Chapter 184: The Pope's Bosom Friend, A Titan of the Theoretical World
Soon, those unlucky low-level guards who had been conscripted by Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan arrived outside the cell at the deepest part of the tenement building, holding their noses.
Before they even entered, a thick, suffocating, fishy stench—commonly known as the'scent of boxwood'—mixed with the smell of sweat and damp mold, hit them like a biochemical weapon.
The men suppressed their nausea and peered inside.
Under the dim light, they saw a disheveled, filthy, and listless buzz cut slumped in a messy pile of straw. That image... was simply a cruel assault on the human visual nerves.
"Holy crap! My eyes!"
The guard in the lead cried out, instinctively covering his eyes as if he had suffered some unspeakable mental pollution.
"Is... is this something a human can do? It burns! My eyes are burning!"
Another guard who had come with him couldn't hold it back and started dry-heaving against the wall.
"Urgh—damn! This smell is too much! Are these people pickling salted fish in there?"
The two looked at each other, both seeing deep despair in the other's eyes.
Although they desperately wanted to turn and run, once they thought of the death order given by that germaphobic Elder Chrysanthemum Douluo, they had to bite the bullet no matter how much they resisted.
"Hey! You, the buzz cut!"
The guard stood at the door, unwilling to take even half a step inside. He banged on the iron bars with his scabbard and shouted irritably.
"If you're not dead, hurry up and crawl out! You can leave!"
"Follow us, we'll take you to... get cleaned up. What bad luck!"
Hearing that he could finally leave, the light of hope instantly burst into the eyes of the previously hollow-eyed Yu Xiaogang.
Finally... it's finally here!
Even though his body and mind were currently broken, and even though Scar and his gang held something over him, it didn't stop him from wanting to regain his dignity in front of Bibi Dong!
"Bibi Dong..."
Yu Xiaogang muttered the name through gritted teeth in his heart.
"And you call yourself the Pope of Spirit Hall, and you keep saying you love me! You actually let such evil, filthy things happen in Spirit City right under your nose!"
"This is your dereliction of duty! You have wronged me, Yu Xiaogang!"
In an instant, this " Theoretical Master's' logic completed an astonishing closed loop.
Since I suffered on your turf, you must compensate me!
He was originally thinking about how to ask for the secrets of the Tang Sect, but now, he had the perfect excuse!
"I won't forgive you easily... unless you personally hand over the secret method that allows Martial Souls to evolve and Soul Rings to be absorbed beyond one's rank to This Master!"
"Only then can the trauma This Master suffered today be soothed!"
Thinking this, even though Xiaogang was currently in agonizing pain and dressed in rags like a beggar, he forced his narrow spine straight, regaining his former confidence of a strategist who could command the world.
He struggled to crawl up from the ground, habitually placing his hands—which were covered in unknown fluids—behind his back. With his chin slightly raised, he walked out in a swaggering, arrogant manner despite his wretched state.
That silhouette made it seem as if he wasn't a victim who had just crawled out of a demon's den, but an emperor who had just finished inspecting the commoners.
...
Outside the tenement building.
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, who had long since grown impatient, watched as the buzz cut—who reeked of filth yet still kept his hands behind his back and his chin raised, exuding an Aura of 'ruling the world'—walked out. The veins on Yue Guan's temples throbbed wildly.
What a poser!
He was really acting like such a poser!
As an Elder of Spirit Hall, in Yue Guan's view, the current Pope was a person of great talent and vision; her methods and strength were both impeccable.
Setting everything else aside, at least during Bibi Dong's reign, she had indeed brought Spirit Hall to heights the previous Pope never reached.
If not for this good-for-nothing known as the " Master " acting as a stain on her life, Bibi Dong would be the definition of perfection.
Moreover, to some extent, he and this buzz cut were old acquaintances.
Back when Bibi Dong was still the Holy Maiden, he knew of this good-for-nothing's existence, he just didn't expect things to turn out like this in the end.
At this moment, their gazes met in the air.
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes was the arrogance of 'a commoner like you doesn't understand me'; while in Yue Guan's eyes was the disgust of 'where did this trash come from and why hasn't it been sorted yet'.
As someone with severe germaphobia, the smell of sweat, boxwood, and various unknown fluids on Yu Xiaogang's body was nothing short of a psychological critical hit from a biochemical weapon for Yue Guan.
He instinctively pinched his fingers and covered his nose and mouth, even taking half a step back. He shouted unkindly at the two guards who were still dazed.
"Are you deaf to the order I just gave?"
"Hurry up and take this good-for-nothing... cough, take this " Master Yu " down to get a good cleaning!"
"Remember, clean him inside and out! If even a hint of this disgusting smell lingers in the The Pope's Palace, I'll hold you responsible!"
Although Yue Guan quickly corrected himself, Yu Xiaogang's sensitive pride still caught that jarring word.
good-for-nothing?
Did that sissy just instinctively call him a good-for-nothing?
Yu Xiaogang's signature short-haired head snapped around, staring fixedly at Yue Guan, a flash of anger in his eyes.
Good, very good!
A mere Elder dares to be so disrespectful to the Pope's bosom friend and a titan of the theoretical world!
Master Yu will remember this debt!
When he sees Donger in a moment, he will definitely make a scathing report about this dead transvestite while they reminisce!
...
After undergoing a not-so-gentle 'forced scrubbing, " Master Yu finally washed away all that filth after much hardship.
To show his character as a " Master, " he specifically changed into a set of brand-new, neat black academic robes and groomed his signature short hair meticulously, making him look like a decent man.
Except for his somewhat unsteady steps and slightly swollen eyes, one could hardly tell he had just experienced a nightmare.
Under the disdainful lead of Yue Guan, he finally arrived once more before the building that symbolized the highest power in the Soul Master World.
Looking at the towering The Pope's Palace before him, Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and tried to make himself look more confident.
Creak—
Accompanied by a heavy and tooth-aching grinding sound, the thick doors of the The Pope's Palace slowly opened.
After many years, Yu Xiaogang once again stepped into the center of power in Spirit Hall, and was about to see the woman who inspired both love and hate in him, and whom he regarded as his greatest backer.
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