"What's going on?"
Hu Liena was stunned for a moment and turned to Ye Tian in confusion.
"Could it be that Elder Gui Mei has already started promoting it?"
"Is that so?" Ye Tian was also puzzled, unable to make sense of the situation.
Just a few days ago, when they discussed this matter,
Bibi Dong had instructed Gui Mei to prepare the plan and select personnel.
However, the actual promotion was supposed to wait until Bibi Dong returned to Spirit City.
Ye Tian looked towards the city gate notice board. Under the banner stood a middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a Spirt Hall staff member.
The middle-aged man, holding a megaphone, was shouting loudly:
"Anyone who makes a purchase in Spirt Hall Plaza will get a 20% discount compared to outside!"
"Spirt Hall guarantees that all products are authentic! If you find a fake, we will compensate you tenfold!"
Hearing this familiar marketing tactic,
Ye Tian opened his mouth slightly in surprise.
This was exactly what he had previously suggested to Bibi Dong and Gui Mei.
"Let's go over and ask." Hu Liena suggested.
"Alright." Ye Tian nodded lightly.
The two squeezed through the crowd and arrived at the notice board.
There were more Spirt Hall staff around, not just the man shouting.
Several soul masters were distributing brochures.
"Come and take a look! This is Spirt Hall's trusted marketplace—honest and fair for all customers!"
Hu Liena walked up to one of the middle-aged soul masters distributing pamphlets.
Without saying a word, she revealed a jade token with a cold expression.
The middle-aged soul master trembled as soon as he saw the jade token.
The young girl in front of him was holding an identity token that only Spirt Hall elders possessed!
He never expected that such a young girl would have a status comparable to that of an elder.
"L-Lady, what can I do for you?" The middle-aged soul master immediately put on a flattering smile, afraid of offending Hu Liena in the slightest.
"Who assigned you this task?" Hu Liena asked with a slight raise of her eyebrows.
Realizing she was only asking about work, the middle-aged soul master breathed a sigh of relief and replied:
"Two days ago, a mysterious lord arrived and gathered everyone from the capital's Soul Main Hall. He instructed us to fully promote Spirt Hall Plaza."
Then, the middle-aged soul master gave a bitter smile.
"As for who this mysterious lord is, someone at my level wouldn't know."
"I see." Hu Liena waved her hand and turned to Ye Tian. "Could it really be Elder Gui Mei?"
"Hard to say."
Ye Tian rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
Given Elder Gui Mei's unwavering loyalty to Bibi Dong, it seemed unlikely he would act on his own.
Of course, that was just his speculation.
To uncover the truth, they needed to go to the capital's main hall and investigate further.
He said to Hu Liena, "Let's head into the city first. No need to book an inn—we'll stay at the Soul Main Hall."
"Alright, I'll inform Teacher." Hu Liena nodded and quickly walked through the crowd towards a nearby carriage.
Before long, the group gathered and entered the city.
The streets were lined with three- to four-story Gothic buildings.
Shops were bustling with people, making for an exceptionally prosperous scene.
It was indeed an ideal city for establishing Spirt Hall Plaza.
As they walked to the end of the street,
the buildings suddenly became noticeably lower.
Hu Liena smiled sweetly and explained to Ye Tian:
"This lower district is the palace of the Balak Kingdom."
"Though the buildings are low, the interior decorations are extremely lavish."
Ye Tian chuckled, "With Spirt Hall's protection, these kingdoms save a fortune on military expenses. They have excess wealth, so naturally, they splurge on architecture."
In reality, this was common among all the affiliated kingdoms of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Under Spirt Hall's influence,
they had long since distanced themselves from Heaven Dou and pledged allegiance to Spirt Hall.
To win them over,
Spirt Hall hardly imposed any taxes.
As a result, royal families were swimming in wealth.
Take the Balak Kingdom, for example—though its palace was low-built,
it occupied a quarter of the entire capital.
In terms of luxury, it could even rival the
Heaven Dou royal family in some aspects.
Since Spirt Hall and the Balak Kingdom had a great relationship,
the Soul Main Hall in the capital was constructed with their support, making it exceptionally grand and magnificent.
It was located across from the palace, on the opposite street.
"Turn left, and you'll see the main hall."
Hu Liena pointed at the tallest building nearby.
As they entered the main hall street, the surrounding buildings suddenly became more extravagant.
The width of the street was also double that of the city entrance.
Yet, there were hardly any pedestrians.
Ye Tian knew that the residents here were all nobles.
That was actually a good thing.
Any movement at Soul Main Hall would quickly reach the ears of the nobles.
When they started selling shares of Spirt Hall Plaza, they wouldn't even need to advertise.
…
After making their way through the streets,
the group finally arrived at the grand doors of the main hall.
Silver-armored soldiers guarded both sides of the entrance.
Many elegantly dressed men and women were coming and going.
It was clear that they were all soul masters.
"Let's head inside."
At that moment, Bibi Dong stepped out of the carriage.
She cast a calm glance at the main hall's architecture, then gracefully strode into the building.
Ye Tian responded with a simple "Alright" and followed on Bibi Dong's right.
Inside the lobby, a young woman greeted them with a professional smile and gestured towards two hallways:
"Alchemy purchases to the left, business transactions to the right."
Bibi Dong remained silent, maintaining the dignity of the Pope.
Hu Liena stepped forward and silently presented her jade token.
Her voice was cool and measured.
"Call your Hall Master."
Upon seeing the token, the receptionist's expression changed drastically.
As a staff member of the main hall, she knew exactly what this jade token represented.
Three pairs of lifelike angel wings were carved into the jade.
It was a token that only elder-level figures possessed!
"Please, esteemed guests, have a seat inside. I will fetch the Hall Master immediately."
The receptionist hurriedly led them to the VIP lounge before dashing upstairs to the office.
Before long,
a thin middle-aged man with a mustache entered hastily, walking with a sense of urgency.
Holding a jade pendant in his hand, he scanned the group with a beaming smile.
"May I ask which esteemed elder has graced Balak's main hall with their presence?"
"It's me."
Sitting by the tea table, Bibi Dong spoke indifferently.
The middle-aged man instinctively looked over, and when he saw Bibi Dong's breathtaking face,
he was utterly stunned.
Even though Bibi Dong wasn't wearing her crown or holding her scepter today,
her commanding presence remained undiminished, making it impossible to meet her gaze directly.
The middle-aged man immediately bowed respectfully.
"Balak Main Hall Master Saul greets Her Holiness the Pope!"
(End of Chapter)
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