Joining the Pope Hall

"You're obsessed with worshipping the Angel God, Qian Daoliu. You have no interest in paying attention to him."

"You shouldn't stay in the Worship Hall and keep wasting your talent."

Her reasoning sounded perfectly convincing, but Lin Beiya couldn't stop rolling his eyes inwardly.

That white-eyed-wolf nature passed down through your whole line, with masters and disciples locked in one deadly love-hate relationship after another—Lin Beiya wanted no part of it. Why not find that vixen and make her your beloved disciple instead?

But as much as he thought it, saying it outright was out of the question. Bibi Dong was a Quasi-Titled Douluo, after all. Crushing him would be child's play.

What if she accused him of "insulting" the Pope, called it an outrageous offense, and had him executed on the spot? Who would he appeal to then?

He considered how to refuse tactfully and politely—and, more importantly, how to keep Bibi Dong from flipping the table. After a long pause, just as he raised his head to reply, a golden figure suddenly strode in through the palace doors.

"Bibi Dong, aren't you reaching a little too far?"

Hearing Qian Daoliu's familiar voice, Lin Beiya let out a quiet breath of relief. The old geezer might seem like he didn't care about anything, but apparently he was still keeping a close eye on what was happening in Spirit Hall.

Seeing her plan disrupted, a hint of displeasure surfaced on Bibi Dong's pretty face.

"Hmph. This is for Lin Beiya to decide for himself. It seems to have little to do with the Grand Pontiff, doesn't it?"

"He was invited to join the Worship Hall by me. Whether he stays or leaves is naturally my decision. Just focus on your own duties."

With that, Qian Daoliu didn't spare Bibi Dong another glance. Golden light enveloped Lin Beiya, and the two vanished from the Pope Hall.

As soon as they had left, Bibi Dong slammed a palm down on the table in front of her.

"You rotten old fossil! How dare you bully me!"

How could she not understand what Qian Daoliu meant? It was a warning not to presume she could control all of Spirit Hall. She was merely a puppet Pope, pushed into the position because there was no one else suitable.

By the time Lin Beiya came to his senses, they had already returned to the Worship Hall.

He breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly thanked Qian Daoliu.

"Thank you, Grand Pontiff, for getting me out of that."

"Mm. Starting tomorrow, you'll join the Pope Hall."

"Huh?"

Lin Beiya could hardly believe his finely honed hearing. What on earth had gotten into the old man? It wasn't as if he was a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius, but he was at least a once-in-a-century talent—and he was close to Qian Renxue, too. So why was Qian Daoliu sending him away? Wasn't he afraid Little Angel would come back and kick him in the knee?

"Grand Pontiff, I don't understand."

Seeing the confusion on Lin Beiya's face, Qian Daoliu made no effort to hide his meaning.

"You can choose to join the Pope Hall, or you can stay here in the Worship Hall and cultivate. I won't force you either way."

"But as Bibi Dong said, I have to keep feeling the Angel Statue's summons. I won't have time to give you any guidance. Staying in the Pope Hall would probably be better for you."

"But if you do choose to join the Pope Hall, I hope you'll show what you can do, silence all doubts, and take the position of Holy Son."

Lin Beiya's mouth twitched violently. So after all that, Qian Daoliu wanted him to guard Qian Renxue's place as the next heir to the papacy? Wasn't he afraid Bibi Dong would take it out on him once she found out?

As if he had seen Lin Beiya's concern, Qian Daoliu explained, "Don't worry. Bibi Dong has only just ascended to the throne, and her position isn't secure yet. A disciple who can outshine everyone of his generation will bolster her prestige and help solidify her rule. Even if the bond between master and disciple is all but dead, she won't act against you lightly."

"Besides, she still wouldn't dare openly break with the Worship Hall. She knows that perfectly well."

After hearing Qian Daoliu's analysis, Lin Beiya felt more at ease. At worst, he was simply changing where he lived, and the Pope Hall was even closer to the Spirit Academy.

"Understood. I'll claim the position of Holy Son."

"Mm. Go on. With your token, you can still come and go from the Worship Hall freely."

As Qian Daoliu vanished from sight, Lin Beiya returned to his room to pack. This went against his plan to lie low and grow stronger, but he didn't have many choices left. He didn't want to offend either side, and since Qian Daoliu had already spoken, going along with it seemed like a decent option.

When he arrived at the Pope Hall again, Bibi Dong had finished the day's work and returned to the rear hall to rest.

Lin Beiya was led to the Pope Hall's Reception Hall. Without her papal robes, Bibi Dong seemed a little less imposing, and somehow more approachable than she had been at noon.

"Oh? You came straight to the Pope Hall. Aren't you afraid of offending the Grand Pontiff?"

Seeing the confusion in Bibi Dong's eyes, Lin Beiya wasn't surprised.

He had already thought it through on the way here. He'd tell her the truth and let them scheme against each other as they pleased. He just wanted to cultivate in peace and grow stronger without trouble.

"The Grand Pontiff agreed to let me join the Pope Hall."

"Hm?"

Bibi Dong's confusion deepened. She began to wonder what that old geezer was up to.

"No need to guess, Your Holiness. The Grand Pontiff wants me to show my talent and claim the position of Holy Son."

"Heh. You're certainly frank. But by telling me so directly, aren't you afraid I'll be on my guard?"

Lin Beiya spread his hands and said with utter nonchalance, "You know how it is. A lot of things aren't up to me. I'll do whatever the two of you decide. I can't afford to offend either side."

"If Your Holiness doesn't want to give me the position of Holy Son, then don't. I don't care about it anyway."

Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow and stared into Lin Beiya's eyes, as if trying to see whether he meant what he said.

After a long while, all she saw was openness. She nodded.

"Understood. Just focus on cultivating here in the Pope Hall. In a few days, I'll announce that I'm taking you as my disciple. As for the position of Holy Son, that will depend on your own ability."

"Thank you for understanding, Your Holiness."

Now that he'd laid everything out, surely she wouldn't trip him up, make things difficult for him, or even strike from the shadows?

With her approval, Lin Beiya felt much more at ease. Looking at Bibi Dong again, he found her features pleasing to the eye.

But little by little, something began to feel off. The two of them stared at each other in silence for ages in the Reception Hall, and Bibi Dong still hadn't called anyone to arrange a place for him to stay. Surely she wasn't expecting him to sleep in the garden?

"Um, Your Holiness, you haven't arranged a place for me to stay."

"There's no rush. Can you tell me about your Martial Soul?"

"My Martial Soul?"

After thinking it over, Lin Beiya figured Qian Xunji must have used the Aries Gold Battle Technique in front of Bibi Dong. Otherwise, she would have died much earlier instead of only passing away so many days later.

It seemed the Sacred Cloth had caught Bibi Dong's attention after all.

But as he'd said, to keep the Pope from striking at him in secret, he was sticking to one principle: honesty. If she asked, he'd answer.

The Taurus Gold Cloth appeared around him, making Lin Beiya look several inches taller and broader. The Savage Bull's deep roar brought Bibi Dong back to her senses, and then a look of surprise crossed her face.

"This seems a little different from the armor you wore when we first met."

"Your Holiness guessed correctly. After obtaining my Second Soul Ring, I gained a second Sacred Cloth, and it works differently from the first."

"Oh? What's different about this horned armor? Show me the Soul Skill."

"Th-That might not be a good idea, would it?"

Bibi Dong waved a hand, indicating that she didn't mind him hitting her.

With her permission, Lin Beiya had no choice but to start headbutting the Pope.