Chapter 648: Old Master Xu

Beiyu?

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted sharply.

"Received fright, passive value: 1."

His first thought was that this person couldn't possibly be like him, just putting on an act. But he quickly dismissed the idea.

Who in the world would be that bored and ridiculous, pretending to be from Beiyu just to startle him?

Besides, the mention of "Beiyu Jiang Shi" hadn't even come from the young leader's mouth. Based on the earlier whispers from the onlookers and the young man's demeanor...

This guy was the real deal from Beiyu—authentic, not some fake like him!

"Gulp."

Xin Gugu swallowed hard up front, feeling his jaw go slack, almost dropping on the spot.

He instinctively stepped back half a pace, chickening out.

"Damn it, ran into the genuine article?"

Footsteps tapped behind him, and as Xin Gugu turned, he met Xu Xiaoshou's gaze. Understanding the signal, he retreated further.

This mind-bending situation was beyond him now.

Leave it to the main man!

"Beiyu Jiang Shi?"

Xu Xiaoshou approached Jiang Xian with a calm expression.

Up close, he had to admit that aside from the exceptional aura, the man's face was strikingly handsome. Thick, sword-like brows, a chiseled jaw, a face that seemed world-weary yet refined, with three distinctive spots in his eyes—all embodying the essence of heaven's finest beauty, elevated by a divine air far above the mundane, as if from the immortal realm.

Xu Xiaoshou had only seen such a handsome face on Fu Xing before.

But compared to that, this man had an extra touch of otherworldly elegance, making the two incomparable.

"Jiang Xian."

Faced with Xu Xiaoshou's direct confrontation, Jiang Xian lightly pressed a finger behind him, signaling his followers to stay calm.

As fellow Beiyu people, though he had never heard of the "Tai Xiang Xu Family," it was possible that this person, like himself, came from a reclusive semi-saint clan.

Low profile, but with unshakeable confidence!

"Xu Detie."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded casually in greeting.

"Xu Detie...?"

Jiang Xian's composed demeanor vanished in an instant at the odd name. After a pause, he asked subconsciously, "Which 'Detie'?"

"Doesn't matter."

Xu Xiaoshou waved it off casually and turned to Rong Dahao.

"You're right, my friend—no fight, no friendship."

"Since we're both from Beiyu and fate has brought us together, I'll just call you by your given name 'Xian,' and you can call me 'Detie.' That works."

After a pause, Xu Xiaoshou's face turned serious.

"Xian!"

He cupped his fists, his demeanor utterly sincere.

Jiang Xian was touched by the sincerity, and his lips parted as he unconsciously echoed, "Detie... hmm?"

Before he finished, he realized something was wrong.

In the next second, his fair face flushed red with anger.

"Are you insulting me?!" Jiang Xian's expression twisted into something ferocious.

"Received glare, passive value: 1."

"Received glare, passive value: 4."

"Received admiration, passive value: 1."

"Pfft."

Mu Zixi, standing at the back, was the first to burst out laughing.

As soon as she did, several angry glares shot her way, and her laughter stopped abruptly.

But her trembling shoulders and bouncing twin tails...

Those genuine little details couldn't be suppressed.

"Pfft, hahaha—"

The crowd, after a brief silence, was ignited by Mu Zixi's laughter, erupting into roars.

"Damn, what kind of ridiculous name is that—Xu Detie?"

"Hell yeah! His parents must be insane to name him that. How did he even survive growing up without getting beaten every day?"

"Ha, this is killing me... Xu Detie, Xu Dad, I say, buddy, do you really think anyone would actually use that name? It's obvious he's pissed and wants to pick a fight now!"

"Awesome, I'm impressed!"

"That Jiang Shi, Jiang Xian—he's at least from a top Beiyu Tai Xu family. What's up with this Xu Detie guy, mocking him like that? Isn't he afraid of dying?"

"Who knows!"

"If we're talking mockery, it started with that Jiang Shi Wang Zuo guy."

"Xu Shao doesn't seem like a pushover either. He's probably had it out for them from the start."

"Impressive, I'm totally on board with this Xu guy. He's pulling off something epic—now we've got a show!"

"Received admiration, passive value: 92."

"Received praise, passive value: 120."

"Received respect, passive value: 166."

The onlookers cleared a wide space.

Even though they were at the entrance of Duojin Merchant House, the dominant force in the area, it seemed neither side cared about that.

A fight?

Bring it on!

Direct confrontations between Wang Zuo were rare even in Dongtian Wang City!

Xu Xiaoshou waited until the crowd's chatter had stirred the Jiang Shi group's anger to an unparalleled level before dropping his sincere act and putting on a look of disdain and mockery. He snorted at Jiang Xian.

"Only now you realize I'm insulting you? Your reaction time is way too slow. All that pretty-boy face and no brains?"

He didn't hold back at all.

Leaning in close, his face almost touching Jiang Xian's,

"If we're talking insults, the crowd's reaction is crystal clear—isn't it your mockery first, and mine second?"

Jiang Xian was about to explode; he hadn't expected Xu Detie to hold such a grudge over this.

But as he opened his mouth,

Xu Xiaoshou raised his voice and snapped, "Did I say you could speak?!"

Jiang Xian: ???

"Received doubt, passive value: 1."

"Received doubt, passive value: 4."

Even the four Wang Zuo from Jiang Shi were stunned by the guy's arrogance.

They were the ones who usually acted this cocky toward outsiders.

When had some random person ever dared to point fingers at them?

"You son of a—"

"Are you looking to die?" The Wang Zuo who had laughed first hadn't even finished when Xu Xiaoshou shot him a cold glance, his pent-up emotions crashing down like a tidal wave.

For no reason, the Wang Zuo fell silent.

"What kind of presence is this?"

The crowd was collectively startled, with dozens stumbling back and some even collapsing before scrambling up.

"Damn!" They cursed and retreated to the back, too embarrassed to stay in the front row.

This tangible pressure felt less like an aura and more like an attacking spirit technique, striking straight at the soul with no defense possible.

It didn't matter the cultivation level or realm.

Once Xu Xiaoshou's presence surged, a single sweeping glance made everyone feel inferior.

"Holy crap, he's so young—I thought he was just Xiantian. Could he be a Wang Zuo, or even someone who has transcended the Dao?"

"Don't scare me!"

"But... can you even see his cultivation?"

"I can't, and there's not a trace of heavenly Dao fluctuations around him. That rules out even Zongshi!"

"But wait, doesn't Xiantian lack Dao fluctuations too? And what about the return-to-nature state of someone who has transcended the Dao?"

As soon as that was said, the crowd fell silent as if chilled.

Was he really someone who had transcended the Dao?

"Received doubt, passive value: 144."

"Received fear, passive value: 122."

Jiang Xian was equally shaken by this presence.

How could someone around his age...

"Impossible!"

He screamed inwardly.

But outwardly, he was thoroughly suppressed by Xu Xiaoshou, left speechless.

Xu Xiaoshou scanned the crowd, took a step forward, and strode past Jiang Xian to stand before the most arrogant Wang Zuo.

"Beiyu Jiang Shi?"

He extended his hand toward the Wang Zuo's face, then paused.

When he noticed a flicker of fear in the Wang Zuo's eyes from his peripheral vision,

At the same time,

"Received doubt, passive value: 5."

"Received suspicion, passive value: 5."

"Received speculation, passive value: 5."

Xu Xiaoshou's confidence soared.

These five were panicking.

They were speculating about his identity!

So, he pressed on, using two fingers to lightly tap the Wang Zuo's face. The other seemed frozen, forgetting to resist.

Only then did Xu Xiaoshou speak.

"Don't tell me I've spent most of my life in Beiyu and never heard of your Pu Xuan Jiang Shi."

"Just take my family elder's birthday celebration—there wasn't a single Jiang name on the guest list... and I can vouch for that!"

"Today, for your earlier rudeness, you need to apologize!"

"Got it?"

The entire place went dead silent.

Everyone was stunned by Xu Detie's audacity.

So, his confidence came from the fact that Beiyu Jiang Shi wasn't even invited—or qualified—to his Tai Xiang Xu Family elder's birthday event?

After that statement, even a fool could see that the Tai Xiang Xu Family outranked Pu Xuan Jiang Shi by miles.

The Jiang Shi group had hit a wall!

"Huff."

Xin Gugu, standing at the back of the verbal battlefield, was boiling with excitement.

His eyes were filled with nothing but admiration and worship!

Unmatched worship!

No one knew the shock of a fake running into the real deal and being floored by "Beiyu, Pu Xuan Jiang Shi."

So, no one could grasp how epic Xu Xiaoshou was in turning the tables from such an awkward, near-fatal spot!

But the thing was...

"This guy's bluffing way too hard!"

Xin Gugu was dumbfounded.

Forget about Xu's elder—he hadn't even seen this Xu Detie before and doubted if the guy existed!

Yet, in this situation, Xu Xiaoshou had boldly fabricated a "truth"!

Even details like "no Jiang on the elder's guest list"...

Xin Gugu was in awe.

Xu Xiaoshou was just that outrageous!

Mo Mo's eyelashes fluttered as she was left dizzy by Xu Xiaoshou's words.

From Tiansang Spiritual Palace to Baiku, and now...

It seemed no one really knew Xu Xiaoshou's background, but knowing his tricky nature, she couldn't help but doubt if this was real.

But her mind was flooded with exclamations:

"No wonder..."

"The emperor always thought this kid was so odd—turns out he really comes from a major power?"

"Though Tai Xiang Xu Family might be a front, the real force behind him must be genuine!"

"Otherwise, who would dare say this? Would you?"

I couldn't say it... Mo Mo had been skeptical, but now she was wavering.

Did Xu Xiaoshou really have a big background?

"Received curse, passive value: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Mu Zixi, who had been annoyed by Xu Xiaoshou's smugness, suddenly heard a charming voice in her mind: "So that's how it is."

Her thoughts raced.

So that's how it is... what did that mean?

Did Xu Xiaoshou really have connections?

Memories flooded back.

From her master's first glance, to his unkillable constitution, to the bizarre encounters where treasures kept appearing in his Yuanfu...

As she thought about it, her eyes lit up.

The faded image of a big brother who used to gently rub her head and say, "It's okay, I've got you," after she messed up, resurfaced.

"So that's how it is!"

"Received admiration, passive value: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

"Received affection, passive value: 1, 1, 1, 1..."

Notifications popped up like crazy.

Xu Xiaoshou never imagined that his made-up story—backed by the thought of having eight venerables to handle trouble, or at worst the gray fog figure—would fool even his own people.

But right now, he didn't dwell on it.

He had the guts!

And with that, he wasn't afraid of challenges.

At worst, these Wang Zuo-level folks couldn't kill him on the spot.

Switch to another time, another night.

Xu Xiaoshou was confident he could silence them with A Jie, A Bing, A Huo, Xin Gugu, the four swords, Yan Python, and more.

Unexpectedly, the other side backed down?!

The Wang Zuo in front of him stayed silent, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he realized the gravity.

Even Jiang Xian at the back couldn't handle the pressure. He forced a smile, clenched his fist, and stepped up to Xu Xiaoshou.

"Sorry, my Jiang Shi clan is a reclusive semi-saint family, so we're out of touch with the outside world."

"We didn't attend your elder's birthday— that's on us. We'll inform our semi-saint and visit the Tai Xiang Xu Family to apologize another day!"

After a pause, Jiang Xian fully relaxed.

Since they were both semi-saint families, there was no loss of face.

If this could turn a subordinate's mockery into a connection with the Xu Family, it might be a blessing in disguise!

He waved a hand, and the Wang Zuo immediately bowed. "Sorry, I misspoke earlier. My apologies to everyone!"

Jiang Xian feigned anger and shoved the Wang Zuo aside, then took his place in front of Xu Xiaoshou.

"Ha, no fight, no friendship. With your background, Xu brother, you wouldn't hold it against a subordinate, right?"

"I'm Jiang Xian."

He introduced himself again and extended his hand, signaling to let bygones be bygones.

But while Jiang Xian was unfazed, Xu Xiaoshou nearly collapsed.

Semi-saint family?!

A semi-saint visiting my Tai Xiang Xu Family?!

What the hell? I thought you were just a Tai Xu family at most!

You're saying you're the real deal, even purer than pure gold?!!

A jolt ran through him, and Xu Xiaoshou snapped back, staring blankly at the young man's unusual "Three Yan Pupils," his heart pounding wildly.

This was...

"Received fright, passive value: 1."