Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 271 270 Three kinds of threads and one rope
Feng Xiuhu stroked his stubble and muttered to himself, "I knew it. The main hall of the Wind and Rain Temple is in Fancheng, so why are there so few people performing the High Priest's Ceremony? It's clear that its profound heritage is right here."

He should have realized it much earlier, because the church did the same.

The titles of priest and bishop are merely official positions, but true masters who have cultivated to a certain level are not limited to these—like the old man in the bishop's robe in the library.

Gu Zhili wiped away the blood scabs and began to apply medicine to Feng Xiuhu.

The powder touched the wound, causing a burning pain.

Noticing Feng Xiuhu's pain, Gu Zhili spoke to distract him: "The Double Happiness Cup is a top-grade magic artifact, and its value is self-evident. Now that the Marriage Temple has lost another master, this feud has become very serious."

Feng Xiuhu, however, was not worried. He grinned and said, "The fact that the Marriage Temple sent people to assassinate me only exposes their guilty conscience. It's not hard to understand why they did this. They secretly planted people around Wei Su'e to trip up the Duke of Da Guo. This has already offended the church. Besides, Fancheng is not the territory of the Marriage Temple, and the Wind and Rain Temple will not let them do as they please."

Gu Zhili advised, "But top-grade magical artifacts are ultimately too hot to handle. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle them and might even get yourself into trouble. It would be better to hand them over to the church; at least you'll have peace of mind."

Feng Xiuhu shook his head and refused: "No, I still have a use for it."

In fact, Feng Xiuhu didn't think much of the Double Happiness Cup. He felt that its purpose didn't suit his temperament, so after giving Gu Zhili a taste of her own medicine, he put the Double Happiness Cup away and didn't plan to use it for anything dirty in the future.

However, the sudden arrival of the matchmaker at the Temple of Marriage served as a wake-up call for Feng Xiuhu.

……

The next day, the family woke up and sat around the table to eat breakfast.

When Shunzi went to his new job, he sent a message to Mike, saying that Feng Xiuhu was looking for him.

When Mike arrived, Feng Xiuhu was at the table discussing the progress of officials converting to Christianity with everyone.

Gu Zhili said, "You made such a big scene at Zheng Muwen's house and even published it in the newspaper. The news has spread far and wide. Now the whole government office knows what you're up to, causing panic and fear that you'll be the next one to be attacked."

Slender Waist interjected, "It's not just officials; many dignitaries are also discussing this matter. Everyone knows the truth. Right now, the master is targeting the officials, but they'll be next."

Gu Zhili pursed her lips, with an expression that said, "I advised you the day before yesterday to go all out and finalize deals with a few more companies before the officials have even discussed it. But you insisted on saying that we should wait until the fish are startled before we could catch them all in one fell swoop. Now look what happened—the fish are indeed startled, but the officials have also united as one. Let's see how you set the net now."

Feng Xiuhu, however, was not in a hurry at all. He tapped the table lightly and pondered for a moment: "Twisting it into a single rope is good. It looks like it's twisted tightly, but it actually twists in any broken parts as well."

The slender girl didn't understand and asked coquettishly, "Master's words are so hard to understand. What do you mean by 'with a break'?"

Feng Xiuhu chuckled at her, "A rope made from intact threads is called strong. But some threads may look good, but they are actually broken. When they are twisted together, the rope becomes something that looks strong but will break easily."

Gu Zhili listened thoughtfully.

Feng Xiuhu turned to Mike, who had just come in, and asked, "How is Zheng Muwen doing?" Mike replied, "Zheng Muwen is a neutral party and doesn't interact much with the other two factions. Everyone knows you went to see him, and his intention to win over the other neutral officials to the Grand Hall yesterday was too obvious, so most of the officials are avoiding him."

Feng Xiuhu said to Xiyao'er, "Look, this one is too obviously broken. It has been excluded by the other threads and will not be twisted into the rope. But you can't say he is useless. After all, he holds a high position. If pushed too far, he can use his power to suppress people. He can always bring a few officials who are afraid of offending him or want to curry favor with him to the main hall."

He turned and asked again, "Where is Shen Yanzhi?"

Mike thought for a moment and summarized it in four words: "Unknown".

Feng Xiuhu nodded: "It was already late at night when I went to see him. As long as he doesn't make a fuss, people will only know that I went to see Qin Xiuyuan that night, and they won't know that I also went to see him."

Mike laughed and said, "This guy is really good at putting on a show. He can agree with anyone. On one hand, he's all in cahoots with the officials, vowing to fight the mad tiger to the end. On the other hand, he's playing the good guy to Zheng Muwen, saying that a good reputation is hard to come by, and that he should be patient. Even if he goes to the Grand Hall, it won't matter. Everyone knows he has his reasons. He's just putting on an act."

Feng Xiuhu laughed and turned to Xiyao'er, saying, "This thread looks good, but it's actually broken inside. He's really conflicted. He's hoping that I can break the rope directly so that no one will notice that he broke first; at the same time, he's also hoping that I can't break the rope with my strength, so he can continue to pretend that it's a good thread without any guilt."

"But little did they know that trying to please both sides would only result in pleasing neither. It is precisely because of people like him that the rope could never be pulled in the same direction."

Feng Xiuhu continued, "And what did Qin Xiuyuan say?"

Mike shook his head with a smile: "What can he say? Of course, he will vehemently oppose what you have done, raising your banner among the officials and saying that although everyone has different political views, what you have done is for the sake of the Great Mystery. There has never been a precedent of officials joining the church since ancient times. Even the temple has never mentioned this. How can you please the Western Church?"

Feng Xiuhu chuckled and then explained to Xiyao'er, "This thread is good, but if you use the wrong force, it's also the easiest to break."

"Don't be fooled by his loud shouts; pay more attention to where he's standing."

The girl with the slender waist asked curiously, "So where exactly are you standing?"

Feng Xiuhu pointed in the direction of the Duke's mansion: "Standing on the side of the First Duke, no matter how much trouble he causes, he can't change this fact. So there's no need to pay any attention to him at all—just imagine, if the officials from the other two factions all come to listen to the doctrines obediently, wouldn't the officials from the Duke's faction also come?"

Feng Xiuhu tapped the table and concluded: "So, if these kinds of threads are mixed into a rope, the rope won't be strong."

He then looked at Gu Zhili: "Do you understand now?"

"Only when the fish are startled can they not distinguish between good fish and bad fish. When the good fish are frightened into a daze, the bad fish have the opportunity to lead them into the net."

Gu Zhili remained pessimistic: "But at least on the surface, the officials are a united front—you managed to force them to unite all by yourself, which is quite an achievement. But I really can't figure out where you got the strength to break this rope."

Feng Xiuhu held up one finger: "There's a saying that goes, 'A rope breaks at its thinnest point'—let's start by looking for the thinnest point."

(End of this chapter)