Chapter 324: Don't Be Nervous, I Just Came to Take Your Life, That's All

A clear look of confusion appeared on the uncle's face.

But he was clearly a man who had weathered many storms; even with his shoulder bleeding from the collision, he didn't utter a word.

"Young man, you're not watching where you're walking, and now you're blaming me?"

"Killer?"

"Pfft!"

He burst out laughing, seemingly amused. From within his baggy, filthy sleeves, his hand slapped his thigh repeatedly, and tears nearly streamed down his face.

"Under suspicion, passive value, +1."

"Under ridicule, passive value, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou looked at these two messages and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

This system couldn't possibly be fake, could it?

Even if this uncle was a great actor, he couldn't deceive the system's ability to discern truth from falsehood—which meant he was really just a passerby.

"Huh..."

Xu Xiaoshou watched him laughing and couldn't help but smile himself.

He had been too tense, not even realizing it; from the moment he stepped out the door, his back was already soaked with sweat.

"Sorry, sorry—I was lost in thought and ended up bumping into you."

The scruffy uncle waved his sleeve, wiped his tears with his elbow, and shook his head. "Young man... do you know that if this were back when I was young, you'd already be dead by now!"

Xu Xiaoshou's brow twitched.

He gazed at the large scar on the uncle's dirty neck, which nearly severed it entirely, and instantly realized that this guy must have been no easy target in his youth.

Who doesn't have a dark, passionate, reckless past?

If not for the pressures of life, if not for being utterly crushed and broken, would a Lingling Shi have fallen so low as to abandon the path of Lingling and resort to scavenging scrap metal?

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him.

Houtian realm.

The signs of cultivation collapse were plain to see—it was clearly a forcibly dispersed realm.

His face was rugged and tough, the face of a hardened man, but it was so dirty, covered in grease and grime, as if it hadn't been cleaned in ages. A foul stench hit him head-on, making it impossible to see his features clearly.

"Let's go."

Xu Xiaoshou handed over a bottle of Chi Jin Dan without saying more, then brushed past and left.

A heavy weight pressed on his heart, and until it was lifted, he had no mood to joke around with strangers or earn some passive value.

The scruffy uncle hoisted his burlap sack onto his shoulder, stared at the Chi Jin Dan in his hand for a long while, and chuckled dryly.

He took a couple of steps forward and called out, "You're going the wrong way!"

But Xu Xiaoshou had already vanished into the crowd.

"Ah."

"Young people are just so impulsive..."

Those ten long minutes felt like they were dragging on forever, and the minor mishaps along the way only added to Xu Xiaoshou's irritation.

He twisted his wrist, and his joints cracked with a "crack, crack" sound.

His heart skipped a beat.

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly realized something was off.

Even if he had encountered a Wangzuo before, was he really this paranoid and on edge?

"A Jie."

Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes and called out softly.

But there was no response...

Zzz—

A shiver ran up his spine in an instant, making Xu Xiaoshou's whole body go cold.

His face turned pale, yet he kept his steps steady, moving forward as normally as possible.

"It's started..."

"No, it's been going on for a while!"

"That uncle? ...No, it's not him. It started the moment I stepped out—I've been under some kind of influence!"

"Illusion array?"

Xu Xiaoshou's mind was a whirlwind of uncertainty. He didn't believe it was an illusion array.

No matter how strong an illusion array was, it should have triggered the system's "under illusion" notification, as he'd already confirmed when he secretly peeked at Rao Yin Yin bathing.

But if it wasn't an illusion array, how was it affecting him?

"Under scrutiny, passive value, +1."

The information bar refreshed with a new message, and Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood.

"Wangzuo..."

"The power of the Heavenly Dao?"

He stopped in his tracks.

Because at that moment, he realized the direction he was heading looked similar to the path to Dan Ta, but in essence, it was completely different!

He hadn't even noticed it right away...

Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill in his heart.

He had been careless!

Truly careless!

He shouldn't have left early in those ten minutes.

He could have just stayed in the inn and waited.

Why did he suddenly decide to head out on a whim?

Even if Xin Gugu was coming, it would take time. He already knew this killer was no ordinary foe, so why was he so impulsive?

Xu Xiaoshou abruptly shut his eyes, and his heart plummeted into an abyss.

"There's no need to blame yourself."

A calm voice drifted toward him from ahead.

Approaching was a man in white robes wearing a red mask.

His hands were crossed at his dantian, his fingers fair and immaculate, his nails neatly trimmed. He exuded an otherworldly air, utterly pristine.

At his waist hung a red token.

Engraved on the token were three sticks of incense.

One red, one purple, one deep green.

Xu Xiaoshou opened his eyes, a look of despair flashing in them.

"As expected..."

He quickly grabbed his transmission jade slip, trying to contact Jiao Tang Tang, but the man waved his hand, and the jade slip crumbled to dust.

"There's no need to panic. I'm just here to take your life."

The voice was as casual as if it came from the heavens, light and carefree.

Xu Xiaoshou's face turned green.

In that instant, he finally understood the feeling of those people he had annoyed in the past.

"Who are you? San Zhu Xiang, a killer? Do you know Li Qi?" Xu Xiaoshou responded calmly, backing away step by step.

He had to buy time.

This person was too strong!

With just one glance, he knew this was an existence on par with Xiao Qi Xiu or Ye Xiao Tian—or even surpassing them!

Absolutely not weaker than the big shots of Ling Gong!

A San Zhu Xiang killer—their caliber was on a completely different level from the organization Li Qi belonged to, "An Ming Jie." There was no comparison at all.

Facing him, Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he were seeing Sang Lao for the first time!

That same indifference to life, that casual demeanor... This was the attitude of someone accustomed to holding power over others, like a player moving pieces on a board!

How could he possibly fight someone like this?

How could such a person appear before him right now?

Xu Xiaoshou's heart was filled with nothing but despair!

"I'm called Hong Gou— that's what others call me."

The white-robed man took a step forward and appeared directly at Xu Xiaoshou's side.

No matter how much the latter retreated, he stuck like a shadow that couldn't be shaken off.

Hong Gou was tall, half a head taller than Xu Xiaoshou. He leaned down slightly and whispered in his ear, "You're quite extraordinary."

He tilted his head, as if choosing his words carefully.

"For the first time, I've seen a junior with innate cultivation who's worth so much... Truth be told, I took this task just to get a look at you."

"But!"

He shifted his tone, his curiosity fading as he spoke coldly, "My record of killing disciples must remain at one hundred percent. I won't let it drop because of anyone—not even you."

"Do you understand me?"