Chapter 360: Little Guy

"It's impossible for such a person to exist!"

Zhang Chongmou immediately dismissed his ridiculous idea.

If someone were hiding in the Zhang Fu without being detected, they would have to be at a realm far beyond his own—otherwise, it would be impossible.

To hide, they would certainly need to enter a concealed space.

Yet, at the moment of the explosion, there were no spatial fluctuations around, which directly ruled out that possibility.

"Could it be someone whose strength is far inferior to mine, someone I simply overlooked?"

Zhang Chongmou quickly dismissed that thought as well.

If their strength was too weak, how could they have caused the explosion?

Tonight's attacker was at least at the peak of Zongshi realm, and under normal circumstances, they would be at Wangzuo level!

As he pondered, a young man with a panicked expression turned the corner ahead.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Chongmou froze on the spot.

There were still many passersby around the Zangjing Ge, and he hadn't paid them any mind.

But this person was clearly heading straight for the Zangjing Ge!

Zhang Chongmou narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on the man.

"Yuan Ting Jing, mid-stage..."

The more he looked, the more off it seemed, and doubt flashed in Zhang Chongmou's eyes.

"Looking at his clothes...

"A gate guard? One of our own?"

"Under scrutiny, passive value, 1."

"Under suspicion, passive value, 1."

"Under suspicion, passive value, 1."

With just one turn, several messages flashed through his mind.

Xu Xiaoshou, who had been relieved that no one was paying attention to him, was stunned.

He had thought everything might go as he wished—maybe the Zangjing Ge didn't have a sweeper monk, or if it did, the explosion had drawn them away...

Ideals are so full, but reality is so harsh!

As he used "Perception," he clearly saw the elder sitting cross-legged at the top of the ancient tower.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart nearly stopped.

"Damn, another turn and I run into trouble?"

But from the looks of it, the other party had already locked onto him. If he turned back or retreated now, he would definitely expose himself.

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth and walked forward.

His footsteps sounded hurried and feeble, each one feeling like a step deeper into an abyss.

"This is bad."

Sighing inwardly, Xu Xiaoshou didn't look up. He forced himself to stay calm and ran to the door of the Zangjing Ge.

"Senior, are you there?"

He tentatively called out, then knocked on the door. "The family head has an urgent matter for you!"

No response.

Everything ahead was peaceful, as if the ancient tower was completely empty.

Yet...

"Under scrutiny, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou's heart sank.

Though he couldn't see anyone with his eyes and didn't dare probe with his spiritual sense, "Perception" clearly showed that the old man above had changed his expression abruptly after he spoke.

Did I say something wrong?

Which part was the problem?

Xu Xiaoshou felt his heart skip a beat. He thought his words were smooth enough, and to avoid mistakes, he had even used "senior"...

Wait!

Senior?

The issue must be right there!

In his current role as a gate guard, he should recognize the guardian here.

Normally, he wouldn't call him "senior"; he should use the old man's title in the Zhang Fu!

Most likely "elder," or perhaps "protector" or something similar...

"I was careless!"

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes in regret.

Zhang Chongmou, perched above, watched the young man below.

Just as Xu Xiaoshou had guessed, as soon as the word "senior" left his lips, Zhang Chongmou knew he was a fake.

Anyone from the Zhang Fu who saw him would call out "Great Elder"!

Go back a decade or two, and they would have called him "family head"!

What "senior"...

A failed bait!

Zhang Chongmou sneered. He watched the young man without acting rashly.

In his view, this guy was at most a decoy.

After all, with such weak strength, he couldn't possibly be the one behind the explosion.

However, after observing for a while, the young man still didn't push the door open.

This puzzled Zhang Chongmou.

"Could this boy's target not be the Zangjing Ge?"

"What exactly does he want?"

As he pondered, he suddenly noticed the boy below abruptly look up.

The moonlight illuminated his face, revealing the twisted sneer at the corner of his mouth without a hint of concealment!

"He's smiling?"

That was Zhang Chongmou's first reaction.

In the next moment, he sensed something was wrong.

How could this boy, merely at the Xiantian level, possibly detect him?

Just from that sinister grin, Zhang Chongmou instantly connected all the strange events from before.

Could this guy be the mastermind behind the explosion?

The reason he evaded everyone's tracking in the Zhang Fu was likely due to his flawless...

Cultivation disguise technique, one that even fooled him?

A chill ran down Zhang Chongmou's spine. Someone who could cause such a commotion and maintain a perfect cultivation disguise right under his nose...

How strong must his true power be?

He was already at the peak of Wangzuo—could this guy be at Zhando level?

At that thought, Zhang Chongmou couldn't sit still. He sprang up abruptly, his voice filled with shock and anger:

"Who are you?"

It worked!

Seeing the barrage of messages in his information panel and hearing that final "Who are you?"

Xu Xiaoshou knew his tactic had succeeded!

After realizing the old man had seen through him and was observing from the tower top, planning to turn the tables,

Xu Xiaoshou understood that sticking to the original plan would leave him completely on the defensive.

The best outcome would be waiting for his doom, or pushing the door and getting struck down by the old man!

So, he decided to counter the old man's scheme with his own, stepping out of the gate guard role and back into the explosive's perpetrator as the old man imagined.

It was a risky plan.

But only by taking the initiative and creating a new strategy could he snatch a chance of survival from under the old man's nose.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't want to fight, and he couldn't afford to!

He could release Xin Gugu, but from the current situation,

The Zhang Fu had at least Zhang Taiying, this elder before him, and that beautiful woman who had gone to the East Court District.

Three Wangzuo experts!

If he got held up, they might all die!

Xu Xiaoshou made a snap decision. He looked up, grinning with a cold smile.

Sure enough, the old man overthought it!

As long as he didn't strike first, Xu Xiaoshou had already succeeded half way!

His body slowly rose into the air, and he stopped hiding his Xiantian cultivation fluctuations.

As he ascended, the old man's gaze followed.

In his eyes, there was wariness, confusion, and a trace of doubt...

Xu Xiaoshou met Zhang Chongmou's eyes directly, slowing his heart rate to a minimum and forcing a fearless expression on his face.

What kind of words could intimidate a Wangzuo?

Xu Xiaoshou was secretly anxious.

Suddenly, an image of the "Sheng Nu" masked man flashed in his mind.

"Maybe...?"

After a long pause, Xu Xiaoshou didn't rush.

He waited a good while, until he saw a hint of impatience in the old man's eyes, then he smiled and said:

"Little guy, I didn't expect your eyes to be so sharp that you could actually discover me?"