Only children make choices

"Why?"

Bibi Dong remained patient, but her face had already turned cold. "Are you trying to betray our Spirit Hall?"

Seeing that she had misunderstood him, Qin Chao hurriedly waved his little hands. "No, pretty big sister, you've misunderstood! I'm not leaving Spirit Hall. I just don't want to call you teacher..."

"??" Bibi Dong grew even more puzzled. "Why? You should know that I am the Pope of Spirit Hall. As my disciple, you would receive more resources and privileges..."

Why else? A romance between teacher and disciple sounded immoral from the outset. Wouldn't accepting Bibi Dong as his teacher only create needless trouble for himself? Better to remain an ordinary little nobody in Spirit Hall. With his talent right there for all to see, would Bibi Dong really let him gather dust?

Qin Chao grumbled inwardly, but put on an innocent expression.

"Teacher, teacher... it still makes you sound old! Big sister, you're so young and beautiful. Calling you that would make you old, and I don't want that~"

In his previous life, Qin Chao had a little niece who was an expert at wheedling and acting cute. His meager pocket money and wages had all turned into dresses and toys for her. After being immersed in that influence, he had become quite skilled at playing the sweet, adorable child himself.

Sure enough, his words made Bibi Dong shake with laughter like a flowering branch in the breeze. Her normally icy face was now as warm and gentle as a spring wind, lending her beauty an even brighter glow.

"Children really are children. Such innocent, simple thinking..." Bibi Dong lightly pursed her lips. "Very well. Since you're afraid of making me sound old, I'll find you an 'old' teacher instead..."

She picked Qin Chao up and returned to the main hall.

"Summon Chrysanthemum Ghost..." Bibi Dong instructed an attendant. Then, as if remembering something, she affectionately stroked Qin Chao's little head. "I've never seen your Martial Souls before, and I don't know whether they arose from mutations, so I thought we should give them names. Do you have any good ideas?"

"Let's call the beast Martial Soul Taotie! My grandfather once told me that Taotie was an ancient ferocious beast, a symbol of greed, and incredibly savage. It sounds really imposing! As for the little tower... please give it a name, pretty big sister!"

Qin Chao's eyes shone as he stared at Bibi Dong's breathtaking face, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

"Taotie? That does sound good. An ancient ferocious beast suits the power of your Martial Soul. As for this tower-shaped tool Martial Soul... why not call it Heaven and Earth?"

"Heaven and Earth Tower?"

Qin Chao's eyes lit up. He clearly loved the name.

Heaven and Earth was a Taoist expression that referred both to the Qian and Kun trigrams and to heaven and earth, the sun and moon, and yin and yang. Its meaning was broad and profound. Bibi Dong naming this Golden Little Tower Heaven and Earth showed just how much importance she placed on Qin Chao...

"Thank you, pretty big sister! I really like that name..." Qin Chao thanked her excitedly. Before Bibi Dong could reply, another voice suddenly rang out in the hall...

"Pretty... big sister?" Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan repeated instinctively, feeling as though his entire worldview had suffered a terrifying blow.

What had he just heard? That was Bibi Dong, the Pope who held the most exalted position in Spirit Hall! Someone actually dared to call her big sister.

And their usually cold, beautiful, noble female Pope even seemed to enjoy it immensely. Not a trace of her customary indifference remained on her face...

"You're here..." Bibi Dong looked up at the Chrysanthemum Ghost pair, and in an instant, her expression returned to its usual unreadable calm.

Seeing the Pope like this, Yue Guan actually felt his unease subside. Now this was the Pope he knew...

"Yue Guan pays his respects to His Holiness the Pope..." "Gui Mei pays his respects to His Holiness the Pope..." The two men bowed respectfully.

Bibi Dong ignored the two bowing men and merely stroked the soft hair of the child in her arms.

"Little Qin Chao, the old fellows are here. Go see whether you like them. It's fine if you don't. Our Spirit Hall has several other Titled Douluos. Take your pick..."

Bibi Dong's tone was calm. Judging by her words, she sounded less like she was choosing teachers for Qin Chao and more like she was choosing disciples for him...

Qin Chao reluctantly jumped down from Bibi Dong's arms and curiously examined the two men before him.

Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo had played substantial roles in the novel. Unfortunately, both had ultimately died at Tang San's hands. Seeing them now, their appearances were indeed just as the novel had described.

Ghost Douluo Gui Mei's features were indistinct, his face shrouded in faint black mist. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan looked extremely feminine, making it difficult to tell whether he was a man or a woman. Standing together, one was noble and alluringly sinister, while the other was cold and eerie-a striking contrast.

Both were genuine Titled Douluos. Though their strength was not among the very best, their appearance was like delivering charcoal in the snow to Qin Chao in his current circumstances.

Qin Chao had no shortage of Soul Rings, and Martial Soul theory was hardly a problem for someone who had read the novel so thoroughly. The only things he lacked now were Taijutsu and knowledge of poison.

Of the two Douluos, one was an agility attack Soul Master and the other a power attack Soul Master, so hand-to-hand combat was naturally well within their abilities. As for poison, the novel had mentioned that Yue Guan's fondness for flowers and plants had led him to study plant-based toxins extensively.

The Tang Sect did not yet exist in the current Douluo World. If he wanted to learn about poison, Chrysanthemum Douluo seemed the best choice aside from that old poison fiend, Poison Douluo...

But choosing just one of these two men as his master was rather difficult...

After weighing his options briefly, however, Qin Chao spoke decisively.

"Greetings, teachers!"

Following this world's customs, Qin Chao bowed respectfully to Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, accepting both of them as his teachers outright.

Only children made choices. He wanted them all!

Bibi Dong was somewhat stunned as she watched this unfold.

Two? This little rascal certainly is greedy...

Even more shocked than Bibi Dong were the two Titled Douluos of Chrysanthemum Ghost. Gui Mei was not so bad, since the black mist obscured his exact expression, but Yue Guan's mouth had already fallen open, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor...

"Y-Your Holiness... what is this..." Yue Guan stammered.

"I found a promising little fellow and intended to take him as my disciple. Who knew he would refuse? Instead, you two get to reap the harvest..." Bibi Dong did not notice the faint hint of jealousy that had crept into her voice...

Yue Guan looked Qin Chao up and down. The little fellow appeared to be only six or seven, dressed in ordinary, even somewhat shabby clothes. His looks were quite good, but a handsome face could not put food on the table. If the Pope had wanted him as her disciple, his talent must surely be exceptional, but that did not mean they had to accept him.

Yue Guan was one thing. Though accustomed to solitude, he could at least interact with other people. But Old Ghost...

"Little one, I won't agree to being your teacher just yet. You should know that this uncle has very strict requirements for accepting disciples..."

With Bibi Dong present, Yue Guan still did not reject him outright. No matter how talented this tiny little sprout was, how exceptional could he possibly be? When the time came, he could simply say the boy didn't meet his standards for a disciple, offer a few excuses, and let the matter pass...

Hearing Yue Guan's answer, Bibi Dong's expression grew somewhat complicated. With a smile that was not quite a smile, she asked, "You don't want to accept this disciple?"

Yue Guan offered an appeasing smile. "I didn't say I wouldn't. It's just..."

Before he could finish, Bibi Dong interrupted him. "I hope neither of you regrets it..."

She gave Qin Chao a meaningful look, and the little fellow understood immediately. He circulated the Soul Power within him, and the Golden Little Tower slowly appeared in his right hand.

"Oh, a rare tower-type Martial Soul. That's rather interesting..."

Yue Guan's gaze shifted before finally stopping on the Soul Ring.

"Hmm! You've already added a Soul Ring. Judging by its color, it should be around seven hundred years old. Still a little lacking... wait!" Yue Guan's pupils abruptly contracted, and he almost doubted his own eyes...