Chapter 352: For the Faith
In the New Beginning Realm, every city has an Administrative Courtyard. The Administrative Courtyard governs a city, and the Administrative Chief is its highest manager.
Any religious sect that wishes to construct large temples, propagate their doctrines, or recruit believers must first obtain approval. If the authorities do not recognize them, they are forbidden from building and must operate clandestinely. Furthermore, they risk being deemed a cult and subjected to severe suppression.
Even the smaller temples outside the city, if they lack approval, are technically non-compliant. However, the authorities usually turn a blind eye to these minor establishments, and forced demolitions are rare.
After all, these small temples have minimal impact, and their sheer number makes regulation impossible. Thus, as long as no incidents occur, the authorities are too lazy to bother with them.
The existence of religious sects, in truth, poses a significant threat to the authorities. Yet, the authorities are helpless in this regard; a complete eradication of all sects is simply unrealistic. At the very least, they are currently incapable of achieving it.
To ensure peace and stability in this world and maintain a delicate balance wherever possible, the authorities have employed numerous measures. Controlling the number of large temples is but one of these many strategies.
While there aren't many Talisman Masters in Lecheng, a considerable number of people still believe in the Talisman Ancestor. Naturally, for any religious sect, the more believers, the better. Therefore, the Talisman Order had long wished to construct a larger Talisman Ancestor Temple to expand its influence and attract more adherents.
Because of this, Old Man Zhang had approached the Administrative Chief multiple times, but to no avail. The Administrative Chief neither agreed nor refused, always giving him the runaround, causing the matter to be repeatedly postponed.
Old Man Zhang sent his disciple Wang Yiming to assist the Spirit Police not only to give his disciple some experience but also to make a show for the Administrative Chief, hoping to secure a plot of land for the reconstruction of a large Talisman Ancestor Temple.
Furthermore, this world is rife with countless religious sects and organizations. For the government to maintain its foothold under such circumstances, it must surely be more complex than it appears on the surface. Without a certain level of strength and some unknown factors, this world would have long since descended into chaos. The government would have no hope of successfully controlling it. If he were to push against the government, he feared he would ultimately be the one to suffer the loss.
Thus, Old Man Zhang dared not resort to force; he could only find a way to have his Talisman Order's application approved.
Even now, Old Man Zhang had continued to strive for this matter, but unfortunately, he had not achieved the desired outcome. With Captain Luo's words now, how could his heart not stir?
His heart might have stirred, but he didn't want to show it too obviously. Especially in this situation, Captain Luo's demand made him deeply uncomfortable. He hadn't expected Captain Luo to side with Yang Haoran, and so he directly voiced his displeasure.
However, Yang Haoran's reminder made him frown deeply. With just a moment's thought, he understood the meaning behind Yang Haoran's words.
Captain Luo was mediating the conflict for him, and at the same time, offering him a graceful exit. By taking the step Captain Luo provided, he could not only acquire the highly coveted plot of land but also resolve the immediate trouble without losing face.
Thinking this way, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Captain Luo was indeed on his side, for Captain Luo was solving his problem.
Old Man Zhang's face remained grim, and he said nothing more. Seeing this, Yang Haoran's smile deepened. He did not speak again, but simply sipped his tea.
Meanwhile, Captain Luo, at this moment, turned his gaze towards the agitated Jiang Die.
"Talisman Master Jiang, please calm down for a moment," Captain Luo asked with a smile. "Allow me to pose a question: what was your purpose when you went out to spread the faith back then?"
"Why? Naturally, it was to propagate the doctrines of my Talisman Order and to recruit more believers for my God! " Jiang Die retorted, her emotions still high, her voice low and grave.
"Then the problem is simple," Captain Luo said. "If your Talisman Order possesses a large Talisman Ancestor Temple in Lecheng, you should understand what that signifies without me explaining it. I know the past grievances caused you distress, which is why our authorities are specifically offering this plot of land as compensation for you."
"Although you have suffered all these years, your suffering has enabled the Talisman Order to acquire a large Talisman Ancestor Temple. I believe all Talisman Masters in Lecheng will be grateful to you, including your Senior Brother Old Man Zhang, without exception."
"Furthermore, with the existence of this large Talisman Ancestor Temple, your Talisman Order is bound to gain even more believers. All this merit will likewise be attributed to you; no one can take it away. As a devout believer, to be able to make such a contribution to the Talisman Ancestor, I believe one should feel proud and honored, rather than dwelling on how much wrong they have suffered. Don't you agree?"
Captain Luo's words caused Jiang Die's expression to shift. She frowned deeply, her mind clearly lost in thought, yet she did not refute anything Captain Luo had said.
The fact that Jiang Die had gone out to spread the faith, even employing various means to recruit more believers for the Talisman Order, was ample proof that she was an absolutely devout adherent.
Had she not been such a devout believer, the task of spreading the faith could have been entirely delegated to a Yellow Talisman Master. As a Black Talisman Master, she could have completely ignored such matters, so why would she have ventured into remote mountain gulleys to preach?
Precisely because she was a devout believer, Captain Luo's words now had a profound impact on her.
As a devout believer, for the sake of her faith, let alone suffering a few injuries or indignities, she would have absolutely no complaints even if it meant losing her life.
If truly necessary, she would even willingly sacrifice her own life, offering it up for her faith, for her God.
Today, the Talisman Order had come to trouble the snake demon, primarily to vent their long-held frustrations. However, if someone was willing to pay for those past grievances, then that was naturally a different matter entirely.
As long as the benefits were sufficient, what did old grievances truly matter?
Jiang Die took a deep breath, her emotions gradually calming. She spoke in a low, serious tone, "If Captain Luo can truly provide our Talisman Order with a plot of land to construct a large Talisman Ancestor Temple, then I will no longer dwell on the past grievances."
As these words left her lips, Old Man Zhang also inwardly sighed in relief. Jiang Die was his youngest junior sister and also a Black Talisman Master of their Lecheng Talisman Order. If she hadn't relented on this matter, he, as her senior brother, would have found it truly difficult to handle.
Now that Captain Luo's words had changed Jiang Die's mind, the subsequent matters, in his view, would be much simpler to manage.
"Ah, since Xiao Die no longer cares about it, there's nothing more for an old man like me to say," Old Man Zhang sighed, speaking with a look of helplessness. "I only hope Captain Luo won't deceive this old man."
The helplessness on his face wasn't entirely feigned, but it had absolutely nothing to do with Jiang Die's decision. The reason for his helplessness was the current situation, which left him with no choice, and Yang Haoran, this Underworld Official, who frustrated him.
Conversely, Jiang Die's decision not only failed to make him feel helpless but instead filled his heart with relief.
The smile on Captain Luo's face deepened. The Talisman Order's concession made him feel that the matter was nearing its end, which greatly pleased him.
"Rest assured, Old Man Zhang," Captain Luo guaranteed with a smile, "As I said before, as long as you're not overly greedy, I can certainly smooth this matter over for you. I guarantee it."
Old Man Zhang nodded, his face still grim, and said, "I trust Captain Luo's character. Since Captain Luo has given his word, then this matter should be without issue. The original plot of land we applied for is fine, but as for choosing a new one, I'll need to go back and discuss it with everyone before making a decision."
Everyone present understood the meaning behind Old Man Zhang's words. The plot of land they had originally applied for was likely not very large, as they feared it wouldn't pass review. Now that such an excellent opportunity to choose land presented itself, he naturally had to make good use of it and not waste it. He would undoubtedly select a larger plot in a superior location.
As his words fell, Old Man Zhang glanced at Jiang Die, then stood up, preparing to leave.
However, at this moment, Yang Haoran gently set down his teacup and asked with a smile, "What's the rush, Old Man Zhang?"
Old Man Zhang's expression stiffened. Jiang Die also looked at Yang Haoran with a strained expression. Wang Yiming remained as before, with no recourse but to worry.
Meanwhile, Captain Luo and Vice-Captain Zhou both looked at Yang Haoran, their faces filled with confusion.
In their eyes, since the matter had been successfully resolved, they should quickly have Old Man Zhang and his people depart. But what did Yang Haoran mean by speaking up precisely at this moment?
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