For Me, Who the Next Pope Is Doesn't Matter

In the quiet courtyard, the fragrance of tea had long since dissipated, leaving behind only a faint, lingering chill.

Ye Qing sat on a stone stool, tilting his small face slightly to look at the Martial Soul Hall Saintess opposite him—a woman with purple hair and eyes, possessing peerless beauty and a temperament as cold as frost.

He truly had not expected Bibi Dong to seek him out alone at this particular moment.

As far as he knew, although Bibi Dong was the Saintess and the disciple and heir of Pope Qian Xunji, her actual situation was quite delicate.

Qian Xunji appeared to value her, but in reality, his vigilance and control over her had never once relaxed.

As the Grand Pontiff, Qian Daoliu represented the will of the Angel God, and his attitude toward the Saintess—who hailed from outside the family—was likely quite complex as well.

It could be said that her every move was, to a large extent, under the surveillance of the Qian family.

So the question arose: why would this woman choose to approach him while Qian Xunji was away from Martial Soul Hall?

Thoughts raced through Ye Qing's mind, yet his face maintained that same harmless, puzzled expression.

Faced with Ye Qing's inquiry, Bibi Dong's beautiful and calm face remained devoid of any extra expression.

She simply stared at Ye Qing with those deep, pool-like violet eyes that seemed to absorb all light.

The gaze was not sharp, yet it carried a strange, penetrating quality, as if she were evaluating the value of an object.

After a moment of silence, she spoke slowly, her voice cold and melodious, revealing no emotional fluctuations:

"I wonder, God Child... what are your thoughts on the position of the next Pope of Martial Soul Hall? Or rather... do you have any interest in it?"

"The next Pope?"

Hearing these words, Ye Qing frowned slightly, his face showing confusion as he asked in a soft voice:

"What does the Saintess mean by that?"

He acted as if he did not understand the subtext of her words, or perhaps he was confirming something.

Bibi Dong did not answer directly, continuing to watch him with those calm, ripple-less eyes.

It was as if she were waiting for him to realize it himself, or perhaps observing his first reaction to the question.

Ye Qing met her gaze for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled.

The laughter was light, carrying the crispness of a child, yet it held an inexplicably casual air that did not match his age.

He picked up the cup of tea that had long since gone cold, took a sip without a care, and then spoke slowly in a detached, indifferent tone:

"The Saintess must have asked the wrong person."

He set the cup down, his small face wearing an expression that suggested this had nothing to do with him:

"I come from Sea God Island, not from this continent, and I do not belong to your Martial Soul Hall. Who becomes the next Pope of Martial Soul Hall, or who holds the position, is of no importance to an outsider like me."

He paused, his tone becoming even more casual, even carrying a touch of childish, naive bluntness:

"Because no matter who ends up in that seat, my connection to Martial Soul Hall will likely not be very deep. After all, I am destined to return to Sea God Island."

He said this candidly, and it was indeed what he thought.

Unless one day in the future, Qian Renxue truly married him and the two families became in-laws, there would be no deep personal or interest-based entanglement between him and Martial Soul Hall.

Since there was no entanglement of interests, he naturally would not concern himself with their internal power struggles.

Conversely, Martial Soul Hall had no interest in the power struggles of Sea God Island either.

Because these were two forces from entirely different places.

Furthermore, people from Sea God Island almost never came to the continent.

However, the moment Ye Qing's voice fell, he keenly caught a faint, subtle flash of light deep within Bibi Dong's otherwise calm eyes.

The light was very faint, vanishing in a flash, so fast that one might think it was an illusion.

But Ye Qing believed he had not seen wrong.

It was a reaction that seemed to confirm something.

Or rather, it was the reaction of someone seeing a signal of hope.

Sure enough, Bibi Dong's long, jade-like fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the stone table.

She spoke again, her voice still cold.

But Ye Qing could feel that it lacked the formulaic detachment from before, replaced by an indescribable sense of seriousness.

"Since the God Child has no interest in the position of Pope itself..."

She leaned forward slightly.

This movement reduced the noble, distant air about her, adding a posture more akin to a negotiator.

Her voice also lowered, ensuring only the two of them could hear:

"Then, perhaps we should... make a deal. How about it?"

"A deal?"

Hearing these two words, Ye Qing showed a look of confusion, his small face full of curiosity as he pressed: "What kind of deal? Perhaps the Saintess would care to explain?"

He knew the main topic had arrived.

Bibi Dong had gone through such a long preamble, and finally, she was going to reveal her true purpose.

Bibi Dong did not immediately throw out her conditions; instead, she first stated her needs, or rather, her predicament.

Her voice lowered further, carrying an analysis so calm it was almost cruel:

"Although I am currently the Saintess of Martial Soul Hall and the nominal successor to the next Pope, you should be very clear that this position will never be mine to sit in."

"Because Qian Renxue has already been born. She is of the direct bloodline of the Qian family, possesses an innate full soul power of level twenty, and wields the purest Six-Winged Angel martial soul. And Qian Xunji... he is still very young and has enough time to groom her into the most ideal successor."

Speaking to this point, her voice carried a trace of imperceptible mockery as she explained: "Therefore, even if Qian Xunji considers our master-disciple bond and is willing to pass the position of Pope to me in the future, that Grand Pontiff who sits in the Worship Hall... will never agree."

Her tone was resolute, carrying a coldness that saw through the essence of things:

"Because since ancient times, the position of Pope in Martial Soul Hall and the position of Grand Pontiff in the Worship Hall have always been firmly held in the hands of the Qian family. This is the inheritance of the Angel God, a forbidden preserve they do not allow outsiders to touch."

"A Saintess of outsider origin like me is nothing more than a transition for a special period, a mere tool."

When she said these words, her tone was terrifyingly calm, as if she were narrating someone else's affairs.

But Ye Qing could feel what kind of profound resentment, unwillingness, and near-desperate clarity were hidden beneath that calm.

So that was it.

Ye Qing understood in his heart.

Bibi Dong had already foreseen her own future fate.

That was to pave the way for Qian Renxue, and then be kicked aside at the appropriate time, perhaps even meeting a more miserable end.

Therefore, she was unwilling to accept it; she wanted to resist, she wanted to control her own destiny.

And the first step to controlling her destiny was to ascend to the position of Pope and obtain true power that was not constrained by the Qian family!

And she was seeking him out now because she believed... that he or Sea God Island could possibly become her aid in resisting the Qian family?

"Since the Saintess has already said that the positions of Pope and Grand Pontiff are the Qian family's ancient forbidden preserve..."

Ye Qing chuckled, spread his small hands, and made an expression of helplessness:

"Then what could I possibly help you with? You don't think that, as the successor of the Sea God, I... could have much say here in your Martial Soul Hall, do you?"

He shook his head, his tone implying that she shouldn't joke around:

"If we were on Sea God Island, my words might carry some weight. But this is Martial Soul Hall, the territory of the Angel God. For me, with this identity, to interfere in the selection of your Martial Soul Hall's internal successor? Saintess, do you think this... is appropriate?"