Chapter 987: Recklessly Discussing the Master's Wife and Senior Brother, Heaven Strikes with Lightning and Laughs at Kongtong

Is the power of the Sheng Di influencing things? I don't know much about the private matters of the first seat, but now I'm getting a bit curious... Xu Xiaoshou stealthily tried to use his own aura to secretly stir up Xiao Kongdong's desire to confide.

He was thinking that if Ba Zun'an's old flame was from an ordinary family, it probably wouldn't have stayed hidden for decades without anyone knowing. After all, the guy was the eighth sword immortal—any romantic entanglements would have been dug up by wandering bards as fodder for casual gossip.

But since the world at large was completely unaware, that raised some serious questions.

In the past, Xu Xiaoshou might not have been so sensitive, but after everything he'd been through, his first thought was of "three seals of silence."

Who could easily seal the mouths of the entire world?

The answer was obvious: the power of the Sheng Di!

And as for the chances that Ba Zun'an's romantic debts were connected to the Sheng Di families...

Subjectively, Xu Xiaoshou felt the possibility was pretty high, and it fit Ba Zun'an's style perfectly—he never bothered with small things, only the big ones!

Xiao Kongdong, newly dubbed the "big mouth" of Can Yue Xian Cheng, didn't even need anyone else's aura to prompt him. As soon as he heard, his mouth opened wide, and he stared at his Shui Gui predecessor in utter disbelief.

"This you don't know?"

He let out a low exclamation, rubbing his hands together as he glanced around. Seeing no one else nearby, his eyes lit up with the fire of gossip.

"Shui Gui predecessor, don't tell me you've been so busy with missions that you don't even know about the 'Jue Se Bang'?"

"Jue Se Bang?" Xu Xiaoshou was slightly stunned.

"You really don't know? Unbelievable!"

"You kid know a lot about this stuff?"

"You bet! The top of the Jue Se Bang is 'Yue Gongnu,' and she's the teacher's lover! I also heard that Yue Gongnu is the most beautiful woman in the world..."

Xiao Kongdong's face lit up with delight, and he suddenly narrowed his eyes, shaking his head as he recited dreamily:

"The Yue clan frolics in the mortal world, bare feet treading the green mountains; the mountains blush with shame, calling clouds to veil their flaws..."

Xu Xiaoshou was momentarily lost in thought.

The green mountains blush with shame, calling clouds to veil their flaws...

The words didn't do it justice, but he could already picture it: a beautiful immortal maiden wandering barefoot through the mountains, the mist rising all around, filling her with joy as she waved her sleeves and danced, singing softly, enchanting all of heaven and earth.

"It really is beautiful..."

Xu Xiaoshou had never seen Yue Gongnu, but that didn't stop him from feeling a sense of longing and letting his imagination run wild.

Xiao Kongdong was equally lost in the vision for a while, but then he remembered something and lowered his voice, hesitating as he asked, "Predecessor, you don't know why we 'Sheng Nu' got that name, do you?"

"Not becoming Sheng means forever a slave..." Xu Xiaoshou was still daydreaming, but after a moment, he snapped back. "Wait, it's not that?"

Xiao Kongdong covered his mouth, hardly believing what he was hearing, and whispered, "Sheng Nu, Sheng Nu—it's the 'nu' from Yue Gongnu!"

"Ah?" Xu Xiaoshou covered his mouth too, his face full of shock as he finally came to his senses.

You sly Ba Zun'an, you've fooled me so badly!

He used to go on about that nonsense "not becoming Sheng means forever a slave," and act all self-righteous with his "everyone else can't find the answer, only I can" routine...

You're way too proper!

Proper enough to fool outsiders completely!

But the truth is, it was all just an excuse! All to cover up your old romantic debts—a fig leaf for your indiscretions!

Xu Xiaoshou felt thrilled, like he was hearing some wild history.

The versions he'd gotten from the public and official sources were all about the eighth sword immortal's exceptional swordsmanship talent, with Sheng Nu painted as some dark force and other fake serious stuff.

But from the mouth of this Can Yue Xian Cheng big mouth, who loved gossiping about his teacher's romantic escapades, it was all explosive insider info!

Even if it sounded like unreliable wild history, coming from the disciple of the main character himself, Xu Xiaoshou thought the credibility was sky-high!

It was collapsing...

At that moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt some lofty image in his mind crumbling.

And not just one—two of them!

The first was this Can Yue Xian Cheng senior brother in front of him. His previous appearances had been so dashing and classic, but now, as the Shui Gui, he was just a total chatterbox with no image left.

The second was Ba Zun'an. The mighty eighth sword immortal wasn't proper himself, and his disciple was just as unreliable. No wonder they were teacher and student!

No surprise that this Can Yue Xian Cheng big mouth still hadn't been fully recognized by his teacher—maybe Ba Zun'an had seen through his true nature ages ago?

"Yue Gongnu...

"Is she also from one of the five Sheng Di families, the Yue clan?"

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed his wandering thoughts and picked up on Xiao Kongdong's words, trying to get him to keep spilling.

This was prime gossip time—rare as a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. He wanted to squeeze out as many secrets as possible...

But at that point, Xiao Kongdong finally noticed something off.

This Shui Gui predecessor knew way too little—it was like he was a fake!

He reined in his gossip spirit and looked over with suspicion: "Shui Gui predecessor, you seem a bit... uh, strange?"

I'm strange? Of course I am—your Can Yue Xian Cheng big mouth has just shattered my worldview... Xu Xiaoshou grumbled internally but didn't respond, since his identity couldn't be revealed yet.

Who knew if this big mouth would flip out and swallow him whole if he found out the truth?

So, Xu Xiaoshou straightened up, clasped his hands behind his back, and shot back: "You kid's sword skills aren't much, but you sure know a lot about 'Jue Se Bang' and other frivolous matters, huh?"

Xiao Kongdong was immediately caught off guard, like his weak spot had been hit, and his face turned red enough to drip blood: "I-I... I'm not doing this for romance! I'm learning about these for my 'Qing Jian Shu' cultivation!"

Oh, really? What a lofty excuse!

Qing Jian Shu?

Xu Xiaoshou could tell right away that this big mouth was spouting nonsense.

"Oh, romance, huh..." He smirked and chuckled, "Did I say you were doing it for romance? You're just confessing on your own!"

Xiao Kongdong was speechless, completely choked up.

"Cursed, passive value: 1."

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

The two pulled back from their free-flowing chat, feeling they'd gotten too familiar too fast, but because of their mutual reservations, neither dared to ask more.

After a few breaths,

Xiao Kongdong turned his face away awkwardly and said a bit sheepishly, "Predecessor, I got a little carried away earlier. Please don't tell my teacher."

No problem, I love your carried away side... Xu Xiaoshou snickered inwardly and waved it off: "Don't worry, what we said before is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. There's no way a third person will find out."

Xiao Kongdong brightened up and bowed with his fists clasped: "Thank you for keeping it confidential, predecessor."

Xu Xiaoshou had his own concerns, though. This Can Yue Xian Cheng big mouth didn't seem like the type to keep secrets—if he talked to the other Sheng Nu members, he might spill everything.

Right now, the blame was on the real Shui Gui, but if things went south later and his true identity was exposed, who knew if Xiao Kongdong and Ba Zun'an would hold it against him?

After thinking it over, Xu Xiaoshou decided it wasn't safe and suggested, "How about we swear an oath?"

Swear an oath?

Xiao Kongdong was taken aback. Did it have to be that serious?

But then he thought, with the binding of a great dao oath, the Shui Gui predecessor probably wouldn't go blabbing to his teacher about gossiping about his master's wife.

He was happy with that and nodded: "Okay."

Xu Xiaoshou's lips curled up as he raised his hand first: "Then, as I said earlier, nothing from this will be told to a third person. If I break this oath..."

He looked at the big mouth.

Xiao Kongdong raised his hand too and said solemnly: "May heaven strike me with lightning!"

The two exchanged smiles, lowered their hands, and felt like they'd shared a secret, bringing them closer.

Turns out, the way men bond isn't just over drinks—gossip and oaths work too...

Both thought the same thing, but the good moment didn't last. As soon as the oath was made, trouble struck.

"Boom!"

A deafening thunderclap suddenly echoed overhead, followed by a faint sizzling of electricity, making the two in the deep sea feel a tingling all over.

Xu Xiaoshou: ???

He looked up, stunned. Was this Can Yue Xian Cheng big mouth plotting against me?

Xiao Kongdong: ???

He jumped too, glancing sidelong at the Shui Gui predecessor. What do you mean—did you just decide to rat me out to my teacher after we swore the oath?

"Boom!"

Another even louder thunderclap shattered their hopes.

It wasn't their imagination—real heavenly punishment was coming...

Xu Xiaoshou quickly turned his head, his lips twitching as if explaining to the heavens: "The last line, 'heaven strike me with lightning,' came from your mouth!"

Xiao Kongdong's face turned green. What kind of friend or confidant are you? He was so angry he almost cursed: "Predecessor, you were part of it too! We swore together—if there wasn't your part guaranteeing it, how could my punishment even exist?"

Xu Xiaoshou was at a loss for words.

Before he could use his silver tongue to shift all the blame onto this big mouth, more thunder rumbled from the skies above.

"Boom, boom—"

This time, the heavenly punishment seemed truly furious.

Along with the thunder, the deep sea was no longer just faintly sizzling. In an instant, red lightning etched sharp, claw-like marks across this deep-sea canvas, fierce and unyielding.

Xu Xiaoshou felt it okay—his body just tingled more, no major issues.

But he saw with his own eyes that Xiao Kongdong was struck by the red lightning, his whole body stiffening, his eyebrows and hair standing on end in the deep sea, even his pupils going dull.

His shadowy form suddenly became more solid, and his Wu Jian Shu state nearly got disrupted by the thunder.

A charred smell wafted up, masking the faint aura of the tribulation and lingering in their noses.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't think much at first and jumped up, pointing at the big mouth, gleefully losing his composure: "See? The lightning's only striking you, not me!"

Why... Xiao Kongdong's vacant eyes filled with resentment and confusion as he stammered, "L-lightning... lightning counters water, so wh-why... are you fine?"

Lightning counters water?

You're not just knowledgeable about spirits—you know physics too!

Xu Xiaoshou sneered: "You said 'heaven strike me with lightning,' and you had ulterior motives, trying to trap me. Who else would the lightning strike?"

"I-I didn't..." Xiao Kongdong was on the verge of tears. He finally regained some mobility, but another massive boom came from above.

"Boom!"

This strike wasn't just red lightning—multicolored bolts intertwined, even black and white ones appearing.

"Sizzle—"

Xiao Kongdong's legs straightened like sticks, his head tilted back, neck retracting into his chest, his face frozen with wide, dead-fish eyes rolling back.

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't much better off—his hair stood on end, a burning and stinging pain assaulting his whole body, every cell convulsing as he lost control.

If not for his passive skills holding up and his tough physique, that strike might have zapped him back to his original form.

"Heh, heh!" Xiao Kongdong, fifty steps laughing at a hundred, finally chuckled, "So, you were planning to sell me out too..."

Xu Xiaoshou dropped his playful attitude and realized something was wrong.

The familiar tribulation aura accompanying the nine-colored lightning—he'd only seen it before on treasures like Jin Zhao Yuan Zhong and San Ri Dong Jie.

No doubt, this was the special tribulation energy formed after passing through the Jiu Si Lei Jie.

But in the deep sea, could a single oath really trigger lightning punishment?

Or was it because some Dao Zhan was facing death from the water sphere's extraction and trying to force through the Jiu Si Lei Jie in the forbidden barrier?

"Big mouth... uh, no, Xiao Kongdong, take a good look—is someone crossing a tribulation?" Xu Xiaoshou almost slipped up with his mental nickname but quickly corrected himself and got back to business.

Xiao Kongdong's thoughts snapped back on track.

If the other guy was inexperienced, he wasn't—he was the genuine senior brother of Can Yue Xian Cheng!

"Tribulation energy... red lightning... that first strike, it really seems like Chi Ze Shen Lei..." Xiao Kongdong realized, eyes widening. "Predecessor, someone's crossing a tribulation in the deep sea! The Jiu Si Lei Jie!"

Really?!

Xu Xiaoshou was incredulous: "Isn't there a forbidden barrier in the deep sea? How could anyone cross a tribulation?"

Xiao Kongdong was stumped by the question, thinking, Isn't that your doing? But he pondered it: "With the nine-colored lightning coming out, maybe that Dao Zhan is trying to cross all nine of the Jiu Si Lei Jie at once?"

Is that possible?

Xu Xiaoshou wasn't a novice refiner anymore and knew that each of the Jiu Si Lei Jie was incredibly tough—even surviving one left you gravely injured. Who could handle all nine in one go?

But the forbidden barrier was still in effect.

Crossing just one might not generate enough power to disturb the stagnant sea of qi, and the breakthrough signs could be extinguished by the barrier on the spot.

This might explain why no Dao Zhan had tried it before.

Only by crossing all nine could that terrifying heavenly punishment force slightly break through the barrier's shackles and steal a sliver of hope between life and death.

Xu Xiaoshou thought of Shou Ye.

The one crossing might not be Shou Ye, but for the trapped Shou Ye to break free, this was probably his only option.

Gripping the fake Yu Hai Shen Ji, Xu Xiaoshou activated the Mimic to draw on water-element powers for protection as he asked, "Has anyone in history tried crossing all nine of the Jiu Si Lei Jie at once?"

"Yes!" Xiao Kongdong watched as the Shui Gui predecessor questioned him while arranging water flows around himself, envy in his eyes as he started to beg for help.

"And the result?"

"They all failed..."

Xiao Kongdong had to answer.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart sank like a stone, his thoughts drifting far away.

Xiao Kongdong couldn't handle the pressure anymore. Since this was the Jiu Si Lei Jie, the strikes had a pattern—the next wave was coming soon!

"Predecessor, could you help me clear the water flows first? I don't have Jian Liu, and I can't withstand the indiscriminate heavenly punishment!"

"Ah?" Xu Xiaoshou was dazed for half a breath before reacting.

"Boom—"

Another lightning strike splashed down.

"Gah!"

The scream cut off abruptly as Xiao Kongdong's head tilted back, his body slowly floating in the deep sea, balanced on his navel.