Chapter 409: Pope Bibi Dong (Part 2)

Feeling the Great Master's breath on her face, a faint flush rose to the Pope's cheeks. Her breath slightly ragged, she said, "Yu Xiaogang, so you know how to panic? Do you still remember how you left me back then? For your own sister—how laughable, truly laughable. You refused to accept me for your sister's sake. That I could become Pope is indeed thanks to you, but I hate you. You are the person I hate most in this entire life. I want to make you suffer. Not only will I kill your precious disciple, I will also kill Liu Erlong. No, I won't kill her. I will torment her, just to make you suffer."

The Pope's emotions were visibly escalating, her eyes as cold and venomous as a viper's.

Just then, a gentle knock came from outside.

"Get lost! Did I not say no one is to disturb me without my order?" the Pope roared in fury.

The person outside seemed taken aback; the Pope was never one for such temper. "Your Holiness, the two Elders have sent word. They failed to complete their mission and await your instructions."

"What? Failed?" The Pope's expression changed sharply. She turned to the Great Master, her gaze hard. "Your disciple's luck seems remarkably good."

The Great Master paused. The red in his eyes gradually faded, and he released his grip on her shoulders. As his emotions calmed, he addressed her, "You sent people to kill Tang San, and I suspect it isn't merely because of his talent. With Spirit Hall's power, would you truly fear a single Soul Master? If I'm not mistaken, it's because of his father, isn't it?"

The Pope's gaze froze. "You're still as clever as ever. Leave. I don't want to see you again."

The Great Master nodded silently and walked toward the door. As he reached it and grasped the handle, he suddenly paused, his voice calm and flat, "Twenty years, Bibi Dong. You are still as beautiful, but I have grown old. If you were the one facing a mortal threat today, I would have reacted the same way. After all, you were the first person I ever loved."

"Bullshit!" The Pope's body trembled violently. "You know how to love? You don't deserve to use that word. If you loved me, you would have stayed! You chose to be with your own sister instead! You bastard, get out!"

"The real reason I left you—don't ask me. Go ask the dead Pope instead. Heartless and faithless—that's the term you've always used to describe me in your heart, isn't it? Think what you will. I'll say it one last time: if Tang San dies at the hands of anyone from Spirit Hall, I will take my revenge at any cost. Bibi Dong—this is the last time I call you that. Since you sent people after Tang San, the bond between us ends here."

He wrenched the door open and strode out.

Pope Bibi Dong's body swayed violently, as if only the support of her scepter kept her from collapsing.

She hated the Great Master—a hatred that had endured for a full twenty years. To maintain such hatred for so long spoke of just how deep her love for him had once been. The Great Master's final words had just created a crack in that wall of resentment.

She recalled everything the previous Pope had taught her, and all the events of the past. The truth, long obscured by hatred, began to surface in her heart.

The room before her grew hazy. Her grip on the scepter tightened until her knuckles turned white. "Is this fate's cruel joke? Xiaogang... the bond between us, the bond between us..."

She suddenly ran to the place where the Great Master had been sitting moments before, sat down, and lifted the still-warm cup of tea, drinking it down in great gulps.

...

The Soul Master team representing the Tian Dou Empire continued their journey. In the days that followed, no further incidents occurred. To better protect these Soul Masters, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had temporarily requisitioned three thousand armored soldiers from cities along their route to serve as an escort. He had also summoned expert Soul Masters from the capital to hurry to their location.

Xue Qinghe did not speak with Tang San again. He was well aware of the trouble Tang San faced, and in this moment, he was using his actions to win Tang San's favor.

Throughout the journey, the mood among the Shrek Academy group remained subdued. The only piece of good news came when Xiao Wu, five days' travel from Wuhun City, finally broke through to the fortieth rank. To help her obtain her fourth Soul Ring as quickly as possible, Liu Erlong took her directly to find a suitable Soul Beast. They planned to rejoin the main group in Wuhun City.

Finally, the entire procession arrived at Wuhun City. Due to the city's unique regulations, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe ordered the armored soldiers and the Royal Knight Corps to make camp outside the walls. He then led the fifteen Soul Master teams into Wuhun City itself.

Compared to vast cities like Tiandou City or Sotuo City, Wuhun City was much smaller—less than a tenth of Tiandou City's area. Yet the awe it inspired in the Soul Masters was no less profound.