My dream connects to three thousand years later.

Chapter 322 The Secret Deal with the Pope! The Western Faction Pope and the Eastern Faction Leader! (Fifth Update)

Qian Shi: "..."

Qian Shi was drenched in cold sweat, completely bewildered... why Chu Zhu was so fearless... such courage, such ease and composure, was simply not the kind of person this era could produce!
According to the intelligence gathered earlier, this person was at most a cultivator at the second level... With such limited strength, where did his confidence to act so recklessly come from?
"Besides, isn't this just an excuse to further gain influence in Jinghai City? Who are you trying to fool..." Chu Zhu sneered, then, like a scalpel, precisely dissected the true intentions hidden beneath Qian Shiwen's gentle words...

"...I'm so sorry!" the Pope sighed. He didn't try to save face or offer any other evasive words...that wasn't in his nature!

"..." Qian Shi wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a word, his cheeks flushed red. He was mainly ashamed... not ashamed that Chu Zhu had revealed his intentions, but ashamed that he had actually dragged the Pope into apologizing on his behalf...

“You’re right!” The Pope was very frank. He organized his thoughts and said, word by word, “Our main objective is indeed to infiltrate Jinghai City… But! I also assure you, absolutely, absolutely… absolutely, absolutely… that kind of thing will not happen! I’m sorry… I can’t go against the imperial court to save you…”

"Hmm..." The sound of pages turning filled the air; the Pope seemed to be reviewing something. Chu Zhu suddenly realized that it must be the intelligence the Pope had obtained regarding Jinghai City? It might even involve some of his own information...

After a moment, the Pope said, "Your biggest concerns are probably the labor unions and the shantytown redevelopment areas... I assure you, I will guarantee the safety of the shantytown redevelopment areas! And... I will use church assets to make some industrial investments, thereby increasing the employment rate of workers and improving their lives. I also plan to invest in two more churches in the shantytown redevelopment areas..."

"No, no, no," Chu Zhu interrupted the Pope again, emphasizing each word: "Let me emphasize... I control a certain amount of mortal power! I am confident enough to defeat all the mortal power controlled by the Great Qian Dynasty's official authorities..."

Of course, this wasn't because Chu Zhu was overconfident. Although he could almost be said to have wiped out the three surrounding legions in an instant... Chu Zhu was actually quite confident. If a full-scale war broke out, his current force might not be able to withstand the onslaught...

Unless we search for them, we'll just go all out and fight our way north! Let's learn from Zhu Di's Jingnan Campaign...

With his lineage as the ancestor of the Great Qian Dynasty, the destiny bestowed by Nuwa, and the power to strike straight at the heart of the enemy... ignoring the extraordinary, there is indeed a slight possibility of victory!
Even if victory were achieved, the consequences would be extremely severe... Not to mention, the previous dynasty's forces would most likely be unable to implement a large-scale purge! Secret agreements would have to be reached with many powerful families and high-ranking officials...

But... that doesn't stop Chu Zhu from boasting. As the saying goes, one part of strength must be exaggerated to ten parts! When it comes to attracting investment... in such a tense situation, who can tell the truth? Not to mention... his plan actually has a chance of success!

Chu Zhu felt a pang of regret; he was still too honest.

"..." The Pope remained silent, but Chu Zhu could imagine just how interesting his expression must be.

"And Nuwa will support me!" Chu Zhu added, "You can send someone to verify this!"

"...Hmm! As for this..." The Pope paused slightly, the sound of turning pages continuing, then his voice carried a hint of surprise and uncertainty: "Is it actually the truth?"

Chu Zhu: "..."

"Hmm, this sounds much more reliable than the previous one..." The Pope pondered for a moment, then sighed, "But unfortunately! Unless you're already close to winning... otherwise... I, and I can even say we... can't afford to lose again! I can only say... if the edifice is truly crumbling, the only thing left to fight you to the death... is Confucianism!"

After all, there are lessons to be learned from the past...

The last time someone acted impulsively and went all in at the start... that bishop from the Heavenly Secrets lineage, whose bloody lesson served as a deterrent to all subsequent high-ranking members of the God Worshipping Society... and even high-ranking members of other major religions!
Their rule was hereditary, a regional power in the extraordinary world. If they won, they might at most gain the title of a state religion… but if they lost, their very foundation would be shaken!
That previous wave directly led to the complete collapse of the Tianji lineage, causing the God Worshipping Cult to be cut off from one faction... Before that incident, the Tianji sect was firmly among the top three in strength among the many sects of the God Worshipping Cult... Even later, it tore apart the God Worshipping Cult's power in Anhui Province!
The formal separation of Anhui Province from the Jiangnan region occurred not long after the emperor who ultimately won the victory ascended the throne...

Even though he didn't say it, all his actions showed that... this was the price to pay!

Even a wealthy family, like the God-worshipping Church, cannot withstand another blow like this.

"...I see!" Chu Zhu pinched the bridge of her nose, but wasn't too disappointed... It's just a matter of who wins and who you side with, right? Well, being able to probe their stance—which isn't absolutely loyal to the Great Qian—can be considered a victory, albeit reluctantly.

Of course, this doesn't refer to the God Worshipping Society, but rather to other major religious sects—Chu Zhu already knew that the God Worshipping Society and the imperial court were at odds, and now she realized… anything outside of Confucianism could be unified…

“However…” The Pope paused slightly, hinting cryptically, “If you rescue Bishop Hu… then the God Worshipping Church forces in Jinghai City will side with you! That would be reasonable… then I can only pursue Bishop Hu's case afterward.”

After a brief pause, the Pope continued, "One more thing, if we really manage to save him! The bishop has suffered... and we must indeed do everything we can... to help him recover! Have him go through the proper channels and submit a report..."

"I see." Chu Zhu nodded thoughtfully, the unspoken deal completed without a word: "Then you should find a way to send the relief supplies now... directly to, um, Zhang Hai, the abbot of the Third District Church!" Without waiting for a reply, Chu Zhu hung up. Formal report? That would take until Hu Kaikang was rescued, wasting so much time... As for procedural issues, well, for the Pope, there are no formal procedural issues, it's just that the formal procedures come a little late... Just make up for it later...

But then again…

"Damn! Sure enough, even if someone has good character... and can get to this position, when it comes to politics... they're still like an old mudfish!"

the other side.

Tianjing.

Nine crystal chandeliers hang from the gilded dome, bathing the entire restaurant in an amber glow.

The ceiling is inlaid with lapis lazuli to form a starry dome.

Each table was set with Venetian glass candlesticks, the flickering candlelight filtering through the blue-purple glass and casting dappled light on the silver-plated tableware...

The Pope put down his cutlery, hung up his phone, and remained silent for a long, long time.

"...Your Majesty?" Qian Shi asked cautiously.

"First, deliver the Tears of Light to Jinghai City... Then, activate the Twin Hearts." The Pope spoke abruptly. Qian Shi's pupils contracted sharply, his lips twitched, and he finally stood up abruptly, giving a salute: "Yes!"

The Twin Hearts is a peculiar artifact! Strictly speaking, it doesn't even have a ranking.

This device has only one purpose... that is to enable the Pope to contact the other 'head' of the God Worshipping Society, who is currently in the capital, in any dire situation!
On the surface, the two factions appear to be one entity only in name... thus, they still manage to maintain their status as the number one religion in the world!
But in reality... the connection between the two sides is far closer than the world can see!

"...Your Majesty," the Pope said, looking north with worry in his eyes, "is it that the young master has misunderstood you... or is it that you truly..."

In the end, all the words could be reduced to a sigh: "What turbulent times..."

……

Inside the underground base.

Chu Zhu got up and paced back and forth, her mind swirling with countless thoughts.

"If Lao Hu's strength can be compared with Lao Huo's... he is indeed a force capable of influencing the situation..."

"Based on previous experience, Eunuch Huang might not be very loyal... Deputy Chief Xin, and those fifths who knelt down before, have completely abandoned any possibility of persuading them to surrender... Fortunately, I've already memorized all of them..."

"Hmm!" Chu Zhu suddenly stopped in his tracks. He considered everything that had happened in the previous timeline—although those people hadn't said it, how could Chu Zhu not see their wavering and their thoughts of whether or not to side with him? So he was thinking about a serious question.

"Based on the previous timeline, given my suspected identity as the 'Founding Emperor'... and considering Old Huo, who is also someone who only does the right thing, who experienced the whole process and knows what happened... and that he is all alone, without any relatives, wife, or daughter in the capital... taking all of this into account!"

Chu Zhu looked up at the sky, pondered for a moment, and then let out a long breath.

"Although the chances are still slim... let's give it a try!"

(End of this chapter)