99: The antagonism between temples and nobles

"Xue Qinghe" suppressed the throbbing in her heart and stepped into the temple.

Outside the temple, many Believers were queuing up, and upon entering, they knelt and bowed devoutly.

Inside the temple, there was only a young girl, the Little Priestess Cuier.

Despite her youth, the Believers respected her immensely.

As "Xue Qinghe" entered the temple, none of the Believers questioned her.

Before the temple, even if they had to wait a while to offer their prayers, no one dared to lose their temper.

This was true faith.

"Xue Qinghe" did not kneel; she offered a slight bow instead.

She was, after all, the successor—and even a descendant—of the God of Angels.

Cuier looked at "Xue Qinghe" with confusion, her large, watery eyes filled with curiosity.

"You are..."

"I am Xue Qinghe. I have urgent business and must see the High Priest."

"Uh, Big Brother isn't here."

Cuier said apologetically.

"Xue Qinghe" frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Is there no other way for me to contact the High Priest? This matter is truly important..."

Cuier shook her head blankly. Although she had been blessed by Yu Mengzhang, her wisdom hadn't increased much, and as a young girl, she couldn't shoulder heavy responsibilities.

Seeing this, "Xue Qinghe" became somewhat anxious.

If she couldn't contact Yu Mengzhang, what would happen if the nobles moved against the Azure Dragon Temple?

As the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, she could not stand in opposition to the nobility.

Even Emperor Xue Ye would have to consider the repercussions.

At that moment, a feeling of being watched suddenly arose from the depths of her heart.

"Xue Qinghe" immediately looked over, only to find that the one "watching" her was none other than... the statue!

It was clearly a wooden statue, a lifeless object, yet it possessed a sort of living quality as if it were watching her.

"Xue Qinghe" looked at the statue, her mouth opening slightly as she hesitated over whether to speak.

It would surely look foolish from the outside... The kneeling Believers rose and left, and before the next Believer could enter, the wooden doors of the temple suddenly slammed shut.

Yet the light inside the temple did not dim.

Both girls were startled.

"Xue Qinghe" stared intently at the statue, feeling as if something were about to emerge from within.

The next second, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Why have you come?"

!!!

"Xue Qinghe" was momentarily stunned, then looked at the statue in disbelief.

The statue... had actually spoken?!

This was clearly just a wooden carving.

What Spirit Ability could produce such an effect?

No, that wasn't right. There were no fluctuations of Soul Power around; she couldn't sense anything at all!

This statue... "It's Brother Mengzhang's voice! Brother, it's me, Cuier!"

Cuier jumped up excitedly, waving her hand in greeting.

A beam of golden light flew out from the statue's chest and landed on Cuier's head.

This was Karma, nourishing Cuier's body.

"Xue Qinghe" snapped back to her senses and spoke, "High Priest, it's like this..."

"...My Father Imperial does not wish to oppose the temple, but it is difficult to restrain the nobles, and he cannot guarantee what they might do. Therefore, he hopes to communicate with the High Priest..."

"Xue Qinghe" still hoped that Yu Mengzhang would give up on punishing the nobles.

Otherwise, the temple would sooner or later stand in opposition to the Heaven Dou Empire and even the entire Douluo Continent.

Of course, this referred to the Douluo Continent ruled by those with vested interests.

The statue was silent for a moment before speaking again:

"The guilty, regardless of their status, must be punished. Under the Heavenly Dao, all are but straw dogs; none are special."

...

"Xue Qinghe" opened her mouth, her heart churning like a stormy sea.

Since Yu Mengzhang had spoken thus, the conflict between him and the nobility was bound to be irreconcilable.

Even if the nobles backed down now, what about the future?

There would come a time when things could no longer be hidden, and the conflict between the two sides would surely explode!

"Xue Qinghe" hesitated, "High Priest, if that's the case, even His Majesty won't be able to suppress the nobles' retaliation. He will inevitably be swept along. What then?"

The statue fell silent.

Or rather, the answer had already been given.

Any noble who targeted the temple would face the temple's retaliation.

And given the temple's strength... "Xue Qinghe" couldn't help but feel worried for the Heaven Dou Empire.

Would it be destroyed by the temple before she could even ascend to the throne?

She looked at the statue with a complex gaze, knowing that nothing could be changed.

"I understand, High Priest. I will do my best to restrain those nobles, but..."

"Xue Qinghe" bowed slightly, and after paying her respects, she turned and left.

Only Cuier remained in the temple, her large eyes wide with curiosity as she stared at the statue.

The statue suddenly emitted a golden light, and soon, a golden figure appeared from within—it was Yu Mengzhang.

This was his merit golden body, carrying his consciousness.

It also possessed some degree of power.

"Big Brother!"

Cuier jumped up excitedly and lunged at Yu Mengzhang.

But she missed, passing right through Yu Mengzhang's body.

Yu Mengzhang rubbed her head and shook it slightly.

Then he looked up toward the high sky.

There was very little Dragon Qi left in this place. With his current merit golden body, the natural energy of heaven and earth he could draw upon was still too little.

He needed to channel a portion of Dragon Qi over to deal with the problems here.

If the Heaven Dou Empire intended to be his enemy, he would not lack for thunderous methods.

"Big Brother, are bad people going to bully us?"

Cuier asked curiously.

Yu Mengzhang snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at Cuier.

"I can protect Big Brother! I'm very strong now!" Cuier raised her arm and threw a punch with all her might.

Yu Mengzhang gave a faint smile. "No one can bully us."

Cuier nodded. "Of course, because Big Brother is the best!"

..."Xue Qinghe" returned to Heaven Dou City full of worry.

She had the carriage stop in front of Prince Xue Xing's manor.

She went to pay a visit.

The other party also knew of the temple's formidable power. Though the two were "political enemies" in court, they stood on the same side at this moment.

While "Xue Qinghe" considered herself clever, she still felt inferior to him when it came to the ways of officialdom.

She was welcomed into the main hall and looked inside.

Prince Xue Xing was drinking tea, and there was another teacup on the table, still steaming.

Someone had just been here... A bad premonition immediately rose within "Xue Qinghe."

"Imperial Uncle, what is your view on the relationship between the temple and the nobility?"

"Xue Qinghe" asked impatiently.

Prince Xue Xing shrugged and said slowly, "What else is there to see? So many nobles have died; even I am unwilling to let the matter rest..."

"Xue Qinghe" immediately furrowed her brows and asked, "So you intend to target the temple as well?"

Could those nobles have even persuaded an old fox like Prince Xue Xing?

They must have some "reliable" means!

Prince Xue Xing shook his head. "No, no, no. I am of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family; how could I personally enter the fray? I am simply staying neutral. Crown Prince, I advise you not to meddle in others' business either, lest you draw fire upon yourself."

Prince Xue Xing smiled, his words laden with hidden meaning.

"Xue Qinghe" fell silent, knowing she wouldn't get anything more out of him.

She didn't exactly have a good relationship with the man.