Chapter 1359: Assassin Holy Temple Sacrifices to the Soul, Summoning the God of Death with Three Incense Sticks

Xu Xiaoshou gazed toward the distant east.

He recalled how Xiang Yi had helped him before by having people from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou enter the city.

The exact time and place for their meeting hadn't been set.

Of course, having everyone charge into Yougui Ge all at once was a good idea in theory, but not practical.

It would make them too obvious a target.

Yougui Ge wasn't some lawless haven.

Dao Qiong Cang certainly wouldn't give up surveillance completely—there were likely eyes watching from the shadows.

Having one troublemaker like Xu Gusheng in Yougui Ge was already outrageous; adding a dozen or so extraordinary individuals would be like walking straight into a trap.

So, how should the others make contact?

Had Xiang Yi, after meeting "Xu Gusheng," revealed his true identity to the people from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou?

"Probably not."

Xu Xiaoshou had a clear understanding of this.

Xiang Yi had only managed to contact Tian Shang Di Yi Lou once because he had been in seclusion on Xukong Island at the time.

Most likely, the people from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou had been waiting nearby.

Ba Zun An had known the location, which was how Xiang Yi had been able to notify them.

But once those capable individuals blended into the mundane world, Xu Xiaoshou had no confidence in tracking them all down one by one.

Xiang Yi was in Yujing City, already struggling to control things in the Zhong Domain, let alone reach out to notify everyone in the Dong Domain.

"I'm in danger..."

"They'll have to guess my identity..."

"Li Laohan probably figured me out on the first day—he was clearly waiting for me in the carriage, but back then, he might not have been completely sure, so he didn't reveal too much. Today, though, he gave so many signals..."

Xu Xiaoshou thought back carefully.

On the way into the city, Li Laohan had chattered endlessly about all sorts of topics from near and far. Once they entered the elegant pavilion, he had rattled off details about the New Seven Sword Immortals.

And now, he was dropping hints both openly and subtly about the San Zhu Xiang's inner workings, even mentioning how the Gui Shen Gang had been infiltrated by Sheng Shen Dian Tang.

At the time, Xu Xiaoshou had taken it all as Li Laohan's "lessons from experience."

But now, hearing that phrase "far away in the heavens," he could easily fill in the next part: "right before your eyes."

"Li Laohan, he's one of mine!"

"But how could someone from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou be so clever? His disguise fooled me completely on the first day."

Xu Xiaoshou quickly burst into laughter.

He thought of that unremarkable guy he'd met not long ago—ordinary looks, ordinary name, someone whose very existence seemed to carry a natural "concealment," making it easy for him to blend into crowds and handle complex, high-risk intelligence work.

He had the same surname, Li.

"Young master?"

The calls from Yingying and Queque pulled Xu Xiaoshou back to his senses.

He stood at the shop entrance, suppressing his smile, and casually tossed a cloud-patterned black pouch over, which contained more than just Lingjing.

"Rent your carriage for a month. Wait outside for me to come out."

"Understood." Li Laohan caught the pouch, weighed it in his hand, and his eyebrows lifted with delight as he drove the horse toward the shade of the trees.

He hadn't dropped his act at all!

Xu Xiaoshou could guess why Li Fugui hadn't revealed his identity upon arriving, or even trusted Xiang Yi, choosing instead to make contact this way.

First, they were in Yujing City, right under Dao Qiong Cang's watchful eyes.

Second, he really was stirring up trouble, and if Li Fugui stuck too close, exposing himself would mean exposing Xu Xiaoshou, making his future missions impossible.

Third, Li Fugui was someone who knew his priorities; back at Huacao Ge, he hadn't budged no matter how much Xu Xiaoshou tried to persuade him. Now, as part of Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, he wouldn't bother with someone like Xiang Yi, who wasn't even at the Sheng Nu Jiuzuo level. He served only one master.

"Let's go, we're heading in."

Yingying and Queque looked like they wanted to ask more, but Xu Xiaoshou swept them with a glance—no need for Sheng Di guidance; the sheer force of his presence made them abandon any extra thoughts.

The miscellaneous goods shop was old and rundown.

It had rows of cabinets inside.

These were covered with Ling arrays holding various items of middling quality—nothing even reaching Wangzuo grade.

Yet, the variety was vast and dazzling.

At the very back of the shop stood a long table, with a Xianglu against the wall. The area around it was dusted with ash, but not a single stick of incense was burning inside.

Xu Xiaoshou fanned himself lazily as he looked at the short, half-lidded old man lounging on the chair behind the table.

"If you want something, find it yourself." The old man yawned.

Normally, he could hear conversations from outside in the shop.

But Xu Xiaoshou was no ordinary person and had altered the routine.

By the time the old man realized something, Xu Xiaoshou had already secretly tampered with the shop's Ling arrays.

The old man had caught only the unimportant parts of his exchange with Li Laohan; everything after that was lost to him.

Even though Xu Xiaoshou was already halfway into the shop by then.

Yingying was about to ask how to use the Xianglu when Gongzi Bingsheng subtly raised his sleeve.

"Jin Ren."

That invisible guard appeared from nowhere and, from somewhere unseen, produced three sticks of incense.

The tips ignited on their own.

Without even a bow, Jin Ren tossed them in, and the three sticks lodged perfectly into the Xianglu.

Yingying and Queque exchanged silent glances, stunned by the smooth execution.

He even brought his own incense...

Xu Gongzi must be a regular at San Zhu Xiang—he probably buys people here all the time, right?

The wooden chair creaked as the old man shot up in surprise and hurriedly twisted the vase on the cabinet behind the wall.

The wooden table split open, revealing a glowing teleportation array below.

"This way, please." The old man gestured, his eyes full of respect.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't enter right away. Instead, drawing from memories he'd read from souls, he asked smoothly, "How many people know about this point?"

"Not many—just a handful, enough to count on one hand." Hearing the jargon like "point," the old man grew even more fearful. He was just a guard here and couldn't afford to offend these killer bigwigs.

"So, you never saw me today."

"Understood."

"And if anyone from Sheng Shen Dian Tang shows up, you know what to say, right?" Xu Xiaoshou asked with a smile.

The old man hesitated, starting to stammer.

He was scared—this guy was being hunted by Sheng Shen Dian Tang and coming here? Wasn't that dragging him into it?

But before he could speak, there was a smack on the table as Gongzi Bingsheng slapped down a golden badge.

The golden light flashed and vanished as he retrieved it.

The old man's legs nearly buckled, his heart pounding in terror.

A Jin Pai Lie Ling!

This was a Jin Pai Lie Ling killer!

"Hmm?" Xu Xiaoshou smiled warmly.

"What are you talking about, sir? I haven't seen anyone here today." Getting targeted by Sheng Shen Dian Tang might not mean death, but a Jin Pai Lie Ling killer? That was a death sentence for sure. The old man knew the score.

"Good." Xu Xiaoshou nodded in satisfaction, waved a hand, and signaled for the two women to step onto the teleportation array.

The old man hesitated, glancing at the soft, delicate women who looked like they could be pinched for water. He couldn't help but say:

"Sir, don't you want a mask? I have some... oh, today's a special offer, free of charge. Help yourself."

Those two lambs were heading into the black market without cover? They were basically delivering themselves.

Who came here without hiding their face? No one strutted in so boldly!

"Then get two!"

At Xu Xiaoshou's word, Jin Ren grabbed two masks and tossed them to Yingying and Queque.

These were masks that could block Lingnian probing—quite remarkable for a shabby little shop to have such Tianji creations, even if the Tianji technique was just a trace.

The two women fiddled with the masks, grumbled a bit, but knew San Zhu Xiang was no place for the innocent, so they quickly put them on.

The old man watched as the masks transformed their figures into strikingly alluring silhouettes and sighed inwardly.

How does that add to the appeal...

"What about you, sir?" He turned back and grabbed another mask, too busy to think of anything else.

"The eyes may deceive." Xu Xiaoshou closed his fan, his smile stiff and insincere, as he flashed a creepy grin at the old man. "Renpi mask."

The teleportation array activated.

The old man stared at that eerie face, a chill creeping into his heart.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiaoshou, in jest, noted down the spatial node the array led to.

For a space-attribute Lianling Master, you either experienced it firsthand or memorized the node.

From then on, within a short distance, all teleportation arrays could be bypassed.

Xu Xiaoshou could come and go to that so-called killer sanctuary whenever he wanted—to hide, escape, or even whimsically destroy it.

Of course, San Zhu Xiang had its precautions.

The array sent the two women first.

When Xu Xiaoshou stepped on, the Ling array activated again, but the spatial node it led to had changed.

"Hidden layers?"

Xu Xiaoshou was surprised, yet it made sense.

It wouldn't do for the San Zhu Xiang headquarters to be easily located.

But these tricks were child's play to a space-attribute Lianling Master—though with his current half-baked skills, unraveling the hidden node would take some effort.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't resist as the Ling array transported him away.

Jin Ren, however, stayed in the shop.

He reappeared as the short old man looked on in shock...

"Souls reading!"

The old man's eyes went blank.

Under Jin Ren's feet, a space Dao Pan spun into existence.

Once in the Tianren Unity state, it took just three breaths for him to analyze the true spatial node of San Zhu Xiang.

He didn't step into the teleportation array.

Instead, he took a step outward and vanished.

San Zhu Xiang.

This low-key killer sanctuary sat at the end of the underground black market in Yujing City, devoid of any lavish decorations.

The only notable feature was the blood-black emblem above the entrance.

It depicted a Xiangtan with three sticks of incense burning steadily.

Entering the San Zhu Xiang headquarters from the underground black market required passing through multiple layers of identity-verifying Ling arrays around the perimeter.

If you didn't follow the protocol—even with a Hong Pai Lie Ling—you'd trigger a kill array.

But arriving via the external "points" let you enter directly into the main hall.

Xu Xiaoshou had learned all this from reading the souls of several Jin Pai Lie Ling killers.

A hum echoed through the hall.

The chatter inside fell silent.

Everyone turned toward the teleportation array that had activated.

Generally speaking, the "points" scattered outside were known to Jin Pai Lie Ling killers, and a few outstanding Zi Pai Lie Ling killers might know as well.

But for Hong Pai Lie Ling killers to know? That was rare.

Yet this time, what emerged from the array wasn't a bloodthirsty killer, but two delicate women wearing masks, exuding an unexpected allure.

"Whistles!"

The hall erupted with whistles.

Killers could spot other killers, even through disguises, in an instant—the accumulated Shaqi from years of murder wasn't easily hidden.

But outsiders? That was different.

Even if they wore masks, to this group of experts in San Zhu Xiang headquarters, it was like seeing them naked.

At a glance, everyone in the hall could tell these two women weren't killers—their cultivation was laughably weak.

A gift from the heavens?

No, more like lambs dropped into a wolf pack—this was too surprising.

The only oddity was how they'd activated the "point." Was someone backing them?

"You go first."

"You go!"

"I insist—after all, I owe you a favor from last time."

"Fine, then I won't hold back. I could play with these two for a month!"

A lanky man finally couldn't contain his dark desires and strode over, reaching for Yingying's shoulder and trying to lift Queque's chin:

"Ladies, where did you come from? Come with me, and I'll show you a good time..."

The array hummed again.

The lanky man with the Hong Pai Lie Ling at his waist froze and backed away quickly, realizing the real deal had arrived.

He'd moved too fast earlier...

But this time, what stepped out was an even more delicate figure—a frail Gongzi who looked soft and boneless, ready to collapse at a touch!

He stood in the hall.

His pale face, as if just recovered from illness, almost lit up the dim space.

It was like a light!

Half the killers in the hall stared wide-eyed, some even flushing slightly.

"Damn!"

"Top quality!"

"Compared to him, those two women are nothing!"

"No cultivation, no Shaqi—if he's not a hidden expert, he's just a pushover..."

Who would send a pushover to a killer sanctuary?

Still, some were tempted to take the chance.

After all, he looked like a complete weakling—every method they used detected no cultivation level.

"Bai Lang, you're not scared of this frail Gongzi, are you? If it were me, I couldn't hold back!"

"There's something off about him..."

"Die under a peony and be a charming ghost—even with him, I could have fun for three months."

"Hell yeah! I have to go first!"

The lanky Hong Pai Lie Ling man cursed under his breath and stepped forward again.

Yingying and Queque watched him approach, feeling like they were falling into an ice pit, their bodies trembling.

Everyone here wore masks—some solid, some illusory...

But without exception, they all radiated terrifying Shaqi.

Masks couldn't hide that!

And it was the stark difference between them and the two women.

They didn't even need to speak—a single glance from any of them made Yingying and Queque envision mountains of corpses and seas of blood, their legs nearly giving way.

As innate experts, how could they not feel weak in a nest of killers starting at Wangzuo level?

When the killer Bai Lang got close, the only thing Yingying and Queque could do was huddle behind Xu Gongzi, seeking some safety.

Fortunately, Bai Lang's target had shifted.

His eyes gleaming green, he reached out and tilted Xu Gongzi's chin.

"This turtle..."

Bai Lang caught himself and corrected, "Noble Gongzi!"

Laughter erupted from behind.

Some mocked, some watched for the show, some plotted to cut in, and others anticipated the spectacle.

Bai Lang's lust was uncontrollable as he raised an eyebrow: "May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Under scrutiny, passive value: 365."

"Under expectation, passive value: 288."

"Under fantasy, passive value: 66."

Notifications flooded in.

Xu Xiaoshou saw that last "fantasy" line and felt his scalp tingle.

He cursed Ba Zun An again...

But San Zhu Xiang had shattered his expectations once more.

This "greeting gift" was even more astonishing than the Jin Pai Lie Ling killers he'd encountered on Ginyin Cliff, in the deep sea, or on Xukong Island!

I'm really not here to cause trouble...

But this is making it hard to hold back...

Gongzi Bingsheng closed his fan, lowered his eyes to the finger lifting his chin, and said bluntly:

"You want to top me?"

Yingying and Queque's minds buzzed as they looked at Xu Gongzi's handsome but suddenly repulsive profile.

Bai Lang's green gaze locked on, and he shivered slightly, licking his lips:

"You want that too?"

The hall exploded.

No one expected this frail Gongzi to be so direct—a real man of the moment!

Not rejecting Bai Lang, but embracing it?

"Under expectation, passive value: 165."

"Under disgust, passive value: 198."

Gongzi Bingsheng scanned the hall, his smile unwavering as he looked at the excited killers behind Bai Lang:

"Who else wants to top me?"

The crowd erupted.

The atmosphere was stirred by an invisible hand, though no one realized it:

"Bai Lang, I think you're in for it—you can't handle him!"

"Ha! Count me in—I'm joining you guys."

"Hiss, I can't take it anymore... Me too! I want in!"

"Add one."

"Add another."

"Then I'll just watch—you all go ahead. I'm into that."

As the noise peaked:

"Shh." Gongzi Bingsheng used his folded fan to brush Bai Lang's finger from his chin and shushed the room.

Instantly, the entire hall fell silent.

The killers weren't the only ones—the weaker attendants shivering in the corners felt the pressure drop sharply.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bai Lang was still caught up in his desires and hadn't noticed anything wrong.

But the killers behind him had.

This presence...

Just one shush had affected every killer in the hall, including a few at Tai Xu level.

This frail Gongzi was no simple man!

Of course—anyone coming through the teleportation array had to be something special. How had they overlooked that?

"Bai Lang! Something's off—get out!" Someone shouted in alarm.

The Dao-cutting Bai Lang finally snapped to attention.

He tried to pull away, but felt trapped in quicksand, unable to move.

"Who are you!" Bai Lang panicked. He was caught in some force, but it seemed to come from someone unseen, not the Gongzi in front of him.

With a flick, Gongzi Bingsheng opened his fan, drawing everyone's eyes to the bold characters inked on it:

"I am Xu Gusheng!"

Before anyone could read the name aloud, Gongzi Bingsheng's face turned icy, like the god of death flipping open a ledger:

"Jin Ren."

"Here!"

"Kill everyone who called out numbers earlier."

"Yes!"