You're so impressive, why didn't you reveal your identity sooner?

"Ten..."

Director Li had just been about to reveal Li Mubai's identity.

But Li Mubai interrupted him:

"Did you come alone? Didn't Bibi Dong come?"

"Yes."

Director Li bowed, looking rather timid and submissive.

However.

When he heard Li Mubai speak so boldly.

He couldn't help twitching an eyelid.

He really is deeply favored!

Who else would dare address Her Holiness the Pope by name like that?

If Her Holiness found out, they would certainly be punished.

But...

Why did he ask whether Her Holiness had come?

Could it be that Her Holiness knows about this too?

At that thought.

A drop of cold sweat slid down Director Li's forehead.

If things were really as he thought, the consequences would be severe.

If they had merely arrested Elder Li Mubai.

Judging by the elder's temperament so far, perhaps an apology and a sizable sum in compensation would be enough to settle things.

But if Her Holiness the Pope came.

The City Guard Office would have to change its surname.

Worse still.

Perhaps his cultivation and that of the other City Guard Office personnel would be crippled outright.

Director Li had never overestimated his own importance.

He was just a level-forty Soul Master.

People like him.

In Spirit City, even if they weren't everywhere, you could grab people at random and definitely find two or three like him in every ten.

How many people lived in Spirit City?

Director Li had never counted.

But this city rivaled an imperial capital, so its population had to be considerable.

That was why he had always been relatively cautious.

He hadn't expected.

That even after being so careful.

He would still stumble today. The elder before him had kept far too low a profile!

If he hadn't had connections with the higher-ups.

He might not even have known that Spirit Hall had a tenth elder.

It seems... all I can do now is sincerely admit my mistake and hope this elder can forgive me...

Having made up his mind.

Director Li immediately became even more respectful in expression and deferential in manner, not daring to say another word in reply.

He assumed the posture of a student before his teacher.

He looked humble in the extreme.

Such an absurd scene naturally shocked quite a few fellow prisoners watching the show.

"Huh? Am I dreaming, or am I already dead? Or am I hallucinating? Did I really just see that fat cat bowing? Well, that's a knife up a bull's ass—what an eye-opener!"

"You over there, you're not dreaming or hallucinating. That fat cat really is bowing!"

"Just who is this new fellow prisoner? To have such heavenly might?"

"This new fellow prisoner must have a formidable background. Only those people from Spirit Hall would be qualified to make Fat Cat Li go this far!"

"Not necessarily. If he were from Spirit Hall, he couldn't possibly have been arrested and brought here. They all have identity tokens."

"You idiot, what if he happened to be keeping a low profile and just happened not to bring his identity token?"

"I think this man must be some elder's son. Otherwise, how would he dare address Her Holiness the Pope by name?"

"That's right. Only those people would call her by name in private."

The prisoners buzzed with discussion.

Their wild speculation made Xiao Li's face grow increasingly pale.

In the end, his back practically steamed, soaked through with cold sweat.

Along with him.

The two leaders of the Wild Wolf Gang were also drenched in sweat, their lips pale and their eyes full of fear.

Finally.

Amid the discussions.

The two gang members could no longer bear the invisible pressure or the terror in their hearts.

They exchanged a glance.

Then they immediately bolted for the dungeon exit, giving Xiao Li no time to react.

Both of them knew.

They might have offended an important figure. If they didn't run now, when would they?

Were they supposed to wait around and hand over their heads?

Of course not!

I ***!

Xiao Li cursed inwardly.

He wanted to run too!

But he was a member of the City Guard Office. How could he run, and where could he go?

He had just heard Li Mubai's casually spoken question, along with all the discussion.

Most importantly,

he had seen Director Li's attitude toward Li Mubai.

That alone was enough to make Xiao Li realize he had offended someone!

And the person he had offended was no small figure.

Important enough to make Director Li bow!

In that case.

Wouldn't dealing with a nobody like Xiao Li be as easy as catching something in the palm of his hand?

What was he supposed to do?

How could he dispel this man's hatred for him?

Xiao Li felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

Earlier, he had tried every means to force the man to press his fingerprint onto the confession.

He had thought it would be difficult.

To his surprise, the man had pressed his fingerprint down so easily.

He had found it a little strange at the time.

No one had ever done it so readily before.

Now that he thought about it.

The man had been fearless because he had something to rely on!

Xiao Li's intestines had turned green with regret.

Isn't this a clear case of pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger?

If you're so damn impressive, couldn't you have revealed your identity earlier?

Why make things difficult for an obscure little fellow like me?

Is there some benefit to making things difficult for me?

At that moment.

As the person at the center of the matter.

Li Mubai was still somewhat indignant.

He took the greasy bald man before him for the help Bibi Dong had sent.

That woman really is infuriating. She actually sent someone like this to receive me?

I was feeling generous and even wanted to offer her a few good ideas.

Since she doesn't know what's good for her, perhaps I should forget it.

Looking at the greasy man before him, who looked just like an elementary school student meeting his teacher, Li Mubai felt somewhat sickened.

Because he had just been running in a hurry.

Director Li was now sweating so heavily from his face and head that his skin shone with grease in the flickering candlelight.

Especially that head of his, with three layers of flesh squashed together, which shone like a miniature light bulb.

You really couldn't blame Li Mubai for looking at him through tinted glasses.

It was just that the fat man's appearance right now was truly...

Simply too hard to describe!

Just as Xiao Li was still trying to think of a way to resolve the conflict between himself and Li Mubai.

A faint voice suddenly came from the narrow passageway:

"Where is Li Fuqiang, director of the City Guard Office!"

It was a woman's voice.

Though faint, the authority it carried was still easy to discern.

Li Mubai's ears twitched, and a smile appeared on his face.

He recognized the voice.

It belonged to Bibi Dong's maid.

And the appearance of that voice meant one person had also arrived.

Bibi Dong was here!

I thought she wouldn't come.

And at that moment.

The fat all over the greasy Director Li's body trembled.

Although he didn't know who the owner of the voice was.

But.

The authority conveyed by that voice was definitely not something an ordinary person could produce.

That meant.

The person backing the elder before him had appeared!