After spending some time stirring up trouble with Tang San and Xiao Wu in Heaven Dou City, Tang Yue returned to Spirit City before she even had a chance to eat her Spicy Rabbit Head.
In the Worship Hall, Guang Ling told Qian Daoliu everything that had happened. He also asked him to send people to catch more Soft Bone Rabbits to make Spicy Rabbit Head for Tang Yue. After hearing him out, Qian Daoliu desperately wanted to give Guang Ling a beating, but Tang Yue and Guang Ling now lived under the same roof and were bound to see each other every day. If he injured Guang Ling, Tang Yue would probably be unhappy.
With that in mind, he swallowed his irritation and accepted the request Guang Ling had made on Tang Yue's behalf.
Guang Ling Hall
Tang Yue rolled around on the soft leather sofa. After thinking for a long time, she decided she could not keep wasting time. She had to seize those opportunities first; otherwise, even with a deity within her, she might not be able to avert the battle at Jialing Pass from the original plot.
The commotion Tang San and the others had caused in Heaven Dou City last time had at least disrupted the original storyline. Her soul power level was still a little behind theirs, so she had to hurry and hunt for soul rings. Simply sitting around waiting was no solution.
Recalling what Qian Daoliu had said earlier, Tang Yue set off for the Papal Hall to find Yue Guan.
Although she could have Guang Ling send a voice transmission and summon Yue Guan directly, it was not yet time to clash openly with Bibi Dong. She already had enough trouble outside; it was best not to be too conspicuous within their ranks, lest she end up with trouble both inside and out.
Tang Yue was unfamiliar with the paths inside Spirit Hall, so she could only ask for directions as she went. It took her half an hour to finally find the magnificent Papal Hall.
The spring day was gentle, the sunshine bright. Beneath the sunlight, the Angel God Statue standing before the Papal Hall looked especially sacred. Tang Yue tilted her head back to gaze at the golden, gleaming statue, a warmth spreading through her heart.
Perhaps because both martial souls within her were light-attributed, she felt particularly fond of the Angel God Statue.
A meeting was underway inside the Papal Hall. Tang Yue did not want to see Bibi Dong, so she could only wait outside for Yue Guan to emerge. When she grew tired of standing, she found a shady spot to sit. When sitting grew boring, she went back to gazing up at the Angel God Statue. In short, she never stayed still for a moment.
"Little girl?"
As soon as Yue Guan left the Papal Hall after the meeting, he spotted Tang Yue standing beneath the Angel God Statue and looking up. He glanced left and right, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that no one from the Worship Hall had followed her.
Seeing his expression, his colleague Gui Mei could not resist asking, "Old Chrysanthemum, what's with that look? Have you seen a ghost?"
"No. Seeing a ghost wouldn't be this frightening. This is someone even scarier than a ghost."
The mere thought of the Great Enshrined's threats made Yue Guan's scalp prickle. He had no idea where this little girl had come from, but somehow the entire Worship Hall doted on her. Though, admittedly, he liked Tang Yue too.
Gui Mei watched Yue Guan walk slowly toward the little girl beneath the Angel God Statue. She had bright eyes and pearly teeth, though her right eye was especially unusual. "Is it martial soul backlash?"
"Little girl, how did you find your way here?" A long shadow stretched over Tang Yue's head. She turned and looked up at the newcomer. Yue Guan spoke softly and gently, afraid that the slightest wrong note in his voice would upset this little ancestor.
"Senior Yue Guan." Tang Yue bowed respectfully. She was no rude, spoiled little rabbit. Even if she had several great Buddhas backing her who could keep Yue Guan in check, she felt this was a matter of good upbringing.
Yue Guan, who already liked Tang Yue because of her martial soul, liked her even more now. With a faint smile, he crouched down and looked at her. "No need to be so formal, little girl. Is there something you want to ask me?"
"Yes!" Tang Yue nodded, looking a little troubled. "Senior, my soul power hasn't been progressing at all. If I don't get soul rings soon, everyone else will leave me far behind. But Grandpa Guang Ling and the others don't know what kind of soul beast suits me. Um, could you come hunt soul beasts with me, Senior?"
Tang Yue spoke in a sweet, wheedling voice. She took Yue Guan's hand and kept coaxing him, paying no attention to the ghostly figure behind him.
Even if Guang Ling could take her to hunt light- or ice-attributed soul beasts, Yue Guan was the only one who could truly keep the margin of error small. Rather than let the somewhat unreliable Light Feather Douluo take her hunting, she trusted Chrysanthemum Douluo, who spent all year tending flowers and plants, more.
Tang Yue's wheedling nearly melted Yue Guan's heart. He said yes three times in succession before standing and turning toward Gui Mei behind him. "Old Ghost, I have something to take care of over the next few days. Cover for me with His Holiness the Pope, and make absolutely sure His Holiness doesn't discover this girl's existence."
Keep Bibi Dong from discovering this little girl's existence?
Gui Mei was puzzled. "Why?"
"Because she belongs to the Worship Hall," Yue Guan said bluntly.
"..."
With an unspoken understanding, both men shut their mouths and communicated purely through their eyes.
Watching them wink and make faces at each other, Tang Yue thought, These two really are bosom buddies. They can even hold a conversation like this.
After explaining his concerns to Gui Mei, Yue Guan followed Tang Yue to the Worship Hall. In truth, he did not particularly want to go there, but he had no choice. He could not take Tang Yue out to hunt soul beasts by himself. If he did, Qian Daoliu would probably drag them both back before they even reached the Star Dou Great Forest.
Only the Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu, and the Fourth Offering, Mighty Lion Douluo, were in the Worship Hall at that moment.
Before Tang Yue even entered the Worship Hall, both men sensed the little girl's presence. Mighty Lion Douluo tactfully stopped talking and waited quietly for her arrival.
"Grandpa!"
Tang Yue jogged into the Worship Hall. Seeing Mighty Lion Douluo there as well, she reined in her carefree behavior a little and bowed to him somewhat stiffly. "Grandpa Mighty Lion."
"No need to be so formal, little girl," Mighty Lion Douluo said with a smile. It seemed his presence was affecting how freely she behaved.
Although the enshrined elders of the Worship Hall held Tang Yue in the palms of their hands, she knew perfectly well that without the divine trial, they might not value her so highly. As such, she tended to be a little reserved around people she did not know well.
"Yueyue, how did you find the time to visit Grandpa today?" Qian Daoliu flashed over to Tang Yue. Looking down at her, he could not help teasing her. It was hard to tell whether he was jealous that she spent all her time with Guang Ling, or that she did not consider him more important than Guang Ling.
With the mind of someone in her twenties, Tang Yue declared that this was a question she could not answer, so she might as well play dumb. This body was only ten, after all. Surely no one would find it strange if she pretended not to understand?
"Grandpa, Grandpa, Yueyue came because she wants to hunt soul beasts and get soul rings!"
Skipping straight past the subject and playing dumb was something Tang Yue did often.
She took Qian Daoliu's hand and wheedled, "I've already arranged it with Elder Yue Guan. He'll take me to hunt soul beasts. But Grandpa, I also want Grandpa Guang Ling to come with me. If possible, I want to bring Grandpa Azure Luan too."
Guang Ling and Azure Luan?
Qian Daoliu looked at Tang Yue, one eyebrow rising slightly. Why did this girl not say a single word about having him take her?
"You're only going to find your third soul ring. There's no need to mobilize such a force. Yueyue, Grandpa will accompany you himself!"
"???"
Mighty Lion Douluo stood below, stunned. His eldest brother was going personally, and he did not call that mobilizing a force?
And so, Qian Daoliu set the date for three days later. In three days, he, Yue Guan, Guang Ling, and Azure Luan would take Tang Yue to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts.
Guang Ling was not surprised when he received the news, though he had not expected his eldest brother to go in person.
Inside Guang Ling Hall, he watched Tang Yue carefully reading the Cultivation Manual Chrysanthemum Douluo had sent over and could not help feeling a little bored.
Still, Chrysanthemum Douluo was certainly dedicated. He had spent several days and nights writing a Cultivation Manual and Cultivation Insights. Since Tang Yue was reading the Cultivation Manual, Guang Ling leafed through Yue Guan's Cultivation Insights. These so-called insights were actually an account of Chrysanthemum Douluo's cultivation journey. Every line and every word was a pearl, and reading them stirred even his sympathy.
Utterly bored, Guang Ling pulled a soul tool from somewhere and held it before Tang Yue. Smiling, he said, "Little darling, you told me last time that you wanted a soul tool capable of holding living things. I found one for you in Third Brother's Treasure Pavilion. What do you think of this?"
An embroidered pouch bearing a lotus design appeared before Tang Yue. She picked it up and examined it, feeling that the flower had not originally been part of the soul tool. "Grandpa Guang Ling, this flower's a little ugly. If I didn't look closely, I really wouldn't be able to tell it was a lotus."
"..."
A roast from the person herself was the most lethal of all.
Guang Ling was speechless and remained silent for a long time.
If she was not mistaken, he must have added that flower himself. Moreover, it was not just a common lotus; it was shaped like Tang Yue's martial soul, the nine-petal immortal lotus.
Seeing Guang Ling fall silent, Tang Yue seemed to realize something. She put away the soul tool and tried to take back what she had just said. "Grandpa Guang Ling, this lotus is quite pretty. I really like the shape of the soul tool too. This is the one! I'll use it from now on!"
Although he knew Tang Yue was trying to patch things up, Guang Ling's smile instantly returned. He flashed to her side and swept her into his arms. "Xiao Yue'er, I knew you'd like it!"
"Ah... haha..."
Tang Yue gave two dry chuckles. Saying she did not like it was not exactly an option...
"By the way, Xiao Yue'er, your martial soul has both ice and light attributes. I think there's a soul beast that should suit you very well."
After cuddling Tang Yue, Guang Ling began discussing serious matters. He had not spent the past few days going out solely to amuse himself. Most of that time had been spent searching for suitable soul beasts for her.
The moment she heard that a suitable soul beast had been found, Tang Yue snapped the Cultivation Manual shut, her eyes shining. "What is it?"
Before you continue