Chapter 1133: The Goddess Society
Qi Xuansu’s first task was to respond to the Holy Court’s accusations. It was nothing more than a routine formality. After all, the Holy Court was the one at fault, and everyone was simply turning a blind eye to it.
The representative from the Holy Court carried an absurdly long list of titles—descendant of this, lord of that, protector of something, ruler of somewhere, conqueror, breaker, banisher, princess, lady, queen, mother—followed by a string of names stretching over a dozen syllables. It was as if she wished to cram in every ancestor and ancestral estate from eight generations back.
Qi Xuansu remembered none of it and did not take it seriously.
He could easily imitate that style. Slayer of Fengtai County, Witness of Cuowenbu, Protector of Yishan City, Savior of Thanglong Prefecture, Guardian of Nanyang, Overseer of Lion City, True Lord Ziguang’s Favored One, Heir to the Ancient Wuist Sect, Candidate for the Eighth-Generation Grand Master, Loyal Friend of Mount Suzuka, Defender of the Imperial Capital’s Public Morality, Most Meritorious Eighth-Generation Disciple in the Fenglin Campaign, Youngest Second-Rank Taiyi Daoist of the Daoist Order, Second-Youngest Third-Rank Youyi Daoist, Future Daoist Companion of the Legendary Zhang Yuelu, Hope of the Qingping Society, Potential Enemy of the Buddhist Sect, Chief Deputy of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, Xuansu, Tian Yuan, Wei Wugui, Yao, Qi, of the Wanxiang Daoist Palace.
What was the point? These were pure intimidation theatrics, no different from vulgar Jianghu nicknames like “Mightiest Dragon,” “Golden Dart of the Forest,” or “Best Sword in Jiangnan.”
The West had many tiny nations that had Queens, but they could not compare to the Great Xuan Emperor. Qi Xuansu had just helped install a queen in the Yu Kingdom.
Thus, Qi Xuansu only remembered that the woman’s name was Marianne.
Unlike Marcheno, Marianne represented the Holy Court as a Cardinal Deacon. She had a church and numerous attendants in Nanyang.
The Council of Cardinals corresponded to the Golden Tower Council, and a Cardinal Deacon was roughly equivalent to an ordinary Sage.
In the past, the Holy Court had no women in high office. This changed only after a certain goddess appeared, breaking the rule entirely. Since then, even women could rise to senior positions, aside from the position of the Pope.
In terms of rank, she and Qi Xuansu were equals.
Qi Xuansu met the blonde lady in Tianfu Palace and listened patiently to her lengthy tirade. He then replied that the Daoist Order already possessed more than enough evidence, including 113 confessions and material proof like recorded images. This was absolutely not baseless persecution. The evidence clearly showed that the ship’s crew was the mastermind behind the Lion City riot. They had financed the instigators of the chaos, and those aboard the ship had already confessed. Naturally, they must face trial.