Chapter 646: Crazy Idea

“Money…”

Liu Lu was stunned by this display of wealth.

He could guess that the people before him were likely planning something major.

This time, he might have truly run into a tough situation.

They were indeed a group of prime targets, but unexpectedly, they were alarmingly wealthy.

One bite and it would be all grease, enough to make you feel nauseated!

“What level of message do you want to spread?”

Xu Xiaoshou quickly saw through the man's predicament and asked, “Is your level not high enough?”

“Gulu”

With that question, Liu Lu broke out in a cold sweat.

If he admitted his level wasn't high enough, would they kill him and dump his body in the alley since he'd lost his value?

“How long have you been in Dongtian Wangcheng?”

“Over twenty years… I think?”

Liu Lu hesitated, sensing things weren't going well, and added, “I've grown up in this place, so I know a lot, and I have plenty of use…”

Xu Xiaoshou impatiently cut him off.

“If your level isn't high enough, you must have superiors.”

“Or, with your twenty-plus years of experience wandering this area, you should know who can handle what I want done?”

He looked at the man in front of him, thought for a moment, and forced a friendly smile.

Liu Lu must have been terrified.

Otherwise, someone in this line of work, even if their cultivation was weak, should be street-smart. How could he not understand what was meant?

He had no intention of killing.

Taking out a small fry like this served no purpose.

It might even make for a good informant if left alone.

“Yes!”

Liu Lu quickly caught on, his voice gaining confidence: “I know people. As long as the message you want to spread doesn't harm the fundamental interests of Shengshen Hall, Chengzhu Fu, or the major powers, I can arrange it!”

“Are you sure you're not lying to me?”

“No, I wouldn't dare!”

Liu Lu's face was serious.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at the information panel; there was no fluctuation.

Good, he'd found the right person!

He signaled with his eyes for Xin Gugu to retract his aura, then said calmly:

“That's easy then. Take this. Give you two days to bring your superiors, or anyone you know who can handle this, to me.”

With that, he handed over a communication bead and firmly placed it in Liu Lu's hand.

“You can find me, right?”

After thinking, Xu Xiaoshou pulled out a bottle of pills: “This is your payment for running the errand. Take it. I have plenty of money; I just hope you can find the right people.”

Liu Lu stared blankly at the pills in his hand.

From his experience, even just sniffing the faint medicinal fragrance wafting from the bottle, he could confirm it was seventh-grade Yuan Ting Dan!

Just for running an errand, and he got a bottle of Yuan Ting Dan?

Liu Lu unconsciously swallowed hard.

These were truly big spenders!

Extremely so.

But at the same time, for such a reward just for an errand, what level of message did these people want to spread?

Not just Liu Lu, but even Xin Gugu, who was assisting on the side, and the observing Mu Zixi and Mo Mo, were all baffled.

Yet, no one could guess what Xu Xiaoshou was thinking.

All they could do was cooperate fully!

Xu Xiaoshou has money, Xu Xiaoshou wants to stir things up, whatever Xu Xiaoshou wants to do is right…

As long as they maintained that attitude, it was fine.

Xin Gugu played the bad cop and growled menacingly: “Make sure not to leak any information, or else…”

“Understood!”

Liu Lu nodded like a pecking chicken: “I know the rules. I'll find the highest-level person for you, Xu Xiaoshou. It's just… what kind of information do you want to spread?”

“Since your level isn't high enough, it's better if you don't know for now.”

Xu Xiaoshou smiled and patted his shoulder, gently exhaling a breath. Liu Lu's shoulder blades crackled, and the broken bones were instantly healed by the life energy.

This effortless healing left Liu Lu's mind in turmoil.

Amazing!

He pursed his lips, said nothing, and didn't dare ask more.

Clearly, this group of four was not someone he could afford to provoke.

“Received reverence, passive value, 1.”

“Come closer.”

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't done with Liu Lu yet. Once that was settled, he asked again: “You've been in Dongtian Wangcheng for so long; do you know why it's under such strict martial law?”

“Or, tell me about all the major events that have happened here recently.”

He had heard Wang Chao's side of the story at the city gate and already formed some judgments.

Although he was sure it was mostly true, some details would be more accurate from the mouths of these street-level informants.

Major events?

Liu Lu's eyes darted as he replied: “As for the martial law, it's because the Wangzuo Shilian has been moved up by half a month. Isn't that common knowledge?”

“If it's common knowledge, do I need to ask you?” Xu Xiaoshou's face turned cold.

Liu Lu's heart skipped a beat.

He realized this answer wasn't what Xu Xiaoshou wanted.

But…

He stole a glance and saw that the man in front of him seemed to know quite a bit.

Could he be aware of that layer too?

“This is the first and last time.”

Xu Xiaoshou held up a finger as a final warning: “If there's any more deception, I'll give you another bottle of pills… poison pills!”

Liu Lu's legs went weak from fear. He wiped his sweat and blurted out: “I don't know much, but the martial law seems to be caused by more than just the advanced Wangzuo Shilian. It appears…”

“It's also related to ‘Tiankong Zhicheng’!”

He cautiously looked up, trying to gauge something from Xu Xiaoshou's eyes.

“Tiankong Zhicheng?” Xu Xiaoshou frowned.

Seeing this reaction, Liu Lu knew he'd been tricked.

This guy actually didn't know anything; he was just bluffing.

It was a trick Liu Lu had used himself many times, but now that it was turned on him, he had no choice but to explain further.

“Tiankong Zhicheng is the legendary place where holy traces appear.”

“It's a peninsula floating in the void, said to be rich in spiritual energy and overflowing with holy power.”

“Even a pig could break through to the Xian Tian realm in a short time if it went in.”

“Not to mention, it's full of spiritual herbs, endless spiritual weapons and pills, and the most profound insights into the heavenly dao. It's simply…”

“The dreamland of every Lianling Shi!”

As he spoke, Liu Lu's eyes filled with longing.

He was only at the Hou Tian level, after all!

If he got the chance to enter Tiankong Zhicheng, he'd soar like a phoenix, becoming untouchable.

But it was all just a daydream.

Reality brought him back, and he sighed with a shake of his head.

“These things about Tiankong Zhicheng are just rumors.”

“No one really knows what it's like.”

“Some have seen it appear, but no one has ever entered it. Even…”

He paused, glanced at Xin Gugu, and continued: “Even Wangzuo, it's said, would be like cannon fodder there… Oh, of course, I'm not saying that about you all. I'm just saying what I know.”

He rubbed his hands, realizing he'd missp spoken, and felt a bit awkward.

Xin Gugu didn't mind.

His full attention was now drawn to the “Tiankong Zhicheng” Liu Lu mentioned.

“How do you know all this?” Seeing Xu Xiaoshou still silent, Xin Gugu asked.

“Rumors!”

Liu Lu was puzzled: “Didn't I just say? The rumors about Tiankong Zhicheng are even more exaggerated—it's like a sea of flowers, a paradise…”

“What I mean is…”

Xin Gugu interrupted: “Where did you get the information about ‘the martial law in Wangcheng being related to Tiankong Zhicheng’?”

Liu Lu froze.

“This…”

“Trying to hide it?” Xin Gugu glanced at Xu Xiaoshou, implying the consequences.

Liu Lu's face turned pale, his liver trembling.

He remembered Xu Xiaoshou's warning: any more deception meant a bottle of poison pills.

“The organization!”

He said urgently: “It was by accident; I was waiting outside a meeting with my boss and overheard it.”

“Oh, accidentally?”

“Uh, uh, eavesdropping…”

Liu Lu lowered his head again, cursing the heartless Wangzuo in front of him a thousand times in his mind.

But he didn't dare hide anything now.

“What's your organization's name?”

“Ye Mao!”

Liu Lu answered instantly, as if prepared: “Ye Mao is huge! I'm just an peripheral member, handling connections from outside to the inner layers, but I can't get into the inner layers myself.”

“The last inner-layer meeting I attended was my first time, brought by my superior.”

“The information you want, I can contact my superior to reach the inner layers. Then, Ye Mao's inner-layer handlers will come find you—that's one of our outer agents' duties.”

After a moment's thought, Liu Lu added, feeling it wasn't secure enough:

“By the way, our organization's inner layer is really big; it basically controls the entire underground intelligence network in Dongtian Wangcheng and even collaborates with ‘Hei Huo Dang’ and ‘San Zhu Xiang’.”

“So, don't worry about spreading your message; I can definitely handle it!”

Xu Xiaoshou took a while to fully process all the information Liu Lu had shared.

“You're saying all this— is that okay?” He was a bit surprised.

“No problem. These are things that can be shared. Anything I can't say, even if you killed me, I wouldn't reveal.” Liu Lu sighed.

“Who knew you had some background.”

Xu Xiaoshou teased, then steered back: “Earlier, you mentioned ‘Tiankong Zhicheng’— does it have another name?”

At this, Xin Gugu and Mo Mo also sensed something off.

Tiankong Zhicheng, another name?

“Yes!” Liu Lu said firmly.

“What is it?” Xin Gugu's eyes lit up, as if he'd thought of something.

“Shengmi Zhidi!”

But Liu Lu said something that surprised them all: “Legend has it, that place hides the secrets of becoming a saint. As long as you enter Shengmi Zhidi, you gain the foundation for sainthood… Uh!”

Seeing the mixed expressions of surprise, disappointment, and bewilderment on their faces, Liu Lu's enthusiasm cooled, and he said meekly: “Of course, that's just legend. Whether it gives a foundation for sainthood has nothing to do with me, ha.”

“It's not about that… Heh!”

Xu Xiaoshou was amused.

Has to do with you?

If becoming a saint had anything to do with you, would you be here?!

“Besides Shengmi Zhidi, does Tiankong Zhicheng have another name?” he asked again.

“Xu Xiaoshou… what are you asking about?”

Liu Lu was confused.

He really couldn't remember Tiankong Zhicheng having a third name.

Even “Shengmi Zhidi” was something he'd overheard outside that inner-layer meeting.

From Xu Xiaoshou's expression, he knew there was no more to it, so he didn't press further.

In his view, if nothing unexpected, this so-called “Tiankong Zhicheng” and “Shengmi Zhidi” were likely “Xuankong Dao”!

But it was different from the information he knew about Xuankong Dao.

It seemed the rumors about “Tiankong Zhicheng” had been embellished, making it sound extraordinarily mystical.

Or perhaps, the Xuankong Dao he knew was the fake one?

Xu Xiaoshou quickly dismissed that idea.

After all, Xuankong Dao—the place that imprisoned saints!

This was something he'd pieced together from the words of various forces in the White Grotto.

Between believing in the legendary Eighth Sword Immortal or a small-time informant from Dongtian Wangcheng, he knew which to trust.

“Tiankong Zhicheng…”

He murmured once more, said nothing else, and waved to dismiss Liu Lu.

“You can go!”

“Remember the deadline: within two days, bring me the handler you mentioned.”

“And keep the communication bead safe. If I need you, I'll contact you.”

“Remember, no matter what, I'm the biggest!”

“Oh, oh, got it!” Liu Lu perked up at these words and nodded vigorously.

“Received reverence, passive value, 1.”

“Oh, right.”

As Xu Xiaoshou led his group to leave, he suddenly remembered something and smirked: “Help me look into someone. At the city gate, there was a man in white clothes named Wang Chao. Get me all his information, including how to contact him.”

“Uh… okay!”

Liu Lu was startled but agreed immediately.

“Go on!”

He waved for the man to leave.

The footsteps in the alley faded away.

As soon as Liu Lu was gone, Mu Zixi jumped out first.

“Xu…”

Xu Xiaoshou shot her a stern look, his face showing utter resignation.

“Received curse, passive value, 1, 1, 1, 1…”

Mu Zixi pouted.

Though unhappy, she knew they couldn't reveal their identities now, so she quickly said: “Xu Xiaoshou! Xu Xiaoshou, okay? What exactly are you up to?”

Xin Gugu and Mo Mo turned their gazes over too.

Clearly, this was what they were curious about as well.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled mysteriously.

Of course, he wanted to stir things up!

If the tasks with the holy slaves and Dongtian Wangcheng weren't as serious as expected, he'd definitely step in and be that troublemaker.

But as soon as they entered the city, they sensed how complicated things were here.

If he became a pawn in someone else's game, even if he muddied the waters, he'd end up covered in filth.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't want that.

Or rather, after seeing the power dynamics in Dongtian Wangcheng and how they were divided, he had a new idea.

“What do you all think…”

He turned to the three, their eyes burning with curiosity, and asked with a smile: “If I wanted to establish my own top power, what name would be good for it?”