Chapter 937: The Eight Venerable Ones' Hidden Pawn from Beginning to End

Ye Xiaotian was cornered by Yan Wang Huang Quan, and Xu Xiaoshou, discovering the situation, hurried to his aid. He assumed the guise of the Eighth Sword Immortal and, without exerting any power, effortlessly resolved the crisis surrounding Head of the Academy Ye Xiaotian before making his departure.

"This is so like Xu Xiaoshou!"

Shou Ye mused, estimating his conjecture to have a fifty percent chance of being correct.

That was a reasonable probability.

Even if his guess was wrong and the incident had no connection to Xu Xiaoshou, it would still necessitate intervention from higher authorities.

After all, if he was mistaken, it would signify that the true Eighth Sword Immortal and the true Yan Wang Huang Quan had clashed in the Yun Lun mountain range, a prospect far more unsettling.

Lost in thought, he heard a swift sound from the distant sky as Rao Yao Yao, the Xuan Cang divine sword strapped to her back, descended gracefully.

"Summon them," she commanded calmly.

Accompanying Rao Yao Yao was neither Teng Shan Hai, the commander of the war unit guarding the Void Island rift, nor his newly assigned subordinate, Shi San Tai Xu.

Instead, it was the short, stooped-over, yet earnest-faced Wang Da Chui.

The nearby Dao Slaying captains promptly stepped forward to greet her.

Zhu Mi Er, particularly nervous and deferential, approached to report all the events Captain Mu Rong Ying had delegated, detailing everything meticulously.

"What are your thoughts?" Rao Yao Yao inquired after listening, her expression impassive as she surveyed the Dao Slaying subordinates before her.

What thoughts could they possibly have... The various Dao Slaying team captains had only ever dealt with ghost beasts and were familiar with Sheng Nu and Yan Wang Huang Quan solely through wanted posters and information files; they had never encountered them directly. Thus, they exchanged awkward glances, having no suggestions to offer.

"I have some speculations involving Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou." Shou Ye stepped forward and presented all his earlier thoughts amidst the surprised gazes of the onlookers.

Xu Xiaoshou...

This name, which hadn't been part of anyone's understanding of the current events, was suddenly brought up by Shou Ye, successfully piquing the curiosity of the enforcement captains.

"Shou Ye, are you serious?" A Dao Slaying enforcement officer with a good rapport with him whispered, well aware that Shou Ye's assertion lacked any foundation.

Rao Yao Yao murmured the name "Xu Xiaoshou," a hint of peculiar light in her eyes as she glanced at Shou Ye. "What evidence do you have?"

"None," Shou Ye replied candidly.

He had never found any evidence for his suspicions about Xu Xiaoshou in any incident.

Yet, each time afterward, he felt he might have been right, though there was still no proof to confirm his thoughts, leaving many things unresolved in the end.

Shou Ye believed it was time for the Hong Yi organization to revise some of its policies.

This wasn't just because of Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou.

It was because there were too many extraordinary individuals in the world who, once they understood Hong Yi's modus operandi, would expertly exploit its rules and loopholes to achieve their objectives.

Xu Xiaoshou might be one instance.

But Shou Ye believed he wasn't the sole example.

"No evidence, and you're pinning all this on Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou?" Rao Yao Yao's eyes held a faint smile.

Had she not known about Shou Ye's loyalty to Hong Yi or that he harbored no irreconcilable animosity towards Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou, she might even suspect this was driven by his personal motives.

He wants revenge on Xu Xiaoshou...

Clearly, Shou Ye had no such intention. He scanned the people around him and requested, "Rao Jian Xian, I have some personal ideas I'd like to discuss privately."

"Very well." Rao Yao Yao didn't believe it would be a waste of her time. Shou Ye was a mature and reliable individual, after all, and one of the first test subjects in Sheng Shen Hall's plan, possessing strong individual capabilities.

She waved her hand to dismiss everyone around, leaving only Wang Da Chui.

Without a word, Wang Da Chui activated his domain, isolating them from the outside world.

"Now, no one else can hear your ideas. Speak freely," Rao Yao Yao motioned.

Shou Ye took a deep breath and glanced at the silent Wang Da Chui, the head of the body unit, before beginning:

"In the Bai Ku, Xu Xiaoshou transformed into his master, Sheng Nu Wu Xiu, and impersonated him flawlessly—whether in presence, cultivation level, or any other abilities. He deceived us completely.

"I won't dwell on whether our Hong Yi team lacked capability at the time, but back then, Xu Xiaoshou was only at the innate realm and already capable of mimicking a Tai Xu expert!"

Shou Ye's tone grew heavier, attempting to impress upon Rao Jian Xian the gravity of the situation.

Wang Da Chui smirked with a hint of mockery: "Sheng Nu Wu Xiu is his master, so he has the ability, the audacity, and the prerequisites to imitate him—not to mention directly using his own Jin Zhao Bai Yan. What's the issue with that?"

Shou Ye glanced at him but didn't respond, continuing on his own:

"In the battle where the head of the alien unit, Yi, was killed, you, Rao Jian Xian, have already deduced that Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou was involved.

"And he teamed up with the Dao Slaying storyteller, who had survived the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation but was still one step away from Tai Xu, as well as someone suspected to be Wu Ji Lao Zu, who had sneaked out of Void Island as a ghost beast host, thus limited by the host's capabilities. Together, they killed Yi in a very short time.

"Just think—Yi, at the peak of Tai Xu, with his ever-changing and elusive abilities, how could he be taken down by three people not even at Tai Xu, even if ambushed? What happened to Yi that prevented him from breaking free and escaping right away?"

Rao Yao Yao's eyes remained calm, unmoved by Shou Ye's passionate words.

What Shou Ye said was precisely what she had been wondering—straight to the core of the issue.

Wang Da Chui glanced at Rao Jian Xian and smirked, scoffing, "In your reasoning, you're trying to use one speculation to prove another?"

Shou Ye looked at Wang Da Chui in surprise, not expecting such a convoluted statement from him.

He didn't respond and simply continued, looking at Rao Yao Yao:

"Xu Xiaoshou!

"If he was involved in this, he must have been leading it.

"Sheng Nu storyteller has abilities, but they're mostly in escape, control, and pseudo-spatial techniques. He lacks the flexible thinking to orchestrate the entire battle against Yi—that is, the big-picture strategy.

"As for Wu Ji Lao Zu, assuming that Tian Ji sorcerer is him... Wu Ji Lao Zu has been trapped on Void Island for so long that he's out of practice, especially in battles requiring meticulous planning. If he really encountered Yi in the Yun Lun mountain range, even with thorough preparations, his thirst for revenge would cloud his judgment. Yi couldn't have been killed so silently without spotting any flaws in the Tian Ji technique.

"He must have been delayed... or, to put it bluntly, led by the nose."

Shou Ye paused, his voice growing heavier: "Only Xu Xiaoshou excels at turning weakness into strength, guiding the situation so enemies walk step by step into his pre-set traps!"

"Pfft!" Wang Da Chui finally burst out laughing.

After laughing heartily for a while, he composed himself and sneered, "Shou Ye? Is that your name... Shou Ye, I don't know what happened between you and that Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou, but as a Dao Slaying officer, you seem to have been scared witless by that kid?"

Shou Ye calmly glanced at Wang Da Chui, thinking that perhaps Yi had died because of such underestimation.

He ignored Wang Da Chui, who was growing annoyed at being overlooked. After all, this was the body unit's person, and even as its head, Shou Ye reported directly to Rao Yao Yao and wasn't under their jurisdiction, so he didn't need to show deference.

Shou Ye waited quietly, observing Rao Yao Yao, who had fallen into thought because of his words.

At that moment, he suddenly considered that if the leader of this operation had been Gou Wu Yue, he might not have needed to say all this.

Because Gou Wu Yue Jian Xian had personally experienced Xu Xiaoshou's capabilities, a simple reminder might have been enough to make her take it seriously.

But Rao Jian Xian was different; before the events in Dong Tian Wang City, she had never even heard of Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou.

"What are you trying to say?" Rao Yao Yao finally spoke after pondering.

Shou Ye took a deep breath and said sincerely: "I want to urge Rao Jian Xian to take Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou seriously—not just a passing acknowledgment, but to recognize that ignoring him will disrupt our rhythm at unexpected moments. He..."

Shou Ye thought for a long time but couldn't find the perfect adjective for Xu Xiaoshou, so he described him as best he could: "He's very 'cunning'!"

Rao Yao Yao smiled slightly: "You seem quite certain that your speculation about the Eighth Zun An being Xu Xiaoshou is accurate?"

Shou Ye lowered his head and shook it almost imperceptibly. "Not just this incident—I mean, if we leave him unchecked, bigger problems are bound to arise later!"

Rao Yao Yao nodded, her expression turning serious: "I've always taken Xu Xiaoshou very seriously."

Shou Ye kept his head down and shook it again.

This time, his shake was more pronounced, even bold enough to speak out: "No! Rao Jian Xian, the 'seriousness' you mention is just the kind of attention a senior gives to a junior...

"That kind of seriousness, I've had it too, and I'm sure all the high-level members of Sheng Shen Hall have it.

"But it's not enough!

"What I mean is..." Shou Ye paused and emphasized heavily: "Xu Xiaoshou can no longer be treated as just a junior. Approaching him with this so-called 'seriousness' that masks underestimation... even you could be in danger!"

"Insolent!" Wang Da Chui glared angrily, unable to believe a mere Hong Yi subordinate would speak to Rao Jian Xian like that.

Rao Yao Yao's eyes flashed with displeasure; she believed she hadn't underestimated Xu Xiaoshou as Shou Ye described.

But when Shou Ye's words put Xu Xiaoshou on the same level as her, she still felt it was absurd.

Yes, absurd!

"How can a mere master-level junior be compared to me, Rao Yao Yao?" No matter how much she tried to hide it, that was the thought rising in her mind.

Then, she was startled.

Yi, in a way, was on my level, but he died at Xu Xiaoshou's hands... Rao Yao Yao thought, suddenly awakening to the deeper meaning in Shou Ye's words.

Xu Xiaoshou's age and cultivation were too deceptive.

This deception wasn't something you could overcome just by realizing it; you might think you've overcome it, but you haven't.

Under such self-deception, treating Xu Xiaoshou with 'seriousness' that was actually underestimation would lead to capsizing in the gutter.

Maybe that's how Yi died... Rao Yao Yao reflected, looking at Shou Ye with a hint of surprise.

How deeply must one understand Xu Xiaoshou to analyze him so insightfully?

"You seem to have a story?" Rao Yao Yao waved off Wang Da Chui, who wanted to teach Shou Ye a lesson, and asked her subordinate.

Shou Ye sighed, his eyes filled with regret: "I once wanted to recruit Xu Xiaoshou into Hong Yi to inherit my mantle, before he joined the Sheng Nu. Because of his talent, character, personality... and so on, at that time, he was still manageable..."

Shou Ye couldn't continue.

The thought of Xu Xiaoshou joining the Sheng Nu, whether willingly or not, pained him deeply.

Wang Da Chui watched Shou Ye's emotional expression and felt he was reading into it differently, growing furious: Is this your son? I think you've developed a rebellious heart!

The hunchbacked elder Wang Da Chui grew more displeased with Shou Ye the more he looked at him, sneering coldly: "Shou Ye, you seem to have gone off topic. We're discussing the leaders of Yan Wang Huang Quan and Sheng Nu, not some minor Xu Xiaoshou!"

Shou Ye finally responded directly to this mindless head of the body unit, sneering back: "What I'm talking about is exactly the main issue.

"In Tian Sang City, before Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou's name echoed across the five domains, at the start of his rise, he single-handedly killed a ghost beast host, Wang Zuo Dao realm expert Zhang Tai Ying, who was plotting against him in the city lord's mansion.

"That was my first direct confrontation with him.

"Xu Xiaoshou, who had just entered the innate realm, methodically refuted all of Hong Yi's points accusing him of being the 'ghost beast host,' without any flaws, leaving no room for counterargument.

"And in the end, he even demonstrated an ability in the innate realm that could harm a Wang Zuo ghost beast."

Rao Yao Yao's eyebrows twitched: "What ability?"

Shou Ye closed his eyes deeply, recalling the brilliant sword energy that had nearly sliced him in half.

At the time, with only a rough guess about its origin, Shou Ye hadn't taken it seriously.

Now, piecing everything together, he understood the truth behind that ability.

"Sword Nian," Shou Ye sighed softly.

Sword Nian?

Wang Da Chui and Rao Yao Yao's pupils contracted simultaneously, both shocked.

They weren't surprised that Xu Xiaoshou had Sword Nian.

As a Sheng Nu member with exceptional sword dao talent and the Eighth Sword Immortal's guidance, learning Sword Nian was nothing extraordinary.

But what Shou Ye referred to was the incident in Tian Sang City.

At that time, the Eighth Sword Immortal hadn't yet appeared, and even Rao Yao Yao had believed Ba Zun An was still in a "fallen" state.

In other words, Ba Zun An was essentially dead then.

Yet, at that early stage...

Xu Xiaoshou already possessed Sword Nian?

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Wang Da Chui felt deceived; how could such intelligence be held back until now?

Shou Ye shook his head listlessly, offering no explanation.

The fact that Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou had Sword Nian was already in the intelligence reports.

But when he acquired it was something Shou Ye only realized after the higher-ups dismissed his speculation that "Xu Shao was Xu Xiaoshou." In his moment of reflection and pain, he reviewed Xu Xiaoshou's life story, searching for flaws, and it dawned on him.

It was then that Shou Ye understood his earlier plans had all been foolish delusions.

From the beginning, Xu Xiaoshou had been a key piece secretly placed by Ba Zun An...

An important piece!

This piece was so crucial and well-hidden that even after being exposed, the chess masters of the five domains still didn't take him seriously.

Shou Ye thought about this and sighed again.

Indeed, in less than half a year, he had grown to this extent. If not for witnessing and experiencing it firsthand, how could anyone believe... that such a person was called Xu Xiaoshou?

This was almost a replica of Ba Zun An!

Ba Zun An had the legend of "three breaths to innate, three years to Jian Xian."

In Shou Ye's view, if Xu Xiaoshou were given three years to grow, the entire world would go mad!