Chapter 166: Yin Shengong's Pride and Joy

None of the popes knew what to think.

In particular, the popes of the Night Demon Church, the Three Saints Church, the Divine Heavenly Church, and the Church of Light were all feeling rather dazed.

The five southeastern churches had always been equals, yet the One Heart Church had been promoted, and Yin Shengong was being personally addressed by the third-in-line deputy pope, while they had already been kneeling for close to two hours.

They felt like ants looking up at deities...

They were already accustomed to the complete annihilation of their representative Generals during the Parasite Ascension Project, but suddenly being ranked below the One Heart Church was a very jarring experience for them all.

In particular, Hai Wuliang was about to explode from fury and resentment!

Everyone looked on with mixed emotions as Yin Shengong drifted down from the staircase, and there were more than a few people that wanted nothing more than to boot him off the staircase.

Bi Changhong delivered a brief final address before departing, following which the conclusion of the Parasite Ascension Project was finally announced.

The crowd gradually dispersed, while many popes gathered around to congratulate Yin Shengong.

Meanwhile, Fang Che was busy adding contacts. He had already added Ling Kong and hsi friends, and many other Generals from the main church were also eager to add him. Even if they couldn't become formal allies, Night Demon was still a loyal and honorable man that they all wanted to keep in touch with.

Furthermore, they were also adding Fang Che as a contact for their own safety. Prior to going on missions, they would ask if he was going to be involved, and if the answer was yet, then they would immediately back out to save themselves.

Fang Che didn't discriminate, adding anyone that wanted to add him. He had one hundred thousand available spots on his contact list anyway.

After waiting in line for some time, a General from the main church grew impatient and yelled, "All of you below the ninth-rank General tier, I suggest you have some self-awareness and remove yourself from the line!"

Many people departed in a sullen manner, but even so, by the time there was no one left in the line, Fang Che had already added over two thousand contacts.

All of a sudden, he had friends everywhere!

Fang Che was grinning from ear to ear at the sight of his long list of contacts. He was already envisioning how many merit points he could earn by selling them out one by one!

After Yin Shengong was finished talking with all of the other popes, he strode over to Hall Master Hu Qiu of the treasury altar and chuckled, "Looks like my little bet paid off, Hall Master Hu."

Hu Qiu's rotund face was scrunched up into a conflicted ball as he held tightly onto his money pouch and implored, "Pope Yin, please..."

"I won fair and square, did I not? Are you going to deny me my winnings?"

"Of course not, but..."

Hu Qiu looked as if he were being asked to cut off a pound of flesh from his own body.

Fifty thousand divine crystals, for heavens sake! Just kill me now!

He offered the money pouch to Yin Shengong with trembling hands, and Yin Shengong snatched it from him without even a word of gratitude.

Why should he thank him? These were his deserved winnings!

As for his original plans of sucking up to Hu Qiu, those had been completely tossed out the window. That was his plan for after he was stripped of his position as pope, but that was no longer a concern!

"You're a generous man, Hall Master Hu," Yin Shengong chuckled. "Next time you come across another get-rich-quick scheme like this one, make sure to call on me!"

"Sure," Hu Qiu replied as he glowered hatefully at Yin Shengong, feeling as if he were about to pass out.

Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes, but Yin Shengong was already gone.

He strode over to Jiang Yihe and greeted, "Pope Jiang..."

Jiang Yihe instantly vanished from the spot, understandably in no mood to talk.

Yin Shengong wore an accomplished smile as he strolled over to Hai Wuliang, then remarked, "It seems like you have something to say, Pope Hai."

"I don't," Hai Wuliang spat through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure?"

Unable to suppress his rage any longer, Hai Wuliang snapped, "Why did you name your disciple Night Demon? You've gone too far!"

"Ah, so that's what's gotten you so worked up. You can't blame me for this, Pope Hai. Let's say the name Zhang Qiang, for example. There has to be at least tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people in the world with this name. You can't just say no one else can use the name Night Demon because your Night Demon Church has claimed it."

"That's nonsense!" Hai Wuliang raged. "Those are two entirely different concepts!"

"How about this? You can take a disciple and call him One Heart," Yin Shengong proposed. "Rest assured, I won't mind at all, and you can get him to kneel to you when he secures the top spot in a future edition of the Parasite Ascension Project."

He placed his hands on Hai Wuliang's shoulders as he spoke and spun him around as if he were handling a child throwing a tantrum.

"Don't get so mad. You look much more handsome when you smile!"

Hai Wuliang stormed away in a furious fit, incessantly mumbling profanities to himself.

Having spoken to everyone, Yin Shengong returned to his original spot with a warm smile on his face.

Fang Che immediately extended a respectful salute as he greeted, "Subordinate Night Demon pays his respects to Pope Yin!"

"You're still calling me that? Call me master!" Yin Shengong snapped with a stern glare.

Fang Che looked up with a dumbstruck expression.

Yin Shengong's stern facade immediately shattered as he burst into laughter and enveloped Fang Che in a tight embrace.

His voice was trembling from emotion as he praised, "You've done so well! You said that I was your master in front of all of those people, so I have to accept you as my disciple, do I not?"

"I only did what was expected of me," Fang Che said.

Yin Shengong nodded firmly in approval, and even now, the emotions sweeping through his heart still hadn't subsided.

Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang cupped their fists in a collective salute as they congratulated, "Congratulations on gaining an exceptional disciple, Pope Yin."

Yin Shengong burst into laughter once again.

"I'll remember everything the two of you have done for me as well, uncle-masters," Fang Che said, and Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang were delighted to hear this.

In contrast with their gleeful expressions, there was a look of concern on Fang Che's face as he reminded, "Master, you're still facing a major crisis."

"It's all completely trivial at this point!" Yin Shengong chuckled with a dismissive wave, and a cold look appeared on his face as his mind strayed to Bei Mingxin and Ren Zhongyuan.

Right at this moment, a cold and regal voice rang out nearby.

"Pope Yin."

Yin Shengong turned to discover that it was Yan Beihan, and he hurriedly put on a fawning smile as he greeted, "Mistress Yan! To what do I owe this honor?"

"The honor is all mine, Pope Yin. I wish to speak to Night Demon in private if that's alright with you," Yan Beihan said.

"Of course! Go on, Night Demon. Make sure to treat Mistress Yan with the utmost respect!"

Yin Shengong eagerly nudged Fang Che toward Yan Beihan, but at the same time, he was feeling a little disappointed in Fang Che's current, hideous appearance.

If he were in his true appearance, perhaps he had a chance of getting Yan Beihan to fall for him.

Following the departure of Fang Che and Yan Beihan, Qian Sanjiang asked in a curious manner, "This is a good thing, is it not? Why do you look so unhappy, Pope Yin?"

"I just feel like it's such a shame. If Night Demon were in his true appearance, Mistress Yan would be sure to fall for him, but he's squandered this opportunity with that hideous disguise of his."

Yin Shengong had already completed his transition into a father figure, to the point that he was beginning to search for a future spouse for him.

"That is indeed a bit of a pity, but it's also a good thing. Given Mistress Yan's status, there must be countless young men in the main church pining for her favor. If she really does fall for Night Demon, then he'll be in a world of trouble."

A look of realization instantly appeared in Yin Shengong's eyes upon hearing this.

"You're right, that would be a curse rather than a blessing."

He then heaved another forlorn sigh as he lamented, "Still, what a pity."

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang exchanged an amused glance with each other.

Clearly, Night Demon had truly become Yin Shengong's pride and joy. Never had they seen Yin Shengong pay anywhere near this much care and attention to any other prodigy of the One Heart Church, or anyone else in general, for that matter.

However, both of them were happy to see this, considering Night Demon was also half a disciple of theirs.

They had already decided that once they returned to the One Heart Church, they would teach Fang Che whatever he wanted to learn from them.

Fang Che followed Yan Beihan to the edge of the plaza.

Fang Che's brawny build, menacing baleful qi, and bloodstained robes presented a stark contrast with the elegant and pristine Yan Beihan.

Even though she was wearing a sinister mask, her radiant elegance was not something that a mere mask could hope to conceal.

The juxtaposition between the two was like that of an angel and a demon, a beauty and a beast.

"Congratulations, Brother Night Demon. You have an immeasurable future ahead."

Despite her congratulatory words, her voice was rather cold.

"Please forgive me for stealing your spirit fruit back in the Parasite Ascension Domain, Mistress Yan," Fang Che apologized.

"Oh, so now you apologize?"

"I couldn't find an opportune moment to apologize in the domain because you were attacking me at every turn," Fang Che said with a wry smile.

"Why did you still take the fruit even though you knew what I was?"

This was the one question that perplexed her the most.

He had benefitted from her trap, swooping in to steal her kills, and that was followed by the spirit fruit incident. No one else in the entire domain dared to compete with her, yet he had taken from her twice without any hesitation.

What made him so brazen and daring? So desperate?