When Salas saw the three of them arrive, his expression changed drastically. Plastering a smile over his face, he said, "So it's the Emperor and Ling Yuan Douluo. I... I was only joking with them. How did I end up troubling you to come here?"
Lin Chen said lightly, "That wasn't what you were saying just now. What's this? Do you want to be Pope?"
"N-n-n... no!" Salas trembled with fright and hurriedly explained, "Emperor, I truly didn't know they were your people. If I had, I wouldn't have dared cause trouble here even if I'd had a hundred times the courage!"
He was terrified, because even if Lin Chen killed him on the spot, he wouldn't face any punishment.
What a joke. Lin Chen was Spirit Hall's once-in-a-thousand-years genius, a Soul King who had slain a Titled Douluo, and His Holiness the Pope's man. Even when he went out, a Titled Douluo accompanied him for protection. Which of those identities wouldn't let him deal with Salas with ease?
Besides, he knew full well how dark-hearted the people in the Worship Hall were. If he died, the most they would do was burn a little paper for him...
Who would offend the Emperor, whose star was now at its zenith, over a dead man?
Bishop Yang said coldly, "Why are you still standing here? Do you want to anger the Emperor and the Elder?! Get lost!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I'm leaving, I'm leaving right now!" Salas watched Lin Chen timidly, and only when he saw that Lin Chen didn't object did he scramble away on all fours.
After they left with their men, Bishop Yang said respectfully, "Emperor, since everything here is settled, this subordinate will take his leave."
Lin Chen glanced at him and said indifferently, "Tell Salas that if there's a next time, even the Worship Hall won't be able to protect him!"
"This subordinate understands."
"Go."
Golden Bishop Yang Feng oversaw all affairs in the territories occupied by Spirit Hall. He was among the foremost of the outer elders, his status second only to those who held elder and offering seats!
A peak Soul Douluo, he was not only powerful but also highly capable at managing affairs. He was well versed in the ways of the world and remained neutral among Spirit Hall's factions. He had also attended the assembly that day and learned that Skywater Academy had a slight connection to Lin Chen.
So when Salas came to cause trouble, he took the initiative to report it to Ling Yuan Douluo, doing Lin Chen a convenient favor in the process.
But the Worship Hall stood behind Salas. His teacher was Holy Dragon Douluo, the Third Offering, and his fellow disciples were cardinals in other cities. Though a golden bishop's status was not low, it fell far short of an offering's seat, so Yang Feng couldn't let Salas die at Lin Chen's hands either.
Although he had appeared to be scolding Salas just now, he had actually wanted him to leave quickly...
Lin Chen saw that he knew his place, so he gave him face and left Salas alone.
Once everyone had left, the Tianshui Girl Group instantly crowded around Lin Chen, smiles lighting up every one of their exquisite faces. "Brother Lin Chen, you've helped us again~"
"Hee-hee... Brother Lin Chen, I knew you'd come save us~"
Seven shapely girls with lovely faces surrounded Lin Chen, and a refreshing natural fragrance filled the air around him.
"All right, stop fussing~"
Just then, Shui Ningrou finally stepped forward to "rescue" Lin Chen. "Thank you for helping us today, Emperor. Please come inside. I'll go brew you a pot of tea~"
"All right~"
Spirit City, a courtyard
Salas stood before Golden Bishop Yang Feng, bowing and scraping repeatedly. "Thank you so much today, Bishop Yang. Otherwise, I'm afraid the Emperor wouldn't have let me off so easily."
Yang Feng frowned deeply. "Be more careful next time. The Emperor was very displeased this time. If he catches you again, even your teacher won't be able to protect you!"
"Understood, understood!" Salas hurriedly took out a palm-sized storage bag and pressed it into Yang Feng's arms. "Bishop Yang, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."
Yang Feng hastily declined. "What are you doing? We're fellow disciples in Spirit Hall. How could I possibly stand by and let you die?"
Although he kept declining with his words, his body honestly accepted it.
Several dozen breaths later...
After Salas left, the golden bishop's expression darkened at once. Looking at the three thousand Gold Soul Coins inside the storage bag, he sighed. "It's like walking on thin ice. What a hard life..."
In a palace
Bang!
Salas slammed the table and sprang to his feet in fury, his expression ugly. "I never would have thought that the prey I've had my eye on for years would be snatched up first by some junior!"
"If my teacher hadn't told us to keep a low profile lately, I'd really want to find someone to teach him a lesson!"
The guards beside him remained silent. They knew the bishop was venting his anger for nothing. Even though the Worship Hall now controlled Spirit Hall, he still didn't dare make a move against Lin Chen.
After all, even the Great Enshrined would treat a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius like him as an honored guest. If Bibi Dong hadn't already claimed Lin Chen, how could the Great Enshrined have failed to bring him into the offerings' faction?
What's more, judging by the strength Lin Chen had shown, even Salas was far inferior to him...
"And that fucking Yang Feng! He must have secretly tipped them off behind my back. Otherwise, how could Lin Chen have arrived so quickly?!"
"If the Worship Hall weren't still trying to win him over, I'd really want to deal with him!"
Deal with him? How?
A mere cardinal like you wanted to deal with a golden bishop two ranks above you? The guards around him all took their leave, so they wouldn't get dragged into it and cursed at for nothing.
Meanwhile
At Skywater Academy's temporary residence, Lin Chen had been invited to sit in the seat of honor. Shui Bing'er and the other girls gathered around him, chattering away with questions.
"Brother Lin Chen~" Shui Yue'er asked innocently, "Sister Hairou and the others want to train in Death Canyon too. Could you help them~?"
Lin Chen chuckled. "My wife, the Pope, set the quotas. They won't be easy to change..."
He was talking out of his ass. Bibi Dong could even open a secret realm, so how could he fail to get a few slots? He only said that because he wanted the Tianshui girls to think it would be difficult.
"Ah~ I see~" Shui Yue'er said, her pretty face falling.
Apart from her, innocent and pure as she was, Shui Bing'er, Yu Hairou, and the other girls had long since learned something of the ways of the world, so they didn't dare speak up lightly. Only Shui Yue'er, the youngest, dared to ask.
"Still, I can ask for you. This matter has far-reaching implications, so although it's a little difficult, there shouldn't be a problem if I step in."
The moment Lin Chen finished speaking, Shui Yue'er threw herself into his arms in delight. Yu Hairou, Xue Wu, and the other girls beside them also jumped for joy, then swarmed around him, some giving him a massage and others rubbing his legs.
"Hee-hee... thank you, Brother Lin Chen~"
Lin Chen casually slipped an arm around Shui Yue'er's slender waist, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
Tap, tap... tap, tap...
Shui Ningrou, who had just brewed the tea and was walking over, froze when she saw the scene. At a loss, she didn't know whether she should go over...
After hesitating for a while, she decided to go over after all.
"Emperor, the tea is ready~"
When Shui Yue'er saw her mother arrive, her pretty face flushed. She hurriedly rose from Lin Chen's arms and said timidly, "Mother~"
Shui Ningrou glared at her, then hurriedly explained, "Emperor, Yue'er and the others don't know proper manners. Please don't blame them~"
She then poured a cup of tea and offered it to him with both hands.
"It's all right~"
Lin Chen was just about to take the cup when he froze. Her neckline was neither particularly high nor low, and under normal circumstances, nothing would have been visible.
But Lin Chen was sitting, and Shui Ningrou had to bend over to hand him the cup, so that glimpse of snow-white skin came into view...
"Ah..."
Bang! Splash...
Shui Ningrou cried out and hurriedly straightened up, covering her neckline. But the tea spilled onto the tea table and splashed onto Lin Chen as well.