Chapter 276: The Forces That Cannot Be Provoked

In the secret room on the top floor of Duo Jin Shang Hang.

There were two people here: an old man and a woman.

Qu Qing'er gazed out the window as the crowd dispersed and couldn't help but say, "Jin Lao, how did you know that these people wouldn't fight?"

The old man laughed and replied, "I don't know."

"Then why didn't you intervene? You're just calmly watching them gather and cause trouble right outside our Shang Hang?"

"It's not that I won't intervene, it's that I can't."

"Why?" Qu Qing'er asked, puzzled. "They even smashed our gold emblem. If we just let it go, won't it make us look..."

Jin Lao smiled bitterly and raised his hand to stop her from continuing.

Truth be told, if anyone else dared to cause such a disturbance at the entrance of Duo Jin Shang Hang, they would likely be driven away in no time.

If they still lingered, the combat forces of this top-ten mainland Shang Hang would probably step in to show their strength.

But...

Jin Lao sighed and said, "Qing'er, do you know about 'Gui Shou'?"

"Gui Shou?"

Qu Qing'er shifted her gaze from the window back to the old man and asked, "I've heard of it, but... what does it have to do with them?"

Jin Lao chuckled and said, "Your generation has been so well protected by those old folks that you've basically forgotten how terrifying Gui Shou can be."

"Decades ago, Sheng Shen Dian Tang issued a blood order, wiping out almost all the Gui Shou that remained in the world, which brought us years of peace."

"If these things never show up again, that's for the best. Whether it's out of fear of Sheng Shen Dian Tang's deterrence or a real intent to hide away, it's all much the same at its core—at least they don't dare to come out."

"But now, it's different—they've come."

Qu Qing'er asked in confusion, "Gui Shou?"

"Yes."

Jin Lao nodded. "Gui Shou has come! Weren't you curious about what that Xu Xiao Shou was holding in his hand?"

Qu Qing'er's eyes lit up. She had been puzzled for a long time about how he could grab at thin air and subdue those two seemingly extraordinary people.

"It's not air..."

Jin Lao knew what she was thinking and explained, "What that kid was grabbing must be a Gui Shou."

Qu Qing'er was stunned, "Must be...? So even you, Jin Lao, aren't certain?"

"Exactly." Jin Lao nodded.

"Gui Shou originates from a different dimensional space. Even though they're despised by Sheng Shen Dian Tang, for some reason, they seem to be favored by the heavenly dao of their original space, making them invisible to the naked eye."

"These beings can't be detected by spiritual sense and seem not to exist in the world at all."

"Weaker ones are easier—they can still be seen with the eyes—but some of the stronger ones could be standing right in front of you, and you'd have no idea they exist!"

Qu Qing'er exclaimed in shock, "But if even you, Jin Lao, can't see them, how is that possible?"

A Wang Zuo-level expert couldn't see Gui Shou—then how could they have been wiped out? Did that mean the ones who killed the Gui Shou were all beings far beyond Jin Lao's level?

She recalled what Jin Lao had said earlier about Sheng Shen Dian Tang's blood order exterminating nearly all the Gui Shou that remained, and her heart skipped a beat.

So, that was... Sheng Shen Dian Tang, the number one force on the mainland?

How was it so different from the image she had in mind!

"So, what you mean, Jin Lao, is that those two strangely dressed people came looking for the Gui Shou, but the Gui Shou took an interest in Xu Xiao Shou instead?"

As soon as Qu Qing'er finished speaking, she realized something was off and said in alarm, "Even you, Jin Lao, couldn't see the Gui Shou, but that kid could?"

Jin Lao smiled and replied, "It's not just Xu Xiao Shou—in the scene earlier, that sword-wielding traveler with the famous sword could see it too."

"Being able to see these things means their mental or soul power is several times stronger than that of ordinary people—far beyond what a typical spirit refiner could achieve."

"You know, this ability can't be cultivated; it's an innate talent."

"So, from that, you can tell—these kinds of people have extraordinary talents and limitless futures!"

Qu Qing'er said with interest, "So, does that mean I can go and make friends with them?"

"No!"

Jin Lao rejected the idea firmly and said seriously, "That's exactly what I wanted to tell you—these people are ones you must never approach!"

"Why?" Qu Qing'er asked curiously.

Jin Lao sighed and said, "This world has many rules, even the heavenly dao itself. Once you reach the Wang Zuo level, they'll start to surface gradually."

"These rules, or rather, these regulatory forces, both limit you and protect you."

"Just like I mentioned earlier with Sheng Shen Dian Tang—as the number one force on the mainland, it shelters everyone in the world. But is that really a good thing?"

"In the shadows you can't see, Gui Shou still exists, and we have no idea how much they've grown in secret."

"Without a clear understanding of Gui Shou, all of you... just imagine, what if one day this force strikes back?"

Qu Qing'er was shocked and said, "But isn't there still Sheng Shen Dian Tang?"

Jin Lao shook his head, "I'm talking about the worst-case scenario!"

"Even if the chances are extremely low—so low it's almost impossible—what if that worst case actually happens?"

"And even if, as you think, it doesn't, what about other similar forces? There are plenty of factions suppressed by Sheng Shen Dian Tang!"

Qu Qing'er lowered her head in thought. She seemed to grasp the deeper meaning in the old man's words and said in surprise, "So, what you're saying, Jin Lao, is that our Duo Jin Shang Hang should also..."

"You're overthinking it!"

Jin Lao interrupted her directly, "The title of Sheng Shen Dian Tang as the number one force on the mainland is no empty claim. Even if many factions want to rebel, has anyone ever succeeded throughout history?"

"Then..." Qu Qing'er was confused. If their Shang Hang didn't mean what she thought from his earlier words, what was he trying to say?

Jin Lao stroked his beard with a smile and said, "I just want to tell you that great chaos is coming. In this world, there are many things you can get involved in, but there are some forces you must absolutely avoid."

"Which forces?"

"One is 'Xu Yue Hui Gong', and the other is 'Sheng Nu'!"

Qu Qing'er frowned. Truth be told, she had rarely heard of these two forces!

Forces with such low visibility that even she, someone who handled intelligence, had only vaguely heard of them—what was there to fear? There were plenty of organizations on the mainland that were far more powerful, so why warn against these two?

She glanced at Jin Lao again, who now had his eyes closed, signaling he didn't want to say more.

"Xu Yue Hui Gong, Sheng Nu?"

Qu Qing'er pondered. Based on what Jin Lao had said, these two organizations were probably not as simple as they appeared.

They might even be the ones trying to overthrow Sheng Shen Dian Tang, as he had implied.

But...

Was that possible?

That was Sheng Shen Dian Tang, a force that had stood unshaken for thousands of years!

"Sheng Nu..."

Qu Qing'er mulled over the term. If her intelligence was accurate, this organization had recently been active in Tian Sang Cheng, with rumors that they had even attacked Tian Sang Ling Gong.