Chapter 574: I Have a Friend, His Name is Xu Xiaoshou

What the hell do you understand!

Almost the moment Xu Xiaoshou finished speaking, the Hong Yi group collectively lost their composure.

If not for their rigorous training, someone would likely have started shouting curses by now, whether aimed at this Sheng Nu Lao Er or at Yu Zhiwen.

"Received resistance, passive value, 12."

"Received glare, passive value, 17."

"Received curse, passive value, 19."

Xu Xiaoshou casually withdrew his gaze.

"Now, for the second question."

With a sudden rustle, the Hong Yi crowd could no longer hold back, stirring with unrest.

But before it could escalate, Lan Ling's lips moved slightly, as if sending a telepathic message.

In less than a breath's time, the crowd behind her fell silent again.

Yu Zhiwen shot her a grateful look.

Despite her disbelief toward this "Sheng Nu" second-in-command, after repeated verifications, she still harbored a few lingering thoughts.

It was just too similar!

Whether in speech or demeanor, even if these were deliberately twisted to be slightly different.

Yu Zhiwen had interacted with that person for a considerable time.

There was an underlying essence that others might not detect.

But she trusted her intuition.

"And it's not just intuition..."

Yu Zhiwen turned her head, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"One could say that this Sheng Nu second-in-command is the strongest fighter among everyone present."

"Given his unpredictable temperament, if it were anyone else, he would have killed them outright for my two interruptions."

"Why, then, did he obediently stop?"

"And moreover!"

"Each time he seemed about to crush the crowd, it was really just psychological pressure."

"This person's true strength hasn't been fully unleashed even once yet..."

"Yes! Not once!"

"Was it disdain, or something else?"

Yu Zhiwen pondered, feeling she had grasped a sliver of possibility.

If Sheng Nu Lao Er was only showing this level of power...

Relying on Jin Zhao Origin Seed, Three Days Frozen Calamity...

It seemed that if Xu Xiaoshou were here, he might actually achieve the same.

"The key is, it's just too similar. Even though this Sheng Nu claims not to know him... could two people who barely know each other, connected by some trivial fate, really be this alike?"

With that thought, Yu Zhiwen's heart grew firm.

Even if this Sheng Nu Lao Er couldn't possibly be Xu Xiaoshou, he must have some deep connection to him.

After all, from his earlier actions...

If viewed from another angle, it faintly felt like he was protecting his own people.

"Want to distance Xu Xiaoshou from the Sheng Nu?..."

Yu Zhiwen didn't look back, but she could feel Lan Ling's encouraging gaze.

She had entrusted everything to her.

Was this the feeling of trust?

If her judgment failed in this situation...

Her thoughts paused.

Yu Zhiwen knew the game had begun.

Now, she had no way out.

Ahead, there was only the path of burning bridges.

"Since you've gone this far, senior, I'll accept it—three questions for three lives."

Ignoring the resentful stares from behind, Yu Zhiwen continued, "But as you said, you're not one to disregard rules."

"So, since it's a game, there must be winners and losers by the rules."

"If we just ask the three questions and pay with three lives..."

"Then, in the end, this game has no real win or loss."

"Or rather, no matter what I do... even if the questions are sharp, the outcome is still a loss."

Yu Zhiwen paused, meeting his gaze without flinching. "So, how do we determine that we've won?"

"Pfft."

Shuo Shuren burst out laughing on the spot.

Playing by the rules with Lao Er? You must be joking!

Letting you ask questions is already a favor, and now you're thinking about winning?

Still, in this moment, Yu Zhiwen's thorough consideration impressed Shuo Shuren.

Amid such a tense atmosphere, she could still analyze calmly and hold her own against a world-class powerhouse—it was truly admirable.

"What a pity, she's just a woman."

Shuo Shuren shook his head, ultimately losing interest.

Xu Xiaoshou knew Yu Zhiwen was clever.

But after two waves of intimidation, he was even more impressed by this girl.

After a moment of thought, he gestured with his hand.

"Very nice 'question'."

The Hong Yi crowd's budding hopes were instantly shattered by Xu Xiaoshou's deliberate emphasis on the word "question."

Upon reflection...

Oh, right!

Yu Zhiwen's tone just now was indeed a question...

"How do we determine that we've won?"

But could that count?

For a moment, the Hong Yi members, including Yu Zhiwen, were so frustrated they felt a pang in their livers, yet they were powerless to change it.

"Received resistance, passive value, 18."

"Received curse, passive value, 16."

"As for the definition of winning and losing..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered briefly before saying slowly, "As long as your question piques my interest even a little, then you've won."

His words hit like a hammer, leaving the Hong Yi group green-faced.

Another subjective judgment?

This was outright cheating!

"So, what kind of question..."

Yu Zhiwen instinctively followed the straw-hatted old man's lead but suddenly snapped to attention.

Damn it!

She had been caught in his verbal trap all along?

This old fox was terrifying!

If she asked another question now, the game would end right there.

Yu Zhiwen quickly corrected herself: "What I mean by 'interested' is the same as what you mean, senior—when you dare not answer my question directly, that's when it's interesting!"

She emphasized her words to prevent the straw-hatted old man from declaring the game over.

A look of approving pride flashed in Xu Xiaoshou's eyes.

"Very good, you're clever."

"But in life, every step of growth comes at a cost."

"No matter who you are or your background, no one has the obligation to teach or guide you without any compensation."

As everyone listened, they sensed something was off.

Sure enough, the next second, Xu Xiaoshou delivered the harshest words.

"Today, you've grown as a young woman, learning how to speak properly, but the price is... among you Hong Yi people..."

"The second one has already died."

Yu Zhiwen's face fell instantly.

Lan Ling, Shou Ye, and the others were speechless.

The Hong Yi crowd lingering behind turned pale with fear and unease once more.

"Received curse, passive value, 12."

"Received muttering, passive value, 18."

"The third question."

Xu Xiaoshou smiled and extended his middle finger, retracting the thumb and index finger he had previously held up.

Yu Zhiwen didn't dare speak recklessly now.

Who knew if this straw-hatted old man would end the game and kill at will if she said something wrong?

If that happened, her sin would be immense!

"I have some speculations, but I don't know if I should say..."

"Spit it out!"

Yu Zhiwen spat forcefully.

This damn decorum!

Her face flushed, regardless of the old man's reaction, she plunged ahead:

"To be honest, senior, the friend I mentioned earlier, Xu Xiaoshou, should be right here."

"When we were controlling the great array before, we encountered an attack."

"And if Lan Ling and my judgment is correct, someone was trying to seize control of the great array."

Shuo Shuren's brows twitched slightly—subtly.

But it made Xu Xiaoshou's heart skip a beat.

He immediately used his spiritual sense to check the nearly forgotten information panel.

Sure enough...

Scrolling up through the string of "Received curse," "Received muttering," and "Received resistance," there were occasional "Received suspicion" entries.

And each passive value was "1."

Amid dealing with so many heavyweights, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't had the mental space to notice these minor details.

Until now, he spotted this crucial clue!

"My heavens, has Xiao Yu guessed something?"

"How dare she think that way..."

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned, his heart racing uncontrollably.

He wanted to cut off the girl's speech.

But in his perception, Shuo Shuren was already looking quite interested.

Clearly, this guy had linked it to Xu Xiaoshou's earlier attempt to break out of the ancient text space and escape.

Moreover!

Yu Zhiwen had said earlier that if he dared not answer her question directly, it meant... he lost.

Winning or losing wasn't the point right now.

But under the prior emphasis, if he still avoided it, it would signal guilt.

Indirectly acknowledging her words.

"Good one!"

Xu Xiaoshou was truly enlightened.

"Without paying much in tuition, you've made such leaps in your studies, you little minx..."

He had to admit, in that moment, Xu Xiaoshou was a bit panicked.

He felt the situation was slipping out of control.

But there was no way to stop it.

"So?"

Xu Xiaoshou asked flatly, masking his inner turmoil perfectly.

Yu Zhiwen didn't respond.

She had learned her lesson.

This old man must have some unspoken connection with Xu Xiaoshou.

Otherwise, their subtle tactics wouldn't be so alike.

Now treating the straw-hatted old man as Xu Xiaoshou himself, Yu Zhiwen continued on her own:

"Based on our Hong Yi intelligence and my own judgment, near Li Jian Grassland, there couldn't be a spiritual array grandmaster or higher."

"And without those prerequisites, no one could touch the core of the Feng Tian Great Array in such a short time."

"Even if this array core was imprinted by you, Shuo Shuren."

She turned her gaze to Shuo Shuren.

Shuo Shuren's interest deepened.

"Little girl, you're impressive—you can tell this great array isn't the original one."

"Correct."

He nodded smugly. "Unlike the 'Thirty-Six Heavenly Seals Array' in Bai Ku, all the arrays here were imprinted by me in a full day and a half."

Everyone froze, their scalps tingling.

Clearly, Shuo Shuren wasn't even an ordinary spiritual array master.

Yet, through the ancient text space, he had forcibly imprinted all the Dao patterns of the Tianji Great Array—and made it operational!

"Just a day and a half..."

Even as a Tianji practitioner, Yu Zhiwen was startled.

Imprinting such a complex heavenly array in such a short time—was that even humanly possible?

Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

His mind was no longer on the topic Shuo Shuren had shifted to.

Yu Zhiwen had a problem!

Her way of speaking felt familiar, like something he'd encountered before, as if brewing something.

Yet, her points were scattered.

Without connecting them, it was impossible to grasp her full intent.

"What are you trying to say?" Xu Xiaoshou finally asked without interrupting her.

After all, if he conceded early...

The show might end in tragedy.

"What I'm trying to say..."

Yu Zhiwen felt secretly relieved she hadn't been cut off.

If the straw-hatted old man hadn't stopped her, then no matter the outcome...

At least, she had done her best.

"It's just a hunch."

Yu Zhiwen said lightly, "As I said before, I have a friend named Xu Xiaoshou."

"All the prerequisites I mentioned could apply to anyone, but for him, they're all invalid!"

"Oh?" Shuo Shuren's curiosity peaked, picturing the young man who had burst from his ancient text space and fled desperately.

Was he really that exceptional?

"Received expectation, passive value, 1."

Before the straw-hatted old man could react, Yu Zhiwen knew she couldn't stop, so she sped up: "My friend is incredibly talented. Shou Ye has seen it and acknowledged it."

She pointed at Hong Yi Shou Ye and continued rapidly: "My friend once saw through part of the 'Thirty-Six Heavenly Seals Array' imprint in Tian Sang City Lord's mansion at a glance."

"With that foundation as a spiritual array master who's touched Tianji techniques, using just one item as an aid, he could control the Feng Tian Great Array in a short time!"

"That is..."

"Urk!"

Yu Zhiwen suddenly widened her eyes, her words choked off as if under immense pressure.

The next second...

"Pah!"

She dropped to her knees in midair, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Zhiwen!" Lan Ling cried out.

Everyone was shocked by the sudden turn.

Glancing back, they saw Sheng Nu Lao Er's eerie black eyes fixed intently on Yu Zhiwen.

"Shameless!"

Lan Ling scolded outright.

In the midst of the game, he interrupted and attacked a junior—this was the behavior of a world-class powerhouse?

"Lao Er!"

Shuo Shuren shouted sternly, his tone carrying clear displeasure.

He was also startled by Yu Zhiwen's words.

For some reason, his mind flashed to the box-like object Lao Er had held underground earlier.

And at the very beginning, when they first spotted Lao Er, Luo Leilei's casual reminder seemed amplified now.

Everything was starting to connect.

"Lao Er, let her speak—what is that thing?" Shuo Shuren stared straight at his second-in-command.

"Received suspicion, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou ignored it completely.

How could he let Yu Zhiwen finish?

His intuition had been spot-on.

This girl was out of control.

She had grown too fast.

To the point where she could trap him with words step by step.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder—or in this case, reveals the truth!

Ancient wisdom doesn't lie!

"Cough, cough..."

Yu Zhiwen wiped the blood from her lips, feeling the aura that should have crushed everyone present but was oddly restrained when it hit her.

She tugged at her blood-smeared lips, actually smiling.

"Sen-senior, you've lost."

Struggling to say this, Yu Zhiwen called him senior.

But in her eyes, it was a gaze of equals.

Even if she didn't believe it...

Now, she knew.

This man, who dared to berate and act recklessly in front of so many Dao Severing experts and over a dozen thrones, was truly... Xu Xiaoshou!

"How dare he..."

"How dare he?!"

Yu Zhiwen's heart was a mix of emotions, bittersweet.

So, Xu Xiaoshou had arrived here ahead of time.

He was everywhere!

"Received admiration, passive value, 1."

When Xu Xiaoshou saw that message, he understood.

Ignoring the furious crowd, he only wanted to figure out what had happened to Yu Zhiwen.

She was clearly just a naive girl...

"Who taught you all this? Was it your mysterious master? You've been deceiving me?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt their time together had been surreal.

Did people only see the truth after parting ways?

Yu Zhiwen was stunned.

What did she just hear?

A voice transmission?!

Since when could Xu Xiaoshou do that?

She looked around—no one noticed.

It really was Xu Xiaoshou's voice!

In that moment, Yu Zhiwen smiled.

Her starry eyes curved, her pretty face flushed.

Under the heavy pressure, she straightened up, staring directly at the decrepit old man.

It wasn't a voice transmission.

She lifted her chin defiantly, her voice ringing out for all to hear.

"Still the same thing... I have a friend named Xu Xiaoshou."

"He taught me!"