Chapter 34 Divine Servant If the priests are like the blazing sun that mortals cannot look directly at…
If the priests are like the blazing sun that mortals cannot look directly at, then the four divine attendants are like the stars surrounding that sun. As long as the priests are not present, their radiance cannot be ignored.
Because there has been no formal selection of priests to date, the four divine attendants do not have a clear distinction of positions. However, in terms of prestige and pomp, the most eye-catching of the four divine attendants is Zou Nian, a direct descendant of the Zou family, whose courtesy name is Buming.
The character 淰 means the surface of water is calm and still.
When all things are out of balance, they cry out. The elders of the Zou family probably expected him to eradicate all injustices in the world, hence the choice of the character "不鸣" (meaning "silent"). Their high regard for him is self-evident.
Zou Buming's behavior and mannerisms imitated the priest Zou Gaoyang in every way, even surpassing Luo Heqing, who was second in pomp and circumstance.
Those in and around the shrine, as well as the sycophants, are commonly referred to as "minor priests" by ordinary people, both in public and in private.
Zou Buming readily accepted the title of "Junior Priest." Even in front of the elders of the Divine Palace, if anyone dared to call him that, he would readily accept.
Wu Chen laughed it off, but the other two divine attendants, Luo Heqing and Yu Jitang, had subtly mocked Zou Buming countless times over this.
Luo Heqing's background was in no way inferior to Zou Buming's. His mother was originally from the Zou family, but married into the Luo family of Zhan Yantai and gave birth to him. Luo Heqing served as a link between the two major powers, the Divine Palace and Zhan Yantai; both sides had to fawn over him.
The Yu family, from which Yu Jitang comes, is the second largest power in the Divine Palace. It is no exaggeration to say that they are a pure Divine Palace power. Even a weed in the Divine Palace has roots in the Yu family. The Yu family can receive news of any disturbances immediately.
Wu Chen, an orphan with no family background, rose to the position of divine servant entirely through his own efforts. Based on this alone, many people believe that Zou, Luo, and Yu combined are no match for Wu Chen.
Moreover, Wu Chen's conduct was the most upright and honest among the four divine servants, and many people secretly placed their bets on him, especially those who had grudges against the other three families.
Preparations for this winter hunt began three years ago when Zou Gaoyang's accident happened. However, before they could do anything to Wu Chen, he left the Divine Palace under the guise of training, and remained gone for over two years. With the winter hunt about to begin, no one could figure out Wu Chen's true intentions.
Could it be that they're just giving up? Many people have made this guess.
After all, Wu Chen hadn't prepared anything, and given his past behavior of not easily offending people, it wouldn't be a bad thing to have such a powerful and upright divine servant, no matter which of the other three became priests.
But Yu Jitang didn't see it that way. Since he met Wu Chen, he had suffered countless hidden losses at Wu Chen's hands, suffering in silence, and even his own parents thought he was in the wrong. In Yu Jitang's eyes, the more Wu Chen seemed to have done nothing, the more thoroughly he had prepared.
So this time, if the mountain won't come to me, I'll come to the mountain. If Wu Chen won't board his boat, he'll jump on Wu Chen's boat. Anyway, this rebellious son of the Yu family really has no interest in the position of a priest.
Besides, the Yu family, who have been the second-in-command for so long, are doing quite well; he really can't see anything wrong with it.
Wu Chen glanced at him. "What do we need to prepare?"
Yu Jitang scoffed, "This winter hunt is extremely dangerous. That silent bird and those two families spent three years just selecting their followers. Don't tell me you're planning to go alone!"
Qi Ying finally returned with a tea tray and served tea to the two of them. Hearing about the winter hunt, he listened attentively with his sleeves down.
Wu Chen picked up the teacup, blew on it, and then hummed in agreement.
Yu Jitang was listening intently for his answer, and when he heard an almost inaudible "hmm," he almost thought there was something wrong with his ears.
Qi Ying, who was standing nearby, was the first to jump up. "My lord, this won't do. This time, Attendant Zou and Attendant Luo have taken away almost half of the experts from the Divine Palace. Anyone who doesn't understand can see that they're just there to clear the way. If you go alone, you... you won't be able to fight against so many people!"
Wu Chen laughed, "So many people are watching!"
Qi Ying had already said what Yu Jitang was about to say. He pondered for a while instead, "This winter hunt is in the Western Wilderness. It's a place teeming with demons. You not only have to be wary of people, but also of demons. If you're surrounded by demons, your eloquence won't be enough to solve the problem."
Wu Chen smiled. "More people will attract more demons. There are countless demons in the Western Wilderness. No matter how many people you bring, they can't possibly outnumber the demons. Besides, the Winter Hunt isn't about who kills the most demons, but about who brings back the most precious herbs. The more precious the herbs, the deeper they grow, and the stronger the demons there are. Wouldn't it be better if I went alone and returned quietly?"
"My lord, I'll go with you. If we encounter any danger, I'll protect you. You go first," Qi Ying volunteered.
Wu Chen glanced at him, "That depends on whether you can make sure you won't hold me back!"
Yu Jitang burst into laughter. It turned out that Wu Chen wasn't just criticizing him, but his trusted confidants weren't much better. He suddenly felt much better. "Fine, if you're not bringing anyone, then so be it. Just the two of us!"
Qi Ying, unwilling to back down, retorted, "It's not like you're the one who won't hold us back."
Yu Jitang snorted, not bothering to argue with him, and stood up. "Fine, then I'll go back and get ready. We agreed that it's just the two of us, no one else."
Wu Chen actually nodded and said, "Okay."
Yu Jitang returned home satisfied, and upon seeing his parents, he said, "I'm not taking anyone with me on this winter hunt."
His father looked at him with an expression that said, "My son is having another episode."
His mother's shoulders slumped noticeably. Having been hurt by her youngest son for years, she knew that forcibly stopping him was useless. "Yu Jitang, are you courting death? I won't stop you, but before you leave, why don't you hurry up and make sure you have a backup plan?"
Yu Jitang's scalp tightened. "Mother, my eldest and second brothers are both married. They'll let you hold your grandson."
His mother sighed deeply, "That's not your child either. Take the child and leave a lineage, you can choose one yourself."
This time, Yu Jitang didn't push the issue further. "It's not just me. Wu Shen and I are teaming up. It's just the two of us; we're not bringing anyone else."
Huh? His father sat up straight in surprise. "The Witch God's Servant? With you?"
Yu Jitang nodded.
His parents exchanged a surprised glance. They knew their son better than anyone.
His father couldn't help but ask, "When did the Witch God's servant take a fancy to you?!"
His mother rolled her eyes. "How dare you talk like that? Son, when did the Witch God Servant ever take a liking to you?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the couple exchanged a glance.
This is getting weirder and weirder.
His father thought for a moment, "When did you become so close to the witch priest?"
Yu Jitang said proudly, "Actually, it was because I got close to his woman. Later I realized that after he had a woman, he became much more decent than before."
Son, it's truly remarkable that you've survived this long without being beaten to death!
The couple sighed inwardly, realizing that their decision to let their son focus on cultivation since he didn't like studying when he was young was indeed a very farsighted one.
Madam Yu suddenly veered off-topic, "Son, does the Witch God's servant really have a woman? Did he bring her back to the Divine Palace?"
Yu Jitang was about to speak when he suddenly swallowed his words, "I promised Wu Chen that I wouldn't tell anyone."
Wow, these two actually have a secret? It seems their relationship is quite good this time.
Madam Yu smiled with relief, "Good, good. It's much more reassuring for the two of you to travel together than to bring along a hundred or eighty experts."
His father nodded, "Since the Witch God Servant has made such a plan, he must have his reasons. If you join forces with him, you don't need to think about suppressing him. If you help him more, the Witch God Servant is not the kind of person who would steal credit; if he helps you more, why not give him the top spot?"
His father also felt that first place was a sure thing. Yu Jitang was about to nod when he suddenly felt a pang of unease. "Father, I'm a divine servant too!"
“I know,” his father said seriously. “I’ve always been proud of you.”
Yu Jitang looked at his father with emotion, not knowing what to say.
His father found it amusing, but on the surface he continued in a serious tone, "Since you two have decided to join forces, go and invite the Witch God Servant here. There are some things I need to tell you both in person."
Yu Jitang, who was feeling blissfully smug, immediately replied upon hearing this, "I'll go talk to him right away."
"Oh, oh..." Before Madam Yu could finish her sentence, Yu Jitang had already disappeared. "...Wouldn't it have been easier to just send someone?" She shook her head helplessly.
The couple exchanged a smile, then sighed and shook their heads in unison.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2020-06-12 20:49:51 and 2020-06-15 11:32:05!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Repigon 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
