Chapter 379 321: Secret Deal with the Pope: Pope of the Western Faction and Sect Leader of the Eastern Faction

Qian Shi: "..."

Qian Shi was drenched in a cold sweat, completely unable to understand... Why was Chu Bamboo so utterly fearless? This kind of audacity, this effortless ease—he was like someone who couldn't possibly have been born in this era!

According to the intelligence reports they had compiled, he was, at best, a Cultivator of the Second Realm... Where did he get the confidence to act so wantonly with such meager strength?

"Besides, aren't you just trying to use this as an excuse to gain more say in Jinghai City? Who do you think you're fooling..." Chu Bamboo sneered, his words like a scalpel, precisely dissecting the true intentions hidden beneath Qian Shi's gentle words...

"...I am very sorry!" the Pope sighed. He didn't try to save face or offer any other excuses... That wasn't his style!

"..." Qian Shi wanted to say something, but no words would come out, his face flushing crimson. It was mainly out of shame... Not shame that Chu Bamboo had exposed his intentions, but shame that he had implicated the Pope and forced him to apologize on his behalf...

"You are correct!" The Pope was very frank. He organized his thoughts, speaking each word deliberately, "Our primary objective is indeed to infiltrate Jinghai City... But! I also promise you, I absolutely, absolutely... absolutely, absolutely... will not let that happen! I am sorry... but I cannot go up against the Imperial Court just to save you..."

"Hmm..." The sound of a page turning was heard. The Pope seemed to be consulting something. Chu Bamboo suddenly realized it must be the intelligence the Pope had received about Jinghai City. It might even include some information about him...

A moment later, the Pope said, "Your main concerns should be the union and the shantytown redevelopment area... I assure you, I will guarantee the safety of the redevelopment area! Furthermore... using the Church's assets, I will make some industrial investments to increase the workers' employment rate and improve their lives. I was even planning to build two more churches in the redevelopment area..."

"No, no, no," Chu Bamboo interrupted the Pope again, speaking word by word. "Let me emphasize... I have a considerable mortal force under my command! I am confident enough to defeat all the mortal forces controlled by the Daqian Dynasty's officials..."

Of course, this wasn't Chu Bamboo getting arrogant. Although he had practically insta-killed the three surrounding legions... he knew his own limits. 'If a full-scale war breaks out, this one-shot army of mine might not last...'

'Unless I go all-in and fight my way north! A bloody campaign just like Zhu Di's Jingnan Campaign...'

'With my bloodline, which could be considered that of a Daqian Grand Ancestor, the Celestial Mandate from Nuwa, and the power to strike straight at the heart of the enemy... ignoring any Extraordinary powers, there's actually a small chance of victory!'

'Although even if I won, the consequences would be severe... For one thing, I probably wouldn't be able to carry out a great purge of the previous dynasty's forces! I'd have to make secret deals with many of the great clans and high-ranking officials...'

But... that didn't stop Chu Bamboo from boasting. As the saying goes, you have to make one part of your strength sound like ten! 'I'm trying to attract investors here... Who tells the truth at a tense moment like this? Besides... my plan actually has a chance of succeeding!'

Chu Bamboo felt a wave of emotion. 'I'm still too honest,' he thought.

"..." The Pope fell silent, but Chu Bamboo could just imagine how spectacular the expression on his face must be right now.

"And Nuwa will support me!" Chu Bamboo added. "You can send someone to verify it!"

"...Hmm! As for that..." The Pope paused, and the sound of page-flipping resumed. Then, his voice took on a hint of shocked uncertainty. "Is that actually true?"

Chu Bamboo: "..."

"Well, that! It sounds much more reliable than what you said before..." The Pope pondered for a moment, then finally sighed. "But it's a shame! Unless you're already on the verge of winning... otherwise... I, or I should say *we*... simply cannot afford to lose again! I can only say... if the whole edifice is truly collapsing, the only ones who will fight you to the death... should be the Confucians!"

After all, the cautionary tale was still fresh...

The last time someone got hot-headed and went all-in right from the start... that Bishop from the Celestial Secret Lineage served as a bloody lesson, intimidating all the subsequent high-ranking members of the God Worship Sect... and even the leaders of other major sects!

Their positions were already hereditary, carving out their own fiefdoms in the world of the Extraordinary. If they won, the most they could hope for was the title of state religion... but if they lost, their very foundations would be shaken!

That last gamble led directly to the complete collapse of the Celestial Secret Lineage, effectively severing an entire branch of the God Worship Sect... Before that incident, the Celestial Secret Sect had been solidly in the top three strongest sects within the God Worship Sect... Subsequently, the God Worship Sect's influence in Hui Province was also torn apart!

The official separation of Hui Province from the Jiangnan Region happened not long after the enthronement of the Heavenly Monarch who had won that final victory...

Even if he never said it aloud, all his actions made it clear... This was the price to pay!

Even an organization with foundations as deep as the God Worship Sect could not withstand such a blow a second time.

"...Is that so!" Chu Bamboo pinched the bridge of his nose, but he wasn't too disappointed. 'So you'll just help whoever wins, is that it? Fine. Being able to probe out this stance of not being absolutely loyal to Daqian... can be considered a victory of sorts, I guess—'

Of course, he wasn't referring to just the God Worship Sect, but all the other major sects. Chu Bamboo had long known the God Worship Sect didn't get along with the Imperial Court, but now he had figured it out... 'Everyone besides the Confucians is a potential ally...'

"However..." the Pope paused, hinting obliquely, "if you were to rescue Bishop Hu... and the God Worship Sect's forces in Jinghai City were to flock to your side! That would be reasonable... And then I could only hold Bishop Hu accountable after the fact."

After a short pause, the Pope continued, "One more thing. If you really do rescue him! The Bishop has suffered... and we must indeed do everything possible... to help him recover! Have him go through the proper channels and file a report..."

"I see." Chu Bamboo nodded thoughtfully, an unspeakable deal completed in the unspoken words. "In that case, you should find a way to send the relief supplies right now... Send them directly to, hmm, the head of the Zone Three church, Zhang Hai!"

Then, without waiting for a reply, Chu Bamboo hung up the phone. 'File a proper report? I'd have to wait until after I rescue Hu Kaikang, and how much time would that waste? As for procedural issues, hah, what are procedural issues to the Pope? It's just a matter of the proper procedure coming a little later... He can just backdate the paperwork, can't he...'

But then again...

"Damn! As expected, even if he's a decent person... anyone who gets to that position turns into a slippery old fox when it comes to politics!"

Meanwhile.

「Celestial Capital.」

Nine crystal chandeliers hung from the gilded dome, bathing the entire dining hall in an amber halo.

The ceiling was a star-dusted dome inlaid with lapis lazuli.

Venetian glass candlesticks stood on each table, their flickering flames casting dappled spots of light through the blue-purple glass onto the silverware...

The Pope set down his utensils and hung up his phone. He remained silent for a long, long time.

"...Your Holiness?" Qian Shi asked cautiously.

"First, send the Tear of Light to Jinghai City... Then, use the Double Heart." The Pope spoke abruptly. Qian Shi's pupils contracted, and his lips twitched. Finally, he shot to his feet, saluted, and said, "Yes, sir!"

The Double Heart. It was a peculiar Artifact! Strictly speaking, it didn't even have a grade.

This Artifact had only one purpose... it allowed the Pope, no matter how dire the circumstances, to contact the other 'head' of the God Worship Sect—the Sect Leader of the God Worship Sect's Eastern Sect, who was currently in the Imperial Capital!

Ostensibly, the two factions only appeared to be one entity on the surface... using this pretense to barely maintain their status as the world's largest sect!

But in reality... the connection between the two sides was far closer than the world could see!

"...Oh, Heavenly Monarch." The Pope looked northward, his eyes filled with worry. 'Did the young master misunderstand you... or did you really...'

In the end, a thousand words were reduced to a single sigh. "Such a time of troubles..."

...

「In the underground base.」

Chu Bamboo stood up and paced back and forth, countless thoughts swirling in his mind.

'If Lao Hu's strength is comparable to Old Huo's... then he's certainly a force that could tip the scales...'

'Based on past experience, Eunuch Huang isn't necessarily loyal... As for Vice Squad Leader Xin, and that one-fifth of the people who knelt before, I should completely abandon any thought of persuading them to surrender... Good thing I've memorized all their faces...'

"Hmm!" Chu Bamboo stopped walking abruptly. He was considering everything that had happened in the previous timeline—though those people hadn't said anything, how could he not have seen their wavering, their thoughts of whether to side with him? This led him to ponder a serious question.

'Given the situation from the last worldline, and my suspected identity as the 'Grand Ancestor'... plus considering Old Huo, who is also someone who only does the right thing, who witnessed the entire event and knows what happened... and the fact that he's all alone, with no family, wife, or daughter in the Imperial Capital... taking everything into account!'

Chu Bamboo looked up toward the sky, contemplated for a moment, then let out a long breath.

"The chances are still slim... but it's worth a shot!"