Chapter 272: Shameful Command

“You dare?!”Xin Gugu’s eyes were wide with fury.

He had calculated every angle, yet he never anticipated that this young man in front of him would target Lord Tan Shen. Even more unexpectedly, the guy had struck so quickly that he hadn’t reacted in time.

“Do I dare? Want to test it?”

Xu Xiaoshou held up the cat and suddenly tightened his grip, snapping the white cat out of its dazed state. Its face twisted in confusion.

“Meow!”

With a slight squeeze, the white cat let out a pained whimper.

“Let go!”

Xin Gugu lost his temper in an instant, grabbing his Chan Zhang and lunging forward.

Xu Xiaoshou retreated swiftly. Xin Gugu’s strength was still unknown, and if the cat beast were taken, he’d lose his leverage. The last thing he wanted was to clash head-on with someone like a Hui Wu Ren in this place!

“If you take one step forward, I’ll squeeze harder. Two steps, and it dies!” Xu Xiaoshou spoke rapidly.

Xin Gugu halted his steps.

His hand gripping the Chan Zhang bulged with veins, as if his blood vessels might burst.

Jiao Tangtang snapped out of her shock as well. This young man…

She narrowed her beautiful eyes and saw Xu Xiaoshou turn with the white cat in hand, now pointing it straight at her.

“You stay put too! Don’t move!”

Seeing the pained purple eyes of Lord Tan Shen, Jiao Tangtang felt her heart shatter. But with them held hostage, what could she do?

“Don’t do anything rash—let’s talk this out!” Her expression grew tense.

“Back up, back up.”

Xu Xiaoshou waved the white cat in his hand impatiently, like a tour guide signaling with a flag.

Jiao Tangtang and Xin Gugu hesitated, exchanged a glance, then reluctantly stepped back.

It seems this really works… Xu Xiaoshou thought with a secret smile. Just what is the background of this Lord Tan Shen that it can bluff these two so effectively?

“Take two more steps back!” He pressed on, not quite believing it.

Xin Gugu grew agitated again, but before he could speak, Jiao Tangtang slapped him down and took a deep breath: “Don’t make trouble—we’ll back off.”

With that, she stepped back another pace.

Oh my god, it looks like this thing in my hands really is a sacred beast… Xu Xiaoshou was startled. He eyed the white cat up and down, his face full of oddity.

Does that mean with this cat, I can control these two?

Doesn’t that imply…

“You two—one go left, the other right!”

Xin Gugu and Jiao Tangtang froze, feeling utterly humiliated and fuming with anger.

Yet, seeing Xu Xiaoshou tighten his grip again, they quickly spread their hands and retreated, signaling they wouldn’t resist.

Xu Xiaoshou was thrilled and commanded, “Step forward!”

The two moved forward with expressions of humiliation.

“Back up!”

“Then forward again!”

“Dance!”

Xin Gugu: ???

Jiao Tangtang: ???

“Gained passive value from humiliation: 2.”

“Gained passive value from resentment: 2.”

“Gained passive value from longing: 2.”

Mu Zixi, in Xu Xiaoshou’s arms, was completely stunned.

This…

Isn’t this the big sister who could knock out a grandmaster with one kick?

How did she end up so helpless against Xu Xiaoshou?

She lifted her little head, her eyes full of disbelief.

This doesn’t make sense. We’re both at the innate level, facing the same enemies, so why are you having so much fun while I’m suddenly trapped?

“Gained passive value from admiration: 1.”

More importantly…

Mu Zixi glanced at Xu Xiaoshou’s empty right hand, her little mind buzzing with even more confusion.

So, to defeat or control enemies, the first step is to learn how to grab thin air?

It wasn’t just her—the people around who couldn’t see the white cat in Xu Xiaoshou’s hand were all baffled.

Clearly, there was nothing there, yet this scene was playing out, and crucially… his two opponents were going along with it?

“What the hell is going on? Am I getting old, or am I blind? What’s this guy holding… Are they putting on a show?”

“Is this the world of a Lian Ling Shi? It’s truly extraordinary— no wonder us common folks can’t grasp it!”

“Lian Ling Shi? I’m a Lian Ling Shi myself, but damn it, I can’t see a thing!”

There weren’t just ordinary people in the crowd; plenty of Lian Ling Shi were mixed in.

These regular onlookers not seeing anything was one thing, but why couldn’t these esteemed Lian Ling Shi spot whatever it was either?

Xu Xiaoshou paused his actions and fell into thought.

After several exchanges, Jiao Tangtang, who knew Xu Xiaoshou’s temperament all too well, realized exactly what he was pondering.

He’s probably thinking up more mischief…

“You little brat, don’t push it too far! Hand over Lord Tan Shen, or you won’t know how you die!”

Jiao Tangtang’s face flushed red, half from rage and half from embarrassment.

This guy is nothing short of a devil!

Making us back up was bad enough, and we went along with it thinking you’d release the cat. But then you made us go forward!

Forward…

What a disgrace!

Even so, with Lord Tan Shen in your hands, we can endure it…

But dancing?

What kind of twisted mind do you have? Are you insane!

We’re Lian Ling Shi, not performers!

Dancing? That’s ridiculous—we’d never do it in this lifetime!

And yet, here you are, lost in thought…

Jiao Tangtang felt like fainting. She wasn’t afraid of fighting; what terrified her was this boy starting to think—this was scarier than any battle.

Xin Gugu had gone from irritable to utterly ashamed and furious. He swallowed his pride and said, “Kid, give me Lord Tan Shen, and I’ll give you treasures in return. How about it?”

Since force wasn’t working, he had to try persuasion.

There was no choice—the guy’s speed was almost as fast as his own. He’d considered snatching it back, but what if something went wrong?

If it were him in the enemy’s hands, he wouldn’t give in, at least not to the point of death.

But Lord Tan Shen was different—it had just been born and was still weak. It could actually die!

He, Xin Gugu, couldn’t afford to gamble on that.

And Jiao Tangtang would never let him.

“A trade, one for one?”

Xu Xiaoshou seemed tempted. His gaze shifted back and forth, landing on Xin Gugu’s golden Chan Zhang.

“Can I trade for that thing?”

Xin Gugu was stunned. Trade for his “Zhi Xu Wu”?

His eyes turned cold, and he was about to retort, but the next second, a slap landed on the back of his head, forcing him to nod in humiliation.

“Deal!”

So, this can be traded… Xu Xiaoshou was delighted. He already knew that Mo Mo’s bronze furnace was used to seal Hui Wu Ren, so he understood the value of such spiritual items.

If Lord Tan Shen could be exchanged for this Chan Zhang, then in his eyes, this little cat was worth even more!

Thrilled inside, Xu Xiaoshou kept a straight face outwardly. He said regretfully, “Not enough. This is ‘Lord Tan Shen’—you think one Chan Zhang will cut it?”

His eyes drifted to Jiao Tangtang’s chest. “I want that too!”

“Um, I mean the purple chain.”