Chapter 832 – The Pope Comes to Visit the People of the Chief Branch (2/2)

Seeing the crowd enter the courtyard, especially the young man at the very center, the madam said in a trembling voice, ”Faithful wife Lin Suyan pays respects to His Holiness the Pope.”

After saying this, she prostrated towards Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng certainly would not accept such courtesy, saying, ”Madam Tang can forego these formalities.”

Madam Tang naturally would not rise just because of his words. She continued to kneel down.

Fortunately, Chen Changsheng had expected that this might happen and had already planned for it.

With a sudden breeze, before anyone knew what was happening, the little girl at the Pope's side had appeared at Madam Tang's side.

Nanke held Madam Tang's hand, making it very difficult for Madam Tang to continue bowing.

Seeing this, the steward from the Tang clan's old estate appeared unmoved, but a tinge of unease emerged in his mind.

Many people knew that when the Tang Second Master went to the Daoist church to call upon the Pope, the Pope had received his obeisance.

Everyone could understand the Pope's difference in treatment towards the chief branch and second branch, but what was the reason to express it so blatantly?

Chen Changsheng had not accepted Madam Tang's bow, and even greeted her as a member of the junior generation.

Only now did Madam Tang realize that the rumors were all true, that the letters that had been sent from the Orthodox Academy back then were also true.

The Pope and her son were truly very close, as intimate as brothers.

”I want to go and see Uncle,” Chen Changsheng said.

Madam Tang had no reason to refuse, and prepared to guide him.

A sudden bout of coughing interrupted them.

The steward from the old estate coughed twice, then glanced at Madam Tang. He then turned to Chen Changsheng and said with a meek expression, ”The First Master's illness is very serious. Given the importance of Your Holiness's divine body, if something were to happen, it would truly be my Tang clan's sin, and to request Your Holiness…”

Without hearing to the end, one could clearly understand the meaning: the Tang clan did not wish for Chen Changsheng to see the master of the chief branch.

Chen Changsheng had once seen this steward. Years ago, it was this steward that had delivered the Yellow Paper Umbrella to him.

They were reunited today, and the steward's manner was even more respectful than it was in the past, but there was also a vague guarded feeling from him.

Chen Changsheng said nothing, only calmly looked at him.

The steward suddenly felt like the pressure on him had increased, but he still forced himself to say, ”The professors of the Thirteen Divisions of Radiant Green have come before, and even… that person from Holy Maiden Peak personally paid a visit. None of them could do anything, so why must Your Holiness stir grief in your believers?”

Madam Tang glanced at the steward, not refuting him, but her sleeves slightly trembled.

Chen Changsheng suddenly asked, ”Has the venerable Daoist master visited?”

The old estate's steward thought that he had heard incorrectly, and was mystified as to how to respond. With the venerable Daoist's status, how could he leave the capital and come to Wenshui just to treat the First Master?

Chen Changsheng then asked, ”Then has His Majesty the Emperor visited?”

The steward was even more confused, thinking, His Majesty has to attend to numerous affairs every day, so how could he come?

”In this world, only they are superior to me in the medical arts. Since neither of them came, just who has more authority than me to say whether or not this illness is curable?”

After saying this, he followed Madam Tang into the courtyard, paying no more attention to the steward.

Linghai Zhiwang and his several dozen priests remained, barring the people of the Tang clan outside.

The old estate's steward wanted to use his status to follow inside, but he did not succeed.

Linghai Zhiwang impassively stared at him and said, ”You like to cough? Then continue.”

The steward had a most esteemed status in Wenshui City, but what could he do to a Prefect of the Orthodoxy?

As he watched Chen Changsheng disappear into the corridors of the courtyard, he was both anxious and angry, so he really did begin to cough.