Growing Closer

After walking out of Douluo Hall, Dongfang Yu's legs were trembling. He hurriedly pulled out a cigarette from his soul tool and lit it, then reached behind his back and felt that his clothes were already soaked through with sweat.

Qian Daoliu was terrifying indeed!

For all he knew, that old man might already have been preparing to make a move against him. After all, he would have done the same in Qian Daoliu's place.

A genius one could not obtain was no true genius, because they would not live long enough.

After taking one last look at Douluo Hall, Dongfang Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth. Then, he directly summoned his wings and flew back to Papal Hall.

It was not until he saw Bibi Dong that Dongfang Yu finally felt how warm and familiar she was. It truly felt like ages had passed.

Within Spirit Hall, the only person who could make Qian Daoliu somewhat wary was Bibi Dong. Though Bibi Dong was merely a puppet in his eyes, he would not take action unless absolutely necessary.

Seeing Dongfang Yu's pale face and his visibly shaken state, Bibi Dong asked, "What happened to you?"

"Your disciple has returned." Dongfang Yu took a deep breath before answering.

Bibi Dong could not help but laugh. "It's good that you're back."

In truth, there was no need to ask anything. From the moment he had entered Papal Hall, she already understood what had happened.

Between herself and Qian Daoliu, he had chosen her.

"Stay by my side for the time being."

"Thank you, Teacher." The unease in Dongfang Yu's heart finally settled.

If he stayed at Bibi Dong's side, Qian Daoliu would not dare openly come and kill him, would he? Unless Qian Daoliu acted personally, no one else could necessarily do much to him.

Moreover, Bibi Dong had yet to begin suppressing her strength. That would happen four years later, during the Continental Soul Master Elite Tournament. Right now, with her Rank 97 soul power and some Rakshasa Divine Power, even that old Rank 98 Golden Crocodile might not be able to defeat her.

So, staying beside Bibi Dong was the safest option for him right now. It also gave him time to slowly plan how to contend with Qian Daoliu. For example, Qian Renxue was an excellent point of breakthrough.

As for why he did not reveal Angewomon, she was his trump card. Unless absolutely necessary, he could not expose her.

And once she was exposed, too many unforeseen changes would occur. He did not dare say whether the story would continue as it had in the original work.

"Weren't you afraid of refusing the Grand Worshipper?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked.

"I was afraid, but I trust Teacher," Dongfang Yu replied.

After a moment, Bibi Dong simply said, "Good."

Over the next two months, other than when he slept, Dongfang Yu was practically inseparable from Bibi Dong at all times.

Whenever Hu Liena and the others came to invite Dongfang Yu out to have fun, they always returned empty-handed. But this was Bibi Dong's decision, so the three of them did not dare say anything.

To better protect Dongfang Yu, Bibi Dong also had him move into Papal Hall. This time, she was determined to protect him.

Not only that, on the day he moved into Papal Hall, Bibi Dong completely let go of her suspicions toward him and began nurturing him wholeheartedly.

She intended to raise an unparalleled powerhouse, an unmatched killing god capable of destroying the Qian Clan.

This road would be long, and one misstep could leave them dead without even a burial place. Yet she was very confident—not only in him, but in herself as well.

Naturally, Qian Daoliu would not stand by and do nothing. This was a genius capable of standing on equal footing with Qian Renxue. If Bibi Dong truly succeeded in raising him, who knew what might happen?

Douluo Hall.

Golden Crocodile reported with a dark expression, "Big Brother, that woman Bibi Dong is determined to oppose us this time."

Qian Daoliu was not angry. Instead, he smiled faintly and said, "He is her disciple. If she does not protect him, who will?"

The more Golden Crocodile thought about it, the angrier he became. Dongfang Yu seemed glued to Bibi Dong's side, and the assassins they had sent had not found a single opportunity in two months.

And it would not be appropriate for him to act personally. As the Second Worshipper of Douluo Hall, if he fought the Pope, who knew how the world would view Spirit Hall? It would severely damage Spirit Hall's reputation.

Especially in recent years, Bibi Dong had gained more and more support among the common people. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to tear off all pretenses.

"Then are we just going to let this go?" Golden Crocodile asked unwillingly.

Qian Daoliu did not want to cause such a huge commotion merely to kill a child either. It would be far too ugly, and many people were waiting to laugh at Spirit Hall. Bibi Dong had seized precisely on this point, leaving him hesitant to act.

He could ignore anything else, but he could not ignore Spirit Hall's affairs. Furthermore, Spirit Hall had only grown stronger and stronger in Bibi Dong's hands. He could not guarantee that he would find someone capable of doing better than she had.

After a long while, Qian Daoliu finally said:

"Since our identities make it inappropriate for us to act, let someone suitable do it."

"Big Brother means...?" Golden Crocodile already had a guess.

"Xue."

Golden Crocodile gave a sinister smile. This was indeed a good idea. Spirit Hall still needed Bibi Dong, and they could not make things too ugly. Then let Xue'er kill him. That way, Bibi Dong would have nothing to say, right?

Though there was some difference in their ages, the gap in soul power between the two was not large. The main reason was that Qian Renxue had been busy with her plans and had little time to cultivate. She was only a Soul King now.

Papal Hall.

"Xiaoyu, tell me what you think," Bibi Dong said.

Dongfang Yu set down the memorial in his hand and nodded. "I think the proposal to change the monthly allowance for commoner soul masters from one Golden Soul Coin to two should be approved."

"That would be a considerable expense." Bibi Dong looked at him with some interest. In the past, they had always taken money from the two great empires. Now Spirit Hall would have to pay for it themselves, and this was no ordinary expenditure.

At the end of the day, Spirit Hall was only a faction. Its financial resources still lagged far behind those of an empire.

"Since ancient times, those who win the people's hearts win the world. This has always been an unchanging principle. In recent years, ever since cigarette sales began, Spirit Hall's financial resources have reached a new level. Though we still cannot compare to the empires, we can fully bear this expense. Besides... your disciple has recently been planning to invent another little something." Dongfang Yu finished with a smile.

Bibi Dong smiled as well. That last sentence was the key point. Though Spirit Hall truly did not need to worry about money right now, how many years could they live off their existing reserves?

"Let's wait until your invention is finished and see how effective it is first." Bibi Dong still chose a more conservative approach.

Dongfang Yu had no dissatisfaction, because this was the best way to handle it.

"Your disciple obeys."

Bibi Dong looked at him with approving eyes. This disciple truly was a talent. Who knew how many things were stored in his head? He always managed to help her resolve her worries.

Over the next few days, Dongfang Yu ordered servants to purchase materials from all over every day. It seemed that this time, the commotion would be even greater than the previous two times.