Wild Daoist had been listening not far away. Hearing this, he smiled and came over to Su Ziji. "Congratulations, my lord. You will surely win this woman's heart."
Su Ziji smiled and headed back the way he had come, with Wild Daoist following behind and reporting in a low voice. "Your Highness, the rumors outside about Water Cloud Shrine have spread to nearly everyone. The hidden influence of these two Brahma Family branches is truly no small matter."
"Yes. Even Clear Garden Temple, though it appears to have only taken root for a century, has no shortage of believers and incense-offering pilgrims." Su Ziji was fairly satisfied with the work of the two families, yet he also felt a chill run through him.
"Indeed. The Wen Family, Li Family, Chen Clan, and Ning Family."
"Though these families are not great clans, they are all prominent households in their respective districts. Their members hold posts in every yamen; their roots and branches are tangled beyond measure."
"When they mobilized, this subject secretly drew a cold breath."
"Yin Temple Sect has a long heritage and was even granted Imperial Enfeoffment, yet its ability to mobilize people is barely on par with theirs." Wild Daoist could not help sighing in emotion as he spoke.
Separated from this courtyard by a garden and a corridor were the quarters where the Clear Garden Temple monks lived. Hearing this, Su Ziji glanced in that direction and said,
"That is different. Yin Temple Sect's chief duty is to slay demons and eliminate evil, and it follows the upper-class route. The Brahma Family, on the other hand, loudly proclaims that no rites may be performed without relying on the ruler of the realm, yet at the same time it sinks its roots deep among the common people."
"Or