Pope Mother, I've come to fulfill the reward from three years ago

As the evening lights flickered to life, every branch of the Spirit Hall began to glow.

The Pope's Palace.

Bibi Dong, the Pope, sat upon her throne of jade, draped in a long, crimson gown.

At this moment, her heart was a chaotic mix of agitation and excitement.

The little one who used to love clinging to her legs had finally returned after three years of training in the Star Dou Forest, arriving back at the Spirit Hall today.

For her, this was a cause for immense joy.

Yet, upon his return, he had only spoken a few words to her before bathing, changing, and heading straight to the Worship Hall.

Lin Tian's actions left the beautiful Pope feeling a trace of disappointment.

Could he have forgotten about me?

"Your Holiness, our scouts in Nuoding City of the Heaven Dou Empire have discovered the trail of Tang Hao. Should we..."

Bibi Dong, lost in her memories, was suddenly pulled back to reality by the call.

Inside the grand hall, a Platinum Bishop who had finished his report stared at her expectantly, waiting for the Pope to issue her commands.

However, after calling out several times, he noticed the Pope's face was flushed, as if she were lost in romantic longing.

Of course, the Bishop could only keep such observations to himself; he lacked the courage to ask if she was daydreaming about romance during official business hours.

If he dared to bring that up to her face, he would surely be slapped to death by the Pope!

"Bishop Sakes, Tang Hao killed the previous Pope and is a mortal enemy of our Spirit Hall. Now that the Great Elder Qian Daoliu has issued an order, we are to hunt Tang Hao down across the entire continent."

"Inform all branches of the Spirit Hall to intensify the search for Tang Hao. Once his tracks are found, report it immediately."

"If the intelligence is verified, I will petition the Great Elder to grant special rewards to the spirit masters who provided the information!"

After finishing her words, Bibi Dong turned her gaze toward the bewildered Bishop Sakes, then added:

"Bishop Sakes, are you dissatisfied with my instructions?"

Seeing the bishops and elders in the hall casting strange looks in his direction, Bibi Dong, who had been resting her chin on her hand while lost in thought, quickly reined in her wandering mind.

Bibi Dong's seemingly light question immediately made everyone present tense up.

Everyone knew well that whoever angered this Pope would not have a good end.

In particular, Bishop Sals, who had just interrupted the Pope's thoughts, felt cold sweat bead on his forehead; he deeply regretted speaking up.

Whether Tang Hao lived or died didn't matter, but he didn't want to be dragged down by the man.

If his words had annoyed the Pope and she decided to send him to the Extreme North to proselytize, he would be absolutely finished!

The Extreme North was covered in snow year-round; never mind preaching, it took immense luck just to survive the journey there.

For Bishop Sakes, that was a forbidden land he could never touch.

"Your Holiness, your arrangements are perfect. I have nothing more to add. My subordinate has finished reporting all the intelligence I possessed!"

Bishop Sakes' voice trembled as he hurriedly declared he was done; he dared not provoke this beautiful Pope any further.

As the Pope of the Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong's pressure was simply too terrifying.

To be safe, he decided it was best not to speak again.

The other elders and bishops in the hall looked at Bishop Sakes as if he were an idiot. Anyone with eyes could see the Pope had something on her mind, yet this fool kept pressing on with official business.

He was practically asking for trouble.

Meanwhile, Bibi Dong on the throne was thinking of nothing but her three-year promise to Lin Tian for this evening.

That boy had grown strong and vigorous from his training in the Star Dou Forest, and Bibi Dong worried that her body might not be able to handle him tonight.

After all, the fist fears the young and strong, and a young woman fears her lover!

There was no help for it; since she had made the promise, she would have to see it through.

"Very well, the meeting ends here for today. You may all withdraw."

Hearing the Pope dismiss them, Bishop Sals finally let out a long breath, his tension from the evening finally fading.

As long as he wasn't sent to the Extreme North, anything else was manageable.

The other bishops who had intended to report matters saw the Pope's foul mood and dared not touch the hornet's nest.

If something went wrong with the administration, the Spirit Hall would bear the burden.

But if they personally crossed her, it would be their own heads on the line.

Watching the Pope wave them away, everyone in the hall breathed a massive sigh of relief.

Judging by the Pope's state today, she was nine times out of ten pining for a lover!

However, these thoughts were only dared to be held in their hearts; no one dared to spread them.

"Elder Ghost, Elder Chrysanthemum, you two may withdraw as well. I wish to be alone for a while."

Once the elders and bishops had cleared the hall, Bibi Dong raised a jade hand and dismissed the two elders.

"As you command, Your Holiness!"

Ghost and Chrysanthemum exchanged a glance, but said nothing, merely bowing as they withdrew.

They had long since noticed that the Pope was heavily burdened by her thoughts today.

If their suspicions were correct, the Pope's concerns were likely related to the Holy Son.

No matter how things developed, they could only hope that the Pope and the Holy Son would reach a happy conclusion.

After offering their salutes, the two elders transformed into streaks of light, vanishing outside the Pope Palace in the blink of an eye.

Inside the grand hall, Bibi Dong rested her chin in her hands, gazing out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at Spirit Hall.

Every branch hall was brightly lit, yet her own heart was filled with a touch of melancholy.

She wondered if, after three years had passed, that boy still held a place for her in his heart.

At this thought, a rosy flush crept across Bibi Dong's beautiful cheeks. After a long while, she paced toward the Pope's Bedchamber.

What must come will come!

If that little rascal had forgotten her, all the better; that way, she would not have to fulfill the promise she had made three years ago.

Whenever she thought of the words she had spoken back then, the blush on her lovely face refused to fade.

That reward was truly too great a sacrifice for her to make.

Fortunately, she hadn't given him the full reward back then, or she would have suffered a massive loss.

Lost in her melancholy, Bibi Dong returned to her Pope's Bedchamber feeling somewhat dejected.

Looking at the empty room, her heart was heavy with disappointment.

It seemed that over these three years, he had completely forgotten her. To think that when they met this morning, he had spoken with such sincerity.

Men were truly unreliable!

But just as Bibi Dong entered her bedroom, filled with dejection, a pair of warm hands wrapped around her waist.

Feeling the familiar scent radiating from the person behind her, Bibi Dong realized that the little scoundrel she had waited three years for had arrived in her bedroom long ago.

"Mother Pope, I have come to collect the reward you promised me three years ago!"