Following behind Zhang Hai, Zhang Xu’s expression darkened at the sight of the old man’s attitude and Chu Bamboo’s utterly disrespectful words.

But seeing that Zhang Hai didn’t object, he ultimately said nothing. ’If the old man doesn’t have a problem with it, what can I say?’

...

The church’s inner hall.

The hall was somewhat smaller than the main nave where Mass was held. However, the walls were adorned with all kinds of angel statues, and the ceiling overhead was not solid, but made of colored glass—

Sunlight streamed through the colored glass, casting a rainbow of light that danced across the golden angel statues, making them look so lifelike they seemed poised to spring to life.

It felt less like a room and more like a private art gallery.

Chu Bamboo scanned his surroundings, his gaze filled with admiration.

"My devotion is to God alone!" Zhang Hai said reverently, pressing his palms together.

The nuns and priests who had rushed out with Zhang Hai now stood around him. At this moment, they too pressed their palms together, repeated the declaration, and then, taking the hint, tactfully excused themselves.

A moment later, only Zhang Hai, Zhang Xu, and Chu Bamboo remained in the room.

"Mr. Zhu!" Zhang Hai’s eyes narrowed. "Let’s dispense with the pleasantries... Since you want to get straight to the point, then let’s begin!"

He said calmly, "Why have you come looking for me? Do you need my help? Given your attitude earlier, I imagine you’ll have to offer something in return, won’t you?"

Chu Bamboo’s earlier attitude had made it clear he wasn’t here to convert to the God Worship Sect. In that case, if he wanted the church’s help, there would have to be a clearly stated price.

"Are you sure you don’t want to send your precious disciple away?" Chu Bamboo ignored the question, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Zhang Xu with amusement.

"...You!" Zhang Xu bristled, but his anger was quickly replaced by a worried glance toward Zhang Hai.

"Why would I send him away?" Zhang Hai was perfectly composed. "I have nothing to hide from anyone! My entire life, my actions have been as clear as a mirror!"

"Oh? Does that include the fact that you were once a Buddhist who later betrayed the Buddhist Sect to join the God Worship Sect?" Chu Bamboo mused, stroking his chin.

The touched expression on Zhang Xu’s face froze. ’...?’

He stared at Zhang Hai in disbelief. ’Wait... Master, are you some kind of undercover agent?’

’Then what was all that self-righteous talk for?!’ 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"...So you really do know." Zhang Hai fell silent for a moment. The name Zhang Zihai was, in fact, his secular name from when he had joined the Buddhist Sect. The problem was, according to the Buddhist Sect’s records, he was supposed to be dead.

’Even within the God Worship Sect, only one person knows about my past as a Buddhist!’

"Are you an acquaintance of Senior Brother Zide?" After thinking it over, Zhang Hai concluded that the most likely person to have revealed his identity was his former senior brother from the Buddhist Sect. The person within the God Worship Sect who knew would never, ever leak that information.

’But even if it was my senior brother... in theory, he wouldn’t reveal something like this to a common person, would he?’

’My senior brother lives in the Western Sichuan Snow Mountain! That’s thousands of miles away from Jinghai City.’

And yet, he was also certain that Chu Bamboo couldn’t possibly be his senior brother’s disciple.

The reason was simple. If Mr. Zhu of the slums was truly the disciple of his Senior Brother Zide—the abbot of Baima Temple, one of the Thirty-Two Temples of Snow Mountain Buddhism—then the slums would be overflowing with Buddhists by now.

In reality, however, Buddhists in the slums were practically nonexistent.

"No, no, no." A smile played on Chu Bamboo’s lips as he held up a finger and wagged it gently. His tone was inscrutable as he asked, "Do you remember why you defected from Buddhism in the first place?"

Zhang Hai didn’t speak, but the look he gave Chu Bamboo sharpened.

"Sixteen years ago, you traveled to the Celestial Capital, hoping to spread the Buddhist Techniques of the Western Regions," Chu Bamboo said at a measured pace. "However, the Celestial Capital is a city of hidden masters, and you suffered a major setback. You couldn’t win a single debate on Buddhist Technique against the local masters. Twelve debates in a row, twelve losses. Afterward, to prove your devotion, you sought to reenact the ancient tale of the Buddha, offering your own flesh to feed the eagles and bring salvation to the suffering masses."

"However," Chu Bamboo stated, his gaze piercing and firm, "the final result was beyond anything you could have imagined. You acted with the best intentions, but it led to the worst possible consequences."

At that moment, Zhang Hai’s gaze grew distant, as if he were lost in memory.

"Sun Xue Mei is still alive," Chu Bamboo said finally.

Zhang Hai’s composure finally shattered. He stared at Chu Bamboo in disbelief. "...What did you say?"

"I said, that woman is still alive," Chu Bamboo repeated calmly. "She’s in the slums. She even had a child. By my calculations, the kid should be about thirteen now."

Zhang Hai closed his eyes. After a brief silence, a laugh escaped him. "If that’s the case... good. That’s good!"

Sixteen years ago, he had openly defied the Buddhist Sect of the Celestial Capital to save a prostitute. But in the end, he still couldn’t save her...

’Just because she was a prostitute?’

’So, in the eyes of the Buddhist Sect, she wasn’t worth saving?’

’Even if she died, it was what she deserved?’

He refused to accept it.

It was because of this that he’d come to see the masters of the Celestial Capital’s Buddhist Sect as nothing but sanctimonious hypocrites. He had lost twelve debates on Buddhist Technique in a row and admitted their understanding was profound—but he would never admit that this group, this pack of self-righteous frauds, were true followers of the Buddha!

’Those with profound knowledge of Buddhist Technique but no humanity are not true Buddhists!’

But in the end, he never even saw her one last time. He only heard the news of her death.

Later, on an official level, he—or rather, Zhang Zihai—was also declared dead.

And now, he was hearing news of that woman again...

’And she even has a child. Perhaps she truly managed to live a normal life after all?’

’If that’s so, then everything he sacrificed back then... even crippling his own Buddha Power... was worth it!’

A flicker of memory surfaced in his eyes. He seemed to recall that time, a brush with death... how after his official identity had been "erased," he was saved by members of the God Worship Sect and chose to join them.

He believed there had to be a faith in this world that was truly, wholeheartedly devoted to the common people.

If the Buddhist Sect was not the ideal faith he sought, then he would keep searching.

Although, as it stood now, the God Worship Sect seemed... well, Zhang Hai was willing to spend the rest of his life influencing it, changing it from within.

"Alright, that’s enough of that. An assassin should be coming to kill me tonight," Chu Bamboo said, changing the subject. "This assassin is the same one who killed several high-ranking members of the guild."

"Mr. Zhu, are you asking for my help?" Zhang Hai asked with a smile. He had already understood Chu Bamboo’s unspoken message.

The woman was in the slums.

This meant she was under Chu Bamboo’s protection.

Then again, who in the entire slum district wasn’t under Chu Bamboo’s protection?