At Qian Daoliu's command, the entire Worship Hall sprang into action. Usually solemn and imposing, it now resembled a bustling marketplace, with people coming and going without pause.
This gave Bibi Dong, over at the Pope Palace, quite a fright. She thought Qian Daoliu was gathering his forces to make a clean break with her, so she began mobilizing her own people too, just in case.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei had it even worse. As Bibi Dong's right-hand men—and her only two Titled Douluo—they were sent straight to the front lines. Now they had to eat, drink, sleep, and take care of everything else at the Pope Palace. They couldn't even go home.
The worst part was, they were genuinely terrified. If Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu really intended to make a move, then they'd be about as useful as a deaf man's ears—nothing but decoration. They'd be walking into certain defeat.
The other six offerings were baffled by Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu's behavior. He was usually the sort of man who didn't change his expression even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, or lose his nerve with a tiger at his back. What had gotten into him? Why was he acting so out of character?
The six offerings were at a loss. Asking him about it felt inappropriate, but they couldn't quite suppress their curiosity.
So Third Offering Azure Luan Douluo, Fourth Offering Mighty Lion Douluo, Fifth Offering Guangling Douluo, Sixth Offering Qianjun Douluo, and Seventh Offering Xiangmo Douluo all turned their eyes toward Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo.
Golden Crocodile Douluo suddenly felt five pairs of eyes on him and understood what the others wanted. You're embarrassed to ask, so you want me to do it? I may be the oldest in the Worship Hall and the most senior by rank, but that doesn't mean I should act like some nosy child.
"Big brother, what's wrong? Why are you acting so out of character?"
Although Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo was a generation senior to Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu, his cultivation had reached Level 98, and even his ninth Soul Ring was a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring.
But Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu was a Level 99 Peerless Douluo with the divine Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. His Soul Ring Configuration was eight black and one red, and he was known as invincible in the sky.
They were shoulder to shoulder, after all, and on the Douluo Continent, strength came first. So there was nothing wrong with Golden Crocodile Douluo calling Qian Daoliu "big brother."
As soon as Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, the other five offerings pricked up their ears like schoolchildren listening in class, afraid they might miss something.
Fourth Offering Mighty Lion Douluo, the biggest gossip among them, even pulled out a little notebook.
"Second, you don't know what happened. Today, I sensed a bloodline affinity from that child. I've only ever felt that kind of connection with Ji'er and Xue'er."
Golden Crocodile Douluo had also sensed the angelic aura on the child. There was no reason Guangling Douluo should be able to sense it while he couldn't.
"Big brother, do you mean that child is Ji'er's son?"
"That's right."
"Then who is the child's mother?"
"I don't know, but it certainly isn't that woman."
At that moment, a new line appeared in Mighty Lion Douluo's notebook: [Former Spirit Hall Pope Qian Xunji had a scandalous private life.]
As for the woman Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu meant, everyone in the Worship Hall seemed to glance toward the Pope Palace, then quickly looked away.
"Reporting to Great Enshrined, the two of us went to the address the child gave us, but the village had already been destroyed by a beast tide. Fortunately, the local Spirit Hall sent a large number of Soul Masters in time and rescued many of the villagers. The child was among them."
"Although Spirit Hall did everything it could to help, too many villages were struck by disaster. In the end, we couldn't reach everyone."
Ghost Leopard Douluo knew the child was very likely the blood of former Pope Qian Xunji. He seemed worried Qian Daoliu might blame the local Spirit Hall for its incompetence and for leaving the child to wander the streets.
A three-year-old child had been left to beg on the streets to survive. It was hard to imagine how he'd managed. No wonder he'd grown so cold.
Qian Daoliu understood what Ghost Leopard Douluo meant. Spirit Hall was only a religious organization, after all; it could never take the place of a country's government.
At that thought, a fierce, commanding glint flashed through Qian Daoliu's eyes, then vanished in an instant.
"We also found the surviving villagers and learned about the child's background. We've compiled his history in this document."
As he spoke, Ghost Leopard Douluo took out a file and handed it to Xiangmo Douluo with both hands. Then he stepped back and knelt respectfully beside Demon Bear Douluo.
Xiangmo Douluo took the file from Ghost Leopard Douluo and passed it to Qian Daoliu with both hands.
The file read:
Name: Yu
Gender: Male
Age: Four
Place of origin: Xiaozhang Village, Wolong Ridge, Shuangxiong Town, Tianyun City
Father: Unknown.
His mother's name is Gu Xiyuan, and her Martial Soul is the Jade Sword. Four years ago, she worked at the Spirit Hall Branch in Tianyun City. Later, due to health reasons, she resigned from Spirit Hall and returned to her hometown. Seven months afterward, she gave birth to a son and named him Yu.
But no one knew who the child's father was. They'd only heard her once mention, unintentionally, that the child's father was far above her in status, and that the two of them could never—and should never—have crossed paths.
Reading this, Qian Daoliu recalled what was written in the Pope's daily records: four years ago, Pope Qian Xunji had spent the night at the Spirit Hall Branch in Tianyun City, where a woman named Gu Xiyuan had attended him.
At that moment, everyone in the Worship Hall noticed that Qian Daoliu's hands had begun to tremble despite himself.
So once again, they all turned their eyes toward Golden Crocodile Douluo. He gave them a look that said, I understand.
"Big brother, could that child really be—?"
Qian Daoliu gripped Golden Crocodile Douluo's hand tightly and said excitedly, "Yes. He really is Ji'er's son."
At Qian Daoliu's words, everyone in the Worship Hall except Golden Crocodile Douluo bowed to him. "Congratulations, Great Enshrined."
Why not Golden Crocodile Douluo? Because Qian Daoliu was still clutching his hand in his excitement.
Watching the others bow, Golden Crocodile Douluo thought, Have I been left out of the group already?
Once they'd finished bowing, the others saw Golden Crocodile Douluo snatch his hand out of Qian Daoliu's grasp with lightning speed. He then respectfully bowed to Qian Daoliu and said, "Congratulations, big brother."
"Big brother, now that we've confirmed this child is Ji'er's blood, please give him a name so he can be welcomed back into the family." As he spoke, Golden Crocodile Douluo glanced at the others.
The others understood. They'd been so busy congratulating Great Enshrined that they hadn't thought to ask him to name the child and welcome him back into the family. Golden Crocodile Douluo was the one with the real foresight—age truly did bring wisdom.
Hearing Golden Crocodile Douluo's words, Qian Daoliu slowly replied, "Since the child's mother named him Yu, let's call him Qian Renyu."
Before you continue