Chapter 794: Enemy Attack, Quickly Go and Invite Mr. Si Ren

"Xu Shao! You've come out of seclusion!"

In Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, Xu Xiaoshou pushed open the door, and downstairs, Xin Gugu immediately sensed it, appearing in a flash, brimming with excitement.

These past couple of days, with Xu Xiaoshou in seclusion and nothing much going on, everyone had felt a bit out of sorts.

Xiao Wanfeng, for once, had enjoyed a good night's sleep for two days straight and thought that the word "peaceful" had finally entered Xu Shao's vocabulary.

But Xin Gugu and the others knew the full story.

As one of the main figures in the Wang Cheng battle, Xu Xiaoshou had consumed Sheng Xue, activated his Sheng Xiang, and the aftereffects could have been severe.

This seclusion was meant for recovery, and they had worried he might even miss the Wang Cheng trial.

Who would have thought that after just two days, this guy was back to his vigorous, peak condition.

"How does it feel like your strength has improved even more?" Xin Gugu sized him up and down, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

It was just a gut feeling.

Because Xu Xiaoshou had a technique to conceal his breath, making him seem even more like an ordinary person now.

But looking beyond the surface to the essence, Xin Gugu felt that Xu Xiaoshou must have made some breakthrough.

Still, after battles with Dao Cutters, Tai Xu, and even Jian Xian, it was perfectly normal for his cultivation to advance.

"It's nothing much, just a slight edge."

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled casually.

After his "strength" upgraded, his physique and appearance had transformed, but his "Xu Shao style" still featured that changed face, so it wasn't immediately obvious.

"Have you grown taller?" Xin Gugu gestured, unsure if it was an illusion or if he had never paid attention to heights before.

"Xu Xiao... Shao!"

Mu Zixi bounced over as well, her big eyes sparkling and wide open.

As soon as she appeared, she sniffed with her little nose and immediately leaned in close.

"So fragrant, so fragrant..."

Mu Zixi looked suspicious. "Have you broken through again?"

You're probably eyeing my life force again... Xu Xiaoshou watched as his junior sister kept swallowing, and he rolled his eyes.

Sure enough, it wasn't his imagination... Xin Gugu felt a chill in his heart, convinced that Xu Xiaoshou must have had a major breakthrough; otherwise, Mu Zixi wouldn't have noticed it too.

"I've been in seclusion for a few days—what's been happening outside?" With Xiao Wanfeng absent, Xu Xiaoshou asked about what concerned him.

"Lots."

Xin Gugu nodded and picked out the important points. "First, you haven't gotten your trial jade pendant yet. I asked about the Tianluo War for you, but the ban can't be lifted. Either you can join the alchemy trial tomorrow for some fun, or... I've been keeping an eye on a few people who have jade pendants."

Xu Xiaoshou smacked Xin Gugu on the head and scolded, "Am I the kind of person who would use unscrupulous means?"

Xin Gugu looked completely deadpan, thinking to himself, Aren't you?

"The alchemy trial is tomorrow?" Xu Xiaoshou was surprised, but calculating the time, it made sense.

"Yep."

Xin Gugu nodded again and continued, "Also, the young lady from Duo Jin Trading House has been looking for you several times. She says the market feedback for the Chi Jin Liquid you provided is excellent, and she wants to meet you, but I've turned her away each time. She told you to refine more liquid and prepare well, and to provide even more later."

Refining liquid... Xu Xiaoshou's mouth twitched.

"Of course."

In his Yuan Fu, the Greedy God hadn't been idle; his stock was only increasing.

"What about the others? Has Sheng Shen Hall sent anyone?" Xu Xiaoshou asked further.

The Ling Que Trade Fair had ended, so any major forces that hadn't been checked before would likely be investigated now.

"They have."

At that moment, Mo Mo appeared from the stairway, approaching gracefully, her voice gentle. "But they were just some insignificant people. After the trade fair, I handled them, and there weren't any real issues."

Xu Xiaoshou's mind relaxed instantly.

Mo Mo and Xin Gugu were both seasoned experts of the Jiang Hu.

Having served as hosts for Gui Shou for so many years without being caught, they clearly had their own ways of deflecting suspicion.

He suddenly thought of something and asked, "What about Hong Yi?"

Xin Gugu shook his head. "No sign of Hong Yi."

"No?" Xu Xiaoshou was a bit surprised.

They had been watching him so closely, yet this time, they hadn't come in person—it didn't add up.

Maybe they were planning some big move?

Xin Gugu saw his reaction and laughed. "These past two days, Rao Yao Yao has been leading Hong Yi and Bai Yi to search Yun Lun Mountains and reinforce their defenses. They'sre swamped with their own affairs, so how could they have time for anyone else?"

I'm different, though... Xu Xiaoshou thought skeptically.

He felt that the Guardians weren't the type to give up easily. Even if they were busy, they'd make time for any lead on him.

The only explanation that fit was that Mr. Si Ren had appeared that day and completely shattered their defenses.

That made sense...

Xu Xiaoshou thought about it and felt relieved.

What kind of status did Mr. Si Ren have? Even he had come forward to vouch for him.

It was like Rao Yao Yao herself saying: The Xu Shao of Tian Shang Di Yi Lou isn't Xu Xiaoshou—stop wasting your effort investigating and get back to your real work.

One of the Seven Jian Xian, with no connection to Sheng Nu, testifying personally.

The Guardians might still have doubts, but they'd have to let go of that last bit of suspicion.

"What about Ba Zun An?"

Thinking of Yun Lun Mountains, Xu Xiaoshou immediately thought of Ba Zun An. With Rao Yao Yao on the move, had that masked man been caught?

"What's Ba Zun An?"

At that, Xin Gugu and the others looked puzzled at the same time.

Xu Xiaoshou was startled, then realized he had jumped to conclusions.

He knew why Kong Xu Island had appeared.

But Xin Gugu and the others had no idea about the Yun Lun Mountains situation; it was probably all Ba Zun An's doing.

Maybe even Rao Yao Yao didn't realize that Ba Zun An was behind it all!

That sly old schemer...

Xu Xiaoshou grumbled inwardly and asked, "Has Rao Yao Yao's search of Yun Lun Mountains yielded any results?"

As soon as he said that,

Xin Gugu was taken aback.

Mo Mo's expression also turned sharp.

From the sound of it, was the Kong Xu Island incident related to Ba Zun An? Had the Eighth Jian Xian really made a move?

"No results..."

After pondering for a while, Xin Gugu shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"Rao Jian Xian's team deployment this time was a total loss—a case of losing the wife and the soldiers."

"Originally, with the Wang Zuo matter wrapping up, if they had just tied up loose ends, Hong Yi and Bai Yi could have split up to follow the final leads and track down the dark forces."

"But then Kong Xu City appeared, and all the leads went cold."

Xin Gugu pointed to the sky and said with a smile, "In the end, they had to rush back to defend Kong Xu Island, and they didn't catch a single shadow. All that effort for nothing—they took a huge loss!"

Mo Mo turned back. "You should be grateful. If they hadn't lost out, you'd be the one paying the price."

Xin Gugu's smile froze, and he felt a twinge of unease.

Have you been won over too?

Can't I just enjoy a laugh?

How are you turning on me?

Xu Xiaoshou listened, and his mind completely relaxed.

This was turning out to be a string of good news.

But of course, with Ba Zun An personally involved, it was impressive enough that Rao Yao Yao hadn't lost her entire Hong Yi force. As for touching that sly old fox?

Teng Wu Yue could tell you, that's not very realistic!

Still, thinking back to that night after the Wang Cheng battle, when he had fled with his group, and Hong Yi and Bai Yi had split up in the sky, each chasing something,

Clearly, Rao Yao Yao had some backup plan.

She really could lock onto the whereabouts of those she suspected.

How did she do it?

Xu Xiaoshou had always suspected that there was another person watching the entire battlefield that night, but Mr. Mei Si Ren had told him that Yu was fine.

The others couldn't figure it out either...

But if not,

How had Rao Yao Yao, right in the midst of it all, pinpointed the people she needed to track?

Were Jian Xian that powerful?

Causing chaos in the central district while being held back, yet still using Ling Nian to lock onto other districts or even outside the city?

Thinking of Ling Nian, Xu Xiaoshou remembered his own "perception" at the Wang Zuo level.

Maybe it was possible!

"Xu Shao, why do you smell so good?"

At that moment, Mu Zixi sneaked over like a cat. She compared their heights and immediately noticed that Xu Xiaoshou had grown taller.

After all, most people wouldn't pay attention to such changes.

But she was extremely sensitive about height.

And moreover...

The fragrance was overwhelming!

So tempting and delicious!

Back when they were in Ling Gong, it had taken her a while to get used to it and resist the urge to bite her senior brother.

This time, she couldn't hold back.

She reached out, touching Xu Xiaoshou's arm to give it a pinch.

But as soon as she touched it, her finger was cut, leaving a wound.

"!!!" Mu Zixi was shocked.

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't been on guard!

It made sense for him to be cautious during battles, but in Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, why would he still have his hedgehog armor activated, ready to hurt someone?

"Did you do that on purpose?"

Mu Zixi's face fell as she sucked on her finger, trying to heal the wound, only to discover...

Her own blood, from that single touch, had also become fragrant!

The little girl froze on the spot.

"Received suspicion, passive value, 1."

"Received shock, passive value, 2."

Mo Mo and Xin Gugu were both astonished.

Mu Zixi had just casually touched him—how did she get cut? Xu Xiaoshou wasn't a sword, so how...

Xin Gugu suddenly stepped forward and touched him too.

"Sssh!"

He had deliberately reinforced his Ling Yuan, but his fingertip still split open, as if stabbed by a Ling Jian, with blood seeping out immediately.

Xin Gugu: ???

"Received doubt, passive value, 1."

Mo Mo saw this and quietly pulled her hand back...

"Received curse, passive value, 3."

Xu Xiaoshou had a pained expression on his face.

He had originally wanted to hide it a bit.

But it seemed that after upgrading "sharpness," his biggest worry had come true.

He had become a sword person!

"It's over—my love life is doomed. Now I might really have to find a Sheng Ti girlfriend..."

Xu Xiaoshou rubbed his forehead.

He had thought that once his passive skills reached Wang Zuo level, he could choose to turn them "on" or "off."

But reality proved that even after the system evolved, that function still hadn't appeared, and who knew when it would.

In games, some passives could be toggled on or off, but without that here, how could he dare upgrade "反震" later?

One bump, and not only would people fly, but the bed might collapse too!

I need to hurry and find a Sheng Ti girlfriend... Xu Xiaoshou mused to himself, while keeping a calm facade and saying nonchalantly, "Roses always have thorns—you can admire from afar but not profane them. Just don't touch me, and you'll be fine."

The three of them: ...

"Received curse, passive value, 3."

Xin Gugu's hand trembled as the wound healed, and he asked in shock, "You really broke through—what level are you at now?"

Xu Xiaoshou smiled confidently. "The kind of level where I can crush you with a casual move."

Xin Gugu's eyebrows shot up, feeling challenged.

The last time he had specially trained Xu Xiaoshou in Yuan Fu, even when the guy turned into a golden giant, he was still just a one-kick wonder.

How long had it been?

Just a month or so, and you're dreaming of reaching Wang Zuo?

I'm no ordinary Wang Zuo!

Mu Zixi pondered this, realizing Xu Xiaoshou had gotten stronger again...

Just two days apart, and it felt like ages.

He had changed!

Stronger by more than just a little!

In contrast, she thought,

Her senior brother was already at Zong Shi level, while she was still only at Xian Tian.

"You're not much use, huh!" Mu Zixi mused inwardly.

A coquettish female voice echoed in her mind just then, with a hint of teasing: "As long as you want, you can break through to Zong Shi right now... Made up your mind? No more resisting me?"

Mu Zixi shook her head, her twin ponytails swaying as she dismissed the voice, refusing to respond.

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou got excited and said to Xin Gugu, "Get ready—take one punch from me. Use your full strength, or you might actually die."

Xin Gugu's eyes sharpened; this challenge came out of nowhere, and he nearly couldn't suppress the killing intent within him.

"Bring it on!"

"Come on."

Xu Xiaoshou raised his right hand.

Xin Gugu planted his feet firmly.

The two on the side stepped back a bit, knowing Xu Xiaoshou was testing his power—this was something he used to do often, though it had been a while.

Blood energy began to surge in the room as Xin Gugu went all out, shouting, "Let's see what you've got!"

So Xu Xiaoshou didn't unleash his Ling Yuan, carefully controlling his force to use only about a third, and threw a punch with effortless ease.

Xin Gugu saw that Xu Xiaoshou wasn't going all out and, based on past experiences, slightly relaxed his blood energy to avoid accidentally killing this overly optimistic guy.

But then...

"Boom!"

A shockwave exploded in the pavilion, first rushing back toward Xu Xiaoshou.

Yet he stood firm, unmoved.

Then, a stronger shockwave swept directly toward Xin Gugu's rear.

Whoosh!

In an instant, only a sound of wind remained—Xin Gugu was gone!

The protective barrier of Chao Sheng Lou was always active, but it wasn't the Ba Gua Chao Sheng Tu, so it couldn't withstand this kind of force.

Plus, the attack came from inside, and the barrier was meant to block external threats.

This time, it was breached from within, and even the partitions between the rooms couldn't hold against Xin Gugu's trajectory.

So...

Mo Mo and Mu Zixi could still see the stunned expression left on Xin Gugu's face, along with his completely twisted right arm.

The next second, that afterimage dissipated.

—It was just an afterimage!

Before they could process the shock, a series of booms echoed.

Bang bang bang!

It was like a straight line blasting through several layers of training room floors until the night sky poured in through the hole in the building, and the fragments of Xin Gugu's fading afterimage finally vanished from their sight.

Then,

"Ah—"

A twisted, piercing scream of extreme pain rang out in the night.

Mo Mo and Mu Zixi turned in shock.

Xu Xiaoshou blew gently on his fist, dispersing the blood that wasn't his, and felt quite satisfied with his first strike using his Wang Zuo body—it had sent a Wang Zuo-level Gui Shou host flying.

Facing the two horrified gazes beside him, he remained composed and said coolly, "Just three-tenths of my strength."

Mo Mo: ...

Mu Zixi: ...

"Received fear, passive value, 1."

"Received doubt, passive value, 1."

"Enemy attack!!!"

A sharp voice suddenly came from the main entrance downstairs, followed by the thud of a wooden bell, and then Xiao Wanfeng's rapid footsteps climbing the stairs.

"Sister Mo, Grandma Mu, it's bad—enemy attack!"

"I don't know what's going on, but the enemy is already inside the building—I didn't even notice... Brother Xin was blown apart, and from the inside! Oh no!"

Xiao Wanfeng blurted out, "Quick, get Mr. Si Ren... Uh, Xu Shao?"

Mo Mo: ...

Mu Zixi: ...

Xu Xiaoshou: ...

Mr. Si Ren?

Why not just say, quick, go to the West and fetch the Buddha?