Chapter 637: Holy Slave Secret Talk

Startled by the sudden pop-up in the info bar showing "Shocked, Passive Points, 7," Xu Xiaoshou jumped in surprise.

He had just asked that question, and Mu Zixi's somewhat astonished reaction was exactly as expected.

But why were all these Shengnu fellows also looking shocked and trying to hide it?

"It seems none of you know about this?" Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow.

No one responded.

At the back, Cen Qiaofu, who was lying on the grass mat recovering from injuries, seemed to have been awakened by the remark.

"Little guy…"

His voice was weak.

After all, he had single-handedly held off numerous Baiyi Zhandao experts, plus Number 33, perfectly buying a lot of time for Shengnu.

This achievement wasn't easily attained.

Xu Xiaoshou timely shifted his gaze over and pulled out a jar of honey with a wave of his hand.

"Senior, you're awake? I have some healing medicine here. Want to try it?"

Cen Qiaofu stared at the honey for a long time before waving it off.

Not to mention whether a junior's healing medicine would work, just the fact that it came from the unrestrained mouth of Xu Xiaoshou made him afraid to put it in his mouth.

"Nah."

Propping himself up to sit, Cen Qiaofu declined Haitang'er's help and asked, "About the 'Shenmo Tong,' what do you know, kid?"

Xu Xiaoshou blinked and subtly used "Perception" to glance at his junior sister.

Seeing no strong reaction from her and no resistance to the topic, he said, "That depends on what you all know."

"I don't know, and I don't recognize it."

Lei Shuangxing suddenly spoke up.

But this time, not just Xu Xiaoshou, even Mu Zixi could tell he was lying.

"You do know it!"

She poked her head out to say that, then quickly shrank back as the flower-white face turned toward her.

Even now, Mu Zixi still felt very uncomfortable being caught in the Shengnu vortex.

But she had no choice.

Her own master turned out to be the second-in-command of Shengnu, which was completely beyond her expectations.

"We're all on the same side now, so why not share?" Xu Xiaoshou started to build rapport.

Indeed, even if he felt no real allegiance,

On the surface, he was already ninety-nine percent part of Shengnu.

Hiding things from him like this didn't seem like Shengnu's style.

Lei Shuangxing still didn't speak.

Instead, Bazun An at the front nodded slightly.

Only then did Cen Qiaofu continue, "Little guy, you've touched on something sensitive. Not much can be told to you, but simply put, Shenmo Tong is a power belonging to the Lei family."

"The Lei family?"

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised.

If that was the case, did Mu Zixi have Shenmo Tong because she was also from the Lei family?

"The Lei family—what kind of force is it?" Mu Zixi asked, tugging at her twin ponytails.

Cen Qiaofu sighed, "A fallen Taixu World Family, I suppose. Because they mastered such a powerful force, they were…"

He stopped abruptly, and Xu Xiaoshou furrowed his brows.

"Exterminated?"

He didn't say it out loud, just transmitted the sound subtly.

Cen Qiaofu nodded slightly.

Everyone could see the two were communicating privately, but no one said anything about it right then.

Some things weren't meant to be discussed openly.

Getting the affirmative response, Xu Xiaoshou hesitated, not sure how to ask further.

If it was a clan extermination tragedy, it felt awkward to bring it up in front of the person involved.

But since it concerned his junior sister's secret, he couldn't just ignore it.

"Sorry, this might be abrupt, but I've witnessed 'Shenmo Tong' before and I'm really curious about that power…"

"She has Shenmo Tong!"

Lei Shuangxing suddenly interrupted.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned and turned to glance at his junior sister.

He remembered that back on Lijian Grassland, he had kept Shenmo Tong well hidden without exposing it.

So, if Lei Shuangxing knew about it now, it must mean some kind of… bloodline sensing?

And if Shenmo Tong could be sensed through bloodline, then when Lei Shuangxing first entered Tiansang Spirit Palace, he should have noticed his junior sister's uniqueness too?

"Well, not necessarily."

Xu Xiaoshou was unsure.

After all, back then, his junior sister hadn't awakened her power; it was just a high fever.

Wait!

High fever?

His heart skipped a beat as he suddenly understood something.

Could it be that Lei Shuangxing, as a direct descendant of the Lei family, triggered the Shenmo Tong power in Mu Zixi, making that high fever the beginning of her awakening?

He couldn't hold back anymore and asked Lei Shuangxing directly, "What exactly is Shenmo Tong?"

The scene fell silent again, with no one replying.

Lei Shuangxing suddenly stood up.

"I'm tired. I'll sleep for a bit."

With that, he walked to the end of the cave, lay down on the large stone bed, turned over, and faced away from everyone.

The campfire in the cave crackled, and the aroma of roasting meat filled the air.

The storyteller was already swallowing hard, oblivious to everything else, as Lei Shuangxing's hasty departure clearly indicated he didn't want to discuss the topic further.

Xu Xiaoshou's brow twitched, but he didn't press the issue.

Since the person didn't want to talk, he'd find a better opportunity later. Besides, with so many people around, it wasn't the right time anyway.

But just then, a warm and soft voice sounded in his ear.

"The Lei family is a Taixu World Family, yet an extraordinary force that could rival a Bansheng World Family, wielding the power of heavenly punishment."

"Its bloodline inheritance is the 'Tianxia Tongshu,' which includes the 'Shenmo Tong' you mentioned."

"Of course, besides that, there are other renowned ones on the continent, like 'Weizhi Zhi Yan,' 'Dinghuning,' 'Zhujixing Tong,' 'Zhuanyikong,' 'Dadao Zhi Yan,' and more, all part of the 'Tianxia Tongshu.'"

"Mastering such overwhelmingly powerful forces, coupled with ambitions beyond mediocrity, leads to either destruction or ascension to the peak."

"Clearly, the Lei family met the former."

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily dumbfounded.

He barely registered the later parts because he had heard several familiar names earlier.

"What about that star pupil?"

"And… Dadao Zhi Yan?"

He turned to look at Luo Leilei, who was staring back with an expression that said she'd said all she could.

"Go on!"

Xu Xiaoshou was itching with curiosity; this was worse than not saying anything at all.

The key was, if the Lei family's tongshu included the two he knew,

Then the powers of Yu Zhiwen and Ai Cangsheng…

A chill ran through him as he thought of a terrifying possibility.

"There's nothing more to say."

Luo Leilei pursed her lips, acting as if she hadn't spoken, but her voice transmission was dutiful: "Over the years, too many have coveted the 'Tianxia Tongshu' powers. Various forces have used all sorts of methods to dilute the Lei family bloodline."

"If among what I mentioned, there are powers you know…"

She paused. "Borrowing the chicken to lay eggs—you get it, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood, feeling his heart race without realizing when it had started.

Before he could relax, Luo Leilei continued, "Of course, it doesn't rule out the possibility you just thought of."

"Uh!"

Xu Xiaoshou froze, mouth agape, unable to say a word.

"Perception" secretly glanced at Mu Zixi.

He knew this little girl had no memory of her early life.

But what if that part was something she didn't want to mention?

And Yu Zhiwen, as well as Ai Cangsheng…

Xu Xiaoshou felt he had found the connection between the two, and his body shuddered as he asked, "In the end, what force destroyed the Lei family?"

Luo Leilei lowered her eyelids without responding.

"Shengshen Hall?" Xu Xiaoshou leaned forward involuntarily.

"I don't know." Luo Leilei shook her head.

"You're full of it—you don't know a thing!"

Xu Xiaoshou was furious; that was clearly not the look of someone who didn't know—it was someone refusing to say.

He couldn't figure out his junior sister's constitution or her origins.

Keeping someone like that around was dangerous!

At least, right now, in the midst of a Shengnu gathering, if his junior sister's Shenmo Tong really came from such means, and if she was the true culprit behind the Lei family's destruction…

What would that make her?

A spy?

The thought made Xu Xiaoshou's back run cold.

But upon second thought, the last time he pressed his junior sister, she didn't seem to be lying.

And if she was the culprit, would Lei Shuangxing react this way upon sensing a Lei family tong in front of him?

His body relaxed a bit, and Xu Xiaoshou felt he might have been too extreme.

Perhaps his junior sister wasn't one of the culprits in destroying the Lei family.

On the contrary, she might be someone Lei Shuangxing had been protecting all along.

After all, sometimes, not knowing meant no harm.

"I'll remember this."

He glared fiercely at Luo Leilei, but she just made a face, completely unbothered.

Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to give up the interrogation.

He wasn't stupid.

Since Luo Leilei could share these secrets, it meant she truly accepted his Shengnu identity.

But even so, she was still vague and evasive.

For something this big, if she wasn't saying it, it was probably because she couldn't.

It was like how people only used "Dao Hall Master" to refer to "Dao Qiong Cang," or "Eighth Sword Immortal" for "Bazun An."

When it involved Bansheng power, some things couldn't be discussed lightly.

In this world, there was a force called "San Jian Qikou," and Xu Xiaoshou knew about it.

Based on Luo Leilei's words,

The Lei family was a Taixu World Family that possessed power rivaling a Bansheng World Family.

Yet even such a giant was destroyed.

So, what kind of force could have done that?

Bansheng?

Or… something more?

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare think further.

He knew he was already entangled in enough whirlpools; if not for his junior sister, he wouldn't care about any of this.

Since it had to end here for now, so be it!

But…

Glancing at his junior sister, who was still innocently staring at the campfire, Xu Xiaoshou felt complicated.

He had a sense that "what will be, will be; if it's not meant to be avoided, it can't be."

If it really came to that, and he needed to get involved,

At this moment, he didn't feel qualified.

At least…

"At least I should reach Zongshi first, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled self-deprecatingly.

He was just a Xiantian; when had he ever been qualified to meddle in Bansheng affairs?

Bai Ku was already a huge mistake.

Everything had been out of necessity.

What he should be thinking about now was how to strengthen himself and seek self-preservation in these whirlpools.

The sound transmission ended, and the cave grew quieter.

Everyone seemed hungry and just waited silently for the game in Xu Xiaoshou's hands.

The wafting aroma had already made several stomachs rumble.

Even at Xiantian, one could abstain from food, and higher realms made it even easier.

But that didn't mean everyone who could abstain would choose to; there were still many spiritual foods that benefited cultivators.

What's more, the game in Xu Xiaoshou's hands was roasted with " Culinary Mastery."

The meaty scent mixed with medicinal fragrance…

Even Bazun An didn't know how this guy could use a few leaves to give the food the aroma only a top Wine Pavilion chef could achieve.

Lei Shuangxing tossed and turned on the stone bed.

Suddenly, he clutched his stomach, but the "gurgling" sounds still escaped.

No one in the cave was deaf, and even Mu Zixi subconsciously wanted to turn around before forcibly stopping herself.

Xu Xiaoshou found it amusing and waved toward the back.

"Come over and eat. We're all on the same side; no need to hold back. I'm confident in my cooking."

He had prepared a variety of dishes, roasting a lot.

He had hunted "Congyun Qise Deer meat," "Heiye Jingang Bear paw," "Tianxiao Jindiao," and even pulled out many spiritual fish from his Yuanfu Spiritual Pool.

Based on his understanding of "Culinary Mastery," he processed each ingredient accordingly.

As for seasonings…

Xu Xiaoshou didn't lack spiritual herbs, so he never lacked seasonings.

"Jinyuan Zima" could substitute for cumin, "Matian Hong" for chili…

Basically, all the common-world staples could be replaced from the "Culinary Mastery" database.

After all, if he didn't block those bizarre pieces of information, glancing at Bazun An would bring absurd knowledge to mind:

"Humans, limbs incomplete, spiritual energy sparse, body with lingering filth and residue, oils congealed, meat quality average to poor, need to clean intestines, skin, and wash; use 'Duoling Xiang' to remove odor, pair with 'Jinyuan Zima' and 'Chen Qingmai,' throw into a large pot, add 'Hongquan,' boil over high heat for half a quarter-hour, then simmer to infuse flavor…"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't dare look further.

The information from "Culinary Mastery" was downright the top bizarre way for humans to die—utterly ridiculous!

Lei Shuangxing hesitated for a while but eventually couldn't resist the aroma and scampered over to sit next to Luo Leilei.

He was still a bit uneasy at first.

But noticing that no one around paid any attention to his actions, all eyes fixed on the plump deer meat, he relaxed.

Xu Xiaoshou took in everyone's reactions and chuckled.

"Hungry…"

Mu Zixi tugged at her senior brother's clothes from behind with a soft sound.

"Urged, Passive Points, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou turned around. The little girl was tugging her twin ponytails, her big eyes practically jumping onto the meat.

He laughed.

With a flip of his hand, he set up the various skewers.

Tonight, it was an all-meat feast!

"Dinner's served!"