I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 503 I'll use your trap to trap you! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Inside the carriage, Maurice gently swirled the teacup in his hand, his gaze drifting through the window to the distant, rolling mountains.

The Holy Lord sat opposite him, slowly peeling a walnut, the silver ornaments clinking crisply with his movements.

“My Lord, along the way, I have come to admire the Tian Ce’s cultivation system more and more. In our Yong Zhou Empire, the path of cultivation is strictly controlled by the Holy See, and any deviation will be regarded as heresy.”

Morris put down his teacup, his tone carrying a touch of sincere emotion.

The Holy Lord raised his wrinkled eyelids and looked at Prince Yongzhou with a half-smile: "Oh? This old man is curious, how do cultivators on your side live?"

Morris gave a wry smile, his finger unconsciously tracing circles on the rim of his teacup: "Take me for example. Although I am a prince, I was forced to learn the 'Holy Light Magic' prescribed by the Papacy from a young age. Do you know? When I was ten years old, I was publicly flogged thirty times by a cardinal for secretly trying a breathing technique recorded in an ancient book."

As he said this, Maurice subconsciously touched his back, as if the old scars were still throbbing.

His gaze deepened, and his thoughts seemed to drift back to that dark confessional room.

Perhaps the trauma he suffered in his childhood is what has kept him in his memory until now.

Morris chuckled self-deprecatingly: "The most ridiculous thing is that the ancient book was later proven to have been written by a saint three hundred years ago. But in the eyes of the Vatican, any cultivation method that is not approved by them, even if it comes from the hand of a saint, is heresy."

The Holy Lord popped a peeled walnut into his mouth and said meaningfully, “In our Miao region, there is a saying: ‘Roads are made by people walking on them, not drawn by gods.’”

A glint of light flashed in Morris's eyes.

This is exactly the topic he wanted to start with!

He sighed with feigned emotion, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Along this journey, I have seen that the cultivators of Tian Ce each have their own strengths, a diverse array of talents. Some specialize in swordsmanship, some delve into talismans, and others, like yourself, are proficient in Gu magic. And in Yong Zhou..."

He paused deliberately, a bitter expression on his face: "Apart from the few cultivation methods prescribed by the Vatican, all others are considered heretical. Last year, a genius boy was burned to death in the square because he created his own cultivation method and intended to teach it."

The Holy Lord's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Morris keenly noticed this detail and was secretly pleased.

He knew that what these seniors in the cultivation world feared most was the suppression of innovation.

"So, the Prince has come here?" the Holy Lord asked slowly, his eyes sharpening.

Morris knew the time was right.

He set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly: "Your Majesty, to be honest, I've been pondering a question. Since the Pope wants to spread Christianity northwards, why can't we take this opportunity to bring Tian Ce's cultivation system southwards?"

This bold idea clearly surprised the Holy Lord; it could be said that Maurice had laid his cards on the table with the Holy Lord.

Very few people know about this.

Morris pressed his advantage: "Imagine if the Eternal Day Empire could also allow different cultivation methods to develop freely, like the Heavenly Strategy Empire."

“Then the Papacy’s monopoly will crumble on its own,” the Holy Lord continued, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

That's right, that's the solution Morris came up with.

Your Pope says he wants to spread Christianity in the north. If Li Chen agrees, the condition is that other cultivation systems enter the Eternal Day Empire. Your Pope can't refuse, can he?

Are you allowed to go up but others aren't allowed to come down? Is that reasonable?
But this is just his idea. Whether Li Chen will cooperate is still uncertain. He is also preparing how to persuade Li Chen.

If Li Chen refuses, then he is disrespecting the Pope.

When Maurice returns, he will surely tell the Pope the truth.

This matter could even be publicized extensively, putting the Pope in an awkward position, which would naturally escalate the conflict between the Pope and Li Chen.

This is what is known as "you set a trap for me, I'll use your trap to trap you," or "a trap within a trap."

That's how power struggles are; they're all clandestine battles. Maurice told the Lord these things because he wanted to ascertain the Lord's opinion on the matter.

After meeting Li Chen, this matter was no longer a secret.

Moreover, Morris only mentioned his 'superficial' plans; he didn't reveal his deeper strategies.

Seeing the Holy Lord's reaction, Morris was overjoyed, but on the surface he still maintained a restrained smile: "That's right. So I was thinking, could you please show me the real cultivation world of Tian Ce? You know my identity. If I tell those people outside, what I see is basically what they want me to see."

The Holy Lord smiled and shook his head, indicating that he could not help.

You've got a good idea, right? I'll take you there? But if anything happens to you, I'll be held responsible!

Morris knew that he couldn't possibly win over someone of the Holy Lord's caliber without paying a price.

Even if the two get along well, it's impossible for a few words to make the Holy Lord take on such a great responsibility.

Morris was prepared; since the topic had come up, he naturally had to offer some benefits.

He was a prince of the Eternal Day royal family, with many resources at his disposal, and the royal family had no shortage of resources. He promised the Holy Lord many things he wanted.

Want to know what the Holy Lord wants?
Morris had actually set this trap long ago, because when he chatted with the Holy Lord, he could learn from the Holy Lord what type of cultivator he was and what materials this type of cultivator needed for cultivation.

Then, by addressing the root cause, one can obtain the Lord's help.

Instead of letting the Holy Lord choose, do you think the Holy Lord is a kind person? If you let him choose, wouldn't he just ask for an exorbitant price?
Who's being polite with you? We've only known each other for less than a day.

Morris offered very generous terms, and the cultivation materials and channels he mentioned were exactly what Gu cultivators needed most.

The Holy Lord's eyes lit up immediately. If they could really obtain these things, the strength of the Gu cultivators would be elevated to a higher level.

As Morris said, he could even go south to develop industries belonging to the Holy Land of Witchcraft, which would accelerate the development of the Holy Land of Witchcraft.

Morris also mentioned that the Holy Lord could go south to recruit disciples and establish his own power base, and the royal family would definitely give him strong support.

The Holy Lord refused; he wasn't a fool.

If he were to go south to recruit disciples, wouldn't that be directly confronting the entire Papacy?

They said they wanted to benefit me, but actually they were just using me as a tool.

It's not that the Holy Lord was afraid of the Pope, but rather that he was more traditional and believed it was more reliable to take on disciples from his own people. Most of his Gu cultivators were from families with a long tradition of cultivation.

If there are exceptionally talented disciples, we can make an exception and accept them, but we will also check their character, family background, whether they have any debts or blood feuds, etc.

Instead of accepting just anyone.

Although there are many sects under the Tian Ce Sect, the leaders of each sect know one thing: no matter how good one's cultivation and talent are, if one's character is flawed, the sect will eventually decline.

The reason why the sacred site of witchcraft has maintained a certain status in the southern border region for so many years is because it has its own system.

The Holy Lord felt he could grant Morris's request, given his own Saintly cultivation level, and that he would simply take him to visit some nearby sects.

Even though the Holy Lord knew that Maurice's visit was not just a casual one, he still couldn't resist the immense temptation.

"Meet me at the back gate of the inn at midnight tonight. Remember, dress simply," the Holy Lord said earnestly.

His words were full of confidence.

(End of this chapter)