**Chapter 117: The Master is a Great Pervert**
After accepting Yu Xiaogang, Qian Xunji quickly spread the news.
It didn't take long for the entire continent to learn that Yu Xiaogang had approached the Martial Soul Hall and taken the initiative to join.
"The young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect actually joined the Martial Soul Hall?!"
"Hahahahaha, I wonder how swollen the faces of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect are right now?"
"Did the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect ever imagine that their young master, who was just expelled from the sect, would take the initiative to join the Martial Soul Hall?"
"I can't believe it. Who would have thought he'd take such an unpredictable action?"
"That's right. After all, he's the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, yet he didn't care about his identity and chose to join the Martial Soul Hall. He didn't care about his old sect at all!"
"Yes, by doing such a thing, he completely severed his relationship with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. He will never be able to return to his sect in this lifetime!"
"That's truly stupid. He should've tried to find a way back to the sect. After all, he's still the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect..."
"I think he has no intention of returning. He might even hate his old sect in his heart. He chose to join the Martial Soul Hall just to turn the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect into a laughingstock!"
"Hey~ Could that really be the case?"
"After all, he was also the sect's young master..."
"Yes, even if he was expelled, it's because of his own problems!"
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect didn't mistreat him. Yu Yuanzhen poured a massive amount of resources into his cultivation!"
"Yes, Yu Yuanzhen was very generous. Anywhere else, with the level of talent that boy displayed, there's no way he would've received such resources..."
"So it's clear that he failed to meet the sect's expectations, and he was ungrateful. After being expelled, he decided to take revenge on the sect as soon as he found an opportunity..."
"..."
For a time, Yu Xiaogang and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect once again became the focus of discussion within the soul master community. Originally, Yu Xiaogang was the only one mocked, but now the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had joined in the ridicule.
This gossip naturally reached the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect very quickly.
The disciples who had mocked Yu Xiaogang before were furious when they learned that he turned his back on the sect and joined the Martial Soul Hall.
Even though he had been a disgrace, he was now disgracing the sect as well!
They also felt deep contempt for Yu Xiaogang's betrayal.
Even if the sect leader expelled him, you don't stab your own sect in the back like that!
The sect leader is your father!
"You went to join the Martial Soul Hall so soon?"
When Yu Yuanzhen heard the news, he was a little stunned and felt a bit conflicted.
Even though he had expelled Yu Xiaogang from the sect, it was to fulfill his son's wishes so he could join the Martial Soul Hall without any trouble.
It's just that Yu Xiaogang had just left the sect and chose to join the Martial Soul Hall so directly, which still left him a little sad about his youngest son's behavior.
He made that decision so quickly, even at the cost of the dignity of his family and the sect!
...
"As expected, he joined the Martial Soul Hall!"
Gu Ziyi, who had already arrived at the Tiandou Temple, quickly learned about Yu Xiaogang's admission to the Martial Soul Hall.
However, he merely scoffed lightly and paid little attention.
After all, he had already instructed Li Chanfei to keep an eye on Bibi Dong.
If anything were to happen to his elder sister, Li Chanfei would inform him immediately.
Although he was confident that Bibi Dong would not fall for Yu Xiaogang as she did in the canon storyline, especially since he had turned her from a girl into his woman, Gu Ziyi still left Li Chanfei as insurance.
He trusted her but believed in being cautious to avoid ending up with a metaphorical pair of horns.
His vigilance was not about Yu Xiaogang falling for his elder sister but rather about the lengths he might go to achieve his goals.
In Gu Ziyi's view, after Yu Xiaogang joined the Martial Soul Hall in the canon storyline, his intentions in approaching Bibi Dong were far from innocent.
When cards are laid on the table, predictions are straightforward, but hidden cards are unpredictable. Gu Ziyi worried that Yu Xiaogang might employ underhanded methods to get close to his woman.
If it were an honest approach, he wouldn't be as concerned.
Putting the matter of Yu Xiaogang aside, Gu Ziyi continued reviewing various documents laid out before him.
These papers contained information about sects located within the Tiandou Empire's capital.
After presenting his ideas about conquering certain sects to Qian Xunji, Gu Ziyi was now tasked with personally assessing the feasibility of his plan.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't warrant consideration. It's too challenging. Both Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo are still young at this time, healthy and strong. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is a significant ally of the Empire and will certainly not align with the Martial Soul Hall!"
"This would only be possible if, one day, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were no longer around!"
"Or if other auxiliary martial souls emerged to genuinely threaten the status of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda as the best auxiliary martial soul—only then might it be possible to win them over to our side."
"Of course, there's another possibility: when the Martial Soul Hall becomes an unstoppable power, Ning Fengzhi—being astute—might very well choose to join the Hall."
Gu Ziyi quickly dismissed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The effort required would be monumental and likely unrewarding.
"No… actually, there's some room for maneuvering. All we need is the Delicate Silk Tulip, the immortal plant that can evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
"When they confirm that Tang Yuehua's noble martial soul threatens their position as the best auxiliary martial soul in the future, we could very well win them over by merely revealing that we possess the Delicate Silk Tulip!"
"The problem lies in how to prove that the Delicate Silk Tulip can indeed evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Even Yue Guan is unaware of this effect, so it's even less likely that I would know."
"And even if we present this immortal plant, it might not succeed. For now, let's shelve this method!"
Gu Ziyi shook his head and continued examining information about other sects.
"The Armored Elephant Sect, the Bird Bee Sect…"
Gu Ziyi's eyes landed on information about the Armored Elephant Sect and the Bird Bee Sect. (N/E: Unsure what this Bird Bee Sect refers to—any ideas?)
These two sects were also relatively close to the Tiandou Empire and were ones he was fairly familiar with.
After the reorganization of the original seven sects, one had become the leader of the upper three sects, while the other belonged to the lower four.
However, now the Armored Elephant Sect was merely part of the lower four sects, and the Bird Bee Sect wasn't even among the main seven sects.
Still, they remained relatively powerful sects.
"Then it will be the Elephant Armored Sect!"
Gu Ziyi quickly made a decision.
When given a choice, he always preferred the simplest yet most representative option.
The Elephant Armored Sect, being one of the four lower sects, was sufficiently representative for his plans.
As for the simplicity, Gu Ziyi based his judgment on how this sect was portrayed in the original storyline. Whether it would actually be easy to win over the Elephant Armored Sect, he couldn't say for certain.
However, judging from their behavior in the original work, it was definitely feasible to bring them to his side.
"Your Highness, the Holy Son, there is a woman outside asking to see you!"
Just as Gu Ziyi was finalizing his decision, a tall and thin elderly man entered the room.
The man appeared quite aged, likely in his fifties or sixties.
This was Platinum Bishop Salas, a Level 85 Soul Douluo who had taken over as the administrator of the Tiandou Temple following Li Chanfei's departure.
Decades later, Salas would still serve as the Platinum Bishop of the Tiandou Temple, having only advanced to Level 87 in Soul Power.
While possessing some strength, he had no further potential. He had no hope of breaking through to Title Douluo in this lifetime, making him incomparable to the talents of Li Chanfei and Yu Long.
One could see the difference in vitality between them. Though Yu Long and Li Chanfei weren't young, they still appeared youthful for their level of cultivation.
In contrast, Salas looked much older, his hair streaked with gray.
"Someone is looking for me?"
"Do you know who it is?"
Gu Ziyi was a bit surprised to hear that someone was asking for him. He hadn't expected anyone to come specifically to meet him, especially since he had only recently arrived at the Tiandou Temple.
"Your Highness, the Holy Son, I believe you might recognize her. If memory serves, didn't you kiss her during the last Soul Master Competition?"
Salas spoke with a smile.
Though he hadn't seen it himself, he had heard tales of Gu Ziyi's romantic exploits during the Soul Master Competition.
This led him to believe that the Holy Son shared his own carefree philosophy.
"Ning Shuangjiang?"
As soon as Salas mentioned this, Gu Ziyi knew who it was.
"Yes, it's her. I knew Your Highness would remember!"
Salas responded with a grin.
"Just send her away. Tell her I'm not here."
Gu Ziyi had no intention of seeing her. That woman was likely here to confront him about his actions during the competition.
While he was willing to take responsibility, he had just won over Bibi Dong. If word got out that he was already flirting with other women shortly after leaving the Martial Soul Hall, his elder sister would undoubtedly be furious when she found out.
It was common in this world for powerful men to have multiple women, but powerful women generally disliked their men courting other women so openly.
The stronger the woman, the more they detested it—especially someone like Bibi Dong.
Gu Ziyi was confident that his elder sister would eventually accept him having other women, but it had to be gradual for her to adapt.
If he started entertaining a stream of beautiful women immediately after leaving home, she would never tolerate it.
"Your Highness, the Holy Son, although she is Ning Fengzhi's cousin, she isn't a central disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You don't need to worry about her background!"
Hearing Gu Ziyi's dismissal, Salas assumed he was concerned about Ning Shuangjiang's identity and quickly offered reassurance.
"I understand. I just don't want to see her right now."
Gu Ziyi replied with a smile.
He was still very much interested in Ning Shuangjiang.
If he had to take the initiative to pursue her, he might not find the time.
But since she had come knocking on his door, he certainly wouldn't give up on her.
After all, this woman was either the mother or aunt of Ning Rongrong!
"I understand. I'll inform her that Your Highness is currently in seclusion and ask her to return later."
Salas raised his eyebrows at Gu Ziyi and smiled obsequiously.
"Alright, please do so. Thank you, Bishop Salas!"
Gu Ziyi nodded, agreeing with Salas's suggestion.
"Not a problem, not a problem!"
Salas laughed before exiting the room.
Watching Salas's retreating figure, Gu Ziyi chuckled and shook his head.
In truth, he didn't dislike the somewhat lecherous Salas.
He understood that while Salas had his faults, he had never taken undue advantage of any beautiful woman.
["Master, are you seriously thinking about flirting with Ning Shuangjiang?"]
Xiao Tao's voice suddenly echoed in Gu Ziyi's mind.
"Just say Ning Shuangjiang is beautiful, right?" – Thinking mentally (Tm)
Gu Ziyi smiled.
["Hmph~ Master is such a playboy. You just won over Bibi Dong, and now you're thinking about other women?!"]
Xiao Tao huffed at her shameless master. Though she wouldn't admit it, she couldn't deny that Ning Shuangjiang was indeed beautiful.
"Of course, I've also been thinking about my little peach blossom!" – Tm
"Xiao Tao, keep working hard on your training. Once you can transform into a human, your master will let you experience the joy of being a woman!" – Tm
Gu Ziyi chuckled, teasing Xiao Tao as he spoke.
["Hmph, I don't want Master taking advantage of me. You big pervert, I won't talk to you anymore!"]
After hearing Gu Ziyi's words, Xiao Tao muttered about her master's perversion, then shyly cut off their spiritual communication and went silent.
Bang Bang Bang ~
The Spirit Sword Xiao Tao, who had gone completely quiet and returned to the Soul Bone Sword, could almost hear her own heart pounding.
Now, she felt both shy and expectant.
Although she had said she didn't want it, after witnessing so many instances of intimate contact between Gu Ziyi and Li Chanfei, it was impossible for her to claim she wasn't curious.
But she refused to admit it.
She had actually mastered the ability to transform into a human form six months ago.
As a sword spirit, she had her own thoughts and spent all day inside the Peachwood Sword. Though she could see everything happening outside, being unable to move was agonizing.
So, Xiao Tao had been working on gaining better control over her body. Initially, she didn't think about turning into a human; she just wanted to control the movements of the Peachwood Sword instead of only activating its soul abilities.
Who would've thought that after all her practice, one day, she'd unexpectedly manage to briefly transform into a human?
At first, she was ecstatic, thinking she had been reborn!
However, she soon realized that she hadn't truly resurrected, but had merely gained the ability to transform briefly. The time she could stay in human form was very limited—only a few minutes.
When Gu Ziyi learned of her ability, he urged her to practice diligently and extend her transformation time.
She could sense his mischievous intentions in his request, but she hadn't expected those kinds of intentions.
Stinky master, wicked master!
Master is a big pervert!
…
"That bastard went into seclusion right after taking charge here!"
Ning Shuangjiang, upon hearing that Gu Ziyi was in seclusion, had no choice but to leave for now.
After failing to spend time alone with him at the Soul Master Competition, she hadn't found another opportunity to see Gu Ziyi since.
Originally, she had planned to stay in Spirit City.
But after talking with Ning Fengzhi, her cousin, who strongly opposed the idea, she had no choice but to leave with him at the time.
At first, she intended to heed Ning Fengzhi's advice and forget about Gu Ziyi.
Her cousin was vehemently against her having any relationship with Gu Ziyi, and since Gu Ziyi seemed uninterested in taking responsibility for her, she was willing to listen.
In the past two years, Ning Shuangjiang had even advanced to the level of a Soul King. She truly believed she had moved on.
But upon hearing that Gu Ziyi had arrived in the Tiandou Imperial Capital, she couldn't resist the urge to visit him.
…
(End of Chapter)
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