"Exactly."
A slightly effeminate voice echoed through the alley.
"This is Spirit City—the very heart of Spirit Hall. Did you really think there weren't any Spirit Douluos stationed here?"
The moment the voice sounded, a strange yet pleasant floral fragrance drifted into Yu Xiaogang's nose.
Instinctively, he turned toward the source of the scent.
Two figures had appeared beside him without anyone noticing.
One of them wore a luxurious platinum ceremonial robe decorated with countless precious gemstones. Every movement reflected dazzling light, making him appear extraordinarily noble.
Long golden hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his features were so beautiful that, for a brief moment, Yu Xiaogang genuinely couldn't determine whether the person before him was male or female.
Standing beside him was another figure cloaked in darkness.
A layer of black mist constantly swirled around his body, concealing his appearance. He stood there silently like a shadow, giving off an eerie and unsettling aura.
"You...!"
The Blood Hand Boss stared at the newcomers in shock.
His eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Moon Pass Spirit Douluo, Ghost Charm Spirit Douluo... it's actually the two of you!"
His voice trembled with disbelief.
The appearance of these two individuals had completely shattered every expectation he had.
Nearby, Bibi Dong immediately put on an expression of overwhelming relief, looking as though she had finally escaped death itself.
Seeing her exaggerated performance, Yue Guan couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
"Yue Guan! Gui Mei!"
The Blood Hand Boss roared.
"Why are you here?!"
"We clearly investigated everything beforehand!"
"Qian Xunji only assigned a single Spirit Saint to protect his disciple. Why would two Spirit Douluos suddenly appear here?!"
At this point, he was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.
To prepare for this operation, they had spent an entire month gathering intelligence.
Originally, they had planned to target Yu Xiaogang while he was alone.
Unfortunately, for the past month, Yu Xiaogang had practically never left Spirit Hall Academy.
Apart from participating in Spirit Fighting competitions, he remained inside the academy grounds.
Even worse, every time he entered the Spirit Arena, Bibi Dong accompanied him.
That made things much more troublesome.
Since they couldn't find an opportunity to isolate Yu Xiaogang, they had been forced to include Bibi Dong in their plans.
After extensive investigation, they discovered that Bibi Dong usually had only one Spirit Saint guarding her.
It seemed perfectly reasonable.
After all, this was Spirit City—the headquarters of Spirit Hall itself.
There was arguably no safer place in the entire continent.
Even so, Qian Xunji still arranged for a Spirit Saint to protect Bibi Dong at all times, which already demonstrated how much importance he placed on his disciple.
The Blood Hand Boss had calculated every detail based on that information.
But what was happening now?
Where was the Spirit Saint?
Why had he suddenly been replaced by two Spirit Douluos?
And not just ordinary Spirit Douluos either.
One was Yue Guan.
The other was Gui Mei.
Both were among Spirit Hall's most famous experts.
At that moment, the Blood Hand Boss felt as if all the effort he had spent over the past month had become a complete joke.
Yue Guan glanced at him and smiled.
"How should I explain this?"
"The mission we received wasn't to protect Bibi Dong."
The Blood Hand Boss froze.
"What?"
Yue Guan slowly turned his gaze toward Yu Xiaogang.
"The person we were assigned to protect..."
"...is him."
The alley fell silent.
Yu Xiaogang blinked.
Then he pointed at himself.
"Me?"
His face was filled with confusion.
The Pope of Spirit Hall had dispatched two Spirit Douluos specifically to protect him?
What kind of absurd development was this?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Yue Guan burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Kid, you really have no idea how valuable you are right now."
"The moment you exposed your spirit rings during the Spirit Fighting competition, His Holiness the Pope predicted something like this would happen."
"That's why he sent us here."
"Our mission is to ensure your safety."
"Now do you understand?"
Yu Xiaogang finally nodded in realization.
"So that's what happened."
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"In that case, I truly owe His Holiness my gratitude."
Although he still couldn't fully understand Qian Xunji's intentions, the fact remained that the Pope had sent two powerful Spirit Douluos to protect him.
Regardless of the reason, Yu Xiaogang appreciated the gesture.
He silently remembered this favor.
Yue Guan's smile immediately became much brighter.
Beside them, however, Bibi Dong wasn't nearly as pleased.
She pouted slightly.
A trace of dissatisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Teacher had already assigned her an important mission.
She was supposed to get close to Yu Xiaogang, earn his trust, and gradually increase his goodwill toward Spirit Hall.
Everything had been progressing steadily.
So why had Qian Xunji suddenly sent two Spirit Douluos to protect him?
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.
Could it be...
Teacher wasn't satisfied with her progress?
Did he think she was moving too slowly?
The possibility instantly appeared in her mind.
Bibi Dong felt somewhat wronged.
Yes, her progress wasn't exactly fast.
But could feelings really be rushed?
Building trust took time.
Relationships didn't develop overnight.
"Hmph."
Bibi Dong snorted inwardly.
"Teacher really doesn't understand these things at all."
"He wants results immediately."
"No wonder he's still single despite being so old."
"A person who knows nothing about relationships deserves to remain single forever!"
The moment this thought appeared, it was faithfully displayed by the Heavenly Curtain.
—
Spirit Hall.
Supreme Pontiff Palace.
The entire hall fell into a strange silence.
Everyone stared blankly at the Heavenly Curtain.
Then, one after another, they covered their mouths.
Their shoulders trembled violently.
They were trying desperately not to laugh.
Sitting upon the papal throne, Qian Xunji's expression instantly darkened.
His face turned black.
After all...
Even now, he still wasn't married.
Of course, if Qian Xunji truly wanted a wife, finding one would be incredibly easy.
As a Titled Douluo and the Pope of Spirit Hall, countless Spirit Masters would willingly marry him with a single command.
The line would probably stretch from the Supreme Pontiff Palace all the way beyond Spirit City.
The problem wasn't opportunity.
The problem was Qian Xunji himself.
His standards were absurdly high.
He wouldn't even consider female Spirit Masters below the Spirit Douluo level.
Unfortunately, female Spirit Douluos and Titled Douluos were exceedingly rare.
And even when he met one, those women had their own standards.
They weren't subordinates who would simply obey his orders.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts, Qian Xunji remained unmarried.
Meanwhile, his disciple Bibi Dong had long since married.
As a result, every meeting with Qian Daoliu became a painful experience.
The old man never missed an opportunity to mock him.
"Your Holiness."
Dragon Scale Douluo coughed lightly.
Trying not to laugh, he offered a sincere suggestion.
"If finding a Spirit Douluo is too difficult, perhaps you should lower your standards slightly."
"Spirit Saints are also excellent candidates."
"I'm sure many female Spirit Saints would be delighted if they knew you were interested."
The moment he finished speaking, the hall became deathly quiet.
Qian Xunji slowly turned his head.
His gaze was terrifying.
"Shut up."
The Pope's voice was cold.
"Even if I remain single for the rest of my life..."
"I will never lower my standards!"
"YOU shut up!"
A thunderous roar suddenly exploded through the hall.
Everyone jumped in shock.
Dragon Scale Douluo immediately retreated several steps.
The other elders followed suit.
Qian Xunji's face stiffened.
He knew that voice all too well.
A moment later, Qian Daoliu strode into the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
His expression was dark.
His aura was overwhelming.
Qian Xunji instantly felt his scalp go numb.
"Father, I—"
"Don't call me Father!"
Qian Daoliu interrupted him.
In a flash, he appeared directly in front of the throne.
His eyes blazed with anger.
"You truly are hopeless!"
"Even Xiaogang said it—you actually plan on staying single forever!"
"Are you trying to end the most outstanding bloodline of the Qian Family with your own hands?"
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
Nobody dared speak.
Qian Daoliu pointed beside the throne.
"Kneel there."
"And reflect on your mistakes."
Qian Xunji nearly choked.
"Father, please listen—"
"Silence!"
"Kneel!"
Seeing his father's completely unreasonable attitude, Qian Xunji felt utterly exhausted.
How had his life become like this?
His disciple had been stolen by Yu Xiaogang.
His position as Pope had effectively been taken over by Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang.
Yet somehow he was still the one doing all the paperwork.
Even worse, his own father had become one of Yu Xiaogang's supporters.
Every day he listened to Yu Xiaogang's opinions and used them to criticize his son.
Thinking about the countless grievances he had suffered over the years, Qian Xunji felt like crying.
At this moment, he reached a profound realization.
Yu Xiaogang truly was his natural nemesis.
"So what if I was a little strict with him back then?"
"Does he really need to hold a grudge for this many years?"
Qian Xunji felt completely wronged.
Unfortunately, Qian Daoliu remained unmoved.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the mighty Pope of Spirit Hall could only obediently walk over and kneel.
While appearing to reflect on his mistakes, his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
An essay was gradually forming in his mind.
A detailed account of every hardship and grievance he had endured throughout his life.
If Yu Xiaogang ever had the chance to read it, he would probably give it a very fitting title.
"My Toxic Family."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)