Persuasion

"You can certainly kill me, but if you do, this is all you'll get. I don't think Your Holiness is quite so impatient."

Yan spoke with apparent composure, but inwardly he was panicking. He knew this was the critical moment, the moment that would decide his fate.

Rather than refuting Bibi Dong, he continued along her line of thought, acknowledging that she could take his life at any moment.

Bibi Dong was a capable woman. Without the support of Qian Daoliu or the Worship Hall, she had taken control of the enormous entity that was Spirit Hall. In the end, she had even founded the Spirit Hall Empire and ascended as empress.

After Bibi Dong had ruled Spirit Hall for more than a decade, it directly influenced seventy percent of the soul masters in the soul master world. After the Spirit Hall Empire was established, that figure continued to rise. Of the Seven Great Sects at the time, aside from the original Upper Three Sects, the remaining four all chose the Spirit Hall Empire.

Ning Fengzhi had called her the most powerful leader in Spirit Hall's history. That might have been somewhat flattering, but it also showed just how formidable her methods were. Bibi Dong was undoubtedly an excellent leader.

Yet some of her actions in the later years of her rule—ordering Qian Renxue to hastily launch a coup and the Soul Hunt Operation at the wrong time—also revealed her impulsive side.

That was why Yan was so nervous now. He could not gauge Bibi Dong's thoughts at this moment. If she had come as a qualified leader, Yan was confident he could persuade her.

But she had come today because of Hu Liena, which added an unfavorable factor. If she happened to be in a bad mood and acted on impulse, Yan feared she might slap him to death.

The atmosphere in the study was somewhat oppressive. Yan kept his eyes fixed on Bibi Dong. His palms were sweating from nerves, and fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.

"Pfft..."

Bibi Dong suddenly laughed, and she laughed quite happily. Taking out a handkerchief, she gently wiped his forehead before teasing him, "I thought you were such a bold little fellow. So you can be scared too. Am I really that frightening?"

"Uh... not exactly. I'm just... nervous."

Yan was somewhat at a loss. Bibi Dong's reaction was not what he had expected. But he had no better way to respond, so he could only speak honestly and reveal a bit of childish innocence rather than stubbornly pretending to be an adult.

"Little fellow, tell me. What other bargaining chips do you have?"

Seeing Yan like this put Bibi Dong more at ease. No matter how much he tried to act like an adult, this little fellow before her was only a six- or seven-year-old child. Even if he was exceptionally precocious and brilliant, he posed no threat to her.

Seeing Bibi Dong's intrigued expression, Yan felt slightly calmer. Bibi Dong could not be putting on such an act, could she? If she wanted to kill him, a single slap would do. Surely she would not toy with him like this. She could not possibly have such a twisted sense of humor, right?

Yan kept reassuring himself. He had actually considered trying to gain a little leverage over Bibi Dong just now. Of course, he was not going to threaten her with Hu Liena. The two had only just met; what feelings could there be between them?

As for the people and affairs of Spirit Hall, including the matters involving her, Qian Xunji, and Qian Renxue, those were things he could not mention. Qian Xunji had already tortured her into becoming what she was. Trying to use those matters against her would be courting death.

Yan had originally thought that if Bibi Dong truly threatened his life, he could bring up Yu Xiaogang. Threatening Yu Xiaogang's life would be useless, but Yan knew how Yu Xiaogang could achieve a breakthrough, something Bibi Dong had always cared about.

But if he did that, even if he reached an understanding with Bibi Dong, it would only be a simple exchange of interests. He would still have to remain on guard against the Pope stabbing him in the back and taking his life at any time. That would not be an easy life.

The current situation seemed better. Bibi Dong was willing to listen to him continue, so there was no need for him to reveal those less-than-ideal last-resort cards.

After calming down a little, Yan fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Your Holiness, your most pressing issue right now is actually a lack of helpers. I can offer you some useful advice, such as how to bring Spirit Hall's various factions under your control."

The smile on Bibi Dong's face faded slightly. She narrowed her eyes at Yan and said in a deep voice, "Do you know what you are saying? I am the Pope of Spirit Hall. Within Spirit Hall, I am the supreme authority."

"You are naturally the Pope, but you have only recently succeeded to the position, and you do not have much support."

Yan took another notebook from the desk and opened it. Then he spoke in an orderly manner. "I looked through the old Papal Hall records. Although the building has a long history, it was far from being dilapidated.

Yet after taking office, you rushed to build Spirit City and relocate the Papal Hall. During this period, you have also arranged inspections to present an extraordinary image. That shows that you have not yet completely won over Spirit Hall's various factions, especially those powerful soul master families."

A hint of interest flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. "Oh? Then what do you think I should do?"

"Follow the trend, divide and neutralize them, exchange benefits, and ultimately win their loyalty."

Yan laid out some of his ideas, then briefly explained the specifics. "At present, most soul master families in the soul master world lack stable sources of income. That is why some of Spirit Hall's powerful figures cling to authority.

They want to seek greater benefits and better development for their own families. That is certainly wrong, but there is no denying that they are powerful allies. We need to find a way to win their loyalty, while also taking back the authority in their hands.

Simply granting more benefits may win over some people, but the effect will be limited. Under these circumstances, these things will come in handy."

Yan handed Bibi Dong the plan he had opened. It recorded several brand-new commercial proposals. If developed according to the methods written within, they could bring in enormous profits—the most direct form of benefit.

But turning the plan into reality would also require a great deal of manpower and powerful experts to oversee it. This was the perfect opportunity for Bibi Dong to use exchanges of benefits to gather a group of people around her.

Bibi Dong continued reading to the end. The plan was remarkably detailed, even including the general circumstances of several well-known families within Spirit Hall, what benefits could be used to win their loyalty, and step-by-step arrangements that were meticulously thought out. Even she was deeply astonished.

Bibi Dong set down the proposal and looked at Yan. "The plan laid out here is detailed. You could carry it out yourself."

Yan shook his head. "I know my own limits. One can only obtain benefits proportionate to one's strength. With a body as small as mine, if I covet such enormous profits, I'm afraid I'd be devoured without even my bones remaining."

"Hehe!"

Bibi Dong chuckled softly and set down the notebook in her hand. One slender finger tapped his forehead. "Little fellow, I really want to know just what else is hidden inside that little head of yours."

Second chapter update. Please add it to your collection, keep reading, and vote.