That's a Married Woman

The architectural layout of the Pope's Palace in Spirit City is quite different from that of the Elder Hall.

The Elder Hall is the true internal decision-making core of the Spirit Hall.

The meetings among the elders, as well as the implementation of various specific policies, were basically discussed and decided in the Elder Hall.

In addition to being a meeting place, it is also the residence of the elders of the Spirit Hall.

Depending on their respective strength and status, the rooms they occupy are located on different floors.

Palace Hall Master Qian Daoliu lives in the innermost room on the third floor. Qian Renxue and the other elders also live on this floor.

Su Cheng, along with other powerful elders such as Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, had their rooms on the second floor.

However, now that they are directly under the Pope's command, they rarely stay in the Elder Hall for long periods of time. They mostly live in their rooms in the Pope's Palace so that the Pope can summon them at any time.

The Pope's Palace, on the other hand, is more of a symbol of status and power.

This is the residence of the Pope of the Spirit Hall, and also the place where the Pope handles official business and receives dignitaries from all sides.

When Honorary Elder like Ning Fengzhi come to Spirit City, they usually stay in the Pope's Palace.

There aren't as many living quarters as in the Elder Hall here; the entire first floor consists of several Council Hall.

At this moment, Bibi Dong moved gracefully to one side of the hall, where a huge, exquisite, and elegant cabinet stood.

She opened the cabinet door, rummaging through something as she spoke softly, "Where is the misunderstanding?"

"What are you looking for?" Su Cheng didn't answer the question, his gaze following her back to the direction of the cabinet.

"This." Bibi Dong didn't care about his attempt to change the subject. She took out an exquisite tea canister from the cabinet, shook it gently at him, and then walked back.

"Sit down and let's talk."

As she spoke, she walked ahead to the tea table and chairs, and casually picked up a teacup and a teapot from the table.

"This is a precious tea plant cultivated by Chrysanthemum Elder, Elder Du, and that A Yin. They say it's called Dragon Saliva Heavenly Fragrance."

"Chrysanthemum Elder told me that, in principle, the environment of the Spirit Mountain Range is not suitable for cultivating this plant. This thing is very delicate and needs to grow in the cloud-shrouded mountain area with abundant water vapor but little sunlight and a cold climate."

She stretched out her slender fingers and pinched a small pinch of tea leaves from the tea canister.

Each tea leaf is curled into a needle-like shape, appearing crystal clear, and all are exactly the same length and size.

Strangely, these tea leaves, which look so beautiful, emit no aroma at all, as if they are completely locked inside the leaves.

Bibi Dong then put the tea leaves into the water and covered the teapot.

With the release of her Soul Power, the water temperature rose rapidly, and she stopped her actions before it boiled.

After waiting a while, she reached out and lifted the lid of the pot.

As the lid was lifted, a wonderful fragrance rose and lingered.

Su Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, looking quite pleased.

The aroma alone is so enticing; one can only imagine how delicious it must be. For a moment, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Cooking tea with bare hands adds fragrance to the red sleeves.

This wasn't the first time the two of them had experienced this situation.

However, times have changed, and the bonds of their identities and the circumstances they occupy are now completely different from what they were back then.

Bibi Dong poured tea into two teacups and pushed them in front of Su Cheng, saying, "Here, for you."

Su Cheng picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

After finishing the tea, he gently opened his mouth, exhaled a cloud of steam, and exclaimed, "This is truly excellent tea."

Even though he couldn't discern exactly what made it good, he couldn't appreciate it at all.

Bibi Dong chuckled, "How can you drink like that? Is this what drinking is all about?"

"Really? Haha." Su Cheng chuckled. "I don't know much about these things, but it really does taste good."

His daily thoughts are mostly about cultivating himself to become stronger and strategizing; he doesn't really care much about the pleasures of the palate.

Except for a certain extremely unique flavor.

"Speaking of which, I'm only able to drink this thanks to you," Bibi Dong said with a soft laugh as she sipped her drink.

"What do you mean?" This time, Su Cheng didn't wait for her to pour him tea and took the initiative to pour another cup.

"Although picking a few tender leaves will not harm the roots of those plants, that A Yin was quite reluctant to part with them. She treated those flowers and plants as her own children, even more so than Chrysanthemum Elder."

"It wasn't until I heard that I was going to use it to entertain you that I agreed to make it into tea and offer it out. So when I'm here, I feel embarrassed to take it out and enjoy it by myself."

Bibi Dong's voice seemed to carry a somewhat inexplicable meaning.

Upon hearing this, Su Cheng paused slightly while pouring tea, but then continued drinking it nonchalantly.

"Su Cheng, I really find this strange. What kind of bewitching potion did you give that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? It doesn't care about its past hatred, or even its husband and son. It's determined to stay in this Spirit City."

"..." Su Cheng glanced at her silently, feeling a little strange.

I don't know Bibi Dong has just let loose or what.

She wouldn't have said something like that in the past.

"What are your plans for that A Yin?"

"Isn't she the one you left here? Why are you asking me?"

"You really have no shame..." Bibi Dong said with a sigh.

"That girl Zhu Zhuqing was someone I asked to go on this training trip with you. And that A Yin stayed at the Spirit Hall because of me."

"In short, the reason these people are still here is entirely my fault. It has nothing to do with you, Elder Su, right?"

Su Cheng was a little embarrassed and explained, "To be honest, I really didn't want Ah Yin to stay in Spirit City any longer. This place is not suitable for her. Although she is no longer Soul Beast, the Soul Beast Forest is where she should stay."

The current Ah Yin is neither Soul Beast nor a human; in essence, she is somewhat similar to a plant spirit.

As long as she is in the forest, all plant-type Soul Beast are her subjects.

There, unless you encounter a powerful Ferocious Beast with hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation, you will be in no danger.

Even if she encountered a powerful Ferocious Beast, it would be difficult for it to threaten her life.

"You don't need to play dumb here," Bibi Dong said calmly. "You can fool others, but you can't fool yourself. You'd better know what to do in the future."

Su Cheng lowered his eyelids, took a sip of tea, and then changed the subject, asking, "What are your plans for the Two Empires?"

"..."

Seeing that he avoided the topic, Bibi Dong sighed inwardly.

Then, his expression turned serious, and he said, "The Star Luo Empire has no such plan. It is centered around various families, who are bound together by blood ties. It is difficult for the Spirit Hall to penetrate their influence."

"Moreover, the political situation in the Star Luo Empire is intricate and far more complex than that of the Heaven Dou Empire. So I originally planned to use Heaven Dou as a starting point, but you have completely disrupted my plans."

"That's because your plan was flawed." Su Cheng didn't think he had done anything wrong.

"Xiao Xue's talent is unique. Keeping her in Heaven Dou City to do those petty thievery is a complete waste of her talent. The royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire is already extremely fragile and doesn't need so much effort."

"The foundation of the Heaven Dou Empire does not lie in the royal family, but in the various Soul Master forces that have carved out their own territories. As long as we win over the sects and academies within the Heaven Dou Empire, the rule of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family will naturally crumble on its own."

Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong pursed her lips, not wanting to argue with him, and asked directly, "Then what do you want to do?"

"I will personally negotiate with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and the other Element Academy, has the Spirit Hall placed any people there, or tried to win them over?"

Su Cheng was aware that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School had no subordinates of the Spirit Hall.

However, he wasn't quite sure about the situation of the other forces.

In fact, given the current strength of the Spirit Hall...

Qian Daoliu, the other elders of the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and himself whose strength far exceeds their actual level, could easily overwhelm them with force in the future.

But what Su Cheng wanted was to minimize the turmoil caused by power struggles and, ideally, resolve these issues with the fewest casualties possible.

What he needs is peaceful unification, not Douluo Continent riddled with problems.

This means we'll have to put in a little more effort.

Fortunately, the upper echelons of this world are already distorted, so it's not too difficult to actually implement them.

"You know that the Elephant Armor Sect has already pledged allegiance to the Spirit Hall. Several members of the teaching committee of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy are also from the Spirit Hall, but their contact with the hall has been decreasing, probably because they have other intentions. As for the other Element Academy, none of them have made a clear statement."

"...I see."

Su Cheng fell silent upon hearing this.

So, all these years, Bibi Dong hasn't done anything of substance at all.

His greatest achievement was stealing the position of Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

That was all thanks to Qian Renxue; it had almost nothing to do with her being the Pope.

Seeing his speechless expression, Bibi Dong felt a little embarrassed and quickly added, "The Star Luo Empire didn't have any plans before, but things are different now. Since I've taken Zhu Zhuqing as my personal disciple, given her special status, she should be able to play a significant role."

"I see, no wonder you two ended up together." Su Cheng suddenly realized.

He had been wondering how these two, with their personalities, could have become master and apprentice.

Unexpectedly, that girl actually used her own Star Luo Empire as a bargaining chip to exchange with Bibi Dong.

With her unique Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul, Zhu Zhuqing can indeed be considered a flag bearer.

Thinking of this, he pondered and said, "I know the situation in the Star Luo Empire very well. Actually, it's not particularly complicated. Although the nobles there are quite powerful, they each have their own agendas, so the situation isn't necessarily much better than that of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"Neither of the emperors in these Two Empires has a very secure throne, and each has its own difficulties. Therefore, in this world, everything else is meaningless; only one's own strength is the only true measure of power."

"You're right." Bibi Dong nodded with a light laugh.

Putting everything else aside, in terms of strength alone, no one in the world can reliably defeat her now.

Even with the person in front of you, you'll only know who's stronger after you've fought them.

Unaware of her thoughts, Su Cheng continued, "I'd like to go and check on those Element Academy in the Heaven Dou Empire first. I'm quite familiar with the young talents in those academies, and we still have some ties."

"As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they are only outwardly strong but inwardly weak, with serious internal strife. You can arrange a few elders and use some methods to divide them up, it shouldn't be too difficult. I've heard that their patriarch's lineage and the collateral branches have never gotten along well."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, "No problem."

"Then I wish you success, Your Majesty the future Empress."

"It's us," Bibi Dong corrected.

Upon hearing this, Su Cheng smiled noncommittally.

He had absolutely no interest in this power struggle.

Even if he became the supreme emperor of the entire continent, mobilizing the power of all humans and Soul Master, could he withstand a casual strike from any First-Level God?

At this moment, Bibi Dong stared at him, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Su Cheng, what exactly do you want to do?"

"With your talent, as long as you continue to cultivate step by step, even if you don't inherit the divine position, it's only a matter of time before you surpass the gods in power."

"So you want to change the world? Or fulfill the wishes of ordinary people?"

Su Cheng looked surprised when he heard the question, as if he hadn't expected the other party to ask such a question.

After a moment of silence, he chuckled softly, "You're all wrong."

Bibi Dong looked slightly dazed.

He continued, seemingly oblivious to his own thoughts. "First of all, let the people of the world strive for what they want; it has nothing to do with me. I only do what I want to do. Whether it's spreading the martial arts or helping you achieve unification, it's all because I want to do it, so there's no need to elevate me so much."

"Moreover, promoting the cultivation technique won't be entirely without my benefit. I only recently discovered this, and I won't hide it from you. The reason I hope you can succeed is because I want to use your strength to help me cultivate."

Su Cheng said this with a completely calm expression.

He did intend to promote the Innate Skill before he received the world award, but at that time he only had this idea and did not plan too much. Whether he succeeded or not did not matter.

It wasn't until Qian Renxue cultivated Innate Power and obtained more Source Power that he began to take this matter seriously.

Speaking frankly at this time was also because he didn't want Bibi Dong to truly hold him in her heart and regard him as a saint who saves the world and its people.

Because he was never a saint, nor could he ever become one.

"Secondly, you underestimate the power of the gods. Gods are also ranked in terms of strength. At least so far, I don't know if I can reach a level that surpasses them."

"However, I have to be wary of them. The Soul Beast Clan has been suppressed by the Divine Realm for countless years and has not been able to raise its head. How do you know that if we take another path of cultivation, it will affect the interests of those gods?"

"Even if none of these things affect their interests, will they touch a nerve? It is an extremely foolish idea to hand over the final decision-making power to someone else's momentary whim."

"As the Pope of the Spirit Hall, you should understand that for those who have vested interests, maintaining the status quo is always the simplest and safest way to deal with things."

"You mean Soul Beast..." Bibi Dong, somewhat puzzled.

"I don't know everything about this either, it's too early to think about those things now," Su Cheng said casually.

After a long silence, Bibi Dong smiled again and nodded, saying, "Alright, then I'll 'bet' with you again, but only if you don't always think about taking risks on your own."

She emphasized the word with a meaningful tone.

"Don't worry, I'm not as fearless as you think."

After saying that, Su Cheng put down his teacup, stood up, and said, "Then I'll take my leave."

"Go ahead."

After leaving the Council Hall, Su Cheng originally wanted to check on Zhu Zhuqing's situation, but found that she was not currently in the Pope's Palace.

There are many experts in Spirit City, so it's not convenient for him to directly and recklessly spread his senses to search.

Especially since Qian Daoliu is here, we should at least show him some respect.

After thinking for a moment, he changed course and went directly to the Elder Hall.

I should let Qian Renxue know about the upcoming trip in advance, to avoid any unexpected problems later.

Besides, it's getting late, so we can leave other things for tomorrow.

After Su Cheng left the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong stared blankly at the still-warm teacup in front of her for a while.

He then stood up, smiled slightly, and muttered to himself, "Su Cheng, you finally understand. In the end, only I can truly help you."

She didn't really care what Su Cheng was thinking, or whether the ultimate goal of this action was to benefit the people or himself, because she herself wasn't a very selfless person.

After leaving the Council Hall, Bibi Dong did not stay in the Pope's Palace, but instead walked slowly towards the back mountain of Spirit City.

Before long, they arrived at a fairly large flower garden.

Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Ah Yin were busy in the flower garden at this moment.

A soft, blue-gold hue radiates vitality, enveloping the entire flowerbed.

A graceful woman in a palace dress stood in the very center. With every gesture, she exuded Soul Power, causing the surrounding flowers and plants to sway gently around her.

In contrast, the other two Titled Douluo powerhouses seemed rather clumsy, only able to manipulate the delicate tender leaves with their hands, and occasionally arguing over their differing opinions.

Even though she was a woman herself, Bibi Dong couldn't help but secretly admire Ah Yin's beauty at that moment.

Su Cheng was right. She was born to live among forests and trees. Only in such a place could her temperament be perfectly displayed.

Just like at this moment, a beautiful picture of perfect harmony between man and nature has been formed.

Of course, it would be even better if those two men weren't in the painting.

"A Yin, come with me for a moment."

"..." Upon hearing the voice, Ah Yin paused slightly in her action of channeling her Soul Power.

He then silently withdrew his domain and walked out of the flowerbed.

The other two were clearly also surprised that Bibi Dong had suddenly arrived without a word, and they quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your His Holiness the Pope."

"No need for formalities." Bibi Dong nodded, then turned and left with Ah Yin.

Following behind her, Ah Yin felt a little strange.

Since arranging for her to stay in the Elder Hall, the other party has never contacted her again.

She had worried about this for quite some time, wondering what Bibi Dong's true intentions were.

Are you settling in well?

"Fine."

This is clearly a lie.

She wasn't happy here.

"You know about me leaving Spirit City with Su Cheng, right?" Bibi Dong asked after the two of them had walked to a secluded spot.

Ah Yin nodded without saying anything, but she was a little puzzled, not understanding why the other party had suddenly brought up this matter.

Do you know who we met on the road?

"Who?" For some reason, a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in her heart.

"Tang Hao."

"..."

"Su Cheng killed him."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Ah Yin's eyes widened instantly, and her pupils trembled slightly involuntarily.

For a moment, she didn't know what she was thinking; she just felt dizzy and her mind was in chaos.

Various scenes from the past suddenly flashed before my eyes, yet remained blurry.

Finally, for some unknown reason, the scene froze on the square in the Pope's Palace in Spirit City, at the moment when he stood in front of Su Cheng.

Bibi Dong watched her quietly, observing the changes in her expression.

He suddenly spoke again, asking, "Do you want to avenge him?"

"What?"

She then suddenly realized what was happening and looked at Bibi Dong with a pale face.

"I'm asking you, do you want to avenge Tang Hao?"

"..." Ah Yin murmured, remaining silent for a long time.

Bibi Dong remained silent, waiting patiently.

After a long while, Ah Yin finally spoke in a barely audible voice, "I can't do it..."

"Why can't you do it? Because you're not good enough? That's okay. I'm just asking if you want to, not if you can."

Bibi Dong's tone remained calm.

But to Ah Yin, it sounded like a giant poisonous spider was constantly spitting out webs, gradually enveloping and devouring her...

She lowered her head, not daring to meet the other person's probing gaze.

That once unforgettable figure has gradually faded away.

It's like a blurry silhouette reflected deep in my mind.

But when she heard the devastating news and tried to look more closely, only faint marks appeared.

Perhaps it was this indifference that terrified her more than the person's death.

She has indeed emerged from the shadows of the past and experienced a richer life.

But in any case, the past should not be forgotten.

She instinctively felt that this behavior was shameful and wrong...

"I was just kidding." After a long while, Bibi Dong suddenly spoke again, "He's not dead, Su Cheng let him go."

"You--"

Ah Yin suddenly looked up, glaring angrily at Bibi Dong, her lips still trembling slightly.

She wanted to rebuke him, but didn't know how to begin.

"A Yin, what was your mindset when you stayed in this city that you once regarded as an enemy?"

Ah Yin remained silent.

She knew what she wanted, but didn't want to tell Bibi Dong.

"Do you know why Su Cheng has been ignoring you all this time?" Bibi Dong asked softly.

But before Ah Yin could answer, she offered her own answer, "Because of betrayal."

"I didn't!" Ah Yin retorted loudly.

"Whether you say yes or no is meaningless; the key is whether Su Cheng thinks it exists or not." Bibi Dong gazed at her. "But it's not that there's no way to remedy the situation."

"What?"

"Would you be willing to die for him once?" Bibi Dong's voice remained calm as ever.

Ah Yin was stunned.

She looked at the powerful and beautiful female Pope of the Spirit Hall in front of her.

Despite the unparalleled beauty and extraordinary demeanor of the woman before her, a chill inexplicably crept into her heart.

It was as if a venomous snake, which had been lying dormant for a long time, was coiled up beside him, suddenly opening its jaws to reveal sharp fangs hidden deep beneath its skin.

Nighttime, in a luxurious room at the July Starry Sky Couples Hotel, a kingdom's main city not far from Spirit City.

The two, who had just finished exercising, were lying naked on the bed.

Qian Renxue's pretty face flushed crimson.

Two pairs of pure white wings lay wetly on its back beneath it.

Just like last time, when her emotions reached their peak, she couldn't help but unconsciously stretch out her angel wings.

Even now, her snow-white body was still trembling slightly, to a degree imperceptible to the naked eye.

"I'm leaving Spirit City in a few days."

Su Cheng wrapped his arm around the wings and shoulders, reaching down from the long neck to play with the pair of full breasts that were now difficult to fully grasp, and then gently kneaded the red nipples.

The feathers on its wings are pure white and delicate, and feel wonderful to the touch.

Beneath the feathers lies skin just like normal human skin, with tight muscle fibers and a hollow, light skeletal framework beneath.

The structure of the Angel Clan is quite unique. It is similar to External Soul Bone, but it can be inherited by offspring. Moreover, as their cultivation level increases, the number of wings will also increase.

Where are you going?

Qian Renxue's voice was languid with a slight hoarseness.

Clearly, the shouting had put a considerable strain on her vocal cords.

Fortunately, this time Su Cheng didn't make her call him any strange names like he did last time.

Otherwise, he would probably be hiding deep within his consciousness by now, too afraid to show himself again.

"Let's go visit those academies in the Heaven Dou Empire and see if we can recruit them into the Spirit Hall's camp."

"Oh, then you go ahead, I can go with you."

The tingling sensation in Qian Renxue's heart had not completely faded, and patches of pink blush appeared on her body from time to time. She seemed to still be immersed in the afterglow of the previous experience and had not fully come back to her senses.

"No need, I'm not going by myself."

Su Cheng hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and continued, "Bibi Dong's newly accepted disciple is also planning to go out with me for some training."

Taking advantage of Qian Renxue's good mood, he decided to strike while the iron was hot and try to smooth things over.