Bibi Dong's Fury

Qian Renxue's expression darkened slightly.

Seeing this, Su Cheng chuckled softly. "Well, it seems you two really don't get along. But even so, if the task is unreasonable, you can refuse it, right? Tell me, what kind of task could make you willingly waste your time?"

This was a test.

He wanted to see how much trust he could now gain from Qian Renxue.

The task of impersonating Xue Qinghe, infiltrating the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and plotting to usurp the throne was considered a Spirit Hall secret. Even the elders might not know all the details.

Qian Renxue remained silent for a long while.

Su Cheng did not press her and simply waited quietly.

"She wants me to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, disguise myself as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, and find an opportunity to seize the emperor's throne."

"..." Su Cheng's expression was unreadable as he said blandly, "What an absurd joke. Miss Spirit Hall, can you tell me what you were thinking when you accepted such a task?"

His voice turned cold. "Do you know the chances of success? Even if you succeed, do you know how much time it will take? Are you confident, arrogant, or do you simply think everyone in the world is an idiot? This does not even count as a task. It's a gamble!"

As he spoke, he casually pulled over a sheet of blank paper and began writing on it.

"Let's do the math. Xue Ye is currently in his prime and has four sons beneath him. No matter what methods you use, it will take more than ten years for you to firmly secure your position as Crown Prince. During that time, you will also have to deal with attacks from the supporters of the other princes.

"Once you accomplish that, you will discover that your 'Imperial Father' still has another thirty or forty years to live. Even if you use some methods, it will take at least another five to ten years, and you will inevitably leave behind hidden dangers.

"After ascending the throne, you will have to handle state affairs as emperor and erase the traces of the past. That will take another five to ten years. At that point, you cannot rely on others, because only you understand Heaven Dou's political situation.

"After barely stabilizing the situation, if you want to centralize power and turn the Heaven Dou Empire into your own territory, you will inevitably face resistance from even more forces within the empire. You will find that this so-called empire is, in truth, nothing more than a collection of interests held by nobles great and small. This step will take even longer."

Su Cheng raised four fingers. "Forty years. That is the most conservative estimate. By then, half your life will have passed."

Qian Renxue looked stunned.

She was not even ten years old yet.

"Do you know where your greatest advantage lies? If I had your cultivation talent, I'd wake up laughing from my dreams. Give me thirty years, and the whole world would be within my grasp. Proper methods would be more than enough—why would I need such underhanded tricks?!"

Hearing Su Cheng say this, no matter how much Qian Renxue now approved of him, she was still unconvinced.

After all, anyone hearing those words would only think he was boasting far too wildly.

"You don't have to believe me. We'll see in the future."

Su Cheng could tell she was unconvinced, but he did not pursue the subject. Instead, he asked, "What is going on between you and the Pope?"

Qian Renxue hesitated at those words, her eyes carrying a trace of unease.

"Teacher, can I tell you later?"

This answer surprised Su Cheng somewhat.

He had thought she would casually make up an excuse to brush him off. He had not expected such a response. It seemed Qian Renxue's attitude toward him truly was somewhat different.

"Fine. But you'd better think carefully about that ridiculous task over the next few days. If you still intend to return to the Heaven Dou Empire in the end, I will continue teaching you, but I will find someone else as my successor."

Without paying attention to her changing expression, he stood and left the room.

Over the next few days, aside from preparing medicines for Qian Renxue and selecting books for her, Su Cheng continued spending all day in the Library Pavilion.

He did not give Qian Renxue much guidance regarding soul skills.

In Su Cheng's view, having her practice soul skills at this stage was putting the cart before the horse. Concentrating on increasing her cultivation was the proper priority.

She was different from him. His innate talent was too poor; no matter how he cultivated, the amount of Soul Power he could increase each day was limited. The bottle was only so small—pour in a little water, and it was already full.

Three days passed like this. Yue Guan came to the Library Pavilion to find Su Cheng and said that the Pope had summoned him.

Through their daily interactions, their relationship had become quite good.

As Su Cheng prepared to head to the Pope's Palace, Yue Guan took the initiative to warn him, "Mr. Su, be careful with your words when you get there. Your Majesty the Pope does not seem to be in a very good mood."

Su Cheng's heart stirred, and he came to a realization.

Qian Renxue had probably decided to give up the infiltration mission.

She might not say it was his idea, but Bibi Dong could likely guess.

After all, Qian Renxue had been perfectly fine when she first returned to Spirit City. Nothing here had changed, and the only variable was Su Cheng.

But it did not matter. Things had reached this point, and whether Bibi Dong trusted him was no longer important.

From the very beginning, she had only been a stepping stone in Su Cheng's eyes. He had never intended to get too close to her.

Looking at the Douluo plot as a whole, aside from the protagonist Tang San's group, Bibi Dong and Hu Liena, this master and disciple pair, were among the most ungrateful. They were absolutely cut from the same cloth.

They had enjoyed every convenience brought by being a Saintess since childhood, yet were unwilling to shoulder the corresponding obligations.

Qian Xunji truly was a beast, but Bibi Dong was no good person either. She had never possessed any gratitude or sense of right and wrong.

Compared to that madwoman, supporting Qian Renxue was clearly much more reliable.

As for the third phase of the Main Quest, what he needed was Spirit Hall's trust and recognition. The Pope's Palace clearly could not fully represent Spirit Hall; the Worship Hall was also one of his options.

"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Chrysanthemum Douluo."

Before long, Su Cheng arrived at the Council Hall of the Pope's Palace.

Just like last time, there were no idle personnel in the enormous hall. Only Bibi Dong stood at the very front.

This female Pope, however, was different from before. Her face was frosty, and murderous fury filled her expression.

"Su Cheng, you have some nerve."

Su Cheng was not flustered. He walked to a spot neither too close nor too far from her and asked with feigned confusion, "What is wrong, Your Majesty the Pope? Why are you so angry?"

"Stop playing dumb," Bibi Dong shouted coldly. "Was Qian Renxue's matter your doing?!"

"Wasn't she the disciple candidate you recommended to me before? And I did successfully persuade her to become my successor."

"That is true, but what right do you have to demand that she abandon her task in the Heaven Dou Empire? Do you know that this concerns Spirit Hall's millennia-long plan!"

"Hah?" Su Cheng laughed upon hearing that. "Your Majesty the Pope, don't be so absurd. If this task is truly so important, why give it to a child barely over nine years old?"

"Impudent!"

Seeing his flippant expression, a flush of red flashed across Bibi Dong's face. Her full, proud chest rose and fell slightly, rippling into enticing curves.

Clearly, she was having trouble suppressing her anger.

"Are you testing my patience?" Bibi Dong's voice was cold as ice. "Do you really think I would not kill you?"

"Yes, you won't kill me."

Su Cheng did not care about her threat in the slightest.

At this point, he had more bargaining chips in hand than he could count.