Chapter 844: Awkward

The situation was on the verge of exploding.

Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing had already anticipated the potential battle ahead. Yet, despite their mere Zongshi level cultivation, the two of them stubbornly stepped forward without retreating an inch.

"Retreat!"

Xu Xiaoshou scolded them sharply. He understood their intentions—even if it meant exposing themselves in the end, they wouldn't let him, the young master of the Xu family, die. But after his earlier words, if Yu Lingdi truly dared to provoke a semi-saint force over a baseless "suspicion" and seize or kill someone right in front of him, it would mean a complete and utter falling out. Xu Xiaoshou was certain that Yu Lingdi wouldn't make a move—even if he wanted to, there were people above him who would stop it. Still, for the moment, he couldn't allow Xin Gugu and Liu Changqing, his two guardians, to reveal their identities.

The two guardians weren't fools either. They had stood their ground to protect the semi-saint young master, but after being sternly rebuked, they "had no choice" but to retreat several zhang away. To Yu Lingdi, all these reactions seemed perfectly normal. After all, if the guardians chosen by a semi-saint successor were a bunch of cowards who feared death, that would be suspicious.

Yu Lingdi's gaze never left Xu Xiaoshou, as he slowly raised his right hand and pointed into the air.

"Shh-shh..."

The water elements in the world gathered wildly, and in an instant, a torrential downpour came crashing down. Right at the tip of Yu Lingdi's finger, as a single point of golden water formed, the rain across the sky seemed to freeze in place, as if time itself had halted.

"In that case, you can go ahead and die." Yu Lingdi's eyes showed no trace of arrogance; he spoke as if stating a simple fact.

Then, he slightly crooked his fingertip.

In that moment, Xu Xiaoshou's heart pounded wildly, a life-threatening danger making every pore on his body stand on end.

"Locked onto, passive value: 1.""Under threat, passive value: 1.""Under sneak attack, passive value: 1."

The attack hadn't even landed, yet it was coming straight at him and was judged by the system as a sneak attack. This showed just how terrifying the power of Yu Lingdi's golden water strike truly was.

Xin Gugu, who had retreated and stopped, tensed his body to the extreme in that instant. At this distance, he could guarantee that the moment Yu Lingdi struck, he could instantly break his seal and rush forward at near-teleport speed to block the blow for Xu Xiaoshou.

As for Liu Changqing, he never imagined that this brief acquaintance, Xu Xiaoshou, would go to such lengths for him! He hid his ten fingers in his sleeves, secretly invoking the mysteries of Tianji Shu, confident that he could shift Xu Xiaoshou's position the instant Yu Lingdi attacked.

But right at this critical juncture...

"Stop!"

A sharp cry came from the distant horizon.

At the same time, the rain frozen in midair evaporated instantly, turning to vapor on the spot.

"Puff-puff—"

A faint sound emerged. That familiar scorching fluctuation, that echo lingering in every midnight nightmare, that burst of white flame suddenly blooming in the void... It made Yu Lingdi's soul tremble at once, as if he had been transported back to the nightmare battle in the Eight Palaces.

"Jin Zhao Bai Yan?"

He whipped around abruptly. Not even daring to delay the attack, Yu Lingdi turned to face the source of the voice with the vigilance of a great enemy.

She wore a black outfit.

"A trial officer?" Yu Lingdi was taken aback. For a moment, he even thought the sleeveless sacred slave had returned. But after turning, he realized the newcomer was just a young girl carrying a large cauldron, her face flushed with anger. She possessed a immense strength that didn't match her slender figure, and a fiery temper that mirrored the Jin Zhao Bai Yan. The moment she landed, she frowned and scolded.

"Who are you?""What faction are you from?""How dare you interfere in my territory? The inner perimeter here is under my responsibility—who gave you the order to cross boundaries?"

With the crisis averted, Xu Xiaoshou secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked over, unable to help but smile bitterly.

Hua Ling... Why had this young girl shown up? And how had she become a trial officer?

Yu Lingdi's brows furrowed deeply. He sensed the overbearing aura of a Wangzuo realm, faintly reaching eight or nine tenths of its full power. Glancing at the Jin Zhao Bai Yan that had scorched the surrounding elements, he formed a judgment about the young girl's identity.

"Sacred Palace, from the Jin Zhao lineage?"

Yu Lingdi knew a special envoy from the Sacred Palace had arrived, but he hadn't realized this person possessed abilities identical to the sacred slave who haunted his nightmares.

"I'm called Hua Ling."

Hua Ling acted as if she didn't recognize her Shishibo Xu at all, not even glancing his way, and stared straight at Yu Lingdi. "What's your name? You're pretty young yourself. Are you a trial officer? A fake one disguised as a stowaway? You don't even know the area I'm in charge of? You monster, show your true form!"

She was like a chatterbox, talking nonstop as she set down the large cauldron in her hands. The ground cracked.

Yu Lingdi was slightly stunned, then his expression darkened. "If you're a trial officer, you should know exactly who has the right to appear in your assigned area without permission."

"Who?"

Hua Ling was genuinely baffled at first, but quickly caught on. "Oh, oh, you're the trial officer's chief commander, the Ling Bu head, Yu Lingdi?"

Yu Lingdi felt a surge of pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent. But he could see that this girl was truly dim-witted!

"You're this young?" Hua Ling exclaimed in surprise afterward, hoisting the cauldron and trotting over for a closer look, full of curiosity. "I thought the heads of the six departments were all from the previous era, a bunch of old fogies. You're actually this young—wait, you're not... uh! I didn't say anything!"

Yu Lingdi's face turned black.

After her surprise, Hua Ling didn't dwell on it, her eyes shifting as she glanced at her Shishibo Xu and tentatively asked, "So, Chief Commander, what brings you here?"

"You didn't see?" Yu Lingdi shot back, his tone icy. He had been just one step away from testing things out. Now, interrupted by this foolish girl, how could he not be furious?

Hua Ling laughed carefree. "Chief Commander, are you interested in Xu Xiaoshou too? Too bad, he's the one I laid eyes on first. Even if you want to test his abilities, he's already claimed by me!"

She beamed brightly.

After his initial shock, Yu Lingdi suddenly understood. So, this girl wasn't really stupid; she had seen through his intent to test Xu Xiaoshou's abilities and those of his guardian, and with Xu Xiaoshou possibly facing real mortal danger, she had stepped in to protect him.

In an instant, Yu Lingdi pieced together many things. The six departments were subordinate to the Sacred God Hall. Rao Jianxian had indeed taken a liking to Xu Xiaoshou, and so had he, Yu Lingdi—they both wanted to bring him into the Sacred God Hall's fold. But the Sacred Palace had also taken a liking to him. The difference was, the Sacred God Hall valued Xu Xiaoshou's momentum, cultivation, and handling of affairs. The Sacred Palace valued his identity as a fourth-grade alchemy Wangzuo!

"He even has a secondary profession as an alchemy Wangzuo..." Yu Lingdi sighed inwardly. He had naturally overlooked that detail earlier and only just remembered, feeling speechless. This guy knew way too much.

Fundamentally, the Sacred Palace's status was on par with the Sacred God Hall. Now, Hua Ling's sudden appearance made perfect sense. She wasn't here by coincidence; she was here to snatch him away from the Sacred God Hall! Given the poor impression the Sacred God Hall had left earlier, by stepping in as a representative of the Sacred Palace to resolve the situation, what kind of impression would Xu Xiaoshou have of the two forces? Undoubtedly, one good and one bad!

Originally, according to Yu Lingdi's plan, even if he played the villain thoroughly, he wouldn't actually harm Xu Xiaoshou—just push things to the limit to see how he responded. No matter how extreme he got, as long as he didn't strike, he could explain everything after verifying, and any small rift between them would be mended. Yu Lingdi could even turn it around, expressing the Sacred God Hall's admiration and approval for Xu Xiaoshou's composure in the face of danger. The deal would be sealed! He'd recruit the person, verify the identity, and complete the mission!

But...

This scheming girl had butted in midway, solidifying his villainous role and making any redemption impossible. In turn, she twisted what could have been a positive opportunity into a negative one. Yet, her timing was so perfect that she came across as the good guy entirely. Under the banner of the Sacred Palace, she was poaching talent.

For a moment, even with Yu Lingdi's good temperament, he was so angered by Hua Ling's interference that smoke seemed to rise from his head. He even felt like striking out! But could he kill a Sacred Palace envoy?

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Hua Ling felt creeped out by Yu Lingdi's fierce glare, but she spoke with full confidence: "I'm somebody too. Being a trial officer is just for fun—I'm not afraid of you..."

Seeing Yu Lingdi's expression change, she quickly adjusted her tone: "But don't worry, Chief Commander, my assigned area hasn't had any issues—except for you, that is."

Yu Lingdi was furious to the point of near collapse. This girl wasn't afraid of his status at all; she was just here to mess with him! And yet, he couldn't make a move—he'd just have to swallow his anger. If he did, his subordinates could turn into Sacred Palace envoys in an instant, their status untouchable. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. This wave of frustration left Yu Lingdi gritting his teeth and enduring it.

On the other side, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected Hua Ling to show up out of nowhere and defuse the situation. At first, like Yu Lingdi, he thought her timing was absolutely perfect. A Sacred Palace envoy directly confronting the Ling Bu head. Intercepting midway because the Jin Zhao lineage wanted him, citing his status as a fourth-grade alchemy Wangzuo. It was flawless! Ironclad!

But then, upon second thought... Maybe Hua Ling hadn't thought that deeply at all. She had probably just seen her Shishibo Xu in trouble and charged in with her cauldron to shout it out. Coincidentally, though! Regardless, from the results, Yu Lingdi's momentum was broken—he couldn't make a move anymore. If he pressed on, he'd be opposing both the Sacred Palace and the semi-saint Xu clan, two colossal forces.

The scene fell silent. The atmosphere had been at its peak, on the brink of life and death. Now, it suddenly turned harmonious, leaving Hua Ling baffled. Seeing everyone standing there quietly, she looked around and, not knowing the reason, decided to play the peacemaker. "Is everything okay? If it's fine... then let's call it a day?"

Yu Lingdi's mouth twitched subtly, his fist clenching and then relaxing.

Xu Xiaoshou stifled a laugh inwardly. He was now sure Hua Ling was truly clueless, not seeing through anything. But he couldn't ignore Yu Lingdi's face as the Ling Bu head, or the trial officer chief commander's title—it would lead to endless investigations he couldn't handle. So, he threw out a way to back down.

"You're the trial officer chief commander, right?"

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled lightly, as if the earlier confrontation never happened, speaking calmly: "I can understand if you can't produce evidence and want to force a test. But your suspicion never gave me a chance to explain!"

Xu Xiaoshou lifted his chin slightly, full of presence.

Yu Lingdi's face darkened as he turned to look.

Xu Xiaoshou pointed at Liu Changqing. "Tianji Shu? Do you really think only the Dao Bu of the six departments can study Tianji Shu, and no one else can touch it—just stick to spirit arrays?"

Yu Lingdi sneered: "It's not just that. The timing, the people involved, and the location and abilities of your guardian here—none of it adds up! As long as there's suspicion, we have the duty to resolve it on the spot. So, how do you explain it?"

Xu Xiaoshou sighed, shaking his head to show he still couldn't accept that reasoning.

He spread his hands, palm upward, his fingertips moving nimbly like a dance.

"What about this? Does this explain it?"

Tianji array patterns emerged.

In Xu Xiaoshou's hand, a clever miniature Tianji array formed.

The surrounding space was altered, and his face transformed directly into Yu Lingdi's likeness.

Yu Lingdi was stunned.

Hua Ling was stunned.

Liu Changqing was stunned.

"Suspected, passive value: 3."

Only Xin Gugu, watching Xu Xiaoshou's little trick, felt waves of admiration.

Pulling out Tianji Shu at this moment was brilliant!

Even he, with his not-so-sharp mind, could see that with this move, the idea of the semi-saint Xu clan having a Tianji Shu guardian was no longer an issue.

How could Yu Lingdi still hold any doubts?

But the key was...

For anyone else, this situation would be an insurmountable hole, impossible to patch.

Yet, Xu Xiaoshou knew so much!

Xin Gugu exhaled silently, once again marveling at Xu Xiaoshou's tactics.

This guy knew too many things—he could turn lies into truth and black into pure white!

"Tianji Shu..."

"How is that possible?"

Yu Lingdi was genuinely baffled.

He looked at the "himself" in front of him, then at the Tianji patterns in "his" hand, knowing it was undoubtedly the Dao Bu's Tianji Shu.

"Does the semi-saint Xu clan have a Tianji Shu inheritance?" Yu Lingdi asked in astonishment.

Xu Xiaoshou rolled his eyes and said bluntly: "No, this Tianji Shu is something I developed on my own. I call it 'Textile Technique'."

Yu Lingdi: "..."

He was starting to lose his composure.

He never imagined that the only evidence he doubted could be directly countered and dismissed by the other side.

"You didn't say that earlier..." Yu Lingdi started, then stopped abruptly.

Xu Xiaoshou was sharp-tongued, and with the atmosphere eased, he couldn't resist taking a jab: "Did you even give me a chance to speak? You were so aggressive, like you were rushing to reincarnate!"

He pursed his lips.

Yu Lingdi: ???

Xu Xiaoshou ignored his stunned expression and continued: "Besides, if she hadn't come, and I showed Tianji Shu, how would I know you wouldn't come up with another excuse? Like saying two ghost beasts that master Tianji Shu escaped from Sky City, and one of them happens to match my abilities?"

He pointed at Hua Ling.

Hua Ling grinned brightly, thinking to herself that she had been useful, that her Shishibo Xu had acknowledged her, and her appearance had been right.

Yu Lingdi: "..."

Now, he felt a bit embarrassed.

Tianji Shu wasn't exclusive to the Dao Bu; it was just their specialty.

The scattered Tianji Shu inheritances outside lacked systematic training, so most wild Tianji practitioners were unskilled and barely deserved the title of "Shu practitioner"—calling them "Tianji masters" was already generous.

But a semi-saint family was different!

If they wanted to learn, they had access to the Dao Bu.

Though the core parts of Dao Bu's Tianji Shu couldn't be shared, over generations, a few who received true transmissions had brought back some skills to their clans, quietly nurturing talents who could counter Tianji Shu practitioners.

It was an unspoken understanding.

They just didn't show it unless necessary.

Yu Lingdi finally let it go.

After all the intense back-and-forth, nearly leading to a life-or-death clash, it turned out he had been wrong all along...