Chapter 1015: Half-Saint Appears The Reluctantly Driven Frenzied "Stay Together" Duo

“Is he here?”

“Who’s here?”

Situ Yongren was momentarily stunned by the question. Then, he glanced at Huang Quan, whose gaze was fixed upwards, and suddenly understood.

“The Half-Saint is here?” he asked, a hint of terror in his voice.

“Yes,” Xu Xiaoshou nodded slightly.

Situ Yongren’s legs immediately went weak.

The Half-Saint is here, yet you’re so calm? He’s surely here to kill you!

Please, I beg you, stop pretending now!

“Senior…”

Situ Yongren started to speak, then stopped, desperately wanting to say, “Run, and take me with you!” After all, he now knew the Half-Saint Jiang’s plan, and with a Half-Saint’s capabilities, it wouldn’t be hard to deduce that he was privy to it. Thus… both of them would be silenced! But their allegiances were different, and Situ Yongren truly felt awkward asking to accompany Huang Quan.

“Thump, thump…”

The Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale pulsed faster and faster.

This meant that Half-Saint Jiang, even within the Deep Sea Anti-Magic Barrier, was tracing the power of time and space with incredible speed.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what methods the other party was using. But a Half-Saint’s power was terrifying to such an extent that he was already breaking out in a cold sweat.

“What are you afraid of?”

Despite his inner fear, Xu Xiaoshou maintained an outward composure, his gaze indifferent as he stared into the void, still seemingly looking at nothing in particular. “The deep sea has an anti-magic barrier. How much combat power can a Half-Saint retain once he’s underwater?”

“While the Half-Saint's combat power will certainly be sealed, you won’t be much better off, will you?” Situ Yongren almost blurted out, but managed to restrain himself. The fact that Huang Quan could use abilities within the anti-magic barrier was already far beyond his expectations. But no matter what methods existed to circumvent the barrier's restrictions, there had to be a limit, right?

Furthermore, if you have methods, wouldn't the Half-Saint on the other side also have ways to circumvent the restrictions? If both sides were equally restricted, how could a sealed Grandmaster defeat a sealed Half-Saint?

“Senior… could it be that you’re planning a counter-attack?” Situ Yongren stammered slightly. He couldn't see anyone at the moment, but a tingling sensation ran down his spine, and a sudden premonition told him that Huang Quan’s words might not be empty boasts.

A formidable enemy was drawing near!

“A counter-attack?”

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled.

He was still holding out. He had to hold out until the very last moment, allowing the desperate situation to completely force Situ Yongren into his scheme. Only then would his grand plan be secure.

“A counter-attack isn’t possible. A Half-Saint is still a Half-Saint, after all. I wouldn’t be foolish enough to directly confront him. The immediate priority is…”

Xu Xiaoshou’s gaze returned to Situ Yongren’s face. Noticing the other man’s panicked expression, he said, “I’ll be leaving first. Take care.”

With that, he lifted his foot, spatial power blooming in his hand, ready to step into a spatial vortex and teleport away.

“Senior, wait!”

Situ Yongren’s lips turned pale, and he immediately became frantic. If you run, what about me? Frankly, there's no need to wait for Half-Saint Jiang to come silence me. If you run, the deep-sea pressure alone will crush me. How can I protect myself?

“Senior, could you possibly take me with you?” Situ Yongren finally asked.

A slight smile touched Xu Xiaoshou’s lips.

The feigned retreat succeeded!

“Take you?”

He didn’t immediately agree, instead saying playfully:

“You must understand, you are a Saint Son of the Sacred Palace, while I am the King of Hell from the dark forces. Our paths diverge; we were never meant to work together. If we’re seen together by others… I’m afraid you won’t even need to wait for Half-Saint Jiang. Under public ridicule, you’ll be utterly defenseless.”

How could Situ Yongren not understand the implications? But the problem was, he currently had no other choice. Huang Quan had even gotten rid of his protective spiritual artifact. Wasn’t this… a forced ‘burning of his bridges’?

“Damn it…”

Despite being so anxious he wanted to tear his hair out, Situ Yongren remained calm enough to analyze the situation and argue his case: “Senior, you don't need to worry about any of that. As long as I survive, these minor issues can be easily resolved. But the crucial point now is that we are like grasshoppers on the same rope; we cannot be separated. Besides, didn’t Senior destroy my protective artifact precisely to force me onto your… ahem, ship? You need to leverage the Sacred Palace’s power against Half-Saint Jiang, and I need to stay alive to gather specific intelligence about this situation and transmit it, so I can achieve… uh!”

Situ Yongren paused, clearly agitated, then gritted his teeth and continued, “Let me put it this way: Senior has a plan, and I want to earn merit. We are now heading towards the same goal. Senior helping me is equivalent to helping yourself, isn’t that right?”

“You are very calm,” Xu Xiaoshou said, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

This guy was truly impressive. Even at this moment, he could still pull out so many grand principles just to survive. But wasn't this precisely his original intention? Situ Yongren was desperate to help him spread false intelligence, slandering Half-Saint Jiang and the King of Hell. Xu Xiaoshou also needed the "face" of Situ Yongren’s master to deter Half-Saint Jiang. Therefore, he could naturally agree to the other party's request immediately.

However, the essence of 'playing hard to get' lies in the fact that the further one 'lets go,' the more tightly the parties become bound together once they are finally 'caught,' making them inseparable!

Xu Xiaoshou ignored the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale’s rapidly increasing throbbing, furrowed his brow, and said, “You must be very clear about this: these are your own requests, not me coercing you.”

“Understood!” Situ Yongren nodded heavily. He knew perfectly well that the other party was playing hard to get and using a feigned retreat as an advance. But when a hidden scheme became an overt strategy, and disobedience led only to death, Situ Yongren understood even more clearly that he should now play dumb.

— Ignorance is bliss!

Xu Xiaoshou's expression remained impassive as he spoke again: “If Half-Saint Jiang sees you allied with me, he will naturally understand your choice. He won’t care whether your choice was active or passive, nor how influential your master is, because you already know his plan. At that time, you might not even have time to send a message before you fall into his hands. You understand this, too?”

Situ Yongren frequently glanced left and right. Although he saw no one, the scalp-tingling sense of dread grew increasingly intense. He nodded frantically, his voice carrying a hint of a whimper: “Senior, I’m not stupid… Now, I only have one path left!”

Poor fellow. Xu Xiaoshou thought to himself that Situ’s hatred for King of Hell Huang Quan probably already surpassed his hatred for Half-Saint Jiang, though he wasn’t showing it. But all of this… was directed at Huang Quan, and had absolutely nothing to do with Saint Slave Xu Xiaoshou!

“Good.” He nodded firmly. “Since that is your intention, I will take you with me and save your life.”

Situ Yongren’s eyes immediately regained their light. “Thank you, Senior!”

He took a step forward, ready to cling to the King of Hell Huang Quan’s body and teleport away together. But after extending his hand, he realized the golden-masked figure before him remained motionless.

Situ Yongren was bewildered.

“Senior, aren't you leaving? What are you waiting for?”

Are we waiting to die?! Damn it, hurry and take me with you!

Situ Yongren’s composure completely shattered.

“Wait a moment.”

Xu Xiaoshou spoke calmly, but a flash of madness flickered in his eyes. Seeing is believing. Until now, all of Situ Yongren's knowledge of Half-Saint Jiang's plans came from Xu Xiaoshou's one-sided accounts. With the situation critical, he naturally chose to go along with Xu Xiaoshou. But once they escaped to safety, would he still take it seriously?

Although he claimed it was to earn merit, after some interaction, Xu Xiaoshou understood that Situ Yongren was no angel; this guy was equally full of tricks and exceptionally cunning. Therefore, he absolutely had to make Situ Yongren see Half-Saint Jiang in person! Just one glance, and his identity would be recognized. No conversation would be needed; Situ Yongren would subconsciously affirm all the psychological suggestions Xu Xiaoshou had just planted in his mind: such as “Half-Saint Jiang intends to overturn the Lei Family case,” “Half-Saint Jiang covets the Lei Family's authority,” and “Half-Saint Jiang has bypassed the Sacred Palace and is eyeing a higher position, a bigger piece of the pie.”

These accusations, piled one upon another, were many times more severe than merely “Half-Saint Jiang coveting the Lei Family child.” The latter was an individual act. The former, however, was a monstrous conspiracy by a Half-Saint clan! As long as Situ Yongren survived this ordeal and reported these fabricated “conspiracies” as confirmed facts to the Sacred Palace headquarters, the matter of merely coveting the Lei Family child might not be enough to alarm the highest echelons. But once those three accusations were leveled, Xu Xiaoshou believed that the entire Northern Domain’s Puxuan Jiang clan would be doomed!

Water Ghost’s mission for Xu Xiaoshou was to lure the Half-Saint into the water, then desecrate a saint, ideally culminating in the slaying of a saint. But Xu Xiaoshou wasn't satisfied with just that. It concerned his junior sister; it concerned the Lei Family child… If this scourge wasn’t eradicated, future troubles would only come endlessly. So, since he had encountered Situ Yongren, this useful pawn, he would, beneath the deep sea and at minimal cost, ‘drive a wolf to devour a tiger’ and ‘kill with a borrowed knife.’

— He would use the Sacred Palace to root out the entire Northern Domain's Puxuan Jiang clan!

“Thump…”

“Thump…”

“Thump, thump, thump!”

Three hearts in the vicinity were pounding frantically.

Xu Xiaoshou suppressed the fear of facing a Saint, his eyes fixed intently upwards. Without turning his head, he asked, “You recognize Half-Saint Jiang’s face and aura, don’t you?”

“Gulp.”

Situ Yongren’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his face pale. By now, he understood what the King of Hell Huang Quan intended to do. He replied, “Naturally, I do.”

“I will not deceive you.”

Xu Xiaoshou turned his gaze, a grin spreading across his face. Beneath his mask, his eyes became somewhat terrifying, yet he spoke softly, “If you act with me, the sheer scale of the intelligence you gain this time will help you achieve anything you desire!”

“Gulp.”

Situ Yongren’s Adam’s apple bobbed again, this time not from fear, but from greed. He nodded heavily. “I understand, Senior.”

The King of Hell Huang Quan intended to use the Sacred Palace to eliminate the Northern Domain’s Puxuan Jiang clan. Situ Yongren was left with only one choice: to reluctantly become a tool. However, “reluctance” could never compare to “willingness.” Since he was destined to walk this path where 'one general's success is built upon ten thousand bones,' Situ Yongren dared to use the Sacred Palace as a pawn to pave a glorious path for himself. As long as Huang Quan's words were true… no, even if only a third were true! Afterward, Situ Yongren could use the excuse of “Half-Saint Jiang’s intent to usurp the Sacred Emperor’s status” to exterminate a Half-Saint clan. And with this immense merit as leverage, he could calmly claim the position of Division Chief. He could even gain more.

Of course… By the time things reached this point, the 'truth' would no longer matter. In Situ Yongren’s eyes at this moment, he had already boarded the pirate ship. This time, it was either his death or the complete eradication of Half-Saint Jiang’s entire clan. And as long as the person he would see shortly was indeed Half-Saint Jiang in person… regardless of whether the other party truly had such grand schemes as he imagined… if Situ Yongren said they did, then the Northern Domain’s Puxuan Jiang clan would have them, even if they didn't!

— Such was a community of shared interests.

“Whoosh.”

In the deep sea, ripples gently swayed.

After both fell silent, their pounding heartbeats were jarringly loud, like the flapping of butterfly wings that could conjure gales and tornados, stirring up turbulent undercurrents in the deep sea.

Waiting…

A suffocating wait…

Situ Yongren’s entire body tensed, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms, and veins bulged on his forehead.

“Swish.”

Suddenly, the water swirled, and there seemed to be movement beside them.

“Who’s there!”

Situ Yongren yelled, turning his head to look, only to see it was the King of Hell Huang Quan, who had extended a hand… and was scratching the back of his head.

Situ Yongren’s eyes froze. “Se-Senior…?”

“So jumpy,” Xu Xiaoshou said, a smirk forming under his mask. “I was just bored and scratching an itch. Why are you so agitated?”

Having said that, he actually scratched the back of his neck twice.

Situ Yongren: ???

At that moment, he felt like committing murder. With such a formidable enemy before us, can you please stop fooling around?!

“Received Condemnation, Passive Points +1.”

“Received Curse, Passive Points +1.”

“Splash!”

One wave had yet to subside, when another arose. Just as Situ Yongren was furiously cursing in his mind, the Sacred Emperor Dragon Scale’s high-frequency, ten-beats-per-second pulsing abruptly ceased.

At the same time, not far in front of them, the water rapidly parted to either side. At the crest of the receding water, residual mist coalesced into a real form, and an old man with a smile settled into place. He had clear, bright eyes like a child's, but his hair was white, his temples frosted, and fine lines crinkled at the corners of his eyes, giving him a benevolent appearance.

But!

The Deep Sea Anti-Magic Barrier sealed everyone’s power! This time, the old man appeared without any obscuring mist. And a Half-Saint’s true appearance, when gazed upon by anyone, was like a mortal blaspheming a deity; their very soul would tremble.

“Thump!” With just one glance, Xu Xiaoshou’s heart stopped beating.

“Thump!” Situ Yongren glanced sideways, and the same happened to him.

Although the old man before them made no movement, both felt as if they faced a deity, acutely aware of their own insignificance, like ants, utterly powerless to resist.

“You, are you Huang Quan?” the old man asked after stopping, his gaze like a sword, piercing straight through.

“Received Fright, Passive Points +1.”

Under his mask, Xu Xiaoshou’s face instantly went stark white, drained of all color. He had played too carelessly! Water Ghost truly did not deceive me! This Half-Saint shouldn’t even be looked at; he should have run long ago… Though it wasn't Xu Xiaoshou’s first time facing a Saint, he was still so overwhelmed by the immense pressure that he couldn't utter a single word.

Situ Yongren’s reaction, however, was much better than his. Having spent a long time by his master’s side in the past, he had developed a certain resistance to such pressure.

“Half-Saint, Jiang Buyi!”

He stared, struggling to utter the words. Situ Yongren saw immense merit beckoning him on one hand, while on the other, he glimpsed Death slowly extending its scythe towards him. The hand hidden behind his back frantically gestured; he was moments away from turning to the King of Hell Huang Quan beside him and roaring: “I recognize him, it’s him in person! Even if you’re lying to me, as long as I survive, he’s finished! But… What the hell are you still standing there for? Take me and run! This is a Half-Saint’s true body!”

But Situ Yongren could never have imagined that the King of Hell Huang Quan, whom he regarded as his absolute pillar of strength, was actually a Grandmaster, a peer in cultivation realm, even lower than himself.

At this moment… with the Half-Saint directly confronting him, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't even move a single finger!