Chapter 106: Bidding Farewell to the Old and Welcoming the New

Turning around, she pushed open the door and entered the ling zhi. Lan Xinzi’s face instantly lit up with a bright smile.

"Zhang Shao, guess who I just saw?"

"Hmm?" Zhang Xinxiong had nowhere else to go and was temporarily staying here. "Who did you see?"

"Xu Xiaoshou!" Lan Xinzi said, emphasizing each syllable.

"Xu Xiaoshou?" Zhang Xinxiong was surprised. "He's entered the nei yuan?"

Outer yuan disciples who trespassed into the nei yuan would be caught and sent straight to the xing tai, and the thirty-three could act as enforcers...

In an instant, various ways Xu Xiaoshou could die flashed through his mind, but he forcibly suppressed the thoughts, remembering the cautionary tale of He Yu Xing not long ago.

"Did you make a move?" Zhang Xinxiong stood up.

He didn't believe Lan Xinzi hadn't thought of the consequences and was worried she might act recklessly.

"Of course I didn't!"

Lan Xinzi glanced at him discontentedly and couldn't help muttering, "I don't know what kind of spell that kid cast on you, always protecting him like this..."

"Is he better-looking than me?"

Zhang Xinxiong: "..."

Is this about protecting Xu Xiaoshou?

This is about me not wanting you to ruin my plans!

Lan Xinzi picked up a wine cup, but couldn't find the wine pot, so she had to put it down reluctantly.

"Sigh, that kid seems to have a real connection with Xiao Qixiu. He's still an outer yuan disciple, but he can already enter the nei yuan to select a ling zhi. And that law enforcement elder..."

"Tsk tsk, abusing power for personal gain!"

Zhang Xinxiong tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, "I've looked into it. That kid doesn't have much of a relationship with Xiao Qixiu, but he's very close to Su Qianqian. This time, it's probably Su Qianqian who pulled strings..."

"Hmm, wait, even Su Qianqian's influence couldn't change the rules of the Ling Gong."

"Then who could it be?"

"Sang Lao?"

Zhang Xinxiong was startled by his own idea and thought it was ridiculous.

That reclusive old man had already done well by saving Xu Xiaoshou as a person that night—how could there be any deeper connection? He must have lost his mind to think that.

Lan Xinzi's thoughts were clearly on a different track, as she counted on her fingers absentmindedly, "Well, entering the nei yuan for a ling zhi is one thing, but Xu Xiaoshou actually plans to go to the hou shan. Honestly..."

Zhang Xinxiong's train of thought halted, and he slowly turned his head.

"Where?"

"The hou shan, of course."

Lan Xinzi seemed to recall something and covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh, right, the hou shan is Rao Yinyin's territory—it's also the place you've always wanted to get into. What a coincidence!"

A flash of anger appeared in Zhang Xinxiong's eyes. "Did you encourage him to go?"

"I just gave a helpful suggestion." Lan Xinzi smiled charmingly.

"If that kid dares to trespass into the hou shan, Rao Yinyin will definitely take him out, and we won't even have to lift a finger. It's like borrowing a knife to kill—perfect, isn't it?"

"And if he has the strength to stay in the hou shan, he might end up developing feelings with your Rao girl over time. That would be doing a favor for others and quite enjoyable."

Lan Xinzi's tongue flicked over her red lips, her eyes sparkling. "And let's be honest, that kid is tall, handsome, and strikingly good-looking..."

Bang!

Zhang Xinxiong slammed his palm on the table, sending wood splinters flying.

"You're challenging my limits!"

Lan Xinzi stood tall with her chest out. "This is my table—how dare you break it!"

"You..."

"You what? This is my ling zhi—if you don't like it, get out!" Lan Xinzi shouted sharply, feeling a rush of satisfaction.

"I..."

There's truth in the saying, "When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xinxiong deflated.

He reined in his anger, sat back in his chair, and picked up the wine cup...

Damn it!

This lousy place doesn't even have a wine pot!

He put the wine cup down again and said slowly, "Didn't Yuan Tou want to join my Zhang family branch? Has he succeeded in the selection for the thirty-three?"

The topic changed abruptly, and Lan Xinzi was stunned for a moment before nodding. "He did. Why bring him up?"

"Xu Xiaoshou trespassed into the nei yuan, and Yuan Tou is a new member of the thirty-three, full of ambition. He can act as enforcer!"

Lan Xinzi's eyebrows twitched. What a cunning plan to set wolves on tigers—this left no chance for Xu Xiaoshou and Rao Yinyin at all?

Whether Xu Xiaoshou could even survive the hou shan was uncertain!

As expected, whenever Rao Yinyin was mentioned, this guy completely changed.

In his eyes, there was only self-interest.

But...

This time, I win!

A playful glint flashed in Lan Xinzi's eyes. "Didn't someone say earlier that we can't make a move on Xu Xiaoshou unless he leaves the Ling Gong?"

"He's walking into his own death—why not make a move?"

"Will Yuan Tou even do it? He's just joined the thirty-three in the nei yuan, with a bright future ahead."

Zhang Xinxiong snorted. "They're just a pack of fawning dogs. Throw them a bone, and even if one runs away, can they all escape?"

"Tell him that if he wants to join my Zhang family branch, he needs to bring me Xu Xiaoshou's head by this time tomorrow. That will be his initiation rite!"

"If he doesn't want to, there are plenty of people waiting to take his spot among the thirty-three!"

"And if he's afraid of the xing tai..."

"As long as he holds out and doesn't die, I can get him out in three months."

He's finally making a move!

As expected, the only one who can get him to act is Rao Yinyin.

Lan Xinzi cupped her cheeks, looking as if she were full of admiration.

"Zhang Shao is so impressive!"

"Shut up!"

...

"Ah-choo!"

Xu Xiaoshou wrapped his clothes tighter around him.

Though the night was turning slightly cool, his xiantian physical body couldn't be affected by the wind. The only possibility was that Lan Xinzi was probably scheming against him again.

Still, with Sang Lao as his backer, those people probably wouldn't be bold enough to make a move.

Even if they were, it hadn't even been a day since the last assassination attempt, so tonight was definitely safe.

Hmm, better hurry and find a ling zhi to rest and recharge.

Once he entered the Tianxuan Men in three days, he'd come out unafraid of anyone.

"Keep going, Xu Xiaoshou!"

...

Lan Xinzi hadn't lied to him. After turning the corner and following the path, he really arrived at a secluded paradise.

Nestled against the mountains and beside a stream, with water murmuring gently and the faint sound of a waterfall in the distance.

There were many ling zhi sites here, and surprisingly, none had signs indicating they were taken.

"There couldn't be any tricks here, could there..."

Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit uneasy, but then he thought that if someone really came to assassinate him, it wouldn't matter where he stayed, so he let it go.

"This one won't do, that one either..."

He rejected several tempting ones in a row—for no other reason than the further back he went, the denser the ling qi became.

Just standing there, he could feel his cultivation slowly increasing.

At the end of the hou shan, a waterfall roared like thunder.

A grand courtyard stood beside the waterfall, its area two or three times larger than his outer yuan one, with a more imposing protective barrier that hid the interior.

Xu Xiaoshou circled around with his token and approached the wooden gate, pressing his hand against it and pushing gently.

The gate swung open, letting in the moonlight.

His face was full of excitement.

Last night, he had been fighting for his life in the outer yuan, but tonight, he was pushing open the door to a ling zhi in the nei yuan.

He took a step inside!

"This step is a small one for bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, and a giant one for me, Xu Xiaoshou, on the path to success!"