There had not actually been much trouble over in East 824 District.
At Zuo Tai's invitation, Madam Shan Chuan went there to confirm what exactly was behind Tao Ju's suspicious behavior of late. It had to be said that Zuo Tai had a keen eye. From Tao Ju's method of borrowing the tree for Blood Sacrifice, she had identified the Virtue Association's roots.
She could never have imagined, however, that Tao Ju's whole operation had simply been something Ronan casually passed down after finding a roughly suitable set of materials.
There would originally have been some trouble here, but since Madam Shan Chuan's core had already been replaced, everything naturally fell into place. Upon arriving, she immediately acknowledged Tao Ju on behalf of the Virtue Association, giving that stray dog a patron, resolving Zuo Tai's doubts, and providing her and many others with a barely credible explanation:
Tao Ju had clearly been led astray by Tang Li, and Tang Li had deep ties with the Virtue Association.
Whether it was a temporary alliance or long-standing collusion, at least there was now an explanation for Tang Li's inexplicably overbearing actions.
The Virtue Association might only rank in the middle or lower tiers among Evil Cult organizations, but that depended on how well it operated in a given region. Leaving aside anything else, it had some influence in the Twelve Great Districts. After all, it was essentially the Beauty Association and held considerable authority when it came to preserving life and vitality. Moreover, its purely profit-driven orientation put certain sensitive power animals more at ease.
Wearing Madam Shan Chuan's face, Snake Tongue said softly, "I spoke with Zuo Tai and guided her a little. At present, she probably believes that the Virtue Association connected with you through your elder sister... um, Tang