The Innkeeper

Chapter 2071: New reputation

A Dao Lord could not be judged using normal metrics. They were beings of near infinite power. One of the primary reasons most Dao Lords never progressed beyond simply entering the realm was because they were so powerful, that they themselves could not completely master their own strength.

Alongside that strength came a near infinite mental capacity for thought and processing. It took any random Dao Lord less than one second to perceive every action ever taken by all living beings on earth, just as an example of just how powerful their minds were.

Yet this was only the most basic requirement of being a Dao Lord, for they needed exactly such a mind to control their power. They used a majority of their mind to process information from their numerous senses, since they perceived the universe in such a vastly different way.

For example, while a normal human - a regular old joe, like Lex - might judge how a situation may evolve based on experience, common sense and deep insight, Dao Lords would judge it based on factors a human would not even know existed.

Their every thought was more accurate than regular divination from non-Dao beings, which is why they did not need to judge things based on experience. After all, even experience left room for errors in new situations. Generally speaking, Dao Lords were always correct.

The only exception was when they were up against other Dao Lords. Since they all relied on similar senses and powers, they could manipulate or hide many indicators, influencing the conclusion another Dao Lord might reach - thus rendering their great advantage null.

Theoretically, any Dao Lord could pull this off, but practically the situation was a whole lot more complex. Hidden between the perceived certainty of reality through the eyes of a Dao Lord, there was room for infinite possibilities revealing that even Dao Lords were vulnerable to other Dao Lords.

Of course, this was something most did not know or realize. It had been too long since a mass slaughter of Dao Lords, or a proper war that ended in death instead of defeat. The stories of the loss of humanities Dao Lords was too old for even Dao Lords, making it seem like a distant reality.

However, one reason everyone was so tense was because this latest war had the possibility of becoming such a war.

On the surface, it seemed like the progress of this war was normal, yet as Mary conversed with the Dao Lords she began to see a pattern - one that was apparent to all Dao Lords. This war was progressing exactly at the scale and pace desired by whoever wanted this war to begin with.

Not a single action taken by the defensive forces as of yet, based on publicly available information, managed to derail the enemy’s plans.

Thus, even now, despite the distinguished guest list for this tea party, its greatest aspect remained the ability to meet, plan and devise without the possibility of being spied upon by the various laws of the universe. The isolation barrier of the Primordial Garden was one of the best in the universe, far surpassing even the Midnight Inn.

Mary had spent several hours talking to the Dao Lords alongside Ballom. She told them nothing specific. She only offered some basic guidance, making them aware of possibilities they automatically negated since that is what their many senses told them.

Yet just like humans who fell subject to illusions, the various senses of Dao Lords could fool them if they were being manipulated accurately enough by another Dao Lord, with Wu Kong being notably adept at just that.

Eventually though, much to the reluctance of all those she was talking to, Mary had to leave. After all, she needed to tend to other guests as well, not just sit and chat with these few.

At least, during this session, she had discovered the persona she wanted to maintain while dealing with other Dao Lords. She could not eliminate her arrogance, not entirely. Instead, she simply needed to manage it, alongside her usual, friendly attitude.

Though, even her friendliness was tempered compared to how she was with normal guests. These were, after all, Dao Lords. While the system kept her secret well hidden for now, the slightest mishap could ruin things.

The issue wasn’t even if she did something revealing now. Anything she said or did now could become the basis for her exposure many years down the lane if she made a mistake at that point.

Thus, she needed to walk a delicate balance between approachable and distant, only fulfilling her role as a host rather than anything else. Among this first batch, she had spoken more than she needed to, but that was something she learned after the fact.

Once she left that meeting, she made her way across the tavern, checking up on guests. Fortunately, most of them were occupied with their own meetings so no one seemed to mind hers and the Innkeeper’s absence.

The few who were still lingering, not participating in any meetings, or leaving out some clones because they didn’t want to miss any tea, got a chance to interact with her.

She was just checking up on people, making sure everything was fine and if they needed anything. In turn, most Dao Lords were curious about this lady who was apparently so close to the Innkeeper.

Quickly, though, that pervading sentiment changed. After she started to make the rounds, no longer was anyone interested in Mary, the Innkeepers assistant and possible romantic interest. Instead, they were all keen to meet Mary, the Dao war expert.

Even though she avoided giving instructions, and only gave general advice based on a guest’s general situation, even that served to enhance her reputation greatly and rapidly. It was so much so that even some Dao Lords who were in meetings were sent messages by others to possibly include her in their meetings, or at least consult her opinion on some issues.

Compared to the mysterious yet friendly Innkeeper, Mary started to develop a reputation as a mysteriously knowledgeable warrior and tactician. In fact, many found it entirely conceivable that she was the strategist behind the Midnight Inn!