MMORPG: War God, You are Invincible Again
Chapter 454 - 208: The Boastful Elder Hu

Chapter 454: Chapter 208: The Boastful Elder Hu

Watching Huang Zong leave, Elder Hu revealed a smug smile. He had almost confirmed that the little girl by Lu Hong’s side was the bastard child the Golden Goddess had been searching for.

"Hand this little girl over to the Golden Goddess? Haha, only a fool would do such a thing."

Possessing the top-tier Holy Light Bloodline of the Star Sea, she would become a mighty weapon for the Temple of Power if handled properly. Weighing the trivial rewards from the Golden Goddess against her potential, Elder Hu saw the matter more clearly than anyone.

This matter must be reported to the Hall Master. Elder Hu’s heart blossomed with joy. He had lost at cards yesterday and was trying to figure out how to weasel out of paying. The ruckus escalated to the Hall Master, and he was punished with guarding the mountain gate. Little did he know, his misfortune turned into a blessing—truly the favor of the Heavenly Gods!

Elder Hu’s complexion was rosy. He initially intended to seal off the Path of Power to ensure the little girl couldn’t escape, but he felt something was amiss. The old timers from the other temples were nosey dogs, and any abnormal behavior would surely bring them sniffing around.

Regardless, the first step was to report to the Hall Master. This way, he could firmly grasp the credit for discovering the bastard child of the Golden Temple.

On his way, Elder Hu generously used multiple Teleportation Scrolls for the first time in years, rushing back to the Temple of Power.

Just as he arrived at the temple’s entrance, he bumped into Elder Qin, who had gambled with him the day before.

"Old Hu! How come you’re back?" Elder Qin caught sight of the sullen Elder Hu and grabbed him, "Don’t think you can escape! Pay up!"

"Pay what? Pay what!" Elder Hu struggled free from Elder Qin, "It’s just a few Gold Magic Power Crystals. Could I possibly short you?"

"Yes, I’m worried you can’t pay. I was concerned you had fled. Now that you’re back, hand it over! You’re not entering this temple today without paying," Elder Qin insisted as he clung to Elder Hu, ready to tussle to the end.

"Oh, Old Qin, I truly have important matters to report to the Hall Master this time. Let go for now, and right after I’ve reported, I’ll immediately give you the Magic Power Crystals," Elder Hu, having no choice, tried to persuade him with kind words.

"No way. You used that excuse yesterday to avoid paying your gambling debts, nearly letting you slip away. I won’t believe you this time!"

Elder Hu had just pried away Elder Qin’s hands when the latter grabbed him again. Within the range of the temple, the use of force was strictly forbidden, so Elder Qin wasn’t worried about Elder Hu suddenly unleashing magic power to break free and escape.

Their squabble amused the disciples guarding the gate, who couldn’t help but cover their mouths and snicker.

"What are you laughing at!" Embarrassed, Elder Hu scolded those around him, and then turned to Elder Qin, "I’m not lying this time. If you don’t believe me, you can come with me to the Hall Master."

"Fine." Elder Qin agreed without hesitation, gripping Elder Hu as they headed to where the Hall Master was in seclusion.

After about half an hour, they finally arrived at the place where the Hall Master was secluded.

Standing outside the door, Elder Hu called out loudly, "Hu Cong’an requests an audience with the Hall Master!"

Soon, the Hall Master’s voice came from inside, "Hu Cong’an, didn’t I order you to guard the mountain gate? You are not to return to the temple for three years—why have you come back on the second day?"

"Hu Cong’an has urgent matters to report to the Hall Master. I beg for your discernment!"

"What matter can’t be conveyed through a disciple?" The Hall Master spoke with evident displeasure, clearly dissatisfied with Hu Cong’an’s actions, but still said, "Come in then. If you’re lying, it won’t just be a matter of guarding the gate for a few more years."

"Thank you for your leniency, Hall Master." Elder Hu once again shoved Elder Qin off, "I told you I had business with the Hall Master. Let go quickly!"

Elder Qin opened his mouth hesitantly, "Well, the matter of the Magic Power Crystals can wait. Don’t let those few crystals lead you to misfortune!" He detected the displeasure in the Hall Master’s tone and, knowing that nothing significant had happened in the Path of Power for over a decade, worried that Hu Cong’an’s answer might not satisfy the Hall Master.

"Don’t worry. Not only will I be exempt from punishment this time, I might even receive a rich reward! Your few crystals are nothing; I’ll make it up to you later."

"Really?"

"Stop the blather; the Hall Master is getting impatient." Shrugging off Elder Qin’s persistence, Elder Hu pushed the door and entered.

The meditation chamber was empty except for the cushion under the Hall Master’s seat. Elder Hu walked straight to where the Hall Master sat and knelt, "Hu Cong’an pays respects to the Hall Master!"

The Master of the Temple of Power didn’t open his eyes, "Stand up."

"Thank you, Hall Master."

"Now, tell me what the matter is." The Hall Master spoke curtly.

"I’ve found the residue of the Golden Temple who escaped fourteen years ago!" Knowing the Hall Master’s mood, Elder Hu didn’t beat around the bush and blurted out the big news.

"What?!" The Temple of Power’s Hall Master suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at Elder Hu, "Are you sure you are not mistaken?"

"There’s no way I’ve recognized the wrong person, plus this scum has even drawn the descent of the Heavenly God’s will; aside from those of the Golden Temple’s Holy Light lineage, who else could achieve this step?"

The Hall Master of the Hall of Strength recovered from his surprise and closed his eyes again, speaking faintly, "You still need to confirm this further. The Star Sea is vast, and prodigies are easy to come by. If she is not a descendant of the Holy Light, and you take her as an apprentice, I will tilt resources towards you and cultivate her with all my might. If she is a descendant of Holy Light, bring her before me."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Elder Hu bowed deeply without leaving directly.

The Hall Master noticed the other’s intentions and tossed a token casually, "With this, you can mobilize all underlings beneath the elder level."

"Thank you for the Hall Master’s reward!" Receiving the benefit, Elder Hu then left with a beaming smile.

No sooner had Elder Hu left than Elder Qin approached with worry, "How did it go? The Hall Master didn’t punish you, did he?"

"Punish me? Why would the Hall Master want to punish me?" Elder Hu’s face glowed as he took out the freshly obtained token to show off, "Look at this! What is it?"

"Fuck?!" Elder Qin’s eyes widened, "A Token of the Divine Mechanism?!"

Every temple had a Token of the Divine Mechanism, which generally had the same function—to command all followers below the rank of elder. To command those above elder rank, one would need the Hall Master’s token.

"Have you uncovered something significant? Why would the Hall Master reward you with a Token of the Divine Mechanism?" Elder Qin rubbed his eyes, somewhat disbelieving.

"It’s a matter of utmost importance. Although we have a good relationship, the Hall Master asked me to keep it secret, so there’s nothing I can do," Elder Hu chuckled while securing the token, "Wait till I reel in a big catch, and I’ll repay you for those Divine Origin Crystals!"

"Ah, no rush, no rush. It’s just a few crystals. What are you planning to do next? Count me in!" Elder Qin wasn’t foolish; receiving a token to command the power of the temple meant something big was about to happen. Getting involved could mean reaping immense rewards, much more valuable than a few Divine Origin Crystals.

"This...," Elder Hu hesitated.

Elder Qin quickly caught on and took out two Divine Origin Crystals, "Brother, I know your cultivation has been struggling these past days, take these two crystals to replenish yourself."

"Well...," Elder Hu grabbed the crystals and tucked them into his chest, "How could I accept this?"

"No trouble at all, no trouble. We’re all brothers here, why stand on ceremony?" Elder Qin laughed apologetically, all the while fuming inside.

"Alright, just wait for news in the hall. I’ll call on you when it’s time."

"Then I shall await the good news from Brother Hu," Elder Qin wore a forced smile as he sent off Hu Cong’an. Only after the other had utterly vanished did Elder Qin’s face collapse in frustration—what a situation, instead of recovering his gambling debt, he’d ended up throwing even more crystals into the mix.

Having left the back hall, Hu Cong’an was now in a quandary. He was certain the little girl was a remnant of the Golden lineage, but the Hall Master wasn’t quite convinced. He couldn’t just capture the girl; he needed to prove her identity to continue claiming credit for the deed.

What to do? Hu Cong’an wandered into the Administrative Hall, where the working elders immediately sprang up at his arrival.

"Hu Cong’an! Don’t think you can run! Repay the money!"

But as soon as the words were spoken, they were silenced by the glint of the golden token.

"You... where did you steal that token from? Have you no wish to live!" Clearly, the elder did not believe Hu Cong’an was capable of holding such a token.

"Steal? The Hall Master has entrusted me with an important task; now hurry up and tally the manpower for me," Hu Cong’an stated haughtily, his nostrils in the air.

"Are you serious?"

"Nonsense!" Hu Cong’an shouted, "Hurry up! If you delay the Hall Master’s business, you won’t be able to afford the consequences!"

The elder promptly ran back to his seat upon confirmation, flipping through the ledgers, and said, "Currently, our hall has 13,762 idle personnel below the level of elder; how many do you need, Elder Hu, and when?"

"Give me a start with six thousand. Their strength must be at least at the Third Transition, and the sooner, the better."

The Administrative Elder nodded, "Alright, in half an hour, six thousand will be waiting for you in front of the temple to be dispatched." After giving the orders, he sent disciples to deliver the messages.

Having issued the orders, the Administrative Elder approached Hu Cong’an with a grin: "So, what’s happening, Old Hu?"

Obviously, the elder also wanted to benefit, especially since there had been no war and thus no chance for glory.

"Just manage the manpower distribution properly, and don’t be nosy. If you provide me with enough hands, and the task is accomplished, you’ll certainly have your share of the credit," Hu Cong’an sneered, not intending to let him share in the spoils. With many sharing the credit, each person’s slice of the good fortune was bound to be smaller.

"Tsk," seeing Hu Cong’an ignoring him, the Administrative Elder returned to his seat disgruntled, "Hu Cong’an! Pay up!"