Aside from Yan Hong, the head of the Punishment Hall, four of the remaining seven hall masters were Guan Fusha’s trusted subordinates. The outcome of the vote was naturally self-evident.
Qiyong was so furious he almost stormed off on the spot.
A bunch of idiots. Everything he did was for the Right Protector, yet they had the nerve to bite the hand that fed them and let that woman of unknown origin sit in the seat of Left Protector. They really couldn’t tell right from wrong!
The man in blue beside him leaned in and spoke softly by his ear.
“Elder, please don’t be angry. Most of the eight hall masters are the Protector’s confidants. How could they possibly understand your painstaking efforts? You mustn’t ruin your health over something this trivial. The cult still needs you to hold the fort, and the Protector needs your support.”
Only then did Qiyong’s anger subside a little.
That was true. In the end, the Protector was still too young, with shallow experience, easy to be fooled by some dubious outsider and unable to distinguish right from wrong, actually letting her sit in the seat of Left Protector. As a Sanyuan Elder of the cult, he naturally ought to assist the Protector with all his heart and sweep away all her hidden enemies.
Thinking this, Qiyong narrowed his eyes and looked toward the pink-clad figure standing behind Guan Fusha.
Ordinary-looking, nothing impressive at all, she didn’t seem like a threat. But it was precisely this kind of person one had to be careful of. Those who could play the pig while eating the tiger were never simple.
“I hereby announce that from this day forth, Cui Taohua will become the Left Protector of our Night God Cult.”
Guan Fusha smiled gently as she spoke, but the look she cast at Taohua held a different, deeper meaning.
Goosebumps broke out all over Taohua’s skin. She stepped forward under everyone’s gazes—curious, jealous, hostile. Especially Qiyong’s. Those resentful little eyes of his were practically accusing her of stealing his man. If looks could kill, she’d have been reduced to dust a hundred times over.
Guan Fusha introduced the eight hall masters and three elders to Taohua one by one. There was another elder who was out handling affairs and not in the cult. The man in blue from earlier was one of the elders as well, named Guo Ping, Qiyong’s disciple. He lacked both the seniority and the ability to sit in an elder’s seat, but thanks to having such a “good teacher” in Qiyong, he’d become one of the four great elders without even breaking a sweat.
Only now did Taohua fully understand—so he’d taken the back door just like she had!
Qiyong had never once given her a pleasant expression, and Taohua certainly wasn’t stupid enough to go fawn on his cold backside. After a round of simple introductions, there was nothing more to say. Guan Fusha prepared to adjourn the meeting and send everyone off, so she wouldn’t have to keep looking at Qiyong’s face, twisted up like an old chrysanthemum suffering three days of constipation.
Once they left the main hall, Taohua stayed close on Guan Fusha’s heels.
She wasn’t stupid. She could clearly see the undercurrents surging between Qiyong and Guan Fusha. On the surface, Qiyong showed respect to Guan Fusha, but he constantly used his status as Sanyuan Elder to steer her decisions. Ice three feet thick wasn’t formed in a single day; it seemed Guan Fusha had disliked him for quite a while now.
Sensing Taohua’s probing gaze, Guan Fusha stopped, turned around, and asked,
“Junior Sister, is there something you wanted to ask me?”
Taohua’s eyes flickered. There was so much she wanted to ask. But even if she did, would Guan Fusha really answer?
Even so, Taohua still ventured carefully,
“Senior Sister, about this Left Protector matter…”
Guan Fusha listened offhandedly as she walked into a pavilion and sat down on a stone bench. A maid immediately stepped up to serve tea.
“Could it be that you’re unwilling, Junior Sister?”
The question lodged in Taohua’s throat like an olive pit—she couldn’t swallow it down or spit it out.
In truth, she was very much against it. Although Qiyong was dissatisfied with Guan Fusha’s actions, he was still utterly loyal to the Night God Cult, and deep down he still stood on Guan Fusha’s side. Add to that the resentful look he’d given her earlier, as if he couldn’t wait to kill her, and he was probably already down below plotting with his people on how to get rid of this eyesore of a Left Protector.
“How could that be?”
People under another’s eaves had to bow their heads. Taohua smiled, words and heart completely at odds.
“Senior Sister has entrusted me with such a heavy responsibility. I’m too happy to feel anything else.”
“That’s good.”
Guan Fusha took a light sip of the fragrant tea and said,
“Elder Qi is a Sanyuan Elder, highly respected within the cult and deeply admired by the followers. But he is getting on in years now. I fear it’s no longer suitable for him to keep working so hard. What do you think, Junior Sister?”
Taohua nodded along as she listened. Put plainly, Guan Fusha was fed up with that old fossil Qiyong disobeying her and even trying to climb over her head to give orders, so she wanted to boot him out.
“My time in the cult has been short, so I don’t understand its internal affairs as deeply as Senior Sister. Since Elder Qi is already advanced in age and no longer suited to such toil, then we should let him go home and spend his remaining years in peace.”
A glimmer of approval flashed in Guan Fusha’s eyes. She truly hadn’t chosen the wrong person.
“Protector.”
A-Tian had arrived at the pavilion at some point. Her brows were furrowed, her expression a bit grave.
She walked up and whispered a few words by Guan Fusha’s ear. Guan Fusha’s expression flickered slightly, but quickly returned to normal as she instructed,
“I understand. Take Junior Sister back to the side courtyard first.”
“Yes.”
A-Tian nodded politely to Taohua and extended an inviting hand.
“Left Protector, this way, please.”
Though A-Tian had lowered her voice while whispering, Taohua’s ears were sharp enough to catch Xiaozhu’s name. She immediately tensed.
“Did Miss Xiaozhu get hurt?”
A-Tian glanced at Guan Fusha, and only after receiving her permission did she answer,
“You needn’t worry, Miss. Xiaozhu only suffered some superficial wounds. Nothing serious.”
Only then did Taohua breathe a sigh of relief.
“Senior Sister, there’s one thing I’d like to boldly ask of you. I hope Senior Sister will agree.”
Guan Fusha’s gaze turned a shade more amused.
“Go on.”
“It’s about Miss Xiaozhu. Back in Furong Courtyard, she risked herself without hesitation and did everything she could to protect me. I hope Senior Sister won’t punish her.”
With the Night God Cult’s twisted rules, Taohua really was worried Xiaozhu would be punished for failing her duty.
“Since Xiaozhu did her utmost to protect you, I naturally won’t punish her. Junior Sister, there’s no need to worry.”
A faint smile remained on Guan Fusha’s face, but in her heart she gave a cold snort.
She’d only been in the cult for how many days, and she was already this close to Xiaozhu, even pleading on her behalf!
“A-Tian, take Junior Sister back to the side courtyard first.”
“Yes, Protector.”
With Guan Fusha’s promise, Taohua finally relaxed and followed A-Tian back toward her own residence.
The whole way, she had no mood to admire the strange flowers and rare plants along the path. Her thoughts were fixed entirely on Xiaozhu’s injuries. In the end, the girl had been hurt saving her.
“Miss A-Tian, are Miss Xiaozhu’s injuries really not serious?”
A-Tian covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed lightly.
“Please rest assured, Miss. Xiaozhu truly isn’t badly hurt. They’re only superficial wounds.”
“Really not serious?”
Taohua couldn’t help but doubt it. The vicious way Xiaoyuan had swung that whip was still vivid in her mind, as if he wanted to cut her into five pieces.
“Really.”
A-Tian reassured her again.
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Xiaozhu yourself once we’re back at the side courtyard.”
