Spirit City, Hall of Nurturing the Heart.
"I want to go in and see my teacher."
"Please don't make things difficult for me! The Pope has ordered that, to prevent villains from harming the Retired Emperor, no one may enter and disturb her without His Holiness the Pope's Pope Token."
"Am I a villain too?"
Hu Liena swept her gaze over the guards and rebuked them softly. When they remained silent, she snapped again, "Stand aside."
With that, Hu Liena took a step forward. Bound by the Pope's orders, the guards still refused to let her through.
Left with no choice, Hu Liena released a faint pink aura from her body, which swiftly spread through the surroundings. Almost in the blink of an eye, the guards' eyes glazed over, and she entered the Hall of Nurturing the Heart unimpeded.
About half an hour later, Hu Liena came back out.
After leaving the Hall of Nurturing the Heart, Hu Liena headed toward the palace where successive Popes had slept.
As soon as she reached the palace gates, the guards stopped her again.
"I want to see him!" Hu Liena said flatly.
"Without a verbal order from the Pope, only Red-Robed Archbishops and Elders may have an audience with him," a guard said.
"I am Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden. Stand aside," Hu Liena snapped.
"Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden is now Xiao Xingyue. Please don't make things difficult for us," the guard said.
Hu Liena froze at those words. She had already been stripped of her position as Holy Maiden.
"Su Chen, are you going to see me or not?" Hu Liena shouted his name without a trace of courtesy.
"No shouting outside the hall!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The guards at the hall entrance readied themselves, pointing their weapons straight at Hu Liena.