Chapter 399 - 341: Great Chu! Jade Seal! Qi Fortune Divine Technique

Huo Qiming stared intently at Chu Bamboo, but he wasn’t angry about being deceived. To be blunt, the only reason he had believed Chu Bamboo was the Grand Ancestor was due to his special connection with the Great Goddess Nuwa.

’So that’s how it is... Wait!’ A flash of understanding lit up Huo Qiming’s eyes. He glanced at the equally unflappable Eunuch Huang and then at Hu Kaikang, who was still visibly conflicted. He had figured something out—

’Eunuch Huang has probably reached the same conclusion,’ he thought. ’But judging by the situation... Hu Kaikang is still clueless.’

What Huo Qiming had realized was this: the Daqian Imperial Family was rumored to be descended from ancient Divine Beings. In the past, he had always dismissed it as propaganda, but now, it seemed entirely possible...

"Lao Hu!" Chu Bamboo suddenly called out. "Contact the Pope!"

Chu Bamboo paused for a moment, his voice tinged with amusement. "I’m a little curious... What kind of attitude will that old geezer show when he’s facing me, the Conqueror of Celestial Capital?"

"..." Hu Kaikang was speechless, not daring to say a word.

...

Leaving Huo Qiming outside, Chu Bamboo passed through the carved, vermilion-lacquered main doors.

Gilded, octagonal palace lanterns hung from the dome, their light mingling with the kaleidoscopic rays from the rose windows, rendering the church ethereal and dreamlike.

Chu Bamboo glanced at the dome. The cloud-patterned, coffered ceiling was outlined in gold thread, with a glazed lotus relief inlaid in the center. It formed a curious harmony with the surrounding murals of Western Angels, as if Eastern and Western mythologies had reached a silent consensus in this very moment.

This was the headquarters of the God Worship Sect’s Western Faction. The entire building was a fusion of Western and Eastern styles, but instead of feeling contradictory, it had forged its own unique artistic path.

’If I could take these blueprints back to reality... I bet I could win a few top design awards with them, no problem.’ Chu Bamboo clicked his tongue in admiration for a moment, then resumed walking.

He was calm and unhurried, cradling Little Mushroom Head in his arms. He was followed by fully armed Security Corps soldiers with guns drawn, while drones provided escort from above.

Qian Shi led the way, his expression a daze of complex emotions. The thought that he had just been chatting with the man behind him this morning—and now, less than a day later, that man was the new master of Celestial Capital—made him want to laugh. A laugh directed as much at himself as at this screwed-up world.

Finally, they entered a grand and solemn hall.

A look of nostalgia surfaced in Chu Bamboo’s eyes. He looked forward and said calmly, "It’s been a while."

Before the altar, jade-carved candlesticks stood beside a pearl-inlaid cross.

Two people were standing there quietly. One was Hu Kaikang... As for the other—

An elderly man who had been praying silently slowly turned around. He wore a Chinese-style, wide-sleeved brocade robe with cloud patterns, and on his head was a kingfisher-feather phoenix crown. Both his clothing and his bearing possessed a unique charm that was a fusion of East and West.

This was the current Pope of the God Worship Sect’s Western Faction—Fang Jishi, also known as Pope Fang.

The Pope’s lips trembled slightly, and the emotion in his eyes was incredibly complex, but his attitude was clearly respectful. "Your Excellency, Chu Bamboo."

"..." Chu Bamboo fell silent. He waved a hand at those behind him. "Leave us."

"But..." Zhao Xu’s expression faltered. Even though they had conquered all of Celestial Capital, his mind remained sharp, and he knew what was truly at stake. The moment he’d heard Chu Bamboo had left the Kunpeng, he had rushed back to serve as his personal guard.

"Follow orders!" Chu Bamboo repeated himself just once. No matter how reluctant he was, Zhao Xu could only lead the others away. His only consolation was that the surrounding drones were still active.

Qian Shi shot a cautious glance at the Pope, who gave a slight nod. Qian Shi immediately retreated with the others. Hu Kaikang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stayed behind.

"Are you serious, old geezer?" Chu Bamboo walked up to the Pope with a strange look on his face, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Is this the first time you’ve ever used that tone with me? You’ve always just pulled the ’I’m-older-and-wiser’ card!"

Hu Kaikang: "..."

’So, what exactly was your past relationship with the Pope?’ he wondered. ’How dare he use a name like that... If it was just because he’s the Conqueror now, this brazen attitude would make some sense... but it seems like Chu Bamboo always treated the Pope this way?’

"I wouldn’t dare be so impudent in the presence of the Rebel Leader," the Pope said calmly, his attitude consistently respectful. He was now treating the man before him exactly as he would the Heavenly Monarch—

Because the moment he saw Little Mushroom Head, the moment he heard what had transpired in Celestial Capital, he had already accepted the possibility. The man before him now had a chance to conquer all under heaven—no matter how small that chance might be, it now existed!

’Of course, even if he fails, it’s no matter,’ the Pope thought. ’As long as I don’t lead the God Worship Sect in giving him our full support, the Heavenly Monarch can’t truly hold me accountable. At worst, I’ll face a few official reprimands...’

"...Are you for real?" Chu Bamboo sensed something was off. At first, he’d thought the Pope was just teasing him or being sarcastic. He gave the old man a long look but decided not to dwell on it. "Fine. That’s not important."

"I came to ask you a few things." Chu Bamboo cleared his throat. "First..."

Chu Bamboo gave a detailed description of the Golden Dragon he had seen, then asked, "Do you have any idea what it is?"

The Pope pondered for a moment, then his body went rigid. Astonishment filled his eyes. "Wait... are you certain? How could that be... When did the Heavenly Monarch get his hands on the Great Chu Jade Seal? That’s impossible... That Artifact was lost long ago, wasn’t it?"

"...Explain. In detail," Chu Bamboo demanded, his brow furrowing.

After a short silence, the Pope began to speak softly. "The founder of the Great Chu Dynasty, the Emperor of Chu, King Wen of Chu... He was rumored to be a powerful Transcendent who had mastered the Divine Technique of Qi Fortune. After his death, following his final decree, his successors forged his very body into a Jade Seal to anchor the fate of the nation."

"And that... is the Great Chu’s Heirloom Seal of the Realm! It is a Spiritual Artifact of the highest order—in a certain sense, you could even call it a nation-stabilizing Divine Artifact!"

"But from what I know... that Jade Seal was supposed to have been lost during the last dynastic change..." The Pope couldn’t comprehend it.

’If the Heavenly Monarch really did recover it, he should have announced it to the world. After all, it is an auspicious omen... one that would strengthen the legitimacy of the Daqian Dynasty.’

"...What are its abilities? So that Golden Dragon..." Chu Bamboo asked quickly.

"I don’t know."

"?" Chu Bamboo stared at the Pope in disbelief.

"It’s just... your description sounds exactly like the Destiny Golden Dragon. There are brief mentions of it in the Church’s texts, so I’m making an educated guess. In reality, I can’t be one hundred percent certain," the Pope said with a bitter smile. "That Artifact is passed down through the Royal Family... The situation is too sensitive for us to go prying... And besides, as I already said, it was lost during the fall of the last dynasty!"

"? Wait a second. You, or rather, your Church, wouldn’t dare to investigate?" Chu Bamboo’s eyes narrowed. "So, does that mean there are experts within the Royal Family who are a match for you?"

"It’s hard to say. The Imperial Palace has its profound secrets; how could an outsider like me hope to pry into them?" The Pope mused for a moment, then added, "Of course, setting aside the secrets of the Imperial Palace... there are indeed individuals within the Imperial Capital who can match my power... But!"

The Pope trailed off, but his meaning was unmistakable... He couldn’t be certain that the powerful figures he knew of were absolutely loyal to the Emperor.