Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 348, Section 347: The Wind and Rain Goddess and Willow Oriole
"Where are the merfolk?"

Feng Xiuhu asked, "I heard they caused a huge disturbance in the upper district."

Wan Laiqiu's gaze darkened slightly: "Hmm... In the past, when evil gods stirred up trouble, the temple never caused the war to spread to the upper city. I am to blame for this unexpected incident."

"But fundamentally, if the temple hadn't been controlled by the church, a hundred or so mermaids wouldn't have been able to cause any real trouble."

Wan Laiqiu's eyes narrowed slowly: "What's even more despicable is Navadracho, who left behind a knife after he left—he had previously preached to officials, prophesied about impending disaster, and said that the Great Cathedral was the only place of refuge."

"You don't know that this time the mermaids caused trouble, they deliberately avoided the main church - it turns out that the church and the evil god had communicated in advance, so as to make the officials completely loyal. Their intentions are truly despicable."

"And those officials who did not seek refuge in the Grand Hall to avoid suspicion were almost all killed or injured—even Yan Qingtian could not escape."

Feng Xiuhu's spirits lifted: "The mayor is gone?"

Wan Laiqiu nodded silently: "Yes, once the situation here is summarized and reported to Taijing, new appointments will be made. But this is also an opportunity for the Grand Duke, who will definitely interfere in secret. At that time, it will be another open and covert struggle between him and the President... Let's not talk about this, it will only cause trouble."

Feng Xiuhu snapped his fingers: "I suddenly have an idea."

Wan Laiqiu looked at him warily: "What kind of trouble are you up to now?"

Feng Xiuhu put his arm around Wan Laiqiu's shoulder and laughed, "Instead of letting the President and the Duke bother you, why doesn't the temple just elect someone to be mayor?"

Wan Laiqiu frowned deeply: "What nonsense are you talking about? Taijing would never agree to this, and besides, the temple has no right to interfere in government affairs."

Feng Xiuhu said matter-of-factly, "Just don't let them know, okay?"

He lowered his voice: "Have Mr. Grey help... hide the truth."

Wan Laiqiu's eyelids twitched: "You have quite the nerve."

Feng Xiuhu spread his hands and acted like a rogue: "If you don't want to do it, I'll do it myself. Anyway, the temple has no right to interfere in government affairs, and this matter does not require your approval."

Wan Laiqiu's face was grim: "You're leaving anyway, what's the point of being mayor?"

Feng Xiuhu grinned and said, "I won't take it."

As the crowd approached, Feng Xiuhu pointed to one of the people and said, "Look, our new mayor has arrived."

Mike froze on the spot, instinctively trying to hide behind Shunzi, but Feng Xiuhu's fingers remained firmly fixed on him.

"I didn't do it! It has nothing to do with me! I don't know anything about it!"

Although he didn't know what had happened, Mike was eager to exonerate himself.

Feng Xiuhu said to Wan Laiqiu, "Look at how well he speaks, getting into character so quickly. Tell me if he's suitable or not."

Wan Laiqiu remained silent with a sullen face.

Feng Xiuhu leaned close to his ear: "Whether it's suitable or not, it can only be him. Believe me or not, if I just mention it, all the remaining officials in Fancheng will have to support him to the top."

The officials who survived under the protection of the cathedral this time largely overlapped with those who preached the doctrines during Vadracho's time.

In a sense, it was precisely because of their trust in Mike that these officials believed Vadrajo's "prophecy".

Unexpectedly, due to the Mist God's crushing defeat, all the path paved by Vadrajo ended up benefiting others.

Wan Laiqiu gave Mike a deep look, then turned and walked away, saying, "This matter has nothing to do with the temple, and I know nothing about it."

"Then I'll take it as your acquiescence."

Feng Xiuhu caught up with him: "Try to be optimistic, this is also good for the temple."

Wan Laiqiu glared at him: "I don't care whether the temple has any benefits or not, I only care about the goddess—if I didn't need your help, I would never have stood by and watched you do whatever you wanted."

Feng Xiuhu said smugly, "That's right. Although Mr. Hui did the work, I at least acted as a go-between..."

"Not Mr. Grey."

Wan Laiqiu interrupted, "I'm talking about you." "Her Majesty said you should keep her in mind."

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback. He hadn't actually taken the matter too seriously, but after the Empress mentioned it once, Wan Laiqiu brought it up again, which made him feel puzzled.

"I did promise Your Majesty, but you can't rely on me entirely, can you? I'm just one person, how many people are there in your temple? You should all lend a hand."

Wan Laiqiu shook his head in disappointment: "It seems you still don't understand."

"Remember the oriole, not the wind and rain goddess."

Feng Xiuhu retorted, "How could I not understand? The opera singers of the past, the songstresses of today, have been the top-tier courtesans for over a thousand years!"

Wan Laiqiu countered, "If you understand, then how come you don't know that the temple can't help with this matter?"

Like a sudden awakening, Feng Xiuhu suddenly realized something and stood there stunned.

Wan Laiqiu said in a low voice, "It's about remembering the person... not just the name."

“In our eyes, she is always the Empress—even if I were to announce to the world that the Empress and Liu Ying’er are the same person, it would be of no use. People would only think that Liu Ying’er is the Empress, not that the Empress is Liu Ying’er.”

This sounded a bit convoluted, but Feng Xiuhu understood what he meant: "Liu Ying'er has many admirers, and they can probably do their part."

Wan Laiqiu slowly shook his head: "Not many will emerge. It's inevitable that someone will be forgotten if they don't show up for a long time."

Feng Xiuhu's eyes darted around, and he came up with another terrible idea: "Why don't we find someone to sing under the name of Liu Ying'er? Anyway, with the temple supporting her, she won't have to worry about not becoming famous..."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Xiuhu stopped talking on his own initiative.

He suddenly realized that Wan Laiqiu was right—what needs to be remembered is the person, not a name.

Even if you find someone who looks exactly like you, a fake is still a fake.

Wan Laiqiu glanced at Feng Xiuhu without leaving a trace: "Liu Ying'er is her own independent will. Over the years, she has been using this identity to resist the backlash of the power of authority. The reason why she wants more people to remember her is actually similar to the way of supporting a divine position through faith."

Shi suddenly interjected: "Actually, it was Xi Jun who came up with the idea. The system of faith-based divine seal formation was originally researched by Xi Jun, so she knows it best."

Wan Laiqiu couldn't hear him, but continued, "Faith and remembrance both come from the spiritual level and belong to the power of the spirit. The stronger the spirit, the stronger the support it provides to Liu Ying'er."

"That's why Her Majesty chose you."

Similarly, if the true God were to do this, the results might be even better than those achieved by Feng Xiuhu.

But Feng Xiuhu didn't ask any further questions, because the answer was simple—it was likely that, apart from Xi Jun, in the eyes of other true gods, the Goddess of Wind and Rain was still the Goddess of Wind and Rain.

"I understand."

Feng Xiuhu nodded earnestly and said, "I will remember her."

He hadn't expected things to be so serious. At first, he thought the Goddess of Wind and Rain just wanted him to do his part, but he never imagined that he would be her lifeline.

No wonder Liu Ying'er was so reluctant to leave.

Wan Laiqiu stopped, turned around, and solemnly bowed to Feng Xiuhu.

As he straightened up, Wan Laiqiu took the gleaming blue ring off his thumb and handed it to Feng Xiuhu: "This is the Token of Summoning Wind and Rain. Seeing it is like seeing the temple. If you encounter any difficulties on your journey, you can take it to the nearest Wind and Rain Temple. The disciples there will do their best to help you."

Feng Xiuhu snatched it away and examined it in his hand: "A magic weapon?"

Wan Laiqiu shook his head: "It's just a certificate."

Feng Xiuhu was somewhat disappointed: "Alright, but if you give it to me, what will you use in the future?"

Wan Laiqiu extended his other thumb and smiled, "I have one more."

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(End of this chapter)