Chapter 1336: Pointing Out the Rivers and Mountains, Old Man Li Invites People to Fight the Ghost God Gang

The paired elders, a young one, and Liu Fu Yu...

Liu Fu Yu?!

Xu Xiao Shou suddenly recalled the woman who had killed the city guards with her sword when he first entered the city.

He had sensed that her sword intent was restrained, yet immensely powerful, intense but well-controlled, marking her as a master.

He hadn't expected her to be one of the new Qi Jian Xian.

"Chasing..."

He still remembered that Liu Fu Yu had come searching for someone.

Right after she attacked and entered the city, crossing the city gate barrier, Xu Xiao Shou received a notification in his information panel within the Xiang Gui carriage.

Without a doubt, Liu Fu Yu was here for him.

"But why me?"

His identity as Xu Gu Sheng was impossible—even Li Lao Han didn't know it at the time.

And if it was for "Xu Xiao Shou," that would be utterly absurd.

He possessed the Zang Zi Jue, crafted by Ba Zun An. What kind of figure was Liu Fu Yu? Was she worthy of tracking him past Ba Zun An's barrier?

In You Gui Ge, the sickly young master furrowed his brow, pressing his paper fan to his chin.

Was she worthy?

He hesitated to jump to a conclusion on this question.

If it were anyone else, it would be simple—who could compare to Ba Zun An?

But the Qi Jian Xian—who knew what kind of monsters this generation harbored? What if Liu Fu Yu truly possessed such talent?

"Zhou Gong Zi, why are you holding back? Who exactly are the individuals in 'Shuang Lao Yi Xiao Liu Fu Yu, Hua Lai Bei Tian Ying Shou Ye'?"

Someone was growing impatient.

Zhou Gong Zi gave a bitter smile and looked around.

"I'm all ears."

Seeing the sickly young master bow politely, fan in hand, Zhou Gong Zi relaxed a bit and continued:

"Shuang Lao refers to two elders from the old generation of ancient sword cultivators: Gu Lao Gu Yu and Yang Lao Yang Xi Zhi."

"Yi Xiao refers to the senior brother of Can Yue Xian Cheng, Xiao Kong Dong."

"Liu Fu Yu—well, that's just her name, the only female Jian Xian besides one other. That makes four people."

He paused, then went on:

"Hua Lai refers to Jian Xian Lai... just the single character 'Lai.' As for the 'Hua,' I'm not sure why it's there, but Feng Jia from the South Domain added it—maybe for rhythm or for their own reasons; it's open to interpretation."

"Bei Tian refers to Jian Xian Bei Bei, the other female Jian Xian. I don't know much about her."

"Ying Shou Ye needs no explanation—it's the rising star, Sheng Nu Shou Ye himself."

I'm on the list!

Even though he was already familiar with those two words, hearing them from others made Xu Xiao Shou feel it was finally confirmed.

"Shou Ye, he's indeed among the Qi Jian Xian now."

"What a clever use of 'Ying'—Feng Jia from the South Domain must value Xu Xiao Shou highly, ending with 'Ying Shou Ye'..."

"I think it's just for easy pronunciation!"

"I disagree; there's deeper meaning—you have to savor it, my friend!"

"Receiving discussion, passive value: 212."

"Receiving admiration, passive value: 64."

The sickly young master quietly listened to the chatter around him, his expression distant, as if in another world.

Once, the three words "Qi Jian Xian" had seemed so unattainable, high above the clouds to him.

Now, he was one of them.

What kind of feeling was that?

Xu Xiao Shou couldn't put it into words.

But the sword Zang Ku at his waist perked up at the praises, even catching people mentioning its name:

"I hear Shou Ye has a sword named Zang Ku?"

"That's the one that slew Rao Yao Yao—it must be as strong as Qing Ju!"

Zang Ku twisted excitedly at that.

"Shii—"

With a smack, Xu Xiao Shou slapped down on the restless Zang Ku, silently reminding it of their agreement, and it quieted down.

Yet, the surroundings were affected.

Or rather, with the influence of Qi Tun Shan He, Xu Xiao Shou's current state of mind could directly impact the environment and people's minds.

After Zang Ku's sound, sword hums echoed from all sides in You Gui Ge—no fewer than ten—and soon, everyone's discussions quieted.

"What's going on?"

People looked around in confusion.

"Just talking about the Qi Jian Xian could trigger sword hums?"

"Some ancient sword cultivators focus on 'reputation'—is this what they mean?"

"I heard this all started with Ba Zun An; people used to value 'reputation,' but not this much. It only nourishes famous swords, after all."

"I don't get it, but it feels powerful. 'Reputation'... I don't even know how to cultivate it, let alone use such an abstract force."

"So, people from the East Domain are full of imagination—ancient sword cultivators are like wild ideas!"

As they spoke, the conversation stopped.

For some reason, everyone's gaze naturally fell on the sickly young master, who was now subtly at the center of the crowd.

The process felt entirely natural.

Outsiders noticed nothing odd.

But Xu Xiao Shou, with his "perception" like an omniscient view, saw through it all.

"Momentum..."

Now, he was half a Ban Sheng.

Even if he tried to hide, he would stand out like a crane among chickens.

It was inevitable.

Xu Xiao Shou didn't resist it; his lips curved slightly as he went with the flow: "Zhou Gong Zi, do you have more insights into the new Qi Jian Xian?"

"Ah?" Zhou Gong Zi was lost in thought over how discussing the Qi Jian Xian could cause sword hums. Looking up, he saw the strikingly handsome face of the sickly young master opposite him.

He hadn't thought much of it before, only respecting the protective force around him.

But now, for some reason, he felt a twinge of inferiority, as if the other was a towering giant even without guards.

"The details? I don't know much; I'm not that interested in swords..."

Under the sickly young master's gaze, Zhou Gong Zi seemed to forget how to lie and added: "I only have a slight interest in sword-related pleasures... just a bit..."

Laughter erupted.

The laughter seemed to dispel the lingering "momentum" that Xu Xiao Shou hadn't intentionally maintained.

Zhou Gong Zi chuckled along, feeling more at ease—vulgar jokes were more comforting.

Not a serious one among them, Xu Xiao Shou thought to himself with a shake of his head.

He had wanted to ask if anyone else knew about the new Qi Jian Xian, but one glance around told him he'd get no good answers.

People in the Middle Domain really don't care about swords!

If they were in the East Domain, grabbing any passerby—even a novice refiner— they'd probably know the origins of the new Qi Jian Xian inside out.

"Gong Zi, are you interested in the new Qi Jian Xian?"

From the back of the crowd, a slight hunchbacked Li Lao Han pushed forward and pointed at himself. "Ask old Li Tou; I know about it."

"Oh? Li Lao Han knows these things?" Xu Xiao Shou hid his face behind his paper fan and glanced sideways.

His insight and memory were extraordinarily sharp now; he could see that the knot on Li Lao Han's belt had shifted, and the strips below were different from when they left the carriage.

That was quick?

The crowd had grumbled as they were pushed aside, but seeing the middle-aged man connected to the sickly young master, their expressions changed dramatically.

"Old Li Tou hears everything; his information is top-notch, even better than Zhou Gong Zi's on the new Qi Jian Xian?"

"What do you mean 'old man'... oh! It's Li Xiong, my apologies!"

"Go on, go on; I can't wait. I've only heard of Xiao Kong Dong and Xu Xiao Shou— I suspect Feng Jia from the South Domain made it all up."

"Heh..." Li Lao Han subconsciously tried to puff out his chest and straighten his back, but gave up when he couldn't.

"Gong Zi, if you'd mentioned your interest in the Qi Jian Xian earlier, I could've told you everything in the carriage. The new list came out three days ago, but it took time to reach the Middle Domain."

"Li Lao Han is quite knowledgeable."

"Ah, Gong Zi flatters me! It's just how I earn a living; the big shots love hearing this... Not to brag, but on Xu Xiao Shou, my understanding beats everyone here combined!"

"Xu Xiao Shou's name is wearing out my ears." Xu Xiao Shou fanned himself, chuckling.

The crowd leaned in eagerly as Li Lao Han began:

"Then let's skip Xu Xiao Shou. Let me chat about Gu Lao first, folks!

This Gu Yu is no small figure—he was on par with You Tu and Mei Si Ren back in the day. But during the last Qi Jian Xian contest, he was in seclusion, honing his sword.

That mistake cost him an entire era; his fame never matched the other two, so he retreated to the mountains and only reentered the world now."

Li Lao Han got excited, pulling over a long stool to sit on with both feet, grabbing some sunflower seeds from a nearby table as he lectured:

"Then there's Yang Xi Zhi—he's a major offering to Feng Jia in the South Domain, from the same era as You Tu and Mei Si Ren, even older than Feng Ting Chen.

Rumor has it that after Feng Ting Chen hid his sword, he invited Yang Lao to live with him. They discussed the Dao day and night, advancing their cultivation far beyond the past."

He waved his hand and spat out a seed shell. "Just like the previous generation, this one's Qi Jian Xian has two veteran heavyweights."

"So the rest are from the younger generation?" Zhou Gong Zi asked.

"Not at all." Li Lao Han shook his head smugly. "The rest, except for Bei Bei and Xu Xiao Shou, are from the middle generation—like Xiao Kong Dong's era."

"I know about Xiao Kong Dong." Xu Xiao Shou mused.

"Then I won't go into that," Li Lao Han said, picking at his foot with one hand while shelling seeds with the other, focusing only on the sickly young master who'd paid for the wine: "For Shuang Lao Yi Xiao Liu Fu Yu, this Liu Gu Niang is quite the character, heh heh."

"But don't mess with her! Feng Jia from the South Domain says she's the guardian of Jian Lou for this generation!"

Jian Lou?

Xu Xiao Shou raised an eyebrow, feeling he'd heard of it somewhere.

"What's Jian Lou? And what's a guardian?"

Someone asked in confusion.

"Let me test you all."

Li Lao Han slapped his thigh, flicking a bit of grime from his nail toward the younger crowd: "In the era of ancient sword cultivators, who were the two big figures?"

"I know!" Zhou Gong Zi jumped in. "Jian Shen Gu Lou Ying and Shen Jian Feng Wu Hen!"

"Impressive." Li Lao Han looked surprised. "That's them. But do you know what they left behind?"

"Uh, not really..."

Li Lao Han hummed smugly: "Shen Jian Feng Wu Hen lost out on the Jian Shen title, but he at least founded Feng Jia, which guards his Jian Ge.

Legend has it that Jian Ge holds all of Feng Wu Hen's inheritance!"

The crowd was shocked and asked: "What about Jian Shen Gu Lou Ying?"

"Now that's impressive!" Li Lao Han sighed. "Think about it—what impression does Jian Shen give you?"

Everyone paused, picturing a dark night, a full moon, a solitary tower, and a shadowy figure.

Wait... a tower?

Even Xu Xiao Shou showed surprise.

"Got it?" Li Lao Han smiled. "Right! Shen Jian Feng Wu Hen's Jian Ge was modeled after Jian Shen Gu Lou Ying's Jian Lou!"

Jian Lou, Liu Fu Yu!

Xu Xiao Shou recalled her title, his heart skipping a beat.

As the guardian, was Liu Fu Yu protecting Jian Shen Gu Lou Ying's inheritance?

"Guardian..." Many shared the same thought.

Li Lao Han grabbed someone's wine jug, gulped it down, and smacked his lips before adding sheepishly: "Rumor has it Jian Lou holds a sword forged by Jian Shen himself, maybe with his divine inheritance...

Or that the twelve swords in Jian Lou suppress some great demon...

The guardian probably watches over all that. I don't know the details, heh heh."

That's more than enough!

This old man knows more than I do, and I'm from the East Domain!

Xu Xiao Shou wasn't sure if these were just Li Lao Han's tall tales, but he said them so convincingly that they seemed plausible.

"What about the others?"

"The others? Hua Lai, Bei Tian, Ying Shou Ye... Well, for Lai, I don't know much; seems he's from the West Domain."

"Bei Bei... um, Bei Bei..."

Li Lao Han racked his brain for a while, glancing at the sickly young master.

He couldn't say more, but Xu Xiao Shou heard it all.

Bei Bei—surely not surnamed Bei and named Bei?

Like Yue Bei Hua Rao Dao's Bei?

"A young one?"

"Yeah, the last two—Bei Bei and Xu Xiao Shou—are young. Oh, and Bei Bei's a female Jian Xian, apparently a tiny girl..." Li Lao Han inhaled. "So young, how did she make the Qi Jian Xian?"

"But this generation seems weaker; only two from the youth." Zhou Gong Zi frowned. "Back then, with Ba, Gou, Rao, Hua... uh, and who else? Oh, Wen Jian Xian—he's so forgettable... But five youths—that was a real gathering of talents."

"Yeah, I think Feng Jia from the South Domain messed up the list; they don't know what they're doing. My clan's leader wasn't even included! Xi is powerful; he's shaken the Middle Domain lately, not inferior to that East Domain Xu Xiao Shou!"

"I'm surprised Zang Jian Zhong didn't rank. The Gu family brothers might not take three spots, but at least one? So I doubt this new Qi Jian Xian's credibility."

"Exactly, the East Domain is the land of Jian Shen. Why should the South Domain rank the Qi Jian Xian? If they can, why not us? The Middle Domain is the continent's center!"

"Li Lao Han mentioned Jian Lou and Jian Ge—one in seclusion, one active—so of course Feng Jia ranks it, just because they're in the South Domain."

"Tch, how do you know Li Lao Han isn't making it up? If Jian Lou is in seclusion, how did Liu Fu Yu from Jian Lou enter the world?"

"Who are you calling a liar!" Li Lao Han blew his beard and glared. "You kids know nothing; this generation's Qi Jian Xian isn't weak because it's ranked!"

"Ah?" The crowd was stunned.

"Back then, the Qi Jian Xian had no order, with You Tu as the default first. Now, with Ba Zun An pushing things, cultivating reputation and swords, even Feng Jia has to take 'reputation' seriously."

"So the Qi Jian Xian ranking..."

"It's in the order of 'Shuang Lao Yi Xiao Liu Fu Yu, Hua Lai Bei Tian Ying Shou Ye'!"

You Gui Ge erupted in an uproar.

Xu Xiao Shou was deeply shocked.

He wasn't shallow enough to dismiss Feng Jia's ranking.

After all, the Qi Jian Xian title had been affirmed by figures like Si Ren and Ba Zun An on Xu Kong Island.

Since the new Qi Jian Xian was legitimate and he was at the bottom, the top six were terrifying to consider.

Feng Jia couldn't possibly think, like the masses, that his slaying of Rao Yao Yao was just due to the Four God Pillars' help, right?

And their own Feng Xiao Se had betrayed the family and joined Xu Yue Hui Gong, so they must know him well?

Xu Xiao Shou remembered Feng Xiao Se had barely mastered the second realm of Wan Jian Shu.

Yet he wasn't on the Qi Jian Xian list!

And he, who had used the second realm, was at the bottom!

Didn't that mean every new Qi Jian Xian could use the second realm?

"Too competitive..."

So, not only was Li Lao Han right that this generation wasn't weak, they might even surpass the old one!

Of course, compared to when the previous generation first earned the title...

"This is just the initial list, though!" Li Lao Han shelled seeds as he sighed: "Who knows how many dark horses will emerge by the final ranking? There are already several candidates nominated by Feng Jia for Qi Jian Xian."

"Tsk tsk, this Qi Jian Xian event will be thrilling—how many will die, how much blood will spill? Truly 'fighting for reputation.'"

Discussion flared up again.

People started talking about the nominated candidates, but Li Lao Han didn't know those details.

Bang!

Just as You Gui Ge's ground floor was buzzing, the nearby door was kicked open.

A group of black-clad figures stormed in aggressively.

The sickly young master Xu Xiao Shou fanned himself and turned, spotting Feng Xiao, whom his second true self had kicked away earlier, following closely behind a white-haired, burly, scarred old man in black, his eyes full of resentment:

"It's him..."

"That Xu Gu Sheng..."

But he didn't dare speak loudly, clearly intimidated.

Ying Ying and Que Er hurried in from outside, clearly unable to stop the black-clad group.

After scanning around, they spotted the frail young master in the crowd and squeezed through urgently:

"Xu Gong Zi, Ying Ying has an urgent matter to discuss. Could you step to the back courtyard?"

Xu Xiao Shou chuckled at that.

This Ying Ying girl was so clever!

She could urge a retreat so tactfully. Did these people's background surpass even the East Domain's Zang Jian Zhong Tai Xu successor?

"Gong Zi, why are you laughing?"

Ying Ying stamped her foot in anxiety, no longer blowing air as she whispered: "They're really not to be trifled with!"

"Oh? More than me, Xu Gu Sheng?"

"Gong Zi!"

—Or more than me, Qi Jian Xian Xu Xiao Shou, or Sheng Nu Shou Ye?

The sickly young master snapped his fan shut, ignoring the advice and poking it against Ying Ying's forehead. He then swatted away Que Er's hand grabbing his robe, leaving the two girls stomping in frustration behind him.

What a delicate young master!

He really shouldn't go!

"Receiving worry, passive value: 232."

He strolled along the cleared path, fanning himself as he eyed the lead burly old man, smiling coolly:

"My subordinates never kill nameless foes."

The black-clad old man was robust as a tiger, towering half a head above the already tall sickly young master.

Behind him, the group of black-clad figures all looked like beasts in human skin.

Hearing this, the old man cupped his fists; his hands were wrapped in Feng Yin Zhi Dai, his eyes sharp as he boomed:

"Gui Shen Bang, Gui Mian!"

Without any Ling Yuan, his voice alone shook the tables and chairs in You Gui Ge, making the onlookers stumble pale-faced.

Among them were innate experts and Zong Shi refiners.

The sickly young master's body swayed, appearing unsteady, but he was actually dispersing the force to avoid his surging inner power resonating and shattering all of Yu Jing Cheng.

Tai Xu?

No, a body cultivator on par with Tai Xu, but not purely so—not even at Zong Shi level.

Was it the Feng Yin Zhi Dai's effect? His power was sealed, yet his presence was still overwhelming. This guy wouldn't be easy to handle.

"You've got something interesting. Body forging? Better choice than Feng Xiao, but still a tough path... In Gui Shen Bang, are you the strongest?"

The crowd nearby fell silent, their faces pale as they stared at the sickly young master, shocked at his ignorance.

Even a newcomer shouldn't challenge the local powers.

Li Lao Han had already pulled his feet off the stool, hunching timidly, wanting to warn him but closing his mouth after a glance.

"No, I'm just a deputy in Gui Shen Bang."

The scarred Gui Mian, his face a map of battles, spoke respectfully despite coming for trouble, showing clear caution.

The strong always sense danger instinctively!

Feng Xiao tugged at his sleeve but before he could speak, bang—he was sent flying out of You Gui Ge through the unbroken window.

No one but Xu Xiao Shou saw how fast Gui Mian had struck.

"Hit the young, and the old comes; one after another—such a hassle. Call your boss too."

The sickly young master casually pulled out a chair and sat.

"He can't come." Gui Mian shook his head, his gaze following. "I'll fight you."

"Tiresome. I'll wait here for your boss."

"He can't come."

"Oh? That arrogant? What's your boss's name?"

"Shen Yi."