Martial Soul Hall Reform (IV): A Bushel of Grain Breeds Gratitude, a Handful Breeds Enmity

Isn't this talking about my Xiaogang?

Bibi Dong was instantly displeased.

In truth, she, Bibi Dong, was well aware of Yu Xiaogang's cowardice, incompetence, selfishness, and hypocrisy; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so hesitant, evasive, and cowardly back then, refusing to elope with her.

Does the current Bibi Dong really still love Yu Xiaogang?

Not necessarily.

Perhaps she, Bibi Dong, simply hasn't moved on from the shadows of the past and needs some form of spiritual solace.

Perhaps what she, Bibi Dong, loves isn't the man Yu Xiaogang, but rather those beautiful, youthful years gone by.

However, these are things that even she, Bibi Dong, cannot fully understand herself.

Enough idle chatter, let us return to the matter at hand.

"I disagree," Bibi Dong said.

"Your Holiness the Pope, I haven't even stated my solution yet, so why are you already disagreeing?"

"Does this involve someone you care about? Or perhaps something you care about?"

"Or did I say something wrong that has left you dissatisfied?"

Qian Renyu looked at Bibi Dong and asked.

In truth, Qian Renyu understood in his heart that it was likely his use of Yu Xiaogang as an example that had touched Bibi Dong's fragile heartstrings.

In a certain sense, Bibi Dong could indeed be considered a pitiful person.

But, did you, Bibi Dong, truly have no responsibility for what happened back then?

Martial Soul Hall raised you to adulthood and poured all its resources into molding you into a talent; it would have been one thing if you didn't show gratitude, but you couldn't just turn around and throw yourself into the arms of Yu Xiaogang, a member of a hostile faction.

If you had fallen for a young, talented, and dashing gentleman, that might have been barely justifiable, but you chose to love a piece of trash with an Innate Soul Power of 0.5 and a lifetime cap below the level of a Soul Grand Master. Even without considering Qian Xunji, I'm afraid no one would have agreed to that.

However, since you, Bibi Dong, are now sitting in the position of Pope of Martial Soul Hall, you must stand from the perspective of Martial Soul Hall.

This is the most basic principle.

And it is also the bottom line for him, Qian Renyu.

"That is not the case," Bibi Dong said coldly.

"It is simply that distributing subsidies to soul masters is an important means for our Martial Soul Hall to win over hearts, so I suggest that Young Master Qian should not harbor any ideas regarding this item."

"Isn't distributing subsidies to soul masters simply for the purpose of helping low-level soul masters cultivate and live better?"

"Why must you treat such a good deed as a means to buy people's hearts?"

"Could it be that in the eyes of Your Holiness the Pope, our Martial Soul Hall is so narrow-minded?"

Qian Renyu looked at Bibi Dong with a sincere expression.

"I..."

Seeing Qian Renyu's look of sincerity, Bibi Dong was left at a loss for words.

Golden Crocodile Douluo, sitting beside Qian Renyu, felt as if two doors had opened in his heart upon seeing Bibi Dong get shut down; he couldn't have been happier.

He then turned his head to look at Qian Daoliu, who happened to be turning his head to look at Golden Crocodile Douluo as well. The two old men locked eyes, shared a smile, and said nothing, yet it was as if they had said everything.

The other elders, seeing this scene, also smiled knowingly.

Everything was understood without a word.

On a daily basis, the Worship Hall and the Pope Palace were at odds, and they frequently tripped each other up in secret; sabotaging one another was a common occurrence. Seeing Bibi Dong get shut down today, the elders were truly delighted.

To be honest, if there hadn't been such a great conflict between the Worship Hall and the Pope Palace in the original timeline, and if the two had united and pulled together, they might not have lost.

Taking a step back, even if they had lost, they would never have lost so miserably.

The angel fell, the godhood shattered, and a ten-thousand-year foundation was destroyed in an instant; it is truly pathetic and lamentable to think about.

What is even more tragic is that the accumulation of generations fell into the hands of shameless villains, and a ten-thousand-year reputation became a target of public revulsion after death.

"Then I ask Your Holiness the Pope to please listen to my solution before deciding whether to agree or not." Qian Renyu looked at Bibi Dong and said. Seeing that Bibi Dong did not react, Qian Renyu continued:

"The method I have in mind is, first, we must impose age restrictions on those who receive subsidies from our Martial Soul Hall."

"The subsidy for a soul master is one Gold Soul Coin per month, with an age requirement of under thirty."

"The subsidy for a Soul Grand Master is three Gold Soul Coins per month, with an age requirement of..."

Wait, what was Master Yu Xiaogang's age this year? He should be in his forties, nearing fifty.

Then, "For Soul Grand Masters, the age requirement to receive the subsidy shall be under forty."

"However, soul masters who join our Martial Soul Hall will not be subject to this restriction."

"Does anyone have any different thoughts on this?" Qian Renyu scanned the people around him and asked.

Bibi Dong, of course, had a different opinion, as this would immediately restrict Yu Xiaogang.

However, having learned her lesson from last time, she did not speak, but instead turned her gaze toward Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan felt the Pope's gaze and naturally understood what she meant, so he prepared to speak.

However, just as Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan was about to open his mouth, he suddenly discovered that Golden Crocodile Douluo was looking at him with a kind and smiling expression, and he immediately lost his nerve.

Bibi Dong saw this display from Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and could not help but curse him as a piece of trash in her heart.

Then, she turned her gaze toward Ghost Douluo Gui Mei.

She saw that Ghost Douluo Gui Mei was focused entirely on himself, head bowed as he counted the fingers on his hands, refusing to even look at her, Bibi Dong.

There was no helping it; if Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan could lose his nerve, why couldn't he, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, do the same?

Seeing this scene, Bibi Dong could not help but curse in her heart: trash, trash, a pair of trash.

At this moment, Spirit Kite Douluo stood up.

The moment Bibi Dong saw Spirit Kite Douluo stand up, her heart blossomed with joy; after all, it was only with her, Bibi Dong's, help that Spirit Kite Douluo had been able to break through to become a Titled Douluo so quickly.

Sure enough, men are unreliable.

"Then may I ask, Young Master, what should be done about those who are idle or hostile toward our Martial Soul Hall receiving subsidies?" Spirit Kite Douluo asked.

No, you—is that really all you're going to ask? Bibi Dong was somewhat baffled.

"For this, we can only have the local Martial Soul Hall conduct investigations to see who supports our Martial Soul Hall, who is hostile toward us, and which spirit masters have poor character, then screen them before distributing the subsidies."

"After all, there are too many people, and for now, this is the only inferior strategy we can employ." After speaking, Qian Renyu looked at Spirit Kite Douluo again.

Spirit Kite Douluo nodded slightly, as if lost in thought, and then sat back down in his seat.

"Then why don't we just stop giving them their subsidies altogether? Wouldn't that work?" another elder asked.

"That is not feasible." This time, it was not Qian Renyu who spoke, but Bibi Dong. "A peck of rice breeds gratitude, but a bushel of rice breeds enmity."