Chapter 104: Ten Signatures

Sunset hues painted the western sky, as vivid dragon-like clouds formed.

As Xu Xiaoshou emerged from the Spirit Hidden Pavilion, he was startled by the vast, desolate emptiness that stretched before him.

What was going on?

Where was the lush, overgrown lawn that used to be outside? Why had it vanished?

Had someone just come to weed?

This was incredibly thorough; it had been cleared so cleanly!

After carefully discerning his direction, he didn't head towards the outer courtyard but instead slowly ventured deeper into the inner one.

Xu Xiaoshou had gone to the Spirit Hidden Pavilion with grim determination, knowing that failing to adhere to their "Three-Chapter Agreement" might lead to severe repercussions. Yet, none of the anticipated difficulties materialized. Instead, Old Man Sang had been remarkably gentle, not even seeming to mind when he was bled – something Xu Xiaoshou couldn't have possibly imagined.

“Is this the difference between an outsider and one of his own…?”

He was somewhat bewildered, but one thing was certain: after he became a disciple, Old Man Sang had indeed grown much closer to him. In fact, one might say he was entirely different!

“Humans truly are strange creatures…”

Xu Xiaoshou mused for a moment, then decided not to dwell on it further. It was a good thing that Old Man Sang was no longer tormenting him, allowing him to temporarily suppress the idea of escaping the Spirit Palace.

If things changed in the future…

Well, he’d cross that bridge when he came to it!

At least for now, the old geezer's personality remained strikingly distinct, best described as 'obsessive'! Whether it was his indifference to others or his fierce protectiveness of his own, he seemed to embody the extremes of both traits.

When they were strangers, he nearly got himself killed; now they were master and disciple…

Xu Xiaoshou touched his ring: the thirty-six Seventh-Grade Yuan Court Pills, the complete 'Ten-Stage Sword Finger,' a spot in the Heavenly Profound Gate, and a ring full of herbs… He had never dreamed that risking his life to meet the old man today would yield such an outcome. It was completely different from what he had anticipated!

“Oh, and there’s an Eighth-Grade small bathtub,” Xu Xiaoshou mused, tallying his gains.

Although it was half the size of the large, three-legged bathtub, it could still easily accommodate four or five people for bathing. Compared to other normally sized alchemy cauldrons, it was several times larger.

“Eighth-Grade, huh…”

Xu Xiaoshou drew out his 'Hidden Suffering,' which was merely Ninth-Grade. “No good, little one, you’re almost unable to keep up with my progress,” he murmured.

He caressed the black sword, and it actually trembled slightly, seemingly emitting a faint, choked sound.

What was happening?

Could it be that it genuinely wished to develop sentience?

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. This was the first time he had witnessed 'Hidden Suffering' display such an emotional side, apart from its tendency to devour its master. However, after recalling 'Tombstone City Snow,' he sighed. After all, without comparison, there was no pain.

“A Ninth-Grade item, it’s highly unlikely to develop sentience…”

With little emotion, he stuffed the sword into his ring. Then, Xu Xiaoshou took out Old Man Sang’s token, which was of paramount importance. With this token, he could now choose a spirit site here, just like any inner courtyard disciple.

The spiritual energy concentration in the inner courtyard was significantly higher than in the outer. If he frequently immersed himself in such abundant spiritual energy, he could likely become familiar with the Innate-level 'Breathing Technique' more quickly, thereby allowing him to relax and cultivate passively.

Indeed, currently, when walking in the inner courtyard, he had to keep every pore tightly sealed. Even a moment of relaxation would cause his body to seize up with spasms, even while walking.

“And this token arrived just in time, too…”

He recalled the dilapidated courtyard in the outer court, which had only one guest room left. With this token, he could finally abandon it. Plus, it saved him the maintenance fees – what a bonus!

“Where’s a good spot to choose?” Xu Xiaoshou pondered, feeling a little conflicted.

The inner courtyard was vast, no less so than the outer, but its inhabitants were sparse – fewer than a tenth of the outer courtyard disciples. Consequently, the theoretical land allotment per individual was extremely high. However, unlike the outer courtyard, one couldn’t cultivate freely anywhere except for designated spirit sites covered by protective barriers.

Upon reaching the Innate realm, cultivation placed a greater emphasis on comprehending the Heavenly Dao. Thus, the notion of casually cultivating outside someone else’s residence no longer applied. Because if two individuals were to experience enlightenment in close proximity, they could potentially interfere with each other, leading to both failing. That would be a grave matter indeed, potentially severing someone’s destiny!

Xu Xiaoshou casually chose a secluded path and walked deeper in. For a personal courtyard, he still preferred a deep, quiet one. The guest room in the outer courtyard had been ideally located, rarely disturbed by others.

…

After walking for a long while, Xu Xiaoshou still hadn’t seen a single soul. He couldn’t help but lament that this truly was the inner courtyard: vast and sparsely populated… He spotted a few spirit sites, but none were vacant; all had plaques indicating they were occupied.

At the end of the narrow path, Xu Xiaoshou halted. The environment here was extremely secluded, perfectly fitting his criteria for a spirit site. However, this particular spirit site appeared to have been bisected by a powerful expert’s sword, split clean in half, with its protective barrier shattered.

“This…” Xu Xiaoshou gasped, wide-eyed.

This must have been a private duel!

While the inner courtyard didn't forbid mortal combat, shouldn't such fights be conducted in an arena? How could a disagreement lead to a spirit site being cleaved in two? True to the inner courtyard’s reputation, it was a little terrifying…

Xu Xiaoshou's resolve to cultivate discreetly grew stronger. He quickly chose another direction and slipped away. The feng shui here was unfavorable; it couldn’t be chosen as a spirit site.

…

Not far off, a new scene emerged, a fairyland-like spirit site hidden among willows and blooming flowers. Xu Xiaoshou’s eyes lit up. Before this spirit site, he saw a woman in blue, gracefully bending forward.

“Excellent! Finally, someone to ask for directions. Relying on that old geezer’s few words, I’d probably be searching until dawn tomorrow.”

He felt incredibly lucky. After being in the inner courtyard for so long, he finally encountered a seemingly normal person, and a rather attractive one at that.

The woman’s delicate veil was sheer, revealing shoulders like polished jade. She raised her slender hands, stretching sideways in a languid pose, her curves gracefully outlined.

Xu Xiaoshou stepped forward to greet her, but the woman seemed to ignore him, turning away. However, halfway through her turn, she seemed to jolt twice, then sharply spun back around.

She knew him?

Xu Xiaoshou froze, recognizing it as the unmistakable reaction of someone who had unexpectedly spotted an acquaintance.

“Xu Xiaoshou?”

Sure enough, a surprised voice rang out, soft and tingling, like an electric current grazing his ears.

Xu Xiaoshou raised an eyebrow, stepping forward. “You know me?” he asked.

The woman’s red lips curved into a faint smile. “The famous ‘Wind and Cloud Hegemony’ champion? Who doesn’t know him?” she lightly chuckled.

Xu Xiaoshou felt a flush of embarrassment. He genuinely hadn’t expected to have fans in the inner courtyard, let alone such a beautiful girl.

“Keep it low-key, low-key,” he mumbled.

The woman’s beautiful eyes swept over him, and a flicker of killing intent unexpectedly crossed them. “An outer courtyard disciple trespassing in the inner courtyard,” she said, “I’m authorized to apprehend you and escort you to the Law Enforcement Pavilion, you know?”

Xu Xiaoshou found it somewhat amusing. Inner courtyard fans truly were different; she must have killed quite a few people! Even a playful tease from her sounded chillingly plausible. That subtle hint of murderous intent was simply perfect, hitting just the right note!

“That’s not important,” Xu Xiaoshou said, waving a dismissive hand. “Miss, do you know if there are any good spirit sites around here? I’ve been searching for ages, but I’m unfamiliar with the area and can’t seem to find a suitable one.”

“Oh? You’re looking for a spirit site here?” The woman seemed amused.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded, finding her uncontained amusement a little odd. He then added, “Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange you. I can even give you ten autographs!”