Spirit City's central square was packed today. Residents had come from all over the city.
At first, word that Saintess Bibi Dong had betrayed Spirit Hall and been severely punished by His Holiness the Pope had spread only among a few people. But as time passed, more and more people heard.
"Traitor! Pah! His Holiness the Pope was so kind to you! Spirit Hall fed you and provided for you, and you still betrayed it?"
"Ungrateful wretch! That's what she is! As Saintess, she answered to only one person, yet she betrayed Spirit Hall?"
"Throw something at her! Stone her to death!"
No one knew who had called for it, but the surrounding residents began pulling freshly bought vegetables and eggs from their baskets and hurling them at Bibi Dong.
Huddled in a corner, Bibi Dong looked at the crowd, then lowered her head and let the leaves and eggs strike her.
Voices rang in her ears from every direction. Ungrateful wretch. Traitor. And far worse.
"His Holiness the Pope didn't even kill a traitor like her. He gave her a gold bowl to beg with! How merciful!"
"Exactly! Who would've thought Spirit Hall's own Saintess would betray it? What a bitter joke!"
"Revenge! We need revenge! March on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, drag back the man who led the Saintess astray, and execute him in public!"
The residents were furious. Their families had lived in Spirit City for generations. Who knew better than they did how good Spirit Hall was?
Yet even Spirit Hall had a traitor. Worst of all, it was someone none of them could have imagined: their own Saintess!
The Saintess... She was one step from becoming Pope. Once His Holiness stepped down, she would succeed him!
Thank goodness His Holiness the Pope had seen through that ungrateful wretch. If Spirit Hall had truly passed into her hands, who knew what she would have done to it?
"I'm not a traitor... I'm not ungrateful... I'm not! I'm a victim too!"
"Yu Xiaogang, I hate you... Teacher, I hate you. Why couldn't you give me another chance? Why make me suffer all this? Why..."
Bibi Dong had lost count of how many times she had cried. She had grown numb. This happened every day.
At first, few people had known. But as word spread, crowds gathered in the central square every day.
"She's begging with a gold bowl? Everyone, take it from her!"
"That's Spirit Hall property! It doesn't belong to that ungrateful traitor! Get her! Beat her to death!"
The enraged residents were terrifying. They surged toward Bibi Dong in a dark mass. Many Soul Masters even released their Martial Souls, determined to kill her then and there!
"Stop! All of you, stop! This is the punishment His Holiness the Pope gave her. She cannot die here! Stop!"
Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the two Security Team members on duty called in more of their colleagues to hold back the furious residents.
Bibi Dong watched the fierce-looking crowd charge toward her, eager to tear her apart. At that moment, she was deeply grateful her teacher had not abandoned her completely.
"Pah! What a nuisance. This traitor's doubled the Security Team's workload. I say we should just kill her!"
One Security Team member spoke bitterly. It was hardly the first time. It happened every day, and angry residents were frightening.
They had been born in Spirit City, and their devotion to Spirit Hall ran deeper than anyone else's. They hated traitors to the bone!
"Oh, quit complaining. His Holiness the Pope ordered that she must not die. If she does, we'll all die with her!"
"Why didn't His Holiness the Pope just kill her?"
"How many times have you asked that? Who are we to guess His Holiness the Pope's intentions? Just do your job!"
"Pah! This ungrateful wretch has made keeping order in Spirit City twice as hard these past few days. We're the ones paying for it!"
Bibi Dong remained curled up in the corner, ignoring the leaves and egg white clinging to her as she listened to the Security Team members talk.
Teacher... Dong'er knows she was wrong. Dong'er truly has changed. Dong'er doesn't want to suffer this anymore...
Yu Xiaogang, if I ever get the chance, I'll kill you, you faithless bastard. I gave up everything for you, and what did I get?!
Bibi Dong's hatred for Qian Xunji and Yu Xiaogang had reached a terrifying pitch.
Because of Yu Xiaogang, she had fallen this far. Because of her teacher's ruthlessness, she had become a wretched shadow of herself.
Inside the Worship Hall on Divine Mountain.
Qian Daoliu and the other elders were handling the Papal Palace's affairs. Since Qian Xunji had left, all its work had fallen on their shoulders.
Light Feather Douluo wore a pained expression. He looked ready to tear the documents in his hands to shreds. He was utterly miserable!
"Brother..." Light Feather Douluo stood up.
"What is it?" Qian Daoliu looked exhausted. Being Pope really was tiring. There was no end to the work each day.
"When is Xunji coming back? What are we doing here, handling the Papal Palace's work for him?"
"Ah..." Qian Daoliu's head ached at the question. He had been asked it before, but how was he supposed to know?
Qian Xunji had vanished without a trace after leaving Spirit City. Who knew where he was now?
"Brother, why did I never realize being Pope was this exhausting? It wears you down in the head. Even the most trivial matters get sent up for the Pope to decide. What kind of nonsense is that?"
The longer Demon Subduing Douluo stared at the file in his hands, the angrier he grew. He threw it to the floor. "This is infuriating! Are those bishops idiots?"
"Heh..." Qian Daoliu knew all too well. Why else would he have stepped down and made Qian Xunji Pope?
"There's a saying in Spirit Hall: the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; do nothing, and you make no mistakes..."
"So that's their excuse for doing nothing? I never realized Spirit Hall had become like this. They expect the Pope to handle everything?!"
Demon Subduing Douluo was furious. He wanted to blast the bishop who had submitted the file on the spot.
"Brother, take a look at this file..." Golden Crocodile Douluo rubbed his aching temples and handed Qian Daoliu the file in his hands.
Qian Daoliu took it and read it through quickly. Then he said, "Don't ask me. I don't know what Xunji was thinking either. He crippled her, yet he let her live."
"That ungrateful wretch has sparked who knows how many clashes between residents in Spirit City these past few days..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo stopped there. Everyone understood. This was not the first time the problem had been brought before them.
"We still need to deal with it. If this goes on every day, the strain on Spirit City's security will be enormous."
Azure Luan Douluo set down the file in his hands as he spoke.
"How?" Qian Daoliu looked around at them. "Xunji left her alive. Perhaps he meant to make an example of her."
"Well..." The elders exchanged glances, none of them knowing what to say.
"So we just leave her there?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked.
"Leave her. Killing her would settle the matter, but Xunji might blame us when he returns," Qian Daoliu said helplessly.
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