"As your teacher, I'd like to take charge and arrange your wedding after your Coming-of-Age Ceremony. What do you and Shengge think?"
"I... I..."
At Qian Xunji's words, Bibi Dong's heart immediately fell into turmoil.
Her already crimson face turned her into a steam maiden, faint wisps of white vapor visibly rising from her head.
"I... I'll leave everything to you, Teacher."
"It's just... I don't know what Brother Gu thinks."
With that, Bibi Dong covered her little face with both hands, too embarrassed to face anyone.
Yet she secretly left a gap between the fingers covering her face and peeked at Gu Shengge.
"Hahaha! Shengge, Dong'er has left everything to me."
"Now all we're waiting for is your agreement."
"As long as you agree, I'll take charge and officiate your wedding after Dong'er's Coming-of-Age Ceremony."
"When the Divine Son and Saintess of our Spirit City marry and become husband and wife, it'll certainly make a fine tale here on the Douluo Continent."
Qian Xunji glanced at Bibi Dong, who was so embarrassed she hardly knew what to do and was merely waiting for Gu Shengge to speak, then looked at Gu Shengge with a broad smile.
"Then allow me to thank you, Your Holiness."
"For me, it was love at first sight with Dong'er."
"The only reason I hadn't expressed my feelings was that I feared being too forward and frightening her."
At this point, Gu Shengge cupped his fist toward Qian Xunji.
Credit where it was due, Qian Xunji was actually quite charismatic.
He was the most outstanding of all Spirit Hall's popes.
Even across the entire Qian Family, his talent was the greatest.
If not for that incident with Bibi Dong, there really would have been nothing to hold against him.
The reason Bibi Dong had suffered at Qian Xunji's hands was that this innocent little flower, who knew nothing of the world, had been deceived by that worthless scumbag Yu Xiaogang.
Moreover, Yu Xiaogang had wanted to spirit Bibi Dong away and take her back to his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
That had driven Qian Xunji into a corner, leading him to do something so filthy to Bibi Dong.
As for what had happened between Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong, one could only say they had different standpoints and different considerations; who was right and who was wrong was hard to say.
But look at things now: he had joined Spirit Hall and become its Divine Son.
With his talent added to the equation, Qian Xunji had simply granted them a marriage and brought them together, without entertaining any designs on Bibi Dong at all.
So, if Bibi Dong had also found an exceptionally gifted genius within Spirit Hall to marry in the original story, Qian Xunji would never have intervened to stop her.
"Hahaha! Excellent, excellent."
"But Shengge, since you've agreed, as Dong'er's teacher, and since you're also my father's disciple..."
"I have a presumptuous request."
After receiving Gu Shengge's answer, Qian Xunji looked at him and spoke.
"Please go ahead, Your Holiness."
"I hope that after you and Dong'er marry, if you have children someday, one might enter my tutelage as my final disciple."
"If possible, it would be even better if that child could become my adopted child."
"..."
Hearing Qian Xunji's words, Gu Shengge fell silent.
Well, well. I never knew you were this kind of person, Qian Xunji.
Before Gu Shengge could even speak, Qian Daoliu voiced exactly what was on his mind.
"Nonsense!"
"Shengge is my disciple, and Bibi Dong is yours."
"If their child calls you their adoptive father, wouldn't that put Bibi Dong in the same generation as you?"
"What a disgrace! What a disgrace!"
Qian Daoliu was so furious at Qian Xunji's words that his beard nearly bristled, and he pointed at Qian Xunji, almost jabbing his finger into his nostrils.
At Qian Daoliu's words, Qian Xunji took a great leap backward to put some distance between himself and his elderly father, then smiled sheepishly. "Father, what's so disgraceful about it?"
"Once Shengge and Dong'er have a child, we can each use our own terms of address."
"Dong'er can call me Teacher, and I can call her my junior sister-in-law."
"Their child can call me adoptive father or Teacher, whatever they like."
"Qian Xunji, today I'll let you have another good taste of a father's love, as deep and weighty as a mountain!"
Listening to Qian Xunji's outrageous suggestion, Qian Daoliu immediately untied the cloth sash around his waist.
After glancing at the limp cloth sash, Qian Daoliu pulled a glossy black leather belt straight out of his Storage Soul Tool.
As the belt appeared, Qian Xunji's eyes widened in terror. "Wait, you old geezer, why do you still have that belt?!!!"
"Well, well, well! You little bastard actually dare call me an old geezer."
"You think I'm too old to swing a belt, and now you're itching for a beating, is that it?"
"Today, your father will give you a proper taste of the weight of paternal love!"
"You youngsters, out!"
As soon as Qian Daoliu finished speaking, Yue Guan, Gui Mei, Gu Shengge, and Bibi Dong were all sent out of the Pope's Palace.
After Qian Daoliu sent the four of them outside, the doors to the Pope's Palace closed, and the sounds of a belt striking and Qian Xunji screaming came from within.
"Old geezer, not the face!"
"I'm the pope of Spirit Hall! How am I supposed to face anyone after this?!!!"
"Calling me an old geezer, are you?"
"I'll teach you to call me an old geezer!"
"You insolent brat! Three days without a beating, and you're up on the roof tearing off the tiles!"
"Dad! My own dear dad, am I really your biological son?"
"I was wrong, Dad!"
Qian Xunji's screams kept coming from inside the Pope's Palace, while Gu Shengge brought Bibi Dong over and pressed against one door to listen to what was happening inside; Yue Guan and Gui Mei pressed against the other door to listen.
Beyond merely eavesdropping, Gu Shengge could also watch the battle inside in real time.
Watching Qian Xunji being chased and whipped by Qian Daoliu inside the Pope's Palace, seeing the pope of Spirit Hall darting and jumping about as he ran and begged for mercy, Gu Shengge laughed.
If this scene were shown to the outside world, everyone's jaws would drop in shock.
No one who saw it would imagine that the two people inside were Spirit Hall's pope and Great Enshrined.
Only after a round of friendly exchanges did the doors to the Pope's Palace open again.
Qian Xunji had already straightened out his appearance; if not for the blue and purple bruises on his face, he would still have been a handsome young man, graceful as a jade tree in the wind.
"Ahem~"
"My father gave me some friendly pointers on Combat Skills today. Yue Guan, Gui Mei, you two are to guard the doors to the Pope's Palace."
"Until my injuries have fully healed, no one besides the few of you is permitted to enter the Pope's Palace."
"Understood?"
"Yes, Your Holiness."
At Qian Xunji's words, Yue Guan and Gui Mei hurriedly answered.
"All right, Shengge. Since you have Triple Martial Souls and haven't added any Soul Rings yet..."
"I'll take you to the Star Dou Great Forest shortly to obtain your Soul Rings."
"Yes, Teacher."
Hearing Qian Daoliu's words, Gu Shengge nodded.
"Um, Grandpa, can... can I come along?"
Before you continue