In the study room of the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong paused her actions as she heard the report from the Sacred Knight outside. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she turned to look towards the door.
"Speak."
"A letter has arrived from the steward of the Wuhun Branch Hall in Nuoding City, named Su Yuntao," the Sacred Knight replied respectfully. "Three months ago, in a village called Holy Spirit Village, Su Yuntao awakened a child with innate full soul power, a Blue Silver Grass Spirit user named Tang San. He suspects that this Tang San might be the very person we've been searching for. However, out of fear that Tang San's father might truly be the legendary Haotian Douluo, he did not confirm the father's identity."
"He now sends this letter to report his findings and seeks Your Holiness's decision on whether this Tang San is indeed the one linked to Tang Hao, the fugitive we have been pursuing."
"Innate full soul power with a Blue Silver Grass Spirit?" Bibi Dong murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly. As the esteemed Pope of the Wuhun Hall, she possessed a profound understanding of Wuhun inheritance and the mysteries of martial spirits.
It was common knowledge among soul masters that the strength of a martial spirit directly correlated with the level of innate soul power a person had at birth. The ordinary Blue Silver Grass spirit, known for being weak, should never have produced a child with full innate soul power. This left two possibilities: either Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was not ordinary, or the child possessed twin martial spirits.
However, Bibi Dong knew another fundamental truth about Wuhun inheritance: when two martial spirits are inherited, the stronger spirit often suppresses or absorbs the weaker one. Unless both martial spirits are of comparable strength, it's rare to see a dual martial spirit wielder. Combining these theories, one thing became clear to Bibi Dong: Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was far from ordinary.
If Tang San was indeed the son of Tang Hao, then it was highly probable that his mother was none other than the legendary Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin—a spirit beast that had cultivated for over 100,000 years. Only a child born from such a powerful spirit beast could inherit such innate full soul power. And given that the boy's name was Tang San, the connection was almost undeniable.
"I see," Bibi Dong said after a moment of reflection. "You may leave. For now, do not respond to Su Yuntao. We will handle this matter later, and once our operation is complete, only then will you proceed with rewarding him according to my instructions."
"Understood!" The Sacred Knight saluted respectfully before retreating.
As the knight left, Bibi Dong remained seated, gently tapping her fingers on the desk in thought. Though she had received vital information, she wasn't in a hurry. Instead, she calmly resumed her work, tending to the various affairs of the Wuhun Hall. After all, some matters demanded patience and careful planning.
But not everyone shared Bibi Dong's patience.
Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Chrysanthemum Douluo (Yue Guan) and Ghost Douluo (Gui Mei) finished their training at the Wuhun simulation field. Upon hearing that news regarding Tang Hao's whereabouts had arrived, the two quickly made their way to the Pope's Palace.
Compared to Bibi Dong, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei were far more anxious about Tang Hao. Having once accompanied the former Pope, Qian Xunji, in hunting Tang Hao and his wife—leading to Ah Yin's self-sacrifice—they feared retribution from the Haotian Douluo. For years, they had been on edge, dreading the day Tang Hao would come seeking revenge.
When they learned that there was finally news of Tang Hao and his son, they rushed to the Pope's Palace without delay, eager to see action taken.
"Pope, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Ghost Douluo request an audience!" the Sacred Knight announced outside the study.
Bibi Dong, hearing this, was not surprised. She expected them to come.
"Let them in."
The Sacred Knight gestured for the two elders to enter. Once inside, they bowed respectfully to Bibi Dong. It was Yue Guan who spoke first, his impatience clear.
"Your Holiness, we've received word about Tang Hao's whereabouts. Shouldn't we act immediately? If we delay, we risk him slipping away again. We must strike quickly!"
"Slipping away?" Bibi Dong smiled slightly, setting down her work. "Whether Tang Hao flees or not doesn't depend on whether we act immediately or not. There are only two possible scenarios right now."
"Two scenarios?" Gui Mei echoed, puzzled.
"Yes, two possibilities," Bibi Dong confirmed. "Either, after the recent live stream exposed his son's name, Tang Hao has already fled, taking precautions. Or, he remains in hiding, hoping we haven't connected the dots yet."
Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, her gaze sharp. "I believe it's the latter. Tang Hao has never been one for caution. He acted rashly with the Clear Sky Clan, and he has shown the same arrogance toward our Wuhun Hall. He's likely gambling that we haven't fully uncovered his son's identity."
"Besides," she continued, "Tang Hao's wife, Ah Yin, hasn't spoken in any of the recent live streams—no doubt thanks to Lin Yu's provocations. Given Tang Hao's deep attachment to her, I doubt he'll leave so easily without attempting to reconcile. And that, my dear elders, is what keeps him rooted for now."
Yue Guan listened, nodding in agreement, though still somewhat concerned. "Your Holiness, what if Tang Hao does eventually give up and flee?"
Bibi Dong smiled faintly. "If Tang Hao were the type to give up, he would have done so long ago. No, right now, he is most alert. He knows we've discovered something important and is likely watching closely. If we rush now, we risk scaring him off."
"Instead," she proposed, "we should bide our time. Let him lower his guard."
"How so?" Gui Mei asked, intrigued.
"We wait," Bibi Dong replied. "We'll make our move in about half a month, timing it with the next live stream. During that stream, we'll spread misinformation—leaking that our search turned up nothing. After the broadcast, we strike swiftly, catching Tang Hao off guard."
Her eyes gleamed with confidence. "Not only that, but this period will also give the Douluo Palace time to prepare. The live stream has already revealed that Tang San is destined to destroy our Wuhun Hall. Even if Tang Chen fears Tang San's lineage, surely he won't remain passive in the face of such a dire prophecy."
Upon hearing Bibi Dong's plan, both Yue Guan and Gui Mei were awestruck.
"Your Holiness," Yue Guan praised, his eyes lighting up, "brilliant as always!"