A Lion's Mouth

"It really is an external Martial Soul!"

When Bibi Dong saw Feng Baiyu's Martial Soul, a trace of nostalgia flashed through her eyes.

Xiao Gang, how have you been all these years?

Watching Bibi Dong's expression shift, Feng Baiyu wore a strange look.

Was this crazy woman thinking of her beloved again at a time like this?

Feng Baiyu suspected she might be, but he didn't point it out.

Go on, reminisce about your beloved. As long as you don't make trouble for me, you can think about whoever you want.

His rescuer hadn't arrived yet, so Feng Baiyu was happy to stall for time.

But reality had other plans. Bibi Dong only reminisced for a few minutes before remembering why she had come today.

"Feng Baiyu." Bibi Dong's clear, authoritative voice rang beside his ear. "I wish to take you as my disciple. What do you say?"

"Thank you for your favor, Your Holiness the Pope, but my grandfather is already teaching me diligently." Feng Baiyu had long prepared answers to every question Bibi Dong might ask. "A Titled Douluo at level 97 trains with me for three hours every day. That's more than enough."

A nominal master would be no use to Feng Baiyu. He'd brushed her off with that excuse, and couldn't imagine what other reason Bibi Dong could find.

Could she spare an hour every day to teach him?

"You're unwilling?" Bibi Dong wasn't particularly surprised by Feng Baiyu's answer. She looked at him, narrowing her eyes slightly. "You should know that becoming my disciple comes with countless benefits."

Feng Baiyu glanced up at Bibi Dong and asked softly, "Does that include a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and a Spirit Bone?"

"You!" Bibi Dong snorted. "Feng Baiyu, do you think too highly of yourself? A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone are things even Titled Douluo can only dream of!"

"But my grandfather promised he'd get me at least one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring someday." Feng Baiyu spoke as if it were only natural. "Your Holiness the Pope, do you take disciples without offering them anything?"

Seeing Feng Baiyu's infuriating face, Bibi Dong couldn't help clenching her fists.

Ever since becoming the Pope, no one had dared speak to her like this in a long time. This Feng Baiyu was taking advantage of those old men in the Worship Hall to push his luck!

"Feng Baiyu!" Bibi Dong stared at him. "I want the method for using Whale Rubber to strengthen the body."

"Of course, no problem!" Before Feng Baiyu could say anything more, a phoenix cry sounded outside.

A figure soon landed before Feng Baiyu and said coolly, "But what will Your Holiness the Pope offer in exchange?"

"Grandfather!" Feng Baiyu cried out when he saw who had arrived.

He'd thought Butler Shui would go call the two Offerings, Qian Jun and Jiang Mo. He hadn't expected his own grandfather to show up.

"Haha! Haha!" Feng Qingluan laughed as he ruffled his grandson's hair. "Not bad—you've gained another level of Soul Power. You haven't wasted these past two months."

Bibi Dong watched the grandfather and grandson's closeness, a trace of coldness in her eyes. But she quickly hid it.

She couldn't even easily win over a Third Offering, let alone with several other auras waiting outside.

"Feng Baiyu." Bibi Dong interrupted their conversation. "What do you want?"

"Grandfather Grand Pontiff traded me a seventy-thousand-year Spirit Bone for the secret formula." Feng Baiyu named the same price as before, his face perfectly innocent. "Your Holiness the Pope, you must be more generous than Grandfather Grand Pontiff, right?"

"A seventy-thousand-year Spirit Bone?" Bibi Dong laughed in exasperation. "You really know how to make unreasonable demands!"

"Your Holiness the Pope, that's not quite right." Feng Baiyu answered with utmost seriousness. "Grandfather Grand Pontiff only wanted the formula for the families of a few Offerings in the Worship Hall. If you had it, you could win the hearts of thousands upon thousands of Soul Masters across the land."

Feng Baiyu continued at an unhurried pace. "You understand the difference, don't you?"

"As the Pope, don't you want to work for the benefit of all Soul Masters?" Feng Baiyu shook his head. "This is a wonderful chance to spread love!"

"Your Holiness the Pope, you could promote the development of Soul Masters, improve their physical fitness, strengthen Spirit Hall's institutions, uphold their responsibilities, protect their interests, broaden their paths to advancement, create opportunities for new careers, and help more people become Soul Masters..."

Feng Baiyu spouted a string of official-sounding nonsense that Bibi Dong would never actually do, but couldn't openly reject.

Bibi Dong wasn't the only one left dumbfounded. Even Feng Qingluan felt as though he were seeing his grandson for the first time.

How had he even come up with all that?

Bibi Dong waited for Feng Baiyu to finish, then took several deep breaths before she could calm down. Just moments ago, she'd considered killing him more than once, but in the end she could only force those thoughts down.

"I don't have a seventy-thousand-year Spirit Bone." Bibi Dong looked at Feng Baiyu. "But I can let you choose any one treasure from the treasury of Pope Palace."

"Any one?" Feng Baiyu raised an eyebrow. "Your Holiness the Pope, are you sure the things in there even qualify as treasures?"

"My grandfather is a level-97 Titled Douluo!" Feng Baiyu puffed out his chest and held his head high as he invoked his grandfather again. "Our Feng Family doesn't care for ordinary things!"

"Whether you care for them or not, you'll have to see them first to know." Bibi Dong replied coolly. "Ghost Douluo, take Feng Baiyu to the Spirit Hall treasury."

"Yes." Ghost Douluo answered from the side. "Young Master Feng, this way."

Feng Baiyu turned to his grandfather. "Grandfather, I'll go ahead."

"Go on." Feng Qingluan didn't stop him, letting his grandson leave with Ghost Douluo.

He'd shown up today because he had no intention of falling out with Bibi Dong.

The secret of Whale Rubber had already leaked. Telling Bibi Dong now wasn't a big deal.

As for what Bibi Dong would do with it once she got it?

It didn't matter at all to people from the Worship Hall.

So what if everyone learned the secret of Whale Rubber?

Aside from driving up its price and helping nobles increase their Martial Soul age by a century or two, it wouldn't do much else!

Only powerful people with deep foundations like them could hunt ten-thousand-year whales and strengthen the bodies of their descendants.

Even then, all they could do was give the next generation a small head start. A Second Soul Ring of a thousand years was already remarkable.

Feng Qingluan glanced at the Pope, chuckled, and headed outside.

Bibi Dong was capable, but she wasn't one of their people.

Still, she was a real beauty, and her daughter was lovely too. Feng Qingluan thought his elder brother's granddaughter would make a good match for his own grandson.

Feng Qingluan knew that Qian Renxue had gone to the Heaven Dou Empire to serve as some damn spy. If the opportunity came, he could try to arrange a match between her and his grandson.