Chapter 19: A Lesson from Pope Yin

These were all sincere words that came straight from the heart, and Yin Shengong was willing to say so much to Night Demon on this day for multiple reasons.

Firstly, Sun Yuan was dead, leaving Yin Shengong as Night Demon's sole master, so he felt inclined to show Night Demon extra attention and care in order to completely take Sun Yuan's place in his heart.

Secondly, he wanted to minimize the impact that Sun Yuan's death had on Night Demon, and thirdly, he really did want to teach his disciple this valuable life lesson.

"Let me give you an example. Let's say you're very close with an altar master of the main church, and you two are on such good terms that you can take things from his desk without asking. However, when you don't have enough worth, the only benefits that you'll be able to derive from your relationship with this altar master will be the little trinkets that you can take from his desk.

“However, if you have sufficient worth, then you can ask for more. Perhaps this altar master would even be able to enter a collaborative relationship of mutual benefit with you. He'll support you and elevate you to great heights, and once you get there, you'll repay him by reciprocating him or his clan. If his descendants display good potential, the roles will be reversed, and you'll be the one to support them before they eventually reciprocate you.

“If his descendants are not so capable, then he'll rely on you to help them out and ensure that they can at least survive without any trouble. That's how these ties and relationships that span across generations are formed, and that's why we can't afford to mess with any of the clans of the main church.

“Even if they appear weak and destitute right now, there's no telling what ties they have with powerful figures and clans from generations past, and all of that comes from how much you're worth and how much value you can provide. Sun Yuan had his worth, I have my worth, and you have your worth. My worth is that I'm the pope of the One Heart Church, but if that position is stripped from me, then I'll be completely worthless and at the mercy of everyone.

“You think I don't want to climb further up the ranks? You think I don't want to establish a foothold in the main church? I do, but I can't because I don't have enough worth!"

Yin Shengong couldn't help but heave a forlorn sigh to himself as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"Going back to the topic of Sun Yuan. If it isn't for you, our One Heart Church would simply accept his death and pretend as if nothing had ever happened. No one would make an enemy out of the Li Clan for Sun Yuan's sake because he's simply not worth it. You may not understand what I'm saying right now, but these are the things that I have to weigh up when making certain decisions. If Sun Yuan must be avenged, then it can only be by you."

Yin Shengong heaved another forlorn sigh here, feeling rather depressed at having to make such an admission of incompetence to his disciple.

Ever since the Parasite Ascension Project, Yin Shengong had seen Night Demon as his successor, perhaps even someone who would go even higher than him someday.

Hence, he was telling Night Demon all of this in the hopes that he would be able to avoid making many mistakes that he otherwise would've made.

The sincerity of his words was undeniable, and Fang was silent for some time after reading through these messages.

From these long-winded messages, it was clear to see that Yin Shengong was also very frustrated with his situation, and Fang Che could understand that there was truly nothing that Yin Shengong could do.

Even if he had a way to avenge Sun Yuan, he wouldn't do it, and he had already made the reason for this very clear: Sun Yuan simply isn't worth it!

Even a living Sun Yuan hadn't been of much value, let alone a dead one.

"What is my worth, Master?"

A faint smile appeared on Yin Shengong's face.

He had been waiting for Night Demon to ask this question.

"Right now, your worth is limited only to your potential. At the moment, you possess limitless potential, and that's why hold you in such high regard and why Sun Yuan was willing to sacrifice himself to save you. It's also why those Generals from the battle hall of the main church decided to recruit you as an ally."

Fang Che had told Yin Shengong about the alliance that he had forged with Ling Kong and the others. This was a display of his worth, so of course he wasn't going to keep it a secret from Yin Shengong.

"As your master, I am the only one who is willing to invest in you at this moment in time. Others may see your potential, but they'll only observe you from afar, and even if they see you make any missteps, they won't try to guide you back to the right path. As you grow more powerful and rise up the ranks, your worth will increase further and further.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Right now, you're already worth far more than you did just a month and a half ago because you secured the top spot in the Parasite Ascension Project. As a result, you've already caught the attention of the main church's top brass, so your future path will be far smoother than mine. Having said that, you still have to take one step at a time and make sure you don't get overly ambitious.

“All you need to do right now is remember what those people did to Sun Yuan. When you rise to the top someday, you won't even have to lift a finger, and others will be clamoring to present those people's heads to you."

"I don't want that, Master! I don't want anyone to bring their heads to me, I want to eradicate those clans myself! I'm going to ensure that not even a single dog from those clans survives! I want to show everyone that anyone who dares to touch my master will have their entire bloodline erased from existence! Only then can I ensure that there will never be a repeat of what happened to Master Sun Yuan!"

A surge of warmth welled up in Yin Shengong's heart upon seeing this.

Night Demon had an extremely bloodthirsty and vengeful nature, but this was a good thing for those close to him.

Yin Shengong was also Night Demon's master, so no one would dare to touch him once Night Demon made his way to the very top!

With that in mind, an affectionate smile appeared on Yin Shengong's face as he responded in a joking manner: "Alright, in that case, I'll be counting on you for my protection, Master Night Demon."

"Please forgive me, Master, I've spoken out of turn. I am still in no position to protect you. On the contrary, I must rely on your protection for my own survival."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm very pleased that you have such lofty ambitions. With a disciple like you, Sun Yuan can die a happy man. Your top priority right now is to enhance your powers and elevate your worth. As for your future path, I will map out everything for you. As long as you possess enough power and worth, I can send you to the very top!"

This was a long-term plan that Yin Shengong had been working on ever since the Parasite Ascension Project.

Yin Shengong had been thoroughly moved by Night Demon's display of devotion and loyalty, but that was only part of the reason why he intended to give Night Demon his undivided support.

The most important reason behind his decision was that Deputy Pope Bi Changhong had clearly been very impressed with Night Demon.

At the time, Bi Changhong had told him that he had won himself something far more precious and enviable than the opportunity to sit in the middle chair reserved for the pope of the top-ranked General.

Clearly, Bi Changhong had been referring to Night Demon, and these words of praise had stuck with Yin Shengong.

The fact that Bi Changhong had made such a remark clearly indicated that Night Demon had left a very deep and positive impression on him.

Once Night Demon began to grow into his full potential, Bi Changhong would be sure to remember his name, and therein lied a massive opportunity.

All Yin Shengong had to do was pave the way for Night Demon so that he could reach a position where he would reenter Bi Changhong's line of sight.

Once he accomplished this, he would no longer have to fear for his own safety.

At the very least, there would never be a repeat of the situation where Ren Zhongyuan had been blatantly plotting against him for six years, yet none of his supposed connections in the main church made any attempt to tip him off.

There was no way that his supposed backers weren't aware of Ren Zhongyuan and Bei Mingxin's nefarious plot, yet none of them had bothered to tell him anything, indicating that he was entirely inconsequential in their eyes.

Even though Yin Shengong didn't say anything, he knew this to be the case, and that was why he saw Bi Changhong's remarks on Night Demon as an important opportunity.

Yin Shengong no longer had any trust in his existing connections in the main church. If he were to continue to rely on them, he could end up dead someday without even knowing how.

However, if he could elevate Night Demon to the top, then he was certain that not only would he never have to fear for his own safety again, perhaps there was even a chance that he would finally get to climb higher up the ranks.

Once he reached an age when he no longer had any ambitions and didn't want to have to fight his own battles anymore, Night Demon could easily arrange him a leisurely position where he could essentially go into retirement.

That was his ultimate pursuit.

After his showing at the Parasite Ascension Project, Yin Shengong had already deemed Night Demon someone that he could place his full trust in, and in the wake of Sun Yuan's death, he was even more convinced that Night Demon could be relied on.

The more Night Demon displayed a burning desire to avenge Sun Yuan, the fonder of him Yin Shengong became.

"That's all I have to say about Sun Yuan. Make sure to remember everything that I've told you today and draw upon it when it comes time for you to do so. Also, revenge is not something that has to be constantly mentioned.

“Instead, it should be something that you bury deep in your heart and pledge to never mention until you have what it takes to carry out your vengeance. That way, you will derive the ultimate satisfaction in the moment that you personally put an end to the lives of those who have wronged you."