245: Chapter 245 The Bloodline of the Martial God

High Priest Shang Yuleng, weary from travel, walked into his family's backyard and approached a stone house.

Two Red-Robed Martial Guards immediately bowed to him.

High Priest Shang Yuleng asked, "How is she?"

One guard replied, "The Young Miss hasn't caused a scene since yesterday, but she won't eat. She only wants cigarettes."

High Priest Shang Yuleng nodded slightly. "Open the door."

The guard immediately took out a large key and opened the heavy stone door.

High Priest Shang Yuleng entered the room, took a torch from the wall, went to the large stone well in the center of the room, and jumped down.

The stone well was dozens of meters deep, and he splashed a bit of water upon landing at the bottom.

After walking another few dozen meters through the tunnel at the bottom of the well, a room appeared.

Shang Yuqing sat in the pitch-black, icy water, the cigarette at her lips flickering.

In her other hand, she held an old-fashioned pocket watch, staring at it in a daze.

"Can you be calm now?" High Priest Shang Yuleng asked.

Shang Yuqing didn't even bother to look up. "It doesn't matter if I'm calm or not. I'm already locked up here; no matter how crazy I get, it won't affect your reputation as Bishop Shang."

High Priest Shang Yuleng's face darkened, and he snorted. "You still see me that way."

"Then how should I see you?"

Shang Yuqing's voice suddenly rose. "You don't need to waste any more time hypocritically pretending to be a good big brother. Just let me die here, let me rot!"

"You hypocrite! Liar!"

"Get out! Get out!"

Shang Yuqing grew more and more indignant as she spoke, and she suddenly slapped High Priest Shang Yuleng across the face.

Slap!

In the dark and empty stone room, the slap sounded exceptionally loud, even echoing slightly.

Shang Yuqing was somewhat surprised.

She had only just entered the Blood Refining Realm, while High Priest Shang Yuleng was already a powerhouse in the middle stage of the Spirit Map Realm.

With her speed, if High Priest Shang Yuleng had wanted to dodge, it would have been impossible for her to hit him.

"Does that make you feel better?"

"You... why didn't you dodge!"

High Priest Shang Yuleng shook his head. "I did lie to you. Back then, you were young and your emotions were extremely unstable. I was afraid you would act impulsively if you knew the truth and run back to find Mother, so I could only tell you she was dead."

Shang Yuqing trembled all over. "So, she really is still alive!"

"She's alive. And her situation is even more wretched than yours; the water prison she's locked in is filthier and smellier. It's filled with the stench of corpses, excrement, and dead rats."

Shang Yuqing screamed, "Then why haven't you gone back to save her! You're just going to let Mother continue to suffer like that? Are you even human?"

"Save her? Do you think Yuanwu is Dongyu!"

"Do you think a mere Spirit Map Realm can break into the Nether Prison of the strongest Empire's Forbidden Palace and rescue a major criminal who once participated in a rebellion?"

"Given Mother's identity, why do you think she has been willing to be imprisoned in the Nether Prison for thirty years?"

"It's because she refused to reveal our whereabouts!"

"Thirty years!"

"I have cultivated like a madman and fought my way up for revenge and to save Mother, finally reaching the position of Bishop of the Songcheng Sect. And you? What have you done?"

"No ambition, living a dissolute life! Your reputation in Song City is almost as foul as that of the Blasphemers!"

"Look at yourself! What else can you do now besides venting your helpless rage and pinning all the blame on me?"

"If you must go now, I won't stop you. Go ahead."

"Anyway, your identity has already been easily confirmed by the Yuanwu Kingdom spy, Rong Baichuan. And my position as Bishop is likely coming to an end."

As High Priest Shang Yuleng spoke, he waved his hand, and a red light sliced through the chains on Shang Yuqing's feet.

Shang Yuqing stood there at a loss, like a frightened little animal.

"Big brother, is this true? Have we really been discovered?"

"Of course it's true. Even if it wasn't certain before, your reaction when you got the pocket watch has already explained everything."

"Then what should we do! You're just scaring me; the High Priest will protect you, right?"

"If the Yuanwu Kingdom sends two or three Huagai Realm, how can he protect me? Besides, the High Priest himself has met with misfortune; he's gone mad."

"Ah? Then... then you should leave quickly! I'll go out to draw attention for you, and you leave Song City quietly right away!"

High Priest Shang Yuleng sighed and shook his head.

"Lv Yang and the others already know; they're all watching me now. Do you think we can escape while they're hunting us?"

"By then, I'll be a traitor to the entire Red Religion. Setting aside whether divine punishment will descend, do you think being hated by all of the Red God's believers will be easy?"

"Even if I escape Dongyu, where can I go next? Chilin, Nanhe, or Blue Sea?"

"Any power would be extremely wary of a strange Spirit Map powerhouse, let alone one who was once a Bishop of the Red Religion. Who would trust me?"

"At that point, I would be nothing but a stray dog, dying an obscure death sooner or later."

"If I die, not only will Mother have no hope left, but the lineage of Prince Jianying will be extinguished, and the truth about Emperor Shiguang's passing will never be known. The descendants of that Pseudo-Emperor will completely usurp the imperial line."

Shang Yuqing was stunned.

She shook her head repeatedly, tears flowing uncontrollably.

"No, you won't die. There must be a way, right?"

"Tell me!"

"I'll do whatever you say from now on. I won't fool around anymore, I won't provoke the Wei Family, and I won't go see that Tang Long!"

"I won't find any more men to upset you, okay?"

Seeing his sister sobbing, High Priest Shang Yuleng was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

He smiled and rubbed his sister's head.

"I was indeed scaring you."

"Yesterday, I personally set out for the north and intercepted the person who gave you the pocket watch."

"It seems he didn't have time to send the news back to Yuanwu."

"So, we don't have to run away just yet."

"Really?"

Shang Yuqing quickly looked up at her brother, momentarily unable to believe it.

"It's true."

Only then did Shang Yuqing break into a smile through her tears, punching her brother in the chest.

"You! I was almost scared to death by you just now!"

High Priest Shang Yuleng smiled and said, "If I don't scare you, you'll never realize the danger. What you just said... you're not going to go back on your word, are you?"

Shang Yuqing immediately straightened her face but shook her head. "I won't cause trouble anymore. I'll do everything I promised you."

High Priest Shang Yuleng raised an eyebrow slightly. "Actually... it's not necessary to do everything. You can continue to see Tang Long."

Seeing his sister's puzzled look, High Priest Shang Yuleng hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Not only should you continue to see him, but it would be best if... the relationship could go deeper. If you could conceive his child, that would be ideal."

"What exactly do you mean?"

Shang Yuqing spoke with a hint of anger again. "Back then, you killed my first man and even severed my Three Yin Main Meridians so I couldn't get pregnant, saying it was to prevent me from producing a bastard that would disgrace our ancestors."

"It's also because my main meridians were severed that my Realm can no longer improve."

"And now, you're actually taking the initiative to have me seduce a man and even bear his child?"

"Are you really my brother?"

"Even if you've suddenly become shameless, I no longer have the ability."

High Priest Shang Yuleng was very embarrassed and could only try to keep a stern, serious expression.

"Your Three Yin Main Meridians aren't severed; I only sealed them."

"Times have changed. Back then, the men around you were either of lowly status or useless trash."

"We are of the Yuanwu Imperial Lineage, with the blood of the Yuanwu God flowing in our veins. Of course, we cannot allow it to be tainted by such lowly Bloodlines."

"But Tang Long... is different?"

Shang Yuqing gave a cold, cackling laugh.

"Oh? How is he different? Isn't he just a Holy Messenger?"

"Just because he has a Holy Artifact, he's no longer a wild boy from the wilderness?"

"The Sect even says he's spreading calamity everywhere. The Pope's side won't just let him roam free, will they?"

"I don't really care; I actually quite like that kid."

"But you, the great Bishop Shang, aren't afraid of tainting the Bloodline anymore? Aren't you afraid of offending the Pope?"

High Priest Shang Yuleng suddenly lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "He isn't a Holy Messenger; he is the Reincarnation of the Saint."

"What!"

Shang Yuqing was startled, as if instantly turned to stone.

"This was discovered by the High Priest. Initially, he should have only told Lv Yang."

"But later, when something happened to the High Priest, Lv Yang was left without support and had no choice but to reveal it to us."

"Currently, in all of Song City, only we Four Bishops know. Even Tang Long himself probably doesn't know yet."

"So now, the situation of The Sect is almost entirely dominated by him. Whether I can continue to have a place in Song City depends on his whim."

"Capturing that Rong Baichuan from the Yuanwu Kingdom was something he instructed me to do secretly."

"So, do you understand now how important your relationship with him is?"

"If one day he awakens his memories and even reaches a sufficient height..."

Before he could finish, High Priest Shang Yuleng's phone suddenly rang.