Ning Rongrong stayed nestled in Su Zui's arms for a long while before reluctantly climbing down from his lap.
Perhaps remembering how she had just cried, Ning Rongrong's smiling face turned bright red.
This is so embarrassing! I'm the dignified young miss of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the sect's Little Demoness. Why do I love crying in Su Zui's arms so much?
Su Zui forced down his reluctance and turned to open the door. But just before he stepped out, he stopped, turned around, and took a token from inside his robes, placing it in Ning Rongrong's palm.
The token felt somewhat heavy in her hand. It had an ink-black surface and dark gold patterns, with designs of the Seven Kill Sword, the Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Gui Mei, and the royal family carved into it.
Around the edges of the token were carvings of Six-Winged Angel wings.
"This is... a Pope Token!"
Looking at the token in her hand, even Ning Rongrong covered her little mouth in surprise.
Ning Rongrong had naturally heard of the Pope Token. It was the highest-ranking token that Spirit Hall issued to outsiders.
Only three had been issued across the entire continent, one each to the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Her own father, Ning Fengzhi, had a Pope Token.
A person holding a Pope Token was an elder of Spirit Hall, free to enter any of its branches across the continent and even able to command its deacons.
"Xiao Zui, this, this is too precious... I can't accept it."
Su Zui held Ning Rongrong's little hand tightly, making her clutch the Pope Token firmly in her palm.
"No matter how precious it is, it's only a lifeless object. Never mind a mere Pope Token—even the thrones of the two great empires can't begin to compare to my little Rongrong."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect may be the richest under heaven, but distant water can't quench an immediate thirst. The Suotuo City Spirit Hall Main Hall is right nearby."
"I might be gone for a week or two, or perhaps a month or two. While I'm away, whatever problems you run into, just go to Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall will always have your back."
Looking at the earnest expression on the young man's face, Ning Rongrong felt her heart race once again.
This is too much. This Su Zui always says things that make my heart race.
Ning Rongrong had thought her grandfathers spoiled her enough already, but she had never expected Su Zui to spoil her even more without restraint.
He had even given her a Pope Token!
At that very moment, Ning Fengzhi, far away in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, couldn't help sneezing.
"Achoo!"
"Strange. Why did I suddenly sneeze for no reason? Who's talking behind my back?"
"Ah, I'm really not used to having Rongrong away from me. But Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu really have spoiled her rotten. Hopefully, some experience out in the world will help temper her personality."
"And she's actually got herself a genius little boyfriend. I wonder if he can put up with her personality..."
Ning Fengzhi then took a red letter from a drawer and fell into thought.
The letter had been sent to him by Spirit Hall. He had no idea what medicine they were selling in their gourd, or why they had sent him a red letter with a large "double happiness" character written on the envelope.
Come to think of it, was he really on such good terms with Spirit Hall?
With an inquisitive mind, the thousand-year-old fox slowly tore open the envelope and used two fingers to draw out the letter inside...
Meanwhile, Su Zui had already left the hotel and was walking through the streets of Suotuo City.
Over the past few days, Su Zui had toured all of Suotuo City, so he found the Spirit Hall Main Hall with ease.
The Suotuo City Spirit Hall Main Hall stood in the very center of the city.
Like every other Spirit Hall Main Hall, the one in Suotuo City was magnificent and imposing.
Perhaps because Suotuo City was wealthy, its Spirit Hall Main Hall was even grander in scale than the others.
Su Zui stood at the foot of the steps before the main hall. Before him rose a huge domed building with something of a Gothic style.
Overall, it looked a little like Florence Cathedral, though it was even more magnificent.
In front of Spirit Hall's gates stood two rows of soldiers in knightly armor, holding spears and longswords, their presence filled with a grim killing air.
Spirit Hall could be found in every city on the continent, though its halls varied in scale from city to city.
The lowest level was a Spirit Hall Branch, followed by a Martial Soul Sub-Hall. The third level was a Spirit Hall Main Hall, found only in exceptionally large cities. The fourth level was a Martial Soul Sacred Hall, found only in the imperial capitals of the two great empires.
The places where Su Zui had lived since childhood were the highest-ranked Pope Hall and Worship Hall.
They were the safest places on the entire continent, and Spirit City also had the highest happiness index of any city on the continent.
Su Zui strode toward Spirit Hall's entrance. When he reached the lobby, Soul Masters coming and going were all there to register their Martial Souls.
He looked up and saw that the enormous dome was covered in murals.
The most common image in the murals was naturally the Six-Winged Angel. Put together, the various images roughly depicted ancient times, an era when Evil Soul Masters ran rampant.
In that era, the people of the entire Douluo Continent could scarcely make a living.
Those Evil Soul Masters were utterly cruel. Some fed on human blood, while others extracted human souls to cultivate.
Moreover, Evil Soul Masters were a whole tier stronger than Soul Masters of the same level.
In other words, an Evil Soul Master at the Soul King level could defeat an ordinary Soul Emperor.
And just as the entire continent fell into peril, an angel was born!
When the angel's light shone upon every corner of the Douluo Continent, the Evil Soul Masters vanished without a trace.
That angel Soul Master, drawing upon the faith born from eliminating the Evil Soul Masters, ultimately attained the Angel Godhood.
Before the Angel God departed, she bestowed the Angel God's blessing upon the continent, giving rise to the Qian Family, whose Martial Soul was the angel.
The Qian Family founded Spirit Hall and, from that point on, guarded the peace of the entire continent.
Su Zui had practically grown up listening to these stories, so he already knew the whole tale from the murals alone.
Around the murals were enormous crystal windows, also engraved with angel designs.
Sunlight shone through the crystal windows and refracted onto the floor, forming the image of a Six-Winged Angel.
And so, like a tourist, Su Zui carefully admired every corner of the Spirit Hall Main Hall.
He had no idea that his arrival had already caused a stir in the Spirit Hall Main Hall.
"Girl, look! That handsome guy with the long hair up ahead is so good-looking!"
"Wow, he really is! He's exactly my type!"
Su Zui naturally heard the chatter around him.
He couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Ah, it really isn't my fault I'm handsome~
But Su Zui hadn't come here to take part in some beauty contest. He had important business to attend to.
He walked straight up to the young woman at the front desk and spoke with a smile.
"Hello, miss. I'm looking for Deacon Sain of Spirit Hall."