Chapter 1362: Long Line to Bait, Yuan Ren Says Jade Capital Drifts with Cold, Winter Has Arrived

He Ting?

Zhou Lishi stared at the two characters that quickly faded on the table, his thoughts surging like relentless waves:

"One of the Three Mountains, He Ting Shan?"

"Xu Xiaoshou has truly arrived in Zhong Yu?"

"That's right, He Ting was the former headquarters of Fen Qin..."

"Xu Xiaoshou's first master was Sheng Nu Wu Xiu, also known as Fen Qin Zhu He in the Sha Qing Wu Lao..."

"He took over his gang and went to He Ting Shan—what could he be searching for?"

Xu Xiaoshou watched the changes in Zhou Lishi's expression, while his information panel kept popping up with "under suspicion." He gripped his fan and smiled faintly.

He didn't need to do much—just writing the two characters "He Ting" was enough. With Zhou Lishi's "clever wit," he could easily connect the dots to many, many things.

This was a case of being outsmarted by one's own cleverness.

If it were against someone like Mu Zi Xi, Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't dare use this tactic.

He Ting Shan was originally just a place from Xiang Yi's sad story, but now it had become a crucial part of Xu Xiaoshou's plan.

Setting aside his personal feelings and thinking purely from the perspective of the Sheng Shen Dian Tang:

Where would Xu Xiaoshou most likely go upon arriving in Zhong Yu?

He Ting Shan!

What would he do there?

His master, Sheng Nu Wu Xiu—also known as Fen Qin Zhu He—must have left something behind. Even though Fen Qin had been destroyed for over sixteen years, there would still be some embers waiting to ignite, and only those from the Jin Zhao lineage could detect those traces.

Was it possible that Xu Xiaoshou wouldn't go to He Ting Shan, or that he didn't even know who Fen Qin Zhu He was or where He Ting Shan was?

The answer was yes, it was possible!

Still from the Sheng Shen Dian Tang's perspective, Sheng Nu Wu Xiu was such a clever person—how could he not anticipate the risks of sending his disciple to He Ting Shan?

Thus, it's possible he never told Xu Xiaoshou certain secrets.

But from Dao Qiong Cang's personal viewpoint, whether Sheng Nu Wu Xiu said anything or not didn't matter—He Ting Shan had to be guarded!

"I might catch nothing, and after guarding it for over sixteen years to no avail, that doesn't matter."

"But I can't let Xu Xiaoshou go to He Ting Shan one day, get something there, or even restart Fen Qin, and then leave unscathed."

This was the only conclusion Xu Xiaoshou could reach after putting himself in Dao Dian Zhu's shoes.

He believed that regardless of whether he knew about He Ting Shan, as the former site of Fen Qin, Dao Dian Zhu couldn't possibly give up monitoring it.

Since a Xu Xiaoshou was bound to appear at He Ting...

And after Xuankong Island, Xu Xiaoshou would surely show up as the core of Sheng Nu and cause trouble in Zhong Yu...

Xu Xiaoshou was more than happy to link these two events together, making them happen "simultaneously."

At least this way, all the forces of Sheng Shen Dian Tang wouldn't be concentrated in Si Xiang Mi Jing.

This was still an open scheme—one that Dao Qiong Cang would have to accept no matter what he thought.

"Though it's better than nothing..." After all, Sheng Shen Dian Tang didn't lack manpower, and Xu Xiaoshou knew that well.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Zhou Lishi's mind was far from calm. He gazed at the completely vanished water stain on the tea table and soon found himself hesitating in a dilemma.

He wanted to ask the guard Jin Ren for more details to confirm exactly what had happened when he saw Young Master Xu at He Ting Shan.

This wasn't purely out of distrust of the intelligence.

It was more about the legends: Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou came and went like a shadow, killed without a trace—how had Jin Ren seen through his disguise and escaped alive?

But Zhou Lishi was even more afraid of asking things he shouldn't...

He had held his current position for many years.

After working as a killer for over thirty years, he had retired from that life and still managed to secure a councilor role in San Zhu Xiang.

Zhou Lishi cherished life immensely.

He knew exactly how to cherish his own life.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be in San Zhu Xiang while clearly leaning toward Xu Gusheng, even intending to actively become the go-between for Xu Gusheng and San Zhu Xiang.

This was equivalent to nurturing another top-tier Hunter Order assassin... No!

Xu Gusheng and his guard Jin Ren together were far stronger than any top-tier Hunter Order assassin!

Precisely because of that, Zhou Lishi knew that sometimes knowing too much might seem helpful in the moment but would bring no benefits in the future.

He was clever enough to know not to ask at this time, so he just stared at the tea table, words on the tip of his tongue but unspoken.

He was cunning enough to know that Xu Gusheng was a smart man and should understand what he was thinking.

Xu Gusheng would say what could be said.

If not, he'd change the topic in a moment, let the matter drop, and they'd all be fine.

"Don't pretend!"

Sure enough, Xu Gusheng spoke up again, mocking him. "Our interests are already sorted out. Hiding things won't benefit either of us!"

That mocking tone sounded so familiar right now—it meant he was willing to speak, treating him as one of his own.

But Zhou Lishi still let out a surprised "Ah," then looked up in confusion.

He knew big shots could say such things, but if someone like him took it seriously, he might end up being used and still owe money for it.

"Xu Gongzi, what are you talking about?"

"Stop pretending!"

Xu Xiaoshou smirked, easily seeing through Zhou Lishi's act of playing dumb.

But he preferred to play along with the pretense and lay everything out in the most straightforward way:

"You just want to ask about the details, right?"

"With your timid nature, how will you serve me in the future?"

Before Zhou Lishi could respond, Xu Xiaoshou waved his fan and slipped into his sickly young master's persona, sounding disappointed:

"My guard Jin Ren tracked the aura of an ancient sword cultivator and found Xu Xiaoshou at He Ting Shan."

"If I hadn't held him back then, those two might have started fighting."

Jin Ren went looking for him... Zhou Lishi's heart tightened as he recalled Jin Ren's sword finger that could seize life downstairs, and even earlier, the intelligence he had seen before going downstairs to stop the conflict:

Xu Gusheng, suspected unofficial disciple of Zang Jian Zhong in Dong Yu, successor of Tai Xu.

His guard Jin Ren was an ancient sword cultivator whose ten-stage sword finger could directly clash with Gui Shen Bang's Gui Mian, one of the Seven Constellations.

"Xu Gongzi, how strong is our brother Jin Ren, roughly speaking?" Zhou Lishi asked with a chuckle.

"This strong." Xu Xiaoshou glanced up and pointed his paper fan at the ceiling.

"This strong—how strong is that?"

"The top sword immortal below Jian Sheng!"

Zhou Lishi had just lifted his teacup for a sip when he nearly spat out the tea.

So, you're saying that's the ceiling of the sword path?

How ridiculous.

"Xu Gongzi, please don't joke like that..."

"I never joke, even if it sounds like one to you. If I hadn't wanted to avoid drawing attention back then, my guard Jin Ren would surely have a place among the new Qi Jian Xian."

Zhou Lishi rolled his eyes internally.

He knew full well that the current Qi Jian Xian had rankings, and Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou was at the bottom.

According to Xu Gusheng's claim, if his guard Jin Ren made the list, wouldn't that bump Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou off?

What audacity!

Xu Xiaoshou had no intention of explaining how powerful Jin Ren was—power wasn't explained, it was shown.

Let the bullet fly for a while...

"Zhou Lishi, even in San Zhu Xiang, you must know about Liu Fu Yu, right?" He fanned himself and leaned back in his chair, looking even more relaxed.

Zhou Lishi immediately became alert but didn't understand the point, so he nodded: "Of course, Qi Jian Xian Liu Fu Yu just entered the city not long ago."

"Then do you know where she is?"

"She’s in..." Zhou Lishi's words halted, his pupils dilating. "You Gui Ge."

"Before I came to San Zhu Xiang, where did I spend the night? You investigated that when you came downstairs to see me, didn't you?"

"You Gui Ge..."

"Then who was Liu Fu Yu going to see?"

"...Jin Ren?"

"What would she want with him?"

Zhou Lishi was shocked.

He had thought it was all coincidence, but now there was this connection. He quickly asked, "Xu Gongzi, dare I ask, what did she want with brother Jin Ren?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled at the slightly plump Zhou Lishi, who insisted on growing a long beard, and tapped his head with his folded fan.

"Zhou Lishi, do you understand ancient sword cultivators?"

"Not very well..."

"Then why do you think Jin Ren sought out Xu Xiaoshou, another ancient sword cultivator, and how could Liu Fu Yu track Jin Ren when even you couldn't see him?"

Zhou Lishi's mind itched with curiosity—there had to be a connection.

From Xu Gusheng's expression, he had clearly dropped a clue earlier.

Damn riddle-monger...

After thinking for a while, Zhou Lishi finally figured it out, recalling a specific word Xu Gusheng had used when talking about his guard Jin Ren discovering Xu Xiaoshou at He Ting Shan:

"Tracked?"

Zhou Lishi's eyes widened as if he'd solved a historical mystery, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"Xu Gongzi, you just said 'tracked the aura of an ancient sword cultivator'..."

"So, ancient sword cultivators can 'track' some kind of aura to locate each other?"

"That's why Jin Ren found Xu Xiaoshou, and that's how Liu Fu Yu tracked brother Jin Ren?"

Xu Xiaoshou covered his mouth with his fan, smiling enigmatically, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

He knew that in that instant, the bullet had hit Zhou Lishi's mind.

All the subtle hints he'd given earlier had been connected by this clever man.

Answers you figure out yourself are far more convincing.

In Zhou Lishi's mind, Xu Xiaoshou knew that the story he'd fabricated from nothing was taking root.

If Zhou Lishi thought back carefully, he'd realize that Xu Gongzi hadn't told much of the main story—just some fragmented information.

But those fragments could be pieced together to form "Xu Xiaoshou is at He Ting Shan."

For this story, Zhou Lishi even had a rough outline and could retell the sequence if asked.

That was true self-consistency!

And after self-consistency, all that remained was unwavering belief.

"I'm sorry, brother Jin Ren. I underestimated you earlier—I'll punish myself with three cups."

Zhou Lishi's eyes darted around, as if he'd thought of something, and he bowed toward the invisible void.

Then he stood up, poured himself three full cups of wine, and drank them all in one go.

What a joke!

Even Liu Fu Yu wanted to spar with Jin Ren in ancient sword techniques.

How strong must Xu Gusheng's guard be? Just thinking about it with his toes made it clear.

What he'd shown downstairs was definitely not his full strength!

After downing the three cups, Zhou Lishi turned to the sickly young master on the chair and said seriously:

"Xu Gongzi, I truly didn't know brother Jin Ren was so formidable, that even Qi Jian Xian Liu Fu Yu wants to test him. I was rude just now—I'll punish myself again..."

"There's no need between us." Xu Xiaoshou stopped him verbally, waving his fan lightly. "But I do have another question."

"Gulp, gulp, glug..."

Where would Zhou Lishi dare let the matter slide so easily? He punished himself with three more cups, then looked over earnestly: "Xu Gongzi, what are your orders?"

The sickly young master watched the plump man's cheeks flush, as if his vanity had been satisfied, and said casually:

"I just want to know if Sheng Shen Dian Tang is slacking off, not even realizing Xu Xiaoshou has come to Zhong Yu."

"Or perhaps Dao Dian Zhu already knows and is making arrangements..."

He paused, then naturally stated the true purpose of his visit:

"I don't want our actions to collide with our own people and get exploited by Xu Xiaoshou, leading to mutual destruction."

"Xu Xiaoshou excels at that—you know that, right?"

How could Zhou Lishi not know how powerful Sheng Nu Xu Xiaoshou was at manipulating hearts?

He stood up straight and said gravely:

"Xu Gongzi, please wait a moment. If the intelligence is... well, since Xu Xiaoshou has arrived in Zhong Yu, Dao Dian Zhu must know about it!"

"I'll go ask about the arrangements from above right now. We won't collide—this you can be assured of."

"As for your safety..." Zhou Lishi patted his chest, guaranteeing earnestly, "With me here, it's guaranteed!"

Rely on you, my clever one... Xu Xiaoshou nodded slightly, maintaining his demeanor, gazing into the void and pointing his fan toward the door.

"Go ahead!"

Zhou Lishi bowed and left, opening and closing the door.

Clearly, his influence wasn't something his partner Xu Gusheng could fully know.

What he didn't know was that with the door opening and closing, not only was he leaving—Jin Ren was too.

In the room, Xu Xiaoshou, having dismissed his second true self, sat alone on the long chair, stretching lazily and finally relaxing.

Jin Ren had returned to You Gui Ge.

Now he was truly alone.

But in the eyes of San Zhu Xiang, and Zhou Lishi, Xu Gusheng always had a guard Jin Ren by his side—at least a Qi Jian Xian candidate in strength—and that would never change.

And as things grew bigger and more chaotic later on, even when the entire Zhong Yu didn't dare touch him, this sickly young master who seemed truly weak...

His second true self, Jin Ren, could be completely freed.

That was the true power of the vanishing technique—it wasn't limited to combat.

This was also the key to using the space dao disk to create a one-into-two ability through "presence" and "absence."

The second true self didn't have the "second true self" awakening skill—that was the fundamental difference between him and the original.

But now, Xu Xiaoshou had used his abilities to create a second true self for him—a non-existent person.

He called this move the "third true self."

But...

"Why is Zhou Lishi so certain?"

"Why would Dao Qiong Cang inevitably know I've arrived in Zhong Yu? Is he really that capable?"

Xu Xiaoshou sat on the wooden bench, pondering, with no one around.

He remembered Zhou Lishi's earlier actions and chuckled, then casually cast a line into the air in the room.

No point overthinking it. The long line was cast— what fish would bite?

How exciting.

By noon, Yu Jing was chilly.

Outside the miscellaneous goods store, along the path, in front of the Xiang Gui carriage.

Li Laohan leaned against the horse-beast, holding a savory meat pie and eating it with oil dripping from his mouth, while occasionally tugging at his thin clothes.

"What weird weather—cold just like that..."

People came and went, unrelated to him.

After swallowing the last bite of the savory meat pie, Li Laohan wiped the oil from his hands and chuckled, pulling out a Yun Wen black bag from his pocket and opening it wide.

Counting money was, of course, one of life's happiest moments.

As he clinked through the lingjing one by one, Li Laohan also read the message on the slip of paper formed by lingyuan in the small space of the Yun Wen black bag:

"Xu Xiaoshou is at He Ting Shan."

Xu Xiaoshou was clearly at San Zhu Xiang!

Xu Xiaoshou would be crazy to go to He Ting Shan!

But since Xu Xiaoshou said so, that meant if a Xu Xiaoshou appeared at He Ting Shan, the big picture could be set.

"With Young Master Xu here, chaos is coming..."

After a silent sigh, he put the lingjing back into the bag, and the slip of paper dissolved into lingqi, absorbed by the Yun Wen black bag.

All traces vanished.

Li Laohan leaned against the Xiang Gui carriage, looking up at the sun, his hands tightly clutching the Yun Wen black bag as if gripping happiness, his lips curving into an unstoppable smile.

"Young Master Xu, is this the first task after joining Tian Shang Di Yi Lou?"

In You Gui Ge, on the third-floor private room.

In the warm bed under the canopy, Xiang Yi lay sideways in a thin gauze nightgown, her figure curvaceous and alluring.

For some reason, a small crack had opened in the ling array of the private room, and wisps of green smoke slowly drifted in without triggering any reaction from the array.

Finally, the green smoke transformed into the figure of a tall man, who sat silently at the tea table.

He just watched like that.

After a full half an hour, Xiang Yi still hadn't noticed!

The man grew impatient, rushed over, yanked open the green gauze canopy, and glared at the beauty on the bed.

"The sun's already on your backside—still sleeping?"

"Get up and get to work!"

(End of chapter)