A Strange Teacher

"Teacher carried me. Teacher actually carried me!"

"Should I keep pretending to sleep, or 'just happen' to wake up?"

"What should I say first when I wake up?"

"Good evening, Teacher?"

"No, Teacher, your arms are really strong?"

"Even weirder!"

Qian Xunji had no idea that a volcano was erupting inside Bibi Dong's heart.

After placing Bibi Dong on the bed, the next step was taking off her shoes.

Qian Xunji stared at those white ankle boots and fell into a brief philosophical contemplation: Should a Pope take off his disciple's shoes?

"Probably not, right?"

"Forget it. She's asleep anyway."

He extended his slightly stiff fingers, untied the laces, and carefully slipped the boots off.

A delicate, snow-white foot was exposed to the air, its sole tinged with a faint pink.

Qian Xunji held her foot and gave it a squeeze. "Ahem... This foot is rather... ergonomically shaped. It feels like tender tofu."

"Wait, what am I thinking? I'm the Pope."

Meanwhile, Bibi Dong's mind was filled with: ???

Just now... did Teacher... play with my... foot?

[Ding! Emergency warning!]

[Detected that the host's behavior has seriously deviated from the 'aloof Pope' persona. Judged as 'suspected perverted behavior'!]

Qian Xunji: "..."

"Could she not be asleep?"

He hurriedly stood up, kept his expression unchanged, and swiftly fled the scene.

The door had been closed for quite a while...

Then Bibi Dong shot upright from the bed, both hands cupping her burning cheeks.

She lowered her head and looked at the jade-like foot that had just been "sampled and analyzed."

One second later.

She hugged her own foot and brought it to her nose for a sniff.

"Phew, good thing it doesn't stink."

"Teacher..."

She murmured, her face turning even redder.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Bibi Dong called out in confusion, "Ling Yuan? Ling Yuan, are you there?"

As one of Spirit Hall's talented younger generation, Ling Yuan was around Bibi Dong's age and had a fairly good relationship with her.

Ling Yuan soon entered from outside, an inquisitive look on her heroic face.

"Saintess, what are your orders?"

Bibi Dong had already regained her outward composure.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, winding a lock of hair around her finger, her gaze drifting. "Ling Yuan... lately, have you felt that Teacher... um... is a little different?"

Ling Yuan tilted her head in confusion. "His Holiness the Pope? What happened to him?"

"When he scolded us at the academy today for training poorly, his expression was as terrifying as ever."

"Not that..."

"It's just... after our training, he called me to the Pope Palace."

"Mm, and then? Did His Holiness scold you?"

"No. Instead, he gently invited me out to celebrate my birthday."

Ling Yuan looked at her as if she were an idiot. "Saintess, have you trained so hard that you're hallucinating?"

"Do the words 'His Holiness the Pope' and 'gentle' have any connection besides their written forms?"

"...You're right."

Bibi Dong wilted.

"Maybe... I really was dreaming."

She muttered, then burrowed under the covers and pulled the blanket over her head.

Ling Yuan stared at the lump on the bed that had suddenly begun rolling from side to side, occasionally letting out muffled giggles, completely baffled.

The next morning, Worship Hall—

Qian Daoliu stood with his back to the entrance, faint sacred golden light enveloping his body. "Xunji, the time has come."

"You must undergo the Angel God's Test, inherit the divine position, and lead the Angel Clan toward supreme glory."

According to the original story, Qian Xunji should have been excitedly kowtowing at this moment before embarking on his arduous path toward godhood and self-destruction.

However—

"I refuse."

Qian Daoliu slowly turned around, and for the first time, an expression that could only be described as utterly bewildered appeared on his dignified face.

He suspected that he had washed his ears with too much Angel Holy Light and developed auditory hallucinations.

"What did you say?"

"I said I won't inherit the Angel God's divine position."

"Nonsense! This is the mission of my Qian Family, and also..."

"And also your death warrant, right?" Qian Xunji interrupted him.

Qian Daoliu's entire body shook. "You... how did you know?"

This was the greatest secret passed down orally only among successive Grand Pontiffs.

The Angel God's high priest would ultimately need to use his life as the catalyst to open the final path to godhood.

"Someone told me. They mentioned the sacrifice behind the divine test."

"Who told you?"

Qian Xunji made something up. "I can't tell you that."

"Old man, I want you to live a little longer."

That single "old man" scattered the tragic, heroic emotions Qian Daoliu had been building into pieces.

He glared at his son, the corner of his mouth twitching.

[System prompt: Persona warning!]

Ignoring the system's jab, Qian Xunji waved a hand. "You don't need to worry about the divine position. Maybe someday, I'll gain the recognition of another god. I'm leaving."

Qian Daoliu watched his son's retreating back in silence for a long while...

"You brat..."

Inside the Pope Palace, files were piled up like mountains.

Qian Xunji sat on the magnificent papal throne, initially feeling as though he had nails growing out of his backside.

Fortunately, the original owner's memories were like a built-in hard drive. Whenever his eyes swept over a document, the appropriate method of handling it surfaced automatically.

"Embezzled training funds to buy soul-tool jewelry for a lover? Rejected. Fine them triple."

"Two families are fighting over mining rights in a soul beast forest? Simple. Auction it off to the highest bidder. Spirit Hall takes thirty percent."

"A certain bishop forgot his lines during a Sunday sermon and let out a loud fart in public, causing a crisis of faith?... What kind of ridiculous reports are these?!"

He worked with astonishing speed, his quill leaving afterimages. At times, he wrote stern comments; at others, he grumbled nonstop.

The stewards standing in attendance exchanged looks. Today, His Holiness the Pope was absurdly efficient, though his expressions were perhaps a little too rich.

When the setting sun spread a warm golden glow across the hall, Qian Xunji finally stretched lazily.

His gaze fell upon the final item on today's schedule, and his brow furrowed.

"Jiang Mo," he called.

A Titled Douluo clad in fitted combat attire stepped forward at once, his aura as sharp as a spear. He was none other than Falling Devil Douluo, who had not yet entered Worship Hall.

"What are your orders, Your Holiness?"

"Where is the Saintess? At this hour, she should usually be here to report today's cultivation progress."

Falling Devil Douluo replied, "Reporting to Your Holiness, following your order yesterday, we thoroughly investigated the accounts of every branch hall."

"We discovered that the Yelin City branch hall has had a funding deficit of as much as six million Gold Soul Coins over the past two years."

"This subordinate has already dispatched Elder Qian Jun and the Saintess to Yelin City to arrest the branch hall's bishop, Gustav, and bring him back to headquarters for questioning."

The quill in Qian Xunji's hand snapped with a crack.

Gustav? That man was unimportant.

Yelin City?

Wasn't that where, in the original story, Bibi Dong first met Yu Xiaogang and was drawn to his so-called "talent," becoming romantically involved with him?

"When did they leave?"

"This morning."

"Judging by the time, they should be almost there..."

Qian Xunji rose to his feet. "Elder Jiang Mo, I have urgent business outside. The affairs of the Pope Palace will temporarily be handled by you, Yue Guan, and Elder Gui Mei, who is still in training."

"Yes!" Though Falling Devil Douluo was puzzled, he accepted the order without hesitation.

A flash of golden light passed, and the papal throne was already empty.

Yelin City, Spirit Hall branch hall. The atmosphere was grave.