Scripture of Days Past

Even in Chu Qiguang's absence, Ning Chigong, Chen Gang, Zhang Jitian, and all the soldiers at Earth Gate Fort continued to follow the rules he had put in place, operating like a highly efficient machine.

Over time, they would inevitably grow lazy and complacent. For now, at least, Chu Qiguang's influence still remained, and that was enough to keep everyone diligently performing their duties.

The cat fiends had to gather new intelligence, so the fiend eradication campaign was temporarily put on hold, giving Ning Chigong and the others some much-needed rest.

That night, Ning Chigong arranged to have dinner with Zhang Jitian and Chen Gang, both to relax and to grow closer to his two colleagues.

If Chu Qiguang had never entered their lives, Ning Chigong would've been a Tribulation Religion spy, Zhang Jitian would've been a traitor to the empire, and Chen Gang would've been a military thug. However, in this version of reality, the three of them had been brought together.

After downing a few cups of wine, Zhang Jitian said, "It's been quite some time since I've been able to relax like this."

Back in Spirit Province, he had been living his best life. Yet here in the Ba Manor, he didn't even dare to show up late for work for fear of being publicly humiliated. It was truly a depressing contrast.

"Don't dwell too much on the negatives," Ning Chigong said with a smile. "The Ba Manor is a pretty remote place, but there are still places where we can have some fun. Now that we've got a couple of days off, I'll take you two around some of the nicer parts of the city."

Ning Chigong kept his promise, taking Chen Gang and Zhang Jitian to some of the finest restaurants, brothels, and theaters in the city.

The three of them thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and Ning Chigong used the opportunity to pry some information about Chu Qiguang from his two colleagues.

That night, Zhang Jitian said, "We've got to go back to work tomorrow. I really don't want to go..."

The harsh working conditions under Chu Qiguang had made him realize just how much he had taken his life in Spirit Province for granted.

Why did I have to learn martial arts? If I weren't a martial artist, I would never have caught Chu Qiguang's attention!

"I don't want to go back to work, either," Ning Chigong said with a sigh. "I've never seen anyone exploit his workers the way Chu Qiguang does!"

"The work is hard, but I think that's a good thing," Chen Gang countered. "I don't know about you two, but if I didn't Master Chu guiding me and giving me all this work to do, I would definitely be getting up to no good."

Zhang Jitian and Ning Chigong both agreed with him aloud. Deep down, however, they remained completely unconvinced, and they silently denounced Chen Gang as an idiot and a suck-up.

After making merry late into the night, Ning Chigong escorted Zhang Jitian and Chen Gang back to Earth Gate Fort before returning to his residence.

As soon as he entered his study, he was greeted by the sight of a blurry figure sitting behind his desk.

"Long time no see."

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Ning Chigong's expression instantly changed at the sight of the blurry figure.

"Lord Tribulation! To what do I owe this honor?"

Ning Chigong knew this man very well. The man behind the desk had once taught him martial arts, and at the time, he had still been one of the Tribulation Religion's five scourges.

Since then, he had become the second-most important figure in the religion, ranking below only Li Yaofeng.

No one knew his real name or what he truly looked like. The followers of the Tribulation Religion all referred to him as Lord Tribulation.

Lord Tribulation was yet to reach the Dao Comprehension state, but he was still an immensely powerful cultivator. His mere presence was enough to place Ning Chigong under immense pressure.

"There's no need to be afraid," Lord Tribulation reassured him. "You're not to blame for the deaths of the five scourges, and I'm not here to punish you. On the contrary, I've been very pleased with the work you've been doing."

"Thank you, Lord Tribulation," Ning Chigong said.

"As you're aware, our pope recently suffered quite a setback," Lord Tribulation continued. "As a result, dissenting voices arose within our religion, and it took me a great deal of effort to quell the unrest. However, this is far from over. Once our pope makes a full recovery, which will take anywhere between six months to a year, he'll return to the Ba Manor.

"What you need to do is prepare for his arrival and gather information on Omniscient. I've heard that he's recently been recruiting fiends in the Ba Manor. Let him do as pleases. Once our pope is back to full strength, he'll eradicate the Heavenly Master Religion and the Demon Vanquishing Department in the Ba Manor, then join forces with the grand elders to capture Omniscient."

This revelation came as quite a shock to Ning Chigong, and he could already envision the calamity that was about to befall the Ba Manor.

***

In the sky above Hidden Fiend Village, the Chongming Bird slowly descended while Chu Qiguang looked down at the thriving village below with a pleased smile.

Liu Yao was astonished by the sight of the enormous village.

This is a massive base of operations! As expected of a powerful organization with worldwide influence!

All of a sudden, Chu Qiguang grabbed Qiao Zhi and Liu Yao before jumping off the back of the Chongming Bird. They fell several dozen meters, and Liu Yao had to fight the urge to flail his arms in panic.

Chu Qiguang casually stepped through the air, releasing bursts of gale force beneath his feet to slow their fall.

After landing softly and steadily, Chu Qiguang patted the terrified Liu Yao on the back and teased, "You've got to toughen up a little!"

At that moment, several people rushed over from afar.

They were Zhou Yujiao, Wang Cailiang, and Maiden Thirteen, all of whom had been informed in advance that Chu Qiguang would be returning to the village that day.

Liu Yao was instantly entranced at the sight of Maiden Thirteen, while Wang Cailiang heaved a huge sigh of relief and said, "You're finally back. The stock price has been fluctuating wildly lately, and some nobles and even feudal lords have been drawn into investing."

"Have you attracted any unwanted attention?" Chu Qiguang asked.

"I have," Wang Cailiang replied. "Someone even followed one of my workers and tried to assassinate him. Thankfully, Maiden Thirteen was there to stop them."

Not only was Maiden Thirteen a fifth-state martial artist, but her stunning beauty also made it easy for her to wrap most men around her little finger.

Chu Qiguang turned to Maiden Thirteen and gave her a nod of approval.

Maiden Thirteen had heeded her sister's advice and no longer tried to seduce Chu Qiguang. Even so, the captivating smile that appeared on her face was still enough to leave Wang Cailiang and Liu Yao staring at her in a daze.