Yu Xiaogang? He's Just a Little Scumbag!

The wind swept over from the edge of the square, fluttering the painted characters on that sign, yet it remained completely still.

Yu Xiaogang trembled all over.

"Do you people in Spirit Hall know who I am?"

He raised his voice, questioning them in a near roar:

"I, Yu Xiaogang, am the number one theoretical grandmaster in the world. Which soul master in the world has not read my works? Aren't you afraid of chilling the hearts of the world's soul masters by humiliating me like this?"

The knights fell silent.

They did not wish to bother with Yu Xiaogang.

Of course, this was not because they possessed a high degree of patience.

It was because Yu Xiaogang held a Pope Token; although he was not favored by the current pope, this did not mean he was someone this group of palace gate guards could casually bully.

Who would have expected Yu Xiaogang to step forward at that moment, pointing at the sign with a voice growing increasingly agitated:

"To think that back in the day, I, Yu Xiaogang, was at least an honored guest of Spirit Hall, yet today your pope actually insults me like this. Truly, you are all fools!"

Just as those words finished.

Yu Xiaogang saw all the knights raise their heads in unison.

Their gazes were like hounds that had finally heard the whistle for the cage to open.

The lead knight's eyes even lit up as he slowly drew his side sword, his tone unnaturally calm:

"Grandmaster Yu, what did you just call His Holiness the Pope?"

Yu Xiaogang froze for a moment, then sneered:

"I called him a fool, devoid of virtue and character, unworthy of sitting in that position!"

With those words finished.

The knight nodded, his sword slipping half an inch out of its scabbard.

The square fell silent for an instant.

They had originally been unable to find a reason, yet who would have known Yu Xiaogang would actually curse the pope right before their eyes.

Now, even with heaven-shaking backing, he still had to be beaten to a pulp.

Immediately, the frustration that had been suppressed for an entire afternoon finally surged out like a breached dam.

Yu Xiaogang turned blank for a moment, suddenly sensing that the situation looked somewhat ominous.

If the guards standing at the front were dogs, then he was currently that most dazzling piece of shit in the entire scene.

He undoubtedly attracted everyone's gaze.

His complexion instantly flushed to a pig-liver color, his lips trembling as Yu Xiaogang failed to utter a single word for a long time.

He abruptly turned around, wanting to leave.

But the knights had already surrounded him, neither fast nor slow, like hunting a solitary prey.

"What are you people doing?"

"By the law, those who insult the pope receive twenty cane strikes, as a warning to others."

"I am the number one theoretical grandmaster in the world, a man of noble character and high prestige!"

"That's just right."

The lead knight grinned, revealing pearly white teeth:

"Since the grandmaster's theories are so profound, you must have also researched how to endure a beating with a little less pain."

Before Yu Xiaogang could say anything more, he was already grabbed on the left and right by two knights.

Immediately.

The square was left with only the muffled thuds of Yu Xiaogang being pressed to the ground and the sound of clubs falling.

After a long while.

The few knights finally put away their hands, took a deep breath, and looked at the incoherent Yu Xiaogang before them with undisguised disgust.

"Damn, he's just a little scumbag."

They had thought this number one theoretical grandmaster possessed some immense ability, but in the end he didn't even dare release his martial soul.

It couldn't possibly be that his martial soul really was a dog and he was afraid to release it and lose face.

At night.

High upon the mountains of Spirit Hall, inside that exceptionally spacious Worship Hall.

Pope Qian Chenming, Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu, along with the rest of the Six Great Enshrined and others, were all seated around a large dining table eating dinner.

Candlelight flickered gently within the glazed lamp shades on the ceiling, bathing the entire long table in a warm glow.

This kind of heartwarming scene was a rare sight.

And to actually have the opportunity to sit at the same table and eat with the old pope and the great enshrined.

The Six Great Enshrined were all the more startled and delighted.

Only Qian Daoliu, sitting in the second seat to Qian Chenming's right, did not look particularly good.

Having knelt for two days and two nights straight, he had finally managed to sit at the table for a meal.

Qian Daoliu vigorously rubbed his legs.

Then the chopsticks in his hand hovered above, lingering and failing to descend.

His gaze crossed the exquisite dishes on the table and landed on Qian Chenming's face.

Qian Chenming was quietly scrutinizing the exterior of the hall, his movements unhurried.

No particular emotion could be discerned on that face; he looked like a Buddha statue worshipped in a temple, his brows and eyes utterly bland.

Only after noticing the unfilial son's gaze did Qian Chenming finally shift his attention back, glaring at him:

"What are you looking at? Eat your food. What, do you need me to feed you, or something?"

Ugh...

Qian Daoliu went numb.

He immediately moved his chopsticks.

Upon seeing this, Qian Chenming raised his brows again: "Oh, you're actually eating? Your old man hasn't even moved his chopsticks, yet you, the son, moved yours first."

Qian Daoliu:...

Seeing this.

The remaining Six Great Enshrined exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths all suppressing a trace of a smile.

How could any of them have imagined it.

Out there, Qian Chenming presented an image of cold indifference or gentle composure-anyway, he acted however carried the most presence.

Yet once he reached the Worship Hall.

No.

It should be said that when standing before his elder brother, he entirely projected nothing but an all-pervading impatience.

Could this perhaps be a father's natural disdain for an unfilial son?

Second Worship Golden Crocodile gave a gentle cough.

Signaling everyone to cut the jokes-when immortals fight, mortals suffer!

Just lower your head and eat your food.

"Uh, Dad..."

At this moment.

Qian Daoliu finally spoke, his voice dropping a few notches lower than usual: "You arranged for Second to take a post in the Western Hall, Third was transferred to oversee the deployment of bishops, and everyone else has things to do..."

He paused, shifting the direction of the chopsticks in his hand.

"How come... you didn't arrange anything for your son?"

The slight clinking sounds that had been present on the table vanished in an instant.

The great enshrined had a change of heart?

He actually thought of coming out to see the world and doing some work...

Everyone was somewhat surprised.

Only Qian Chenming maintained a calm expression, asking: "What do you want to do?"

Qian Daoliu's Adam's apple rolled slightly.

He had grown up under his father's knees and knew that this tone-neither hot nor cold, neither salty nor bland, sounding like an inquiry while actually weighing you up-meant business.

"Your son... is willing to share worries for Dad."

Qian Daoliu weighed his phrasing: "Whether it is affairs within the hall or external scheduling, your son can handle them."

"You?"

Qian Chenming interrupted him, a little something extra in his tone:

"Don't you like reciting scriptures and worshipping gods?"

The very instant those words fell.

Golden Crocodile was the first to burst out laughing, his laughter suppressed deep in his throat, muffled like someone who had held it in for a long time and finally failed to contain it.

Azure Luan followed suit with a laugh.

The two who had always been the most serious couldn't hold it in.

Let alone the rest of them.

This caused the tips of Qian Daoliu's ears to flush slightly red.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then swallowed it back.

Looking at Qian Daoliu's expression, the corners of Qian Chenming's mouth finally relaxed by half, curving into an extremely faint and light smile.

But for just a fleeting second, he returned to that unmoving, expressionless look.

"If you truly want to do something,"

"The scripture repository in the side hall of the Pope's Palace-those thirty thousand volumes of records, go sort and tally them up. I heard several volumes have been eaten by insects, it's about time they were mended."

Hearing this, the Azure Luan Douluo smiled again: "The Pope is having the First Lord act as a librarian."

"That's still better than chanting scriptures." Jiang Mo muttered a sentence.

A suppressed wave of laughter rose around the table once more.