What Was That Called? Embezzlement and Corruption! They Were One of the Root Causes of Every Empire's Collapse!

The meal was soon over.

At the front door.

"Mubai, if you ever need anything, come find me. I live in Misty Willow Lane, on the east side of the city. The house right in the middle is mine."

Demon Bear spoke to Li Mubai through a drunken haze.

"I will."

Li Mubai answered with a smile.

Watching Demon Bear's figure disappear into the distance, Li Mubai turned around and caught sight of the gentle, lovely girl.

He suddenly grinned, shut the door, and walked toward the lovely girl standing in the kitchen doorway.

A blush suddenly appeared on the fair, tender cheeks of the blond, blue-eyed maid.

Clearly, she knew what was about to happen.

A faint trace of anticipation showed through the blush on her cheeks.

A full belly stirred lust...

"Nothing to do today but arrange flowers and toy with jade."

Li Mubai smiled.

Just as he raised both hands and was about to reach for her snowy bosom,

a knock suddenly came from outside.

Knock, knock...

The smile on Li Mubai's face vanished.

The hand he had stretched toward the maid's chest stopped as well.

Oh, come on! What is it?

Li Mubai wailed inwardly.

The knocking continued.

Helpless, he could only turn around and open the door.

"Who is it?"

The moment he opened the door, Li Mubai asked, sounding somewhat displeased.

"Me."

Me?

Li Mubai stared at the visitor in surprise.

Holy crap!

Who else could it be but the Pope, Bibi Dong?

Li Mubai jumped in fright.

How had the Pope found her way here?

Before he had time to think,

Li Mubai put on an awkward smile.

"Your Holiness, what brings you here?"

At that moment, Li Mubai's smile looked uglier than if he were crying.

"What? From the look of you, it seems I'm not very welcome."

Bibi Dong raised a bold brow, her tone hostile.

"No, no, of course not! Your Holiness, your visit brings splendor to this humble home!"

Li Mubai hurriedly shook his head.

He knew very well how explosive Bibi Dong's temper was.

So he could only hurry to explain.

"In that case, why are you still making me stand at the door? Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

Bibi Dong pressed him.

At his words, Li Mubai immediately invited him inside.

Li Mubai was the picture of respect on the outside, but inwardly he had begun cursing.

No one visits the temple without a reason.

What on earth does this woman want?

It was one thing for her to change her question and ask me at the meeting today, but now she's even come to my house?

It's bad enough that she interrupted my fun, and now I have to wait on her, too.

I must have had eight lifetimes of bloody bad luck!

Bibi Dong, who had been surprised by the furnishings in Li Mubai's home, sat on the living room sofa with a cold face that was faintly turning black.

This brat really does say one thing and mean another!

He's so polite to my face, saying my visit brings splendor to his home, but behind my back he's lamenting his eight lifetimes of bloody bad luck.

Am I really that detestable?

Bibi Dong frowned slightly.

"Honored guest, please have some tea."

Just then,

the maid, dressed in a maid outfit, carried over a bowl of steaming hot tea and set it on the dark wooden table in front of Bibi Dong's sofa.

Seeing the lovely figure, Bibi Dong immediately understood.

So that's why Li Mubai said I interrupted his fun... Disgusting!

Not a single one of these men is any good!

Bibi Dong suppressed the urge to leave at once, reminding herself over and over that... she had come on a mission today.

Bibi Dong sat on one sofa, while Li Mubai sat on another.

He didn't dare sit beside this tigress.

The two looked at each other in silence.

An atmosphere called awkwardness gradually filled the entire space.

What on earth does this woman want?

If she has something to say, she should say it... I'm so awkward my toes are almost digging through the soles of my shoes.

To Li Mubai, sitting there was pure torture.

Every second felt like a year.

Sure enough, Einstein's theory of relativity was absolutely correct!

If he were spending time with the maid, he would probably feel that time flew, and evening would arrive in no time.

But sitting with Bibi Dong now,

it felt as though time had been stretched out endlessly.

A single second had indeed been stretched into several minutes.

Time is passing so slowly!

Hurry up and get dark, hurry up and get dark!

As soon as it got dark, he would have a reason to see Bibi Dong out.

But noon had only just passed. How could night possibly fall so soon?

What Li Mubai didn't know

was that Bibi Dong had heard every one of those thoughts.

You want to get rid of me that badly?

Hmph!

Then I'm staying right here!

"Are you satisfied with the benefits you currently receive as an elder?"

Bibi Dong spoke first, breaking the frozen, awkward silence.

It sounded rather like a superior checking in on a subordinate.

"I'm reasonably satisfied."

The corner of Li Mubai's mouth twitched, but even after a long moment, he couldn't squeeze out a smile.

Satisfied?

Satisfied, my ass!

I thought being an elder of Spirit Hall would pay a fortune.

I never expected it to be this little. That's it?

Are they tossing me scraps like I'm a beggar?!

If I didn't have a reason I absolutely had to come here, who would care to be an elder of your Spirit Hall?

Pah!

I'd be freer and happier as a general in the Heaven Dou Empire.

His inner voice sounded beside Bibi Dong's ears, leaving her somewhat taken aback.

She looked at Li Mubai.

He was answering her with a broad smile on his face.

In truth, what a Spirit Hall elder could obtain went far beyond that.

With the authority of a Spirit Hall elder, one could be said to have whatever one wanted.

But Li Mubai disdained to do such things.

His education did not allow him to abuse the authority in his hands.

As a result, Li Mubai could only receive the benefits an elder was entitled to.

For someone like him, who ate fish and meat at every meal, that did leave him somewhat hard up.

After finally cultivating to the level of a rank 90 Titled Douluo, he still couldn't do as he pleased. That left him seething.

Is Spirit Hall really that unbearable?

Bibi Dong couldn't help asking herself.

As far as she knew,

countless people coveted and competed for a position as a Spirit Hall elder.

How had it become so unbearable to Li Mubai, leaving him like a mere restaurant waiter?

"Are you truly satisfied? You sound rather reluctant to me."

"As far as I know, all of you elders are rolling in wealth. You have countless mansions and beauties. Why are you still so displeased?"

Bibi Dong couldn't help asking.

"Of course not! I'm genuinely satisfied!"

Li Mubai looked utterly sincere, not at all like he was lying.

But the next moment,

the familiar voice sounded beside Bibi Dong's ears.

Of course they're rolling in wealth!

They accept all kinds of gifts, and use what little authority they have to make deductions at every level. They squeeze the common people and merchants like mad. How could they not be rolling in wealth?

What's that called?

That's called oppression! That's called embezzlement and corruption!!

Where there's oppression, there will surely be resistance. There may be none now, but it will certainly appear in the future.

And embezzlement and corruption?

Those are among the root causes of the decline of an empire, a regime, or a power.

Won't Spirit Hall decline and perish just like that?

As for me?

I wouldn't stoop to doing those things!