Chapter 751: Fake Storyteller Meets True Storyteller

Are you out of your mind?

Xu Xiaoshou was completely stunned even while suspended in mid-air.

What on earth is wrong with this organization? How could they invite him right off the bat? First it was Hong Yi, then Sheng Nu, and now Yan Wang too?

During his earlier fight with Jiu You Gui Ying, Xu Xiaoshou had already pegged Yan Wang as his top imaginary enemy.

And now, they were extending an olive branch?

"You must be sick."

Xu Xiaoshou dispelled his invisibility technique and appeared, holding the You Si Sword. The tip of the blade was just a few inches from Yin Cao's head.

Yin Cao's pupils contracted.

He hadn't expected this person to really show up with the sword hovering over him.

Everything was unfolding exactly as Huang Quan had predicted...

But seeing Xu Xiaoshou appear so calmly, Yin Cao couldn't help but admire the young man's confidence.

According to his intel, Xu Xiaoshou was just a Xian Tian realm cultivator!

A Xian Tian, pointing a sword at a Zhan Dao expert.

Where did this guy get the nerve to show himself so boldly?

"I'm not sick."

Yin Cao replied coolly, not glancing away: "But it's clear you're tempted and have accepted my sincerity, or you wouldn't have revealed yourself in front of me."

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't exactly explain that his invisibility was about to fail, forcing him to show himself and catch his breath.

He let out a soft sigh and said: "If you're not sick, then your Huang Quan must be."

Yin Cao seemed momentarily taken aback.

Then, his expression shifted, and he lowered his head.

"You're awake?"

Xu Xiaoshou followed his gaze downward and saw that Bai Gui, lying in Yin Cao's arms, had fully regained consciousness under the restoration of Ling Yuan.

He knew all along that this fake Tear Double Path had been awake the whole time—it was all an act.

If he had stabbed Yin Cao in the head, he'd have to face Bai Gui's revenge next.

"Not playing dead anymore?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, looking at Bai Gui.

"You're quite clever..."

Bai Gui chuckled briefly. He didn't understand how, after cutting off his own Qi as a Zhan Dao, the other had still figured out he was awake.

But this guy was Sheng Nu's outsider.

Though his aura was unremarkable now, his achievements were already impressive.

Bai Gui Ye Xing held no contempt and spoke in a tone fitting for peers. Calmly, he pulled out a sound-recording pearl and infused it with Ling Yuan.

"Xu Xiaoshou, I am sincerely inviting you now."

"Would you like to join Yan Wang?"

The exact same tone, the exact same words.

This time, Xu Xiaoshou was certain: Yan Wang really wanted him, and Yin Cao wasn't lying.

"Am I really that outstanding?"

Xu Xiaoshou smiled and landed on the ground. Through his "perception," he knew he was still trapped in the enemy's domain and couldn't escape.

But these two enemies now seemed oddly intriguing.

"Yes!" Yin Cao nodded emphatically. "Your abilities are strong, and your potential is huge. It's not just Huang Quan—even I'm impressed by you right now..."

Xu Xiaoshou cut him off: "Save the flattery. As a Zhan Dao expert, aren't you embarrassed to butter up a Xian Tian like me?"

Yin Cao's mouth twitched.

"Received curse, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou stepped back, holding the You Si Sword horizontally, and frowned: "What do I gain by joining Yan Wang?"

"The benefits are endless!"

Yin Cao jumped at the question, pointing to Jiang Xian: "First, Huang Quan said that if you want the San Yan Tong Mu, he'll give it to you directly—both eyes. Plus, anything else you want, Huang Quan can get it for you."

Xu Xiaoshou: "What if I want the Hua Xian Mou?"

Yin Cao didn't hesitate: "The Hua Xian Mou, plus the Crossroad Heterochromia Eyes—you can have whichever ones you want, or all of them!"

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked.

Were these people completely insane?

They'd just hand over their eyes if he asked?

"You think I'm joking?"

Seeing his disbelief, Yin Cao added: "Truth be told, in Huang Quan's eyes, your value is greater than the Hua Xian Mou and Crossroad Heterochromia Eyes combined."

Xu Xiaoshou fell silent for a long moment before saying: "So Yan Wang is that kind of organization... Does that mean if someone even more talented than me wants to join, they could take anything from me, including my life?"

"Uh!" Yin Cao and Bai Gui Ye Xing were both caught off guard.

What kind of twisted logic was that?

We were showing Yan Wang's determination and sincerity toward you.

How did your mind go off on such a wild tangent?

But after a brief pause, the two from Yan Wang quickly recovered. Yin Cao waved his hand: "It's not like that..."

"No need to say more!" Xu Xiaoshou waved him off, interrupting again.

He had no interest in joining Yan Wang.

If this world didn't have the Dao Oath, he might have considered joining places like Sheng Shen Hall, Hong Yi, Sheng Nu, Xu Yue Gray Palace, and Yan Wang—all of them—for the fun of it.

Gathering intel from every organization—wouldn't that be great?

But was the world that kind?

Did he really think all the major faction leaders were fools who would tolerate that?

Just joining Xu Yue Gray Palace meant signing a contract with ghost beasts.

Joining Hong Yi meant opposing ghost beasts and going on endless missions.

In a world where the heads of major powers were top-tier players in a grand game, what made a nobody like Xu Xiaoshou think he could play with his life like that?

He joined Sheng Nu because their principles aligned closely with his own thoughts.

And Ba Zun An had given him the greatest possible freedom of action.

Could he get that from other factions?

Not likely.

For example, if he joined Yan Wang and got the Tear Family Eyes installed...

Xu Xiaoshou didn't feel he'd gain stronger abilities; he'd just be tied down by unnecessary karma.

Borrowing external power was just spending his future.

One day, all those debts would have to be repaid with even greater costs!

Even just using the communication pearl to call for Ba Zun An's aid had left him owing a huge favor, which made him uncomfortable enough.

How could he possibly join another faction now?

"Don't waste your breath..."

Xu Xiaoshou gestured dismissively: "Drop the domain and let me go. I won't hold today's incident against you."

Yin Cao: "???"

Bai Gui Ye Xing: "???"

Both were stunned, taking a moment to process. Then Yin Cao said: "You took the San Yan Tong Mu, so shouldn't we be the ones holding you accountable?"

Xu Xiaoshou snorted: "You two—one faking as a storyteller, the other faking tears—stirring up a Semi-Sacred force, and trying to pin the blame on Sheng Nu. I'm already being generous by not pursuing it. Do you really think I won't stab down with this You Si Sword?"

He raised the sword threateningly.

But to the two Zhan Dao experts, it looked like a baby wielding a knife.

Yin Cao laughed: "Xu Xiaoshou, you stole a San Yan Tong Mu and still act like you're innocent and uninvolved?"

"That's not stealing; that's collecting interest..."

Xu Xiaoshou said earnestly: "You two impersonated Sheng Nu and barely got one San Yan Tong Mu. Or let's put it another way!"

He paused and extended his hand: "Give me the other San Yan Tong Mu, and I'll admit it was Sheng Nu's doing today—not yours or Yan Wang's—and pretend you were never here."

Yin Cao: "???"

Bai Gui Ye Xing: "???"

This was outright barefaced extortion...

Now, they truly couldn't tell if Xu Xiaoshou was foolish or just treating them as complete idiots.

"You really think you can walk away unscathed?" Bai Gui Ye Xing's voice turned cold.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at him and chuckled: "Oh? Since recruitment failed, now you're going to force things and silence me?"

"Yes!" Bai Gui Ye Xing nodded.

Xu Xiaoshou laughed mockingly, showing no fear as he sheathed his sword and stood ready: "Then go ahead and try."

"Try and you'll see..."

But before Bai Gui could finish, a furious roar echoed from outside Tian Qi Lin.

"Who dares insult the Jiang family!"

The roar was full of power.

The sound waves swept through, making Tian Qi Lin feel like it was hit by a hurricane—dust flew, and ancient trees were uprooted.

Yin Cao and Bai Gui exchanged glances, realizing it was the Jiang family's Zhan Dao guard arriving.

The other side must have detected the disturbance here, likely during that brief moment when Yin Cao dispelled the illusion over Tian Qi Lin and focused on dealing with the Semi-Sacred bloodline mark.

Only for an instant was Tian Qi Lin outside Yan Wang's control.

In that split second, not just the Jiang family—probably the Hong Yi, Bai Yi at the trade fair, and other experts from various places had sensed the Saintly power in Tian Qi Lin.

This arrival wasn't surprising.

"A Zhan Dao, and with Tribulation Force!"

Yin Cao sensed the newcomer and stood up first, with Bai Gui following.

The two looked at Xu Xiaoshou, puzzled.

The Jiang family and Xu Xiaoshou weren't allies, and this arrival clearly wasn't his backup.

So where did his confidence come from?

But this wasn't the time to dwell on it. They couldn't take down Xu Xiaoshou quickly, and Yan Wang didn't want to clash head-on with the Jiang family's Zhan Dao after already securing one San Yan Tong Mu.

"Let's go!"

Yin Cao gritted his teeth, deciding to abandon the other San Yan Tong Mu on Xu Xiaoshou.

This Xian Tian wasn't what he seemed on the surface.

Huang Quan had instructed: if they encountered Xu Xiaoshou, try to recruit him; if not, and they couldn't kill him on the spot, treat him as an equal.

After all, this young man was weak in cultivation but had survival and delay tactics stronger than most Wang Zun or Zhan Dao experts.

The two moved to flee.

But as they tried, their bodies froze in place.

"Hmm?" Yin Cao raised an eyebrow. "Can't move?"

"The space and heavenly rules here have been altered?" Bai Gui was also alarmed.

They were Zhan Dao experts.

Who could so stealthily change the space rules within their domain, even under the Hua Xian Mou's influence?

In other words...

Someone had trapped these two Yan Wang Zhan Dao powerhouses in their own domain?

Impossible!

"Is it the Jiang family's Zhan Dao ability?" Yin Cao's heart skipped a beat, but he doubted it.

Whoosh—

At that moment, a figure burst into view.

It was an elderly man with white hair, carrying a man and a woman in his hands.

As soon as he landed, his eyes locked onto the unconscious Jiang Xian on the ground.

"Jiang Shao?"

The old man froze, then his eyes turned red with rage, his hair standing on end. "The San Yan Tong Mu is gone?"

"Jiang Shao..."

Jiang Qi and Jiang Si, now rescued but immobilized, stared dumbly at the bloodied figure on the ground, utterly shocked.

It felt like only a few breaths had passed.

How had the battle ended already?

And Jiang Shao's San Yan Tong Mu was stolen?

This made their scalps tingle, as if they could see their own grim futures.

Jiang Chao Tian, the Jiang family's Zhan Dao guard who had charged into Tian Qi Lin heedless of life and death, now seemed to foresee the end of his own career.

He scanned the area, his gaze settling on the only two figures present.

"You two did this?"

Jiang Chao Tian's voice dropped to a deadly low, as if rising from the eighteenth level of hell.

How could these two Zhan Dao experts, who hadn't even passed the first Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation, have stolen the San Yan Tong Mu?

Yin Cao and Bai Gui were panicking.

They hadn't anticipated the situation reversing so quickly, with someone trapping the space.

From Jiang Chao Tian's reaction, they knew this wasn't his doing.

So, who was hiding in the shadows? Tai Xu?

"Answer me!"

Jiang Chao Tian roared, his Ling Yuan surging with Tribulation Force, like an enraged war god from the heavens.

The two from Yan Wang remained silent, desperately trying every method to escape.

But the space was completely locked, as if they'd entered another world—they couldn't break free.

"Saints Nu?" Jiang Chao Tian, seeing them ignore him, was furious beyond words.

Yet his last shred of sanity told him this wasn't Sheng Nu; it was just imitators.

Clearly, they were trying to frame Sheng Nu.

Diverting blame?

"Who exactly are you?!" Jiang Chao Tian demanded angrily.

While questioning, he set down Jiang Qi and Jiang Si, then swiftly picked up Jiang Xian, trying to salvage the situation by administering aid.

Yin Cao was getting annoyed, snapping back: "Stop yelling, you idiot—you're trapped too!"

Jiang Chao Tian paused.

Sensing his surroundings, he realized this was no longer Tian Qi Lin but some other space.

Because beyond the boundaries his spiritual sense could reach, there was only chaotic void, like the edge of the world.

"This..."

Was there a third party involved?

The hidden Xu Xiaoshou nearly burst out laughing at the three Zhan Dao experts' conversation.

He had sensed the situation earlier.

This familiar feeling of being confined—ever since the system prompts "Received scrutiny" and "Received confinement," he knew his called-for backup had arrived.

After all, this scene was just like when he and the Gray Fog Man had opened the second Ling Rong Ze space, or when Hong Yi opened the second Li Jian Grassland world.

The Storyteller was truly powerful!

"Hee-hee-hee."

As the three Zhan Dao experts fell silent and frantically tried to save themselves, a giggling voice floated down from the void:

"Who did I think it was?"

"So, these days, not only does my brother have a lookalike, but I do too?"