Chapter 723: This old auntie, are you making a scene unreasonably?

Damn it…

Even though Zhou Tiancan considered his temper to be quite good, after being denied repeatedly, he was starting to feel irritated.

He figured that the person in front of him was almost certainly Xu Xiaoshou!

After all, this talent for provoking anger was exactly Xu Xiaoshou's signature style!

Perhaps Xu Sha himself hadn't realized it yet, but anyone else who received a treasure wouldn't have such an attitude when speaking.

The only explanation was…

"This guy isn't deliberately trying to provoke anger; it's just his habit!"

So, he had to be Xu Xiaoshou!

But why wouldn't he admit it?

"Could it be that I have the wrong person, and he's just someone similar, but not the other Xu family member—Xu Xiaoshou's… brother?" Zhou Tiancan couldn't help but suspect.

Then his thoughts shifted to something like, "Oh, right, I've never heard Xu Xiaoshou talk about his family."

Hua Nong, who was waiting anxiously in the back, had picked up on the clues from Zhou Tiancan's repeated denials.

She suddenly realized that Zhou Tiancan might have made a mistake.

If this were an old friend, it would be understandable that Zhou Tiancan didn't recognize the real person at that moment, but it was still unforgivable!

Besides, the idea that the Xu Sha from Tian Shang First Tower was Xu Shibo was just Zhou Tiancan's own assumption.

More likely, the person in front of them wasn't Xu Shibo at all.

Thinking of this, Hua Nong's previously hunched back began to straighten.

The fear in her eyes gradually cleared, replaced by a shocking surge of anger!

"A fake trying to scam me out of my 'Bodhi Tree Root'?" Hua Nong clenched her ten fingers, her slightly narrowed eyes burning with fierce flames.

The atmosphere in the private room turned ice-cold in an instant.

Liu Lu, who had been covering his mouth and enjoying the show from the side, suddenly shivered, a chill running through his heart.

He looked at Hua Nong in panic, baffled by how this once extremely humble beast-faced woman had suddenly erupted with such emotion.

"Wait…"

Zhou Tiancan also sensed that something was wrong—Hua Nong was clearly about to explode.

He quickly extended his single arm to block her path. "I can still ask a few more questions to check…"

"Get out of the way!"

Hua Nong clamped her five fingers around Zhou Tiancan's arm and yanked it back.

"Holy shit—"

In that moment, Zhou Tiancan clearly felt the solid ground under his feet disappear.

This burly man, over six feet tall, was actually lifted off the ground by this seemingly delicate woman!

And he nearly couldn't stop his backward momentum, almost crashing into the door!

"What kind of monster is this…" Zhou Tiancan steadied himself, stunned.

He could tell that Hua Nong hadn't used any spiritual energy at all—it was pure physical strength.

The last time he'd encountered such terrifying physical power was with Xu Xiaoshou…

Hua Nong tossed Zhou Tiancan behind her and stepped forward, her gaze locking directly on the mysterious Xu Sha under the beast mask, demanding, "Who exactly are you?"

"Who do you think I am?"

Xu Xiaoshou was taken aback. He glanced at the three people in front of him. "Before coming here, you must have gotten all my details from Ye Mao, right?"

"What I mean is, who are you really? Not some vague answer like that!"

Hua Nong was furious, breathing heavily.

She wasn't stupid; she'd seen through how Xu Sha had been dodging the real topic the whole time.

But upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoshou just laughed.

He spread his hands.

"So, I haven't met your expectations, huh?"

"But I am who I am—there's no way I'm a fake… Besides, Ye Mao wouldn't let a counterfeit Xu Sha into this trade fair site!"

"What are you imagining?"

Xu Xiaoshou leaned forward, bringing his head close to the beast-faced woman's face. "I am Xu Desai, that's who!"

"Cursed, passive value +1, +1, +1, +1…"

Hua Nong really wanted to rip out those hateful eyes from under the beast mask!

But she still hesitated deep down.

She had already released her Jin Zhao power, so if the other person was also from the Jin Zhao lineage, they should have sensed it.

Under these circumstances, there was no reason for him to treat her this way.

Most importantly, from the moment they entered the private room, Hua Nong had been constantly observing the power within Xu Sha.

She tried to use her spiritual sense to detect even a trace of Jin Zhao power in his qi sea.

If she could, then even without Zhou Tiancan asking, the answer would be obvious.

But…

Nothing!

Not only was there no Jin Zhao power, but she couldn't even discern Xu Sha's cultivation level.

At this point, there were only two possible explanations:

Either this person was still Xu Shibo, but with an incredibly powerful cultivation that he could perfectly conceal.

Or, he was a complete fake!

"Suspected, passive value +1."

"Speculated, passive value +1."

"Glared at, passive value +1."

Xu Xiaoshou watched the beast-faced woman in front of him, still desperately suppressing her anger and thinking hard, even at such close range.

He had no idea what she was so angry about.

Maybe she had an "anger constitution"?

Jin Zhao power… Xu Xiaoshou had noticed it right away when it stirred in her qi sea.

But so what?

Truth be told, Xu Xiaoshou didn't believe Sang Lao would have other disciples, grandchildren, or family like that.

Especially now that Sang Lao was imprisoned by Sheng Shen Hall, even if this woman was showing Jin Zhao power, her identity was still suspect.

After all, the only person Sang Lao had told him to rely on was one.

"Your next backer: Sheng Gong, Long Rong Zhi!"

Was this girl Long Rong Zhi?

No.

Long Rong Zhi was a man, an old bald guy, Sang Lao's master, the Jin Zhao Half-Sage—not this angry, overdramatic young woman in front of him.

As for anyone else…

As long as Sang Lao didn't say so, even if they brought the Jin Zhao origin seed as a gift, he couldn't trust them.

Who knew if this was a spy sent by Sheng Shen Hall?

Or maybe the Jin Zhao lineage, aside from Sheng Gong's Long Rong Zhi, had already been infiltrated and corrupted by other forces?

"Little girl, what's your name?"

Ignoring the beast-faced woman's anger, Xu Xiaoshou asked calmly, "Come to think of it, you gave me a treasure, but I don't even know your name, and I haven't properly thanked you yet. That's rude."

"Hua… Nong!" Hua Nong spat out each word through gritted teeth.

"Oh, Hua girl…"

Xu Xiaoshou paused, his mouth twitching involuntarily. "Hua… Hua Nong girl."

He took a light breath to suppress the urge to laugh.

Laughing now would definitely spark a massive fight in the private room.

He cupped his fists and continued, "In that case, Xu appreciates Hua Nong girl's gift. If there's nothing else…"

He gestured toward the door, tilting his head. "The three of you, please leave?"

"Cursed, passive value +1."

"Ambushed, passive value +1."

A whoosh of wind brushed by.

In a flash, Hua Nong struck out, her slender hand like a hidden dragon in shadow, lunging toward Xu Xiaoshou's chest.

What kind of person was Xu Xiaoshou?

—The master of "Agility"!

Almost as soon as Hua Nong's muscles tensed, he leaned back, and her fist only grazed a trail of air across his chest.

"Want to touch me?"

Xu Xiaoshou sneered.

How could he let her touch his body and probe for Jin Zhao power?

"Hah!"

Hua Nong grew even more enraged, redirecting her attack to Xu Sha's floating right hand as he retreated.

At the critical moment, Xu Xiaoshou remained composed and thought, "Chi Realm Force Field."

Swoosh—

Blood sprayed everywhere.

When Hua Nong's hand was just inches from Xu Xiaoshou, it was as if it had been caught in a shredding machine, leaving it mangled and bloody.

"This…"

In that instant, Hua Nong was stunned.

The intense pain made her retract her hand at lightning speed, her heart still in shock.

A master-level body and cultivation…

Even without unlocking the Saint Body power, how could her defense be broken by such an obscure spiritual technique?

What kind of move was this!?

"Surprised, passive value +1."

After two exchanges, Hua Nong was forced back.

She pulled her hand away, creating a gap of several body lengths between them, making any further contact impossible.

On the other side, Xin Gugu had just barely lunged forward, but the fight was already over.

He never expected this beast-faced woman to dare attack. In that moment, like a tiger with its whiskers touched, his eyes turned blood-red, and a bloody mist erupted from his body.

The dignity of Tian Shang First Tower—was that something for petty thugs like them to trample?

Come and go as they pleased?

Not that easy!

"How dare you!!!"

With a thunderous roar, a surging Wang Zuo aura swept over them in an instant.

Boom—

The private room's window and barrier shattered on the spot.

Shards of glittering glass and glowing barrier fragments scattered like spilled water over the trade fair site.

"Holy shit!"

"What's going on? A fight?"

"Isn't that the 172nd private room?"

"Heavens! Is the Alchemist Association fighting with the 172nd room? Weren't they there to deliver a treasure?"

The trade fair site's rhythm was disrupted once again.

No one had expected anyone to be bold enough to start a fight at the trade fair.

This was completely disregarding Ye Mao!

"Go check it out."

Nangong Yin, who had returned to the backstage to oversee the site, heard the noise and immediately waved his hand. A dozen beast-faced people rushed out from both sides, heading straight to the scene.

At the fight site, in the 172nd private room.

Liu Lu was sprawled on the ground, scared half to death.

He had been mocking Zhou Tiancan's funny questions and deflated expressions just a moment ago, and in the next, that beast-faced woman with immense strength had struck.

"What the hell just happened in the blink of an eye?"

Liu Lu trembled under the Wang Zuo aura.

When he looked up again, the scene in the private room had completely changed.

In his line of sight…

The violent, bull-like bloody mist beast-faced Wang Zuo, Xin Xiaoku, stood like a one-man barrier at the front.

Mu Xiao Gong followed closely, his hands clasped together as thick, dark green vines intertwined within the private room, with poisonous flowers and plants swaying, turning the area into a forest-like domain.

Meanwhile, the other silent beast-faced woman from Tian Shang First Tower had already risen from the sofa, guarding Xu Sha's side.

And Xu Sha…

That figure, now perched at the shattered window of the private room, leaned casually against the frame, his sleeves hanging behind his waist, hands out of sight.

He tilted his beast mask slightly upward, looking down with disdain.

Liu Lu could even catch a hint of mocking scorn in Xu Sha's eyes from under the mask.

His relaxed and carefree posture seemed to warn the three visitors from the 183rd private room:

"Want to fight?"

"I, Xu Sha, am ready anytime!"

Liu Lu shuddered again.

He was shocked.

This scene perfectly illustrated what it meant to be "poised to strike"!

The other side had only made a probe…

But Tian Shang First Tower's counter-formation, based on aura alone, was like a ferocious prehistoric beast ready to devour.

What kind of force would allow someone to probe like that?

If he were on the opposing side, he'd probably be fleeing in terror by now!

In the corridor outside the private room.

A line of beast-faced people marched quickly through the trade fair site and arrived at the door of the 172nd room.

Yuan Haisheng dispelled the spiritual array backstage, and the door swung open.

Nangong Yin followed right behind, stepping in and scanning the scene before his gaze settled on his own man, Liu Lu.

"What happened?"

Oh my god… Liu Lu's legs went weak at the sight of the second-in-command, his stomach churning.

When had he ever faced a situation like this?

Rising from the lowly streets of Wang City, he had entered Ye Mao's inner circle thanks to Xu Sha and was only responsible for direct communication with him.

The job had been fine—after all, Xu Sha wasn't as difficult as the rumors suggested.

In fact, he was quite generous.

But working for Xu Sha, day after day, was just so thrilling!

Tian Shang First Tower threatening Yuan Fourth-in-Command at night was one thing, but now, at the Ling Que Trade Fair, they'd dragged in Nangong Yin, the second-in-command!

"It's… it's like this…" Liu Lu struggled to his feet, stammering shakily, but he couldn't get the words out clearly.

Xu Xiaoshou, knowing Liu Lu lacked the guts, waved a hand from the window.

"I'll explain."

He pointed to the three culprits. "These three from the 183rd private room came under the pretense of delivering a treasure, but they tried to ambush me. Luckily, I reacted quickly, or they might have ripped out my heart."

Hua Nong's neck involuntarily stretched forward at his words.

I just wanted to touch and sense if there's any Jin Zhao power—did he have to make it sound so serious?

"Questioned, passive value +1."

Zhou Tiancan on the other side, and Su Qianqian, who hadn't spoken, both noticed this subtle detail that no one else would, their eyes lighting up with certainty.

It's him!

Absolutely him!

Though he hadn't given the signal until now, Zhou Tiancan knew this was Xu Xiaoshou's sign.

Your vibe—I recognize it!

"Affirmed, passive value +2."

At the private room door, Nangong Yin's brows furrowed under his beast mask as he turned back to Liu Lu.

"Is that true?"

Liu Lu was on the verge of tears, his fingers trembling as he mumbled, "Well, you could say that… it's just that the description feels a bit…"

Xu Xiaoshou shot him a cold glance.

Liu Lu straightened his chest.

"Accurate!"

"Feared, passive value +1."

"Cursed, passive value +3."

"Suspected, passive value +23."

Yuan Haisheng's voice echoed in his ear, and Nangong Yin paused, understanding the situation.

Now he had a headache.

On one side was the Half-Sage force he was trying to befriend, and on the other, the veteran Alchemist Association—this was a tough choice!

As he pondered,

Under everyone's watchful eyes at the site, a woman emerged from the 183rd private room, having already removed her beast mask.

Behind her followed several elders in Alchemist Association robes.

The Alchemist Association was notorious for protecting their own.

Especially since one of the parties involved was the envoy from Sheng Gong, the legitimate disciple-grand-disciple of Dong Ling's nominal master.

So, Dong Ling immediately looked at Hua Nong and asked, "They struck first!"

It was clearly a statement, full of affirmation.

Hua Nong was caught off guard, not knowing how to respond.

Even her master, Bai Ai, had never protected her like this!

Wanting to say "no," Hua Nong found it hard to get the words out in this atmosphere.

Xu Xiaoshou was immediately amused across the way.

Where did this arrogant person come from, even better at twisting facts than me?

He stepped forward, his gaze passing over Nangong Yin, and across the long corridor, his voice rang out loud and clear for all to hear.

"This old auntie, don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable?"