Chapter 626: I Don't Know Anything At All

A blue light shadow stopped in the void, gazing into the distance before retracting its gaze and turning to the other side.

"Gou Wuyue knew that his old rival was issuing a challenge."

Judging by the speed at which Bai Yan was burning, the longer they delayed, the worse the Bai Yi forces would be defeated.

If they chose to engage, then the Sheng Nu leader Ba Zun'an, as well as Haitang Er and himself, would inevitably lose their target.

"Two choices?"

Gou Wuyue hesitated slightly.

On a rational level, he leaned toward abandoning the Bai Yi troops for the sake of the mission, continuing to follow Ba Zun'an's trail until they captured him.

Considering that guy's sealed sword situation, this might be the Sheng Shen Dian Tang's only opportunity!

But equally, strong emotions urged Gou Wuyue on.

Ba Zun'an's favor, the Bai Yi casualties, Sang Qiye's challenge...

It seemed that at this moment, he had no other option but to engage.

"Too few people!"

Gou Wuyue sighed lightly.

Or to put it another way, it wasn't that the Sheng Shen Dian Tang had too few people.

Rather, Sheng Nu's support this time was truly beyond everyone's expectations.

Nearly half of Sheng Nu's top figures, including leaders scattered across various regions, had shown up.

The forces mobilized to deal with just one storyteller, plus the emergency reinforcements called in after discovering an additional Sheng Nu leader, simply couldn't hold up against this sudden situation.

But asking for more manpower...

Not to mention that they didn't know the current state of affairs at the time.

Based on the intelligence they had back then, they couldn't call for help, and the Sheng Shen Dian Tang wouldn't provide it.

Most importantly, headquarters, after receiving the first-hand intelligence from the four battle domains, still hadn't sent any support.

That already said a lot.

"A test..."

Gou Wuyue silently watched the direction of the Bai Yan explosion's center.

He knew that his loyalty to the Sheng Shen Dian Tang, and whether they truly trusted him, would finally begin to show in this battle.

Although he had joined the Sheng Shen Dian Tang on the day of his fame,

It was normal for outsiders to suspect his intentions.

But...

"I meant to offer my heart to the bright moon, but the moon shines on the ditch instead."

Gou Wuyue realized that this time, he might not be able to maintain his loyalty.

The seven hundred Bai Yi scouts on the mountain had yet to appear.

Along his path, he had only encountered a few.

That meant the storyteller had already made a move in secret.

But no one had noticed, no one knew!

Compared to chasing a Ba Zun'an who might have no follow-up, Gou Wuyue was more certain of Sang Qiye's true desire for battle!

As long as he took on this fight, the storyteller wouldn't dare to trap the Bai Yi, let alone harm them.

And out of the five Sheng Nu members, it was very likely that only one could be left in the end—that was an unavoidable method.

Headquarters wasn't providing support, and which of those Sheng Nu guys was easy to provoke?

As long as there were results from the battle, the aftermath...

"The aftermath will probably be another test!"

Gou Wuyue understood the difficulties involved, but he couldn't explain them.

Even if he reported the results of this battle, no one would listen to his explanations!

Thinking of this, Gou Wuyue chuckled self-deprecatingly and hesitated no longer, vanishing in a flash.

He gave up pursuing Ba Zun'an and flew toward Sang Qiye's direction.

Since he couldn't explain it, he'd just follow his heart!

On the other side,

"He's coming."

Sang Lao turned his head toward a certain direction, his eyes showing a mix of relief and gravity.

"What?"

Xu Xiaoshou was puzzled; he was still wondering if the Yu Ling Di inside Sang Lao's body had completely died out.

Or perhaps, in the final moment, that guy might appear again like before,

With that creepy laugh, saying something like, "Just kidding."

"Nothing."

Sang Lao didn't explain. After this brief interlude, he refocused and looked at the person in front of him. "Xu Xiaoshou, let me ask you—have you joined Sheng Nu?"

"Um."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded, not intending to deny it.

Perhaps he couldn't discuss such things with others, but with Sang Lao, the most reassuring thing was that he didn't need to lie.

"Ah..."

The old man sighed, shaking his head in silence without speaking.

"Is that not allowed?"

Xu Xiaoshou countered, "I asked you about Sheng Nu's intelligence before, and you didn't say a word. What's with this reaction now? Surely I can join... Ouch!"

With a thump, Sang Lao's knuckle struck his head hard, making Xu Xiaoshou cry out in pain.

"Under attack, passive value, 1."

Sang Lao said with a hint of regret.

"It's not that you can't, it's just not the right time yet."

"Back when I took you as my disciple, what I feared most was your identity being exposed before you'd grown strong, so I even kept your identity secret."

"Later, when I took your shimei, a big part of the reason was to stage a good act to prevent future exposure..."

Pausing, Sang Lao added, "Of course, there's also the fact that your shimei has exceptional talent."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

He really wanted to release his shimei from the Yuan Fu and let her hear these words.

But Sang Lao seemed to have opened up, no longer as evasive as during the Ling Gong interrogation; he continued uninterrupted,

"Since you've joined Sheng Nu, you must have encountered Ba Zun'an and learned about the organization's general situation."

"And my identity, I assume you already know."

"Before, I didn't let you get involved and even tried to quash your curiosity and interest in Sheng Nu to prevent you from getting too deep and being targeted too early."

"Now, thinking about it, ah, human plans are no match for fate..."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. "Repression leads to rebellion. Shouldn't you have just explained it openly so I could judge for myself?"

"Maybe!"

Sang Lao didn't confirm or deny it, but in his heart, the answer was different.

Ba Zun'an had spotted this kid way too early.

If Xu Xiaoshou had really learned and gotten involved, he might have been pulled in even earlier.

After all, in this world, who could resist that man's temptation?

"Enough idle talk."

Sang Lao waved his hand, clearly not wanting to dwell on the past.

His gaze wandered for a moment before he flashed back, his voice growing more urgent.

"Since you've joined Sheng Nu, I'll speak openly with you."

"Back when I accepted you as my disciple that night, the theory I told you about the world being a prison wasn't just idle speculation."

"It's real—I ended up in a dead end and had to hide in a remote place like Tian Sang Ling Gong."

"People think Sheng Shen Dian Tang is the righteous side, and the outside is the evil side, with Sheng Nu naturally being the latter."

"But do you know the truth?"

"The opposite?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, his face full of surprise, yet it felt both unexpected and logical.

Sang Lao struck the young man's head hard again, making him grimace.

"Don't let anyone mislead your judgment."

He warned sternly, "In this world, there's no absolute justice or evil. I won't go into that with you now."

"You just need to remember that Sheng Shen Dian Tang exists for a reason."

"Sheng Nu was established for its own fundamental causes."

"But equally, the reason for their confrontation is worth pondering."

"What's more, I and Ba Zun'an share the same goals but not the paths, so we parted ways... That's why I hope that in the future, when you make decisions, you'll think about the whys and form your own judgments."

"And..."

"Are you writing a will?" Xu Xiaoshou interrupted.

This tone sounded off.

Sang Lao wasn't usually this chatty; today, he seemed like a completely different person.

Like an old mother seeing off a child leaving home?

With a swing of his hand, Sang Lao sent this irreverent guy straight into a deep pit in the ground.

It took Xu Xiaoshou a while to climb out of the pit.

"Dead old man, just you wait..."

He grumbled inwardly.

"Xu Xiaoshou!" Sang Lao's expression grew even more serious.

"What?" Xu Xiaoshou crawled out of the pit in pain, not daring to stand; he squatted and looked up.

"Did you remember what I told you?" Sang Lao was completely serious.

"Remember, remember..."

"Be serious about it!"

Now Sang Lao deflated; what frustrated him most was that this kid always had that carefree attitude.

"I'm being serious—what's with you always hitting me?" Xu Xiaoshou complained.

"That doesn't look serious at all..."

"Isn't it just about Gui Shou?"

Xu Xiaoshou muttered.

In an instant, Sang Lao's eyes flickered with surprise, his dark circles deepening.

"You know?"

"Uh-huh."

Sang Lao glanced back. "Tell me about it."

Xu Xiaoshou wiped his hands and stepped back a few paces. "My judgment might not be accurate, so you can correct me, but please don't hit me."

After a pause, he continued,

"Sheng Shen Dian Tang is indeed just, but in reality, they're not only hunting and suppressing Gui Shou—they're also researching them."

"What's more, Gui Shou aren't just from other dimensions; some are... human-like?"

"Anyway, I can tell that some of them have thoughts and consciousness that don't seem like those of a newly born other-dimensional creature." Xu Xiaoshou thought of the gray fog figure.

Sang Lao was startled.

He hadn't expected that after sealing off Xu Xiaoshou's information for so long,

This guy had learned all this from somewhere.

"How do you know?" He couldn't help but ask curiously.

"I've seen a Xiao Hong Yi explode with Gui Qi. Not many people know about that." Xu Xiaoshou replied.

"Hong Yi?"

"Yes, among Hong Yi, there are indeed Gui Shou possessions."

Sang Lao's pupils contracted.

Xu Xiaoshou realized instantly that this was serious.

So, even the Sheng Nu higher-ups were only guessing and didn't know for sure?

"Go on." Sang Lao regained his composure.

Xu Xiaoshou clicked his tongue, suddenly unsure how to proceed.

"This Hong Yi is, unexpectedly, Gou Wuyue's direct disciple..."

He added first, then even he started to doubt, "But now I'm seriously suspecting whether Wuyue Jianxian really knows that his disciple is a Gui Shou possession?"

"Impossible..."

The answer to this question eluded Sang Lao for a moment.

Based on Gou Wuyue's usual character, there's no doubt he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen to his own people.

But now, with him joining Sheng Shen Dian Tang,

As a high-level member, having access to so many secrets,

No one could say for sure if a person's character would change with their experiences.

"Even Sang Lao isn't sure..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered silently.

After this exchange, even though Sang Lao often stayed silent,

From his unhidden expressions, Xu Xiaoshou basically confirmed that what he'd learned in Bai Ku was pretty much on point.

Similarly, deep down, he had strong doubts about all this.

He couldn't believe or trust outsiders' words.

But Sang Lao was undoubtedly someone he could confide in and seek answers from.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Xiaoshou continued, "Following on from that... So, the reason Sheng Nu resists Sheng Shen Dian Tang can be seen from their motto."

"Refuse to become saints, and you'll remain slaves."

"They know that Sheng Shen Dian Tang isn't just about surface justice; they're secretly up to some shady dealings."

"These things that can't be brought to light might be because revealing them would undermine their greater righteousness."

"Or maybe it's because Sheng Shen Dian Tang wants to announce their research results only after achieving them... It's all up for debate."

"But those who know about this and still refuse to accept it, wanting to fight back—I don't think Sheng Nu is that simple, right?"

As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he hesitated.

Seeing Sang Lao's expressionless face, he weighed his words and lowered his voice. "You guys... er, they in Sheng Nu, have other reasons?"

"What reasons?" Sang Lao's eyes sharpened like a ghost's blade.

"Hiss." Xu Xiaoshou felt a chill down his spine. "I don't dare say."

"Brat..."

Sang Lao kicked out promptly.

This time, Xu Xiaoshou was prepared and dodged swiftly by bending down.

"Speak!"

Sang Lao recalled Xu Xiaoshou's spot-on deductions before leaving Ling Gong and didn't dare let him go off on his own.

He had to figure out just how much Xu Xiaoshou knew.

"Then I'll really say it?"

"You're asking for a beating..."

Xu Xiaoshou blurted out rapidly, "There's a place called Xukong Dao, an island where a Sheng Ren is imprisoned. I don't know if it's a Ban Sheng or a true Sheng Di, but the human-like Gui Shou... shouldn't be them!"

Sang Lao's pupils shrank, and his eyelids drooped immediately.

But Xu Xiaoshou's perception was sharp; he caught that detail right away.

He sped up, "In Bai Ku, there's an other-dimensional space rift connecting Xukong Dao. On the island, a Sheng Ren gave me a sword."

"I don't know where the Jin Zhao lineage comes from, but the Jin Zhao fire seed you fed me back then must have come from the last time Bai Ku opened, when you went in and got it."

"And you studied under Sheng Gong's Jin Zhao Ban Sheng, who shouldn't be that disheveled Sheng Ren."

"So, before you left Sheng Gong, or rather, when you couldn't stay in Zhong Yu anymore and tried to find a remote hideout,"

"Your master, who's also my shizu, must have given you a task—to come here and find the famous sword Yan Mang!"

"You're not really just because your strength was too high to enter Bai Ku, so you sent me to carry out a task you set up, which could be completed or not, just to find the four swords... And that's it?"

"Don't mess around—I don't know anything!"