Chapter 2206 - 1191: Martyr

Seeing Yang Xiao fall into silence and deep thought, Sheng Yanlin belatedly reminded him, "You’ll definitely get a chance to meet the Chairman of the Union in the future, but I’ll remind you, this guy is quite a sly old fox, don’t rashly recognize him as your sworn kin, or it’ll just be counterproductive."

"How dare Elder Sheng insult me?!" Yang Xiao swore he really hadn’t thought of it that way; he was from the Patrol Defense Office, so if he were to recognize anyone, it would be Chief Yue and Chief Commissioner Gu.

Upon thinking of this, Yang Xiao recalled his good brother Qu Muzhi, whose luck was truly good, getting advantage from being in close proximity.

While he himself was out there fighting hard, Qu Mu was comfortably sitting in an office with beautiful women, and suddenly turned into Chief Commissioner Gu’s adjutant, making Yang Xiao enviously sour.

But this good brother still had Yang Xiao in mind, if last time he hadn’t given him some "guidance" in advance, he would have made a big embarrassment in front of Chief Commissioner Gu; Gu is someone who favors practicality, disliking sycophancy and flattery, which rendered half of Yang Xiao’s martial arts ineffective.

One must recognize that the first impression in front of a leader is crucial; once the impression is bad, there won’t be any opportunity to show one’s talents, no matter how gifted one may be.

"You’ve been here long enough, you should head back early; after all, this is the territory of the Esoteric Sect, and although Cannibal Buddha won’t overthink, the elders might become suspicious."

"What I’m going to tell you next, you must listen carefully; tonight, when Elder Kunpa comes to you, remember to listen more and speak less, be sure to collaborate with them to play this act well, because it concerns the future attitude of the entire Esoteric Sect towards you."

"If this matter is handled well, then you will have done a great service to the Esoteric Sect, and the High Priest, being a person who values importance, will remember your kindness, securing your position as the young priest."

"This time, it’s not just about subduing that one martyr; the matter isn’t that simple. You must know that this martyr is a flag bearer, a spiritual belief of the countless members of the Esoteric Sect, with great influence within the sect."

"Back then, due to the High Priest’s order to imprison the martyr, it nearly led to a sect splitting as many elders became disheartened and left, greatly diminishing the sect’s power."

"Should the martyr reconcile with the High Priest, turning hostility into friendship, there is a high possibility that those departed elders would return to the sect, enhancing the High Priest’s ruling authority and prestige further, truly becoming the rightful leader of the Esoteric Sect, which is exactly what the High Priest wants."

"Moreover, this martyr is himself a top-level expert; aside from Cannibal Buddha, no one within the Esoteric Sect can compete with him, not even Nalin Commander."

Understanding the importance of this matter to Yang Xiao, Sheng Yanlin repeatedly reminded him.

Yang Xiao also remembered Sheng Yanlin’s reminders carefully, now understanding why this martyr was so rebellious, even when Cannibal Buddha, known for decisiveness in killings, hadn’t touched him, revealing such a grand background behind him.

After bidding farewell to Sheng Yanlin, Yang Xiao left the courtyard and, under the guidance of the Esoteric Sect’s guards, moved into a refined courtyard located in the core area of the palace.

In the courtyard, besides the guards responsible for protection, there were several exquisite maids, and upon seeing two of them, Yang Xiao’s previously calm eyes suddenly filled with joy: "It’s you!"

These were two familiar faces; back when he was rescued by Cannibal Buddha from the Dharma Sect’s territory, these two took care of his daily needs at the camp and accompanied him in playing chess to relieve boredom.

Seeing Yang Xiao, these two girls were equally overjoyed; according to them, they had just received orders a few days ago and were brought to the Royal City.

Yang Xiao secretly thought that this must be an arrangement by the Esoteric Sect, considering his good rapport with these two girls back then, the sect elders had them transferred to serve him.

"Benefactor, you’re really something; this place isn’t for ordinary people to stay in. I’ve heard only the young priests of the Esoteric Sect have the qualification," a girl said, sitting cross-legged by the table, biting into a roasted chicken leg, juice dripping from the corners of her mouth.

"Exactly, exactly," chimed the other, nodding repeatedly, coconut meat still stuck at the corner of her mouth from a coconut lotus seed bun.

At mealtime, the guards delivered abundant and sumptuous meals, Yang Xiao couldn’t finish them alone, so he shut the door and called the two girls to join him for the meal.

Having interacted previously, the girls knew Yang Xiao’s temper well and didn’t hold back, they closed the door to block the view, otherwise dining together with him would get them punished due to their position.

"Benefactor, you eat too, after which we’ll accompany you in playing chess."

The girls had a great impression of Yang Xiao, ever since he gave them some gold, they now referred to him as benefactor.

After Yang Xiao left last time, their imprisoned relatives from the Punishment Camp were released, all thanks to Yang Xiao speaking on their behalf. Their families returned to their hometown with gold, bought homes and land, and life improved.

As for the two girls themselves, they now earned monthly wages, each month equating to the earnings of a family adult laborer working diligently for three months.

In their usual work, they seldom dared to speak up, given the strict hierarchy within the sect, any slight mistake could lead to punishment; having been pent up for a long time, seeing Yang Xiao felt like releasing a floodgate, they just couldn’t stop talking.

The girls seemed to have been meticulously dressed before arriving, wearing the sect’s unique feather decorations; listening to them chatter incessantly, Yang Xiao felt like he had two large-sized parrots.

After the meal, Yang Xiao didn’t keep the two girls for chess, not for fear of losing, but because he knew Elder Kunpa would soon arrive, and he needed quiet to contemplate his strategy.