After Becoming the Pope’s Disciple - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Embarrassment

Wen Qingze’s daily routine was as precise and regular as an alarm clock, devoid of any bad habits. He woke up at 7:00 AM to wash up and prepare breakfast, followed by an hour of meditation beside the Bodhi Lotus. Afterward, he would head out to work for his livelihood, returning in the evening after buying groceries at the nearby market.

In just a few days, Ye Shaoqing had mastered his roommate’s habits and was quite satisfied with his new companion in this different world. However, his mood turned sour whenever he thought about himself—staying at home, eating and living for free.

Ye Shaoqing had been constantly trying to utilize his mental strength. Unfortunately, Wen Qingze was not a Priest and had never received a systematic education in restoration work. His explanations were quite vague, leaving Ye Shaoqing in a fog of confusion, which resulted in his experiments working only intermittently.

After his fifth failure to repair the “Nose Lock,” Ye Shaoqing squatted in the corner with a melancholy expression, silently “eating melon” (brooding).

Wen Qingze patted his shoulder gently, comforting him: “It’s alright if you broke it during repairs. No one comes to my house anyway.”

“…” Not comforted at all. Ye Shaoqing felt even more depressed.

It was as if the heavens were specifically making a point to spite Wen Qingze. Not long after he spoke, someone actually did come looking for them.

A thunderous pounding hit the door, accompanied by an extremely impatient voice: “Wen Qingze! I know you’re in there. Come out! If you don’t pay this month’s rent right now, believe it or not, I’ll toss you out onto the street!”

“It’s the landlord,” Wen Qingze explained to Ye Shaoqing before opening the door.

Standing outside were several men with thick, fleshy faces, each with a cold metal stun baton tucked into his waist. The leader wore a black fedora; his flashy clothes clashed with his vulgar aura, making him look utterly ridiculous.

Li Gou was the local tyrant of this area. His original name was actually Li Gou, but he found it too ugly and changed it to Gou. Ever since the Holy See’s reach extended into this chaotic neighborhood, Li Gou could no longer collect protection fees. He had a sudden flash of inspiration and started collecting “rent” instead.

Surrounded by the group, Wen Qingze remained unhurried: “Isn’t there still a few days until the end of the month?”

Li Gou snorted: “A few days early or a few days late, it has to be paid regardless. If I tell you to pay, get the money out! Where’s all this nonsense coming from?”

Wen Qingze said no more and simply handed over a small pouch. The heavy Star Coins clinked against each other inside. Li Gou weighed it in his palm before tucking it into his own pocket.

“Brother Gou, there’s another person living in his room!”

Li Gou froze for a moment, immediately realizing this was a golden opportunity. He had disliked Wen Qingze for a long time; everyone else in the vicinity was trembling and cautious in his presence, except for this guy. On the surface, he was polite, but he never truly showed any respect. That look in his eyes—just thinking about it made Li Gou angry!

Li Gou’s face darkened, and he sneered: “You dare to have an extra person living here without telling me? Were you planning to pocket that share of the money? Don’t even think about it. From today on, you pay double rent. This bit of money isn’t enough!”

Wen Qingze glanced behind Li Gou and, sure enough, saw the fellow whose head had been split open by Ye Shaoqing’s shovel that day, shrinking in the back and gloating.

Wen Qingze frowned and said, “Double rent? I don’t recall such a rule.”

Li Gou scoffed: “What I say is the rule. There wasn’t one before, but there is now!”

Realizing the other party had been incited to intentionally find trouble, Wen Qingze’s frown deepened: “I don’t have that much money on hand right now. How about I make it up to you next month?”

“Make it up? Don’t get it twisted! What right do you have to haggle with me?” Li Gou raised his voice, mocking him. “Either pay up or pack your things and get lost. Since you have no money, why don’t you just kick that brat inside out? Haha!”

Wen Qingze found the situation truly tricky. A portion of the money in that pouch was already an advance on his wages; it was impossible to produce double the amount. But if he let Ye Shaoqing leave, one could guess with their toes that the group’s revenge would be waiting for him.

While Wen Qingze was pondering a strategy, he suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder. Ye Shaoqing walked out from behind him, now wearing one of Wen Qingze’s old shirts; that eye-catching designer outfit from before had already been tucked away.

Li Gou glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but his gaze quickly returned to Wen Qingze’s face. Minor characters like Ye Shaoqing, who ended up here out of desperation, were a dime a dozen in these slums; they weren’t worth a second glance. If he couldn’t learn the laws of survival in the shortest time possible, he would soon become food for the rats in the sewers.

The three brothers hiding in the back looked at each other and simultaneously revealed smug, sinister smiles. The eldest instinctively touched the large, bandage-wrapped bump on his forehead, cursed Ye Shaoqing violently in his mind.

Seeing the cold indifference on Ye Shaoqing’s face, Wen Qingze hurriedly pressed down on his arm, fearing he might act on impulse and suffer for it. These local tyrants were not to be trifled with; together, they formed a significant power that dominated this district and the black market. Even the Hall of Teaching and the City Lord’s manor turned a blind eye to them.

Ye Shaoqing ignored the contemptuous or playful gazes of the men. He simply fished a few Star Coins out of his pocket—the ones he had exchanged for the fountain pen. He said calmly, “I only have these.”

Li Gou let out a “Heh” and nimbly caught the coins, tossing them lightly in his palm while mocking: “Just this much? Selling your backside would bring in more than this, wouldn’t it?”

The underlings behind him burst into laughter, their foul and malicious speculations growing louder. A clear look of rage appeared on Wen Qingze’s face; his angry yet helpless expression only pleased them more, making their insults even more spirited.

Ye Shaoqing said: “Even if it isn’t worth a full month, it’s enough for a few days. I will have the rest of the money ready within three days.”

Li Gou was noncommittal. His eyes darted around, sweeping across the shabby living room before finally being captivated by the Bodhi Lotus.

“Eh? A Bodhi Lotus?” Li Gou’s eyes lit up. Ignoring Wen Qingze’s furious glare, he pushed past him and walked into the room. His gaze was glued to the flower, radiating unabashed greed.

“My word, such high quality. Even the lowest grade, One-Color Bodhi Lotus, is rare on the black market. You’re using such an expensive treasure but can’t afford rent? That makes no sense. Today, your Grandpa Li is in a good mood; I’ll take this pot of flowers as collateral for your rent.”

Wen Qingze’s expression changed. He said icily: “Li Gou, don’t go too far. The value of this Bodhi Lotus is more than enough to buy this entire room. Do you intend to commit robbery in broad daylight?”

Li Gou said with a fake smile, “Don’t use such ugly words. Robbery? How could I do such a thing? This is just collateral. Two days. Pay the remaining rent within two days, otherwise, this flower belongs to me. Or, your Grandpa Li can show some mercy and waive your rent for several months, Hahahaha!”

“You—” Wen Qingze’s face turned ashen. He clenched both fists tightly, his usual gentle and scholarly air replaced by an incredibly fierce aura. Rage accumulated in his eyes, as if he might punch the man in the face at any moment.

Seeing the fierce light in his pupils, Li Gou remained unfazed: “What? Want your old injuries to flare up faster? It might have been fine in your prime, but now? Why don’t you try using a bit of Holy Magic for me to see? I suggest you behave and move the flower out!” The last sentence was, of course, directed at his subordinates.

Ye Shaoqing saw his state and prepared to strike, but unexpectedly, Wen Qingze endured it. He watched helplessly as the Bodhi Lotus was snatched away by the gang. After they swaggered off, he slumped dejectedly against the wall, offering Ye Shaoqing a weak smile.

“I didn’t expect Li Gou to bring men personally. I wouldn’t have been certain of winning against him.”

Ye Shaoqing shook his head: “I’m the one who dragged you into this. If you had just let me leave earlier, he wouldn’t have had an excuse to make trouble.”

Wen Qingze sighed: “Without that excuse, there would have been another. That guy always finds a way to get his hands on things he sets his eyes on.”

“There are still two days. We’ll find a way.”

Wen Qingze, however, didn’t hold much hope. He smiled bitterly: “Get two thousand Star Coins in two days? If money were that easy to come by, why would I suffer here? Besides, even if we raise the money, with Li Gou’s greedy and ruthless nature, he won’t easily spit out something that has already entered his hands.”

Seeing Ye Shaoqing’s furrowed brow, he turned to comfort him instead: “Actually, if it weren’t for you, that Bodhi Lotus was about to wither anyway. It’s not really a loss.”

Ye Shaoqing knew the Bodhi Lotus played a crucial role in recovering from the damage to his sea of consciousness; it was definitely not as light a matter as he claimed.

He said gently yet seriously: “This matter started because of me. Regardless of what it takes, I will find a way to get the flower back.”

Wen Qingze smiled helplessly, not taking the words to heart.

Ye Shaoqing suddenly asked: “Do you know of a place nearby that specializes in treating exotic spirit plants for people?”

Wen Qingze was stunned: “Are you planning to…”

Ye Shaoqing’s eyes flashed with a sharp light: “To earn money! To earn a lot of money!”

Poverty was the source of all his hardships. He urgently needed to change his current situation. Earning money was, of course, the top priority; otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to afford the 3-Star-Coin white bread much longer.

Wen Qingze thought for a moment and said, “I do know such a person. He’s called Old Tao. He used to be a Priest of the Hall of Teaching, but later he was forced to resign because he offended someone, and he became a Technomancer.”

A Technomancer again?

Sounds like a very impressive profession, Ye Shaoqing mused to himself.

“Old Tao is quite famous around the black market. Usually, jobs that can’t be taken to the Hall of Teaching go to him for help. I have some friendship with Old Tao; it’s no problem to introduce you, but… you probably won’t earn too much in a short time.”

That time Ye Shaoqing accidentally saved the Bodhi Lotus was indeed stunning. If he had that level of skill every time, Wen Qingze wouldn’t be worried. Unfortunately, in all the experiments over these past few days, he hadn’t succeeded even once, as if that fleeting moment was just an accidental miracle.

Furthermore, even if Ye Shaoqing mastered the methods of mental healing, no one would be willing to risk failure by letting an unknown young man repair their precious treasures.

But regardless, it was an opportunity. Ye Shaoqing decided to head to the black market with Wen Qingze’s letter of introduction.

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