty cultivator robe, as he threw one of the same sort to Anissa.
Anissa shrugged her shoulders .
"Paint them as a villain, a reputable faction such as the guild of Elysium were built on the back of reputation, take the reputation and watch them writhe in pain."
"Their reputation?"
Feng Zhiming nodded,
"Elysium needs the trust of its contractors, even the weakest of them. The moment they break their code of integrity, they become untrustworthy and thus are not a good place to submit your requests."
Feng Zhiming stopped walking as he stood before a big building, the sign above it read, Guild of Elysium Wildland branch.
*Ahem*
He cleared his throat before he began his performance.
"BY THE GREAT DAO, I WAS UNAWARE OF HOW CRIMINAL THE ELYSIUM GUILD WAS!"
As Feng Zhiming shouted at the top of his lungs a crowd instantly gathered, wanting to see what all the fuss was about.
The voice nearly covered half of the city.
"UNHAND MY UNCLE WU YOU KIDNAPPING HEATHENS!"
Anissa very slowly inched away from him, only by a meter or two, just enough so others wouldn't associate them with each other.
A couple of people in the crowd recognized the name Wu and knew he was a talented spiritual inscriber.
The news began to spread like wildfire.
"I can protect him even from a distance." she thought to herself, as the embarrassment by association she felt began to fade.
A couple of foundation establishment guards who stood at the door began to approach him.
"Brother please come talk insi-" one of them asked with a smile on his face while offering Feng Zhiming a handshake.
Feng Zhiming shook his hand.
"YOU FIENDS! TO ACTUALLY CRUSH MY HAND UNDER THE GUISE OF TALKING!"
Feng Zhiming retracted his hand and held it as if it had been crushed under the foot of a beast.
The guards were dumbstruck, they really only shook his hand, they began to sweat.
If the manager learned of this they would be toast.
"This is unfair."
"I never knew the Elysium guild was this malicious."
"Heavens, what if they keep my money and never fulfill my request."
Whispers began to emerge in the crowd.
"GIVE ME UNCLE WU! GIVE ME UNCLE WU!"
Feng Zhiming began to shout.
The crowd riled up by the atmosphere began to join him.
"GIVE ME UNCLE WU!"
"GIVE ME UNCLE WU!"
The door to the guild flung open as a woman with platinum blond hair and purple eyes burst out.
She lunged at Feng Zhiming.
Anissa was about to intervene but Feng Zhiming instructed her to stop via mental transmission.
As the woman was about to lodge her fist in Feng Zhiming's face, a man with brown hair grabbed her around her waist, holding her back.
"LET ME GO I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"
Lyra screamed at Ellia who had grabbed her, just before she planted Feng Zhiming's head into the ground.
"She jests, she jests!"
Ellia tried to speak to the audience as he barely held Lyra back from Feng Zhiming.
"YOU'RE RIGHT I'M NOT GONNA KILL HIM! I'M GONNA HANG HIM UPSIDE DOWN AND PUMMEL HIM!"
Feng Zhiming smirked at the couple of Spiritual Awakeners.
"I dare say, you've all seen it today the guild tried to cover up their sins by having me killed."
As he finished his sentence he felt a gaze lock on to him.
"That's enough, you've made your point. Come inside."
An enchanting voice from inside the guild spoke directly into his mind.
Lyra also heard the same voice and reigned in her anger.
Feng Zhiming was satisfied with this much and decided to listen.
"I shall go into the guild today, but if I do not return. Know that the Elysium guild is built upon the back of sin."
"We will wait!"
"We will wait!"
"We will wait!"
Feng Zhiming left his parting remarks with the audience before walking into the building with Anissa, Lyra and Ellia.
The guild was as he had imagined, an open area with chairs, tables and a mini restaurant and requests posted on the boards by the reception.
He was quickly ushered into a room on the second floor of the guild, its purpose seemed to be a room for discussions, a round table being the dead giveaway.
"Inscriber Wu, you're not an easy man to find."
Feng Zhiming said as he sat in a chair beside him.
"That's not a proper way to address your uncle." Lyra spoke while holding back her rage.
Feng Zhiming looked at her with a smug expression.
"Who said he was my uncle? You overbearing harlot."
"YOU LITTLE F-"
Ellia covered her mouth before she finished her sentence.
"How about some wine, oh angry one."
Feng Zhiming asked, clearly mocking her.
"I'LL SHOW YOU ANGRY!"
Ellia had to physically restrain Lyra from pouncing on Feng Zhiming again.
Feng Zhiming was about to hurl another insult before Anissa put a hand upon his shoulder and shook her head.
Ellia and Anissa awkwardly looked at each other with an understanding gaze.
Lyra was about to escape Ellia's grasp when the door opened once more.
A dignified mature woman with silver hair that fell to her lower back walked in, her steps were ever graceful as if she had been gliding instead of walking.
She wore a beautiful black dress with patterns of white sparrows embroidered into it.