The Rest Could Be Paid Back Slowly

"Reporting to His Holiness the Pope! All of Tang Hao's Accomplices have been punished! Please inspect the results!"

Tang Jingwei hurried over and knelt before Bibi Dong, eager to please.

Bibi Dong found him distasteful, but she did not show it.

"Very good."

Bibi Dong turned to Tang Xiao.

"The matter of the Clear Sky Sect fleeing to escape punishment has been settled. As Tang Zhong's son, you will represent the Clear Sky Sect for now."

"Next, we should discuss compensation. Have you prepared what the Clear Sky Sect owes?"

Tang Xiao gently set Tang Zhong down, then jerked his head up and glared at Bibi Dong with bloodshot eyes.

"Spirit Hall! Don't push us too far! Look what's happened to us already! Why won't you let up? Aren't you afraid my grandfather will return?!"

"How dare you, Tang Xiao! How can you speak to His Holiness the Pope like that?!"

Yue Guan appeared before him and sent him flying with a slap.

"If you weren't representing the Clear Sky Sect right now, I'd never let you off!"

"Tang Xiao! What happened just now was merely punishment for fleeing to escape justice, insulting Spirit Hall, and protecting Tang Hao. It was not compensation for what he did to our former pope, Qian Xunji!"

"Do you know what Tang Hao did to Spirit Hall's former pope? He broke his leg and bent it a full ninety degrees forward. It was a horrific sight!"

Bibi Dong looked as though she was about to cry.

But the priests and elders all looked strangely at Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong.

Qian Xunji stared at Bibi Dong in shock.

Was I beaten that badly?

"Enough of that. Have you prepared the compensation?"

Bibi Dong's distress vanished in an instant.

"This is all the Clear Sky Sect has! The most valuable thing is already in his hands! Take whatever else you want from the entire sect!"

Tang Xiao pointed at the Spirit Bone in Yue Guan's hand. It had been taken from his own body.

"You mean... the Clear Sky Sect can't pay?"

"So what if we can't?! Don't you know that already? How could the Clear Sky Sect possibly afford it? You just wanted an excuse to destroy us! Kill me or torture me, then! Go on! My brother Hao will avenge me!"

"Insolence!"

Yue Guan gave him another hard slap.

Sent flying again, Tang Xiao slowly climbed to his feet and glared at Bibi Dong with hatred. It seemed the Clear Sky Sect would not survive the day.

Bibi Dong gave him a surprised look.

"Destroy the Clear Sky Sect? Why would Spirit Hall do that? We only came for an explanation! Spirit Hall has always worked to maintain peace across the continent. How could we slaughter an entire sect?"

Tang Xiao was startled, but quickly decided Bibi Dong was only toying with him. He sneered again.

"It's come to this! Why waste words on such games?"

"Ah, to think Heaven-Shaking Douluo sees Spirit Hall this way, when we have always acted openly and honorably..."

"Very well. Pay what you can now and pay back the rest slowly."

Tang Xiao was stunned again. Was she serious? They could pay back the rest slowly?

"Everything belonging to the Clear Sky Sect, apart from the Spirit Bones, comes to one hundred million Gold Soul Coins. The Three Great Clans are worth three million in total. Then there's one Spirit Bone over fifty thousand years old, one thirty-thousand-year Spirit Bone, and six thousand-year Spirit Bones."

"We also obtained two thousand-year Spirit Bones while arresting and punishing the Clear Sky Sect just now."

"At present, the Clear Sky Sect still owes Spirit Hall nine billion, nine million, seven hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, four Spirit Bones over fifty thousand years old, nine Spirit Bones under fifty thousand years old, and ninety-two Thousand-Year Soul Bones."

After thinking over the Spirit Bones they had obtained so far, Qian Xunji gave the figures.

"Tang Xiao, do you object?"

"Hmph! As if I can refuse?!"

Tang Xiao roared in protest. Even the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect together might not be able to pay that sum, much less the Clear Sky Sect, which had lost its home.

"Of course you can. Spirit Hall came here to negotiate peacefully. Since this is a negotiation, you're free to refuse."

Qian Xunji looked calmly at Tang Xiao as he spoke.

"What happened just now was only because you fled to escape justice, defied Spirit Hall's authority, and insulted Spirit Hall."

Though Qian Xunji appeared calm, he was nearly laughing himself sick inside. He wanted to look as though he were negotiating in earnest, so Tang Xiao would regret their decision to move the sect.

As for compensation, the entire Clear Sky Sect had already fallen into Spirit Hall's hands. They had taken everything worth taking. Whether the sum was a little higher or lower, the sect could never pay it. Its members would spend the rest of their lives working for Spirit Hall.

But he had to give the Clear Sky Sect a little hope. If they thought they could pay it off after a few decades of hard work, they would keep working.

One Gold Soul Coin was enough to support an ordinary family living frugally for a year. Even assuming each family spent an average of five Gold Soul Coins a year, with four people per family and roughly ten billion people across the continent, the entire continent's households would spend only about 12.5 billion Gold Soul Coins in a year.

So even one hundred million Gold Soul Coins would take the Clear Sky Sect an eternity to repay. Raising that sum would strain even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Huh? Then... can I negotiate the compensation amount with you now?"

Tang Xiao could no longer tell what Spirit Hall wanted.

"Of course."

Tang Xiao felt dizzy. Since when was Spirit Hall so reasonable? Something was wrong!

He spoke cautiously:

"Then... one hundred million Gold Soul Coins, one Spirit Bone over ten thousand years old, and five thousand-year Spirit Bones?"

He had named the terms off the top of his head. He had only ever cared about cultivation and had no sense of what Gold Soul Coins were worth. He did not know what one hundred million Gold Soul Coins represented. All he knew was that it was one percent of the original ten billion.

"One hundred million Gold Soul Coins, one Spirit Bone over fifty thousand years old, three Spirit Bones over ten thousand years old, and ten Thousand-Year Soul Bones."

"Agreed!"

Tang Xiao accepted at once, afraid Spirit Hall might change its mind. Spirit Bones would be difficult to obtain, but that just meant killing a few more soul beasts.

"As for the land where Spirit Hall's Grand Priest fought your grandfather Tang Chen, Spirit Hall always keeps its promises. We won't take it. The Clear Sky Sect can keep it."

"Thank you!" Tang Xiao felt a surge of relief. He had feared Spirit Hall would seize even the land the Clear Sky Sect had kept in reserve, leaving them with nowhere to go.

"However... we have other conditions to ensure the Clear Sky Sect doesn't default."

"What conditions?"

"Until the debt is paid in full, Spirit Hall..."

After another round of negotiations, they settled the remaining terms.

All Clear Sky Sect members who had been abandoned earlier would leave the sect and become official Spirit Hall personnel. They would manage the Clear Sky Sect Ruins and develop tourism there.

Until the Clear Sky Sect finished paying compensation, ninety percent of all its income would be handed over to Spirit Hall.

Tang Hui, Tang Jingwei, and others would also be sent as Spirit Hall's representatives to the Clear Sky Sect. They would collect its compensation payments and hold every authority within the sect except the power to decide major matters. On Spirit Hall's behalf, they would manage and inspect the Clear Sky Sect and press it to pay.

To prevent the Clear Sky Sect from continuing to harbor Tang Hao, and to ensure the safety of the continent's Soul Masters and the sect's own members, every member would be assigned a number and registered. From then on, entering or leaving the Clear Sky Sect would require Spirit Hall's approval, and members would have to report each Spirit Ring they obtained.

Spirit Hall would also issue every Clear Sky Sect disciple a Soul Master Identity Credential. The credential would show their sect or region. Clear Sky Sect credentials would begin with 250, the code for the Clear Sky Sect.

A person's gender, Innate Soul Power, martial soul type, year of birth, and Soul Power Level could all be checked through their Soul Master Identity Credential. They would have to report each Spirit Ring they obtained.

And if any issues arose, Spirit Hall reserved the right of final interpretation.