Chapter 115 (2): Forced Marriage

After hearing Fang Che's story, Yin Shengong and the three elders exchanged a glance with one another, then heaved a collective sigh.

This was a completely irreplicable method.

It had worked splendidly, and it had given rise to a branch helm that was completely legitimate and could operate above ground with no qualms, but it was like capturing lightning in a bottle.

There was simply no way to reliably replicate this process.

The scheme sounded quite simple to pull off, but all three of Fang Che's identities had played pivotal roles in the process, and among them, his identity as Administrator Fang was particularly important.

Without Administrator Fang paving the way in the Hall of Protectionists, there was no way this plan could've possibly succeeded.

Even though Starlight had done the most work, he wasn't as important as Administrator Fang.

It was easy to find someone like Starlight, and it was also a simple task to arrange someone like Night Demon to work with Starlight in secret, but where were they supposed to find another Administrator Fang?

Having said that, Yin Shengong and the three elders were already very pleased with this outcome.

"It looks like this branch helm is in a truly unassailable position now," Yin Shengong declared with a pleased smile.

"Indeed," Mu Linyuan replied with a nod. "As long as the helmsmaster remains alive, the branch helm will continue to exist, even if everyone else dies. So long as the head escort is still around, he can always hire new escorts, and business will continue as normal. It's completely infallible!"

"I have to disagree," Fang Che said with slightly furrowed brows. "On the surface, there appears to be no danger, but in reality, there is still one massive liability."

"What are you referring to?" Yin Shengong asked with a puzzled expression.

"I'm talking about the Mountain Moving Sect," Fang Che replied. "The escort agency was built on the foundation of the Mountain Moving Sect, and the sect is tied to the main church, but not to our One Heart Church. They'll follow the main church's orders, but they may not be willing to do the same for our One Heart Church.

“Once the people from the main church leave, our people will have to arrange new identities through the Mountain Moving Sect, and that's a request they may not be willing to oblige. If this problem isn't resolved, then our branch helm will forever be at the mercy of others."

This was indeed a huge liability, and Yin Shengong immediately fell into deep thought, as did the three elders.

"That is indeed a problem," Yin Shengong mused with tightly furrowed brows. "Our One Heart Church does not possess the power required to make the Mountain Moving Sect bend to our will, so it's entirely up to them whether they choose to fulfill our requests or not. That puts us in an extremely passive position, and if the Mountain Moving Sect refuses to work with us, that would be a massive setback for the branch helm."

The three elders were also looking very concerned.

"How about we get the main church to issue an order to the Mountain Moving Sect?" Fang Che suggested. "Even though the Mountain Moving Sect appears to be a neutral entity on the surface, they've clearly already defected to our side, so surely they'll have to follow the main church's orders."

"Of course they'll follow the main church's orders, but if we get the main church involved, then they'll steal all the credit for establishing this branch helm," Mu Linyuan said with a wry smile.

"Is the Mountain Moving Sect really that powerful, Master?" Fang Che asked.

"Right now, virtually the entire continent is ruled over by the Church of the Self-Righteous and the Guardians. Any sect that can maintain even a facade of neutrality in the face of these two superpowers is surely a force to be reckoned with," Yin Shengong sighed. "Among all of the reclusive sects, the Mountain Moving Sect is one of the relatively weaker ones, but it's still not to be underestimated, and there are several warriors in the sect who possess cultivation bases superior even to my own.

“Once upon a time, the sect thrived under the leadership of its three patriarchs, but they were all killed by the enforcers of the main church, and that left the sect no choice but to submit to the main church."

Fang Che was utterly bewildered by this story.

The Church of the Self-Righteous killed your patriarchs, so you become their lapdogs? What kind of logic is that?! Shouldn't you be joining the Guardians to seek vengeance against the Church of the Self-Righteous instead?

"I can't think of any good solutions for now," Mu Linyuan sighed with a shake of his head. "Do you have any ideas, Night Demon? You brought up this problem, so I presume it's already been on your mind for some time."

"I do have an idea, but I don't know if it's feasible," Fang Che replied in a hesitant manner.

"Let's hear it."

"Seeing as the Mountain Moving Sect has shown itself to be prone to bowing to power, why don't we make them submit to us by force? Once we've killed enough of their members, they'll naturally bend to our will."

"Didn't I just tell you that we're no match for them?" Yin Shengong snapped.

"Their high-ranking members may be too much for us to take down, but we can target everyone else! Night Demon will do the honors, and we'll kill as many as it takes for them to comply with our demands!"

"Regardless of the problem, your first solution always seems to be resorting to killing," Yin Shengong sighed.

Fang Che lowered his head in embarrassment.

"Let's not jump the gun for now. Before you do anything on your end, I'll go pay a visit to the Mountain Moving Sect. Let's see if peaceful negotiations can get us somewhere first."

"You're right as always, Master," Fang Che hurriedly flattered. "Violence should always be a last resort. If they simply agree to carry out our requests, then we'd be spared a lot of trouble."

"Let's discuss this matter some other time. Right now, there are several things that must be done," Yin Shengong said.

A cold look appeared in Yin Shengong's eyes as he spoke, and a sense of foreboding instantly welled up in Fang Che's heart.

"Have I done something wrong, Master?" he asked with a nervous smile.

Yin Shengong turned his gaze to Ye Meng, who was hanging out the washing outside, then asked, "Is she a member of our church yet?"

"She's just a maidservant, does she also have to join our church?"

"Prior to coming here, I thought the same thing, but I've since changed my mind," Yin Shengong said in a cold voice. "I came here to see how you've been progressing in your cultivation, but I've identified some more pressing concerns."

"What are you referring to, Master?"

"For starters, that girl can't just be allowed as she is! It's far too dangerous! Perhaps I should give her a Five Spirit Parasite... No, that won't do. If she receives a Five Spirit Parasite, she'll be able to communicate with others remotely, and that could increase your risk of exposure. The safest course of action is for you to make her your woman!"

"What?!"

Fang Che was flabbergasted.

"What's the problem?" Yin Shengong. "You're at the age where you should be thinking about things like this anyway, and it's perfectly normal for you to take a concubine before you find your official wife."

Fang Che was completely stunned. He had no idea how the conversation had taken such a drastic turn.

Yin Shengong paid no heed to Fang Che's reaction as he continued, "She's more than possible in the looks department, so that shouldn't be a problem. Besides, she's your maidservant, so she'll be yours sooner or later. Once she becomes your concubine, all the concerns surrounding her will naturally fade away."

Fang Che was still too stunned to speak.

However, the three elders were more than happy to chime in with their approval.

"Pope Yin is right. Your life can't just revolve solely around cultivation. You're at the age where you should find a partner for yourself."

"But... Master... Did you come all this way to the White Cloud Prefecture to play matchmaker for me? I'm... I need some time to process this..."

"What's there to process?" Yin Shengong snapped. "She's been with you ever since she was a Warrior Disciple! Do you understand what a Lord tier warrior entails? If she were still just a Warrior Disciple, then I wouldn't be concerned at all, but now that she's a Lord, she poses a massive liability?"

"What? Why? Isn't this a good thing?" Fang Che asked with a puzzled expression.

"You don't understand!" Yin Shengong harrumphed with a frustrated expression. "Women are creatures of devotion. There are some women who are very domineering at home, even going as far as to beat their husbands, but when it comes to the general direction that their life takes, they'll still follow their husband's lead. This has been true throughout history, and it's very important for you to be aware of this.

“This maidservant of yours had already been with you for a very long time, yet you still haven't taken her as your concubine. As she grows older and progresses further and further in cultivation base, she'll begin to feel a sense of unease. In her eyes, your inaction will be taken as a sign that you have no interest in her, and thus, she'll begin to look elsewhere, even if it's not with deliberate intent. If someone catches her eye, then you'll be in a world of trouble!

“Once a woman falls in love, everyone else aside from the object of her infatuation will cease to matter to her. In fact, there will be a period of time during which even her parents won't be as important to her as her lover. When that time comes, you'll be completely worthless to her, and she'd be willing to betray you at the drop of a hat!

“You may have saved her from a brothel and nurtured her in her cultivation, but none of that will matter in the slightest once she's found someone else to devote herself to! Hence, girls her age can be very dangerous. However, if she becomes your woman, then everything will be different. Once you become both her master and her lover, she'll only become even more devoted to you, and she'll be someone that you can place your full trust in without any concern of betrayal.

“Even if someone were to capture her and try to torment her into giving up information about you, she would rather die than betray you. Either her devotion goes to someone else, or it remains with you, but you have to be the one to decide that. Right now, there are only two options available to you: either you take her as your concubine, or you kill her. The more she grows, both in age and in cultivation base, the more of a risk she'll pose.

“Our One Heart Church has invested greatly in you up to this point, so we absolutely cannot allow an inconsequential woman to potentially bring about your downfall. If you can't bear to put an end to her life, then I can do it for you."