"Foolish!"
"Can such a thing be spoken of openly?"
The Pope roared in anger but did not immediately punish Housman.
After all, regarding yesterday's events, not only he but most of the cardinals present were extremely dissatisfied with the methods of the Chinese delegation.
If he were to punish Housman now, he would certainly not be able to convince them and would become a laughingstock to outsiders. Thus, he could only mark this account for later.
"Report!"
Just then, a guard entered the great hall and went directly to the Pope.
"Your Holiness, Lord Hasal has brought the delegation to the Hall of Light and is waiting outside!"
Upon hearing this, the Pope's anger vanished, replaced by a faint smile. After composing himself, he said, "Please invite them in!"
A short while later, led by Hasal, three figures appeared on the great hall.
The Pope recognized Ye Cangtian at a glance, as he was someone he had wanted to eliminate for a long time, and thus, he would not mistake him.
As for Gui Wu and Lan Yue, the Pope's gaze swept over them; in his eyes, the two women were insignificant compared to Ye Cangtian.
The Pope sized up Ye Cangtian and thought, This kid is indeed not simple.
The other party appeared ordinary, yet he was remarkably calm, clearly showing that the Pope had not put any pressure on him.
What surprised the Pope the most was that he faintly sensed a dangerous aura from Ye Cangtian.
How could this be?
The other party was merely a quasi-heavenly expert, yet he could make the Pope feel a sense of crisis?
This was something the Pope found truly difficult to comprehend.
While the Pope was appraising Ye Cangtian, Ye Cangtian was also appraising the Pope.
It was their first meeting, and Ye Cangtian had already perceived the formidable aura emanating from the other party.
That aura was slightly stronger than Kong Ling's, but his spiritual power was much inferior to Kong Ling's.
Thinking this, he took a step forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Ye Cangtian, leading the delegation. We greet Your Holiness and everyone present!"
As his voice fell, Gui Wu and Lan Yue, who were beside him, immediately followed suit and bowed.
After all, the Pope was the ruler of the Hall of Light, and they had to give him some face outwardly.
The surrounding cardinals, hearing Ye Cangtian's words, grudgingly cupped their hands in return.
From his seat of honor, the Pope smiled slightly and said, "On behalf of the Hall of Light, I welcome the Chinese delegation!"
After a pause, the Pope directly changed the subject and said, "Ye Cangtian, your deeds have reached my ears like thunder. Seeing you today, you have indeed not disappointed me! You are very good, very good indeed!"
The Pope's tone of voice intensified.
Although his face still showed a gentle smile, his heart was filled with murderous intent.
It was only their first meeting, and Ye Cangtian, with his quasi-heavenly cultivation, could make him feel a sense of crisis. How could such a person be allowed to live?
If allowed to grow, he would surely become the number one enemy of the Hall of Light in the future!
"Heh, Your Holiness flatters me."
"In my opinion, Your Holiness is truly magnificent and powerful. It is just that I have many questions regarding the methods of the Hall of Light at the airport!"
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly, offered a compliment, and then his expression turned serious.
Someone using Elder Xu's affairs to insult China was something he naturally could not ignore.
This...
At these words, the Pope's expression immediately changed.
He had initially thought that Hasal had handled the matter properly and that it would not cause any adverse effects, and that it would more or less be over.
But he never expected Ye Cangtian to hold onto it.
Now it seemed that Ye Cangtian was indeed a difficult character.
Thinking this, the Pope said slowly, "Ye Cangtian, these were not the methods of the Hall of Light, but merely a slight oversight in management. Let's let it go for now!"
"Your Holiness, if you do not wish to pursue it, I have no objections."
"However, I kindly remind Your Holiness that the person who caused such an incident has sinister intentions!"
"Not to mention that this incident will damage the peace between our two sides, but if certain matters were to be made public, it would not be good for the reputation of Your Holiness and the Hall of Light. I hope Your Holiness understands!"
Ye Cangtian saw through the Pope's attitude at a glance and said with a faint smile.
His purpose was very simple: to continue trying to provoke him.
Among the crowd, Housman's face immediately turned gloomy, his eyes shooting fierce glances.
He was not stupid and clearly understood that Ye Cangtian's actions were aimed at making the Pope punish him, making him wish he could tear Ye Cangtian to shreds right now.
"I appreciate your concern for me. I will investigate this matter thoroughly in the future!"
The Pope smiled slightly at Ye Cangtian, but the smile appeared extremely stiff.
Although he knew that Ye Cangtian was sowing discord, he was helpless and could not lose his temper on the spot, as what the other party said was not without reason.
Saying this, the Pope changed the subject and said, "Ye Cangtian, we received news from China that the delegation should have at least twenty to thirty people. Why are there only three of you so far? Where are the others?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian replied, "The others also wanted to see the grandeur of the Hall of Light and the might of Your Holiness, but their presence here might disturb the tranquility. Therefore, I left them in China."
"Ye Cangtian, what do you mean by that!"
"What right do you have to prevent them from coming!"
"Do you take diplomatic relations between our countries as a child's play! Or are you deliberately toying with us in the Hall of Light..."
As Ye Cangtian finished speaking, before the Pope could say anything, Housman immediately interjected.
His voice was loud, and the surrounding cardinals' gazes immediately turned grim, and they began to point at Ye Cangtian.
On the main seat, the Pope revealed a faint smile and said, "Ye Cangtian, you can see, it's not that I want to make things difficult for you, but the significance of diplomatic relations between our countries is immense. I hope you can provide an explanation."
"An explanation? Did what I just say not count as an explanation? Very well, let me be more specific."
"I believe there is no need for so many personnel to come for diplomatic relations between our countries."
"Firstly, I am not incapacitated, nor do I have that much workload. The two individuals accompanying me are sufficient assistance."
"Secondly, so many people coming would cause a lot of trouble for the Hall of Light. Their absence would save the Hall of Light expenses and reduce the number of service staff!"
"Most importantly, I trust the security of the Hall of Light, so I feel it is unnecessary to bring those miscellaneous guards..."
Ye Cangtian looked at the Pope and said calmly.
"..."
At these words, the Pope's hand under his robe trembled slightly.
What he said was so skillful, praising the Hall of Light while simultaneously damaging it.
Was the Hall of Light really that short on expenses? Or that few service staff?
But the other party also said he didn't want to cause trouble for the Hall of Light and even paid a compliment, which made it truly difficult to get angry.
On the other side, Housman stepped forward directly and said sternly, "All that talk is useless. Without rules, nothing can be done properly. Since both parties have agreed, you should have brought them all!
Now that they are nowhere to be seen, it is considered a fraudulent act, and you should kowtow and confess your guilt to Your Holiness."
Heh.
The Pope glanced at Housman. Although his words had angered him earlier, he now considered it quite good that Housman was thinking of making the other party kowtow and confess.
Thinking this, his gaze turned to Ye Cangtian, wanting to see how Ye Cangtian would resolve this.
On the other side, Ye Cangtian completely ignored Housman. He said directly to the Pope, "Your Holiness, since I can represent China, it does not affect our interactions.
If that is the case, what difference does it make whether there is one more person or one less? If the Hall of Light continues to dwell on this matter, it would be a bit petty, wouldn't it?"
"You are right!"
Upon hearing this, the Pope's expression changed slightly, and he had to admit it.
After all, he was the host and the other party was the guest. If he were to be so calculative, it would not be good for the reputation of the Hall of Light.
Hearing the Pope say this, Ye Cangtian cupped his hands to the Pope again and said, "Speaking of which, it is Your Holiness's open-mindedness that allows others to speak freely on such an occasion!"