Wandering Gods of Day and Night
Chapter 274 - 191: Eliminating Gu Ling_3

Chapter 274: Chapter 191: Eliminating Gu Ling_3

The Suffering Scholar, patting the back of the Abbot’s hand, shifted the conversation and said, "Do you remember that noodle shop at the nineteenth street? Two years ago, the owner passed away from illness. The noodles made by his son were bland and flavorless at first. Who would’ve thought the kid would hone his craft? The noodles taste even better now. Care for a bowl together?"

"Let’s go." The Abbot, weighed down by troubling thoughts, didn’t want to offend the other by declining.

...

The Suffering Scholar was twelve years older than the Abbot. He had been the Abbot’s teacher in mysticism and the benefactor who changed his fate.

Once, in the remote Yu Family Village of Mingjiang Prefecture, the Suffering Scholar noticed the Abbot’s latent potential. Not only did he bring him to Mingjiang Prefecture City, but he also helped the Abbot find a City God as his master.

Over the years, childless and without family, the Suffering Scholar came to regard the Abbot as his own son.

"Xiao Yu, how’s the noodle taste?" The Suffering Scholar was eager for praise.

"It’s alright."

The Abbot’s mind was elsewhere.

"I know what you’re thinking. The times have changed. Every era belongs to the young. Gu Ling is very young.

Ever since she joined, the Bone Elder Association has undergone subtle shifts—so subtle and gentle that we failed to notice. But over time, as we finally see them, they slip out of our grasp."

The Suffering Scholar added, "We must also change, but not toward youthful arrogance. Instead, we need to lean into age, to the calculating and self-preserving path.

Our dealings with the kidnappers need to move to even more hidden levels. On the surface, we must wear a façade of morality and justice."

"Pretend to be virtuous? I can’t pull that off."

The Abbot focused earnestly on eating his noodles.

The Suffering Scholar could do little to sway the Abbot. He knew the man was stubborn and tempestuous. To shift his mindset would require time.

The driver carefully handed a newspaper to the Suffering Scholar.

"Sir, here’s the morning paper."

The Suffering Scholar skimmed through the paper swiftly, flipping pages continuously until he had read the entire paper cover to cover.

As a Great Scholar of the Bone Elder Association, his reading speed was astonishing.

"Xiao Yu, the deaths of the Monument King and Lu Yusheng might not be a bad thing."

...

Back in the car, the Suffering Scholar placed the newspaper before the Abbot and said, "Perhaps this is the best time for us to make a change."

The Abbot picked up the paper. The headline featured a photo of Zhang Yifeng.

In the photo, Zhang Yifeng exuded an air of incorruptible righteousness, his gaze boldly proclaiming: "I will not coexist with evil."

"Hmph, Zhang Yifeng must’ve stumbled into some dumb luck to be paraded as a model now."

"This paper glorifies our City God like some noble sect. Such praise it makes even my face burn in shame."

"What sort of twisted trend is this newspaper pushing? Daring to report so brazenly on the kidnappers—do they have a death wish?"

The Suffering Scholar delved deeply into the newspaper, seeing even the enemies lurking between its lines, and remarked to the Abbot,

"Our grip on power has weakened significantly. This is the Divine Stealer Hall targeting us. On the surface, they’re praising us, but in truth, they’re shackling us with moral obligations. Add to that their reports on the kidnappers; they’re cornering us into severing ties with them. The one orchestrating this newspaper is likely Duan Qinglan."

The Divine Stealers control the largest newspaper agency in Mingjiang Prefecture. Behind it is a printing factory, responsible for most of the newspapers circulating in Mingjiang.

A paper like this, daring to challenge the City God and paint Lu Yusheng as a "City God traitor," could not have been printed without the Divine Stealer Hall’s consent.

The Suffering Scholar had interacted with Si Ming before and thought little of him, deeming him dull-witted but with decent incense offerings.

This newspaper, however, was meticulously crafted. It wasn’t something a brute like Si Ming could conceive.

"The Witch, the Divine Stealers, Ping Shui’s God Traveling Department, even the City God’s Qing Feng, Bone Elder’s Gu Ling, and Duan Qinglan—they’re all targeting us. With so many enemies, it might be better to feign cooperation for now."

For once, the Abbot was moved to consider and asked, "How do we blend in?"

"Gu Ling, Qing Feng, and Li Chengfeng all recommended Zhang Yifeng for Zhi Jia Master. So, we go with their suggestion and push him into the position.

Gu Ling wants you to be an inspector. Give her a satisfactory report—find some City Gods with dirty secrets, pay them off with a retirement fund, and turn them into your evidence of progress. Once they die, their lucrative positions will be vacated, and you can plant the night watchmen there.

From top to bottom, put on the appropriate posture. And then have the kidnappers lay low for a few months. Weather the storm completely before letting them reemerge at a lower profile.

In the future, as for ’human goods,’ we’ll stop dealing in low-quality stock. Focus only on high-value targets, abducting those with significant spiritual power to kill. This way, fewer lives are taken, but the profit won’t be much less."

The Abbot thought for a long while and finally said, "No, this is admitting defeat. We haven’t reached that point yet. Old man, you always have a way. If you could handle Li Chengfeng, then surely you can deal with Gu Ling."

"This isn’t admitting defeat; this is a tactical retreat. And just because I managed Li Chengfeng doesn’t mean I can handle Gu Ling."

"If you can’t, then I’ll do it. Gu Ling’s incense offerings are rising sharply, but she’s barely above six sticks of incense. We’ll take her out directly!"

The Abbot had listened to the Suffering Scholar’s advice—but only a little of it...

ps: Dear brothers, the second update is here. Two updates with a total of nine thousand words. Enjoy!