Chapter 532: True and False Xu Xiaoshou

Ah, don't say that.

This will make us distant.

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hands repeatedly and changed the subject.

"So, with the Bai Ku anomalies and treasures emerging one after another, even causing so many heavenly phenomena..."

"You're all just standing here roasting meat, resting and recuperating?"

"Wasting time like this?"

Rao Yinyin's eyes narrowed. "Xu Xiaoshou, what do you mean?"

"I think you're acting strangely." Xu Xiaoshou laughed.

"Where's the strangeness?"

"Everything about you is strange!"

Silence fell abruptly.

Rao Yinyin quieted down for a moment.

Xu Xiaoshou's lips curved into a smile, no longer pressing her aggressively, and he coaxed, "So, according to what you're saying, you're all just here to heal, nothing else?"

"Um."

Rao Yinyin lifted her gaze. "Why?"

"That's perfect."

Xu Xiaoshou clapped his hands in delight. "You all rest as you need, and I'll look for what I want. We'll stay out of each other's way."

"What you want..."

Rao Yinyin's eyes sharpened, and she could no longer hide it, asking urgently, "What exactly do you want?"

"That's none of your concern."

Xu Xiaoshou lazily rested his hands behind his head. "Anyway, I don't need your help. Once you're done resting, you can leave—no need to hold me back."

"You!"

"Received angry glare, passive value, 1."

Rao Yinyin paused, but couldn't help speaking plainly. "Xu Xiaoshou, you also want the 'Dao Wen Chu Shi'?"

"Heh."

"Also?"

"Aren't you all here to rest?" Xu Xiaoshou pointed at the others.

At that, the nearby groups of three or five people were drawn in by their argument.

They had thought it was just a private spat between the two and didn't want to pay much attention.

But now...

The situation seemed different?

"What's the 'Dao Wen Chu Shi'?"

"I don't know, never heard of it, but seeing how Senior Sister Rao and Xu Xiaoshou are fighting over it, it must be a supreme treasure."

"Not just possibly—it definitely is!"

"'Dao Wen Chu Shi'..."

Some voiced their confusion, while others murmured in thought.

Everyone present was no ordinary person.

Those who could enter Tian Sang Ling Gong and rank among the inner court's thirty-three were almost all backed by some influence.

So, after some pondering, someone finally recalled something.

"Isn't the 'Dao Wen Chu Shi' a supreme treasure used by Wang Zuo level experts to comprehend the heavenly Dao?"

"This thing is almost the best for sensing the heavenly Dao, aside from one of the nine divine trees, the 'Pu Ti Gu Mu'."

"I heard that if you can find the legendary 'Hun Dun Dao Wen Shi', you could even achieve sainthood just by comprehending one stone!"

"Hiss, that's incredible?" Someone was startled.

"You bet!"

"But how did Senior Sister Rao and Xu Xiaoshou know there's a 'Dao Wen Chu Shi' here?"

Everyone fell silent at that.

Suddenly, their gazes became shifty, their intentions unclear.

They were indeed on the same team.

And most came from Tian Sang Ling Gong.

But the inner court's struggles were like a miniature Ling Jie.

Moreover, Tian Sang Ling Gong didn't require treasures found in Bai Ku to be turned in.

Under these premises, while the team had rules for distributing treasures, in the face of such a supreme treasure...

There was only one 'Dao Wen Chu Shi'.

How to divide it?

Cut it into pieces?

What a joke!

The only right way was to take it for yourself and then compensate the others somehow.

"Senior Sister Rao, is what Xu Xiaoshou said true?"

"Is there really a 'Dao Wen Chu Shi' here?"

Someone couldn't help asking.

Rao Yinyin's eyes narrowed, but she didn't respond.

Xu Xiaoshou, however, found it amusing.

"Oh, so you didn't tell the others? That means this is your personal plan, right?"

"While everyone else wasn't paying attention, you'd seize the treasure the moment it appears, then make up an excuse, and finally brush off the others?"

"Or perhaps..."

"Xu Xiaoshou!" Rao Yinyin suddenly snapped, "Don't push it too far!"

"Uh."

Seeing Rao Yinyin suddenly so serious and stern, Xu Xiaoshou was taken aback.

He lowered his gaze and fell into thought.

Over this period, he had been facing off against extraordinary beings like Zhang Taiying, the Gray Fog People, and the Night Guardians.

Fighting them meant that any misstep could lead to instant death.

So, he had gotten into the habit of thinking in the worst possible way before every scheme.

Over time, this cynical mindset had truly influenced his normal behavior.

For instance, right now.

Rao Yinyin was just a Ling Gong disciple.

What ulterior motives could she have?

At worst, she was like him—just wanting to claim the "Dao Wen Chu Shi".

Regardless of how she got the information.

Even if her intentions were unclear, after being rooted in the Ling Gong for so long, anyone would develop some loyalty.

Xu Xiaoshou felt the same way himself.

And now, using such ruthless, Gray Fog People-like thoughts to maliciously speculate about this woman...

He had to admit, even to himself, that he was going too far.

"Sorry."

He nodded seriously, his eyes also turning earnest. "But, I can't give up the 'Dao Wen Chu Shi'."

The atmosphere grew quiet.

A tense air settled in.

Everyone quietly moved to stand with their familiar allies.

Soon, the situation became clear at a glance.

Though they all had their own ideas, at this critical moment, the Tian Sang Ling Gong team still banded together.

Behind Xu Xiaoshou, there were only Mu Yu and the other two, plus Zhou Tiancan.

As for Su Qianqian...

Even though this young girl had grown quite mature, she was now torn.

On one side was her Sister Rao.

On the other was her Little Beast brother...

How had it suddenly come to this, looking like a fight was about to break out?

Su Qianqian bit her lower lip, wanting to speak.

But seeing the two facing off in silence, she didn't know how to start.

"Xu Xiaoshou."

Rao Yinyin withdrew her gaze from the hesitant Zhou Tiancan and said calmly, "If I remember correctly, there's the matter of the back mountain, the waterfall, and the Wang Zuo Dan."

"Uh..."

Xu Xiaoshou's stern face relaxed instantly, and his prepared retort fizzled out.

"Cough, cough, yes, I, Xu Xiaoshou, keep my word, and I still owe you a Wang Zuo Dan."

"Very good." Rao Yinyin smiled slightly. "So?"

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head. "So, it's still no. The Wang Zuo Dan is the Wang Zuo Dan—once we're out of Bai Ku, I can even buy one for you."

"But the 'Dao Wen Chu Shi' is different. It's extremely important to me; I have to get it."

"It's also very important to me." Rao Yinyin bit her lip, her voice just as firm.

"Since it's so important to both of us, then let's rely on our own abilities. Anyway, it's just between you and me..."

Xu Xiaoshou was speaking when his words suddenly halted.

The two turned their heads in unison.

"Boom!"

At the same time, the surrounding protective barrier shimmered and buzzed before exploding.

"Crack, crack."

Rao Yinyin clenched her fists so tightly they cracked, glaring fiercely at Xu Xiaoshou.

"Crow's mouth!"

"This..."

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected his words to come true so quickly.

Had his mouth been blessed or something?

He hadn't even finished speaking, and people were already here?

He looked over and saw that after the barrier broke, a large number of shadowy figures poured in.

There were over twenty of them.

In terms of numbers, they completely outnumbered everyone originally here.

And in terms of quality...

At a glance, he saw that most were Zong Shi level.

There were older ones and younger ones among them.

"What's going on?"

"Where did this group come from?"

Xu Xiaoshou knew that Bai Ku had stowaways.

But nominally, it was a training ground for the younger generation.

These people were of average age and didn't look like typical clan heirs.

Instead, they seemed more like...

His thoughts turned, and Xu Xiaoshou realized there was indeed another special group in Bai Ku.

But weren't those Ling Zhen Shi who came to Bai Ku supposed to be gathered by the Red Clad to crack the so-called "San Shi Liu Tian Feng Wu Zhen"?

"Had something happened on the Four Swords side?"

Xu Xiaoshou quickly connected the dots.

Not many could be remembered through "Perception," but several faces were ones he had seen at the great teleportation array in the Eight Palaces.

"Who are you people?"

Fu Xing extinguished the bonfire and stood up straight.

He had set up this protective barrier, and now that it was broken, he was the first to feel the slight.

"Who are we..."

The leader of the uninvited guests was a man in a black robe, wearing a large hood and a mask, his face completely hidden.

From his voice, he seemed quite young—at least not middle-aged.

"Hahaha!"

He scanned the crowd inside the barrier and burst into laughter.

His laugh was so abrupt.

But as soon as he laughed, those behind him followed suit.

Suddenly, the scene was filled with a chorus of scattered, mocking laughs.

"This damn..."

Xu Xiaoshou felt awkward listening to it.

If he hadn't seen their cultivation levels directly, just based on their attire, he might have thought the "Sheng Nu" people had arrived.

But Sheng Nu?

This was at most a cheap imitation!

The cheapest kind, no doubt.

Exchanging a glance with Rao Yinyin, both saw the strangeness in each other's eyes.

Without saying more, they silently chose to keep watching.

"Who am I?"

After laughing enough, the black-robed leader suddenly stopped. "My brothers, tell them who I am! And what we're here for!"

Under everyone's gaze, the black-robed second-in-command stepped forward.

"Since you've come to Bai Ku, you must know about Tian Sang Jun, right?" He flung his sleeve and stood with hands behind his back.

"Um."

Fu Xing nodded.

How could he not know about the prefecture under his jurisdiction?

"Then, do you know about the Tian Sang Cheng city lord's mansion?"

"Um."

Fu Xing and Fu Yin Hong exchanged a look, then nodded again.

What's with our family?

"Hahaha, since you know, that's easy!" The man laughed and continued, "Now that you're in Bai Ku, you probably haven't just stayed here, right? Have you heard about the famous sword Yan Mang appearing?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly froze.

Looking at the leader's attire on that side, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

He opened his mouth, suddenly wanting to say something, but in the end, chose to watch a bit longer.

Fu Xing furrowed his brows, not sure what the other side was getting at.

A famous sword?

Related to this group?

"I've heard a little." He nodded again.

"You've heard of that too? Even better!" The black-robed man seemed even more pleased, continuing to count on his fingers. "What about Ling Rong Ze? Have you heard of that?"

At this, Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted.

Why did this string of terms all feel connected to him?

Fu Xing, however, was baffled. "I've heard of it, but what does it have to do with you?"

"Heh."

The black-robed man scoffed disdainfully. "Oh, it has a lot to do with us."

"This one!" He pointed at the leader, his tone reverent, "Is the one who single-handedly seized eighteen Bai Ku spots in the Tian Sang Cheng city lord's mansion, struck first in Bai Ku to claim the famous sword Yan Mang, then went to Ling Rong Ze to clear out all the treasures there, and even blew the place sky-high with a massive explosion—the great figure, Xu Xiaoshou!"

"I ask you, do you know him?"

With a thud, Fu Xing staggered.

His face twitched wildly as he stared at the so-called "Xu Xiaoshou," speechless for a moment.

Know him?

More than know him!

I even sat with Xu Xiaoshou just now!

"This..."

Almost simultaneously.

As the black-robed man's words fell, Fu Xing and the others, including the entire Ling Gong team, turned in unison to where Xu Xiaoshou was.

Shock, strangeness, confusion...

A mix of emotions surfaced.

"Xu Xiaoshou?"

"Isn't it? He's been in Bai Ku and done so much already?"

"The famous sword?"

"I heard that when those famous swords appeared, not only people from the eastern region's 'Zang Jian Zhong' showed up, but even Red Clad and Ghost Beasts were there."

"So, it was Xu Xiaoshou who took the famous sword?"

"That's not the point—what's important is Ling Rong Ze, where a Ghost Beast really appeared, and it was a sealed one, they say."

"But wasn't it rumored that the Ghost Beast fought Red Clad, causing the entire Ling Rong Ze to explode?"

"How is it related to Xu Xiaoshou now?"

"This guy just can't stay out of explosions, can he? Every blast has his shadow!"

Discussions erupted in a buzz.

Almost everyone subconsciously ignored the "Xu Xiaoshou" on the other side and instead looked at the real one they knew, discussing animatedly.

The situation was clear.

Even if that impostor's story sounded real, when the fake met the original...

It could only be said their intel was thorough.

But this group clearly hadn't seen the real Xu Xiaoshou in person.

"So, you're the leader?"

The impostor "Xu Xiaoshou" watched as everyone turned back, shifting his gaze from Fu Xing to Xu Xiaoshou.

"The leader?"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"Not?"

The man sneered. "If you're not the leader, why are they all looking at you, waiting for your response?"

"What response do I need to give?" Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.

"Heh."

"What response? Isn't it obvious?"

"Our brothers, over twenty of us, are tired from fighting all over. Now, we want to borrow this place to rest."

"As for you all..."

He said, sweeping his gaze around the group and waving his hand dismissively, "Get lost!"

Whoosh!

This indifferent tone instantly ignited the anger of the Ling Gong team.

"Who the hell do you think you are? We were here first, with the protective barrier set up. You broke the spirit array without warning and barged in."

"The ones who should get lost are you!"

"That's right, what 'Xu Xiaoshou'... I think you're just asking for trouble."

"I advise you to leave now while that person hasn't gotten angry, or you won't know how to cry later."

"Hahaha..."

"Get out!"

"Get the hell out of here!"