Chrysanthemum Douluo personally went to Heaven Dou City to investigate, which took several days.
He first retrieved all the public records of the Pill Pavilion from Salas over the past six months, then personally visited several Pill Pavilion pharmacies in Godwind City and Heaven Dou City, and even privately asked a few low-level Soul Master who had bought pills.
The more I investigated, the more I realized this organization was not simple.
Pill Pavilion has already opened several branches within the Heaven Dou Empire. There are pharmacies with signs in Godwind City, Heaven Dou City, and Suotuo City. The shops are not large, but they are always bustling with customers.
A fixed monthly supply of basic pills is provided—some to restore Soul Power, some to aid cultivation, and some to strengthen the body's foundation. The variety is not large, but each one is effective.
Its reputation spread rapidly among the people, with even low-level Soul Master traveling from dozens of miles away to buy the medicine.
In addition to supplying pills in bulk to Soul Master Associations and Academies in surrounding cities, Pill Pavilion's shops also sell pills to ordinary Soul Master in bulk, establishing a stable and rapid distribution channel.
More importantly, there has not been a single negative feedback regarding any of the pills sold to date.
Chrysanthemum Douluo grew increasingly alarmed as he investigated, and quickly compiled the information into a briefing, which he then urgently sent back to Spirit City.
When Bibi Dong received the briefing, it was nearly dusk. She sat in the council chamber and flipped through the pages from beginning to end, her fingertips pausing at a certain point before she closed the briefing.
"Has Yue Guan personally confirmed this?" she asked the confidant who delivered the message.
" Your His Holiness the Pope, Chrysanthemum Douluo personally visited and verified that the contents of the report are true."
Bibi Dong nodded, leaned back in her chair, and remained silent for a moment.
Pill Pavilion's development speed was much faster than she had anticipated. They were opening branches, establishing distribution channels, and building a strong reputation.
In a short period of time, they accomplished what many powerful forces couldn't do in several years. More importantly, the effects of those pills were real and tangible.
If left unchecked, a force capable of mass-producing effective pills, rapidly expanding its distribution channels, and having made no mistakes to date, will eventually grow to an uncontrollable state.
Bibi Dong placed the briefing on the corner of the table, picked up a pen and wrote a secret letter, sealed it, and handed it to her confidant. "Send this urgently to the Heaven Dou Branch Hall, for Salas's personal opening."
The messenger accepted the order and departed.
The letter arrived in Heaven Dou the following evening. Salas opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and read it twice, his expression gradually becoming serious.
His Holiness the Pope's meaning is clear—to recruit the Pill Pavilion and bring them under the wing of the Spirit Hall.
Salas dared not delay, and the next morning he set off for the Godwind Academy with two attendants.
When the carriage stopped outside the gates of the Godwind Academy, the morning mist had not yet dissipated. Salas alighted from the carriage, straightened his clothes, and stepped inside.
The students at the entrance tried to stop him, but were deterred by the Spirit Hall token displayed by his attendant. Salas said nothing, walked straight through the front yard, and headed towards the main building of the academy.
Feng Qingxuan met him in the reception room on the first floor of the main building.
When Salas entered the drawing room, he took a half-step slower than when he entered through the front door.
He saw Feng Qingxuan standing in the hall—the other party did not release his Soul Power, but just stood there quietly, but Salas knew what level this person was.
Titled Douluo, Level 92.
Salas himself wasn't even Soul Douluo, but facing a Titled Douluo, he instinctively tensed the muscles in his back.
But having served as bishop for so many years, he maintained a composed demeanor, cupping his hands in a respectful greeting. " Dean Feng."
Feng Qingxuan stood in the hall, his expression calm. "Bishop Salas, it is an honor to have you here. Please, let's sit down and talk."
Salas mentally reviewed the Pope's orders again, then sat down, trying to relax his posture, but his fingers on his knees unconsciously tightened around the hem of his robe.
He cleared his throat, his voice lower than expected. " Dean Feng, I've come today to ask you to help me make connections with the Pill Pavilion. On behalf of the Spirit Hall, I wish to discuss something with the Pill Pavilion."
Feng Qingxuan looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "Bishop Salas, there's no need to beat around the bush. I am the representative of the Pill Pavilion Pill Pavilion, and I have full authority to make decisions regarding its affairs."
Salas was taken aback, clearly not expecting Feng Qingxuan to be so direct. He had prepared a set of excuses to deal with the situation where Feng Qingxuan would decline, saying he couldn't make the decision, but the other party had blocked his way with just one sentence.
Feng Qingxuan continued, "So, if there's anything, just tell me directly."
Salas snapped out of his reverie, considered the situation for a moment, and decided to cut to the chase. "Since that's the case, I'll be frank—"
His Holiness the Pope greatly admires Pill Pavilion and is willing to accept Pill Pavilion, providing resources, protection, and room for development.
The pills from the Pill Pavilion can be transported to all cities across the continent, no longer restricted by geographical location. What does Dean Feng think?
After listening, Feng Qingxuan shook his head without any hesitation. " The Pill Pavilion is an independent entity, not affiliated with any power. The Pill Pavilion appreciates the Spirit Hall's goodwill. There's no need to discuss submission further."
Salas's smile faded slightly, " Dean Feng, you need to think this through."
The Spirit Hall is offering an opportunity that others would kill for. The Pill Pavilion's pills are indeed excellent, but how far can you go on your own?
"How far they can go is Pill Pavilion's own business." Feng Qingxuan's gaze met Salas's. "Thank you for your concern, Bishop."
The reception room fell silent for a few moments.
Salas looked at Feng Qingxuan's calm face and knew that continuing the conversation would be pointless.
He stood up, his tone turning cold. " Dean Feng, let me give you a piece of advice— the Spirit Hall never gives up on what it wants just because it's refused."
Feng Qingxuan didn't say anything, but simply got up to see the guest out.
Salas paused at the door, turned his head, and said in a low voice, "You'll regret this."
After saying that, he didn't linger and strode out of the reception room, his footsteps fading into the distance in the corridor.
Feng Qingxuan stood in the hall watching his figure disappear around the corner, his fingers hanging at his sides tightening slightly.
Only after the sound of Salas's carriage completely disappeared from the direction of the academy gate did he turn around and glance at the half-closed door of the side hall.
Feng Lingtian walked out from behind the door and leaned against the door frame.
"Did you hear that?" Feng Qingxuan asked.
"I heard that," Feng Lingtian said.
Feng Qingxuan glanced at him but didn't press the matter. He sat back down in his chair, picked up the now-cold tea, and took a sip. "He won't let this go so easily."
Salas is backed by Bibi Dong. Since recruiting him is a dead end, Bibi Dong will definitely have another move.
Feng Lingtian walked to the window and pushed it open halfway. The morning mist had mostly dissipated, and the sunlight shone in obliquely, casting a bright trail on the ground.
"I know," Feng Lingtian said, "This is just the beginning."
Upon returning to the Heaven Dou City branch, Salas did not delay and immediately wrote a secret letter to report the results back to Spirit City.
Three days later, the messenger delivered Salas's reply to Bibi Dong's desk.
Bibi Dong unfolded the letter, scanned the few lines of text, and her expression did not change significantly. She put the letter down, tapped the paper lightly with her fingertips, and then looked up at Ghost Douluo standing below her.
" Gui Mei."
Ghost Douluo stepped out of the shadows and bowed to receive the order.
"Since Pill Pavilion doesn't know what's good for them, let's try a different way to recruit them. You'll handle this."
Ghost Douluo raised his head from the shadows, revealing a pair of deep, dark eyes beneath his cloak. He paused for a moment before speaking, his voice lower than usual. " Your His Holiness the Pope means...?"
Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. "You know better than I what the Soul Master World fears most."
Any reason—that the pills are malfunctioning, or that people from the Pill Pavilion are committing crimes—will suffice, as long as it makes people believe there's something wrong with the Pill Pavilion.
Let's ruin their reputations. Let them experience the consequences of their bad reputations backfiring.
Ghost Douluo's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile as he bowed and replied, "Understood, Your subordinate."
He accepted the order and withdrew, his black figure disappearing silently into the shadows of the corridor.
Bibi Dong sat alone in the council hall, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, her gaze fixed on the twilight sky outside the window.
"Since you refuse to submit—then destroy me."
After she finished speaking, the council chamber fell silent, with only the candlelight flickering silently in the corner.