Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 134: Don't Let Her Down

“What are the genuine high-ranking celestial maidens of the Maitreya Cult like then?”

“They are the dual cultivation partners of Cult Leader Maitreya. They generally have high cultivation levels... Of course, there are also young girls who just so happened to catch the eye of the cult leader, but they aren’t able to just casually come out. Even if they do, they are protected by a group of high-level guardians.”

“Is there nothing else?” Zhao Changhe asked hesitantly. “Isn’t there also a kind of white lotus celestial maiden who needs to be nurtured and taught from a tender age?”

Wan Dongliu looked at him for a while and then said slowly, “Are you talking about something like what the Four Idols Cult did? Raising a saintess who pretends to be a man and accompanies you to sleep for a month or two?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Wan Dongliu snickered. “The Maitreya Cult has the same origin as the White Lotus Sect. Although, in our opinion, the White Lotus Sect has a much more complete system, how they distinguish themselves internally isn’t something that outsiders can understand. I only maintained a cooperative stance with them before. I was never able to join the cult, they could never trust me enough to let me do so... At least, after I refused their celestial maiden, I lost their trust.”

“Mm-hm.”

Wan Dongliu continued leisurely, “So, whether or not there even exists something like a white lotus celestial maiden, I don’t really know. But based on my common sense, if there were such an immature saintess, there would be no way that she would be listening to the orders of someone like Fa Yuan, who’s merely the leader of a branch temple in Yangzhou. I truly doubt that she would allow herself to be arranged to seduce someone who’s only ranked eighty-something on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons... If you said that she was trying to seduce someone like Chi Li, I might still believe it. Brother Zhao, I think you might be reading too many novels.”

Zhao Changhe retorted, “I’m 38th now, okay? Maybe others could see that I’m not an ordinary person and decided to invest in me early on!”

Wan Dongliu looked him up and down for a while, then pretended like he was too injured to even bother responding. He closed his eyes and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe said, “Are there any other similar forces? More... Hmm, intriguing ones.”

Wan Dongliu replied impatiently: “There are countless chaotic sects and cults in the world. Even within a single force, there are already countless branches. Even my branch and your Azure Dragon or White Tiger aren’t completely compatible at times. As far as I know, the White Lotus Sect has dozens of branches. Who in the world could possibly answer such a question? If you really want to know more about these things, then I can actually recommend a good place to go.”

“Hm?”

“The Demon Suppression Bureau.”

Zhao Changhe fell silent. Wu Weiyang had indeed said back then that if he wanted to get more such information, he should join the Demon Suppression Bureau. This information was indeed what the bureau knew best.

Now, whether he should go to Wushan or the capital first became the question...

The matter concerning the celestial maidens was just born out of curiosity; it wasn’t actually an urgent matter. It was more important for him to deal with the matter involving the Vicious Blood Art.

Logically, Wushan was first. But the problem was that Cult Leader Xue might not be easy to deal with. If he acted unreasonably and suddenly wanted to kill Zhao Chaghe, his current strength might not be enough to let him keep his life.

Of course, it would be safest for him to find Chichi first. However, he needed to distance himself from her in front of the Four Idols Cult. Otherwise, he may end up harming her reputation and standing in the cult. What would be the point of seeking trouble like that? He did not want to provoke Cult Leader Xue, so if he went and provoked Venerable Vermillion Bird instead, that would be like running from a wolf only to end up in a lion’s den.

Wan Dongliu had no idea what Zhao Changhe was thinking at the moment, so he just changed the topic. “Anyway, about Ji Chengkong, I’m planning to release him.”

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “Aren’t you afraid that he’ll leak your secret?”

“I was worried before, mainly because I was afraid of arousing suspicion from the Maitreya Cult, which would have affected my plans. But now that everything’s done, what does it even matter if he leaks it or not? He can shout to the heavens that I’m a member of the Four Idols cult, but without evidence, would anyone actually believe him?”

“...So, even if I were to leak it, it doesn’t matter, right?”

“You are different. Your words actually carry weight, at least in the eyes of the Demon Suppression Bureau. And don’t even bother telling me that you have nothing to do with the bureau. I’m not Tang Buqi.”

Zhao Changhe did not continue on that topic and simply asked, “Why are you releasing him then? Isn’t that no different from asking for trouble?”

Wan Dongliu sighed helplessly. “You don’t think I spared him because I am a kind-hearted man, right? I didn’t want to offend the Thieves Guild to the point of no return. By then, thieves from all over the world would come to bother me. How would I be able to focus on my own affairs then? Sometimes, it’s better to leave a way out. We have our own family and business. We can’t be as casual as you when it comes to dealing with things.”

“So there really is a Thieves Guild?”

“Not only does it exist, but Ji Chengkong is also a direct line heir. His master is ranked first on the Ranking of Earth: Thief Saint Ye Wuzong. He’s the fastest person in the world, someone even those on the Ranking of Heaven would rather not mess with.”

“So, when you’re out and about, all that matters is having the right backing?”

Wan Dongliu chuckled. “Exactly. If your saintess or the Demon Suppression Bureau were willing to openly support you, you would not be in such a shitty position. And if the Cui Clan acknowledged you, you’d be even more comfortable. It’s strange how you actually have a bunch of backers, but you can’t openly use any of them, and sometimes you even end up in trouble, like my assassination attempt. You’re having it pretty tough, I have to say.”

Zhao Changhe thought to himself, Do I actually also have the backing of the person at the top of the Ranking of Heaven? As messy as these connections may seem, they’re not entirely useless to me. This ambiguous identity brings not only troubles but also many benefits, which is why I have not denied anything.

He found it odd, though. “You seem to have concluded that I have a solid connection to your saintess, is that not a problem to you?”

Wan Dongliu said calmly, “From the perspective of the Holy Cult, her behavior is unacceptable... But because you’ve kept my identity a secret for her sake, it would be pretty damn petty of me to snitch on you. With that in mind, though, I’d still suggest you be cautious. If you can break it off, then do it. Otherwise, if Venerable Vermillion Bird were to find out, you would have a much harder time talking to her than me. Isn’t Yue Hongling good enough? Why be so greedy?”

“Don’t you have a cult leader? Why does it seem to be Venerable Vermillion Bird who handles everything?”

“The Holy Cult isn’t supposed to have a cult leader in the first place. The Four Idols are supposed to work in parallel. If there’s someone who could be considerd the leader, then that could only be... the Night Emperor of the previous era.”

Zhao Changhe’s heart stirred. He had heard that name before, back in the reflections at the bottom of the Ancient Sword Lake.

According to what he heard back then, the Night Emperor seemed to have fallen in the previous era... And the page of the Heavenly Tome in his possession should have originally belonged to the Night Emperor. He could not help but wonder why it had ended up in the hands of that woman.

It seems like the Four Idols Cult’s search for that sword may not have just been an ordinary treasure hunt. It looks like there was a specific connection between that place and the Four Idols Cult from the beginning. Surely, their scriptures would mention it, right?

Wan Dongliu continued, “That’s why we have the saints and saintesses. When they reach a certain standard, they become the incarnations of their system, be it for the Vermillion Bird or the White Tiger. The four Venerables decide major matters together. But right now, we only have two Venerables, and even I have no idea who’s taken that position for the Black Tortoise. As such, it has been Venerable Vermillion Bird who handles daily affairs, and it’s not that big of a stretch to consider her the leader. Anyway, these aren’t really secrets. If you ask the Demon Suppression Bureau, they’ll tell you the same things.”

Zhao Changhe nodded and said, “So the reason why the Four Idols Cult has been lying low so far is the vacancies in the upper echelons, huh? That’s why they feel that their strength is insufficient?”

“Exactly. It would be best if someone who is truly compatible with the Four Idols appeared. Then, there would be a possibility of them actually becoming the leader. Or perhaps if someone emerges as the successor of the Night Emperor? Anyway, with Xia Chichi now having the inheritance of two lineages, she has a real chance at filling that gap. Venerable Vermillion Bird not only isn’t jealous, she’s actually very hopeful for that girl. This is an important matter for our Holy Cult as a whole. Brother Zhao, don’t let her down.”

Zhao Changhe fell silent, offering no response.

It appeared like the goals of the Four Idols Cult may not necessarily be in the mortal realm.

Perhaps the reason the White Tiger Saintess had been so captivated by Xia Longyuan back then was because she wanted to find someone who could become Venerable Azure Dragon. At the same time, the reason Xia Longyuan had removed himself from the picture was actually to create a serious fracture within the Four Idols Cult.

But now that both lineages had converged on Chichi, the storms surrounding her may be heavier than he had previously thought.

Don’t let her down...

For a moment, both of them were absolutely silent. Zhao Changhe did not know how to broach the subject with Wan Dongliu. Thinking that it was pointless to remain here any longer, he was about to take his leave when a report suddenly came from Wan Dongliu’s trusted guard outside. “Young Master Tang Buqi has come to visit.”

Wan Dongliu asked curiously, “What’s he up to again?”

“He said he came here to see Mr. Zhao.”

Wan Dongliu looked at Zhao Changhe, who nodded, and then he said, “Invite him in.”

Tang Buqi came through the door soon after.

The next moment, Wan Dongliu stared dumbfounded as Zhao Changhe knocked Tang Buqi to the ground and began thrashing him. “You think knocking on the door is very polite, huh?! Next time, don’t you dare knock again! You dare come to see me at such a horrible time? If I don’t beat you to death, I’m not your uncle!”

Tang Buqi held his head and cried out in pain, “The Demon Suppression Bureau searched the White Lotus Temple and found a woman who was tied up in the warehouse and almost starved to death. She claims that she’s the flower-picking celestial maiden! Uncle Gong told me to ask you if you want to see her...hey, why are you still hitting me?!”

Zhao Changhe was startled, and he pulled back the kick he was about to deliver. He dusted off his palms and said, “Ahem, it seems that my dear eldest nephew still has some loyalty. Where is she? Take me to see her.”

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