Chapter 146: The Pitiful Yu Xiaogang

“Halt, stranger!”

As Yu Xiaogang approached the Pope’s Hall, a squad of Guardian Knights blocked his path. Leading them were two red-robed cardinals, Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong, who had been instructed by Qian Renxue to wait here for three days.

Yu Xiaogang’s short crew cut was a rather distinctive feature, and combined with the aura of his soul force at level twenty-nine, Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong’s eyes lit up. They silently concluded that this must be the man Qian Renxue had told them to expect. After all, at this age, a soul master at level thirty would normally only dare to gaze at the Pope’s Hall from afar, never approach so boldly.

“This is forbidden ground. One more step, and you will be slain without question.”

Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong stepped in front of Yu Xiaogang, their cold gazes scrutinizing the unremarkable man from head to toe.

Feigning profundity, Yu Xiaogang raised his hand, revealing the Pope’s Order given to him by Tang Hao, and said calmly, “Take me to see the Pope.”

At the sight of the Pope’s Order, Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong exchanged a glance and nodded to each other, now certain of his identity.

Jin Cang reached out and drew the Pope’s Order from Yu Xiaogang’s hand.

“What are you doing?”

Yu Xiaogang’s expression darkened as he glared at Jin Cang. “Return my Pope’s Order immediately. If you don’t, you’ll regret it when I meet His Holiness.”

“Your Pope’s Order?”

Jin Cang sneered coldly. “This Pope’s Order is the highest honor of the Martial Soul Hall, held only by the most renowned and powerful figures across the continent. And you, a level twenty-nine weakling, dare to claim it? I say it is a forgery!”

Qian Gu Changrong promptly joined in. “Faking the Pope’s Order, such audacity! Seize this madman!”

Without hesitation, the Guardian Knights behind them stepped forward, their sharp spears poised threateningly at Yu Xiaogang’s neck.

“How dare you! What insolence!”

A flicker of panic crossed Yu Xiaogang’s eyes, but he forced a stern demeanor. “How dare you question this master! I am an honorary elder of the Martial Soul Hall. Take me to see the Pope; she can verify my identity!”

Smack!

Qian Gu Changrong waved his hand disdainfully. “The Pope is overwhelmed with affairs and has no time for a worthless fool like you.”

“What are you waiting for?”

Jin Cang shot a glare at the Guardian Knights. “Are you just going to stand there while this fool shouts and disrupts the sacred peace of the Pope’s Hall? Drag this worthless man away!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Guardian Knights snapped to attention, rushing forward to seize Yu Xiaogang, pinning him down and dragging him out.

“Bibi Dong! Bibi Dong!”

Now truly panicked, Yu Xiaogang abandoned all pretense of dignity, shouting hoarsely, “I am Yu Xiaogang! Xiaogang has come for you, Bibi Dong!”

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Only cruel blows from the spears’ shafts greeted Yu Xiaogang’s desperate cries, battering his mouth until blood poured out and two of his front teeth were knocked loose.

Yet even then, Yu Xiaogang did not stop shouting Bibi Dong’s name, each cry more pitiful than the last.

“Knock him out! Don’t let him disgrace the Pope’s Hall any further and cause a scandal!”

Fearing the commotion might truly disturb Bibi Dong, Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong immediately ordered their subordinates.

Several Guardian Knights condensed their soul power and struck Yu Xiaogang’s back with full force through their spears.

Each Guardian Knight possessed soul power exceeding level fifty; how long could a level twenty-nine grand soul master endure? After a few blows, Yu Xiaogang’s eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

“Sir, what shall we do with him?”

Several Guardian Knights asked Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong.

Killing him was out of the question. If Yu Xiaogang died, Bibi Dong, known for her instability, would surely lose control. Before sending their envoy, Xiao Yu had repeatedly stressed to Qian Renxue’s people that Yu Xiaogang could be dealt with harshly but never killed.

Strictly following orders, Jin Cang and Qian Gu Changrong waved their hands. “Break his limbs and toss him out of Martial Soul City. Let him fend for himself.”

“Ah!”

The Guardian Knights dragged Yu Xiaogang aside and brutally broke all four of his limbs. The pain roused the unconscious man, who then screamed like a slaughtered pig.

No one felt pity for Yu Xiaogang. Everyone had clearly heard how this man had dared to forge the Pope’s Order, impersonate an honorary elder, and shout disrespectfully before the sacred Pope’s Hall.

Most soul masters in Martial Soul City genuinely revered the Martial Soul Hall as a holy sanctuary, except for a few spies from hostile factions. No one intervened to aid Yu Xiaogang; it was a rare moment of restraint that no one had dealt a death blow.

Poor Yu Xiaogang was left broken and discarded on the roadside like garbage. Because he had insulted the Martial Soul Hall, no one was willing to treat him. He lay there, unable to move, like a dying dog.

Bibi Dong, overwhelmed with affairs, truly had no knowledge of Yu Xiaogang’s visit. Her subordinates dismissed the level twenty-nine weakling as a mere charlatan and never reported the matter.

Moreover, after the failed ambush on the Tian Dou Empire’s team and the death of one elder among their five dispatched, with the remaining four severely wounded, the threat posed by the Nine Star Hall weighed heavily on Bibi Dong’s mind, leaving her little concern for other matters.

Fortunately, within a couple of days, the soul master team from the Tian Dou Empire arrived in Martial Soul City. Flandre and Liu Erlong, aware that Yu Xiaogang had not joined them, hastened to search and eventually found him barely alive by the roadside.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang’s pitiful state, Liu Erlong was furious, burning with rage and ready to storm into the Pope’s Hall to tear the so-called shameless Bibi Dong to pieces.

Flandre was also enraged by Yu Xiaogang’s fate but, unlike the impulsive Liu Erlong, he retained some composure. Before Liu Erlong could cause a scene on the street, Flandre stopped her.

Disrespect toward the Pope at the Martial Soul Hall’s headquarters, even just in words, would invite the wrath of countless soul masters. Even those with soul saint cultivation and soul fusion skills would find it difficult to escape a violent death.

As for Tang San, through Ning Fengzhi and Titan, he had already learned of the enmity between Haotian Sect and the Martial Soul Hall. Seeing Yu Xiaogang’s miserable condition only deepened the blood debt the Martial Soul Hall owed in his heart. He quietly vowed that one day he would overthrow the Martial Soul Hall and avenge the wrongs done to those dear to him.