Chapter 739: This Xu Shao is way too ruthless

The private room instantly fell silent.

At that moment, only Xiao Wanfeng was completely at ease, as if to say, "A clear conscience fears no shadows." But everyone else felt a sudden jolt of anxiety.

Xu Xiaoshou was especially on the verge of a mental breakdown.

A clear conscience...

What nonsense!

In this very room, there were three ghost beast parasites, a Saint Slave descendant, and someone suspected to be a remnant of the Lei family.

This was so crooked it was beyond redemption—how could anyone call that upright?

It seemed like they were trying to send Xu Xiaoshou to an early grave!

No matter how frantic he felt inside, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't show it. After a moment of shock, he acted as if nothing had happened, waving his hand casually and murmuring absentmindedly, "Oh, is that so? Well, that's fine..."

After that insincere remark, Xu Xiaoshou glanced indifferently at the others, signaling them to stay calm, then led everyone back to their seats on the sofa.

"Xu Shao!"

Liu Changqing was the first to lose his composure.

With his high cultivation, he wasn't worried about anyone eavesdropping, so he urgently sent a voice transmission: "What do we do?"

Xu Xiaoshou turned back and signaled for calm again.

You're a Dao Cutter—why are you panicking?

I'm just a minor innate, and I'm not freaking out yet. As an elder, how can you be the first to crack?

"Why would Sheng Shen Dian Tang go to such lengths?" Xu Xiaoshou ignored Liu Changqing and asked Liu Lu directly.

"It's because there have been too many unexpected incidents at the scene," Liu Lu replied, shrugging as he listened to Yuan Haisheng's voice transmission. "The Sheng Shen Dian Tang takes matters of the Saint Secret Realm very seriously, involving many parties, so they have to investigate... Oh, and Xu Shao, you pulled out three Void Orders, so you're definitely one of the targets for their full investigation!"

Xu Xiaoshou: ...

He had anticipated that Sheng Shen Dian Tang might investigate soon, but he hadn't taken it too seriously. All his attention had been on his imagined enemy, "Yan Wang," so for the moment, he hadn't considered that bad luck could come all at once like this...

"How exactly will they investigate?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"Just check everything!" Liu Lu spread his hands. "There are so many surprising things at the scene that even the white-clothed and red-clothed enforcers might show up for a thorough sweep."

Mo Mo, Xin Gugu, and Liu Changqing all felt a tremor in their hearts.

Xu Xiaoshou was equally startled and pressed on: "The red-clothed and white-clothed are coming too? Is the situation that serious?"

"Um."

Liu Lu nodded. "It's rare for our Ye Mao trading event to gather so many people, so Sheng Shen Dian Tang probably doesn't want to miss this opportunity... Don't worry, Xu Shao, once this investigation is over, anyone with a clean identity should be fine, and they won't keep suspecting you."

"Good, just wonderful..." Xu Xiaoshou pinched his thigh to hold back from exploding. He stopped thinking about what might come next. Whether they could survive this investigation was still up in the air.

Jue Gan watched as his own group suddenly became restless.

Among all the people in Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, only Xiao Wanfeng remained completely unfazed, calmly brewing and serving tea as if it were his duty.

But the others couldn't sit still and enjoy their tea anymore.

Xu Xiaoshou felt his thoughts starting to scatter.

This situation had come out of nowhere.

But he should have seen it coming—the Ye Mao trading event was such a prime opportunity, so how could Sheng Shen Dian Tang let it slip by?

Still, clinging to that slim hope had led him to overlook this possibility.

Human plans are no match for fate!

Who could have guessed that Sheng Shen Dian Tang would launch such a sudden strike?

"Liu Lu!"

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly grew serious, then corrected himself: "Yuan Haisheng!"

Liu Lu was startled: "Xu Shao, I'm here."

Xu Xiaoshou didn't want him to respond. "Tell your Yuan Si Dangjia to answer. Just ask him about the confidentiality of our previous transaction—how well did he handle it?"

"Of course..." Liu Lu replied instinctively.

"I don't want the official line," Xu Xiaoshou interrupted. "I just want to know Ye Mao's real stance!"

Liu Lu fell silent.

He could see that the situation was more serious than expected.

But earlier, Xu Shao's deal with Ye Mao was all about spreading rumors about the Saint Secret Realm to boost his Void Orders' sales, right?

Was there more to it?

Liu Lu started to suspect.

He hadn't known why Xu Shao wanted to spread those rumors before, but seeing the trades worth four hundred billion today, he understood.

Yet now, Xu Shao's sudden change in attitude seemed to hint at something deeper.

Things might not be as simple as they seemed.

Liu Lu didn't dare speculate further. He didn't respond, but he knew Yuan Si Dangjia could hear the conversation.

"I can guarantee it!"

At that moment, Yuan Haisheng's solemn promise came from the void. His voice carried no hint of jest—only earnest sincerity.

Xu Xiaoshou steadied his mind first, sorting through the causes and effects of the situation.

Combining it with the scene around him, he untangled the messy threads of his thoughts step by step.

Then, carefully deducing and boldly verifying, he tried to find a way out.

"If I'm not mistaken, a lot of people must be contacting you right now, right, Yuan Si Dangjia?" Xu Xiaoshou asked with a confident smile.

After a long pause, Yuan Haisheng's voice returned: "Xu Shao is sharp—indeed, that's the case."

Xu Xiaoshou felt more assured.

The first point checked out.

In Wang Cheng, which major force was truly clean?

Even if they weren't deeply involved with ghost beasts, none of their shady dealings could withstand a real "investigation."

Many would try to leave midway through the event.

But since they couldn't leave, the first to panic wouldn't be Xu Xiaoshou.

Now that his judgment was proving accurate, Xu Xiaoshou began to plan his strategy.

He continued with a smile: "You're a busy man, Yuan Dangjia. I know that basically no one here is clean enough to welcome an investigation. So, has anyone made excessive demands, asking you to let them go and leave the place?"

Yuan Haisheng sighed in the background, once again impressed by Xu Shao's big-picture thinking.

This guy was probably just as guilty, yet his first question was about others.

Incredible!

"Xu Shao is wise and far-sighted—yes, there have been such requests," Yuan Haisheng responded.

"Then did you agree?" Xu Xiaoshou asked further.

"It's not about whether I agree or not—Sheng Shen Dian Tang has the situation under control, so Ye Mao can't interfere," Yuan Haisheng answered.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded silently and murmured to himself: "Then I understand..."

Liu Lu, listening nearby, was dumbfounded.

He felt like Xu Shao had been in the same private room as him the whole time!

And he could receive transmissions from Yuan Si Dangjia, so his access to information should be better than Xu Shao's.

How was it that Xu Shao, stuck in this small room, could grasp the entire situation and think so broadly about all the forces involved?

Meanwhile, Liu Lu felt like a fool, only seeing what's right in front of him!

Apart from getting outside messages, he had no clue about the real predicament of the major forces.

And he had foolishly thought that Xu Shao's question about Ye Mao's confidentiality was a sign of panic, implying some hidden dirty dealings.

At that moment, Liu Lu suddenly understood why Xu Shao could be the master of Tian Shang Di Yi Lou and a semi-saint successor.

As for himself, he was stuck in the backwaters of Wang Cheng, scamming people and information. If not for Xu Shao, he might never have entered Ye Mao's inner circle.

Comparison is the thief of joy!

Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a while.

He wasn't afraid of others knowing that Tian Shang Di Yi Lou couldn't withstand scrutiny.

After all, the waters ran too deep.

Was it a proper investigation, or the white-clothed and red-clothed enforcers' kind, or some other shady probe—who could say?

So, he openly admitted Tian Shang Di Yi Lou's situation to Ye Mao, all to gauge their attitude.

After thinking it through, Xu Xiaoshou finally asked the crucial question: "I want to know, if others can't leave, what about Tian Shang Di Yi Lou? Does Ye Mao have a way for us to exit early?"

In the background, Yuan Haisheng and Nangong Yin exchanged a glance, both silent.

The frantic messages from various forces had them overwhelmed, but they'd managed to handle them all.

"No, it's impossible."

"There's no other way out."

But Tian Shang Di Yi Lou was a semi-saint force—entirely different!

How many semi-saint forces were there in Wang Cheng?

Besides Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, only the Jiang Clan, who couldn't attend due to external matters.

Both were forces Ye Mao had been desperately courting lately.

Earlier, Nangong Yin had witnessed Xu Shao's spirit array skills and even predicted that Tian Shang Di Yi Lou would become a major power.

Now, the turning point had arrived.

Should they offer help in a crisis or stand by?

"Nangong..." Yuan Haisheng hesitated, unsure.

But Nangong Yin was decisive. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Agree to it!"

"But make him understand that under Sheng Shen Dian Tang, even Ye Mao's vast abilities can only do so much. We can assist once, but we won't handle anything afterward."

"And he'll have to clean up his own mess!"

Yuan Haisheng was surprised by Nangong Yin's resolve.

But those words, though unexpected, made perfect sense—it was exactly what he had in mind.

This investment would either succeed spectacularly or fail completely!

"Very well."

From the void in the private room came a response that surprised everyone, including Xu Xiaoshou.

Liu Lu wore a look of utter shock, still echoing Yuan Si Dangjia's endless suggestions in his ears:

"Xu Shao, you're also a spirit array master, and Liu Changqing beside you is a spirit array expert. Tian Shang Di Yi Lou can break through this way."

"First, the trading event site is protected by a larger 'Ju Tian Long Zhen.' I can give you the array's flaws, weaknesses, and key points... Of course, you'll be the one to crack it yourself."

"Then, find a spatial rift. You just bid on a 'Space Teleport Array Disk'—whether you can make one now doesn't matter; someone will deliver a batch to you... Naturally, these are all your own creations, nothing to do with Ye Mao."

"Finally, use the space teleport to breach the array and reach the outside, escaping Sheng Shen Dian Tang's blockade."

"That's all Ye Mao can do."

"The rest of the path is up to your own skills, Xu Shao."

Yuan Haisheng stopped there, not spelling out the consequences, like how Sheng Shen Dian Tang might hold them accountable for the broken array and spatial paths.

Because he believed Xu Shao was clever.

Some things were better left unsaid—they'd become transactions, not favors.

The private room fell deathly quiet as everyone was stunned by Yuan Haisheng's perfect escape plan in just a few breaths.

Liu Lu was utterly dumbfounded.

He knew Yuan Si Dangjia never acted without profit, so this made it even more astonishing.

This was practically rebellion!

Teaming up with Tian Shang Di Yi Lou to resist Sheng Shen Dian Tang's blockade?

Had everyone lost their minds?

Xin Gugu, Mu Zixi, and the others were experiencing Ye Mao as an incredibly loyal organization for the first time.

The sacrifices they were willing to make were clear even to outsiders.

The most shocked was Liu Changqing, newly joined to Tian Shang Di Yi Lou.

The old man stared at Xu Xiaoshou, wondering if it was the young man's abilities or background that had won such favor from Ye Mao.

In that instant, he felt immensely grateful for joining Tian Shang Di Yi Lou.

Otherwise, tonight's Sheng Shen Dian Tang blockade would have been his end.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Breaking the silence was Xu Xiaoshou's sudden burst of laughter.

It left everyone in the room baffled, and even Nangong Yin and Yuan Haisheng in the background were completely confused.

What's so funny?

Why laugh now?

Has he gone mad?

Notifications flooded in, but Xu Xiaoshou ignored them. He stared into the void, stopped laughing, and said seriously:

"Good!"

"With Ye Mao's stance, I feel relieved."

"As for the Space Teleport Array Disk and the array flaws... No need. I don't plan to leave just yet."

"Ye Mao, you've got yourselves a friend in me, Xu Xiaoshou!"

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand boldly, leaving everyone stunned.

He wanted to leave before, but now he didn't?

What was he playing at?

With so many sharp minds watching, no one could figure out Xu Xiaoshou's strategy.

Even Nangong Yin and Yuan Haisheng in the background were stumped for a good while before someone caught on.

"He's testing us!"

Nangong Yin's eyes flashed with shock, and a chill ran down his spine as he murmured: "Xu Shao doesn't want to leave. He's just testing Ye Mao's loyalty, to see if..."

Yuan Haisheng instantly realized, his back turning cold as he finished: "He's checking if we betrayed him, leading to Sheng Shen Dian Tang's move?"

The two exchanged looks, saying nothing.

The Void Island incident was no small matter.

Even though Ye Mao's leadership had chosen to ignore the deeper implications and just handle the intelligence, they knew what kind of backlash it would cause if exposed, and how much trouble it would bring Tian Shang Di Yi Lou.

So now.

Realizing that Xu Shao wasn't backing down from Sheng Shen Dian Tang's encirclement but planned to use it to further test Ye Mao's true intentions...

Nangong Yin and Yuan Haisheng felt their scalps tingle.

This Xu Shao was too ruthless!

In their eyes, he was just a young man, yet his mind was so meticulous.

Even if intelligence workers like them weren't trustworthy, Xu Shao's suspicion of human nature had reached terrifying levels!

At that point, the only thing Nangong Yin and Yuan Haisheng were grateful for was that this situation wasn't due to Ye Mao's betrayal—it was just Sheng Shen Dian Tang acting on a whim, unrelated to anything else.

Otherwise, they could already imagine the "accidents" that would befall Ye Mao if Xu Shao survived.

"But..."

Yuan Haisheng's thoughts shifted, still puzzled. "If Tian Shang Di Yi Lou isn't planning to leave, does that mean he can actually withstand the investigation? What on earth is he thinking?"