Naive Recruitment, Not Much Brains

Chrysanthemum Douluo had barely left the city when Snake Lance Douluo caught up to him and invited him back.

To be honest, Chrysanthemum Douluo did not particularly want to deal with Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue's relationship with Bibi Dong was far too complicated, and her position within Spirit Hall was far too special. Getting close to her was inappropriate, but keeping his distance was just as problematic.

After all, he was Bibi Dong's subordinate, and Chrysanthemum Douluo knew perfectly well what Bibi Dong's attitude toward Qian Renxue was.

If the Pope learned that he had dealings with Qian Renxue in private, he would be in serious trouble.

But now that Qian Renxue had sent someone to invite him over, it would not be appropriate for him to refuse.

With complicated feelings in his heart, Chrysanthemum Douluo entered Heaven Dou City once again.

"Young Master."

Before meeting her, Chrysanthemum Douluo had been full of worries. Yet once they met, his manner became impeccably formal.

"Elder Yue Guan, there is no need to be so courteous. You are an elder of Spirit Hall and my senior."

Qian Renxue had spent a long time in Heaven Dou City. Apart from Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo, she had basically had no opportunity to interact with other Spirit Hall higher-ups.

She had infiltrated Heaven Dou City to prove herself and prepare to inherit the position of Spirit Hall's Pope in the future.

Bibi Dong was actually happy to see that happen.

Otherwise, if Qian Renxue had remained in Spirit City, with Qian Daoliu backing her, who knew how many Spirit Hall higher-ups she might have recruited.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's arrival was practically an opportunity delivered to Qian Renxue's doorstep.

"I would not dare. Young Master, your status is noble. This subordinate would not dare overstep his bounds."

Chrysanthemum Douluo acted exceedingly stiffly.

The more one said, the more likely one was to make a mistake. It was better to seem a little foolish.

Qian Renxue kept smiling. "Elder Yue Guan, you suddenly came to Heaven Dou City. May I ask what brings you here? As the Crown Prince, I have some influence in Heaven Dou City. If there is anything you need help with, please feel free to tell me."

Qian Renxue believed she was treating talent with humility, but in Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes, her political skills were still far too immature—transparent at a glance.

"It is nothing important. This subordinate was merely passing through."

"Passing through? I saw that you seemed to have brought a child with you. Is he your junior?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo sighed faintly to himself.

What was going on with Spirit Hall?

Both the Pope and the Young Master were so immature in their methods. There was no need to mention Bibi Dong; she could hardly be said to have made any effort to recruit her subordinates.

Qian Renxue, meanwhile, wanted to recruit people, yet her methods were far too crude.

Some things could be done but not said. Some had to be done before they were said, and they could not be stated so directly.

Even if Su Chen truly were his blood relative, if Qian Renxue wanted to use Su Chen to recruit him, calling him over first to ask about it was not openly trying to curry favor with him?

If Qian Renxue were already the Pope, that would be one thing.

But she was only the Young Master, far removed from Spirit Hall's center of power.

Still, Chrysanthemum Douluo did not refuse outright and make things too unpleasant.

"That child was merely someone I happened to encounter. Seeing that he was alone, I gave him a ride. He is not my junior."

"Elder Yue Guan truly is as kind-hearted as ever."

Chrysanthemum Douluo had already made himself so clear. No matter how insensitive Qian Renxue was, she should have known not to press the matter further.

"In that case, I will not take up any more of Elder Yue Guan's time."

Just as Chrysanthemum Douluo breathed a sigh of relief, Qian Renxue took out a letter.

"Since I happened to meet Elder Yue Guan, I have a letter here. Please deliver it to my grandfather."

Yue Guan: ...

He looked at the letter in Qian Renxue's hand as though it were a hot potato—no, a red-hot branding iron.

Chrysanthemum Douluo already wished to avoid Qian Renxue's private attempts at recruitment.

And if he helped Qian Renxue deliver a letter to the Grand Worshiper, and the Pope found out...

Chrysanthemum Douluo could already imagine Bibi Dong flying into a rage.

If Qian Renxue's earlier attempt at recruitment had merely been immature, this was making things difficult for him.

But Qian Renxue had already taken out the letter. Refusing directly would hurt her pride too much.

"This subordinate will certainly deliver it."

Yue Guan could only accept it for now. He would think of a solution after returning to Spirit City.

If he truly could not come up with a solution that satisfied both sides, he would drag Old Ghost in to help think it over.

After Chrysanthemum Douluo left, Porcupinefish Douluo asked, "Young Master, do you think that child Chrysanthemum Douluo brought really was just someone he met on the road?"

"Even if Elder Yue Guan is kind-hearted, surely his kindness has not reached the point of overflowing."

Qian Renxue did not say whether she believed it, but her attitude was obvious.

"Then... should we do something?"

"Not for now."

Qian Renxue rose to her feet. "It is better to remain still than act. It is best not to do anything that might arouse suspicion."

"The security in Heaven Dou City really is better than in those remote places."

Su Chen wandered around Heaven Dou City and had yet to encounter the kind of blatant robbery and extortion common elsewhere.

Not long after Su Chen made that remark, he heard a commotion coming from the street ahead.

"What happened over there?"

Everyone was curious, and the citizens of Heaven Dou City were no exception.

Su Chen also went over to listen.

"What else could it be? Prince Xue Beng is throwing his weight around and bullying people again."

"Sigh, they are both princes. Why is the gap between Prince Xue Beng and the Crown Prince so great?"

"Exactly."

So it was that "playboy" Xue Beng.

Su Chen knew that Xue Beng pretended to be a playboy to protect himself, but his actions still made Su Chen feel that he did not look like the ruler of a nation.

Even if you wanted to act crazy and eat dog shit, fine.

But what kind of move is it to harm your own people?

Still, the citizens of Heaven Dou City were quite bold. They actually dared to discuss a prince in public.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is here."

Suddenly, a voice came from the other end of the street.

Following the voice, Su Chen saw the Crown Prince dressed in white, a gentle smile on her face. Even toward ordinary citizens, she nodded in warm greeting.

Uh...

Judging purely by her attitude and appearance, she could be considered quite popular with the people.

"Xue Beng, you are causing trouble again."

In front of so many people, Qian Renxue put on a performance of a wise Crown Prince reprimanding her wayward younger brother.

Quite a few words of praise came from the onlookers.

As for Su Chen, he simply treated it as a bit of entertainment. What else could he do?

He just did not know why, but Su Chen kept feeling that the Crown Prince had looked in his direction more than once.

"That Crown Prince is a woman, and her two guards are Title Douluo."

The God of Destruction came forward to expose the truth.

But what he revealed was not much of a secret to Su Chen.

The God of Destruction also felt somewhat regretful when he noticed Qian Renxue.

He knew Qian Renxue would later become the new Angel God, but before this new Angel God could even enter the God Realm, she would oppose Tang San, her Divine Position would shatter, and the Angel God Divine Position would be lost.

There were not many First-Level Gods in the God Realm. Every one of them could strengthen the God Realm.

A god like the Rakshasa God, hated by everyone, could die without anyone caring, but the Angel God was a deity with both a righteous divine office and Divine Position.

In this matter, because of the current God of Asura's standing, no one bothered to pursue the issue.

But looking at it now, the God of Destruction felt that this might not have been intentional on the God of Asura's part.

Before discovering Su Chen, the God of Destruction had considered whether he should support this Angel God against Tang San.

But looking at her now, this future Angel God did not seem particularly intelligent.

A future First-Level God was playing childish games like this. Was that not simply wasting time?

Fortunately, there was Su Chen. Otherwise...

The God of Destruction did not believe this future Angel God had the brains to teach him how to recruit other gods and deal with the God of Asura, let alone deal with Tang San.