Chapter 9: Spirit Hall, Suddenly Too Crowded
Spirit Hall had always been intimidating.
White stone pillars, high ceilings, cold silence—everything about it was designed to remind people that this was a place of authority, not comfort.
Today, it felt… noisy.
Bai Ze realized this the moment he stepped into the main inner hall and nearly collided with a tall woman in black robes.
He stopped.
She stopped.
The air froze.
Slowly, Bai Ze looked up.
Very up.
His brain went blank for exactly half a second.
"…Oh," he said.
Bibi Dong looked down at him.
She didn't speak immediately.
Her eyes—cold, sharp, and ancient—studied him with a depth that made even elders feel exposed. Power clung to her like a shadow, heavy enough that the space around her seemed to bow slightly.
And then—
Her brows knit together.
Just a little.
"…You're shorter than I imagined."
Bai Ze blinked.
"…I feel personally attacked."
The hall went dead silent.
Several elders stiffened. A few actually stopped breathing.
Someone, somewhere, dropped a document.
Bibi Dong stared at him.
Then—unexpectedly—she laughed.
Not loudly.
Not gently.
Just a short, amused breath that shouldn't have existed in this room at all.
"So," she said calmly, "you're the Variable."
Bai Ze bowed instinctively.
"Regrettably."
Hu Liena stood a few steps behind Bibi Dong, eyes wide.
She had expected many things.
A monster.
A schemer.
A terrifying genius.
She had not expected… this.
The boy in front of her didn't look dangerous. He wasn't tense or arrogant. He didn't radiate killing intent or ambition.
He looked… relaxed.
Almost lazy.
And for some reason, that unsettled her more than anything else.
Qian Renxue arrived moments later.
She stepped into the hall with practiced elegance, golden hair catching the light, posture flawless. Her gaze swept the room before landing on Bai Ze.
Their eyes met.
Something clicked.
Not attraction.
Recognition.
Qian Renxue felt it immediately.
That strange sensation—like remembering a dream she hadn't dreamed yet.
"…So it's you," she said quietly.
Bai Ze tilted his head.
"…Have we met?"
"No."
She paused.
"…But we will."
That earned her several looks.
Bai Ze smiled faintly.
"Well, I look forward to disappointing you."
Hu Liena choked.
Qian Renxue stared.
Then, slowly, the corner of her lips lifted.
"Interesting."
The Pope's Seat meeting lasted exactly twelve minutes before it went completely off the rails.
Bibi Dong spoke first.
"You are aware," she said, fingers resting lightly on the armrest, "that your existence is destabilizing the world."
"Yes."
"You are aware that gods are paying attention."
"Unfortunately."
"You are aware that Tang San now knows your name."
Bai Ze sighed.
"That one I was hoping to avoid."
Bibi Dong leaned forward slightly.
"And yet," she continued, "you remain… idle."
He thought for a moment.
"Strategically idle," he corrected.
Silence followed.
Then Qian Renxue laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Well," she said, eyes bright, "at least he's honest."
Hu Liena stared at her like she'd been possessed.
Later that afternoon, Bai Ze was assigned an escort.
"Escort" was a polite word.
It was Hu Liena.
She walked beside him in stiff silence through the inner gardens, fox spirit tail flicking irritably behind her.
"…You're weird," she said suddenly.
"I get that a lot."
"You don't fear the Pope."
"I respect her."
"That's not the same thing."
"It is when fear leads to bad posture."
She stopped walking.
"So you're really not pretending?"
"Pretending what?"
"That you don't know how this ends."
Bai Ze looked at her.
For the first time, his smile faded slightly.
"I know how a version ends," he said.
"That's why I'm not in a hurry."
Hu Liena didn't know why, but her chest tightened.
"…You're dangerous."
He shrugged.
"Only to destiny."
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue had a problem.
A very serious one.
She couldn't stop thinking about him.
Not romantically.
Not yet.
But strategically? Existentially?
Every future she remembered vaguely—victory, loss, divinity—had never accounted for someone like Bai Ze.
And that irritated her.
She cornered him that evening near the observation tower.
"You're avoiding involvement," she said.
"Yes."
"You're letting events progress."
"Yes."
"You're letting Tang San grow."
"Yes."
She stepped closer.
"…Why?"
Bai Ze leaned against the railing, looking out over Spirit Hall.
"Because," he said calmly,
"people reveal their true selves when they think the ending is fixed."
Qian Renxue stared at him.
Then, quietly—
"…You're going to change it."
He didn't answer.
That night, Bai Ze was beaten again.
Not by enemies.
By Ling Yu.
"You talked back to the Pope."
"She started it."
"You smiled at Qian Renxue."
"She smiled first."
"You made Hu Liena confused."
"That one's on her."
She hit him.
He didn't resist.
"…Worth it," he muttered.
Ding.
Romantic Fate Entanglement Increased
Warning: Multiple high-level female leads now emotionally unstable
Bonus Effect: Awkward Situations +300%
Bai Ze lay face-down on the floor.
"…I'm going to die from embarrassment before destiny kills me."
Ling Yu snorted.
"Unlikely."
Far away, Tang San felt something shift again.
Spirit Hall was no longer just an enemy.
It was a stage.
And someone else had taken center position.
He clenched his fist.
"…Bai Ze."
The name tasted bitter.
On the rooftop, Bai Ze stared at the moon.
Spirit Hall behind him.
Fate ahead of him.
Girls confused around him.
Gods watching.
He yawned.
"…This arc is going to be annoying."
And for the first time—
The world agreed.