Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 482 481 An Unexpected Encounter with an "Old Friend"

To rebel, one must have an army, and the greatest reliance of the Great Duke is naturally none other than the Church of the Lord God. The Divine Guard Army, which entered the Eastern Continent under the pretext of protecting the church, is the trump card that the Great Duke has been holding back.

In the Battle of Sail City, the Church of the Mist suffered a complete defeat. The President could have used this as an excuse to launch an attack, whether to restrain or weaken the Church, both of which would have been feasible measures—but he did nothing.

Not only did he do nothing, the president also used the newspaper to save face for the Fog Church, distorting the facts to the point that the Fog Church and the Wind and Rain Temple were fighting against the evil god together.

When Feng Xiuhu learned about the contents of the newspaper from Xu Liansheng, he already had such doubts, but because he did not know the inside story, he did not think about it deeply.

Seeing the wall being demolished now, this question has resurfaced in my mind.

Coupled with what he had seen and heard along the way, Feng Xiuhu subconsciously began to make connections.

Building factories, repairing bridges, mining, demolishing walls.

Foreigner, Duke, government office, president.

The relationship, which should have been one of adversarial, inexplicably gave Feng Xiuhu a sense of déjà vu, as if they were cooperating tacitly.

Feng Xiuhu couldn't figure it out for a moment—was the demolition of the city wall to protect against the Duke of Da Guo, or to make things easier for foreigners?

Feng Xiuhu also harbored resentment over the fact that the Duke of Daguo sent Wei Su'e back to her "mother's home"—regardless of whether Wei Su'e meant well or not, at least she was outwardly on the side of the President, so how could there be any reason to "let the tiger return to the mountain"?

Even after the carriage arrived at the restaurant, Feng Xiuhu was still thinking about this matter.

Fang Youliu was actually a very meticulous person. He remembered that Feng Xiuhu had said last time that he wanted to stay in a high-end hotel. Now that his wallet was full, he didn't need to tell him anything and just pulled Feng Xiuhu over.

Lost in thought, Feng Xiuhu unconsciously followed the two into the hotel lobby, failing to notice even the luxurious decor.

"Second Master? Second Master!"

Fang Youliu called him twice before Feng Xiuhu came to his senses.

Feng Xiuhu looked up and asked, "I'm a little confused about the relationship between the President and the Duke. Do you think they're mortal enemies, or are they just flirting?"

Fang Youliu shrugged and replied, "How would I know? I guess only the two of them can tell me the truth."

"Makes sense."

Feng Xiuhu nodded in affirmation. He turned around, grabbed someone next to him, and asked, "Old Wei, tell me, did you and the President really have a falling out, or was it just a pretense?"

The man, wearing a hat that covered half his face, stood to the side as if waiting for someone, accompanied by his attendants.

Suddenly being pulled, he was startled, and even his attendant was caught off guard.

He looked up and exclaimed in surprise, "Feng Xiuhu!? You're still alive?"

Who else could this person be but Duke Wei Jin of Daguo?

Feng Xiuhu said discontentedly, "Is this how you greet an old friend? Does that mean I'm the one who should die?!"

The Duke of Daguo was still in shock and stammered, "No, what I mean is, the battle fought at Sail City—you survived?"

"Oh--"

Feng Xiuhu suddenly realized: "You mean that matter? I'm a lucky person, so you don't need to worry about it."

He changed the subject: "On the contrary, it's you who's been out for so long and still not home. What are you doing in this godforsaken place?"

The Duke's face darkened: "Father Feng should mind his own business. It's none of your place to inquire about me."

Feng Xiuhu teased him, "Why are you in such a hurry? Is it because the Mist Church can't gain any traction in Sail City, so you're afraid to go back?"

The conversation between the two men seemed to be a battle of wits, and the attendant behind the Duke reached into his robes, as if ready to draw his gun at any moment.

Feng Xiuhu glanced at the attendant; judging from his attire, he should still be the black-clad personal guard of the Duke of Daguo.

The Grand Duke said in a deep voice, "I don't understand what you're gloating about. Don't forget, you're also a priest of the Mist Church." "I'm sorry."

Feng Xiuhu raised his hand to interrupt, took out a badge from his pocket and pinned it on: "Now you have to call me Lord Actor."

The Duke of Daguo said irritably, "What are you so smug about? Aren't the Actors also members of the Church of the Mist?"

Feng Xiuhu said matter-of-factly, "Can't I show off a little?"

"I'm too lazy to argue with you."

The Duke pulled down the brim of his hat and turned to leave.

Feng Xiuhu, however, persisted and followed: "The Duke of Daguo has come to Zhenqiu City, and the government office isn't even here to serve him. How can they let you wander around alone?"

His voice was quite loud, and the Duke of Daguo's expression changed slightly. He scolded, "Keep your voice down!"

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback: "You came here secretly too?"

The Duke of Daguo was also stunned: "Also? You..."

Now it was Feng Xiuhu's turn to change his expression. Realizing he had misspoke, he quickly tried to make amends: "Did I say 'also'?"

The Duke of Daguo revealed a playful smile: "I understand now—Could it be that Father Feng deserted during that battle? No wonder he left his hometown; was he afraid of being purged by the church afterward?"

Feng Xiuhu chuckled twice: "All crows are black, so let's not talk about each other."

The Duke of Daguo snorted coldly: "Stop trying to curry favor. Who's been on your side?"

Feng Xiuhu's eyes darted around: "Then tell me what you're doing here, and I promise I won't reveal your whereabouts."

After a moment of contemplation, the Duke of Daguo lowered his voice and said, "The factory in Yu'ai Prefecture has encountered some obstacles, so I made a special trip to Yu'ai Prefecture to comfort the workers and boost morale. After all, my territory is in Fancheng, and it is quite sensitive for me to travel freely in Daxuan, so it is not convenient to alarm the government."

He didn't say what the obstruction was, but Feng Xiuhu knew the answer.

At the same time, after being reminded by him, Feng Xiuhu remembered something else—the Duke of Daguo had an "experimental project" to seize faith.

It is estimated that the effort to improve the workers' goodwill in Yu'ai Prefecture is also related to this.

The Duke of Daguo retorted to Feng Xiuhu, "I told you, now it's your turn. It's only polite to reciprocate—I'm sure you don't want the church to know you deserted, do you?"

Feng Xiuhu had already guessed that he would ask this question, and replied smugly with his hands on his hips, "I heard that there is a protest demonstration here. I thought I was familiar with this matter, so I came here specifically to give guidance."

The Grand Duke stared at him without saying a word: "..."

The two looked at each other for a moment.

The Duke of Daguo said in a deep voice, "Then let's part ways here. I have to continue my journey. Father Feng, take care of yourself."

Feng Xiuhu then realized that the Duke of Daguo had not come to stay, but had already finished his stay and was leaving.

He asked, "Walking at night? You must be very careful, there are many bandits in this area."

The Duke of Daguo sneered: "No need for Father Feng to worry. I have cars and guards, and the bandits won't dare to block the road."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Watching the Duke of Daguo leave, Feng Xiuhu was filled with envy—he also wanted to ride in a car.

Only then did six and straights come forward.

Shunzi asked curiously, "Why would the Duke of Da Guo appear here?"

Fang Youliu, fearing he might get into serious trouble again, said with lingering fear, "Why don't we hurry up and leave too—as long as we don't go in the same direction as him, it'll be fine."

(End of this chapter)