Chapter 126: Chapter 109: Zhang Hai: Messing With Me Like I’m a Demon Cultist
"...Him?" Hu Kaikang froze for a moment. Once he processed it, he was so exasperated he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He stamped his foot. "Eloping? With a romance in our twilight years, no less... You and your mouth, still as infuriating as ever."
After a brief pause, a mocking expression appeared on Hu Kaikang’s face. He opened his mouth, then ground his teeth and swallowed his words. "Never mind that guy! Fancy seeing you here, kid!"
Touching the bishop’s hat on his head, Hu Kaikang narrowed his eyes and mused, "You must recognize who I am by now, right? I really didn’t expect you to still have this attitude!"
"When I saw you earlier, I was actually a little apprehensive."
"It’s just like that little story you told me before: ’His attitude had clearly grown respectful; he called me Milord,’ and ’A thick barrier had already formed between us’..." Hu Kaikang sighed. "I was really afraid you’d come over and start sucking up to me, or that your attitude would change in some other way!"
"This is good... This is much better!"
Zhang Hai stared blankly as the Cardinal and Chu Bamboo conversed, watching as the Cardinal shakily, yet nimbly, made his way over to stop in front of Chu Bamboo.
He forced his numb mind to work, taking a long moment to sort through his thoughts before he could finally process what was happening. Afterward, he was shaken to the core, his mind unable to find peace.
’No way, man... How do you... How do you even know the Cardinal of the Jinghai First District?!’
’What did it even mean to be a Cardinal?’
’They were the true top brass of the entire God Worship Sect, figures who wielded real power!’
’The only reason Bishop Hu would have been assigned here was due to a perfect storm of circumstances. There was the old administrator’s suppression of the God Worship Sect, Jinghai’s growing economic and industrial importance, and the fact that other churches were making inroads into the city, forcing the God Worship Sect to keep pace.’
’And on top of that, they were this familiar with each other?’
’How could they possibly be this familiar!’
"Apprehensive? Thick barrier? Awe? Old man, has all that fishing finally flooded your brain?" Chu Bamboo rolled his eyes, his arms still crossed as he puffed out his chest. "Get your facts straight. Your God Worship Sect still owes me... Hey, Zhang Hai, how many favors does your church owe me again?"
"..." Zhang Hai could feel the shock in his colleagues’ eyes slowly morphing. Their gazes fell upon him, now tinged with suspicion, confusion, and even doubt.
A shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly interjected, "The God Worship Sect owes you one favor at most. The rest are my personal debt to you."
"..." Chu Bamboo’s gaze sharpened as he stared at Zhang Hai. Though feeling slightly intimidated, Zhang Hai gritted his teeth and glared right back.
"Sigh. When did you get so hard to fool?" Chu Bamboo said with a look of regret.
"...?" After a brief silence, Zhang Hai smiled, speechless but also relieved.
’So he was deliberately setting a trap for me? And in front of the church leadership, no less? Hahahaha... What a troll!’
"Oh? Oh!" Hu Kaikang slapped his forehead as if something had just clicked. "So that’s it! You’re that Mr. Zhu!"
"Cut the act... you old fox!" Chu Bamboo’s smile never wavered, but his voice sounded as if it were being squeezed from between his teeth. "The moment you started cheating to steal my fish, I knew exactly what kind of character you were, you old devil!"
"You mean to tell me you didn’t know who I was? We might be friends despite the age gap, but if you claim you, you old relic, never suspected I already knew your identity and was deliberately seeking you out for fishing just to get close to you, then pigs can fly!"
"I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already dug up my entire family tree, have you?"
"...I haven’t gone that far!"
"And you admit it so readily?" Chu Bamboo laughed in exasperation.
"Ahem, what I meant was, hmm, let’s circle back to our previous topic..." Bishop Hu paused.
"Well, I can’t believe you saw through me. My position is, after all, a bit sensitive." Hu Kaikang’s face was completely devoid of embarrassment, and his tone was unchanged. "But! This is fine, too."
"I could always tell you genuinely didn’t recognize me! That’s why our cross-generational friendship... was so pure! The friendship of gentlemen is as unassuming as water."
Chu Bamboo shot Hu Kaikang a sidelong glance. ’The first time we met, I definitely didn’t recognize him, but after a few resets... Heh! Well, whatever.’
He and Lao Hu did have a certain rapport, but there was no point in expecting that friendship to go any deeper... Chu Bamboo knew the man before him all too well.
’The man standing before him was a true zealot, a fanatic who put his faith in the God Worship Sect above everything else—including his own life!’
Zhang Hai: "..."
The crowd of Priests: "..."
The head of the Fourth District: "..."
They felt as if their entire worldview was about to shatter.
It was precisely because they knew Bishop Hu—knew what kind of man he truly was—that they found the scene so hard to accept.
Though Bishop Hu was stooped over, he had always been known for his swift, decisive, and forceful methods. He was someone who could shoulder immense pressure and deliver results—otherwise, he’d never have been assigned to the First District, a true "battlefield" where sparks flew.
Some of those present had seen the old man flip out and slam the table, going toe-to-toe with the old administrator. They had also seen him scheme from the shadows, forcibly punching a hole in the iron grip the administrator held over Jinghai City, allowing the God Worship Sect to slip through.
But now? What was left of the "Iron-Blooded Bishop," the man of legend in Jinghai City’s upper circles?
No matter how you looked at it, he was acting like a playful old imp!
And then there was this guy... no, wait, how did he dare speak to the Bishop that way?
In all of Jinghai City, the only person who dared to call Bishop Hu an "old relic" and "old devil" to his face was probably the old administrator himself.
And what’s more, Bishop Hu wasn’t even angry—he just took it? Crucially, if this was how they acted in private, that would be one thing, but to be this way in front of his own subordinates? This was...
Everyone’s thoughts were a complete mess.
"I’m a bit curious! What brings you here?" Chu Bamboo glanced at Hu Kaikang. "A Bishop wouldn’t personally make the trip just for this, would he?"
Hearing the word "Bishop," Hu Kaikang’s demeanor shifted. He knew Chu Bamboo was signaling that it was time to get down to business.
He coughed lightly, and his gaze became as sharp as a blade, stabbing forward so intensely that it almost made one’s skin ache. But Chu Bamboo was certain that Hu Kaikang wasn’t using any Extraordinary Ability—this was pure presence, an aura.
"I came here, of course, because—" Hu Kaikang thought for a moment, then said, "Ah, forget it. There’s no hiding anything from a little fox like you! I’ll just be blunt."
"I just wanted to meet you, to see this little fox who got a fast-track promotion!" After a pause, Hu Kaikang’s voice took on a teasing tone. "And besides, I heard from Zhang Hai that you’re apparently joining my God Worship Sect? Is that... true?"
Zhang Hai’s expression froze. But in that instant, it all clicked...
’No, perhaps I should say, it was just as I’d suspected.’
’The Bishop hadn’t come for him at all!’
’But he never imagined it was for...’
"Do you believe that?" Chu Bamboo was starting to lose his composure. ’I know you know I’m Mr. Zhu, but at least put on a show!’
’One minute you’re acting all surprised like we’ve just met, and the next you’re laying it all out on the table, huh? Just as expected of an old fox... It’s one thing to be cunning, but he’s utterly shameless too.’
"I came precisely because I don’t believe it," Hu Kaikang said, rolling his eyes. He sized Chu Bamboo up, tutting. "So, say it to my face. Are you joining or not?!"
"Hmm, let me up the ante a bit," Bishop Hu said unhurriedly. "If you’re willing to join! Then I suppose I could deign to be your master."
"?" Zhang Hai sank into thought. ’Wait a minute, is he trying to poach my guy?’
"Not joining," Chu Bamboo answered simply.
Zhang Hai: "???"
His gaze went vacant as he stared at Chu Bamboo in utter disbelief. Although he had faintly sensed this might happen... being "backstabbed" like this still sent a pang through his heart.
’You could have at least said, "Let me think about it"! You could have at least pretended to consider it for half a minute!’
’Troll! What an absolute troll! You’re messing with me like I’m some Demon Cultist!’
