(Thanks to Shuyouge11, Guofu Liufang, "Shang" Xian, and Shujian Jiangwan for the recommendation votes!)
Bibi Dong and Lin Huai appeared once more at Nuoding Academy.
Avoiding Tang San and the others, they spotted a Soul Scholar cultivating in the woods.
Bibi Dong used her mental power to plant a suggestion, telling the ten-year-old Soul Scholar to become Yu Gang's disciple.
Following the Soul Scholar as he wound his way around, they eventually learned that Yu Gang had gone to the Spirit Hall Branch to collect this month's allowance.
"Your Holiness the Pope, are the allowances we distribute provided by the two great empires?"
Bibi Dong furrowed her brow, then answered:
"They used to be provided entirely by the empires, but over the years, their contributions have gradually dwindled. We've been making up the shortfall ourselves."
Lin Huai calculated how long it would take Qian Daoliu to travel back and forth between Douluo Continent and Sun Moon Continent.
By then, they could not only sell low-tier Soul Tools but also establish a Spirit Hall Branch on Sun Moon Continent.
"The empires should have already given us this year's allowance, right?"
Bibi Dong recalled the relevant documents she had handled and nodded slightly.
"Yes, but according to our records, we can only keep distributing it for another five months."
Lin Huai spoke with confidence:
"Don't worry. When the time comes, we'll simply stop handing it out."
"After that, we'll only give it to Soul Masters who swear to join Spirit Hall."
"Then we can send the Elders to the empires and have them make their own city lords distribute the allowance."
Bibi Dong looked concerned.
"But that might drive most Soul Masters to join the two great empires."
Lin Huai had expected Bibi Dong to raise that concern.
"How many of our branches throughout the land have people embezzling funds or openly defying their superiors' orders?"
For a moment, she was at a loss for words. In recent years, she had accepted many mid- and high-ranking officials who had broken Spirit Hall's laws, all in an effort to consolidate her power.
People like Salas in Heaven Dou Imperial City and Miles in Gengxin City.
Both men relied on her protection to run amok.
Lin Huai didn't notice that Bibi Dong had suddenly fallen silent.
"Of course, every major power has its parasites. As long as we deal with them promptly, it's fine."
"So the two great empires will only have more corruption. Just watch. Once we leave them in charge of distributing the Soul Master allowance, they'll gradually stop handing it out altogether."
"Oh—there's Yu Gang!"
Bibi Dong came back to herself and looked at the flat-headed man radiating a dejected air. She was a little surprised.
How did he end up looking like this?
The child who had been given the suggestion rushed up to Yu Gang.
"Grandmaster! Please accept me as your disciple!"
Yu Gang was secretly delighted. Ah, his irresistible personal charm!
People were seeking him out as a master even while he was walking down the road.
"Ahem."
"What's your Martial Soul, and what level is your Innate Soul Power?"
The child answered excitedly.
"My Martial Soul is a hound, and my Innate Soul Power is level two."
"I'm already level ten. I hope you can help me choose a suitable path."
The more Yu Gang heard, the darker his expression grew. In the end, he simply waved the child away.
"Go on, get lost. You've got an ordinary Martial Soul and talent that'll at most carry you to Soul Ancestor. How dare you come asking me to take you as my disciple?"
The child persisted:
"Grandmaster, didn't you say there were no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters?"
"I've always treated your words as a life philosophy and trained hard to reach my current level."
Yu Gang roared:
"I said get lost! Can't you understand?"
The child ran off, eyes red.
Yu Gang muttered under his breath:
"Teaching trash with talent that low would be a complete waste of my time. I'd better think about what the future holds for Little San. He's my key to washing away my past humiliation."
In the shadows,
Lin Huai looked at Bibi Dong, who had once again fallen into thought.
"Your Holiness the Pope?"
"Aren't you angry? That scumbag didn't just deceive you—he was the fuse that set everything that followed in motion."
Bibi Dong's face remained calm as she replied in a leisurely voice:
"You'd already guessed that, hadn't you?"
"I've made my peace with it. Let him do as he pleases. I'd rather think about how to deal with those Soul Masters who've broken the law."
"If I hadn't found Tang Hao and those two children, I might even have regretted making this trip."
Then Bibi Dong swept Lin Huai up and brought him to the child from a moment ago. She quietly slipped ten Gold Soul Coins into his pocket.
No wonder people online said the most despairing response was to walk away in silence.
Lin Huai had learned something new. It was the first time he'd truly witnessed it.
Not long after they returned outside the city, Guangling Douluo came back too.
He gave them a detailed account of what he had discovered.
"So this Tang San is the child of Tang Hao and that Blue Silver Grass."
"Innate Full Soul Power, yet they thought his Martial Soul was trash, so they paid him no attention?"
Bibi Dong's red lips parted. She truly couldn't understand how these people's minds worked.
"That must be the god's hand at work."
Lin Huai appropriately dispelled the two women's doubts and spared the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City from punishment.
His face lit up with excitement as he spoke eagerly:
"From what I can tell, Tang Hao doesn't have a Storage Soul Tool, and he's already got all the Soul Bones he can carry."
"So what about the Soul Bone left behind after his wife's sacrifice?"
Their eyes lit up.
Guangling Douluo spoke first:
"I'm faster, and the Pope has stronger mental power. I'll draw Tang Hao away, and you two can search for the Soul Bone."
Bibi Dong nodded. "All right."
Guangling Douluo appeared in an instant above another city gate and released a mighty aura.
"Tang Hao, you little rat! You've been hiding for years, but I've finally found you!"
Tang Hao, clad in a tattered black robe, appeared in front of Guangling Douluo in an instant, his face dark.
"Let's fight in the sky. Don't harm the innocent!"
Lin Huai almost laughed out loud.
If Tang San weren't in the city, Tang Hao would probably have taken the townspeople hostage.
Guangling Douluo and Tang Hao turned into two streaks of light and shot into the sky.
Bibi Dong swept Lin Huai up again and appeared in the center of the city, spreading out her mental power to sense the area carefully.
"There's no trace of it here. Let's go to Holy Soul Village!"
Bibi Dong decisively carried Lin Huai off toward Holy Soul Village.
A moment later, Bibi Dong hovered above Holy Soul Village and spread out her mental power once more.
After a while, her face brightened.
"Found it!"
She brought Lin Huai to the foot of a waterfall.
Lin Huai plucked a Blue Silver Grass plant on the way. Guided by Bibi Dong, he entered the deep cavern.
Far inside the cave, a Blue Silver Grass plant with golden patterns came into view beneath a faint shaft of light.
"Is this that Blue Silver Grass?"
"Hadn't it sacrificed itself?"
Bibi Dong searched for the Soul Bone with her mental power as she muttered.
Lin Huai put on gloves, used a tool to remove Ah Yin, then buried the Blue Silver Grass he had picked in its place. He even pretended to stomp on it a few times.
"Maybe it's something special about Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts of the plant type."
Bibi Dong pressed a hand against the wall and took a lead box from a hidden compartment. When she opened it, a breath of life washed over them.
She immediately shut it again and put it into her Soul Tool.
She didn't ask Lin Huai why he had pulled Tang Hao's wife out of the ground.
"Let's go."
Bibi Dong swept Lin Huai up again. After circling around, they returned to Nuoding City.
They ran into an excited Guangling Douluo.
The three of them left Nuoding City at once.
"That was a great fight! Tang Hao was still injured, but when he used Ring Detonation, his Soul Power turned strange. I let my guard down for a moment, and he got away."
Lin Huai pondered for a moment. It seemed the divine sense Asura God had placed on Tang Hao would be activated by Ring Detonation, strengthening his combat ability.
"He has divine sense on him too."
"Damn it, why do these gods always like pulling stunts like this?"
After complaining, Guangling looked at Bibi Dong.
"Did you find that Soul Bone?"
Bibi Dong took out the lead box and handed it to Lin Huai.
"Consider it a reward for helping me. You don't mind, Fifth Elder, do you?"
Guangling looked puzzled.
"I've no problem giving it to Lin Huai, but you're actually willing to part with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?"
Bibi Dong couldn't be bothered to answer Guangling.
Lin Huai handed the flowerpot he was holding to Guangling.
"Grandpa Guang Ling, could you please take this Blue Silver Grass to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and have Elder Ju plant it?"
Guangling had been worrying about how to avoid the discussion about Soul Cores once he got back. He took the flowerpot and prepared to leave.
"Tell Big Brother and the others I'll be staying at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. I can keep an eye on Little Xue, too."
With that, he disappeared.
Before you continue