Newspapers

Spirit Hall, Papal Palace.

"I'm back. Everything that needed settling is settled. Now we just have to wait a month for you to make your appearance."

Bibi Dong was playing with Qian Renxue. She replied casually, "Well done. You can handle all this paperwork later. I'm going to spend time with Xiao Xue."

"Hold on! You're the Pope now. I'm only the Eighth Worshipper. Why should I handle it?"

"Xiao Xue, do you like Daddy or Mommy more?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked Qian Renxue in her arms, playing with her little hands.

Qian Renxue turned to look at Qian Xunji, who was still in disguise. She knew it was her father, but it still felt strange.

So she buried her face in Bibi Dong's arms again.

"Mommy~"

Bibi Dong shot Qian Xunji a smug look. "Xiao Xue and I are going to play. You stay here and handle the paperwork."

It was late at night before Qian Xunji let out a long breath and slumped over the desk. He was finally done. Xiao Xue had come to comfort him twice, but he was still exhausted in body and mind.

At least it was finally over. Ever since his memories had awakened, he had been making reforms and improvements, large and small, to Spirit Hall's administration.

Being chained to a desk all day as Pope was no way to live. Then again, the paperwork he had just handled was probably several days' worth that Bibi Dong had let pile up...

"Time to put the Newspaper Office to work," Qian Xunji murmured.

He had begun planning the Newspaper Office as soon as his memories awakened. Nearly two months had passed since then. If it acted now, it should be able to reach most of the continent's major towns.

Qian Xunji promptly gave the order: the newspapers were to denounce the Clear Sky Sect's actions and mourn his death, giving Spirit Hall stronger grounds to call the sect to account.

Just as Qian Xunji was about to leave, a powerful aura swept through the entire Papal Palace.

"Damn that Tang Hao! He got away!"

A blond, middle-aged man stormed in, cursing. The moment he entered the Papal Palace, he looked up and said, "Bibi... Xunji?"

The man at the desk made Qian Daoliu jump. Is that... my son? Wasn't he killed by Tang Hao?

"Father."

"Son! You're alive!" Qian Daoliu rushed over and checked Qian Xunji from head to toe. It really was his boy!

Not only was his son unhurt, his body seemed much stronger than before.

"You've reached level ninety-six? No, wait. With that physique and that Soul Power, you're a match for a level ninety-seven!"

"Father, I came across an opportunity. I'm level ninety-six now."

"A blessing after surviving a disaster? Did Tang Hao knock something loose with that hammer? And were you never dead, or did you come back to life? I checked you myself, and you were clearly dead! Why are you wearing a Worshipper's robes? Where are your papal robes? ..."

"Ahem. Father, I'll explain." Qian Xunji felt his face burn. He could not bring himself to look at Qian Daoliu, but he forced himself to explain.

"What? You two faked your death to deceive me, all so you could go after the Clear Sky Sect and Tang Hao? You even handed the papacy to Bibi Dong just to go after the Clear Sky Sect?"

"That's more or less it..."

"You've disgraced Spirit Hall! Its Pope gets killed, and then you do this to the Clear Sky Sect! What will people think of us?"

"Oh, Father, no one outside knows. As far as they're concerned, we're calling the Clear Sky Sect to account to avenge me."

"No one outside knows, but I do! What would Tang Chen think of me if he found out? Ah..."

"Father, why worry about Tang Chen? If he dares show himself, we'll deal with him too."

"Enough! Shut your mouth, you disgrace!"

"Isn't it embarrassing that you couldn't catch Tang Hao, Father...?"

"You! I... That was an accident! No, I knew there was something wrong with your death all along, so I let him go! What do you know?"

"Yes, yes. You're the best, Father..."

Across the major towns of the Two Great Empires, something called a newspaper suddenly appeared and spread like wildfire. With Spirit Hall distributing it relentlessly, nobles, officials, and ordinary townsfolk alike began reading it.

Those who could afford a copy bought one; those who could not received one free from the Newspaper Office. The story of Qian Xunji's murder by the evil Tang Hao, and Spirit Hall's revenge against the Clear Sky Sect for sheltering him, swept through the Two Great Empires like a plague of locusts.

People everywhere took Spirit Hall's side, declaring that the Clear Sky Sect had gotten what it deserved...

"Tang Hao killed Spirit Hall's Pope for a soul beast? That takes nerve! Won't Spirit Hall hunt him to the ends of the earth?"

"Have you heard? They say Tang Hao was involved with that soul beast, and she was a blade of grass! I could understand an animal, but how does a man get involved with grass?"

"Exactly! He'd have been better off with a rabbit. What would a man and a blade of grass have for a child anyway? A person or grass?"

"Can a man and grass even have a child? How would that work?"

"Hiss... You've got a point."

"Tang Hao really brought ruin on the Clear Sky Sect. It was the number-one sect in the world, and now I hear it's nearly finished. They say old Tang Zhong was so furious he died."

"Really? That was the number-one sect in the world!"

"And its opponent was Spirit Hall! They got what they deserved. I once met a Clear Sky Sect disciple, and let me tell you, he was arrogant..."

In Notting City, people gathered in small groups to read the newspapers and discuss what they said.

Just then, a middle-aged man with loose hair, a dust-covered face, and ragged clothes approached the crowd. He carried an equally disheveled infant on his back, and his brow was furrowed.

He snatched a newspaper from one of them and scanned it, his frown deepening. His face grew darker with every line.

The man whose newspaper had been taken was about to curse at the vagrant, but when he turned around, the words died in his throat.

The air around him felt heavy. He could barely breathe.

The vagrant was Tang Hao, who had fled Qian Daoliu's pursuit.

Tang Hao had only just entered Notting City when the talk on the streets made him uneasy. How had word of Qian Xunji's death spread so quickly? And why were they talking about Ah Yin? Had Spirit Hall exposed that too? How had the Clear Sky Sect been dragged into it? If Spirit Hall couldn't catch me, had it gone after the sect instead? But surely it couldn't have happened this fast. No. If the sect is in danger, I have to go back and help!

He had snatched a newspaper from the group. Its contents made his mind go blank, and his whole body trembled. Though gravely wounded, he could not stop the Soul Power of a level ninety-two Titled Douluo from bursting out.

"The Clear Sky Sect... already... Father... Brother Xiao...!"

The people around him felt the crushing pressure and fled in panic.

Boom!

His violent Soul Power tore through the teahouse, reducing several nearby buildings to rubble in an instant.

"Spirit Hall! I swear I'll destroy you!"

"You damned rat, rein it in! You nearly shook my precious treasure to death! Huh? Why does it feel like I've lost some of my fortune?"

At Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji, fresh from a beating, was receiving the leaders of the Three Great Clans in his capacity as Eighth Worshipper. He gave the Aromatic Silk Beauty to Yang Wudi, reassured the three leaders, and arranged places for their clans to stay.

"Hmm... Spirit City is still too small. It's not even a tenth the size of Heaven Dou City. I should think about expanding it. The Defense Clan knows construction, so that's worth considering."

"Oh, and those rats from the Clear Sky Sect. If I wait for them to work off their debt on their own, they'll be paying it back forever. Spirit Hall is generous enough to let bygones be bygones. I'll find them work so they can pay it off sooner. Brilliant. I'm a genius."