248: Chapter 248 Insightful

"Old sir, if I may be blunt, the Blasphemers do indeed have some strength."

"If His Majesty is careless, it is indeed possible for them to find an opening."

"To throw Dongyu into chaos, to attempt to prop up one or two Puppets, and to seize control over a city or two—they certainly have such intentions."

"But as for ambition? Heh, this group has none."

"Or rather, they don't understand what ambition even is."

"A bunch of people who have made their reputation stink to high heaven are destined to never achieve great things. Based on this alone, I can assert that the entire Blasphemers organization has a low IQ."

"As for the Blasphemers in Dongyu, there's even less need for His Majesty to worry."

"Look at their identities: the wife of some governor, the captain of some duke's guard—each one is just a common fungus clinging to the roots of a tree."

"They are like chamber pots; someone might pick them up to use when needed. But once finished, they are immediately found disgusting and thrown as far away as possible."

"Please tell His Majesty that the Blasphemers are at most like a hemorrhoid—annoying but not fatal. There's no need to worry about these troublemakers."

Grand Preceptor Qian Wenzhao trembled as he listened, his old face turning a dark shade of green.

He felt...

This kid's tongue is damn poisonous!

Fungus, chamber pots, hemorrhoids, troublemakers—what kind of filthy metaphors were these?

While these metaphors were irritating, what annoyed him more was the current state of the organization.

Was Tang Long wrong?

Long ago, the Blasphemers had cooperated with the Imperial Family, only to be abandoned by the Ye family.

During the Sangyu Rebellion, they had cooperated with Guan Tai, but Guan Tai didn't trust them either, and he ultimately met his downfall.

They had even cooperated with Ye Baiqiao, but Ye Baiqiao was even more ruthless; he drew his blade the moment he was done with them. He truly treated them like chamber pots.

Now, they were cooperating with Xu Chaoyang. Could Xu Chaoyang be relied upon?

Last night, he had personally acted to eliminate Qiguang Sect, but the Seventh Apostle and Xu Chaoyang's son were not arranged by the organization.

However, looking back, public opinion would definitely dump all the blame onto the organization's head.

Even if Xu Chaoyang believed they didn't do it, this would be a perfect excuse to turn against them in the future.

He had spent seventy years of his life reaching the high position of Crown Princes Tutor. His Majesty did not doubt him, and the Crown Prince held him in high esteem, but what if his identity as a Blasphemer was leaked?

This stinking reputation was truly enough to make one despair.

At this moment, as Qian Wenzhao looked at Tang Long again, his heart was filled with confusion.

This kid says we have no ambition and that we don't understand what ambition is. Then what is the answer?

So he thought about it and asked again.

"To break the faith in the gods within the mortal realm and create a world without gods—can such a goal not be considered an ambition?"

Tang Long smiled. "What kind of ambition is that? At most, it's a slogan, something to shout casually."

"If you grab any random Blasphemer and ask them how to break the world's faith in the gods or how to create a world without gods, they will surely look at you with anger, but their eyes will be utterly empty."

"Because they simply have no answer."

"Taking a set of petty spy-like tactics to carry a hollow, grandiose slogan—it's like putting a donkey's lips on a horse's face; it doesn't fit."

"Our country is small and in a state of fragmentation. They can carry out assassinations, sell intelligence, and flirt with some powerful regional officials, but they are destined to never have much impact."

"To say something disrespectful, even if one of the Emperors of Dongyu Kingdom became a Blasphemer, he would still have to keep his head down. Once exposed, the surrounding nations would charge in under the banner of righteousness and tear him limb from limb."

"From a broader perspective, there's no need to pay much attention to such an organization. Their way of doing things has no market and will eventually sink into the river of time on its own."

Qian Wenzhao's eyes also became somewhat empty now.

Tang Long's words were even more despair-inducing than those filthy metaphors earlier.

Even more uncomfortably, he had to continue to play along and say...

"Insightful."

After speaking, Qian Wenzhao stood up and patted Tang Long's shoulder.

"Recover well. No need to see me out. I will come to see you again when I have time."

Going downstairs and into the car, Wei Mingzhu, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly asked.

"Teacher, how was it?"

Qian Wenzhao sighed. "He is indeed an extremely talented young man. He recognized me."

"Then... did he agree to your recruitment?"

Qian Wenzhao shook his head. "I didn't mention it."

"What!" Wei Mingzhu was startled. "Since he knows your identity and hasn't joined the organization, in principle..."

"Kill him?" Qian Wenzhao smiled. "You are still too green."

"Why did he only wipe out the Feng City branch? Do you think his reach couldn't extend to Sangyu?"

"In yesterday's operation, he had two Spirit Maps hidden by his side. If he can hide two, he can hide three or five. Do you think he couldn't call upon those Bishops? Why did Blood Fiend and Evil Eye return alive, while the Seventh Apostle died?"

"And you. Do you think he was being overly kind, or that he didn't have the ability to kill you?"

Wei Mingzhu was left speechless and dumbfounded by these questions.

Qian Wenzhao looked at her, smiled, and shook his head again.

"No wonder you were no match for him. This kid's shrewdness is incredibly deep."

"However, it is already very clear that he doesn't want to become a mortal enemy of the organization. So he won't expose my identity."

"Besides, he is already crippled and poses little threat to the organization. There's no need to rush to eliminate him."

"Compared to those eyes of his, this kid's brain is actually more significant. His clear understanding and precise analysis of the organization's current state are unprecedented."

"Unfortunately, not only is he now a cripple, but he is also a Holy Messenger after all. I can't make up my mind yet on whether to recruit him; I'll have to seek the headquarters' opinion."

"For now, you and your people will maintain contact with him. Report any news to me immediately."

"This is a top-secret mission. It must not be leaked to anyone."

Wei Mingzhu's expression was somewhat dazed as she nodded slightly.

————

After the tall building's guest left, Tang Long listened to Qian Wenzhao's car drive away and fell into a daze.

He was certain that Qian Wenzhao understood his meaning and had expressed some attitude today.

But the other party was very cautious and didn't reveal any obvious intentions for the next step.

Old fellows are indeed difficult to deal with.

However, he should be considered a sensible person. The Blasphemers' hunt for him should pause for a while.

After all, the Pope lost an apostle; they would have to deal with the Pope's counterattack next.

While Qiguang Sect's death was a pity, the appearance of that mysterious Spirit Map expert was very gratifying to Tang Long.

In this world where divine power was supreme, the strongest force in Dongyu Kingdom was none other than the Pope.

Below him were the Emperor, the Grand Secretary, and The Sects of various cities.

If these people didn't dare to strike at the Pope even when given the chance, his career in Dongyu would likely be a hundred times more difficult.

Now, this strike was both accurate and fierce, shaking the very foundations. It was truly ideal.

Qiguang Sect's death would inevitably shock the military.

And Xu Chaoyang, whose only son was killed, would surely be beyond furious.

Although the ripples of this strike hadn't yet turned into a storm, the great chaos of Dongyu Kingdom was not far off.

He thought for a moment and then called out to Miao Manman.

"Secretary Miao, call Dog Bro over for a moment!"

Soon, Mad Dog walked in hurriedly.

"Busy man, you've finally remembered me."

Tang Long chuckled. "Dog Bro, your tone sounds so resentful."

Mad Dog shook his head repeatedly. "It's not me who's resentful, it's my boss. He's been nagging about you for the past two days, and his voice is much louder than before. He's almost driven me crazy with his nagging."

"So? How long do you plan to keep pretending to be a cripple?"

"Can you find some time to go see Him?"

Tang Long smacked his lips and then shook his head. "I haven't finished playing the victim yet. I'm afraid I have to keep it up for a few more days. You'll just have to hold on."

Mad Dog sneered. "Then what did you call me for?"

Tang Long thought for a moment and asked, "Has the Queen's whereabouts been confirmed?"

Mad Dog shook his head. "My boss only knows that she was heavily wounded by the High Priest's counterattack during the final blow, then she fled Song City. No one knows where she went."

"Then help me contact Group Leader Yun. If it's convenient, ask her to come over."

Mad Dog was full of shock, even carrying a hint of fear.

"Brother, let me give you some advice. Minister Qi was just assassinated, and the entire Military Department is busy catching and killing people. At a time like this, you'd better not provoke her."

"Even if you insist on bothering her, don't drag me into it."

"In terms of relationship, you're closer to her than I am. Find her yourself."

Tang Long frowned. "What kind of talk is that? You make it sound like I have some ill intentions toward her."

"Besides, aren't you and she fellow disciples? She's in trouble, and if you, as her Senior Brother, won't help, that's one thing, but to avoid her like the plague? What kind of behavior is that?"

"I'm looking for her precisely because of Commander-in-Chief Qi's death."

"Some things are hard to say but true. That key position is now vacant; someone has to fill it."

"I think Group Leader Yun is a suitable candidate."

Mad Dog still shook his head. "The Commander-in-Chief of the Songcheng Military Headquarters is nominally equal in rank to the Governor. Even if there's a vacancy, it's usually filled by an appointee from the Military Department. Even if it's not an outside appointment, it would be the commander of the City Guard Division who gets promoted."

"Moreover, although there's no explicit regulation, one can't hold that position without strength. So, they must at least be a Spirit Map."

"She is neither a division commander nor has she achieved Spirit Map status. Even if she has some fame, it's impossible for her to jump directly into that position."

At this point, Mad Dog's gaze became wary. "You want to interfere in military affairs? I suggest you think carefully. The military is a powder keg right now, and you, as a Holy Messenger, might end up in a very awkward position if things go wrong."

Tang Long smiled slightly. "Don't worry about that. Just make the call."