Chapter 570: Sorry

“Who is this?”

With an aura of utter dominance, the grass hat old man soared into the air, sword in hand, amid the collapsing heavens and earth. The group in red clothes felt their hearts tighten in unison.

That emaciated figure, the demeanor of one nearing the end of his days, the signature grass hat, and those heavy dark circles under his eyes...

Shou Ye swallowed hard, his throat dry.

In his ears, the storyteller's words from earlier echoed once more.

“Old Two, catch the sword!”

So, this person...

Lan Ling turned her gaze toward him as well, her expression strained, and with perfect tacit understanding, she nodded slightly.

“It's him!”

From the intelligence reports outside.

The second-in-command of the Shengnu who ambushed Wu Yue Jianxian in Qinglong County—the old man nicknamed Wu Xiu—his appearance matched exactly with the one now before them.

“But wasn't the Shengnu second-in-command supposed to have retreated with injuries?”

“And after that battle, even Wu Yue Jianxian was wounded.”

“How could Wu Xiu recover so quickly to this state?”

The red clothes group was baffled.

Look at that presence!

He merely stood in midair, sword held high, and the entire scene fell into dead silence.

Even the storyteller stood frozen, speechless for a long moment.

The shattered space, under the pressure of his aura that seemed to solidify and engulf mountains and rivers, was suppressed to an incredibly slow rate of recovery.

“Did Wu Xiu not flee, but instead enter the Bai Ku space first after failing to ambush Wu Yue Jianxian?”

“And then lie in wait?”

At the same time, this deduction flashed through the minds of all the red clothes.

A shadow of gloom descended on their hearts.

A mere Shengnu seventh-in-command like the storyteller had already pushed everyone here to their limits.

Now, with the second-in-command showing up?

How were they supposed to fight?

Had the Shengnu gone mad?

Gathering all in Bai Ku—weren't they afraid of being wiped out by the white clothes?

Dead silence enveloped everything.

Xu Xiaoshou held the sword in one hand and steadied his grass hat with the other.

He didn't speak, but his aura continued to build.

Under this oppressive atmosphere, no one dared to voice a question.

The storyteller's cry of “Old Two, catch the sword” was too misleading.

No one would immediately doubt the identity of someone even the Shengnu seventh-in-command acknowledged.

Moreover, Xu Xiaoshou's figure, sword in hand under the effect of “Qi Tun Shan He,” had already left a profound imprint on everyone's souls from the moment he appeared.

“Roar!!!”

The Chi Shuang Long Python, coiled above the fractured space, groaned in agony.

The murderous aura of You Si Jian was too terrifying.

No matter how it struggled, being neither a sword cultivator nor possessing sword intent, it couldn't withstand the power of this sword once wielded by the eighth sword immortal.

The tribulation clouds had long dispersed.

But the residual power within its body was enough to destroy this massive Chi Shuang Long Python.

No one paid attention to the dying beast anymore.

Even as its groans grew more pitiful, everyone's eyes remained fixed on the grass hat old man.

In the distance,

The storyteller's face was somewhat dazed.

Unlike others shocked by the second-in-command's forceful entrance,

His gaze was fixed straight on that withered right hand gripping You Si Jian.

How dare he?

Even if it was the second-in-command, not a sword cultivator—how could he directly grasp You Si Jian?

“Old Two, you...”

“Shut up.”

Xu Xiaoshou turned his stiff neck and swept a cold glance over, cutting off the storyteller's words with a single command.

The entire crowd was stunned.

Only then did they realize,

This so-called Shengnu second-in-command was in a state similar to Cheng Xingchu's at the beginning.

He was one of the rare few who had grasped You Si Jian without being demonized!

“This...”

“Does You Si Jian acknowledge him?”

“Suspicion detected, passive value: 13.”

Xu Xiaoshou felt the wild, rampaging primal force within him constantly assaulting his soul.

He was fighting desperately to resist, striving not to let a single blink turn him into a berserk giant.

The effects of Xin Gugu's special training were showing now.

Relying on his willpower, which was tougher than most, Xu Xiaoshou clung tenaciously to the last shred of clarity in his spiritual platform.

But he knew,

What truly prevented him from fully demonizing wasn't just willpower.

It was sword intent!

From his dantian, that wisp of sword intent gifted by the scruffy uncle seemed to resonate with You Si Jian's power.

With the evil sword in hand,

Xu Xiaoshou could clearly sense it tentatively approaching the sword intent in his dantian.

Somewhat timid, somewhat cautious.

And when it finally made contact...

“Boom!”

Xu Xiaoshou's body was suddenly blasted by the murderous demonic aura.

He forcibly held back from spitting blood, letting “Sheng Sheng Bu Xi” continuously repair his injuries, maintaining an outwardly calm demeanor.

“Angry?”

Yes.

You Si Jian's strange emotions vanished abruptly upon contact with the sword intent, transforming into pure rage.

It was as if a long-cherished hope had shattered like a bubble.

This sense of fragile illusion turning to anger was something Xu Xiaoshou could feel clearly.

“Hold on.”

Gritting his teeth, Xu Xiaoshou said nothing.

He didn't understand what You Si Jian was testing, but if he couldn't withstand this rage from the evil sword and control the situation...

One slip-up, and he was done for!

“Buzz—”

You Si Jian trembled, its demonic patterns deepening, nearly covering Xu Xiaoshou's entire body.

Feelings of powerlessness, depletion, weakness...

All sorts of exhaustion assaulted him on a soul level, his eyelids growing heavier.

Xu Xiaoshou resisted with all his might; he knew that closing his eyes might mean losing himself completely.

But...

It was too difficult!

How could a mere Xiantian withstand the might of You Si Jian?

His ambitions were vast,

But reality always crushed beautiful illusions when least expected.

“I'm done for, I overreached...”

Just as Xu Xiaoshou felt he should give in, surrendering his body to You Si Jian to wreak havoc on the world,

“Buzz.”

In his dantian, overshadowed by various forces, another faint sword intent suddenly emitted a soft hum.

Under the suppression of Jin Zhao Origin Seed, San Ri Dong Jie, Da Jian Nian, and other powers, this insignificant wisp—like a silver thread—was stepping forward at this moment.

“My... sword intent?”

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned.

This wisp of sword intent was likely the one he had comprehended from Cang Ku through repeated use of “Guan Jian Zhi Shu.”

“So... the Sword Canon?” He was somewhat puzzled.

As this small sword intent stirred, You Si Jian's murderous sword intent halted abruptly.

The next second, it surged madly toward this previously overlooked sword intent.

“Buzz buzz buzz!”

Upon contact, You Si Jian trembled violently in an instant.

The rage transformed into wild joy, and the demonic power began pouring endlessly into this fragile sword intent.

It was as if nurturing, as if cultivating...

“Boom!”

Sword intent exploded above Li Jian Grassland, forcing everyone to retreat in shock.

Xu Xiaoshou regained his senses and immediately tried to retract the sword intent into his body.

After all, Sang Lao wasn't a sword cultivator; exposing his own sword intent might raise suspicions.

But...

“Fear detected, passive value: 8.”

“Shock detected, passive value: 19.”

What “perception” revealed was the opposite of what he expected; instead, everyone in the crowd looked utterly stunned!

“Does You Si Jian acknowledge him?”

“How is that possible? The Shengnu second-in-command isn't even a sword cultivator, but this sword intent...”

Some in red clothes hesitated.

After a long while, someone finally realized and exclaimed, “This is You Si Jian's own sword intent!”

“Terrifying—how is this even possible?”

“Worthy of the Shengnu—they not only seize famous swords but even have unique ways to master You Si Jian directly?”

“How do we fight this?”

“The second-in-command, the seventh-in-command, plus You Si Jian—if they don't even need to move much, just a casual swing, no one here could block it!” Someone said, glancing at Shou Ye.

Lan Ling looked at the panic spreading across the red clothes' faces.

For a moment, she didn't know how to comfort them.

She could barely handle one storyteller.

Now, even she couldn't suppress her own fear—how could she reassure everyone and reignite their will to fight?

Shou Ye furrowed his brows, not responding.

He stared intently at the old man in the void, whose state had been off since appearing.

After some struggle?

And finally suppression?

From the Shengnu second-in-command's series of actions, even he found controlling You Si Jian far from easy.

But now, it seemed he had succeeded?

Yet, this inexplicable sense of familiarity—where was it coming from?

Suddenly, Shou Ye's mind conjured up Xu Xiaoshou's image.

That guy had a black sword that resembled You Si Jian.

Back at the city lord's mansion, drawing his sword with that overbearing air—it was almost identical to this grass hat old man's sword-wielding posture.

But...

How could a spiritual sword compare to You Si Jian?

And how could a mere Xiantian ant transform into the Shengnu second-in-command?

“Impossible!”

Shou Ye shook his head fiercely, dismissing his ridiculous thought.

Xu Xiaoshou was indeed a bit mysterious.

But no matter how mysterious, could his true identity be the Shengnu second-in-command?

Could he be strong enough to make the storyteller obediently shut up with just one word?

“Shock detected, passive value: 13.”

“Old Two...”

The storyteller was clearly intimidated by Xu Xiaoshou's control over You Si Jian.

When did he gain this ability?

Could it be that the task his brother gave him included this, so he was taught how to control You Si Jian in advance?

“Old Two, catch the sword?”

Before he could think further, Xu Xiaoshou, having temporarily suppressed the demonic aura and regained a bit of clarity in his eyes, swept another cold glance over.

“Boom!”

Even as Xu Xiaoshou tried to suppress it,

Where his gaze fell, the “Qi Tun Shan He” power gathered abruptly, shattering the already fractured space once more.

The storyteller's body trembled violently.

Under that single glance, with no will to resist, he felt as if he had become the most insignificant ant in the world.

And the second-in-command was like a dazzling divine demon from the nine heavens.

“His strength...”

From just one look, the storyteller knew the second-in-command's injuries were fully healed.

Moreover, after over a decade of honing and that final battle with Gou Wu Yue, his cultivation had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Just a glance held such power?

If he really attacked, it would be world-ending.

“Um, I was a bit too excited earlier and forgot about your task...” The storyteller hesitated, struggling to speak.

The second-in-command did have his own task.

But back then, he had already dominated the scene, and all the red clothes feared him.

He thought there was no one here to stop him.

So, fueled by his high spirits, he even mentioned the second-in-command's existence.

And now...

The other was clearly angry!

“It's my fault!”

The storyteller chuckled awkwardly and added, “But it's also tactics...”

“Tactics?”

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow under his grass hat, saying no more.

The storyteller's body stiffened instantly.

“Um, um...”

His mind raced, but even racking his brains, he had no excuses left.

Though they hadn't explicitly said it,

Their understanding was that once the storyteller got You Si Jian, he should swap it with the fake sword in the second-in-command's hand as subtly as possible.

That way, if anything went wrong,

Even if You Si Jian was taken, it would just be the fake.

The real evil sword would already be in the Shengnu's grasp.

But!

Back then, spurred on by the beast, the storyteller lost his head completely.

Believing he had the upper hand, he didn't even bother swapping the sword.

In fact, he used You Si Jian directly to turn the Chi Shuang Long Python into a mad python.

Now...

With the second-in-command at full strength coming for payback, who could handle it?

This was a hot-tempered old ghost who dared to fight his brother at the drop of a hat and, with a single “our paths differ, so we part ways,” had stayed out of the Shengnu for over a decade!

Not just now—even at his weakest, the storyteller might joke around with him at most.

But to actually fight?

Even with ten times the courage, the storyteller wouldn't dare!

“I'm sorry.”

The storyteller's eyes darted around, out of options, so he simply covered his chest and bowed ninety degrees.

Can't beat him, so apologize.

Made a mistake, so admit it.

Don't be mad, okay!

“Apology detected, passive value: 1.”

“Dislike detected, passive value: 1.”

The onlookers in red clothes nearly popped their eyes out.

The storyteller, who had been so arrogant moments ago, was bowing?

Is this the Shengnu?

Is this the gap between the second-in-command and the seventh-in-command?

Though they didn't know what beef the two had,

To bow without a word?

“Is the gap that big?”

Xin Li murmured, looking at the grass hat figure with the sword, a hint of unbearable fear in his eyes.

Is this an existence that could rival Wu Yue Jianxian?

In front of him, the storyteller was like a child!

“Fear detected, passive value: 18.”

Xu Xiaoshou remained silent.

His face, dark as ink, revealed none of his inner emotions.

Under the intimidating aura of heavenly might, his stillness and silence only added to the mystery in everyone's hearts.

But he knew his own situation all too well.

Who knew how much pressure he was under just standing there?

He wanted to speak.

He wanted to use his usual long speeches, backed by solid reasoning, to refute all doubts.

But the murderous sword intent in his body was too intense!

Like encountering its own long-lost child, You Si Jian was channeling all its power into nurturing that wisp of sword intent he had comprehended.

As if afraid it would grow up malnourished.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know if this change was good or bad.

But he had no energy to care now.

His dantian had maintained a delicate balance among the various forces.

But the influx of demonic sword intent brutally shattered that balance.

The growing power of the sword intent brought hundreds of times the pain he endured during sword observation.

Add to that the gray destructive forces leaking from San Ri Dong Jie and Jin Zhao Origin Seed after the balance broke...

And that trembling Da Jian Nian, which occasionally quivered and cut him...

It was unbearable!

Xu Xiaoshou was truly suffering!

Every time he managed to force out a few words, it was his limit; he couldn't form complete sentences.

But surprisingly, under the shock of his Sang Lao disguise,

Everyone, including the storyteller, not only didn't suspect him but tried desperately to interpret his meaning from those few words.

Maybe being concise was what true powerhouses did?

And right now, as Sang Lao, it was the best way for him to speak?

Had he unknowingly mastered this art?

“So...”

Xu Xiaoshou constantly maintained “Bian Hua,” hiding the twitching at his mouth and eyes.

He gripped You Si Jian tightly, unable to make any larger movements, merely shifting his gaze slightly toward the Chi Shuang Long Python in the void, now completely blackened by the frenzied sword intent and lost to madness.

Jiao Tangtang!

By standing up now, even if he couldn't move,

Xu Xiaoshou's purpose was all for you all.

A beast?

An emotional beast?

No matter how the outside world might question it later, at this moment, Xu Xiaoshou only wanted to follow his heart.

“She's just a friend... of my friend, that's all.”